I know disco really didnt boom until 1975 of the 70s but some people say they like the first half of the 70s better(70-75) because there was no disco but some people like some of my family actually prefer 1975-1979 over the first half of the 70s.I actually think the whole 70s was cool pop culturally,but what part of the 70s do you think was better!! :)

70-75 was absolutely better, but 76-79 was not without it's own charms. 70-72 was still the cultural 60s, with 1970 being completely part of the 60s and 71-72 being it's own subset. As in still part of the 60s but definitely 70s. By 1973 the cultural 70s had begun in earnest.

For me, definitely the latter half. I enjoyed the variety of the music of the early 1970's a lot, but for me punk and new wave were transformative. Yes, there was a lot of discovered and other mega-genres like stadium rock, but stuff like Elvis Costello and the Clash, the English Beat, etc. Blew my socks off.

I like 1976-1979 better.

70-75

That's a hard one. I'm going to go with the late '70s for the video games and movies.

I love the 70's  (experiencing it as a pre-teen/teen sure helped).  Thus it's a toss up which half was better.  But the vibe definitely changed throughout the decade.  Pop culture in the early 70's (thru '72) was still relatively innocent, the music was less synthesized, Disco's absence meant music artists went for sound more than danceability, people seemed by and large more trusting (60's like), plus there was still plenty of optimism around.  The mid 70's (73-76) was great for pop culture - TV was at a creative peak IMO, and the music was pretty awesome.  But optism was waning.  The late 70's was also great for pop culture, although the music started to sound overly synthesized, not to mention Disco's saturation.  IMO late 70's movies ratcheted it up a notch - there were some incredible movies from that time.  By then a lot of the innocence was gone.  But there was a lot of great music and great pop culture to be had.  Womens' stature and race relations both improved throughout the 70's; it was a most important decade on these two fronts.

8)

I love the 70's  (experiencing it as a pre-teen/teen sure helped).  Thus it's a toss up which half was better.  But the vibe definitely changed throughout the decade.  Pop culture in the early 70's (thru '72) was still relatively innocent, the music was less synthesized, Disco's absence meant music artists went for sound more than danceability, people seemed by and large more trusting (60's like), plus there was still plenty of optimism around.  The mid 70's (73-76) was great for pop culture - TV was at a creative peak IMO, and the music was pretty awesome.  But optism was waning.  The late 70's was also great for pop culture, although the music started to sound overly synthesized, not to mention Disco's saturation.  IMO late 70's movies ratcheted it up a notch - there were some incredible movies from that time.  By then a lot of the innocence was gone.  But there was a lot of great music and great pop culture to be had.  Womens' stature and race relations both improved throughout the 70's; it was a most important decade on these two fronts.


I know what you're saying, having been there in the 70s, but I'm not sure "innocence" is the correct word to use for the early 70s nor loss of it for the later 70s. I don't think that it was so much "innocence lost" in the later 70s as it was "a sense of ennui" which crept in.

Ennui: a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.
-Dictionary

The early 70s, a period I love, were quite a serious period to say the least. Singer/songwriters were all the rage and their songs were serious ones. James Taylor's first hit "Fire and Rain" in 1970 was a song about a suicide, for heaven's sake. And it was a smash hit. This was the mood people were in. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young had a big hit "Ohio" in 1970 about the Kent State massacre. Now, if EVER there was a "loss of innocence" it was Kent State in 1970. It was looked upon as America killing it's own children.

When the Vietnam War ended once and for all in 1975 a lot of people who had, in one way or another based their whole identities on it (that's how long it went on and how entrenched it was) suddenly felt cast adrift. The aforementioned ennui came in. The later 70s were sometimes referred to as "the era of malaise". Not a specific malaise mind you, but a general sort of malaise. Into this atmosphere disco came. Some people were looking to put the seriousness behind them and to lose themselves in the noisy emptiness of disco and disco club culture. And punk came along which had ambitions to tear down the remaining walls completely and start back from basics.

I know disco really didnt boom until 1975 of the 70s but some people say they like the first half of the 70s better(70-75) because there was no disco but some people like some of my family actually prefer 1975-1979 over the first half of the 70s.I actually think the whole 70s was cool pop culturally,but what part of the 70s do you think was better!! :)


Disco actually started to get popular in 1973 with the O'Jays "Love Train".

Disco actually started to get popular in 1973 with the O'Jays "Love Train".


