Who Ruled The 70's?
11-19-02, 02:32 PM
#1
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Who Ruled The 70's?
Whenever you think of the most influential and commercially successful acts of a single decade, you can usually get the 50's and 60's out of the way with Elvis Presley and The Beatles.
But when you get to the 70's, you have to pause because there were quite a few to choose from.
1) ELTON JOHN,
but he didn't really come into his own until 1972 with the album "Honky Chateau," and he briefly retired in 1976 - just four years on top of the world. Had he kept going, the whole decade would have been his.
2) PAUL McCARTNEY (WINGS),
a very good candidate, since he continued to have commercial hits from 1970 ("Maybe I'm Amazed") through 1979 ("Goodnight Tonight") and successful albums, but was he influential? The critics generally considered his 70's material "fluff."
3) THE EAGLES,
their music was certainly influential and commercial, and they did manage to start the decade as early as 1971 with their debut self-titled album and the hit "Take It Easy" - but they didn't really dominate the airwaves or the charts until 1975's "One Of These Nights" album. But from 1975 through 1979, they were solid.
Who else???
But when you get to the 70's, you have to pause because there were quite a few to choose from.
1) ELTON JOHN,
but he didn't really come into his own until 1972 with the album "Honky Chateau," and he briefly retired in 1976 - just four years on top of the world. Had he kept going, the whole decade would have been his.
2) PAUL McCARTNEY (WINGS),
a very good candidate, since he continued to have commercial hits from 1970 ("Maybe I'm Amazed") through 1979 ("Goodnight Tonight") and successful albums, but was he influential? The critics generally considered his 70's material "fluff."
3) THE EAGLES,
their music was certainly influential and commercial, and they did manage to start the decade as early as 1971 with their debut self-titled album and the hit "Take It Easy" - but they didn't really dominate the airwaves or the charts until 1975's "One Of These Nights" album. But from 1975 through 1979, they were solid.
Who else???
11-19-02, 03:03 PM
#7
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Disco,
could the sum of all its parts define a decade? Supposedly so.
The Bee Gees were all over 1978's ASS. If they weren't performing, they were writing. Aside from "Saturday Night Fever," they were writing hits for Frankie Valli ("Grease") and Yvonne Elliman ("If I Can't Have You"), not to mention their little brother Andy.
could the sum of all its parts define a decade? Supposedly so.
The Bee Gees were all over 1978's ASS. If they weren't performing, they were writing. Aside from "Saturday Night Fever," they were writing hits for Frankie Valli ("Grease") and Yvonne Elliman ("If I Can't Have You"), not to mention their little brother Andy.
11-19-02, 03:14 PM
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You have to put KISS in there as well. They paved the way for a ton of metal bands.
Bauhaus and Joy Division didn't rule the 70's, but they began the whole Goth movement and spawned many imitators.
Bauhaus and Joy Division didn't rule the 70's, but they began the whole Goth movement and spawned many imitators.
11-19-02, 03:46 PM
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Cirtics didn't start considering McCartney's solo work "fluff" untill after John Lennon was murdered. Band On The Run I think is by far one of the best albums of the 1970's. And you can certainly see his influence in artists like Fountains of Wayne, Owsley and Matthew Sweet.
If you want to talk from a purely "influential" standpoint, then nobody from the 70's influenced more artists than the Ramones. The only other artists that's claimed to be as big an influence as the Ramones would be Big Star.
If you want to talk from a purely "influential" standpoint, then nobody from the 70's influenced more artists than the Ramones. The only other artists that's claimed to be as big an influence as the Ramones would be Big Star.
11-19-02, 08:25 PM
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Commercial AND influencial... David Bowie.
Captain, I would think that McCartney's recordings were considered "fluff" many years before Lennon was killed. "Silly Love Songs" came out 4 years before. I always smile when I see someone write the words BIG STAR.
Captain, I would think that McCartney's recordings were considered "fluff" many years before Lennon was killed. "Silly Love Songs" came out 4 years before. I always smile when I see someone write the words BIG STAR.
11-19-02, 09:50 PM
#14
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You want to know who ruled the 70's. Are you sure you really want that information? Think you can handle the truth?
