In 1974, a local Austin PBS station aired the first episode of "Austin City Limits" and, with that, took the first step to showing the entire country how Austin, Texas celebrated and encouraged experimentation with country music. One of the founders of the show carried a business card that described the show's music as "free form country folk rock science fiction gospel gum existential bluegrass guacamole opera music." As the show celebrates it's 50th anniversary in 2024, it continues to be an example of how a commitment to music rather than glitz and glamour can find a loyal television audien ..read more

The year 1974 shoulder much of the blame for the so-called worst music of not only the 1970s, but the worst of all time. Is this true? While we know that 1974 had much good to offer, is it true that it also had the worst of the worst? If so, does it matter. This episode takes a closer look at some songs considered the all-time worst, including "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks, "Cat's in the Cradle," by Harry Chapin, and "Billy, Don't Be a Hero" by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods ..read more

Did you watch television in the 70s? If so, it was highly likely that you watched something that was created or produced by Dick Clark. The centerpiece of his entertainment empire was "American Bandstand," but there was more than that, including "New Year's Rockin' Eve" and "The 25,000 Pyramid." Clark was concerned about his legacy and this episode examines just what that legacy was and how it was part of 70s pop culture ..read more

What could possibly happen to make a music festival be tagged as "3 Days of Sodom and Gomorrah?" How about toilets on fire? Drugs being sold as openly as sex? Young rock fans strolling naked through the streets of Sedalia, Missouri as they ditched their clothing to cope with the summer heat? Yes, all this and more descended on this small Missouri town in a festival that was marketed, in part, to town officials as a method of showcasing bluegrass music. There was a little bluegrass but there was a whole lot more of rock. As bad as the behavior of many of the fans was, that was how great the mus ..read more

T. Rex, Alice Cooper, David Bowie, and Roxy Music were at the heart of 70s glam rock. This episode examines how glam stretched the boundaries of gender, sexuality, and how rock music was defined. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/amy-lively/message ..read more

From the dance line to the platform shoes to the stars on its stage, Soul Train was the first nationally syndicated show that was made by and for African Americans. This episode highlights some of the influential music performed on Soul Train from legends including The O'Jays, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, and James Brown, as well as discusses the importance of the show's very existence on a television landscape that was sorely lacking in African American representation. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/amy-lively/message ..read more

There is no single type of novelty song, although they all have something that distinguishes them. Sometimes it is the topic and sometimes it is the format, but a novelty song that endures should also be a good piece of music. Novelty songs were popular in the 1970s and this episode examines some of the most popular ones, including "Spiders and Snakes" by Jim Stafford, "The Cover of the Rolling Stone" by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, and "Mr. Jaws" by Dickie Goodman.   ..read more

On May 4, 1970, the Ohio National Guard opened fire on unarmed protestors at Kent State University in Ohio. Four students were killed and nine others were wounded. This episode examines that music that mattered to the students and the music that was made as a result of this tragedy. "Ohio" by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young stands alone as not only the most famous song to be associated with the massacre, but also as one of the greatest protest songs of all time. However, former Kent State students Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders and Joe Walsh, who were on campus on May 4, 1970, were forever i ..read more

What IS an opera, anyway? It is a dramatic story told with music rather than acting. The songs tell us the story. The 1970s was not only a golden era for classic rock, it was especially a golden era for the rock opera. This episode of For the Record: The 70s examines some of songs from the iconic rock operas of the decade, most of which have the similar theme of youth angst and desire at their core. Artists and bands such as The Who, Meatloaf, and Pink Floyd created characters and told stories with their songs and, in the process, created some of the best rock that the 70s had to offer. --- Se ..read more

Southern rock from bands such as the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd was not just loved by Americans from the South. Southern rock had broad appeal. For many white southerners, though, this form of rock tapped into a desire for nostalgia, rebellion, and reclaiming the South as a distinct region. The 1970s was a time when regional distinctions in the United States were fading and as the South became more like the rest of America, the rest of America became more like the South. This episode discusses the question of how we should think about that music now, as well as the very thorny question ..read more