Why did more women sell country music and get more radio airtime in the 70s than today? Artists such as Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and even Olivia Newton-John made country radio friendly music in the midst of the women's rights movement of the 70s. Many of these singers were also able to cross over to pop. The momentum for women in country did not continue. This episode explores the many reasons for country music welcoming women in the 70s before its evolution to "bro country" in the years that followed. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/amy-lively/message

The shift away from nonviolent civil disobedience to the Black Power Movement in the fight for African American civil rights was reflected in music. Soul music from bands such as the Chi-Lites and the O'Jays took on a more urgent edge, while artists like Isaac Hayes claimed space previously denied to African Americans. Songs like "Mighty Mighty" by Earth Wind and Fire helped proclaim the message that African Americans were not the antithesis of beauty but were the living embodiment of beautiful --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/amy-lively/message

The voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 with the 26th Amendment in 1971. Young voters were courted by the music industry, either as attempt to encourage them to register or to vote for specific candidates. This also, indirectly, led to the creation of the late-night music TV show, "Midnight Special," which gave fans a new opportunity to see popular singers. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/amy-lively/message

Few people were neutral about progressive rock in the 70s. Bands such as Emerson Lake and Palmer, Yes, and Pink Floyd pushed the debate over the authenticity of rock to the forefront with their classical music-inspired rock. This episode attempts to untangle the debate and shed some light on how the 70s created space for this innovative genre of music. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/amy-lively/message

Songwriters of the 70s were inspired to write not just about the environment, but the places that inspired them. The first Earth Day was on April 22, 1970. In honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, this episode looks at how the world around them served as motivation for songs from artists and bands such as Marvin Gaye, Joni Mitchell, John Denver, The Eagles, and yes, even The Clash. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/amy-lively/message

The 70s was a tumultuous time for labor. In 1970, even postal workers went on strike. Music of the 70s reflected how workers felt about unions, jobs, and the struggle to get ahead. Not confined to one genre, rockers such as Bob Seger and Tom Petty, country artists such as Johnny Paycheck and Dolly Parton, and disco stars including the Bee Gees and Rose Royce all had hits about working in the 70s. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/amy-lively/message

Funk is one of the most recognizable music genres of the Seventies. It is not always easy to define but we know it when we hear it because it makes us want to get up and move. This episode explains how James Brown started the funk revolution, how bands like Sly and the Family Stone, Parliament/Funkadelic, and Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan ran with it, and how the politics of funk influenced its sound. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/amy-lively/message

The decade between the disaster at Altamont in 1969 and the deaths of 11 fans of The Who at a concert in Cincinnati in 1979 saw a transition in rock and roll. Prior to the 1969 Rolling Stones tour, it was all but forbidden for artists to consider the business side of music of they wanted to be taken seriously as artists. This episode makes the case that festival seating was driven by the desire to profit from the fans and it was the music industry itself that was responsible for the tragedy in Cincinnati --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/amy-lively/message

The Seventies was the perfect time for artists like Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings. Progressive country was an outgrowth of the counterculture of the Sixties. While the country music establishment in Nashville was slow to accept the influence of the more progressive artists, they found their audience in a mix of hippies raised on rock and country fans looking for more authentic music. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/amy-lively/message

From the dance line to the platform shoes to the stars on its stage, Soul Train was the first nationally syndicated show that was made by and for African Americans. This episode highlights some of the influential music performed on Soul Train from legends including The O'Jays, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, and James Brown, as well as discusses the importance of the show's very existence on a television landscape that was sorely lacking in African American representation. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/amy-lively/message