The 1970’s: The Decade That Changed Rock
“I won’t be a rock star, I will be a legend.”
– Freddie Mercury
The main goal of 1970’s musicians was to get away from music that came with the peace and love theme of the 1960’s. They did just that by adding sizzling guitar riffs, raw, emotional lyrics and plenty of distortion. Bands from the 70’s changed the way rock music was played, the way it was recorded and who could play it. The rock groups of the 1970’s shaped the rock genre into what it is today.
During the 1970’s, there was very little separation between different genres of music. Everything was known as rock music and was based off of the gospel and blues music of the 50’s and 60’s. The bands and artists of this time created what would later become the different types of rock we know today such as: Punk Rock, Progressive Rock, Hard Rock, Shock Rock, Glam Rock, Grunge, Emo, Indie Rock, Alternative and Heavy Metal.
Another way that the artists and bands from the 1970’s shaped the rock genre into what it is today is by making it ‘okay’ for girls to play and sing rock music. The Runaways, which formed in 1975 was the first all girl rock band. Ann and Nancy Wilson, Stevie Nicks and Pat Benatar were also some of the female artists that helped pave the way for girls to play rock. Without them, The Spice Girls, Cherri Bomb, The Pretty Reckless, Grace Potter, Avril Lavigne, Alanis Morrisette and P!nk may have never even thought about picking up an instrument or going into the music business.
Groups of the 1970’s also changed the way music was played and recorded. The 70’s brought new changes in technology. Synthesizers became increasingly popular in the 70’s and were used by many Progressive rock bands like Pink Floyd and Genesis. Most bands stuck with the 145 blues time signature, with the exception of the Progressive bands from the decade. Simplistic three chord songs were popular at the time. Bands started incorporating more and more distortion and effects pedals into their music as the seventies went on. The Ibanez Tube Screamer, MXR Phase 90, MXR Phase 45 effects pedals and ESP, Godin, and Taylor guitars came out in the early 70’s. These all helped to advance songwriting and recording.
Bands from this decade also helped to start the trend of summer music festivals. Woodstock was the first of the summer music festivals. The first Woodstock festival was in 1969 in Bethel, New York. There were four more in 1979, 1989, 1994 and 1999. Without this festival we most likely wouldn’t have had Ozzfest, The Orion Festival, Rock in Rio, Rock on the Range, Coachella, Bonnaroo and Bamboozle. These festivals have given bands, known and unknown more of an opportunity to get their music out there.
In the late 1970’s, more and more injuries, riots and deaths started to happen at concert venues. On December 3rd, 1979, eleven fans of The Who were trampled and killed and twenty three fans were injured outside of the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio when they made a rush for the doors, mistakenly thinking that the venue was open. Riots broke out at a Rolling Stone concert in 1972. In 1977, a Led Zeppelin concert was postponed, causing a riot that injured around one hundred fans. Tragedies and riots that occurred in the seventies caused an increase in concert security and more safety measures that have made today’s concerts much safer.
The rock groups of the 1970’s shaped the rock genre into what it is today. Artists from this decade have inspired generations of people to start playing an instrument or to sing. They paved the way for female artists, music festivals and the advancement of effects in music. These are just some of the many ways that the 70’s have shaped our rock genre today.
Sources for Pictures:
http://www.markandesmusic.com/Mark-Andes/galleries/heart/
http://jonathanwcampbell.com/blog/?p=1993
http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_first_rays/4197559308/
http://www.parismatch.com/Culture/Musique/Woodstock-Naissance-d-une-nation-141685
http://groundguitar.com/joe-perry-gear/
http://www.squidoo.com/steven-tyler-costumes
http://www.theluxelife.com/article/the-icon-stevie-nicks/
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