4 Hit Rock Bands From the 1970s That Disappeared With the Era

It’s always a shame when a good rock band disappears after enjoying some major success. That’s just the nature of the industry, and also the nature of rock music. It’s one of those genres that is constantly evolving, and mainstream tastes tend to change on a whim. Let’s look at a few genuinely good rock bands that almost totally disappeared after the 1970s.

Videos by American Songwriter

Starbuck

In 1976, Starbuck made it big with the song “Moonlight Feels Right”. The pop-rock classic was a unique one for that particular era, and I feel the need to point out that marimba solo. It’s such a unique classic! Yet, sadly, Starbuck almost seemed to disappear as that song began to fade from the charts. The 1978 single “Searching For A Thrill” was their last charting hit, and the band called it quits in 1980.

Paper Lace

Remember “The Night Chicago Died”? That 1974 tune ended up being, more or less, Paper Lace’s only major hit. They seemed to disappear from the charts, at least in the United States. Paper Lace continued with a few more hits in their native UK, but by the end of the 70s, it seems like mainstream audiences had moved on from the classic pop-rock sounds of Paper Lace. Personally, I don’t think that’s fair. The band is (thankfully) still together today.

The Ideas Of March

You might remember The Ides Of March from their hit 1970 song “Vehicle”. Those vocals, that horn section, that earworm beat. It was the perfect early 1970s rock song, and it’s no surprise that “Vehicle” charted well. And yet, after that single hit the airwaves, The Ides Of March seemed to disappear. The band never made it to the Top 40 again, and they would initially break up in 1973. Thankfully, though, this rock-meets-jazz-fusion group revived in 1990 and is still together today.

Bachman-Turner Overdrive

This rock group dished out hits like “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” and “Takin’ Care Of Business” in the 70s. And, sadly, they made it to our list of rock bands that disappeared in the 1970s because of declining sales. BTO is technically still together today, but they haven’t enjoyed as many major hits as they did in the early to mid-1970s. Though, their last hit in the US, the 1984 tune “For The Weekend”, is nothing to sneeze at.

Photo by Universal Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images