30 Jul 2026

July 2026 – CRAVE Vintage Guitars (CVG) in AI Graffiti Style

by CRAVEGuitars | posted in: Fiction, History, Introduction, Observations, Opinion | 0

Prelude

SHESH, ALOHA, HEY, YO, HI, ZUP AND TIA FOR DROPPING IN PPL! Da home crew iz takin’ a wholly (holy?) diffo ‘proach to dis month’s dope OG piece. Like it or not, iz gonna be a bitchin’ wild ride and somethin’ purdy diffo from all prev CRAVE Guitars’ blogs. Brace yo’selves dudes ‘n’ dudettes; hang in there for sometin’ a bit rad an’ frawesome, broskis. Yo MC is off to grab I some high‑octane caffeine and I’s gonna hand over to my am bro’s in peepdom to tek yaz somewhere far out thar fo a fresh apocryphal, audacious, arty adventure y dos. So… chill the frack out, kick yo’selves back, get blazed, slam on a late 20^th Century sick soundtrack of yo life an’ revel in a chaotic carnival of cool caligraffiti fun ‘n’ frolics. Coolio. I PRMS, it’s not a CWOT. Iz gonna B majorly ill ‘n’ TTLLY INSN fo sure. Just don’ take it 2 SRSLY. BTW, en passant, AI B toy ‘n’ whack; 2 fake 4 words. Time to beat, bomb ‘n’ burn; headin’ out streetwise homies. Stay tight stylee writers. L8rs sk8rs – roll smooth ‘n’ shred. Ciao 4 now a‑dubs. NJY, RSPCT & TTYL, TC (The CRAVEman).

“The greatest crimes in the world are not committed by people breaking the rules but by people following the rules. It’s people who follow orders that drop bombs and massacre villages” – Banksy (1973‑)

This Month at CRAVE Guitars…

Back to English! In an attempt to mix things up a bit and take another, albeit different, far‑fetched flight of fancy. I was thinking that the CRAVE Guitars logo has been around for a long time now (over 10 years!), recently updated with the addition of the American flag (nothing to do with the semiquincentennial btw). The design of the formal logo is one thing, however, the ‘big idea’ behind CRAVE Guitars brand image is not confined to a single signature symbol, it can appear in many, many ways as part of a much broader approach to interfacing with the big bad biosphere out there.

Back in my article, ‘April 2024 – Artificial Intelligence takes on Vintage Guitars: Part II’, I asked AI to design a logo for CRAVE Vintage Guitars. The results were, to my eye, appalling and totally unusable but it was an interesting approach to test the emerging publically‑available technology. I keep an eye on AI and its development with interest. It’s still not past the toddler stage of equivalent growth yet.

“Should graffiti be judged on the same level as modern art? Of course not: It’s way more important than that” – Banksy (1973‑)

So, I thought, how would AI deal with interpreting and emulating popular street art culture? Not in the sense of the CRAVE logo but AI’s interpretation of CRAVE Guitars’ image from a street art perspective. This month’s outing is part narrative and part heavy on pictorial representations. The original intention was to give y’all a mid‑year summer holiday break from factual information‑heavy articles. I may have failed. However, I think this diatribe makes for an appealing prose and visual diversion but then again, I am biased. One good thing about this month’s missive is that no prior knowledge or expertise is required to get something from it.

AI has been used extensively for most of the numerous images in this article. In many instances, the images were so‑so at best and many had to be ‘enhanced’ by CRAVE Guitars using graphics software (Paint.net, as mentioned previously) in order for them to be even remotely passable. NB. AI cannot spell for toffee! It doesn’t even know what toffee tastes like. No AI was used for researching or writing the chronicle, as usual. This month’s quotes of wisdom are all about graffiti and street art.

Herein lies a veritable feast of AI imagery for the visually‑oriented readers out there, for one month only. Not a lot for list‑o‑philes this month. Your time will come again (very shortly!).

