Unit 14 New Trends Of The Late 1970s

Unit 14: New Trends of the Late 1970s

The 1970s was a revolutionary time for music; new genres were born, legendary artists entered the spotlight; music had a bright future ahead. After the big Rock-era, new genres blossomed from it; Funk, Reggae, Disco, and Punk all made their debuts. From these genres, we got classic songs like ‘Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),’ ‘Y.M.C.A.,’ and ‘God Save the Queen’ being released throughout the 70s. The Sex Pistols, Sly and the Family Stone, James Brown, and countless other new name bands and artists were popping up on the billboard charts everyday. If there was anything the 70s was known for, it was it’s incredible impact on music.

FUNK

Funk music started from the soul singer, James Brown, or the

“father of funk” and “grandfather of soul.” This new genre originated from African American communities, when these musicians created a new danceable, rhythmic, form of music from the combination of soul, jazz, rhythm and blues music. Sly and the Family of Stone played a key part in “the transition from soul to funk.” The music from Sly and the Family of Stone not only inspired people to dance, but to also try to make a difference, especially during the civil rights movement; Sly had powerful lyrics in his songs that spoke truth and made people “lose themselves in the music, to avoid simply losing it.” George Clinton (founder of funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic) also was known to “tuck his darker messages inside humorous packages set to a good-time groove.” Earth, Wind & Fire on the other hand had complex funk-style groove to their music and rapidly changing harmonies that had more of a hopeful, optimistic mood, like in their hit song ‘Shining Star,’ they say; “Shining star for you to see, what your life can truly be.” Though Funk music was all about having a good time on the dancefloor, it also used subliminal messaging to engage the audience into fighting for their rights.

REGGAE
Music originating in Jamaica, Reggae evolved around the 1970s from ska and other local variations of rhythm and blues. This type of music also played part in using powerful messaging through the lyrics to show political independence and a statement piece to society. Rastafarianism was a religious movement typically among young Jamaican males that teachers the eventual redemption of black and their return to Africa. This also brought forth the ritualistic use of marijuana and forbid them from cutting their hair, just as we typically think of reggae listeners or artist: long haired, pot smokers. The music made popular by Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley had different effects on society. Cliff made the lyrics more dark and menacing, yet it’s rhythmic beat still brought a smile to one's face; while Marley on the other hand used his musical influence to talk about social issues and his music was more intimate and gentle.
IS THIS LOVE
When thinking of Reggae, the first person to come to mind is usually the one and only Bob Marley.

Hits like ‘No Woman No Cry,’ ‘One Love,’ and ‘Is This Love’ were what made Marley stand out from other artists and gave him the stardom he sang for. Released in 1978, ‘Is This Love’ was one of Marley’s more popular and intimate songs. ‘Is This Love’’s instrumentation was lead vocals, backup vocals, percussion instruments, Rastafarian drums, bass, guitar, keyboard, and horn. It has a rich texture that is mainly a mid-range, where the bass moves freely. The song’s memorable melody and the instrumental riffs recur throughout the song, and the vocals are flowy and mellow, more gentle than other songs from the 70s music era. In ‘Is This Love,’ Marley is said to be speaking “one-on-one with a special woman.” The song evoke feeling an intimacy of love which comes from the slow melody and lyrics “I want to love you, and treat you right, I want to love you, every day and every

night.”

DISCO
Many significant things came from the 70s, but when first talking about 1970s music, you almost automatically think of the age of Disco.

Disco came from the word ‘discotheque’ or “record library,” or also known as a underground nightclubs. ‘Saturday Night Fever’ was gave disco, it’s big break for music. This was during the civil rights movement, and if there was anything that helped unify people, it was Disco, “it’s very democratic, boys with boys, girls with girls, girls with boys, blacks and whites, capitalists and Marxists, Chinese and everything else, all in one big mix.” The Village People was a group that helped heavily due to the fact that it was 6 guys dressed up as the “macho man stereotypes among

gays.”

PUNK
Taking shape in New York, Punk bands performed in small clubs that helped launched careers of bands like the Ramones, Patti Smith, and Talking Heads. Punk was seen as a rebellion of music, from the outraging screams to the strong attitude and strict rhythm. In no way is Punk suttle in anyway, it was meant to be loud from beginning to end and triumph the stage. Though we typically think of rebellion as standing apart, most Punk groups were a unified group that made complex sounds. A big Punk group, the Sex Pistols were inspired from another famous group, the Ramones from learning the basics of their instruments and then added shock, riot, and provoke in their sound. Through their songs like ‘Anarchy in the UK’ and ‘God Save the Queen,’ this helped amplify their clear message of revolt.

PUNK REVERBERATIONS
After Punk had its great debut, and the 70s were in its midst, music again started changing. There was this ‘new wave’ of music coming from small clubs in London and New York; where as the Punk style of music “aimed for your gut, this new wave music aimed for your brain.” These bands were trying to engage a reaction, whether that was anger, humor, or even cleverness. Bands like Talking Heads and The Clash started energizing their songs with new instrumentation, but didn’t deflect the attention away from the vocals, their main goal was to enhance the lyrics and meaning. This music was resurrecting the daringness of rock, but now it started to contain more powerful messages that were social, political, or personal. This new wave helped emerge a new type of rock that was more powerful in it’s meaning and this helped lead into ‘alternative’ music and rhythm that began in the 80s.
CONCLUSION
Throughout the 70s, there were many new musical trends that inspired each other and impacted the future of music. From Funk and Reggae to Disco and Punk, there was a genre for everyone. These new genres all sprung from the rock-era of music, and all had their own styles that gave way to traditional rhythms and tunes. These trends set off a wave in music culture and it was never the same.

Works Cited

Campbell, Michael. Popular Music in America: The Beat Goes On. 4th ed., Cengage, 2006.