The 1970s is one of the most iconic decades of music, as there’s a plethora of artists and genres to choose from, and they’re all amazing in their own right.
In this decade, the Beatles matured into a mix of a hippie-esque sound mixed with some soft rock. The Beatles’ song “Something” from “Abbey Road” is said to be one of the greatest love ballads of all time, and I believe that too. From the same album, the song “Because” has one of the best harmonies I have ever heard.
The Rolling Stones also had an evolution, their sound becoming more hard and bluesy. The Stones’ “Some Girls” album is a no-skip album and consists of a mix of upbeat rhythms, blues undertones and their classic rock sound. My personal favorite from this album is “Far Away Eyes,” this song has many layers as Mick Jagger sings in a southern accent surprisingly well. A song with a more serious overtone from the album “Sticky Fingers” is “Sister Morphine,” this one will stop you in your tracks when you listen to it.
These two bands, one could argue, are the most famous bands in history. Everyone knows at least one song by one of the two, and for good reason: both bands’ immense popularity is well-earned.
MORE ENTERTAINMENT: Guide to getting into the greats: ’60s edition
The psychedelic sound was still prevalent in the ‘70s but evolved for the better to create a new sound that became known as the genre funk. Funkadelic, Parliament and Rick James are the Holy Mecca of the funk sound.
Funkadelic’s tune “Maggot Brain” is confusing and, at the same time, entirely captivating. Apparently, in this tune, the band’s guitarist played the guitar as if his mother had just died, and you can definitely hear it in the weeping sound of the guitar solo.
Funk cannot be thought of without immediately thinking of James Brown, who I would say is the king of funk. I mean, his song “Ain’t it Funky Now” clearly solidifies his spot on the throne of funk.
The bands KC & The Sunshine Band, Ohio Players and Kool & The Gang are also stellar funk bands. Kool & The Gang’s hits, “Jungle Boogie” and “Get Down Tonight,” are to me what funk is all about.
Rhythm and Blues hit its hay-day in the ‘70s, and Al Green and Barry White became kings of the genre. To dig a little deeper into this sound, “Tell it Like It Is” by Aaron Neville is like listening to an angel sing. Another glorious tune is “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” by Lou Rawls.
Of course, ‘70s music can’t be discussed without bringing up disco, and say what you want about disco, you can’t deny it produced some of the best dancing music to this day. Although disco received a bad rep, as rock fans thought disco was the killer of good music, this is a safe space to admit to yourself that you are a disco fan.
“I’ve Got the Next Dance” by Denise Williams will make you wish Studio 54 was still open for business. Now, if you’re a disco fan like me, “Love to Love You Baby” by Donna Summer (the queen of disco) is your anthem and should always be played at full volume. Also, any song by ABBA and The BeeGees is a disco lover’s jam.
The ‘70s also birthed some of the greatest folk rock hits of all time, with bands like The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers and The Marshall Tucker band leading the folk movement. The epitome of folk rock would be Creedence Clearwater Revival, with tunes like “Run Through the Jungle” and “Up Around the Bend,” you’d never guess they’re four guys from California and not from the South.
I would also put Fleetwood Mac into this genre, as their songs are whimsical and other-worldly. Everyone knows “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, but if that’s all you know, then you are missing out. The band’s songs “Mystified” and “World Turning” are two very different tunes, but both are equally absolutely amazing.
As for plain folk music, artists such as Jim Croce, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Don McLean, Donovan and the band America give the sound of a soothing kind of life mixed with introspection. “Sister Golden Hair” and “Ventura Highway” by America are perfect for belting out at the top of your lungs on a long road trip.
The ‘70s had a range of different variations of rock, one of them being soft rock, or as other people call it- “yacht rock.” If this is your jam, then check out Steely Dan, Todd Rundgren, Bread, Daryl Hall and John Oates and Wings.
A new genre known as glam rock emerged in the ‘70s, taking aesthetic influence from disco and sound influence from rock to produce some ground-breaking hits. Elton John and David Bowie are the best-known glam rock gurus; to this day, we haven’t seen anyone do outfits and performances like them. Iggy Pop, T. Rex, Nick Gilder, Queen and Lou Reed are also geniuses within this genre. “Hot Love” by T. Rex and “Roxy Roller” by Nick Gilder are, to me, the embodiment of glam rock.
Classic rock from the ‘70s produced some of the best tunes known to man. I’ll try to narrow down the greats, or else this could go on forever. Led Zeppelin is probably the most widely known band from the ‘70s, as they pioneered a hard rock sound during the decade. “Good Times and Bad Times” by Zeppelin is a testimony to their skill, as the drummer, John Bonham, uses both his feet on two different kick drums and manages to maintain perfect rhythm.
Another icon of classic ‘70s rock is Eric Clapton, one of the best guitar players in history, aside from Jimi Hendrix.
More classics of ‘70s classic rock would also be Steppenwolf, Faces, Sly & The Family Stone, Eagles, Aerosmith, The Clash and Bob Segar. Bob Segar’s entire discography is worth listening to, but the songs “Still the Same” and “Mary Lou” are true gems. As for Sly & The Family Stone, they have an interesting mix of funk and rock. The song “I Want to Take You Higher” is a testament to this.
A more underrated and underexposed band in this category is Bad Finger, whose songs “Dear Angie” and “No Matter What” deserve more attention.
By the end of the ‘70s, the rock sound became even harder when bands like Kiss, Metallica, Black Sabbath and Pearl Jam made their way into the spotlight. From Black Sabbath, the world was graced with Ozzy Osbourne’s presence, a true rock star when it comes to outlandish behavior.
In the ‘70s, some of the first female classic rock artists began to emerge. Suzi Quatro and the band The Runaways managed to do the unheard of and became female rock icons. Quatro’s “Wild One” and The Runaways’ “You Drive Me Wild” shook up the music world when their songs featured lyrics and subjects that were usually only acceptable for male artists.
The 1970s was a musical melting pot, with soothing sounds or sounds that pushed the boundaries of music. There are so many other artists and songs worth listening to from this decade that I haven’t named, and others I don’t even know about, but these are some of the greats, and they deserve proper recognition.