“Writing graffiti is about the most honest way you can be an artist. It takes no money to do it, you don’t need an education to understand it, and there’s no admission fee” – Banksy (1973‑)

The Rationale for the Article

In a momentary flight of fantastical make‑believe, my mediocre mind meandered and I wondered what might happen if the following fantastic five criteria were met. What if CRAVE Guitars:

Had any artistic skill whatsoever
Became world famous
Was somehow considered by all generations to be cool
Was worthy of being elevated to popular cult status, and
Became the subject of popular street art

Yeah, OK, so I know it’s a long stretch and realistically it ain’t gonna happen but one can dream. So… I decided that I would write an article about graffiti/street art in its various forms and illustrate it with AI images based on the CRAVE Guitars brand. I had to use AI because I have little in the way of practical artistic skills and nothing in the way of acquired anti‑social audacity to create authentic street graffiti. Yup. I’m copping out. So sue me. Graffiti? I cannot do it but I can appreciate it.

On this occasion, I am not using this article as a critique of AI, although it could so easily have turned out that way. Rather I am utilizing AI to create some images to represent something that I could not possibly produce in other way. It is for entertainment and fun only. Please do not take it too seriously (other than, perhaps, the researched ‘Origins and Spread of Graffiti’ below). I have chosen some fun locations onto which The CRAVEman graffiti artist has left his ‘mark’. Whether you think he’s any good at graffiti art doesn’t really matter either. I’m not trying to be culturally accurate and AI has no clue as to what ‘culture’ or ‘accuracy’ are anyway.

Apologies to authentic practitioners of graffiti and street art – I mean no disrespect. Up front; the examples in this article are FAKE images and are not intended to pass as genuine in any way. I’m sure many real graffiti artists will be apoplectic over such artifice. My point is not to present authentic graffiti, it is to present CRAVE Guitars in a different and hopefully entertaining way. I have tried very hard not to use ‘lazy’ AI (lazy eye, geddit?). It is safe to say, I went overboard with this one. Note: The lettering ‘CVG’ in a number of the graffiti images is just the acronym for ‘CRAVE Vintage Guitars’. It works OK as a graffiti ‘tag’.

Right… Before getting to the real pictorial meat of the article, it is worth a short exploration of what graffiti is all about.

“Graffiti is one of the few tools you have if you have almost nothing” – Banksy (1973‑)

The Origins, History and Spread of Graffiti

To start with, the simple contemporary definition of graffiti can be summed up as, ‘drawing or writing applied to a wall or other surface, usually without the owner’s permission and where it is in plain public view’.

Graffiti, as a means of visual communication, has been around in one form or another since the emergence of humanity. That is a long, long time, folks. Ancient civilisations have long used basic materials, tools and skills to create lasting images that can still be seen today, even if tangible evidence of their culture has long since disappeared. Examples of ancient graffiti include:

Pictographs – Designs painted onto rock surfaces using natural pigments. Early pictographs can be seen at the Maltravieso cave in Spain, dated to at least 64,000 years old
Petroglyphs – Designs formed on stone surfaces by chipping, carving, or scraping. Early petroglyphs can be seen at Murujuga in Western Australia, dated up to 50,000 years old
Geoglyphs – Gigantic designs formed on the Earth’s surface using stones, gravel or earth. Early geoglyphs can be seen at Nazca, Ica, Pisco, Chincha, Palpa and Acarí valleys in southern Peru (a.k.a. the Nazca Lines) dated up to 2,500 years old

Tattoos – People throughout history (well, at least for the last 5,000+ years) have applied graffiti art not only to solid surfaces but also to human skin, known commonly as a tattoo or, colloquially, ‘ink’. The earliest evidence of tattoos can be found on a mummified man called Ötzi (‘The Iceman’, who lived c.3350‑3105BCE), discovered high in the Italian‑Austrian Ötzal Alps in 1991. Ancient Egyptian female mummies from around the same era also display tattoos. Tattoos are, a practice that continues today and will undoubtedly endure well into mankind’s future. Fundamentally, a tattoo is a form of body modification made by applying inks or dyes into the underlying dermis layer of the skin to create an indelible design. I’m not going to expand further on the world of tattoos here.

