Americans in the
aftermath of the
turbulent 1960’s
Saigon, 1975:
American
Forces
leave Vietnam
After years of controversy and violence, U.S. casualties
mounting, and victory remaining elusive, the American
opinion moved from general approval to general
dissatisfaction with the Vietnam War.
On April 30th, 1975, South Vietnam declared unconditional surrender to the communist North Vietnam.
You are listening to John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance.”
John Lennon
John was born during the WWII bombings
of England in 1940. His mother, Julia,
took refuge in nearby makeshift bomb
shelters with her newborn baby. When
John’s father returned from the war,
Julia divorced him and moved into a 1bedroom apartment with a boyfriend.
5-year-old John, lashing out because he didn’t like his mother’s
boyfriend, was expelled from kindergarten and sent to live with his Aunt
Mimi. His mom only lived 3 miles away, although his relationship with
her was more as a friend, than as a mother. When he wanted a guitar to
play, his Aunt Mimi objected to wasting her money on a “craze”. John
then asked his mother for a guitar, which she gladly bought for him. Aunt
Mimi wasn’t happy about this and would not allow him to play or practice
in the house. So John played on the porch, singing to himself. His Aunt
said, “The guitar’s all right, John, but you’ll never make a living with it”.
John Lennon
Aunt Mimi tried to stop John from
forming a rock band, but to no
avail. The Beatles were born.
After nearly 10 years on top of the
charts, the Beatles split up. John continued to
write music, and was a leading artist pushing for
the end of the Vietnam War. His songs “Give Peace
a Chance” and ”Imagine” both refer to this topic.
Imagine has become an anthem of Lennon’s life.
Make a note of the song, “Imagine,” as it will be
on the listening test.
Mark David
Chapman
On December 8th, 1980, John Lennon was shot and
killed outside of his apartment in New York City by a
psychotic fan. Lennon’s wife, Yoko Ono, watched the
whole incident in horror and was with him when he died.
WATERGATE
On June 17, 1972, a burglary was committed by five men
who were caught in the offices of the Democratic
National Headquarters located in the Watergate
apartment complex in Washington, D.C. Before any
investigators could piece together the puzzle, two
Washington Post reporters cracked the case. The
Justice Department received a letter telling of how the
burglars concealed high-level guilt and pointed to the
White House. Together they cast the blame into the
White House.
John Dean III, a former Nixon counsel, also involved in
the cover-up was fired. Upon this, Dean told a Select
Senate Committee of President Nixon’s act as a
conspirator in the cover-up. He testified saying former
Attorney General, John Mitchell, ordered the break-in
while President Nixon made payments to the burglars
for silence.
WATERGATE
Through testimony it was revealed
that secret tapes had the recordings
of scandal evidence. Nixon refused
to hand over the tapes. Many of
Nixon’s aides resigned. These
events brought out public fury and
impeachment threats against
President Nixon. The tapes were
finally released only to be
discovered that one contained an
18-minute gap. It was claimed that
Nixon’s secretary, Rose Mary
Woods, had accidentally erased it.
However, three articles of
impeachment were still approved.
President Richard M.
Nixon resigned from
duty of office in August
of 1974.
In late 1973, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC) refused to sell oil to the United States.
Angry over the fact that the U.S. had supplied Israel with
weapons during the Yom Kippur War, OPEC's Arab
countries decided to cut off oil sales to the United States.
The United States relied heavily on imported oil and the
embargo caused a huge oil shortage. Fuel prices
skyrocketed, Americans waited in long lines at gas
stations. To conserve energy, the speed limit on the
nation highways was dropped to 55 miles per hour.
OPEC Energy Crisis
After a long drawn out war that was never
overwhelmingly supported (Vietnam),
coming to the realization that the tiny
Middle Eastern countries controlling oil
reserves could bring our country to a
screeching halt (OPEC Energy Crisis),
and a scandalous turn of events in the
White house that left Americans wondering
who they could trust (Watergate),
it was time for a break…and so, America
seemed to take a vacation…...
a
KISS
The brainchild
of Gene
Simmons (left)
and Paul
Stanley
(middle), KISS
was formed in
1974, and took
America by
storm in 1976.
