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hit singles Music music videos photography

The Hit Singles: 1974.

Über-magical moments featuring Dave Loggins, The Guess Who, Terry Jacks, Paper Lace, Rick Derringer, The Hues Corporation, Redbone, David Essex, Golden Earring, and Blue Magic.

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Bands Gang of Four Guitarists hit singles Improvisers Music music videos photography

Gang of Four.

Formed in 1976 by guitar maestro Andy Gill, vocalist Jon King, drummer Hugo Burnham, and bassist Dave Allen, Gang of Four produced some of the most crucial music of the late 70s-early 80s. Acerbic, satirical lyrics that were extremely socially aware were the group’s calling card, as was Gill’s formidable guitar work. The rhythm section generally laid down hard funk grooves, yet the music was spare, angular, jagged. A critical assemblage.

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Badfinger Bands hit singles Music music videos photography pure pop wonderment

Badfinger.

Badfinger, a Welsh/English group primarily known for their early 70s work, were led by Pete Ham, and featured also Tom Evans and Joey Molland. A truly great, and too-oft forgotten band that was to be plagued by tragedy.

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composers hit singles Music Nilsson photography poets singer songwriters

Nilsson.

Mr. Harry Nilsson was unquestionably one of the premier songwriters of his generation. Witty, trenchant lyrics, frequently concerning isolation, accompanied wonderful melodies. When asked who his favourite American band was, John Lennon unhesitatingly replied “Nilsson”. As did Paul McCartney, for that matter.

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Bands composers hit singles Music music videos photography

The Moody Blues.

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hit singles Music music videos performers photography Singers vocalists

Ms. Linda Ronstadt.

Gifted with one of the most magnificent voices ever to be heard, Linda Ronstadt knew how to use it, as well. A vibrant performer with great presence, as is well-documented in the above vids. Can’t fault her material, either; she covered the likes of Emitt Rhodes, Warren Zevon, and Buddy Holly, to name just a few. A remarkable vocalist.

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Crowded House hit singles Music music videos Neil Finn new wave photography Singers The 80s vocalists

Hit Singles of the 80s: A Primer, of Sorts.

An introduction to some of the musical goings-on way back in the 1980s. We have: The Vapors, Falco, Eddy Grant, Dead or Alive, XTC, Lene Lovich, Echo and the Bunnymen, Paul Young, Bryan Adams, Lloyd Cole, Fiction Factory, Dream Academy, Crowded House, Split Enz, Squeeze, Tears for Fears, and The Housemartins. Some of these performances are not, strictly speaking, from the 80s, but that decade claims all of the hits above during the time it held sway.

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hit singles Music music videos photography

Eve of Destruction.

The extraordinary, powerful, and, upon its 1965 release, highly controversial compositionΒ Eve of DestructionΒ is performed live by vocalistΒ Barry McGuireΒ on the Hullabaloo show. McGuire, after being introduced byΒ Jerry Lewis, delivers an emotionally charged rendition that made ripplesβ€”more like tsunamiβ€”across the US.

ComposerΒ P.F. SloanΒ recalls a few fascinating and unlikely (as in, almost credulity-straining…yet not) details:Β during the studio recording session, β€œBarry was reading it for the first time off a piece of paper I had written the lyric on! Okay. McGuire’s record is released but β€˜Eve’ is the B-side. Somewhere in the Great Midwest of America a DJ played the wrong side by mistake!”.

Banned and denounced as unpatriotic,Β EveΒ only became more and more popular, most likely benefiting from all the wild, incorrect accusations and censure. Its creator and performer were not so fortunate, however;Β Sloan:Β  β€œIt ruinedΒ Barry’s career as an artist and in a year I would be driven out of the music business too.”.

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hit singles Music music videos One Hit Wonders photography

The One {Approx.} Hit Wonders: 1970s, vol II.

A number of further One {approx.} Hitters from the 1970s. I cannot emphasize enough that some artists represented herein are responsible for more than 1 “hit”, somewhere in the world. Right. So, we’ve got The Blues Image, Ocean, Norman Greenbaum, The Sanford-Townsend Band, Wild Cherry, Flash and the Pan, and Sniff ‘n’ The Tears, this time around. Enjoy.

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hit singles Music music videos One Hit Wonders photography vocalists

The One Hit Wonders: The 70s.

Lee Michaels: Do You Know What I Mean.
Daddy Dewdrop: Chick-a-Boom.
King Harvest: Dancing in the Moonlight.

A soupΓ§on of personal favorites, from a decade rich in great material. In order, we have: Edison Lighthouse, Pilot, Lee Michaels, Zager and Evans, Daddy Dewdrop, The Fortunes, The Ides of March, King Harvest, Hurricane Smith, Clint Holmes, Jigsaw, Walter Egan, John Stewart, Looking Glass, Tee Set, and JD Souther.