1. The 70’s!

2. The Decade of Nondirection
In the 50’s the music was revolutionary
All music looked and sounded similar
Elvis Presley
In the 60’s the music began to fragment
Beatles modified pop
Bob modified Folk
Stones started Hard Rock
The acid rockers were the American Beatles
Many looked to the 70’s for the next big thing.

3. There were no stars…. Beatles disbanded
Kent state ended student protests
Jimi, Janice, and Jim died
Altamont
The San Francisco decline
The youth movement of the 60’s was over
There would be no big stars of the 70’s like the 50’s and 60’s.
The ‘Peace and Love for All’ became “To hell with society; I must take care of Me”.

4. Musical Reactions
There was a reaction against the heavy complexities of the 60’s.
Many youths were tired of the heavy issues, the obscure texts, and the intricate complexities of the 60’s rock.
They went “Back to the Basics” and embraced the simpler styles of disco, country-oriented rock, and hard rock.

5. Fragmentation
People began to be more specialized, expect more choices, demand individualism.
The music did the same thing, split into several categories
Reggae, punk, disco, heavy metal, jazz, classical, soul, folk, easy listening, rock, and so on.
Everyone waited for the next Elvis, but the fragmentation didn’t allow this to happen.
Elton John, Peter Frampton, and the Bee Gees came close.
Music went from being an ‘art’ to a ‘product’
The commercial success of artists like Frampton made the record companies push the popularity formula more then ever.
Do not get too experimental or innovative because it might not sell; stick to the proven product.

6. Continuation
Music in the 70’s was mainly a continuation of the trends of the 60’s.
Massive electronic exploration.
Synthesizer
Studio technology
Live concert sound reproduction
Many of the popular bands of the 60’s continued to have success into the 70’s
Rolling Stones, Chicago, Emerson Lake and Palmer, the Who, and the Dead

7. The British Keep Coming
In the last two years of the 60’s a host of new British bands launched a second invasion.
These groups split into two schools: The Beatles and the Stones
The Stones side would lead to ‘hard rock’ and ‘heavy metal’.
Some went into the “Glitter Rock” or theatrical side of things.
Eventually went against everything and became “Punk”
The Beatles side would go towards ‘Art Rock’, ‘Progressive Rock’, and commercially popular sounds.

8. Eric Clapton Only 3-time inductee into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Started off with the Yardbirds
Split off and created “Cream”
Sunshine of Your Love
Split up the group
Formed two new pieces
Blind faith
Derek and the Dominoes
Tortured with a drug problem and an on-and-off love affair with Patti Harrison (Georges Wife).
Eventually married
Dropped out of the limelight for a long time
Had a comeback in the mid-90’s with his ‘Unplugged’ album
Tears in Heaven

10. Other ‘Second Wavers’ Steve Winwood Rod Stewart Played with Clapton
Feelin’ Alright (with Traffic)
Rod Stewart
Maggie May
Continued to be popular into the 70’s

11. British Heavy Metal Evolves
An exaggeration of the hard rock side of the mainstream.
If hard rock was loud, heavy metal was louder; if hard rock was simple and repetitive, heavy metal was more so. If hard rockers shouted, heavy metal singers screamed. If hard rockers experimented with electronics and distortion, heavy metalers distorted everything. This was true for solos and counterculture. Heavy metalers were anticultural.

12. Led Zeppelin The premier heavy metal band of the 70’s
Jimmy Page (Yardbirds), Robert Plant, John Bonham, and John Paul Jones.
Became Led Zeppelin and recorded several hits. Albums I through IV proved many hits.
“Whole Lotta Love:” best example of THE early 70s hard rock style
Jimmy Page most expanded the guitar’s sonic vocabulary. Signature: distortion. Focused on cohesion and full sound.
Most iconic song: Stairway to Heaven

13. Led’s Troubles
Began in 1975 when a series of personal tragedies struck Robert Plant.
John Bonham died in 1980
They broke up but reformed several times to do albums.
Led Zepplin is only the third group in existence to have four ‘diamond’ albums (10 million copies sold)

14. Ozzy Osbourne
Went deeper into the British Heavy Metal sound and Black Magic.
Originally sang with Black Sabbath.
Had a distinctive voice, defiant aggressive lyrics.
Horror Movie concept to their albums
Bark at the moon
Left Black Sabbath in 78’, became a major heavy metal solo act
No More Tears
Known for excessive drug use, bat decapitations, ant snorting, urine licking, and had a brief 15 minute return to fame with “The Osbournes” reality show.

16. Glitter Rock
An offshoot of the British mainstream was what became known as glitter rock or glam rock.
The leader of this trend was David Bowie, one of the true enigmas of rock.
Has continually changed his look throughout his career.

17. David Bowie
Born in London, originally David Jones, changed so as to not be confused with David Jones of the Monkeys.
Spent much of his early life in the theater and even a mime.
Not having much success he realized he would have to stand out from the rest
Created Ziggy Stardust, a rock and roll alter ego.

18. Ziggy Ziggy shot him to the top.
Ziggy Stardust
Had elaborate theatrical sets, costing over $250k
Openly Bi-sexual, androgynous, white faced, orange hair.
Bowie became so caught up in the life of Ziggy that he actually had to “Kill Ziggy Off” in order to not go insane.
Bowie went on to have several solo albums, appeared in movies.

19. Elton John
Anointed the Presley or Beatles of the 70’s Elton John was enormously successful.
Didn’t quite reach the status of the Elvis or the Beatles though.
Real name was Reginald Dwight, born in Middlesex, England.
Began playing at the age of 4, and won a scholarship to London’s Royal Academy.

20. Elton
First big hit:
Your Song
Elton’s biggest period was from 71’-76’, seven top 20 hits 5 number 1’s.
Had crazy costumes and stage show, similar to Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Began career as bisexual, eventually married his secretary, didn’t work, became a gay advocate for the remainder of his career.
Popularity remained through 80’s had a resurgence in the early 90’s with “The Lion King”

21. Fleetwood Mac One of the most successful of the mainstream groups.
Blues-based, softer.
Began in the 60’s, was very popular in England, didn’t have success in the U.S.
Moved to L.A., added Stevie Nicks. Became a commercial success.
Good vocal harmonies, good music.

22. Divorces sent the group in different directions
Go your own way
Stevie Nicks continued to have hits as a soloist

23. Peter Frampton
The biggest selling artist of the 70’s was Peter Frampton.
Considered the Elvis and Beatles of the 70’s, had a two year stint of success before fading into obscurity..
Frampton Comes alive!
Do You Feel Like We Do
Featured a ‘Voice Box’
Follow up albums never achieved the same level of success