The 1970's - A Progressive Decade For Classic and New Music

If the 1970's were a radio station, listeners would be privy to the widest variety of music an era has ever seen. Progressive Rock, Disco, and Punk music all made their mark on the decade, changing the face of music for years to come.

Throughout the 1950's and 1960's, Rock & Roll was morphed and blended into a variety of different styles, and in the 1970's, yet another emerged - Progressive Rock. The movement began in the late 1960's, but only caught popularity in the early 70's with bands like King Crimson, Pink Floyd, and Jethro Tull. Progressive rock required a wholly new approach to rock music. The songs had uncommon structures and a melodic or symphonic approach in their writing. Instead of infusions of R&B and Pop, as was the case with rock throughout the 50's and 60's, prog-rock bands like Genesis, and Gentle Giant, combined elements of classical music and jazz. Two steps backward, one step forward, they say.

By the mid seventies, Disco music was creeping on to the music scene. Characterized by soaring, often reverberated vocals over a steady four-on-the-floor beat, it wasn't long before the pop trend became an obsession in dance clubs. Disco divas like Donna Summers and Gloria Gaynor hit the peak of the popularity, and many bands found great success singing the hits that the masses loved to dance to. Think Saturday Night Fever's "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees, Abba's "Dancing Queen," and Van McCoy's "The Hustle," and you're on the right track. In fact, John Travolta's Saturday Night Fever was so popular that record companies mass produced disco hits, forcing the once edgy and new dance club music into a homogenized product for mainstream audiences. As a result, an anti-disco sentiment manifested across America. By the late 70's, hard rock fans were expressing their disapproval with slogans like 'Disco Sucks'. But even with its short lived time on the music scene, Disco music wasn't without impact. Many rock bands of the age began recording tracks with disco influences - Kiss' "I Was Made For Lovin' You," and the Rolling Stones' "Miss You" among them. Throughout the mid to late 90's, and early into the new century, Disco was making something of a revival. A disco influence can be heard in songs by Whitney Houston, Paula Abdul, the Spice Girls, and even current artists like U2 and Kylie Minogue. Popular dance clubs across the world continue to host disco parties, and 70's, 80's and 90's nights to bring a brief revival to music of years past. No generation's dance collection is complete without at least a few moves borrowed from John Travolta.

The 1970's also gave rise to an 'anti-establishment rock music genre'. Spawning from its deep roots in garage bands, Punk music found significant success in the mid 70's with bands like The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, and The Clash. Finding its strongest footing in the UK, the new musical movement developed hand in hand with a punk subculture - distinctive clothing, and anti-authoritarian ideals emphasized a youthful rebellion. Bands created fast, hard music, with simplified instrumentation and lyrics often rich with political messages. The music style was noted for its experimentation of style, and many groups were strongly influenced by the sound of Jamaican reggae music.

Progressive Rock, Disco, and Punk music were the major musical players throughout the 70's, but it is important to note the continual success of artists stretching across many decades. Bands like Queen, Abba, Led Zeppelin, Kiss, and Van Halen, enjoyed their prime time in the limelight. Reggae music was becoming more and popular across the US and UK thanks to its legendary foreman Bob Marley, Country Music showed no signs of weakening its fan base (if anything, the 70's gave Country music a supportive push into mainstream music with cross-over artists like Kenny Rogers), and Classic Rock was taxiing to the runway for its flight into the 80's.