For the Record: The 70s

As the U.S. approaches the 150th anniversary of The Declaration of Independence, FTR70 looks back to Episode 31, which examines 1976 and state of the nation -- and pop music -- in that bicentennal year. Things were a bit dicey in America in 1976. Gerald Ford was president, even though he only became president because of Nixon's Watergate scandal. The country was dealing with high gas prices, a shaky economy, the challenges of living with the civil rights legislation of the 1960s, and the consequences of American involvement in Vietnam. Not matter how much you trusted Walter Cronkite, the nightly news could be a bit stressful. If you were looking for an escape from all that, the pop music world was just the ticket! "Afternoon Delight," anyone?

The 1970s gave us some of the most memorable songs ever recorded and some artists who, for one reason or another, only broke through once. In this episode, we take a closer look at those so-called "one-hit wonders" and the stories behind the songs that stuck. From the laid-back groove of "How Long" by Ace, to the quiet melancholy of "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues" by Danny O'Keefe, we explore what made these tracks connect and why they lasted. We'll get into the funk-rock crossover of "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry, the sunny pop of "Sweet City Woman" by The Stampeders, the tight pop classic "Cruel to Be Kind" by Nick Lowe, and the disco smash "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward. And how do you make a hit song about a brief encounter in a Chevy van, anyway? Was it luck? Timing? Skill? A little of all of that? Tune in for a discussion on these classic hits of the 1970s.

"Baby, if you ever wondered, wondered whatever became of me, I'm living on the air in Cincinnati, Cincinnati WKRP." In this episode, WKRP in Cincinnati proves that a sitcom can be more than laughs—it can capture a cultural moment. Through sharp writing and memorable characters, the show explores the intersection of music, politics, and culture through the power of radio. In this case, it was a fictional radio station on a sitcom that aired from 1978 to 1982. However, even though it was fictional, it felt real to its fans and even to record labels, who appreciated its authenticity and its cultural reach.

Americans watched a lot of television in the 70s and talk shows were among the most popular shows to watch. Talk shows were the true intersection of music, politics, and culture. This episode will examine some of the most popular talk shows of the 70s including "Dinah!" "The Mike Douglas Show," and, of course, "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson. Its hard to discuss 70s politics without Richard Nixon entering the fray, which he does in his attempts to deport Mike Douglas's co-host, John Lennon, and by using the power of the presidency to threaten "Soul!" and other public affairs programming on PBS.

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The roots of country music are black and white. So, why do most people think of country as a white person's genre? This episode considers answers to that question and examines the contributions that African American artists made to country music in the 1970s.

Rock critics may have hated it but millions of music fans loved so-called "soft rock." This episode examines possible theories for this genre's popularity and makes the case that this "safer" version of rock music may have actually been an expansion of it that is still part of popular music. *Fans of this podcast should also check out "For the Record: The 80s!*

How and why did artists such as John Denver and Olivia Newton-John upset the country music establishment in the 1970s? Country radio has created the country music sound it has wanted since Elvis and rock and roll began to lure away its customers. This was not pleasing to country music purists in the 1970s. This episode discusses why more people began to listen to "countryish" music in the 70s and why it became difficult to distinguish country from other pop music. [This episode has been slightly updated since its original publication in November 2018.]

In just over a two-year span as the 1970s marched on toward the 1980s, John Travolta starred in three cultural touchstone movies: "Saturday Night Fever" (released on December 12, 1977), "Grease" (released on June 16, 1978), and "Urban Cowboy" (released on June 6, 1980). This episode examines the cultural significance of those films, the music in them, and how much Travolta himself had to do with the popularity of the movies.

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, Don't Be a Hero" by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods.

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 showcasing bluegrass music. There was a little bluegrass but there was a whole lot more of rock. As bad as the behavior of many of the fans was, that was how great the music was. Twenty-seven bands in all, including The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Eagles, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, REO Speedwagon, and more performed for hot, thirsty, and high rock fans in an epic and unforgettable weekend of rock (mostly) music.

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, the rest of America became more like the South. This episode discusses the question of how we should think about that music now, as well as the very thorny question of what the Confederate flag has to do with any of it. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/amy-lively/message

Did music help push the sexual revolution in the 1970s or was the music reflecting the changes in how society viewed sexuality? Music has always been used to sell sex but the message was delivered more directly in the 70s. The sexual revolution and music's role in it are explored using the music of Loretta Lynn, Led Zeppelin, The Archies (!), Marvin Gaye, Labelle, Donna Summer, and Patti Smith. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/amy-lively/message