This article is a nostalgic look back at 1970, highlighting songs that were staples of car radio listening for children being driven to school during that era. It's part of a recurring "throwback" series from American Songwriter that revisits decades-old hits to evoke memories of childhood and family car rides for readers who grew up in the 1970s.

The piece lists four songs from 1970: "Let It Be" by The Beatles, which topped charts globally as the title track of the band's final album; "Spirit In The Sky" by Norman Greenbaum, which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 despite being the artist's only major hit; "American Woman" by The Guess Who, a No. 1 hit in the US that also charted in the UK; and "War" by Edwin Starr, a protest anthem that also reached No. 1 on the Hot 100.