At the time Love Train hit, it was considered "Philly Soul" not "Disco".  Nobody used the term "Disco" in early 1973.  That said, there were certainly a few songs in 1973 which sounded Disco-ey, Love Train among them.  However, Disco didn't "boom" in 1973 - not until around mid-1975.  (I remember the rise of Disco extremely well, being an interested teen at the time  ;D)

At the time Love Train hit, it was considered "Philly Soul" not "Disco".  Nobody used the term "Disco" in early 1973.  That said, there were certainly a few songs in 1973 which sounded Disco-ey, Love Train among them.  However, Disco didn't "boom" in 1973 - not until around mid-1975.  (I remember the rise of Disco extremely well, being an interested teen at the time  ;D)


What was your favorite club you went to at the time you were living? :)

What was your favorite club you went to at the time you were living? :)


Well, I was too young for clubs in the 70's.  Although I went to Disco dance parties in college  ;)

I did my most clubbing in the later 80's.  My favorite club was called the Acapulco club in the burbs - I went there between '86 and '88.  It had a great happy hour buffet, and it was close to work.  Plus all my favorite club people went there.  :)

Well, I was too young for clubs in the 70's.  Although I went to Disco dance parties in college  ;)

I did my most clubbing in the later 80's.  My favorite club was called the Acapulco club in the burbs - I went there between '86 and '88.  It had a great happy hour buffet, and it was close to work.  Plus all my favorite club people went there.  :)


You didn't go to Studio 54 or The Paradise Garage? ???

You didn't go to Studio 54 or The Paradise Garage? ???


I was never in NYC until sometime between 1999 and 2001 (I don't remember the exact date)

I was never in NYC until sometime between 1999 and 2001 (I don't remember the exact date)


But you did hear about them?

I certainly heard about Studio 54.  I think everybody heard about it back then  ;)

I was not there but I get this from movies and songs of the era:

The hippie, flowery, "scr** capitalism!" 70s were 1970-1974
- 1970-1973 were the last years of true American muscle/pony cars. In October 1973 and in 1974 there were gas shortages, which effectively put an end to those cars.
- 1975 was a transformative year for music and general feel/fashion/design. Disco was getting traction and earth-tones started replacing the more flowery feel of the early 70s. 1973 and 1974 were sort of in-between.
- 1976 was also important, it was the bicentennial year, and all about the Farrah-mania.
- 1977-1979 were the disco era with the glitz, afros, disco suits, etc. but everyday clothes were still kinda ordinary.

It's hard to chose really.

I certainly heard about Studio 54.  I think everybody heard about it back then  ;)


Where were you when Studio 54 was around? ???

Where were you when Studio 54 was around? ???


High School ('til Summer 77) / College (Fall '77 on).  In both cases, Michigan.  I don't think I heard about Studio 54 until later ('79 or so; I recall seeing some short feature on TV news about it).

This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I like 1976-79 better. I liked some rock songs that came out during that time as well as the new wave stuff (new wave wasn't really around in 76-77, but I could be wrong).

High School ('til Summer 77) / College (Fall '77 on).  In both cases, Michigan.  I don't think I heard about Studio 54 until later ('79 or so; I recall seeing some short feature on TV news about it).


Do you happen to have any photos of you from back in the 1970's?

1970-1975 w/o question!!!

For me, 1976 to 1979. I'm not into the whole rock n' roll, hippie, thing. I don't hate it, either. I think that the late 70's fit me more.

The Vietnam war finally ended in 1975. So I guess that kind of split the decade into 1970 to 1975, and 1975 to 1979.

And people wanted to have fun so I guess there was a reason for the Vietnam War ending.


I'm not sure I understand this statement at all. The Vietnam war ended because people wanted to have fun? Correct me if I misinterpret you, but perhaps what you meant was AFTER the Vietnam war ended people were looking to have fun, or relief, after such a long, heavy, miserable war? Well yes, there was that. It's part of what gave rise to the hedonistic disco culture of the late 70s. BUT...interestingly enough, a lot of people experienced a kind of depression when the war ended. It sounds counterintuitive I know, but so many people had based their lives or identities in one way or another upon the war, for or against, and it had been part of the national identity for so long, that there was a kind of aimlessness when it ended. This period is sometimes referred to as the "era of malaise". A sort of general listlessness. 

I'm not sure I understand this statement at all. The Vietnam war ended because people wanted to have fun? Correct me if I misinterpret you, but perhaps what you meant was AFTER the Vietnam war ended people were looking to have fun, or relief, after such a long, heavy, miserable war? Well yes, there was that. It's part of what gave rise to the hedonistic disco culture of the late 70s. BUT...interestingly enough, a lot of people experienced a kind of depression when the war ended. It sounds counterintuitive I know, but so many people had based their lives or identities in one way or another upon the war, for or against, and it had been part of the national identity for so long, that there was a kind of aimlessness when it ended. This period is sometimes referred to as the "era of malaise". A sort of general listlessness.


Since it was a stressful time period, people just needed some relief.