They used a simple strategy straightforward rock tunes in an irresistible
package that included facepaint, fake blood,
pyrotechnics, and fire-breathing,
KISS soon
became
known for
their terrific
showmanship.
A 1977 Gallup
poll named
them the most
popular band
in America.
KISS
Ironically,
their first
number one
song was a
ballad called
“Beth,” and it
was the only
song on the
album sung
by the
drummer,
Peter Criss.
The Eagles
Led by Glen Fry and Don
Henley, The Eagles
combined the southern
rock and Country styles,
and put their own west
coast spin on it.
The Eagles
The result - one of the most popular bands
in the history of music, and the largest
selling greatest hits album of all time.
The Eagles are most famous for their song, “Hotel
California,” which was voted in the top 5 favorite
rock songs of all time.
With an epic story, technological wizardry,
magical heroes, and an evil black knight,
STAR WARS had something to appeal to
just about everyone.
It shattered box office records, and set
new standards for special effects.
The Star Wars soundtracks sold millions of copies.
The unusual fact was that the soundtracks used
only symphonic scoring for an orchestra. Basically,
people were buying Classical music, but they didn’t
consider it to be Classical music. People loved it.
Disco
Disco was the dance music craze of the
late 70’s. The Bee Gees soundtrack to
“Saturday Night Fever” was a huge
success, and launched the acting career
of John Travolta.
Disco
The Bee Gees
dominated the
charts for the
next 2 years.
Make a note
of this song,
“Saturday
Night Fever.”
It will be on
the listening
test.
Disco
Donna Summer
was another
popular disco
artist. Disco
summed up all
that the 70’s were
about - trying to
forget about the
difficult times,
and just unwind
for a while.
Groups of the 70’s
Robert Plant and Jimmy Page rocked
England and the U.S. in this band.
According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
survey, Led Zeppelin’s song, “Stairway to
Heaven” is considered the favorite rock song
of listeners worldwide, and VH1 has them
ranked as No. 1 on their 100 Greatest Artists
of Hard Rock.
Groups of the 70’s
Bon
Scott
(click again)
Brian
Johnson
This band is
equally popular
with its first
singer, Bon Scott,
who sang such
songs as Dirty
Deeds Done Dirt
Cheap, and its
second singer,
Brian Johnson,
who sang such
songs as Back in
Black.
Groups of the 70’s
Sonny and Cher
Sonny went on
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tohusband
be a
and wifeHe
politician.
singing
duo
was
a member
had
own
of
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of
primetime
Representatives.
comedy/music
He died in a
show.
skiing
accident
in 1998.
Groups of the 70’s
This country star
was known for
his no-nonsense
country songs
like “Rocky
Mountain High”
and “Take Me
Home, Country
Road.” He liked
to fly his own
planes.
John Denver
Groups of the 70’s
Ozzy
Black Sabbath
Led by
frontman, Ozzy
Osbourne, this
band hit the
scenes in the
early 70’s.
Groups of the 70’s
Led by the powerful
vocals of Ann Wilson
and the remarkable
guitar of sister Nancy
Wilson, this Seattlebased rock band rose to
fame in the mid-70’s
with a hard rock style
that had some folk
music elements. During
the 80’s, they stayed
popular by releasing a
string of power ballads,
but in the 1990’s, they
went back to their 70’s
hard rock roots which
they continue to play
today. They have sold
over 30 million albums
worldwide.
Video
Other 70’s stuff!
These 3 women
became America’s
sweethearts when they
starred in this show.
The theme music is
very typical of a 70’s
TV show.
End of Part 1
This 2nd part of the 1970’s has 18 more
music artists of the 70’s. If you feel that
these groups have nothing to do with the
music you listen to, you are wrong. The
groups of the 70’s influenced the groups
of the 80’s and 90’s, which in turn
influenced the music that we now hear
everywhere in the media.
