For the Record: The 70s

The year 1974 shoulder much of the blame for the so-called worst music of not only the 1970s, but the worst of all time. Is this true? While we know that 1974 had much good to offer, is it true that it also had the worst of the worst? If so, does it matter. This episode takes a closer look at some songs considered the all-time worst, including "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks, "Cat's in the Cradle," by Harry Chapin, and "Billy, Don't Be a Hero" by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods.

Did you watch television in the 70s? If so, it was highly likely that you watched something that was created or produced by Dick Clark. The centerpiece of his entertainment empire was "American Bandstand," but there was more than that, including "New Year's Rockin' Eve" and "The 25,000 Pyramid." Clark was concerned about his legacy and this episode examines just what that legacy was and how it was part of 70s pop culture.

What could possibly happen to make a music festival be tagged as "3 Days of Sodom and Gomorrah?" How about toilets on fire? Drugs being sold as openly as sex? Young rock fans strolling naked through the streets of Sedalia, Missouri as they ditched their clothing to cope with the summer heat? Yes, all this and more descended on this small Missouri town in a festival that was marketed, in part, to town officials as a method of showcasing bluegrass music. There was a little bluegrass but there was a whole lot more of rock. As bad as the behavior of many of the fans was, that was how great the music was. Twenty-seven bands in all, including The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Eagles, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, REO Speedwagon, and more performed for hot, thirsty, and high rock fans in an epic and unforgettable weekend of rock (mostly) music.

In the 1970s, it was not easy for Canadians to produce and distribute music that would be widely received by American or Canadian audiences. Their was the issue of cost and, maybe even more importantly, the issue of credibility. Canada's content laws made radio listeners skeptical about the bands they heard and whether they were "good," which tended to mean they had received an American stamp of approval. This episode examines the work and, in many cases, the perseverence of Canadian bands including Bachman Turner Overdrive, Rush, and Triumph as they worked to create careers that were sustainable beyond the Canadian borders.

There is no single type of novelty song, although they all have something that distinguishes them. Sometimes it is the topic and sometimes it is the format, but a novelty song that endures should also be a good piece of music. Novelty songs were popular in the 1970s and this episode examines some of the most popular ones, including "Spiders and Snakes" by Jim Stafford, "The Cover of the Rolling Stone" by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, and "Mr. Jaws" by Dickie Goodman.

On May 4, 1970, the Ohio National Guard opened fire on unarmed protestors at Kent State University in Ohio. Four students were killed and nine others were wounded. This episode examines that music that mattered to the students and the music that was made as a result of this tragedy. "Ohio" by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young stands alone as not only the most famous song to be associated with the massacre, but also as one of the greatest protest songs of all time. However, former Kent State students Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders and Joe Walsh, who were on campus on May 4, 1970, were forever impacted by the shootings. So, too, were Gerry Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh, the founders of Devo, who have said that without the massacre, the band would not have existed.

What IS an opera, anyway? It is a dramatic story told with music rather than acting. The songs tell us the story. The 1970s was not only a golden era for classic rock, it was especially a golden era for the rock opera. This episode of For the Record: The 70s examines some of songs from the iconic rock operas of the decade, most of which have the similar theme of youth angst and desire at their core. Artists and bands such as The Who, Meatloaf, and Pink Floyd created characters and told stories with their songs and, in the process, created some of the best rock that the 70s had to offer.

Is it possible that the combination of the live music and the community that was created at The Troubadour in Los Angeles can ever be replicated? There are few clubs that have the cultural impact that The Troub had on 70s popular culture. This episode examines a wide spectrum of artists, of both the music and comedic variety, that saw The Troubadour help launch their careers. 

Playlist:

Ol’ 55 (Live) by Tom Waits (1975) A Song for You (Live) by Donny Hathaway (1971) Solitary Man (Live) by Neil Diamond (1970) Take Me to the Pilot by Elton John (1970) Doctor My Eyes by Jackson Browne (1972) Live at the Troubadour by Steve Martin (1976) Chuck E’s In Love by Rickie Lee Jones (1979) Sad Cafe by The Eagles (1979)

After Olivia Newton-John died, her broad reach was evident. Tributes poured in from all corners of the entertainment world. Even at the music festival for the late Taylor Hawkins in September, organized by his friend and Foo Fighters bandmate, Dave Grohl, there Livvy was, her smiling face on the drum kit.  is impossible to imagine pop culture of the 1970s and 1980s without Olivia Newton-John. That all changed, of course, when Olivia took a page from the fictional character that she brought to life, Sandy Olsson, in “Grease.” With the twist of a red pump on a cigarette butt and a growl of “Tell me about it, Stud,” she threw off her countryish-pop/soft rock persona. She burst into the 80s as a woman not afraid to sing about sex and to have some fun while she did it. From the ethereal roller disco muse in “Xanadu” to the sexy aerobics instructor in the ubiquitous “Physical,” Olivia shaped the early 80s just as she did throughout the 70s. Can you imagine either decade without her? Nope. Me, either.