In comparison, the oldest written graffiti from Greece dates to a mere c.2,500 years old. The etymology of the word ‘graffiti’ goes back to ancient Greece with ‘graphein’, meaning ‘to write’. Over time ‘graffiato’, meaning ‘scratched’, was adopted by the Italians. The modern use of the word ‘graffiti’ first appeared in 1851, used by archaeologist Francesco Maria Avellino to describe inscriptions and murals found in the ruins of Pompeii, Italy, having been preserved by the eruption of the volcano, Vesuvius in 79CE. The image below (real, not AI) is from Pompeii.

Pompeii Graffiti Mural (Courtesy Alex Revilla)

Since the mid‑19^th Century, the word graffiti has been used increasingly to describe the use of graphics displayed in public places, becoming a general catch‑all word in modern vernacular. Graffiti can be used as both plural and singular, although graffito can also be used in the singular.

“A wall is a very big weapon. It’s one of the nastiest things you can hit someone with” – Banksy (1973‑)

Murals have been a part of architecture for centuries particularly in the Byzantine (330‑1453), Renaissance (1300‑1527) and Baroque (1600‑1750) periods in Europe. Not all graffiti was decorative. It was not uncommon in medieval times for religious or fortified buildings to have convicts’ names scratched into walls. Napoleonic prisoners of war (c.1803‑1815), in particular, left indelible marks on buildings and prison walls across Europe. More recently, it was also common to find communication symbols applied to American rail cars by both train workers and hobos since the late 19^th Century. Another form of relatively recent graffiti art was the creation of murals as urban public art and has its community roots dating back to the American Great Depression (1929‑1939).

“People say graffiti is ugly, irresponsible and childish… but that’s only if it’s done properly” – Banksy (1973‑)

Contemporary graffiti, as we recognise it now, really came into its own from the early 1960s and into the 1970s particularly in the larger urban expanses of east and west coast American cities. In the 1960s a new form of illegal graffiti known as ‘tagging’ appeared using cans of indelible spray paint for speed of ‘writing’. Tags use repeated symbols as a public statement of the writer’s presence and identity, as well as to mark a crew’s or a gang’s territory in urban neighbourhoods. The process of competitive tagging is a writer’s pursuit of recognition and quest for reputation known as ‘getting up’. The antisocial behaviour of defacing of public and private property rapidly became a blight on many urban communities.

The cultural impact and spread of graffiti as a means of expression went hand in hand with the increasing popularity of urban rap/hip hop music, MC‑ing, breakbeats and breakdancing (b‑boys), the rise of skateboard parks, and basketball courts, especially in the United States. The boroughs of New York City, especially (but not only) The Bronx, fashioned the zeitgeist for a lot of diverse and interdependent urban underground scenes, particularly for disenfranchised youths in deprived areas. For many law abiding residents, graffiti became a scourge of local communities and a gauge of insidious levels of gangland activity, violent crime and random vandalism.

In the late 20^th Century, extensive graffiti on buildings, subway cars, buses, bridges, underpasses and billboards in New York City came to define the city’s landscape aesthetic. Bombing the Big Apple became de rigueur. The image below (real, not AI) was taken in Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, New York City.

New York City Graffiti Wall (Courtesy Mikhail Andrsn)

In the 21^st Century, graffiti has spread to all parts of the globe with many discrete sub‑styles becoming characteristic of where they came from. Much to the chagrin of many graffiti artists, their works have become regarded as an everyday part of modern life, mainstream and acceptable as a recognised public art form. Some individuals’ art pieces began appearing in galleries and museums. Gentrification of neighbourhoods has gradually made graffiti street art more acceptable to some communities. To many serious graffiti artists, rules – either written or unwritten – are still there to be broken. Such is the way of the adaptive subcultures. Graffiti has also increasingly become a suburban and rural artefact and not solely associated with inner city landscapes.

“Some people become cops because they want to make the world a better place. Some people become vandals because they want to make the world a better looking place” – Banksy (1973‑)

Creative graffiti art has, in more recent times, been elevated in status, become celebrated as art, and graffiti artists have become famous for their innovative creations. Such promotional activity has led to the exploitation and commercialisation of graffiti compositions. Public opinion about graffiti and street art varies considerably. Many see it as a criminal act, defacing communities while others see it as an essential reflection of individual expression and neighbourhood identity. Either way, graffiti tends to elicit an intense and divisive emotional reaction which is, perhaps, what was intended in the first place.

