For the Record: The 70s

Amy Lively
  • 4.9 (131)
  • MUSIC HISTORY
For the Record: The 70s

An audio documentary of 70s music. This podcast examines the intersection of a wide variety of musical genres -- pop, rock, country, country-pop, disco, punk, soul -- with the historic events and decisions that helped shape our modern world.

  1. Ep. 51 - The Softer Side of 70s Rock

    OCT 13

    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 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!*

    45 min

  2. AUG 26

    Do You Want Your 80s?

    The latest episode of For the Record: The 80s has dropped! Find it in your favorite podcast app, subscribe, and share!

    1 min

  3. JUL 16

    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 of rock tapped into a desire for nostalgia, rebellion, and a reclaiming of the South as a distinct region. 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.

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

    JUN 17

    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 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.]

    33 min
  5. Ep. 1 - Disco Doesn't Suck (Encore)

    MAY 29

    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 bring disco into the mainstream.

    47 min

  6. MAY 13

    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" (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.

    49 min

  7. MAR 30

    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 experimentation with country music. One of the founders of the show carried a business card that described the show's music as "free form country folk rock science fiction gospel gum existential bluegrass guacamole opera music." As the show celebrates it's 50th anniversary in 2024, it continues to be an example of how a commitment to music rather than glitz and glamour can find a loyal television audience.

    44 min

  8. MAR 1

    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 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.

    44 min
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4.9
out of 5
131 Ratings

About

An audio documentary of 70s music. This podcast examines the intersection of a wide variety of musical genres -- pop, rock, country, country-pop, disco, punk, soul -- with the historic events and decisions that helped shape our modern world.

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