If anyone could make following the Billboard Top 40 a friendly competitive sport, it was Casey Kasem. His national radio countdown show, American Top 40, is a vital part of 70s and 80s music history. This episode discusses AT40 in the 70s, including the first and last #1 songs played in the decade, the first long distance dedication, and Casey's tribute to The King, Elvis Presley, following his death in 1977. Part 2, covering AT40 in the 80s, will appear on For the Record: The 80s in September.

You can also read this essay Amy wrote about AT40: https://amy-lively.medium.com/american-top-40-is-part-of-music-history-a6c0ab80e9eb

Mainstream hip hop burst onto the scene with "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang in 1979, but hip hop's roots go deeper than that into 70s music. Hip hop godfathers Gil Scott-Heron and James Brown helped pave the way for rap and hip hop to become a commercial success, as did Chic with their funky disco smash, "Good Times" in 1979. There is some irony in "Good Times" being liberally "borrowed" by Sugarhill Records for "Rapper's Delight" as it was disco's (and Chic's) last big hit, while it was just the beginning of what was to come for hip hop.

Rock and roll was a man's world in the 1970s. Would that have been any  different if Janis Joplin had not died just as the 70s were beginning?  The world will never know but what is known is that women in the music industry faced challenges that men did not, simply because of their gender. This episode reviews the contributions of Joplin, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, and Chrissie Hynde in an attempt to understand how women found their place in rock, while society as a whole still struggled with granting women their full complement of civil rights.

Suffice to say that America's spirit in 1976 was a bit...mixed. The first half of the 70s carried the weight of war, social discord, and assorted political drama that began in the 60s. Even the very question of whether or not the U.S. should celebrate and, if so, how, was up in the air. This episode examines the collective mood of the U.S. on the occasion of its 200th birthday and takes a look at songs that made it to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"The Rumble in the Jungle" featured heavyweight boxing legends, Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, but they were not the only legends who gathered in Zaire in the fall of 1974. The music festival known as Zaire '74 brought African and African American music icons such as B.B. King, Bill Withers, Manu Dibango, and the Godfather of Soul, James Brown together in what Lloyd Price envisioned as a day "the beat would return to its roots." This episode of For the Record: The 70s examines the importance of both the fight and the music festival in an era when Ali and many of the musicians who performed in Zaire were at turning points in their careers.

Jazz is America’s music. It is America’s sole original form of art, yet it had declined in popularity by the 1970s to the point that some musicians resisted even being associated with it. Still, jazz’s influence was felt in popular music by bands like Chicago and Steely Dan. These bands were able to evoke the spirit of jazz while presenting their music in a form that was easier for music fans to accept and interpret. Perhaps no tribute to jazz in the 70s was greater than Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke,” which paid homage to Duke Ellington and others who, in the words of Wonder, “gave us something that is supposed to be forever.”

Tom Wolfe said the 70s was witness to the Third Great Awakening, as many Americans turned to religion on their quest for self-enlightenment or simply to find a way to make sense out of the social and political chaos. This religious revival was reflected in pop music of the era, although writing or singing songs about religion was still a bit risky. This episode looks at songs by artists such as George Harrison, The Staples Singers, and Kansas to try to better understand the intersection of religion and popular music of the 70s.

There is no single sound that defines the 70s but there is no doubt that Philly Soul, or the Sound of Philadelphia, is an essential element. The O'Jays, The Spinners, Three Degrees, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, and Billy Paul are just some of the artists that created silky, lush soul records under the direction of "The Mighty Three": Thom Bell, Kenny Gamble, and Leon Huff. With a distribution deal from Clive Davis at CBS Records, Gamble and Huff were not only the McCartney and Lennon of the 70s, they created Philadelphia's Motown. Their brand of soul, or "funk dressed in a tuxedo" was not just dressed up R&B, but also told stories and spoke to social issues that were part of the fabric of the 70s.