One of the world’s most infamous and notorious but popular street artists is the anonymous British graffiti artist popularly known as Banksy, known for his culturally conscious, politically satirical and anti‑war stencil art since c.1990. Banksy has also been known to venture into other art forms such as sculpture, as exhibited in his home city of Bristol, England. Examples of Banksy’s street art appear in galleries and museums and his designs have been widely published in coffee table book format (ironically). New Banksy street art is usually a newsworthy event and has become so valuable that, sadly, when a genuine street art piece appears, criminals go to great lengths to steal the graffiti for illegal personal gain, denying the public opportunity to appreciate his art in situ as the artist intended. Banksy also has a lot of interesting social insight, as can be picked up from his quotes throughout this article.

The Angel Bust by Banksy At Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

In March 2026, according to a Reuters news agency investigation, Banksy’s identity has finally been revealed to be Bristolian resident Robert Gunningham, born in 1973, who later changed his name to David Jones around 2008. Banksy, through his legal representative, has rejected the revelation and asserted that his anonymity prevents privacy violations and protects his freedom of expression when raising sensitive and potentially inflammatory political, religious or social injustice issues through his artworks. All I would say is don’t believe everything you read… including here.

Music videos making use of graffiti and given rotation on MTV in the 1990s were transmitted directly into people’s living room televisions. Large multinational corporations such as IBM and Sony jumped on the bandwagon and used advertising campaigns based on graffiti styles in the 2000s. Something that didn’t go down well with authentic graffiti artists, despite showcasing what they did in a popular format. For many graffiti writers, vanity does not play a part in graffiti culture; it is the piece, not the artist that matters. To others, it is an opportunity for aspiring celebrity while, for others, daring notoriety.

Some peculiar forms of graffiti have also risen in popularity in the 21^st Century, such as ‘yarn bombing’, which first appeared in 2005. Yarn bombing is a type of graffiti or street art using colourful displays of knitted or crocheted wool, particularly to decorate local street furniture.

As a result, there has been significant debate as to whether such work is innovative art or abhorrent and deliberate vandalism. Some cities introduced mural programs, sometimes called ‘free walls’ to provide opportunities for young adults to express their street art creativity legally and safely. There are a number of famous legitimate spaces dedicated to graffiti walls in NYC aimed at curbing illegal graffiti and providing an outlet for youth creativity. Such sites include Houston Bowery Art Wall, First Street Green Art Park, Underhill Walls and Nelson Avenue Graffiti Art Wall.

I have had a passing interest in street art for many years, including locations such as London, Brighton and Bristol in the UK. The following impressive graffiti mural images were taken by the author in Bristol in 2024 (real, not AI).

Much local government and private funding has been used over decades to prevent or clean up unsightly graffiti on public property, with varying degrees of success. In Britain, The UK Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 and the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 are key pieces of legislation that address graffiti and vandalism. Legally, the definition of Graffiti in the UK is the, ‘act of writing, drawing, or marking on property without the owner’s consent with the intent to damage or deface it. This includes both public and private property’. Graffiti vandalism is deemed to be criminal damage and includes anything from simple tags to decorative murals.

However, UK laws place the responsibility for prevention or removal of graffiti on property owners affected by unsightly graffiti. Graffiti is, to some extent, arguably not illegal in the UK. However, it is an offense to write or paint graffiti on public property without permission if it is deemed to be ‘offensive, menacing, abusive or insulting’ and/or obstructs the rights of any other person or business. I don’t know about you but, to me, there are some very grey areas open to interpretation there!

“SAMO^© as an end to mindwash religion, nowhere politics, and bogus philosophy” – Jean-Michel Basquiat & Al Diaz

Graffiti has, over the years, morphed from its rebellious, destructive counterculture roots and has partially entered into the artistic mainstream, becoming a global phenomenon in the process. An exhibition held at the Brooklyn Museum in NYC in 2006 displayed the city’s graffiti as a legitimate art form. Authentic graffiti artists frequently reject such popularisation, democratisation and commercialisation of their work.

