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The ’70s still rock

I never got to experience the 1970s. I barely got to experience the 80s. But growing up as a kid in the 1990s and early 2000s was a great time to be into audio. Gear from the 1970s was still new enough that it usually still worked without having to be repaired first. It was usually also cheap, because it was "old" but not yet old enough to be vintage/retro. In most cases you were still buying stuff from the original owner who was cleaning out their garage or whatever, and stuff wasn't yet being hoovered up by scalpers/flippers/hoarders. For a while there, it was a great low-cost way to get into the hobby.

But I honestly don't understand the awkward cultural obsession with music from the late 60s through early 80s. Now, I fully understand that for those who grew-up with that music, it will always have a special place in their hearts. I wouldn't expect anything less, as I feel the same way about much of the music that I grew up with. But it's just weird now being constantly surrounded by 50 year old music. Back in the 1990s and 2000s it's not like there was music from the 40s and 50s everywhere, but somehow now ~50 year old music has become the new norm for "oldies". You'll be watching a Hockey game, they put on Queen, "We Are the Champions", and then you realize that not only were all the players on the ice born long after the song was made, but at this point all of the coaches were too... and I can't help but ask, "Why are we still listening to these songs"? Why are they still making new movies with music from the 1970s in the soundtrack? Will we still be stuck listening to 70s music 10, 20, 30 years from now?
 
Chris Brown said:
I never got to experience the 1970s. I barely got to experience the 80s. But growing up as a kid in the 1990s and early 2000s was a great time to be into audio. Gear from the 1970s was still new enough that it usually still worked without having to be repaired first. It was usually also cheap, because it was "old" but not yet old enough to be vintage/retro. In most cases you were still buying stuff from the original owner who was cleaning out their garage or whatever, and stuff wasn't yet being hoovered up by scalpers/flippers/hoarders. For a while there, it was a great low-cost way to get into the hobby.

But I honestly don't understand the awkward cultural obsession with music from the late 60s through early 80s. Now, I fully understand that for those who grew-up with that music, it will always have a special place in their hearts. I wouldn't expect anything less, as I feel the same way about much of the music that I grew up with. But it's just weird now being constantly surrounded by 50 year old music. Back in the 1990s and 2000s it's not like there was music from the 40s and 50s everywhere, but somehow now ~50 year old music has become the new norm for "oldies". You'll be watching a Hockey game, they put on Queen, "We Are the Champions", and then you realize that not only were all the players on the ice born long after the song was made, but at this point all of the coaches were too... and I can't help but ask, "Why are we still listening to these songs"? Why are they still making new movies with music from the 1970s in the soundtrack? Will we still be stuck listening to 70s music 10, 20, 30 years from now?
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I do think that there was something special about music made in the 60s and 70s, and though I really try to keep my mind open to what's new (I love a lot of music though the 90s actually), I think that we're unfortunately in an era where at least the pop culture side of it, isn't offering as much memorable music as in decades past. I do think that this has everything to do with the way that music is distributed and promoted and far less to do with people somehow being less creative these days. I totally agree with you that this nostalgia trip for 50 y/o music is annoying, but I credit that to the fact that music that was already overplayed back then, continues to be popular. I love so much music from that era, but it isn't the "classic rock" disco, yacht rock, or other stereotypical stuff that I enjoy, but things more off the beaten path. I notice that younger folks who work in the neighborhood coffee shop, who seem to be very hip to all kinds of music, have discovered lots of the 50 year old music that I like, not because it's popular, then or now, but because they've surely listened to lots of music and this kind of stuff just speaks to them.

I can't be said to be listening to the old music that I do out of nostalgia, because most of it wasn't anything that was really a part of pop culture, and what's more is that I'm still discovering new stuff from that era. Music speaks to me for all kinds of reasons, but nostalgia is really low on the list. I just feel like there was a higher concentration of really memorable music than there is currently...
 
