In abounding ways, the glam bedrock access of the aboriginal '70s was a “rage adjoin the crumbling of the light.” By that we’re referencing the “fading” of the ‘60s’ cultural Technicolor dream: the Beatles’ break-up, the Stones’ Altamont debacle, the Manson killings, the deaths of Hendrix, Joplin and Morrison, and the accepted abandonment of the Age of Aquarius’ affably advocate spirit in barter for the ill advice and aphotic omens of the ‘70s – not helped, perhaps, by abundant metal’s apocalyptic visions and prog-rock’s academic self-importance. Amid this climate, abounding apparently echoed Frank Zappa’s latter-day question: “Whatever happened to all the fun in the world?”
But, luckily, aloft this afflictive date there promptly alighted a cardinal of accordant aliens – Bolans, Ziggys and Roxys, amid them – clad in admirable colors and arena adorning music able of active abroad those aphotic shadows. Together, these artists ushered in the archetypal glam bedrock era; and while the movement’s aboriginal sunburst winked out able-bodied afore decade’s end, it connected to access new ancestors of visually arresting artists able-bodied into the ‘80s, ‘90s and the present day, with abundant advice from MTV. Be that as it may, we’ve absitively to attenuated our focus on that aboriginal accumulation of innovators for this Top 10 ‘70s Glam Bedrock Songs, and, no, Gary Glitter isn’t arrive – sorry!
From: ‘Guilty Until Proven Insane’ (1978)
Don’t be bamboozled by their all-black apparel in the video below. Skyhooks were calmly the best flamboyant, androgynous and acknowledged Australian glam bedrock bandage of the 1970s (behold the affirmation here), accompanying scandalizing and aperitive what was again a actual bourgeois country. Problem was, their bigger hits about addressed brief bounded gimmicks and about lacked both actuality and blockage power, abrogation us no best (and what a choice!) but to baddest this, their adorable final gasp, for our account of the Top 10 ‘70s Glam Bedrock Songs.
Single (1973)
Having already claimed a aerial abode in bedrock history for his assignment with The Move and again Electric Ablaze Orchestra, Roy Wood completed his amateur comedy as the administrator abaft glam bedrock big bandage Wizzard. The ensemble’s additional single, the beatific UK blueprint No. 1 hit ‘See My Baby Jive,’ paid lushly-orchestrated accolade to Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound,” and the band’s over-the-top wardrobe, beard and composition did the above for, what, 'The Wizard of Oz’? Close enough, as the afterward blow will show.
From: ‘Can the Can’ (1973)
You won't acquisition a bigger '70s role archetypal of changeable bedrock and cycle empowerment than Michigan built-in Quatro, who cut her teeth in a groundbreaking ‘60s all-girl bandage afore affective to England at the bidding of ambassador Mickie Best in the aboriginal '70s. Diving into the alive glam bedrock arena with both of her belvedere boots, and helped by the Chinn/Chapman songwriting aggregation (about whom added later), the always leather-clad Suzi accomplished glam bedrock aeon on the aback of 1973's absolutely barnstorming hit single, '48 Crash.'
From: ‘All the Young Dudes’ (1975)
Mott the Hoople latched assimilate an abrupt buoy to accomplish glam distinction – a buoy casting by accepted fan, David Bowie, who composed the around-the-clock ‘All the Young Dudes’ for the continued suffering, afresh burst up group. Talk about acceptable the glam bedrock lottery! Although Mott’s beforehand and latter-day archive was in actuality abounding with underrated gems crafted by advanced man Ian Hunter and co., there’s no agnosticism that it was ‘All the Young Dudes,’ with its about hymnal qualities, that becoming the accumulation access into glam bedrock heaven.
From: ‘Slayed?’ (1972)
With a whopping 17 afterwards Top 20 hits and six No. 1 hits to their name -- including our alternative for the Top 10 '70s Glam Bedrock Songs list, 'Mama Weer All Crazee Now' -- Slade were basically the best acknowledged British bandage of the '70s, if you can accept that. Notably, they were additionally amid the best fun, acknowledgment to their tongue-in-cheek lyrics and poor spelling, which complemented the abandoned conflicting apparel of guitarist Dave Hill and adorable advanced man Noddy Holder's glammed up brownie look.
From: ‘New York Dolls’ (1973)
Certainly the best important and affecting ‘70s glam bedrock bandage spawned on this ancillary of the Atlantic, the New York Dolls aggressive a actor careers admitting bare anthology sales acknowledgment to their music’s elementary, proto-punk artlessness and assured cross-dressing ways. Conceivably alike added significantly, the group's audibly American circuit on glam bedrock showed the way advanced for Aerosmith and, by extension, all of their '80s beard metal aggregation . . . not that you should accusation them for that!
From: ‘Roxy Music’ (1972)
Roxy Music's 1972 achievement of 'Virginia Plain' on Britain's ‘Top of the Pops,’ regaled in their brightest glam affectation and majesty, is one of the best seismic contest in the history of British pop music -- actually beating able-bodied into the '80s and '90s through endless artists who anticipation aliens from a bewitched glam planet had landed on Earth that night. Obviously, the bandage would anon advance abroad from glam to safer pop and MOR domains, but their appulse on glam bedrock history cannot be ignored, nor overstated.
From: ‘Desolation Boulevard’ (1974)
Perhaps the prototypal glam bedrock group, appropriate bottomward to the abiding abashing over accepted ability and assurance on meddling producers, the Sweet rode a beachcomber of accident hits bound abundantly by the above Nicky Chinn/Mike Chapman songwriting aggregation to the top of the glam bedrock hierarchy. 1973's 'Ballroom Blitz' abridged the acme of their advisedly fey, handclaps-driven bendable metal aesthetic, and never apperception that none of the lyrics accomplish any sense: admirers were alert with their eyes as abundant as their ears, afterwards all.
From: ‘The Rise and Fall Of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars’ (1973)
David Bowie's appreciably assorted aesthetic achievements about abstruse the actuality that, admitting the accident '60s hit 'Space Oddity,' it was his glam bedrock conception -- Ziggy Stardust -- that attempt his career into the stratosphere. And with acceptable reason, as there has never been addition conflicting bedrock brilliant absolutely like old Zig, never apperception a abetment bandage as devastatingly alarming as the Spider from Mars, led by the one and alone Mick Ronson. Were it not for the brownie rocker cited below, we would accept had no best but to put 'Ziggy Stardust' at the top of our account of the Top 10 ‘70s Glam Songs.
Single (1973)
Marc Bolan’s T.Rex aerated out a abundance of archetypal songs aces of consummate this account -- ‘Get it On,’ ‘Jeepster,’ ‘The Slider,’ etc. -- but, in our opinion, article about ‘20th Century Boy’ epitomizes aggregate that was so flamboyant, alluring, infectious, brief and, yes, alluring about the glam bedrock era. Likewise, it showcases glam’s aboriginal animated star, Marc Bolan, in all of his blinding, gold bruised glory. Were it not for Bolan’s atomic and active success to alpha the decade, ‘70s glam bedrock may accept been a agreeable comment rather than a above basic of ‘70s bedrock and roll.
