The Year Was: 1977
10.20.25
The Year Was takes you on a journey through time. In each show, Annett travels back to a different year. What did music sound like around the world in different genres, scenes, and areas of pop culture?
This time, we’re setting the time machine to 1977, a year that saw two major music trends clash into the world: the rise of disco and the pinnacle of punk rock.
Studio 54 opened in New York City, Grace Jones was the queen of disco, and ”Saturday Night Fever” brought the genre out of the clubs. Meanwhile, in the UK, punk had already made its mark on society, but it wasn’t until 1977 that it truly exploded – with the joined forces of The Clash, Sex Pistols, the first all-female punk band, The Slits, and many more. Outside and in between these two extremes, there was plenty of room for more: Bowie went to Berlin to record his best album. Fleetwood Mac released a soft-rock classic. Talking Heads set a ”Psycho Killer” loose on the world. Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder imagined the sound of the future with the entirely synthesized, hypnotic single ”I Feel Love”. And Kraftwerk’s ”Trans-Europe Express” helped to shape hip-hop as perfect source material for samples. All while ”Star Wars” opened in theaters, Elvis died, the Golden Record was launched into space, and Feminism and the conservative movement clashed hard over abortion and LGBTQ+ rights – shaping a political landscape we still live in today.
1977 was the year the future was invented. Let’s listen back!
Tracklist:
Suicide – Cheree Roy Ayers Ubiquity – Running Away The Clash – Police & Thieves Fleetwood Mac – The Chain – Live 1977 Marvin Gaye – Got To Give It Up Fela Kuti – Zombie Nasa Voyager Golden Record – Greeting from the Secretary General of the Un Donna Summer – I Feel Love Space – Magic Fly Kraftwerk – Abzug David Bowie – Sound and Vision Brian Eno – No One Receiving Sex Pistols – Pretty Vacant Richard Hell – Blank Generation Screamers – Peer Pressure Giorgio Moroder – From Here to Eternity Matia Bazar – Ma Perchè Kimoko Kasai – バイブレイション Rufus – Hollywood Veronika Fischer – Schönhauser David Bowie – Helden (German Single Version) Talking Heads – Love → Building on Fire Bob Marley & The Wailers – Three Little Birds The Congos – La La Bam–Bam Bembeya Jazz National – Telephone Earth, Wind & Fire – Beijo (Interlude) CHIC – Est–Ce Que C’est Chic Television – Marquee Moon Blondie – X–Offender – Live, San Fancisco 1977 The Slits – Number One Enemy (Live) Throbbing Gristle – Industrial Introduction Wire – Ex Lion Tamer Iggy Pop – Nightclubbing Gary Wilson – 6.4 = Make Out Sérgio Mendes – Amor E Agressão Commodores – Brick House