IMO, the reason music from the 1970s is still being played because it resonates with a large number of people from all ages. As a case in point, there is a massive number of young YouTubers that react to 70s music and think it is better than nearly anything produced today or in the recent past. A lot of younger people I know listen to 70s, 80s and 90s music for the most part.
 
Chris Brown said:
I never got to experience the 1970s. I barely got to experience the 80s. But growing up as a kid in the 1990s and early 2000s was a great time to be into audio. Gear from the 1970s was still new enough that it usually still worked without having to be repaired first. It was usually also cheap, because it was "old" but not yet old enough to be vintage/retro. In most cases you were still buying stuff from the original owner who was cleaning out their garage or whatever, and stuff wasn't yet being hoovered up by scalpers/flippers/hoarders. For a while there, it was a great low-cost way to get into the hobby.

But I honestly don't understand the awkward cultural obsession with music from the late 60s through early 80s. Now, I fully understand that for those who grew-up with that music, it will always have a special place in their hearts. I wouldn't expect anything less, as I feel the same way about much of the music that I grew up with. But it's just weird now being constantly surrounded by 50 year old music. Back in the 1990s and 2000s it's not like there was music from the 40s and 50s everywhere, but somehow now ~50 year old music has become the new norm for "oldies". You'll be watching a Hockey game, they put on Queen, "We Are the Champions", and then you realize that not only were all the players on the ice born long after the song was made, but at this point all of the coaches were too... and I can't help but ask, "Why are we still listening to these songs"? Why are they still making new movies with music from the 1970s in the soundtrack? Will we still be stuck listening to 70s music 10, 20, 30 years from now?
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It's an interesting topic.

I was watching a documentary the other day about the 'Live Aid' concerts in 1985, it being forty years since that event.

1985 was the mid-point between now, and the end of the Second World War.

As a sixteen year old in 1985, WW2 seemed like ancient history to me and the popular music of that era archaic - although not necessarily bad or not enjoyable. Nevertheless, it was not common to hear it played on radio or TV and no-one my age was 'into' it.

But we now have the same time gap from those 1985 concerts featuring Queen, Clapton, Collins, McCartney, Status Quo, Ultravox, Elvis Costello, Billy Ocean, Black Sabbath - all music which is still common currency on radio, TV, films. And people who were not even born in 1985 are listening to it.

I'm not really sure why that is, but it's fascinating.
 
Chris Brown said:
I never got to experience the 1970s. I barely got to experience the 80s. But growing up as a kid in the 1990s and early 2000s was a great time to be into audio. Gear from the 1970s was still new enough that it usually still worked without having to be repaired first. It was usually also cheap, because it was "old" but not yet old enough to be vintage/retro. In most cases you were still buying stuff from the original owner who was cleaning out their garage or whatever, and stuff wasn't yet being hoovered up by scalpers/flippers/hoarders. For a while there, it was a great low-cost way to get into the hobby.

But I honestly don't understand the awkward cultural obsession with music from the late 60s through early 80s. Now, I fully understand that for those who grew-up with that music, it will always have a special place in their hearts. I wouldn't expect anything less, as I feel the same way about much of the music that I grew up with. But it's just weird now being constantly surrounded by 50 year old music. Back in the 1990s and 2000s it's not like there was music from the 40s and 50s everywhere, but somehow now ~50 year old music has become the new norm for "oldies". You'll be watching a Hockey game, they put on Queen, "We Are the Champions", and then you realize that not only were all the players on the ice born long after the song was made, but at this point all of the coaches were too... and I can't help but ask, "Why are we still listening to these songs"? Why are they still making new movies with music from the 1970s in the soundtrack? Will we still be stuck listening to 70s music 10, 20, 30 years from now?
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The music from those years really reflected the western model, super dominant, expanding, and totally on top compared to the rest. But nowadays, that model has been scaled back a lot, maybe even in decline, with the cultural center of gravity shifting more toward the East.
There's a lot of nostalgia for a golden era. These days, a lot of industries just don’t work the way they used to, they don’t offer the same opportunities, and it’s getting harder and harder to break in and make it. The models are kind of saturated now, and they’ve lost the momentum they once had. Just look at Hollywood, it’s gone through the same rise and fall as the music world.
 
