1970s: Dancing and Fashion Craze, Disco Music
The later 1970’s saw an emergence on a new way of lifestyle for people. Many young boys and girls started to grow their hair long, and wear colorful clothing. They went out towards discotheques, where a DJ mixed records in loops, so that people could dance longer. Disco emerged from the nightlife in US cities, and represented a revolution in music. It spanned icons such as mirror balls and illuminated dance floors, and became the subject of movies such as Saturday Night Fever.
Disco is the principal musical current of the 1970s. It defined the decade and created a new groovy, laid-back image. Such image would continue until 1980s and 1990s, and become a defining facet of the postwar world.
Disco represented a musical revolution in the 1970’s. Meanwhile, another DJ created another musical current. On 1973, 19-year old Kool Herc, a Jamaican-American, threw a block party at his house’s basement at 1520 Sedgwick Ave., the Bronx, New York, that changed music itself. During the party, he used turntables to extend the instrumental partss so that people could dance longer. The instrumental parts were known as ”breaks”, became known as ”breakdancing”. As Herc handled the turntables, a friend added spoken rhymes over the beat (Mcing). Herc’s first party became the basis of a new musical current: Hip-hop. Hip-hop spanned various artistic expressions: Breakdancing (dance moves), Mcing (singing), and graffiti (art and symbols).
Herc’s 1973 party at the Bronx did more to change music than the young DJ might’ve imagined. Hip-hop has evolved a lot since its birth: It has extended from outside the Bronx barrios to pretty much of the US. It has been translated into other languages and given new names. Jewels, gold teethplates and trashy lyrics weren’t part of that first party, but Herc is remembered as a true musical genius and an important figure for post-war music.
1970s: New Forms of Rock n Roll
1970s: Punks: Musical Rebels
While new musical forms emerged, old ones evolved. 1970s saw the emergence of new forms of rock n roll music. Psychedelic rock declined during the first half of the decade. The year 1970 saw the deaths of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison, as well as the breakup of the Beatles. Elvis Presley continued scoring some hot records before his death on 1977. But new artists came in to feel that gap. Hard rock emerged as one of the most popular rock and musical genres in history. The first half of the decade saw the international fame of British acts such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Queen, and Def Leppard. Later, bands such as Aerosmith, Kiss, Alice Cooper, AC/DC, Blue Öyster Cult, and Van Halen. Arena rock also grew in popularity through acts such as Boston, Kansas, Styx, The Who, and Heart. A subgenre known as Southern rock mixed rock with country and blues. Lynyrd Skynyrd was one of the maximum exponents of said subgenre.
Since its birth as rock n roll in the 1950s, rock has taken a lot of forms and genres for the pleasure of all listeners. Names such as Alice Cooper and Freddie Mercury made heads bang as their guitars started sounding on the radios. Rock is definitely one of the most culturally-defining musical genres.
Punk is a subgenre of rock which deserves its own mention, because it was a revolution not only in music, but in fashion and mindstyle. Punk emerged from 60’s garage protopunk bands. Its main emergence was principally in the UK and the United States. Patti Smith is the pioneer of punk rock. She jumped into worldwide fame after the release of her debul album in 1975. During the later half of the 70’s, acts such as the Ramones, the Clash, Sex Pistols, and Blondie, defined the musical punk scene. By the late 1970’s, punk finished its emergence as a musical current and became a cultural expression, mostly between young people.
Punk music inspired a revolution for teenagers. It mostly became a symbol for rebelliouness, anarchy, and disregard for rules and authority. That image represented the evolution of rock music: Not only a musical current, but a form of expression for young people.