This is straight from The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. The following is their "Top Artists by Decade" for the Seventies (1970-79):
1. Elton John
2. Paul McCartney
3. Bee Gees
4. Carpenters
5. The Jackson 5
6. Chicago
7. Stevie Wonder
8. Three Dog Night
9. Olivia Newton-John
10. Neil Diamond
11. Elvis Presley
12. Barry Manilow
13. Eagles
14. John Denver
15. Diana Ross
16. Tony Orlando & Dawn
17. Donna Summer
18. Gladys Knight & The Pips
19. Helen Reddy
20. Rod Stewart
21. Aretha Franklin
22. Barbara Streisand
23. Earth, Wind, & Fire
24. James Brown
25. Spinners
This is based on a point system that goes by each artist's charted singles & how high they got. This would also translate to radio popularity & sales as well of course. It pained my fingers to actually type a few of these names. So....watcha think?
This is straight from The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. The following is their "Top Artists by Decade" for the Seventies (1970-79):
1. Elton John
2. Paul McCartney
3. Bee Gees
4. Carpenters
5. The Jackson 5
6. Chicago
7. Stevie Wonder
8. Three Dog Night
9. Olivia Newton-John
10. Neil Diamond
11. Elvis Presley
12. Barry Manilow
13. Eagles
14. John Denver
15. Diana Ross
16. Tony Orlando & Dawn
17. Donna Summer
18. Gladys Knight & The Pips
19. Helen Reddy
20. Rod Stewart
21. Aretha Franklin
22. Barbara Streisand
23. Earth, Wind, & Fire
24. James Brown
25. Spinners
This is based on a point system that goes by each artist's charted singles & how high they got. This would also translate to radio popularity & sales as well of course. It pained my fingers to actually type a few of these names. So....watcha think?
11-20-02, 11:46 AM
#18
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If you're talking who "ruled" in question of relevance, talent and impact, DAVID BOWIE without a question. Runners-up: The Ramones. Whether or not you like or dislike these two acts, they've played a pivotal point in music ever since. Look at Bowie's career from "Hunky Dory" to "Ziggy" to "Young Americans" to "Scary Monsters." You can see his imprint in hundreds of bands from 1980 on up to today.
Just like today, the top sellers weren't necessarily the best acts. They may have sold a zillion albums, but can anyone say The Eagles really influenced the direction music has gone in since? I don't dislike them, but they were the 1970s equivalent of The Backstreet Boys in my mind, producing inoffensive, enjoyable but hardly groundshaking tunes.
Just like today, the top sellers weren't necessarily the best acts. They may have sold a zillion albums, but can anyone say The Eagles really influenced the direction music has gone in since? I don't dislike them, but they were the 1970s equivalent of The Backstreet Boys in my mind, producing inoffensive, enjoyable but hardly groundshaking tunes.
11-20-02, 11:57 AM
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A very good opinion - except for the comparison of the Eagles to the Backstreet Boys. In 30 years, will BSB's have the same relevance as the Eagles? Aside from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album, the Eagles "Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975" is the highest selling album of all time!
This very point is the nature of this thread.
This very point is the nature of this thread.
11-20-02, 12:48 PM
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Originally posted by Buttmunker
Disco,
could the sum of all its parts define a decade? Supposedly so.
The Bee Gees were all over 1978's ASS. If they weren't performing, they were writing. Aside from "Saturday Night Fever," they were writing hits for Frankie Valli ("Grease") and Yvonne Elliman ("If I Can't Have You"), not to mention their little brother Andy.
Disco,
could the sum of all its parts define a decade? Supposedly so.
The Bee Gees were all over 1978's ASS. If they weren't performing, they were writing. Aside from "Saturday Night Fever," they were writing hits for Frankie Valli ("Grease") and Yvonne Elliman ("If I Can't Have You"), not to mention their little brother Andy.
Still, they weren't THE artist of the 70's. I'd have to go with Elton John on that one.
11-20-02, 01:05 PM
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The Bee Gees were definitely underestimated in the above post (shame on Buttmunker). 1978 was their best and definitive year, for sure, but let us never forget their early years as stated by Brak55.
They scored their first '70's hit in 1970 with "Lonely Days," followed by their first #1 hit with "How Do You Mend A Broken Heart" in 1971. 1972 through 1974 were not good years for the band, so they lost three years in the '70's. But in 1975, they experienced their comeback with the #1 hit "Jive Talkin'" and #7 hit "Nights on Broadway," and scored their third #1 with "You Should Be Dancing" in 1976, and their fourth #1 with "How Deep Is Your Love" in 1977 - the dawn of "Saturday Night Fever."
After that, they dominated '78 and 1979. They blossomed with disco, and ultimately spelled their demise - disco was shunned, but most people forget that the roots of disco were R&B, and that the R&B (Rhythm & Blues) genre has never died, but flourished.
The Bee Gees are definitely one of the leaders of the 1970's decade, by redefining and reforming an old genre.