OldJBL said:
Having started my hi-fi hobby in the mid to late 1980s, I think we are in the beginning stages of a golden hi-fi era right now. The push for this is the development of so many high value products that have entered the arena within the past 2-3 years. In my years, I have never seen this happen in the way it is today. Very, very good quality hi-fi components can be had these days for a small fraction of the prices in the past. I don't think there has ever been a point in my lifetime where such high quality hi-fi components have been as affordable as they are today.

IMO, where the 1970s shined regarding music was with musical creativity. The song writing skills and musical talent of such a large number musicians may never be repeated again. So many bands wrote and performed their own material. Also, music production made a big advancement in the 1970s. I still marvel at the quality of so many albums that were produced in the 1970s.
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And they held up very well ! And are some are being enjoyed by a new generation !
 
Chris Brown said:
But I honestly don't understand the awkward cultural obsession with music from the late 60s through early 80s. Now, I fully understand that for those who grew-up with that music, it will always have a special place in their hearts. I wouldn't expect anything less, as I feel the same way about much of the music that I grew up with. But it's just weird now being constantly surrounded by 50 year old music. Back in the 1990s and 2000s it's not like there was music from the 40s and 50s everywhere, but somehow now ~50 year old music has become the new norm for "oldies". You'll be watching a Hockey game, they put on Queen, "We Are the Champions", and then you realize that not only were all the players on the ice born long after the song was made, but at this point all of the coaches were too... and I can't help but ask, "Why are we still listening to these songs"? Why are they still making new movies with music from the 1970s in the soundtrack? Will we still be stuck listening to 70s music 10, 20, 30 years from now?
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As someone already said, a lot of great music was produced in that span of time. It is not just that we grew up listening to it. A lot of crap was also produced then. We do not listen to that! :D

A s for 40-50s music, also known as; The Great American Songbook. It was around back then. It was used in movies of the 90s-2000s. People like Linda Rhonstat covered a lot of those songs with Nelson Riddle.

Ever since the dawn of the 21st century, contemporary artists have been covering this collection of music.

As for 60s-70s music, yes we will still be listening to it. Young people today like that music, some like it better than today’s music.

I also listen to muisic from the 90s to today. If I hear something during a commute that I like, I will buy the album on CD.
 
Some might say the 70's never stopped rocking and have spread over the years gaining many new followers and keeping the ones who lived thru that period as I did in my 30's. For sure Disco music turned up the heat and got people dancing together again.
 
Fab9 said:
The 1970s are widely considered the “Golden Age” of high fidelity, due to a unique combination of technological, economic, cultural, and industrial factors.
During that decade, a rare balance was achieved between build quality, technological innovation, and affordability, transforming the way people listened to music.
Transistors and solid-state circuits offering lower heat output, improved reliability, and reduced costs, together with advancements in analog design, brought to the market a range of outstanding devices for high-quality music reproduction.
Devices from that era featured exceptional build quality, with thick brushed aluminum chassis, perfectly machined knobs, real wood case panels, and often oversized components so much so that many of these units still function flawlessly today.
The design was also magnificent, with all controls clearly labeled and logically placed, complemented by analog needle meters.
Hi-fi systems became not only audio equipment but also pieces of furniture, yet audio quality and usability always remained the top priorities.
All this came at an affordable cost, especially thanks to excellent Japanese products manufactured on a large scale.
Music itself was also changing: rock, progressive rock, jazz fusion, singer-songwriters, soul, and funk became central to a cultural revolution.
During these years, owning a hi-fi system was both a status symbol and a cult object.
The 1970s represented an unparalleled balance between mature analog technology, artisanal-level production quality at scale and affordable prices, and a culture of conscious listening.
It was a period when the home music listening experience reached a depth, emotion, and engagement level that many audiophiles still strive to recreate today.
I love the ’70s!

