Dust off those vinyl records and rediscover some incredible musical talent from the golden age of rock! From power-pop pioneers to funk masters, we're highlighting some criminally underappreciated bands that deserve another spin on your turntable. Get ready for a musical journey through the decade that changed everything!
00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the 1970s musical outfits
00:16whose records you need to dust off ASAP.
00:19How long has this been going on?
00:2610. The Commodores
00:29Sure, they're best known for introducing Lionel Richie to the world, but what you might not remember is the fact that they could seriously get down.
00:47A far cry from the squeaky-clean stylings that Richie would eventually offer up in his solo work,
00:53the Commodores, in their most famous iteration, engineered some of the funkiest tunes known to man.
00:59Early career hits like Brick House and the instrumental Machine Gun proved that they were a force to be reckoned with.
01:13For more evidence, look no further than the band's 1977 self-titled album, which shows off their pop sensibilities and musical well-roundedness,
01:23and features the timeless ballad, Easy.
01:27Even I ain't something for me, yeah.
01:32Number 9. Mott the Hoople
01:35Carry the young dudes
01:37Hey, dudes!
01:39Carry the dudes
01:41Eye-popping name aside, Mott scored their biggest hit in 1972 with the generational anthem All the Young Dudes.
01:50Of course, it certainly didn't hurt that none other than David Bowie, from whom they scored a crucial cosign, wrote and produced it.
01:58Once you run the white star
02:02Watch you come so alone
02:06Following years of cult appeal with little mainstream success, that song blew them into the stratosphere.
02:12The resulting album of the same name was subsequently produced by Bowie.
02:16Although Mott only released a handful of albums before disbanding in 1980, give them a shot.
02:22You'll find that they're much more than just some young dudes.
02:26Now it's a mighty long way down rock and full
02:30Number 8. Ambrosia
02:32That's how much I feel
02:36I feel for you, baby
02:38There's a good chance you don't know these versatile L.A. rockers by name, and that's a genuine shame, because they're responsible for some of the grooviest, most dynamic pop music of the 1970s.
02:50Originally founded as a progressive rock band in the vein of Rush, Ambrosia gradually transitioned to a sound inspired by the blue-eyed soul and soft rock of the era.
03:02However, they never totally abandoned their roots.
03:12While their singles made highly effective use of lead singer David Pak's soulful vocals, their deep cuts retain a distinctly technical flair.
03:21Listen to the 1978 album Life Beyond L.A., a silky smooth showcase for Ambrosia's ability to think outside the box.
03:30I'm out here waiting, praying, trying to keep from saying that I don't miss you
03:37Number 7. Flamin' Groovies
03:39Legendary producer Brian Eno once said of the Velvet Underground that he thought, despite low album sales, that everyone who bought one started a band.
03:58The same could be said of 70s power-pop pioneers Flamin' Groovies.
04:03Although the group didn't quite break on through to the next level of fame, they've been cited as being among the founding fathers of punk rock.
04:18This is largely attributed to their relocation to the UK, at which point they became associated with legends like the Ramones and Sex Pistols.
04:27Despite several lineup shuffles and pervasive infighting, the Flamin' Groovies work stands as a rousing 70s time capsule that deserves a little more appreciation.
04:42Number 6. April Wine
04:44April Wine
04:50Do you like songs about rock music and just generally about rockin' out? Then these beloved hard rockers from Canada are just the band for you.
05:00Founded in Waverly, Nova Scotia in the late 60s, April Wine found most of their success in their home and native land but have maintained an international cult fanbase in the decades since their 70s peak.
05:13Even still, they racked up an impressive number of American hits including I Like To Rock and the hot chocolate cover You Could Have Been A Lady, which reached the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972.
05:34Oh, Canada, indeed!
05:35Number 5. Television
05:53The 2023 passing of television frontman Tom Verlaine unleashed an outpouring of love for those artfully-minded punks.
06:01While we wish it had been under better circumstances, there's no better time than the present to appreciate what television did with the then-budding genre.