Groups of the 70’s
Geddy Lee fronts this
power trio that came
out of Canada in
1974. They have
been called
“musicians for
musicians” because
of their incredible
talent and intelligent
lyrics. They have
released over 30
albums and are still
recording and
touring.
RUSH
Groups of the 70’s
Combining the bluesy rock and bad boy image of the
Rolling Stones with the flamboyant metal riffs of KISS,
this group, led by Steven Tyler, established themselves
in the 70’s music scene with a string of platinum hard
rock albums and
the release of the groundbreaking power
ballad "Dream On."
Their remarkable comeback
in the late '80s and into the
90’s, secured them a place in
the annals of rock history.
Groups of the 70’s
Peter Frampton
This guitarist and singer
went multi-platinum in
1977 with his album
“Frampton Comes Alive.”
The entire album was
from a live show, which is
hard to find nowadays.
Do you know of any
albums recorded live in
front of an audience?
Frampton is famous for
his use of the guitar “talk
box.”
Groups of the 70’s
Originally born Steveland Hardaway Judkins, this
music sensation has been blind since he was an
infant. At a young age, he impressed audiences
with his songwriting ability and incredible skills on
at least 11 instruments.
Stevie
Wonder
Stevie
Wonder
has
recorded
more
than 30
top-ten
hits, won
22
Grammy
Awards,
including
one for
lifetime achievement, won an Academy Award for
Best Song, and been inducted into both the Rock
and Roll AND the Songwriters halls of fame.
Groups of the 70’s
This band from England is known as “possibly
the greatest live band ever.” Their stunning live
shows, complete with guitar smashing and the
destruction of drums and other equipment, along
with great songwriting made them one of the
most influential bands in the world in the 70’s.
The Who
Groups of the 70’s
This
singer/songwriter
found his audience
in the early 1970s,
singing sensitive
and gentle acoustic
songs. His 1976
album, “Greatest
Hits,” is certified
diamond. He still
tours today and has
quite a following.
James Taylor
Groups of the 70’s
This band
was
discovered
in 1976 by
bassist Gene
Simmons of
Kiss who
financed
their first
recording.
Led by the very entertaining
David Lee Roth and brothers,
Alex and Eddie Van Halen,
this band sold out concert
halls for 20 years.
Every live Van Halen
concert guaranteed a
long, guitar solo by
Eddie Van Halen.
This one is called
“Eruption,” and it lasts
over 10 minutes.
Groups of the 70’s
Although she
started her singing
career in the 50’s,
she released 25
albums and 30 hit
singles during the
70’s alone and
remains popular
even to today.
Aretha
Franklin
Groups of the 70’s
This band got its name
from a gym teacher who
used to torment singer
some of the band
members for having
long hair. Musicians as
diverse as Kid Rock,
Metallica, and Travis
Tritt pledge allegiance
to this band, and a new
wave of hard rocking
youngsters highly value
them.
Lynyrd
Skynyrd
Groups of the 70’s
Bob Dylan
This folk and rock
n’ roll singer was
listed as #2 on the
list of the
“Greatest Artists of
All Time” in 2004,
second only to The
Beatles. Some of
his songs became
anthems of the
anti-war and civil
rights movements.
Groups of the 70’s
This reggae artist was a Jamaican singer,
songwriter, guitarist and soccer player. He was
also an activist working for peace in Jamaica
and Africa.
Bob
Marley
His 1975 album,
“Rastaman
Vibration,”
propelled him into
the Top-Ten here
in America. He is
regarded by many
to be a prophet of
the Rastafari
religion.
Groups of the 70’s
Named after drummer
Mick Fleetwood and
bassist John McVie, this
band had 3 albums in a
row on the top of the
charts here in America
during the 70’s. Their
album, “Rumours,” was
the best selling album
of the year in 1977 and
now, at over 30 million
copies sold, is one of
the greatest selling
albums of all time.
