Thanks to revisionist history due to academics and the media on portraying that decade, what do you feel are some misconceptions that people today view about the '70s compared to the facts?

1. Cassette tapes weren't around until well after the 8-track tape was released, when in fact both came out in the mid-1960s. The site Crazy Fads is the worst offender as it mentioned the mid 1970s as the point where most record labels dropped support for the format, when in reality it was still quite prevalent during the first couple years of the '80s.

2. Disco and punk dominated the entire decade. Of course, not only were both just underground during the first half of the decade, punk was only popular with a specialized audience and never received the big mainstream attention that disco had in the late '70s.

3. There were no personal computers, cellphones, or VCRs. Many people think of '70s computers as large mainframes in secret laboratories or those used in science fiction, when in reality, although expensive, they were on the market to the public starting around 1975, which was also when the first VCR was launched.  The first cellphone call was made in 1973, and early versions of in the form of carphones were often available on high-end models in the later part of the decade. Of course, most people due to their budget and the cost of early models meant that they wouldn't purchase and/or use one until the '80s or '90s.

4. The standard of living dropped through this decade due to inflation and a recession. Although real earnings (wages with respect to the inflation rate) did start to drop in 1976, it turned out to be more of a "cut the fat" approach in terms of being more practical, and the rise of imports allowed for the global economy to become more interdependent in a freer manner, and of course in many non-Western countries, particularly Japan and the OPEC nations, the standard of living boomed remarkably.

I'm gonna love what Voiceofthe70s has to say on this topic!  8)

I thought punk was the "rival" to disco in the late '70s. Wasn't it punk fans that started Disco Demolition Night?

I thought punk was the "rival" to disco in the late '70s. Wasn't it punk fans that started Disco Demolition Night?


You'd be surprised, John Lydon(of the Sex Pistols) incorporated disco influences in his post-punk group Public Image Limited, at the time(around 1979) he said disco was the only music he listened to(and dub reggae).

The guy who started Disco Demolition Night was more of a classic rock DJ, many punk rockers transitioned to disco/dub/hip-hop influenced music around 1979-1981, like the Clash. Many of the classic hard rock dudes probably hated punk as much as they hated disco.

I'm gonna love what Voiceofthe70s has to say on this topic!  8)

My reputation precedes me! Not bad for someone who hasn't been around here that long.  ;D


Cassette tapes weren't around until well after the 8-track tape was released, when in fact both came out in the mid-1960s. The site Crazy Fads is the worst offender as it mentioned the mid 1970s as the point where most record labels dropped support for the format, when in reality it was still quite prevalent during the first couple years of the '80s.

Once and for all, I want to dispel this widespread misconception that 8 -track tapes were the dominant medium for listening to music in the 1970s. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact 8-tracks were dead pretty much right out of the gate. The inherent limitations of the format made them unappealing and hard to use. The inconvenient and clunky size, the fact that they only moved one way (you could only fast forward but not rewind), the fact that they cut off in the middle of a song with a loud noise to switch to the next track where the song would resume. I mean, come on! Sure, people had them, but no hip kids, myself included (ahem), really wanted anything to do with them and it seemed to me they fast became the exclusive province of old people who played them in their Buicks, listening to Mantovani and Lawrence Welk.

I had my first cassette "tape recorder" (as we called them then) in 1972. From Radio Shack, of course.  :D These were pretty common devices back then and blank cassettes were everywhere, but pre-recorded were not yet a popular medium for buying music, although they were available as such. Cassettes only took off as the dominant medium for music with the advent of the Sony Walkman circa 83/84 and pretty much remained that way for the rest of the 80s, sharing the stage with the CD which started taking off circa 1985. And despite cassettes and CDs, vinyl records also held their own for the rest of the 80s.


Disco and punk dominated the entire decade. Of course, not only were both just underground during the first half of the decade, punk was only popular with a specialized audience and never received the big mainstream attention that disco had in the late '70s.

Though there were a smattering of early disco songs like "Fly Robin Fly" in 1975, I never even heard the word "disco" (as we came to know it) until 1976 when it suddenly became a "thing" and took off big time. Punk never got it's head above ground in the US mainstream even for a minute, despite revisionist history, but of course it became hugely influential nonetheless and cast a long shadow. Even in the UK where it DID make a huge splash, it was for quite a brief moment, although, again, it's influence is immense. When the mainstream finally started knowing about punk in the US it was in the watered down form known as "new wave" and the 80s had arrived.



