4 Rock Bands From the 1970s That Disappeared Without a Trace

The 1970s was such a cool era for rock, but far too many stellar bands from that decade fell through the cracks in favor of bigger acts. Specifically, the following four rock bands from the 1970s more or less disappeared without a trace. Let’s find out why.

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1. Big Star

This wouldn’t be a list of 1970s rock bands that disappeared without a trace without mentioning Big Star. These power-pop pros weren’t exactly chart-toppers. However, their cult following is still as dedicated as ever, decades after they called it quits in 1975.

Big Star’s debut album Number One Record is loaded with amazing tracks, and those tracks are still quite loved today. Sadly for the band, not-so-stellar promotion practices and major distribution issues put a wall between them and mainstream success. If they were just a tad bit luckier or had better management, their name would be up there with the greats of the 1970s.

2. Mott The Hoople

You might remember Mott The Hoople from their standout hit “All The Young Dudes”, which happened to be a gift from none other than David Bowie. Few bands from their era were as unique as Mott The Hoople, both musically and in terms of image.

So, what happened to them? Mott The Hoople went through a few too many lineup swaps and internal member struggles, which led to their breakup in 1980. They’re definitely still glam icons, but they have been more or less lost to time.

3. Humble Pie

Spearheaded by Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton, this rock band could have easily become hard rock legends in the same vein as The Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin. They were intense to experience live, and each member was massively talented.

Unfortunately, lineup changes and an unwise creative direction led this band into the dirt by 1975. They reunited periodically through the years and are still considered “together” today.

4. UFO

UFO is one of the most groundbreaking British hard rock bands from the 1970s, and it’s still a huge bummer that they basically disappeared by the time the late 1980s rolled around. They were never “mainstream” famous, but the music they did produce in the 70s is considered very influential in the rise of British heavy metal.

Despite the success of songs like “Rock Bottom” and “Doctor Doctor”, they went through too many lineup changes (see a pattern here?) and disbanded several times. They didn’t exactly disappear from the UK (they charted there until the mid-1980s), but they struggled to gain international attention between the lineup changes and the breakups.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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