Top 5 Neil Diamond Songs from the Peak of His Career in 1970

Pay No Mind” debuted on the charts, though it didn’t rise very high.

Diamond was also bold enough to deliver a funk-disco jam in the days before disco was truly a thing with “Holly Holy.” In the vein of the next decade’s “Theme from Shaft” by Isaac Hayes and other soul rock productions of the time, Diamond dropped portentous strings and bongos and laid into the song’s romantic and hippie-dippy lyrics. “Holly Holy” wasn’t a chart-topper in the US but was a hit in the UK, and it has remained one of Diamond’s most enduring and oft-covered confections.
While there were plenty of great years still left in Diamond’s multi-decade career, and he could still dominate charts and concert venues, 1970 was the height of his pop chart dominion. The five songs detailed here showcase why Diamond truly was the king of rock ‘n’ roll in 1970.