06:11Regular fixtures at the legendary CBGB nightclub in New York City, television subverted expectations by taking inspiration from unconventional sources like jazz and the minimalist compositions of Steve Reich.
06:25The band released only two albums during the 1970s, 1977's Marquee Moon and the following year's Adventure.
06:40The fact that there's so little music credited to them is a testament to their outsized influence and the long shadow they cast over the future of rock music.
06:51Number 4.
07:01Finn Lizzy
07:02If all you've ever heard from these iconic Irish rockers is the boys are back in town, then we've got several songs that you need to blast at full volume.
07:14Founded in the late 60s by singer-bassist Phil Lynott and drummer Brian Downey, Finn Lizzy rose to prominence in the early 70s with their reinterpretation of Whiskey in the Jar, a traditional Irish ballad.
07:27A few years later, the 1976 album Jailbreak put them on the global map and generated a number of hard rockin' hits.
07:42The band's peak period of productivity ended in 1983, and Lynott's untimely 1986 death dealt Thin Lizzy fans a major blow.
07:52But thankfully, their extensive back catalogue will have you exclaiming that the boys are, well, you know.
08:04Number 3.
08:05Big Stong
08:13They're routinely acclaimed as one of the best and most influential bands of the 1970s.
08:19But it took decades for them to be recognized as such.
08:22Their sound, emphasizing sugary sweet melodies and harmonies and jangly guitar riffs, proved to be a major reference point for the alternative rock boom of the 80s and 90s.
08:33In fact, such giants as R.E.M. and The Replacements have called Big Star one of their most prominent sources of inspiration.
08:49At the very least, they consistently received warm critical notices for the moving, deeply felt songwriting of co-singers Chris Bell and Alex Chilton.
08:58Billboard said it best in their review of Big Star's debut album, No. 1 record.
09:03Every cut could be a single.
09:05When you let me meet you at the pool.
09:14Number 2.
09:15Bad Finger
09:16Special love I had for you.
09:20Baby Blue.
09:24If Baby Blue sounds familiar to you, then chances are you heard it in the closing moments of the AMC crime drama Breaking Bad.
09:33Having said that, you might have forgotten that Bad Finger were reliable hitmakers throughout the 1970s, like Mott the Hoople and David Bowie.
09:42This Welsh Power Pop band was championed by the one and only Paul McCartney.
09:47Maybe you've heard of him.
09:48The former Beatle even wrote and produced the hit song, Come and Get It, for them.
09:52If you want it, here it is.
09:55Come and get it.
09:57But you better hurry, cause it's going fast.
10:02Their discography is well worth exploring, especially for those curious to explore the extended universe of the Beatles, but also in its own right.
10:11Without You, for example, has become a hit when covered, respectively, by Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey, among countless others.
10:19I can't live, if living is without you.
10:26Before we unveil our top picks, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:30The Guess Who.
10:31American woman, get away from me.
10:36American woman, mama let me be.
10:41The Ides of March.
10:43I'm your fearful woman.
10:45But now I'm sure you know.
10:48That I love you.
10:49How do you need you?
10:50Yeah.
10:51Little Feet.
10:52Down the street.
10:53I heard such a sound from school.
10:57I'm coming from the place they call us Spanish blue.
11:02Poco.
11:03It happens all the time.
11:06This crazy love of mine wraps around my heart.
11:1110cc.
11:12Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
11:24about our latest videos.
11:25You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
11:29If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
11:351.
11:37Blue Oyster Cult
11:38It's okay, you can admit it.
11:48The first thing you thought of when we named this band was Will Ferrell and Moore Cowbell.
11:53While we're sure the guys in Blue Oyster Cult might not be thrilled about that, the iconic
11:58SNL sketch provided younger viewers with an opportunity to dig into their impressive discography.
12:04Their non-Reaper songs show a heavy side that could rival even Black Sabbath.
12:09But those weren't the songs that caught on.
12:12For more of the heavy stuff, check out their first few albums, like 1972's Self Title,
12:181973's Tyranny and Mutation, and 1974's Secret Treaties.
12:24Which 70s band on our list is your favorite?
12:35Are there any we missed?
12:36Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
