Rock Music of the 70’s
By 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.