You Are What You Were. Celebrate Retro Pop Culture At Retroland.
New York City was a hotbed of punk and new wave activity in the mid-70's, overflowing with groups like The Ramones and The Talking Heads. Blondie emerged from this scene and became an international sensation with their blend of pop hooks, punk-ish edge and clever lyrics. They scored a long list of musically-diverse hit singles that defined the new wave sound and transformed their glamorous lead singer, Debbie Harry, into an alternative sex symbol.
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By today’s standards, where the world is filled with portable music emanating from iPods, the eight-track tape seems rather (click) antiquated. Big and bulky, the endlessly-looping tape contained within also had this annoying habit of (click) interrupting songs midway through with an audible click as they moved through each of their quadrants. Furthermore, the intended order of songs was often disrupted, and occasionally (click) long periods of silence lingered between tracks. Having said that, they allowed, for the first time, the ability to bring music of one’s choice into (click) an automobile, as well as a portable listening device – something previously impossible.
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As if they hadn't done enough already, the Beatles introduced yet another new idea into the world of rock music by incorporating cellos, violins and other classical instruments into their songs. Inspired by the Fab Four's pioneer spirit, Roy Wood, guitarist for The Move, formed a new band that would experiment exclusively with the fusion of rock and classical. The result was the Electric Light Orchestra, a prolific group that quickly became a staple of 70s radio and beyond, thanks to an impressive 27 Top-40 hits.
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Rivalry. Gunfire. A daring escape. These are not things you would normally associate with Daryl Hall and John Oates but that is exactly how the duo met. They were both students at Temple University when, while attending a band contest, rival gangs started shooting up the place and our two heroes ran into the same elevator. Somehow in the midst of their mutual terror, the two artists bonded over their taste in music. They were both involved with other bands at the time and they parted ways after that magical elevator ride but they soon met up again; Hall and Oates became Hall & Oates.
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Back in the early 80s, few bands could compete with the popularity of a rock group from Northern California called Journey. Their seemingly endless supply of hits, belted out by frontman steve Perry, filled arenas across America, endeared them to a generation of rabid fans who welcomed Journey with open arms and have yet to let go.
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Imagine that you’re a kid just entering your teen years - right about that time in life when listening to music begins to coincide with the rebellious streak that accompanies adolescence. In the 50s, you might have latched on to the gyrating ways of Elvis Presley. The 60s might have drawn you into the psychedelic wonderland of The Beatles. In the 70s, however, it was impossible not to notice the fire-breathing, makeup wearing, blood-spitting stage antics and hard-rocking music of a band simply known as KISS. If the goal was to simultaneously rock and roll all night, while making the parental units noticeably uncomfortable, KISS was the perfect band. But, far from just being a cringe-worthy flash in the pan, KISS was a solid act, unleashing a string of enormous-selling records and filling concert halls the world over during their long and prosperous career.
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If there’s one thing that could be said about the 80s, it’s that it had a style all its own. But, of all the image-conscious bands to emerge from the decade, one stands just a bit above the others, with their spacey sci-fi clothing, sculpted hair and copious amounts of makeup: Missing Persons. And, upon further thought, you could hardly miss them at all. With front woman Dale Bozzio in silver spandex and multi-colored/multi-dimensional hair, they were equally memorable for their looks as they were for their immense musical talent. Missing Persons ushered in the new wave era, providing some of the best-loved sounds and most peculiar music videos to an audience hungry for more.
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From the moment Elvis started swinging his hips on television, rock and roll’s cast of colorful characters have never disappointed when it comes to controversy, whether it be sexual scandals, jaw-dropping tales of substance abuse or even just the occasional television set sent cascading from the rooftop of a hotel. And yet, few have managed to achieve the notoriety of Ozzie Osbourne, a hard rocking singer whose tales of excess and bizarre behavior are the stuff legends are made of. But controversy is only part of the story. Ozzie is also one of the undeniable forefathers of heavy metal, and as a result, has enjoyed a wildly successful career that spans over four decades.
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The 70s were dominated by hard rocking boys and their guitars so it was always nice to find a gal holding her own in the male-dominated music industry. Pat Benatar was not only a lone female in a sea of testosterone, but she also had one of the best voices to ever grace the charts.
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It’s easy to look at a career like Rick Springfield’s and think “overnight success,” but like so many performers, this way of thinking paints an incomplete picture. Sure, he had a string of hits following his popularity on the soap opera, General Hospital, but his musical career had started long before his face became plastered on every teen magazine in the country.
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