Fleetwood
Mac
Groups of the 70’s
This brother and
sister team also
had their own
primetime
comedy/music
show in 1976,
which featured
many of their
other talented
brothers and
sisters.
Donny and Marie
Osmond
Groups of the 70’s
Opening with the death of
singer Buddy Holly and ending
with the tragic Rolling Stones
concert at Altamont Motor
Speedway, this 8½ minute song
remains one of the most
discussed and debated songs
that popular music has ever
produced. Listen to the words.
Don
McLean
So bye, bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
And them good ol' boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Singin’ this will be the day that I die
This will be the day that I die.
Groups of the 70’s
This singer
and movie
actress hit
the Top Ten
many times
in the 70’s.
She starred
in several
comedy
movies.
Barbara Streisand
Groups of the 70’s
Syd Barrett
Pink Floyd
This band was initially founded by Syd Barrett, and
Roger Waters. Syd was interviewed on live TV, but
he just stood there and stared. He had been slowly
losing his mind due to drug use. David Gilmore
took his place and they hit stardom with a string of
concept albums they released throughout the 70’s
including “The Wall.”
Groups of the 70’s
This British band was
rated as a punk rock
band, because it
started as one, and
their punk ideas never
died, as it can be
noticed in most of their
albums. Their self
titled debut was
released in 1977 and
became one of the
highest selling import
albums in the U.S.A.
The Clash
Groups of the 70’s
Formed in 1972,
this band propelled
up the charts in
1975 with the song
“Lady,” and then
again in 1979 with
“Renegade.” They
would continue to
be popular
throughout the 70’s
and 80’s.
Groups of the 70’s
She’s an American singersongwriter, author, multiinstrumentalist, actress
and philanthropist, bestknown for her work in
country music.
In the four decades since
her national-chart début,
she remains one of the
most-successful female
artists in the history of
country music which
garnered her the title of
‘The Queen of Country
Music.’ She even has an
amusement park named
after her.
Dolly
Parton
Groups of the 70’s
Led by Freddie
Mercury, this
foursome became
famous for their
wild live shows
and songs like
“Bohemian
Rhapsody,” and
“Another One
Bites the Dust.”
Queen
Groups of the 70’s
These 2 piano men
became famous in the 70’s
for their great songwriting.
Together, they have sold
over 350 million records.
They are still touring,
often together.
Elton
John
Billy
Joel
Have a Nice Day!
Artist and Songs in this Presentation
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Steely Dan - Peg
John Lennon - Give Peace a Chance
John Lennon - Imagine
Billy Joel - Honesty
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Commotion
KISS – Rock and Roll All Night
Eagles – Hotel California
John Williams – Star Wars Theme
Star Wars - Disco Version
Bee Gees - Saturday Night Fever
Donna Summer – Bad Girl
Led Zeppelin - Rock and Roll
Sonny and Cher – I Got You, Babe
AC/CD – Back in Black
AC/DC – Sin City
John Denver – Take Me Home, Country
Road
Black Sabbath – Paranoid
Charlie’s Angels Theme
RUSH – Tom SawyerAerosmith – Dream On
Peter Frampton – Show Me the Way
Stevie Wonder – Superstitious
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The Who – My Generation
James Taylor – You’ve Got a Friend
Van Halen - Panama
Black Sabbath – Paranoid
Aretha Franklin – R E S P E C T
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama
Bob Dylan – Like a Rolling Stone
Bob Marley – I Shot the Sheriff
Fleetwood Mac – Don’t Stop
Donny and Marie Osmond – It Takes Two
Don McLean – American Pie
Barbara Streisand – The Way We Were
Pink Floyd – The Wall
The Clash – Should I Stay or Should I Go
Elton John and Billy Joel – Piano Man (live)
Styx – Mr. Roboto
Dolly Parton – I Will Always Love You
Queen – We Will Rock You
Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive
Kool and the Gang - Celebration