4 Bands That Bizarrely Flew Under the Radar in the 1970s

So much incredible music came out in the 1970s. It’s only natural that some genuinely good bands would fall through the cracks, considering the sheer volume of LPs that came out in that decade. Personally, I think the following four bands from the 1970s flew under the radar, and they deserved way more hype back in the day. Let’s take a look!

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Granicus

This group from good ol’ Cleveland, Ohio only released one album when they were together. They were an outfit of five hard-rockers that only lasted a few years and disbanded in 1973. Granicus enjoyed a reunion in the 2010s and delivered two more albums, but you just can’t beat the band’s very first release. 

A self-titled work from 1973, Granicus was an innovative album. The band was clearly inspired by the prog and psych-rockers that came before them, but their debut record was incredibly forward-thinking.

Third World War

Not only is Third World War underrated, but they were also one of the very first bands to combine elements of proto-metal and punk rock. They released two albums in the 1970s, including their self-titled debut from 1971 and Third World War II from 1972. 

Third World War’s lyrics were often scathing and political, and those guitar riffs are absolutely brutal, particularly on their first album. This band is proof that just because a group isn’t commercially impactful, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t culturally impactful.

Phantom’s Divine Comedy

Phantom’s Divine Comedy released their debut album in 1974. It was actually a bit of a cult phenomenon at the time, as many listeners believed that Jim Morrison was secretly fronting the band. That wasn’t true, of course, considering Morrison had been dead for some time. 

Capitol Records capitalized on the rumor, which ended up causing some legal problems for the band. They broke up, likely because of those legal issues, and it’s a real bummer. Their music was Doors-adjacent, with some delightful 1970s metal elements that are still a joy to hear.

Ginbae

This band from the 1970s flew under the radar, at least in the West. Ginbae was a Japanese band best known for their killer 1976 self-titled record. It’s a short work, but it was impactful enough to earn a spot on this list. Ginbae’s sound was unabashedly Japanese rock, with clear influence from bands like Black Sabbath and Thin Lizzy. Shirashi’s vocals were crazy.

Featured photo via YouTube

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