I've always wondered this, and would like to hear from someone like Voiceofthe70s or AmericanGirl who experienced this shift firsthand.

I've always thought Let It Be by The Beatles (1970), Who's Next by The Who (1971), and Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd (1973) already sounded very 70sish despite being released early on in the decade. Yet other people claim the 70s sound didn't start till 1975 when disco became popular.

60s music turned 70s in 1971. Although first let me make clear yet again that the cultural 60s actually ended specifically at the end of 1972. But music-wise 1970 was the last year of truly 1960s music. With 1971 came a whole spate of equally terrific music, but by then much of it it was more singer-songwriter oriented. More "earthy" you might say. "Let It Be" is definitely a (late) 60s song, although a forward looking one. Keep in mind it was released in 1970 but recorded in January 1969. The Beatles were always ahead of the curve. "Who's Next" s most definitely 70s. "Dark Side of The Moon" is REALLY 70s. I don't know who is saying that the "70s sound" began with disco. Disco was a 70s sound but it wasn't the ONLY 70s sound, nor was it the first 70s sound. To say that it is is a very narrow and inaccurate view. 1971's "Imagine" by John Lennon and 1972's "Heart of Gold" by Neil Young are just as "70s" as disco. Not to mention the innovative glam sounds of Bowie, T. Rex, etc that pre-date disco. Somehow over the years a sort of shorthand has popped up that the 70s was all about disco. Nothing could be further from the truth.

60s music turned 70s in 1971. Although first let me make clear yet again that the cultural 60s actually ended specifically at the end of 1972. But music-wise 1970 was the last year of truly 1960s music. With 1971 came a whole spate of equally terrific music, but by then much of it it was more singer-songwriter oriented. More "earthy" you might say. "Let It Be" is definitely a (late) 60s song, although a forward looking one. Keep in mind it was released in 1970 but recorded in January 1969. The Beatles were always ahead of the curve. "Who's Next" s most definitely 70s. "Dark Side of The Moon" is REALLY 70s. I don't know who is saying that the "70s sound" began with disco. Disco was a 70s sound but it wasn't the ONLY 70s sound, nor was it the first 70s sound. To say that it is is a very narrow and inaccurate view. 1971's "Imagine" by John Lennon and 1972's "Heart of Gold" by Neil Young are just as "70s" as disco. Not to mention the innovative glam sounds of Bowie, T. Rex, etc that pre-date disco. Somehow over the years a sort of shorthand has popped up that the 70s was all about disco. Nothing could be further from the truth.


I concur with this.  Let me add that, whereas music has always gone through evolution, in the case of the 60's going into the 70's, there were major catalyst events meaningful to those of us who were young which impacted how we wanted to listen.  Some of the biggies:
- The Beatles break up
- Deaths of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison
- Ongoing Vietnam war
- Kent State University shooting
- Post-Woodstock disillusionment
After all this we were looking for something different in our music than the status quo.  Something to speak to the disillusioned, broken us in new ways.  That's where early 70's music came in.  To the extent it could reach us in that painful place, it was more successful.  Music that sounded too 60's, sounds like that died out before long.  And thankfully early 70's music did not disappoint.

I agree, to focus too much on the Disco aspect of 70's music is woefully inaccurate.

I concur with this.  Let me add that, whereas music has always gone through evolution, in the case of the 60's going into the 70's, there were major catalyst events meaningful to those of us who were young which impacted how we wanted to listen.  Some of the biggies:
- The Beatles break up
- Deaths of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison
- Ongoing Vietnam war
- Kent State University shooting
- Post-Woodstock disillusionment
After all this we were looking for something different in our music than the status quo.  Something to speak to the disillusioned, broken us in new ways.  That's where early 70's music came in.  To the extent it could reach us in that painful place, it was more successful.  Music that sounded too 60's, sounds like that died out before long.  And thankfully early 70's music did not disappoint.

I agree, to focus too much on the Disco aspect of 70's music is woefully inaccurate.


This is correct. From the bold, psychedelic experiments of the 60s, things took a decided (and needed) turn towards introspection in the early 70s. It was even reflected in the album covers themselves. More earthy and textured.

I concur with this.  Let me add that, whereas music has always gone through evolution, in the case of the 60's going into the 70's, there were major catalyst events meaningful to those of us who were young which impacted how we wanted to listen.  Some of the biggies:
- The Beatles break up
- Deaths of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison
- Ongoing Vietnam war
- Kent State University shooting
- Post-Woodstock disillusionment
After all this we were looking for something different in our music than the status quo.  Something to speak to the disillusioned, broken us in new ways.  That's where early 70's music came in.  To the extent it could reach us in that painful place, it was more successful.  Music that sounded too 60's, sounds like that died out before long.  And thankfully early 70's music did not disappoint.

I agree, to focus too much on the Disco aspect of 70's music is woefully inaccurate.



This!


The thing is about music is that it is ALWAYS evolving. There was never ONE thing or ONE point in time that made it turn.

And 70s music is NOT defined by disco. There were so many other types before & after disco.

-Psychedelic rock turned into acid rock which turned into heavy metal-Alice Cooper & Frank Zappa just to name a few.

-Then there is just plan rock. IMO groups like the Doobie Brothers, Supertramp, & Jethro Tull fall under this category.

-Pop is basically bubble gum. (I don't use bubble gum in a derogatory way. There are many bubble gum songs that I REALLY love.) The Osmonds, the Bay City Rollers, are a few.

-There was funk, soul, & R&B. James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight. 

-There was also the mellow contemporary music which included a lot of the singer/songwriters like John Denver, James Taylor, etc.

-There was also what I refer to as "old fogy music."  :D ;D ;D  This was music that my mother liked. Ed Ames, Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck. 

-And there was country-Dolly Parton, Crystal Gayle, Tom T. Hall to name a few.

-And stemming from country is the country/southern rock-Charlie Daniels Band, Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Disco was only a small part of the 70s music.


Cat 

When the year of copyright changed on the released of the music.

I guess 1971? I wouldn’t call Carole King, John Denver, Family Affair, Smiling Faces and Shaft “60s” though. Plus, Soul Train debuted in 1971.

1968.