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Cool thread man! Welcome to the site!!

I to love the 70s and its gear and music.

The golden age of "HI-Fi" was actually the 60/70's and the golden age of "Radio" was from the 20's to the 50's.
If you are into robust builds you should get into some tube amps if your not already doing so.

What will be funny is when they have the golden age of "MP3" LOL

Cool read man!!
 
ducati_EL34 said:
As someone already said, a lot of great music was produced in that span of time. It is not just that we grew up listening to it. A lot of crap was also produced then. We do not listen to that! :D
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Some of us do as it’s so bad, it’s good — unintentionally hilarious, like an aural Plan 9 From Outer Space.

 
Mr Boochie said:
From CTA.
Beginnings.
"Chicago Transit Authority." MFSL 2-128. Victor (Japan) 1/2-speed pressing MFSL re-master. 1984.
Run-out: MFSL-2-128-1-A11 JH/2 H1111 ※
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There are so many wonderful songs from their double album debut. I can't think of another band that released two records for their debut. I am sure there were more but they probably didn't have as many great songs that are still heavily listened to today. One of my favorite songs on CTA is Poem 58. Terry Kath was incredible in this one, and many others. He played lead guitar and sung lead vocals.

 
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ducati_EL34 said:
As someone already said, a lot of great music was produced in that span of time. It is not just that we grew up listening to it. A lot of crap was also produced then. We do not listen to that! :D
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The funny thing for me is there are a lot of 70s songs that I did not like at the time they were released. However, over time I did come to like a lot of them. I think this is due to me growing up through the my teenage years in the 70s and as I matured I came to appreciate these songs more and more. There were A LOT of good 70s songs that were done by one, or two, hit wonders.
 
Mart Mccall said:
It's an interesting topic.

I was watching a documentary the other day about the 'Live Aid' concerts in 1985, it being forty years since that event.

1985 was the mid-point between now, and the end of the Second World War.

As a sixteen year old in 1985, WW2 seemed like ancient history to me and the popular music of that era archaic - although not necessarily bad or not enjoyable. Nevertheless, it was not common to hear it played on radio or TV and no-one my age was 'into' it.

But we now have the same time gap from those 1985 concerts featuring Queen, Clapton, Collins, McCartney, Status Quo, Ultravox, Elvis Costello, Billy Ocean, Black Sabbath - all music which is still common currency on radio, TV, films. And people who were not even born in 1985 are listening to it.

I'm not really sure why that is, but it's fascinating.
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I think a lot of it has to do with the fact it is well recorded, video and audio and very accessible. I'd like to see and hear a well recorded show of Artie Shaw or Glenn Miller using today's technology to capture it. I do believe the recording technology has a lot to do with it, capturing the impact, nuance and power of it.
 
Aerobat said:
I'm a 60's/70's kid, but I have to think the era during the pinnacle of vacuum tubes and labels like Columbia were peak sound. Playing these recordings with modern gear is something to behold.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/...30th-street-studio-aretha-frankin-1960-78377/

https://tonybennett.com/photo-detail.php?id=30
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I love watching those 2-Eye labels spin around. :)
Coracoa Sensivel.
Off Dave Brubeck Quartet's "Bossa Nova USA." Columbia Records CL 1998. Canadian pressing. MONO. 1963.
Run-out: o XLP-58885-1B [three tick marks]

3094d39b-a6ca-4560-997d-2ab6905b47b9.jpg
 
OldJBL said:
There are so many wonderful songs from their double album debut. I can't think of another band that released two records for their debut. I am sure there were more but they probably didn't have as many great songs that are still heavily listened to today. One of my favorite songs on CTA is Poem 58. Terry Kath was incredible in this one, and many others. He played lead guitar and sung lead vocals.

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I can remember getting blasted with Free Form Guitar to wake me up once or twice. At least I think I remember. :cool:
 
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