DISCUSSION TOPIC: What Made 70's Rock So Special?

Every so often I think about this topic...what exactly made 70's classic rock so special?   

The main thought I keep returning to is: Because all the bands sounded so unique, so different from each other.  Jethro Tull sounded nothing Led Zeppelin who sounded nothing like Queen, or Pink Floyd or Boston or AC/DC or Bad Company or Kansas or the Doobie Brothers or Supertramp, etc.

The high level of professionalism was also there...especially in the song-writing and production, live, etc.

There were less bands, less product being released constantly.  Albums and concerts were an event and were anticipated.  Songs became classics and endured.

Obviously the industry was very different too....and the mood of the country.  

I still feel like I'm missing something, that I have not yet put my pulse on why the 70's were so special compared to later decades.   Don't get me wrong, I was probably a bigger fan of 80's music, but those 70's bands....there was something there that I feel like we lost.  

What do you think?  I'm really interested in hearing your perspective, small or large, good or bad, agree or disagree....

One thing that stands out about the 70s (and late 60s) is how many albums bands would churn out in a small period of time and yet all would be great. (E.g. Sabbath, Stones, KISS, CCR, Zep).

Pethead wrote:One thing that stands out about the 70s (and late 60s) is how many albums bands would churn out in a small period of time and yet all would be great. (E.g. Sabbath, Stones, KISS, CCR, Zep).

For the most part yes....very true.  

Although....I will never forget that the first Black Sabbath album I ever bought was IMO their worst - Technical Ecstasy.  
That was the first time I ever felt cheated by an album that I paid money for (I was poor back then).

Of course more lousy albums that were bought based on the covers were to follow in subsequent years (a topic that has been covered here). But for me this was the bigger letdown because the album was from a well-known, well-respected major band that I expected way more from and I felt ripped off at the time.

Constantine wrote:

Pethead wrote:One thing that stands out about the 70s (and late 60s) is how many albums bands would churn out in a small period of time and yet all would be great. (E.g. Sabbath, Stones, KISS, CCR, Zep).

For the most part yes....very true.  

Although....I will never forget that the first Black Sabbath album I ever bought was IMO their worst - Technical Ecstasy.  
That was the first time I ever felt cheated by an album that I paid money for (I was poor back then).

Of course more lousy albums that were bought based on the covers were to follow in subsequent years (a topic that has been covered here). But for me this was the bigger letdown because the album was from a well-known, well-respected major band that I expected way more from and I felt ripped off at the time.

Yeah, a lot of those bands eventually hit a “what were they thinking” album.

Pethead wrote:
Yeah, a lot of those bands eventually hit a “what were they thinking” album.

Ah yes....like Peter Frampton's "I'm In You" or Aerosmith's "Night In The Ruts."

There were plenty of others....

Because it was still fairly new. No one had sounded like Sabbath or Aerosmith or Priest.

It was an era of musical expansion, which always brings a certain freshness, hunger and memorability with it. A similar thing happened with power metal around 2000, when the European version got really really established. There are rare instances when the "magic" from the beginning of a musical movement can be caught by a new band, but most of the time you're best served with the older stuff.

Compelling topic.

1. You could have a music CAREER in the 70’s - make it a full time job.  Your whole focus.

2. Other than Kiss or Alice Cooper, the focus was on the MUSIC not image and all that entails

3. The impact of the Beatles and their excellent song writing was more fresh.  Yes there was album filler material in the 70’s but the best work by these artists never wasted your time.

4. Between Page, Iommi, Blackmore, Perry, Nugent and Eddie (VH counts as late 70’s) you had an incredible roster of unparalled rock guitar players.  The 80’s gave us some extra guys, but the sound, creativeness, competitiveness, foundation all came in the 70’s.

5. Equipment: consider also guitar, amplification and effects innovations.  The 80’s gave us drum machines, synths, digital — all shortcuts.   In The 70’s every innovation was pure analog.  It matters because the new toys shaped the sound the RIGHT WAY.  Every musician every vocalist HAD TO BE GOOD, had to perform.

All that helped create better music.

And the good 80’s stuff follows a similar template.

I agree with the analog part, it has a warmer sound but disagree about image, image mattered. Think how Judas Priest or even VH looked.

I think a lot of both the 70s and 80s that have really stood the test of time was the uniqueness of bands/artists.  They were writing songs that they would love to hear and play.  The breakthrough bands had a unique sound until the industry tried to recreate it again and again with copycat bands.

alldatndensum wrote:The breakthrough bands had a unique sound until the industry tried to recreate it again and again with copycat bands.

Yes, per my opening paragraph above that has always been my go-to theory about the 70's bands.  
They all had their own unique sound and their own way of crafting it.   It was not like today when there are clones of clones of clones ad nauseum.  Back in the 80's that is one thing that began to bore people about metal (especially hair metal), the endless clones.  Record company pressure to duplicate the current "big thing" put a damper on creativity.

Constantine wrote: Record company pressure to duplicate the current "big thing" put a damper on creativity.

we all know why -- $$$

Q:
What Made 70's Rock So Special?
A:
All of the above answers and more.
It was my intro to rock as that is what I grew up on listening on the local radio stations plus my older brothers record collection. We didn't know about genres and sub-genres, we just knew that we liked what we heard. Today it is called classic rock, classic metal and progressive rock. It is my first love and will always have a special place in my heart (and turntable). I have fond memories of rock concerts I attended in the 70's.

When I look back on my pre-teen and teen years of the 70s, most memories include music such as Boston, Foreigner, Rush, Styx, etc...I mean you heard it everywhere such as arcades, malls, school radio stations and so on. My kids grew up listening to a lot of what I grew up with, which they still listen to today. The 70s talent was incredible and much different. Much of the music aged well and I think will still be a part of people's lives a hundred years from now.