1970 — More peace marches and war protests…and then there was Kent State. What a senseless tragedy. 1970 also marked the birth of Progressive Free-Form FM radio stations. They began popping up in a lot of major U.S. cities as an alternative listening experience to Top 40 Hit Radio. Long, deep album tracks were finally exposed to the masses through all genres: Art Rock, British Invasion, American Folk, Bluegrass, Singer-Songwriter, R&B, Jazz, etc. Needless to say, it was a most pleasurable offering to the young folks yearning to discover as much new music as one could absorb. And the new FM exposure drove album sales for many previously-unheard-of artists who would eventually become household acts
In 1970:
- Minimum wage in the U.S. was $1.60 per hour
- The average annual income was $9,357
- A new car set you back $3,979
- You could build a new house for $23,400
- A loaf of bread was 24 cents
- A full-service gallon of gas was just 36 cents
- First Class postage was only 6 cents!
1970 World News Headlines:
- The heads of West and East Germany met for the first time
- Anwar Sadat was elected president of the United Arab Republic (Egypt)
- A 7.7 earthquake in Peru killed more than 60,000
- A 7.1 earthquake in Turkey killed 1,300
- The Soviet Soyuz 9 set the longest manned space record at 17 days, 16 hours & 59 minutes
- England lowered its legal age from 21 to 18
1970 U.S. News Headlines:
- President Nixon sent combat units into Cambodia
- At Kent State University, National Guardsmen fired into a crowd protesting the Vietnam War, killing four and wounding eight
- In New York, the nation’s most liberal abortion law went into effect
- The Clean Air Act passed restricting emission of pollutants
- The Environmental Protection Agency was created, and the first Earth Day celebration occurred in April 1970
- The U.S. lowered its voting age from 21 to 18
The top TV shows in 1970: Marcus Welby M.D., Here’s Lucy, Ironside, Gunsmoke, Hawaii Five-O, Medical Center, Bonanza, The FBI, The Mod Squad, Adam-12, Mannix, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, Hee Haw, My Three Sons, The Partridge Family, All My Children, and The Odd Couple.
Favorite movies from 1970: Patton, Woodstock, M*A*S*H*, Little Big Man, Five Easy Pieces, Tora! Tora! Tora!, The AristoCats, Love Story, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Airport, Gimme Shelter, Ryan’s Daughter, Myra Breckinridge, Chisum, Women In Love, and THX-1138.
Hear the progressive free-form FM sounds of 1970 along with TV, Movie, News, Sports and lifestyle memories right now on both Live365 and TuneIn apps!
Click “Listen Now” below to enjoy the memories!
Please send us your feedback and comments on the show. Thanks for listening and for supporting our station!
-Fred
What happened to 1970. It’s only tuesday and you’re playing 73. Please explain
Firstly, I love your station and sorely miss the AOR format. This reply is for the Favorite TV Shows section of the 1970 page. The Rockford Files aired from 1974 to 1980, so it does not belong in the 1970 list. Great show, just the wrong year. Thanks guys!
Hi Lee,
Thanks for your note and for the kind words. I also miss the AOR format on FM radio these days. Thanks for listening to “Retro Album Rock”, and hopefully we can bring back some good radio memories for you. Strange — we already had The Rockford Files listed under 1974. Not sure how it also got listed under 1970, but thank you for bringing it to our attention. We’ve removed it from 1970. Where are you listening from? I’ll be sure and give you a shout-out on our next live Saturday broadcast!
Best,
Fred
Hey Fred,
Yeah, I’ve been loving your station, sir! I hail from the megalopolis of Terre Haute, Indiana, just North of ya. So I listened to WVTS (of KISS Army fame) and then WPFR. In the early 80’s, I started erecting a FM antenna to pickup WFBQ (Q95). This was the pre-Classic Rock era so they played just Rock, lol. I loved their weekly shows (Electric Brunch Sunday AM) and interviews. It wasn’t the Bob & Tom Show yet, it was still the Q-Zoo. Good times and good tunes, indeed. Keep the faith, brother.
Lee