For the Record: The 70s

Ep. 60: One-Hit Wonders of the 70s

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…

Ep. 59 - Bands and Booze on the Festival Express of 1970

Imagine a train carrying the precious cargo that includes Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, The Band, and many more of our legendary performers! This was not a figment of the imagination but a real…

Ep. 58 - WKRP in Cincinnati

"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…

Ep. 57 - Punk and New Wave at New York's CBGB

Television. The Ramones. Patti Smith. The Talking Heads. Blondie. These bands and more used the iconic club, CBGB, as their proving ground, giving rise to punk and new wave rock. The environment…

Ep. 56 - Talk Shows of the 1970s

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…

Ep. 55: Heartland Rock is about More than the Heartland

The heartland is an American region, but heartland rock is not regional. In fact, it can be argued that it is more of a culture than a sub-genre of rock. This episode discusses the origins of…

FTR70 Sound Bite: Remembering Sly Stone

Ep. 54: Into the 80s! What Came Next for 70s Heavy Metal?

How did heavy metal change from the 70s to the 80s? This episode examines the birth of "hair metal" and how, for a short but LOUD period of time, heavy metal was one of the most popular genres in…

Ep. 53 - More than Charley Pride: African Americans in 70s Country

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…

Ep. 52 - 70s Christmas Music

It isn't easy to write an original Christmas song that stands the test of the time, but artists of the 70s gave us several, such as "Feliz Navidad" by Jose Feliciano and "Step into Christmas" by…

Ep. 51 - The Softer Side of 70s Rock

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…

Ep. 3 - Nostalgia, Race, and Rebels in 70s Southern Rock (Encore)

Southern rock from bands such as the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd was not just loved by Americans from the South. Southern rock has broad appeal. For many white southerners, though, this form…

Ep. 2: Countryish Music of the 1970s (Encore)

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…

Ep. 1: Disco Doesn't Suck (Encore)

Disco and the 70s had a love-hate relationship. This episode examines who hated disco and why, as well as why it thrived in the underground until radio and the movie, "Saturday Night Fever," helped…

Ep. 50 - The Travolta Trilogy

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"…

Ep. 49 - Austin City Limits and the 70s Country Music Revolution

In 1974, a local Austin PBS station aired the first episode of "Austin City Limits" and, with that, took the first step to showing the entire country how Austin, Texas celebrated and encouraged…

Ep. 48 - The "Worst" of the 70s? The Music of 1974

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…

Ep. 47 - Dick Clark's Entertainment Empire

Did you watch television in the 70s? If so, it was highly likely that you watched something that was created or produced by Dick Clark. The centerpiece of his entertainment empire was "American…

Ep. 46 - The Chaos and Music of the Ozark Music Festival of 1974

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…

Ep. 45 - Oh, Canada! Canada's Rock Music Industry in the 70s

In the 1970s, it was not easy for Canadians to produce and distribute music that would be widely received by American or Canadian audiences. Their was the issue of cost and, maybe even more…