3 Massively Underrated Bands From the 1970s That Should Have Been Famous

Some of the most underrated bands of all time started out or saw some success in the 1970s. While a ton of massively famous rock bands got their start in that decade, more than a few groups deserving of success never scored ongoing hits on the mainstream charts. It’s a shame, especially when it comes to the following super underrated rock bands from the 1970s. Let’s take a look!

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Spirit

Ah, Spirit. I find myself going back to this psychedelic prog-rock outfit often. “I Got A Line On You” was a pretty big success for the band in the late 1960s, but I’m particularly fond of their work in the early 1970s, before they broke up for the first time in 1973. Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus from 1970 and Feedback from 1972 were great pieces of psych-prog goodness, and I really think they deserved more lasting fame. And yet, by the mid-1970s, they had more or less fallen out of charting favor. Considering the band has more or less ended since Randy California’s death in 1997, a reunion will probably never happen, either.

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band

This super-underrated glam rock band was a mystery to me for quite some time. That’s a shame, because this was really a stellar rock band that just didn’t survive the 1970s. Formed in 1972 and broken up by 1978, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band did manage to do a lot before their inevitable demise, with killer albums like Tomorrow Belongs to Me from 1975 and SAHB Stories from 1976. This Scottish group was particularly popular in Australia, and they have been noted as influences for the likes of Bon Scott of AC/DC and Nick Cave.

Ambrosia

When it comes to prog-jazz fusion, few bands from the 1970s were as underrated as Ambrosia. This group launched in 1970 and broke up for the first time in 1982, though they have since reunited and are still together today. Some might not agree that this group is underrated, considering they had a handful of charting hits and a few Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 throughout the 1970s. Still, I don’t hear them out in the wild that much anymore. That’s a shame, because songs like “Holdin’ On To Yesterday”, “If Heaven Could Find Me”, and “How Much I Feel” are bangers.

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