They scored their first '70's hit in 1970 with "Lonely Days," followed by their first #1 hit with "How Do You Mend A Broken Heart" in 1971. 1972 through 1974 were not good years for the band, so they lost three years in the '70's. But in 1975, they experienced their comeback with the #1 hit "Jive Talkin'" and #7 hit "Nights on Broadway," and scored their third #1 with "You Should Be Dancing" in 1976, and their fourth #1 with "How Deep Is Your Love" in 1977 - the dawn of "Saturday Night Fever."
After that, they dominated '78 and 1979. They blossomed with disco, and ultimately spelled their demise - disco was shunned, but most people forget that the roots of disco were R&B, and that the R&B (Rhythm & Blues) genre has never died, but flourished.
The Bee Gees are definitely one of the leaders of the 1970's decade, by redefining and reforming an old genre.
11-20-02, 01:29 PM
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Re: Who Ruled The 70's?
Originally posted by Buttmunker
Whenever you think of the most influential and commercially successful acts of a single decade, you can usually get the 50's and 60's out of the way with Elvis Presley and The Beatles.
But when you get to the 70's, you have to pause because there were quite a few to choose from.
1) ELTON JOHN,
but he didn't really come into his own until 1972 with the album "Honky Chateau," and he briefly retired in 1976 - just four years on top of the world. Had he kept going, the whole decade would have been his.
2) PAUL McCARTNEY (WINGS),
a very good candidate, since he continued to have commercial hits from 1970 ("Maybe I'm Amazed") through 1979 ("Goodnight Tonight") and successful albums, but was he influential? The critics generally considered his 70's material "fluff."
3) THE EAGLES,
their music was certainly influential and commercial, and they did manage to start the decade as early as 1971 with their debut self-titled album and the hit "Take It Easy" - but they didn't really dominate the airwaves or the charts until 1975's "One Of These Nights" album. But from 1975 through 1979, they were solid.
Who else???
Whenever you think of the most influential and commercially successful acts of a single decade, you can usually get the 50's and 60's out of the way with Elvis Presley and The Beatles.
But when you get to the 70's, you have to pause because there were quite a few to choose from.
1) ELTON JOHN,
but he didn't really come into his own until 1972 with the album "Honky Chateau," and he briefly retired in 1976 - just four years on top of the world. Had he kept going, the whole decade would have been his.
2) PAUL McCARTNEY (WINGS),
a very good candidate, since he continued to have commercial hits from 1970 ("Maybe I'm Amazed") through 1979 ("Goodnight Tonight") and successful albums, but was he influential? The critics generally considered his 70's material "fluff."
3) THE EAGLES,
their music was certainly influential and commercial, and they did manage to start the decade as early as 1971 with their debut self-titled album and the hit "Take It Easy" - but they didn't really dominate the airwaves or the charts until 1975's "One Of These Nights" album. But from 1975 through 1979, they were solid.
Who else???
11-20-02, 07:23 PM
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Not one mention of Pink Floyd in this thread? 
Musically they were as eclectic as any band out there - always experimenting with new sound landscapes from record to record.
Lyrically, like him or not, Roger Waters provided some of the most poignant and emotionally charged lyrics in rock - Floyd were never a band to release light, fluffy and altogether, disposable pop.
Put those two elements together with stage shows that owned any of their contemporaries and you truly have a band that is the complete package.
Beyond Floyd, and perhaps Led Zeppelin, I'd have to say that Kraftwerk also deserve a lion's share of praise. They not only ruled, but invented a brand new sound. While they may not have made a killing selling records the way Elton and The Bee Gees might have, they certainly kicked ass and inspired countless acts (to this day).
To make this a trilogy of bands who haven't been given any recognition in this thread, have we so quickly forgotten about Abba??
-matt
Musically they were as eclectic as any band out there - always experimenting with new sound landscapes from record to record. Lyrically, like him or not, Roger Waters provided some of the most poignant and emotionally charged lyrics in rock - Floyd were never a band to release light, fluffy and altogether, disposable pop.
Put those two elements together with stage shows that owned any of their contemporaries and you truly have a band that is the complete package.
Beyond Floyd, and perhaps Led Zeppelin, I'd have to say that Kraftwerk also deserve a lion's share of praise. They not only ruled, but invented a brand new sound. While they may not have made a killing selling records the way Elton and The Bee Gees might have, they certainly kicked ass and inspired countless acts (to this day).
To make this a trilogy of bands who haven't been given any recognition in this thread, have we so quickly forgotten about Abba??
-matt