Who knew that Barry Manilow wanted "Could it Be Magic" to be a "musical orgasm?" That song was part of the wide menu of 70s pop, which has been often derided by critics, yet found an audience with millions of music fans then and now. This episode examines the variety of songs that are classified as pop, which became a genre unto itself in the 70s. Artists such as The Carpenters, Cher, ABBA, and Andy Gibb made music for the masses and the masses responded by buying their records and making these artists stars. Is it a bad thing if music doesn't always have "meaning?" This episode makes the case that music always has meaning, just by its existence in our lives, and doesn't have to make a statement to have value. (Also, HAPPY 3RD ANNIVERSARY TO FTR70!)

The relationship between music and sports in the 70s was multidimensional. There were songs about individual athletes, there were songs that enhanced the game for the fans, and there were songs that created an identity for athletes and teams. This relationship was evident even in rollerskating, which saw music set the mood and, at times, offered an escape in times of turmoil. This episode looks at songs on a wide spectrum, from "Nadia's Theme" to "The Groove Line" to "We Will Rock You" in a close examination of the powerful relationship between 70s music and sports.

Gram Parsons called country rock Cosmic American Music; it was a little of this and a little of that, combined into a musical stew that today we call Americana. In the 70s, though, the marriage of rock and country, complete with the steel guitar and perhaps a banjo or two, seemed like an unlikely marriage. The truth is that rock and country share similar roots, but heavily formatted radio was not sure what to do with bands like Poco, The Flying Burrito Brothers, or Pure Prairie League. The DID know what to do with The Eagles, who ultimately abandoned the country in their country rock on the way to selling millions of records. This episode looks at the sub-genre of 70s rock that was considered by some to be too country for rock and too rock for country.

Songwriters of the 70s took on Richard Nixon the best way they knew how: with their music. Blaming music for drug use, the Kent State shootings, Watergate, and getting a pardon for "any crimes he may have committed" were all issues that inspired artists such as Jefferson Airplane, CSNY, The Honey Drippers, Stevie Wonder, and David Bowie. This episode discusses how music reflected the dissatisfaction and outright anger with President Richard Nixon, even beyond his resignation in August 1974.

Rock and roll was a man's world in the 1970s. Would that have been any different if Janis Joplin had not died just as the 70s were beginning? The world will never know but what is known is that women in the music industry faced challenges that men did not, simply because of their gender. This episode reviews the contributions of Joplin, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, and Chrissie Hynde in an attempt to understand how women found their place in rock while society as a whole still struggled with granting women their full complement of civil rights.

The 70s gave birth to hip hop but hip hop was conceived in the 50s. After World War II, "white flight" left many cities in a state of poverty and neglect. The Bronx was the epitome of the results of this mass migration and young African American artists found little to relate to in the most popular music of the era: disco. By borrowing both technique and music from the disco that they largely rejected, the hip hop pioneers created a new genre of music that has defined pop music of the early 21st century.

Songwriters of the 70s took on Richard Nixon the best way they knew how: with their music. Blaming music for drug use, the Kent State shootings, Watergate, and getting a pardon for "any crimes he may have committed" were all issues that inspired artists such as Jefferson Airplane, CSNY, Gil Scott-Heron, Stevie Wonder, and David Bowie. This episode discusses how music reflected the dissatisfaction and outright anger with President Richard Nixon, even beyond his resignation in August 1974.

Country radio has created the country music sound it has wanted since Elvis and rock and roll began to lure away its customers. This was not pleasing to country music purists in the 1970s. Amy discusses why more people began to listen to countryish music in the 70s and why it became difficult to distinguish country from other pop music. She also offers an analysis of two of Glen Campbell's biggest hits of the 70s, "Country Boy" and "Rhinestone Cowboy."

Disco and the 70s had a love-hate relationship. Why? Who loved it, who hated it, and what did Stonewall and the beginning of the gay rights movement have to do with any of this?

Southern rock from bands such as the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd was not just loved by Americans from the South. Southern rock had broad appeal. For many white southerners, though, this form of rock tapped into a desire for nostalgia, rebellion, and reclaiming the South as a distinct region. The 1970s was a time when regional distinctions in the United States were fading and as the South became more like the rest of America, the rest of America became more like the South. This episode discusses the question of how we should think about that music now, as well as the very thorny question of what the Confederate flag has to do with any of it. 

Did music help push the sexual revolution in the 1970s or was the music reflecting the changes in how society viewed sexuality? Music has always been used to sell sex but the message was delivered more directly in the 70s. The sexual revolution and music's role in it are explored using the music of Loretta Lynn, Led Zeppelin, The Archies (!), Marvin Gaye, Labelle, Donna Summer, and Patti Smith.