4 Forgotten Americana Artists From the 1970s That I Bet You’ve Never Heard Of

While the Americana genre tag is a fairly new phenomenon created mainly to differentiate pop country from more traditional and roots-oriented country, the music in the genre has been around for decades. The music embedded in the genre includes a fusion of bluegrass, blues, country, southern rock, and folk. So, as you might imagine, Americana music, even though the tag didn’t formally exist at the time, was big in the 1970s.

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Notable bands from the ’70s that would likely receive the Americana tag include the Allman Brothers Band, the Eagles, the Doobie Brothers, the Byrds, and the Marshall Tucker Band. Those are the big ones; however, there are a few bands that also fit the bill, but folks have seemingly forgotten about them over time. That being so, here are four forgotten Americana artists from the 1970s that I bet you’ve never heard of.

The Flying Burrito Brothers

This might be the hottest take on our list, as the Flying Burrito Brothers do have a cult following. However, in terms of mainstream popularity, the Burrito Brothers are admirably and incredibly obscure. Founded in 1968, Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman formed the group after leaving the Byrds.

While the majority of the Flying Burrito Brothers’ music exists as a hidden gem, their debut album, The Gilded Palace of Sin, acquired them a bit of mainstream popularity. After the album’s release in 1969, it peaked at No. 164 on the Billboard 200.

Simply put, they shouldn’t be a forgotten 1970s Americana band, so hopefully this helped jog your memory.

Brewer & Shipley

While some folks might criminally view Brewer & Shipley as one-hit wonders for their 1970 No. 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit, “One Toke Over the Line”, that is not the case. Founded in 1967, Brewer & Shipley was a folk-rock duo that currently remains an underrated pillar in the 70s Americana scene.

In addition to their other popular songs, “Tarkio Road” and “Oh Mommy”, the duo wrote songs for The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Glen Yarborough, and H.P. Lovecraft. While they certainly had their heyday, it seems only the most staunch country/folk fans know about these fellas.

The Dusty Chaps

Next up on our list of forgotten Americana bands from the 1970s is Dusty Chaps. Hailing from Tucson, Arizona, the Dusty Chaps founded their country-rock band in 1969. In 1975, the group released their debut album appropriately titled, Honky Tonk Music, with the small Tucson label, Bandoleer Records. Subsequently, they got their big break with Capitol Records and rerecorded and rereleased their debut album in 1977.

While the Dusty Chaps never achieved any lasting major commercial success, one could make the argument that they helped support the outlaw country music scene that was transpiring during the 1970s. Some of their most notable singles include “Honky Tonk Music” and “Domino Joe”.

Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen

In our humble opinion, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen is arguably one of the coolest band names of all time, and guess what, their music is even cooler. Founded in 1967, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen are primarily known for their only top 10 hit, “Hot Rod Lincoln”.

In addition to their 1972 hit, the Cody and the Airmen also received some significant chart success when their 1975 album Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen peaked at No. 58 on the Billboard 200.

If you’ve forgotten about this 1970s Americana band, do yourself a favor and give them a listen pronto.

Photo by Robert Altman/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images