Ep. 38 - The Influence of Jazz on 70s Popular Music
Release Date: 04/09/2022
Ep. 52 - 70s Christmas Music
For the Record: The 70s
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 Elton John. These songs, combined with some iconic covers, added a wide variety of Christmas music created in the 70s to the holiday song canon.
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Ep. 51 - The Softer Side of 70s Rock
For the Record: The 70s
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!*
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Do You Want Your 80s?
For the Record: The 70s
The latest episode of For the Record: The 80s has dropped! Find it in your favorite podcast app, subscribe, and share!
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Ep. 3 - Nostalgia, Race, and Rebels in 70s Southern Rock (Encore)
For the Record: The 70s
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.
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Ep. 2: Countryish Music of the 1970s (Encore)
For the Record: The 70s
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. Amy 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. She also offers an analysis of two of Glen Campbell's biggest hits of the 70s, "Country Boy" and "Rhinestone Cowboy."
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Ep. 1: Disco Doesn't Suck (Encore)
For the Record: The 70s
Disco and the 70s had a love-hate relationship. Why? Who loved it, who hated it, and what did Stonewall and the beginning of the gay rights movement have to do with any of this?
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Ep. 50 - The Travolta Trilogy
For the Record: The 70s
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.
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Ep. 49 - Austin City Limits and the 70s Country Music Revolution
For the Record: The 70s
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...
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Ep. 48 - The "Worst" of the 70s? The Music of 1974
For the Record: The 70s
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.
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Ep. 47 - Dick Clark's Entertainment Empire
For the Record: The 70s
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 Bandstand," but there was more than that, including "New Year's Rockin' Eve" and "The 25,000 Pyramid." Clark was concerned about his legacy and this episode examines just what that legacy was and how it was part of 70s pop culture.
info_outlineJazz is America’s music. It is America’s sole original form of art, yet it had declined in popularity by the 1970s to the point that some musicians resisted even being associated with it. Still, jazz’s influence was felt in popular music by bands like Chicago and Steely Dan. These bands were able to evoke the spirit of jazz while presenting their music in a form that was easier for music fans to accept and interpret. Perhaps no tribute to jazz in the 70s was greater than Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke,” which paid homage to Duke Ellington and others who, in the words of Wonder, “gave us something that is supposed to be forever.”
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