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Saturday, August 9, 2014

The Top 100 Artists of the Seventies*--Less Than Two Months Away

We hope you are enjoying The Top 100 R&B Songs of the 80's*, as we wrap that special up tomorrow.

Inside The Rock Era is hard at work on a major music special, showcasing The Top 100 Artists of the Seventies*.  After the turbulent years of the late 60's, people everywhere looked to music in part as an escape from world events.  Rock experienced its infancy in the 50's, grew up in the 60's, and exploded in the 70's.  There were thousands of artists, inspired by the early music of the Rock Era, performing just about any kind of variation of rock & roll imaginable. 

You had the soft sounds, which dominated the early part of the decade, from artists such as the Carpenters, Anne Murray, Gordon Lightfoot, and others.  You had great soul music, in fact arguably the best of all-time, during the 70's, from artists such as Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Barry White, the Spinners, the O'Jays, the Stylistics, and many more.  Those artists, along with artists like Earth, Wind & Fire and Stevie Wonder made R&B music a highlight of the decade. 

In 1970, a budding young piano madman had just begun, and Elton John was on top of the world by the mid 70's.  A group that started out as a country rock outfit by the name of the Eagles sizzled in the decade.

In fact, fusion was occurring all over, as musical styles were being merged to give berth to new genres.  Country rock blossomed in the Seventies, and it had so much influence that today's country stars are essentially playing rock & roll.  Artists such as Linda Ronstadt and Olivia Newton-John rode this wave to superstardom.   

Disco music had its share of backlash, because many of the songs had simple lyrics.  The appeal, of course, was the incredible times one could have back then dancing to a great beat.  The bad rap, then, is partially deserved and partially not deserved.  The best artists to record Disco, such as the Bee Gees and Donna Summer, had excellent lyrics, and their Disco songs stack up with the best of any other type of music.

Musically, the Seventies were a fascinating decade.  You'll hear all of the diversity in our major homegrown music special The Top 100 Artists of the Seventies*, beginning October 1 only on Inside The Rock Era!

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