5 Love Songs From 1970 That Sound Even Sweeter Today

Many popular love songs were released in 1970, and though many dominated the charts that year, some of them have aged considerably better than others. In this list, we'll look back not only at some of the best love songs released that year but also ones that sound even more tender today thanks to their timeless lyrics, gorgeous vocals, and beautiful melodies.

What makes love songs work isn't an exact science, but the sentiments expressed in these songs, whether dramatic and lovesick or ordinary and simple, have only grown sweeter and more resounding as time has passed. Across rock 'n' roll, folk, pop, and soul, the legendary musicians behind these five 1970 songs did everything right when composing a love song, and there's no doubt they sound even sweeter today.

George Harrison's 1970 output is best remembered for other songs from his third solo album, "All Things Must Pass," namely the ambitious "My Sweet Lord," a '70s song that literally changed the course of music, and the album's title track. Still, this unique love song captures an undying sweetness that has become even more pronounced today. "I Live for You" is a gentle and reassuring song both in its music and lyrics, led by a soft, pleasing guitar and Harrison's soothing vocals.

In an intersection of love and religion similar to many songs from this storied record, "I Live for You" is a grand take on love and its power, and these religious themes only strengthen the residual power of the song. The narrator describes themselves as helpless and nearly lost without their lover, a dramatic sentiment backed by poetic, memorable phrasings: "All alone in this world am I / Not a care for this world have I / Only you keep my eyes open wide / Yes, it's true/ I live for you." The tune is catchy by itself, but this message and its delivery by the former Beatle make the song one of Harrison's best, a love song from 1970 that we just can't get enough of.

Joan Baez, especially in her early career, was better known as a singer than a songwriter, but this track that led off her 1970 album, "One Day at a Time," was said by Baez to be the first she ever wrote. "Sweet Sir Galahad" is a quiet folk song, headlined by Baez's once-in-a-generation voice and a rolling acoustic guitar. The song was inspired by the love story of Baez's sister and her husband, and it takes a classic approach to love in documenting this half-fictional, half-real relationship.

"Sweet Sir Galahad," despite its Arthurian name, is an extremely grounded take on love that almost anyone can relate to. Though it begins with a Romeo and Juliet-esque introduction — "Sweet Sir Galahad came in / Through the window in the night / When the moon was in the yard / He took her hand in his" — the remainder of the song captures love in its little moments, its reassurances, and its triumphs. It isn't overly dramatic or saccharine, and Baez's writing feels timeless and beautiful, ending with a near-toast to the lovers she documents: "And here's to the dawn of their days / Of their days."

This grandiose love song is arguably the greatest triumph of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel's career as the ultimate duo of the '60s, spending an incredible six weeks atop the Billboard U.S. singles chart in 1970. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is a universal love song that uses duty and sacrifice to demonstrate the power of one's love. Rooted in gospel sounds, it balances a beautiful, sparkling piano with Garfunkel's heavenly vocals, fit for one listen or a hundred.

The great testaments of love in its lyrics, written by Simon, are what have made "Bridge Over Troubled Water" age tremendously well, most notably in its chorus: "Like a bridge over troubled water / I will lay me down." This is a line of such sweet strength, and the narrator continues to build on this sentiment through the verses. Each line's tenderness, delivered in a nearly perfect vocal performance, leaves not a single moment dull during the song's five-minute runtime, leaving "Bridge Over Troubled Water" as definitively one of the best love songs of the entire 1970s. Ultimately, it's a romantic song from 1970 that only feels more classic by the day.

Likely the most iconic track from supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, "Our House" is as sweet as love songs come, and its timeless melodies and lyrics only further prove its greatness today. David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, and Neil Young turned this simple song about Nash's time living with singer Joni Mitchell into a respectable top 30 hit in late 1970, as fans then and now latched onto the song's charming sentiment and its pretty vocals.

"Our House" is a beautiful anthem of pure, simple love, complimented by a lovestruck vocal and instrumental performance. The song finds its love in the simple and the ordinary, evidenced by a chorus that paints a vivid picture in four lines: "Our house is a very, very, very fine house / With two cats in the yard / Life used to be so hard / Now everything is easy cause of you." It would seem impossible to find anyone who doesn't crack a smile while this song is playing, and this tale of easy and gentle affection, recorded beautifully and with such passion, has aged as well as anyone could imagine, cementing itself as one of the best love songs of 1970 and beyond.

Stevie Wonder was the architect of countless memorable love songs throughout his renowned career, and his 1970 album, "Signed Sealed & Delivered," is full of quality ones. Though best known for its title track, this album also contains the excellent "We Can Work It Out," originally written by The Beatles and slotted right before the iconic smash hit on the album's tracklist. Though its instrumentation is bright and cheery, led by a warm synth melody and complimented by responsive supporting vocals, "We Can Work It Out" tells the story of a troubled relationship that the narrator is intent on fixing.

Though the song's detail in its verses makes this task seem difficult — "Try to see things my way / Do I have to keep on talking 'til I can't go on? / While you see it your way / Run the risk of knowing that our love may soon be gone" — true love undoubtedly shines through in the repetition of its title. Wonder has a way of delivering sentiments of passion and love masterfully, and this is no exception, as his legendary voice only lands with more power as the years have passed.