1970 Rock Hit Was Just Ranked 'the Most Tragic Song of the 1970s'

While on the whole the '70s are known for uplifting disco numbers and epic rock hits, music groups did put out a few quiet, sad tunes in the decade. The publication Far Out recently shared a list of the "five most tragic songs of the 1970s."

The ranking, published on May 21, featured devastating '70s hits likeJim Croce's "Time in a Bottle" and "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor. George Harrison's 1970 song, "Isn't It a Pity," which deals with the end of a partnership, was named the "most tragic song" released in the 1970s. According to the publication, Harrison shared some insight into the lyrics of the song, off his 1970 record All Things Must Pass, while writing his autobiography, I, Me, Mine.

"‘Isn't It a Pity' is about whenever a relationship hits a down point. It was a chance to realise that if I felt somebody had let me down, then there's a good chance I was letting someone else down. We all tend to break each other's hearts, taking and not giving back," shared the former Beatle in the book, published in 1980.

Harrison played some of the seven-minute song during a 1974 interview on Rock Around the World with Alan Freeman. After he was finished singing, Harrison said the tune was about him "breaking everybody's heart." When asked to clarify what he meant, the musician, who died in 2001 at the age of 58, replied, "I don't know."

He then explained that he believed life is full of the "good and bad, positive and negative."

"The mere fact that you embrace good means you've laid yourself wide open to the bad because the bad and the good are just part of one whole, like the day and the night," said Harrison during the interview.

He went on to say that there can't be great moments without some unpleasant ones.

"One thing you see everybody out enjoying themselves having a good time. The next minute something goes wrong, and they're all uptight and shouting and killing each other," continued Harrison.

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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 7:52 PM.