The “Disco Decade”? Yes – and No.
Longtime readers know that Jonn tolerates an occasional “walkabout” from me on various and sundry subjects. Well, consider yourself warned. Here comes another.
. . .
The 1970s are considered by many a “lost decade” in popular music. And in truth, the 1970s did give us that abomination called “disco” – which IMO indeed royally polluted the popular music scene for much of the decade. Derision for that is IMO deserved.
Still, the decade wasn’t musically a total loss. Besides those musicians who sold their souls for a quick buck in the disco/dance craze, many other artists were making some memorable music.
Here’s some of what IMO is that decade’s better music – none of which is disco – at one song per year, along with a few comments on each. I’ve intentionally omitted songs from that decade I’ve featured here in previous articles. There’s plenty more from each year worth listening to.
Without further ado: yer 1970s non-disco popular musical sampler.
. . .
1970: Mississippi Queen (Mountain) – inspired when Corky Laing (later to become Mountain’s drummer) saw a Southern beauty wearing a near see-thru dress during a power failure at a gig on Nantucket Island – and pulled out all the stops (with a hour-long drum solo) to keep her dancing. The song is one of two (along with BOC’s Don’t Fear the Reaper) responsible for making the cowbell a fixture in rock music.
1971: Riders on the Storm (Doors) – the Doors’ final recording, and the final Doors single released in Jim Morrison’s lifetime. Hella good finale.
1972: Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple) – the lyrics literally tell the story of a fire, stared by “some stupid with a flare gun”, at a Frank Zappa concert in Switzerland in Dec 1971. The song’s intro is gripping – I still remember where I was the first time I heard it.
1973: Time (Pink Floyd) – from Dark Side of the Moon. Perhaps the best (and my favorite) track on the album.
1974: Free Man in Paris (Joni Mitchell) – well before she became Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter, Joni was one helluva good singer/songwriter. One of her best tunes.
1975: Rock and Roll All Nite (Kiss) – the lads could rock. From the live album that did a great deal to establish them as major stars.
1976: Lido Shuffle (Boz Scaggs) – an absolutely great tune from his greatest album, Silk Degrees.
1977: Margaritaville (Jimmy Buffett) – hard call between this and another great Buffett tune from the same year (and title tune of the album containing both), Changes in Attitudes, Changes in Latitudes. Pretty sure most of us can identify with either tune.
1978: Sultans of Swing (Dire Straits) – from their debut album. Introduced a guy named Mark Knopfler, who plays a fair guitar. (smile)
1979: Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) (Neil Young) – regardless of his politics, when he wanted to the man could flat-out rock. One of his best.
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OK, that’s all for today. Time to head back to the ‘res.
Category: Pointless blather, Who knows
All of these posts and nobody mentions the greatest progressive rock band ever…
Yes.
They formed in 68 but their first hits came with “The Yes Album” in 1971 “Your’s is no Disgrace”, “Starship Trooper” “I’ve Seen All Good People”
Then the “Fragile” Album with “Roundabout” South Side of the Sky” and “Heart of the Sunrise”
The album art by Roger Dean was, quite literally out of this world.
although they have gone through numerous reformations and since the loss of Chris Squire they have remained true to their initial vision of both Squire and the ethereal voice of Jon Anderson and the massive guitar talent of Steve Howe, one of the ugliest rock and roll musicians in history, but his fingers are about as long as a Garter Snake and he plays all the stringed instruments as though they were his children.
Rick Wakeman was also one of the most talented keyboardists of our generation. He did a long stint with Yes and was the least out there musician of the band.
Surprisingly enough, not one of the band can read music.
And yes, I am a true Yes fan, I’ve seen them all over the place at least a dozen times.
They even did a cover of the Simon and Garfunkel tune “America” and really did it well.
Yes indeed. Many fine musicians have passed through their ranks but in my opinion the classic lineup of Anderson-Howe-Wakeman-Squire-Bruford was the best. I saw them live only once, when they were touring in support of the Relayer album (an underrated album IMO).
George Clinton,
Loggins & Messina,
Emerson, Lake & Palmer,
Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Great list! I listen to The Bridge and Yacht Rock on SiriusXM all the time so a good chunk of these songs are ringing a lot of bells.
I admit to be being an unabashed Stones fan but. This is a pretty good disco song
That sounds like Franz Ferdinand.
Did the rolling stones plagiarism Franz Ferdinand?
Stolen Music! !!