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Success and excess

The decade that followed is remembered by many as a time of excess, expressed in clothes and the lifestyles of the new class of mega rock stars. This decade witnessed huge concerts by bands like Pink Floyd, Yes and Genesis. Rock theatrically was also seen in the Glam Rock phenomenon, expressed by such artists as David Bowie in his guise as Ziggy Stardust. Rock stars became linked with international jetsetting and drug taking on a scale that killed many artists. Jimi Hendrix died in London in drug related circumstances in 1970, and the bad boy of the 1960s, Jim Morrison, lead the singer of the Doors, died a year later in Paris. The 70s was also the starting point for electronic music, which was to emerge steadily and establish its identity firmly in the 80s an beyond.

Towards the end of the 70s a counter reaction to the excess of some bands emerged in Britain as the movement known as Punk. The most famous punk band, The Sex Pistols, was formed in 1976 as a vehicle for a new fashion style, and gave a whole new meaning to evergreens like God save the Queen and My Way. What was most characteristic of this period was the raw energy of the bands, which reflected the new rebellious spirit of a generation fed up with the Rock establishment itself. The Punk movement was the untidy, safety-pin pierced, non-conformist side of New Wave bands like Police and U2, who (not surprisingly), gained the popular vote and went on to achieve longstanding commercial success.