Underground graffiti artists continue to buck the trend of acceptance, popularity of, and profiteering from, graffiti and describe it as selling out their roots. They see their work as anti‑establishment and a grounded protest against transformation of urban neighbourhoods and public spaces. Such dissenters still prefer to regard graffiti as a belligerent, thrill‑seeking activity aimed at the undermining of mainstream societal norms and cultural values.

Gosh! That is more than enough perfectly pedantic preamble for now. Time to move on and to look at the various ‘genres’ of graffiti, as of 2026.

“Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable” – Banksy (1973‑)

Basic Types of Graffiti

Graffiti in the 21^st Century has come of age and artistic differences have led to attempts to categorise of a number of distinctive styles, thereby providing an element of structure to an art form that has largely rejected any form of mainstream organisation or classification. As the spread and evolution of graffiti has become increasingly diverse, many of the styles have diverged, fused, mutated and overlapped over time. Below is a rundown on twenty of the most common graffiti styles, each with a basic AI image (AI is not really very good at interpreting graffiti street art style – blame the technology please, not the author) giving a pictorial introduction of the style, including:

Tags – Tags are regarded as the simplest and most basic form of graffiti, predominantly comprising a stylised signature or pseudonym to identify the ‘writer’. Tags are sometimes called ‘handstyle’. Tags are often used as illegal personal symbols, gang emblems and territorial markers. Tags are liberally applied to just about any surface by using spray paint or marker pens. Tags are intended to be done quickly in a single colour. Tags are the most common (and detested) form of graffiti vandalism. Tag graffiti became commonplace in Philadelphia and New York in the 1960s and has since spread globally. Most graffiti artists start off with tags and some then move on to develop more advanced skills while others abandon the practice.

Throw Ups – Throw ups, also called ‘flops’ or ‘old school’, are usually large and characterised by lettering that uses round edged letters, as if inflated, also known as ‘bubble’ or ‘simple’ graffiti. ‘Silver’ graffiti is similar using silver paint with a black outline. Text often comprises outlines with contrasting coloured fills and with little negative space. They are considered to be relatively basic with simple lettering, intended to be done quite quickly and to be highly visible. ‘Throwies’ range somewhere between progressive tags and more complex forms. ‘Two letter throw ups’ are simpler, bridging the gap between tags and throw ups. Throw ups developed in New York City Metro train yards in the 1970s.

Hollows – Hollows are basically similar in style to throw ups but comprise only an outline with no infill. They are designed to be simple, efficient and quick, generally only in a single monochrome colour. However, hollows can be deceptively difficult to create without visible mistakes.

Straights – Straights use large, bold lettering with a more typographic form and done with attitude and simplicity. Graffiti straights are sharper and more clearly defined than hollows or throw ups and generally comprise only one or two colours. They are intended to be easily and quickly readable, and tend to be highly legible from a distance.

Pieces – A graffiti piece is short for ‘masterpiece’ and originates from New York City subway cars in the 1980s. Pieces focus on lettering and tend to be large, detailed and complex, multi‑coloured and using effects such as fills, backgrounds and outlines. 3D effects such as shadows and highlights are used to accentuate the text.

Blockbuster – Blockbuster graffiti is characterised by oversized large, straight ‘blocky’ edged letters painted with only two or three contrasting colours for a bold, standout effect. In addition to spray paint, brushed or roller paint can be used to speed up the process. The aim of the blockbuster style is all about in‑your‑face visual impact.

Stencils – Stencil graffiti is a form of street art produced by using a template with shapes cut out of it then using (usually) black spray paint applied to the underlying surface through the cut outs. Probably the most famous purveyor of stencil graffiti art is the British graffiti artist, Banksy. Stencil graffiti is often used to convey political ideas and activism, cultural insight and/or social commentary through imagery rather than text.

