The '70s gave us a lot of milestones, ranging from the sublime to the downright ludicrous (yes, kids, that's how it's spelled, and no, it's not a proper namem no matter how appropriate.) and everything in between. And behind it all was the music.

So, what are your pucks for the Best and Worst bands or solo acts of the decade? And, uf you're not too embarrassed, throw in your personal guilty pleasures.

Since I opened this can of worms, it's only fair that I start.

The Best:
Fleetwood Mac

Jethro Tull-Yes, both of these first picks got their start in the '60s, but I don't think they truly hit their stride until the '70s.

Molly Hatchet-Before them, nobody knew wutinhell Southern Rock was. Personally, I would have bought their albums just for the cover art, the fantastic imaginings of the late (and great) Frank Frazetta.

The BeeGees-Disco was awful, true, but these guys were undoubtedly the best of a bad lot.

KISS-According to both Paul Stanley, the lead singer, and Gene Simmons, bass guitarist and arguably most famous band member, the name was suggested by Stanley's first band, "Lips" and the acronym for "Keep It Simple, Stupid". Religious fanatics and other party poopers claimed otherwise, although they couldn't quite agree on the "real" meaning of the band's name.

Alice Cooper-Hard to categorize, but definitely a large influence on later artists and the Gothic culture.

The Worst:

Tony Orlando and Dawn-I could have given these folks a pass if it wasn't for that awful "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" noise. As a former soldier, I resent having it played at veteran's affairs and homecoming celebrations for the troops. The song is about a CRIMINAL leaving PRISON, and there is nothing admirable or noteworthy about that.

Janis Ian-Please, please, ohgodmyearsarebleeding, PLEASE stop whining about your adolescence.

ABBA-Another acronym, using the first letters of the singers' names. And that was about as far as they got in the originality/interesting department.

Guilty Pleasure:

Donna Summer-she became popular about the time I was starting puberty. My hormones, and her revealing outfits definitely made me want to "do things" with her.

Okay, your turn!

Oh yes, obviously on the same wavelength!

OK, off the top of my head, the best (from my pre-teen days):

Mud
Slade
Wizard
Bee Gees (concur with you there K_K)
Jackson Five
Osmonds (some of their stuff - although they're probably teetering into the "worst" category too)
Stevie Wonder (boy has he lasted!)
Chicago (I quite liked that soft-rock sound and am actually much more into bands like "America" and Fleetwood Mac nowadays)
ELO (one of the first singles I ever bought was "Telephone Line")
Abba (Dancing Queen mostly)


The worst:
Brotherhood of Man (they won the Eurovision Song contest - say no more!) - see pic below!

The best (from my rebellious adolescent days):
The Jam (I wanted to marry Paul Weller)
The Police (before Sting went all spiritual and boring)
The Clash
The Stranglers
UB40 (reggae rather than punk though)
The Beat (actually more of a ska band than punk)
The Specials (ska)
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Joe Jackson (great songwriter, more post-punk though)
Sham 69 (what we call in the UK a "bovver boy" band).
Sex Pistols
The Skidz (no, nothing to do with underwear! )
An obscure band but one who whose first album I played continuously called "Bethnal"
Blondie
The Rah Band

Strangely enough they're just playing Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke" on the telly - one of my favourites from the 70s.

Oh was just rereading your post K_K - oh yes I remember "Tie A Little Ribbon round the old old tree" - extremely catchy but ultimately garbage!

We obviously differ in our opinion on Abba - although I have say they weren't particularly cool back then, but nowadays...well everyone loves 'em.

I actually really like Donna Summer's "I Feel Love". Classic disco fodder. I know there was a backlash against disco at some point but in it's heyday it was fun.

I've since got into all the soul and funk music my sister was into back then - George Benson, Earth Wind & Fire, etc. No way was I following what my sister liked - it's probably why I got into punk music instead.

Nowadays I play sax in funk and soul bands - funny how things change eh!

Ah, yes, the New Wave and Punk of the late 70s/early 80s

Blondie...Debbie Harry was incredibly "hawt" before hard living and substance abuse took their toll.

The B-52s, The Clash, The Police, The Cramps, The Sex Pistols, Iggy Pop, Holly and the Italians, Gary Myrick and the Figures, Elvis Costello...all some of my faves during my time in uniform. I volunteered for the Airborne just so I could wear a mohawk.

Speaking of the sax, I can't, for the life of me, understand how I left Gerry Rafferty off my list of the best. City to City was probably one of the best albums to come out of the 70s...I have owned 7 copies on vinyl, at least as many on cassette ( I wore them out, no kidding) and have 2 copies on CD. The sax solo on "Baker Street" is one of the most evocative and haunting bits of music I have ever heard, and I often catch myself humming it when I am busy with tedious chores.

Funk, yes, god bless you. I played the bass guitar when I was younger, but arthritis has taken that joy away for the most part, but I still know how much fun poinding out a good funk riff can be.

Oh, and it's not so much that ABBA was truly bad, just...bland. I once described them as "audio wallpaper". Maybe their appeal was lost on me, in retrospect I think they were meant for people a few years younger than I was.

Then again, I've been a member of the KISS Army since 1975.

Now I DIDN'T hear you just say that.. it's just that, I've always had a thing about bass players. Are you as unreliable as all of my bass playing ex-bfs are too?! haha (Just kidding)

Oh God, how could I forget to mention B'52s - Rock Lobster, Planet Claire, their first two albums - I lurrrved that band!

Well, I don't know who you talked to, but us bass players are an enterprising lot. Just the other day, a man came by a bar where my friends and I were hanging out and said: "I will give $100.00 to the laziest man here!"

Without missing a beat I said "Roll me over and stick it in my hip pocket."

And I always had a thing for sax players, especially if they were sexed somewhat female-wise.




Why do I see this ending in fire and a lot of people dashing about?

Whatever do you mean??

Oh... and there's a mod for that