About the 1970s

The role of women in Society

During the 1970s, women roles in society was altered with feminism throughout the world. A factor was the presence and rise of a significant number of women as heads of state outside of monarchies and heads of government in a number of countries across the world during the

1970s, and for many it was their first time holding such positions. 

Non-monarch women heads of state and heads of government in this period included Isabel Martínez de Perón as the first woman President in Argentina and the first woman non-monarch head of state in the Western hemisphere in 1974 until being deposed in 1976. Elisabeth Domitien becamethe first woman Prime Minister of the Central African Republic. Indira Gandhi cotinued as Prime Minister of India until 1977.  Golda Meir, Prime minister of Israel and acting Chairman Soong Ching-ling of the People's Republic of China continuing their leadership from the sixties. Lidia Gueiler Tejada became the interim President of Bolivia beginning from 1979 to 1980. Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo became the first woman Prime Minister of Portugal in 1979, and Margaret Thatcher became the first woman Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1979. 

Music

During the 1970s, there was a rise of popular soft rock. Different artists stepped into the stage, like Chicago, The Doobie Brothers, James Taylor, The Carpenters, Elton John, and The Eagles.

Disco music also became popular, and because of this, rock music became increasingly hard edged with artists such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath.

In the 1970s, both art rock and progressive rock were influences by experimental classical music, as well as punk rock. From the bands Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Judas Priest and Led Zeppelin emerged hard rock and heavy metal, and along came AC/DC.

The mid-seventies saw the rise of punk music. Popular bands were the Sex Pistols, The Clash, Blondie and Ramones. 

The highest selling album of the 1970s was Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, released in 1973.

Towards the end of decade,Jamaican reggae music became popular in the U.S and in Europe. Along with reggae came Country music and hip hop.  

Television

During the 1970s, there were significant changes in television programming in  both the United Kingdom and the United States. There was a decline of the "family sitcoms" and new "Youngs, hip and urban" socially contemporary shows emerged. 

In 1970, BBC had  three colour channels from which to choose: BBC1, BBC2 and ITV. A famous tv show of the 1970s was "Pennies From Heave", a "show with elements of sexual explicitness, nostalgia, fantasy song,  and dance scenes, all overlaying a dark and pessimistic view of human motivation."