There were no personal computers, cellphones, or VCRs. Many people think of '70s computers as large mainframes in secret laboratories or those used in science fiction, when in reality, although expensive, they were on the market to the public starting around 1975, which was also when the first VCR was launched.  The first cellphone call was made in 1973, and early versions of in the form of carphones were often available on high-end models in the later part of the decade. Of course, most people due to their budget and the cost of early models meant that they wouldn't purchase and/or use one until the '80s or '90s.

These things were around here and there but they were few and far between. They were prohibitively expensive and they were large and clunky. The first cell phones I remember were called "briefcase phones" because they were the size of bricks and carried around in what looked like a briefcase. Telephone answering machines were equally scarce. A few people (mostly rich people) started having them by the end of the 70s.


The standard of living dropped through this decade due to inflation and a recession. Although real earnings (wages with respect to the inflation rate) did start to drop in 1976, it turned out to be more of a "cut the fat" approach in terms of being more practical, and the rise of imports allowed for the global economy to become more interdependent in a freer manner, and of course in many non-Western countries, particularly Japan and the OPEC nations, the standard of living boomed remarkably.

I'm not an expert on the economy, but it didn't seem so bad to me back then. Things were generally affordable. Albums were $3.29. Concert tickets were $4.50, $5.50 and $6.50 and one could see all the greats. The Stones wanted to charge $8 in 1972 and this was considered scandalous. There were editorials in magazines about how they had "sold out to the Man".  I do remember the so-called "energy crisis" with long lines for gas. It wasn't until the 80s and the Reagan era that it seems the middle class in the US started to be systematically dismantled. But that sounds like it's own thread to me.  ;)

Once and for all, I want to dispel this widespread misconception that 8 -track tapes were the dominant medium for listening to music in the 1970s. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact 8-tracks were dead pretty much right out of the gate. The inherent limitations of the format made them unappealing and hard to use. The inconvenient and clunky size, the fact that they only moved one way (you could only fast forward but not rewind), the fact that they cut off in the middle of a song with a loud noise to switch to the next track where the song would resume. I mean, come on! Sure, people had them, but no hip kids, myself included (ahem), really wanted anything to do with them and it seemed to me they fast became the exclusive province of old people who played them in their Buicks, listening to Mantovani and Lawrence Welk.

I had the fortune (or misfortune to some) to have an 8-track recorder.  Not very common.  I enjoyed it though, and actually made a number of well-loved homespun 8-tracks.  They rocked in the car and at home.  It was good - until I could no longer find blanks, and shortly thereafter my 8-track equipment broke  :-\\


I had my first cassette "tape recorder" (as we called them then) in 1972. From Radio Shack, of course.  :D These were pretty common devices back then and blank cassettes were everywhere, but pre-recorded were not yet a popular medium for buying music, although they were available as such. Cassettes only took off as the dominant medium for music with the advent of the Sony Walkman circa 83/84 and pretty much remained that way for the rest of the 80s, sharing the stage with the CD which started taking off circa 1985. And despite cassettes and CDs, vinyl records also held their own for the rest of the 80s.


I concur cassettes were plentiful in the early 70's.  In the early 70's we (family) got one of those cute plastic cased ones for Christmas - fun!  I remember us kids at the kitchen table recording our own reenactment of "Sister Mary Elephant" to our great amusement.  At that point cassettes were by and large a low-fidelity medium, which is why it was rare to find "serious" prerecorded music then.  The blanks you could buy at Radio Shack were crappy quality, most tape recorders worked in mono, and they were hiss-noisy.  The advent of Dolby noise reduction coupled with much improved tape formulations made all the difference (not to mention better consumer equipment, including boomboxes), and by the late part of the decade cassettes had graduated to the big time.


Though there were a smattering of early disco songs like "Fly Robin Fly" in 1975, I never even heard the word "disco" (as we came to know it) until 1976 when it suddenly became a "thing" and took off big time. Punk never got it's head above ground in the US mainstream even for a minute, despite revisionist history, but of course it became hugely influential nonetheless and cast a long shadow. Even in the UK where it DID make a huge splash, it was for quite a brief moment, although, again, it's influence is immense. When the mainstream finally started knowing about punk in the US it was in the watered down form known as "new wave" and the 80s had arrived.


I first heard the term "Disco" in reference to the music genre in late 1974.  But Disco was a "plays nice" genre until around mid-1976 when it started taking over.  Of course by the end of '77 Disco was king.  "Disco Demolition" didn't kill Disco but did start taking the wind out of its sails...


These things were around here and there but they were few and far between. They were prohibitively expensive and they were large and clunky. The first cell phones I remember were called "briefcase phones" because they were the size of bricks and carried around in what looked like a briefcase. Telephone answering machines were equally scarce. A few people (mostly rich people) started having them by the end of the 70s.


Yes, rich people - especially those who liked futuristic toys  ::)