We can argue all day long about what the best decade for music was, but in this writer’s opinion, it was the 1970s.
The 1960s were also great, but they felt like a benchmark-setting year, one where the public got to witness just how impactful music could be and therefore devotion to artists, styles and genres grew at an exceptional rate. However, while the potential of music was being realised, the boundaries surrounding sound were yet to be well and truly pushed. Nudged, sure, but there was a long way to go.
It was in the 1970s when musicians really started to tap into the potential that came with their given genre. There was no right or wrong way to experiment with sound; people could inject various styles and themes into their music in a bid to create something completely unique. A lot of these adventurous takes were lost amidst the sands of time; however, the songs that stuck with listeners back then still resonate today just as strongly.
Within the genres of pop, soul and rock, there were huge steps forward taken as musicians proved just how much they could achieve within their given styles. Some of these songs will be remembered for decades to come.
The Beatle John Lennon song from 1971 that will still be remembered Still and Forever:
John Lennon – ‘Imagine’
The Beatles splitting up was heartbreaking for many, but also completely inevitable. While The Fab Four had plenty of success as a band, they were all such different people that it was impossible to escape the fact that they needed to pursue their own creative paths. For John Lennon, that meant taking on a more socially aware approach to what he wrote, as his art became a vehicle for commentary on the modern world.
You hear as much in the likes of ‘Mother’ and ‘Working Class Hero’; however, it was his offering on ‘Imagine’ that really captured the hearts of listeners. Even the most devoted Beatles fans heard this song and realised John Lennon was following his heart with this solo material. It was met with some controversy as many called him a hypocrite, but the sentiment behind the song remains just as relevant today as it was when first released. It’s pretty hard to consider this solo offering anything other than a classic.
