1974
Frank Sinatra made a few appearances during the year, drawing large crowds wherever he went.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young got back together again, after each of them had attempted to go off on their own.
Stevie Wonder’s second album “Innervisions” was a massive success and Roberta Flack cashed in on her talents as well.
Punk rock developed seriously for the first time, with bands like the Sex Pistols and the Ramones thrashing their way to success. Their crazy stage behavior and offbeat arrangements drew both praise and discouragement.
Kiss popularized in 1977, drawing crowds of young people with their costumes and heavy rock style.
1972 started off with a tragic blast. Two bombs exploded, with minutes of each other, on January 26 which damaged the NY HQ of Columbia Artists Management and the nearby offices of Sol Hurok. The blasts were attributed to the Jewish Defense League which protested the Russian treatment of Jews. Columbia and Hurok had pioneered in importing Russian talent.
The Bee Gees exploded into the music world, selling more records than anyone thought possible. They also were the ushers for the disco era, as it was in full swing in 1978. The soundtrack for the movie Saturday Night Fever sold nearly 30 million copies.
Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton blended their country with other styles of music. Parton pioneered more of a pop-country, while Nelson made his own rock-country mix.
Aerosmith was one of the most popular groups in 1976, with lead singer Stephen Tyler drawing comparisons to Mick Jagger in more ways than one.
Paul McCartney finished a world tour with his band Wings. The tour, which had begun in Europe the previous year, ended with a tour of the United States and Canada, and was extremely successful.