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, ...

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 showca...

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 ...

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 S...

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 grea...

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 Wh...

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:

1. Ol’ 55 (Live) by Tom Waits (1975)
2. A Song...

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 Olivi...

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 ...

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,...

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...

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 a...

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 Bil...

"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." ...

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 tri...

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,...

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 Recor...

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 a...