The early 1970s were gritty. The public was dubious of the powers that were at the time. The decade prior had shown a lot of guts, a lot of revolutionary work, and a lot of risk. Lots of leaders lost their lives, and the country proved darker than even some could have imagined. It was a rough time, without a doubt, for anyone who lived through it.
This dark, gritty vibe was reflected in the movies of the time, as well as in the movie soundtracks of the time. As a result, those movie soundtracks became important cultural artifacts—some even raced up the Billboard Top 200 charts. Indeed, these are three soundtracks that hit No. 1 in the early 70s.
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‘Shaft’ by Isaac Hayes (1971)
Whether he’s using it in cartoons like South Park or putting it on wax, Isaac Hayes’ deep voice is unmistakable. And he used his mighty instrument to record songs for the 1971 movie, Shaft. Hayes’ cool, confident singing style provided all the swagger and attitude music fans could handle on the soundtrack, which featured Hayes exclusively and hit No. 1 the same year the action movie was released.
‘Super Fly’ by Curtis Mayfield (1972)
While Hayes had a low, deep voice, songwriter Curtis Mayfield liked to sing high up with his falsetto head tone. Just goes to show, it takes all kinds! And Mayfield was one of the greatest singers and songwriters of his generation, proving his talents on the 1972 soundtrack LP for the movie, Super Fly. Check out the thrilling work, which includes songs like “Pusherman”, and fall in love with Mayfield all over again. This might just be some of his best work.
‘The Sting’ by Marvin Hamlisch (1974)
Released in 1974 for the famed caper movie starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, this soundtrack (recorded in 1973) featured pianist Marvin Hamlisch playing both original songs and tunes by the iconic ragtime artist Scott Joplin. Hamlisch’s version of Joplin’s “The Entertainer” even hit No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. This one’s a very memorable album.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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These 1970s parody songs beat all the "real" music on the charts. They blurred the lines between fake song and true hit. -
AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 01: Photo of AC DC and Angus YOUNG and AC/DC and Mark EVANS and Bon SCOTT; Mark Evans, Angus Young (playing Gibson SG guitar), Bon Scott – performing live onstage, c.1975/1976 (Photo by Bob King/Redferns) -
UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1970: Photo of Don Gibson Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images -
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — Episode 2 — Pictured: Musical guest Boz Scaggs performs on September 25, 1976 — Photo by: NBCU Photo Bank -
Barry Manilow in concert at the Bottom Line, NYC during Barry Manilow Achive Images – 1975 in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Bobby Bank/WireImage) -
(Original Caption) Charlie Daniels (3rd from left), the entertainer who dedicated his last album to "gun-rotting whiskey and hellatious fights" says he will not play gentle music just to please "damn Yankees drinking martinis" 1/20 at Jimmy Carter's inaugural reception. Daniels said he plans to play the same brand of foot-stomping Southern music he and his band have always produced. They are (from left), Charlie Hayward, Tom Crain, Daniels, Joel Digregorio, Don Murray and Fred Edwards.
