When you think of the 70s, a number of things immediately come to mind: men with long hair, flared jeans, colourful interiors and wild parties with THE music of the 70s: Disco. Apart from disco, there were many other genres that developed during this era. In this article we look at some of the key artists and music styles that characterised the period from 1970 to 1979.
Disco
Disco emerged at the beginning of the 70s. This genre revolved around rhythm and groovy bass lines that made the music very danceable. By using strings, keyboards and rhythmical guitar, but mainly because of the revolutionary sound of the synthesizer, disco got its iconic sound. Producer Giorgia Moroder, also known as 'the father of disco', discovered this sound and wrote many hits for disco icon: Donna Summer. Throughout the 70s, disco conquered the dance scene to the point where almost nothing else was played in nightclubs. Some of the biggest names in the genre are ABBA, Chic, the Bee Gees and Boney M. Their hits live on today and have influenced the development of music.
PRO+ artists Discoband Feelings
Funk, R&B and Soul
Three other leading genres in the 70s were Funk, R&B and Soul. These genres were quite closely related to disco, as these styles contained many elements of each other and great disco artists often made funk, R&B and soul songs as well. A good example of this is the band Earth, Wind & Fire, whose hit 'September' can still be heard everywhere you go. Another legend in R&B from this time is Stevie Wonder. By using elements of Jazz and Funk he created a unique style and scored many hits that we still play today.
Showcase Medley from LeFunk!Pop
Within the genre of pop, a lot of things certainly went down in the history books. The solo artist who has stayed with us the most is pop legend Elton John. During the 70s, he topped the charts many times and his eccentric clothing style rocked many stages. By the end of the 60s, the Beatles had split up and new pop groups that took up this popular position in the next 10 years were Fleetwood Mac and, of course, ABBA. Our PRO+ artist Natalia Ximena Saulo knows her way around this genre.
Rock
In the 60s, the rise of Rock was revolutionary and it was one of the leading musical styles. Although Rock was not at the forefront in the 70s, it certainly did not stop developing. Many sub-genres of Rock started to become very popular within specific communities. Forms of 'Progressive Rock' became very popular, with Pink Floyd's Psychedelic Rock as an example. Icons such as Queen and David Bowie also wrote many of their hits in the 70s, often labelled 'Glam Rock'.
In addition to that Hard Rock, New Wave, Blues Rock and Punk Rock were also in full swing. Punk Rock, which was made big in America by bands like the Ramones and Iggy and the Stooges, rapidly made its way to England where it led a rebellious movement and spread through the rest of Europe. English 70s bands like The Clash and The Sexpistols became very popular and Punk also helped the development of Ska and Reggae in the late 70s.
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Of course there is a huge amount of great 70s artists or subgenres we haven't mentioned yet. On Gigstarter you can search our database precisely for what style you are looking for, so take a look! Who knows, there might be a cover band of your favorite 70s artist!
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