4 Rock Bands From the 1970s That Should Have Been All-Stars

Some rock bands from the 1970s slipped through the cracks and never became quite as famous as they should have. I think that’s a shame, especially when it comes to the following four genuinely talented outfits that inspired countless rock bands that followed in their footsteps.

Starz

This hard rock outfit formed in New Jersey in 1975, and they only lasted until the end of the decade before breaking up for the first time. They’ve reunited on and off through the years and are still together today. And despite being very much underrated, Starz has been cited by the likes of Twisted Sister, Poison, and Mötley Crüe as a major influence.

Starz never enjoyed much in the way of commercial success, and their most successful album remains the 1977 record Violation, which peaked at No. 89 in the US.

Crack The Sky

If you’re from Baltimore, you definitely remember this progressive rock band. But if you’re from anywhere else, their name might escape you. And the funny thing is, Crack The Sky aren’t even a Baltimore-based band. They formed in West Virginia.

Apparently, this prog-rock band only gained such major success in the Baltimore market because a surplus of their self-titled 1975 album arrived in the city and capitalized on the airplay the record was receiving on the radio at the time. They’ve released quite a few records since the 1970s, but they never broke through into superstar status outside of the Baltimore area.

Be-Bop Deluxe

Remember this Bill Nelson-fronted outfit from the 1970s? Be-Bop Deluxe was an art rock outfit that was around from 1972 to 1978, and they charted fairly well in the UK with three of their five albums. But the constant comparisons to David Bowie, plus difficulties in breaking through outside of the UK, led to the band’s dissolution in 1978. I recommend giving Sunburst Finish from 1976 a spin.

Hydra

Hydra was a Southern rock outfit that formed at the beginning of the 1970s. They only released three albums, each of which is stellar in its own right, before breaking up in 1977. Hydra reunited off and on through the years, but it really bums me out that this outfit is on our list of rock bands from the 1970s that never became all-stars. They were one of the first truly heavy Southern rock bands to hit the scene, and they had all the makings of a superstar group. Their debut self-titled album is really something to behold.

(Photo by Ian Dickson/Redferns)