The musical decade of the 1970s came in on a psychedelic wave and went out on the whoosh of a synthesizer. The ’70s brought us pet rocks, polyester, shag carpeting, bean bag chairs, and the battle of the sexes. The musical trends included prog rock, soul, Southern rock, punk, disco, country, and new wave. We’ve selected one song to represent each of those categories, and celebrate the spirit of the ’70s.
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1. “Roundabout” by Yes, 1971
Bands like Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Pink Floyd pushed the boundaries of rock music. Prog (short for progressive) rock was known for incorporating classical music elements, expanding song lengths, and updating the instrumentation normally used in rock and roll.
“Roundabout” hit in America, but it had to be edited down to a more radio-friendly length to do so. The album version is 8:29, while the single version was trimmed to 3:27. Arena rock like KISS, Boston, Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, and AC/DC made significant impacts in the ’70s as well.
2. “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder, 1972
Soul music superstar Stevie Wonder established himself in the sixties with hits out of Motown. Collaborating with guitarist Jeff Beck, Wonder improvised most of “Superstition” on the spot. He finished the lyrics, and they recorded a demo together. It was agreed upon that Beck would release the song first.
When delays happened on Beck’s end, Berry Gordy of Motown Records pushed for the release of Wonder’s version as he anticipated it would be a big hit. And he was correct. Other great soul artists of the ‘70s include Roberta Flack, Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Jackson 5, Labelle, and The Commodores.
[RELATED: 7 Songs You Didn’t Know Stevie Wonder Wrote for Other Artists]
3. “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1973
The girlfriend of Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Allen Collins asked him, “If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?” And those very words would comprise the opening line of “Free Bird,” the signature song of all signature songs.
Skynyrd roadie Billy Powell composed a piano introduction to the song. The band not only included it on the recording, but asked Powell to become a permanent member of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Blues rock would have to be mentioned in this section as well. Eric Clapton, ZZ Top, and George Thorogood all made substantial contributions.
[AS OF THIS WRITING: Skynyrd Tickets Are Available! – Get ‘Em Right Here]
4. “Blitzkrieg Bop” by Ramones, 1976
The opening track from the debut album by New York City’s Ramones. They weren’t the first band to play punk rock. (The New York Dolls had released several albums already.) They may have been overshadowed by the British wave of punk rock that was about to happen. Bands like Sex Pistols and The Clash intruded on their territory a bit.
But the Ramones had their own thing going on. Short, loud, angry songs became their trademark. It was a pushback to the arena rock and prog rock that seemingly had lost its soul. The Ramones were a central part of the emerging New York City club scene that was happening at Max’s Kansas City and CBGB’s. Bands like Talking Heads, Television, Patti Smith Group, Dead Boys, and Blondie all came out of that scene.
5. “Stayin’ Alive” by Bee Gees, 1977
Like punk, disco became a whole subculture. Its roots were in the dance clubs of the American Northeast as a response to the stigmatization of dance music. An entire scene was born consisting of young people looking to “do the hustle.” Groups like Abba, The Bee Gees, Kool and the Gang, Chic, Sister Sledge, KC and the Sunshine Band capitalized on the new genre.
Solo acts got in on it as well. Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, Thelma Houston, and Diana Ross all scored disco hits. The iconic opening of the movie Saturday Night Fever uses “Stayin’ Alive” as a backdrop to John Travolta walking down the sidewalk. The Bee Gees continued to have a successful career, but have always faced undeserved disco-related backlash. Their connection to that phenomenon has unjustly pegged them as “disco,” despite their hit-making history before and after “Stayin’ Alive.”
6. “Here You Come Again” by Dolly Parton, 1977
Country music in the ’70s went through many phases. Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Tammy Wynette debuted in the ’60s, of course. But had their biggest successes in the ’70s. Bakersfield artists like Buck Owens and Merle Haggard hit their stride as well.
The Outlaw movement brought success to Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser, and Jessi Colter. Their debut became the first Country album to be certified Platinum by the RIAA. Dolly Parton started to cross over to the pop charts with more regularity. And that trend was continued by artists such as Glen Campbell, Eddie Rabbitt, Crystal Gayle, Ronnie Milsap, Linda Ronstadt, and Kenny Rogers. They all had success on Billboard‘s Hot 100.
7. “Let’s Go” by The Cars, 1979
As an offshoot of punk rock, British bands started experimenting with synthesizers. Bands like the Buggles, The Human League, Roxy Music, The Cure, Squeeze, and Joy Division began to show up on the charts. The Police, Adam and the Ants, The Cars, The Knack, and Devo had success on the Billboard Hot 100. “Let’s Go” was the debut single from the Cars’ second album, Candy-O. It tells the story of a 17-year-old girl and how she likes the nightlife. It’s a universal story that could easily fit into any of these seven genres.
Music in the ’70s covered a wide range of categories. There were fashion styles that were associated with each of those genres as well. The clothes, the dances, the hair, the nightlife. It really was an amazing decade.
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