3 Soft Rock Songs From 1970 That Had Baby Boomers Crying by the Radio

Three soft rock songs released in 1970 explored grief, divorce and unrequited love, resonating with listeners through their vulnerable lyrics. Their chart success shows how these personal themes also reached a wide audience.

James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain”, partly inspired by the death of a childhood friend, peaked at No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind”, written during his divorce, reached No. 5 on the Hot 100 and topped the Adult Contemporary chart. Bread’s “It Don’t Matter to Me” peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Easy Listening chart.