Rock Music of the 70’sBy Trevor Davis

Intro to the 70’s Rock Scene

• After the initial invasion of the British on the rock scene we entered what I consider as the golden age of rock and roll.

Pink Floyd• One of the hugest rock sensations

of the 70’s would have the be one of my favorite bands of all time. With their strange yet so familiar style of music presentation, they brought something to the scene that was previously unavailable. Roger Waters’ trippy art and unique lyrics gave them a very unique style and they were well recognized for it. They claimed huge success with their albums such as Wish You Were Here, Dark Side of the Moon, and of coarse, The Wall. The Wall also had a movie created by Roger Waters. Pink Floyd grew to be a common name to hear on the rock scene, and for good reason.

The Who• Nothing screams British

teenage angst like the rock sensation The Who. Their great musicianship and incredible energy made them appealing for all the young rockers of the 70’s. They rocked hard and stayed near the top of the charts until the tragic death of their fantastic drummer, Keith Moon, who you see on the right and on the title slide.

The Eagles• Ahh yes. The Eagles five

part harmony (later actually named “Eagles Harmony”) was majestic and beautiful. They could be mellow with ballads and they could rock hard. They later picked up strange but loved singer Joe Walsh. They left a definite mark on the music scene whether you care for their music style or not.

Led Zeppelin • With their huge list of mega

hits, Led Zeppelin cannot be left unmentioned. The vocals of Robert plant were different than a lot that was on the rock scene and, along with the skillful axe-mastering of Jimmy Page and the slammin’ drums provided by Jon Bonham, made them a breath of fresh air for the rock scene. It lead them to huge super hits like Black Dog, Heartbreaker, and how could we forget, arguably the most popular seventies rock song, Stairway to Heaven.

Frank Zappa• His incredible talent, odd

time perfection, and fusion sound gave Frank Zappa an eternal place in rock and roll history. He is remembered for having a very unorthodox, yet catchy way of writing. His music was very technical, yet still appealing to the ear. His sons have since carried on his legacy in the rock world.

AC/DC• The huge sensation

from Europe really revolutionized the world of rock. Their fans are some of the most dedicated known to man and their stage show is rivaled as on of the best there is. They helped with the birth of hard rock and metal.

Ozzy Ozbourn • Regardless of your

feelings on his music, the solo artist and former front man of Black Sabbath have had a huge impact on the world of metal. And without metal, the world be a terrible boring and empty place.

The Southern Scene• We can’t forget about the

rock developing in the south. The lower U.S. produced some great bands such as Lynard Skynyrd , .38 Special, Charlie Daniels, Elvin Bishop, Blackfoot, The Outlaws, and Molly Hatchet. They had a large impact on the rock scene that can still be seen and heard today in southern rock and even in some country music.

Funk-Rock• Not much music with

more soul and groove than funk in the seventies. Bands like George Clinton, Earth Wind and Fire, and Average White Band made up this soulful blues scale inspired piece of fusion history.

The Beauty of Rock• Unfortunately, I can’t come near

covering even close to all of the fantastic bands that left their mark on the rock scene in the seventies. It was a time of great music and great times shared by those who enjoyed it together. Without many of the bands that came about in this time period, music would not be as we know it today. Thank you for your time and I hope you enjoyed my presentation. Party on.