Wildstyle – Wildstyle graffiti lettering, also called ‘burners’, often comprise large, highly complex, extremely stylised and often colourful abstract designs. Distorted, interlocking letters with arrows, serifs, spikes, flares, sharp edges and other intricate elements tend to make the text intentionally hard to decipher. Wildstyle’s inherent illegibility is part of its visual attraction. Wildstyle is considered to be one of the more advanced forms of graffiti, painted by experienced artists. Wildstyle graffiti designs take time to plan, prepare and apply. Wildstyle originated in New York City in the mid‑1970s and 1980s on subway cars and city walls. A simpler form of wildstyle is known as semi‑wildstyle.

Murals – Murals take graffiti to a street art level and represent an advanced form that incorporates characters, objects and colourful 3D imagery to complement lettering. Sometimes murals are abstract or surreal while others often strive for realism. Murals are often commissioned, painted with permission and, as a result, are more widely accepted in communities. Murals can be used to transform urban landscapes into free public art galleries. Murals often take considerable planning and a long time to create. Murals are considered to transcend traditional graffiti conventions and are sometimes likened to fine art and find favour with the pretentious art gallery crowd.

Calligraphy – Calligraffiti, as it is also known, combines traditional calligraphy lettering with modern graffiti styling (NB. calligraphy – from the Greek for ‘beautiful writing’ – originated in the Chinese Shang and Han dynasties c.206 BC‑220AD). Calligraphy graffiti requires a degree of skill that fuses styles and crosses orthodox artistic genres. Calligraffiti is difficult to master and is therefore less common than other popular forms. Other styles go beyond calligraphic styles and include glyphs, cryptograms, codes and historic symbols.

Roll Ups – Roll ups are normally massive pieces created using a bucket of emulsion paint applied with paint rollers to speed up the process. Rollers on poles are used to create bold, blocky graffiti in hard to reach, high up places without needing to use a ladder. Very inaccessible sites are often called ‘heaven spots’, which can prove to be high risk and very dangerous, created by daredevil graffiti artists wishing to go above and beyond the norm for their art.

Stickers – Sticker bombing, with larger types also called ‘posters’ or ‘paste‑ups’, is a common and popular type of graffiti. They are produced by graffiti artists who create designs on paper and then, as the name implies, stick them up in public places, making the style quick and highly portable. Stickers are often provocative, socially conscious or politically satirical. Stickers tend to be easier to remove than painted graffiti.

3D – 3D graffiti attempts to go beyond the 2D surface on which it is created. 3D emerged as a distinctive graffiti form in the 1990s. 3D results in dramatic artistic effects, using highly coloured 3D perspective to create optical illusions or trompe‑l’oeil (NB. A French literal translation meaning to ‘deceive the eye’). Perspective, angles and vanishing points are used to accentuate text and create images with convincing impressions of depth.

Cartoon – Cartoon‑style graffiti, as its name suggests, uses cartoonish characters with or without accompanying text, sometimes integrating both. Some can be based on familiar animation or comic book characters, while others can be original characters created in a cartoon style, depending on the imagination and ambition of the artist.

Splash – Splash graffiti is a relatively uncommon style of urban street art incorporating intentional random, free‑flowing paint with liberal decorative elements like drips, streaks and splatters to emphasise the dynamic and chaotic nature of text or abstract imagery. The intention is to demonstrate the artist’s unpredictable spontaneity, emotional creativity and vivacious freedom of expression.

Wheatpaste – Wheatpaste is a simple method for producing graffiti/street art, similar to ‘stickers’ graffiti but often larger. Posters are stuck to surfaces using a flour and water paste, hence the name. While it probably has its origins in ancient Egypt, it became popular as a means of urban street expression and rebellion in the late 1960s and 1970s. This type of graffiti has been particularly associated with the British counterculture punk rock scene of the late 1970s. Punk artists include, Jamie Reid, Lydia Lunch and Alan Vega. A well‑known and much‑ridiculed expression from the UK during the 1970s and 1980s used to be, ‘bill stickers will be prosecuted’. In a similar vein, the American equivalent was, ‘no bill posters’. To-date, Mr William Stickers hasn’t been apprehended for vandalism. (no need to LOL!)

Anti-Style – Anti‑style, as the name suggests, is a type of graffiti that ignores traditional ‘rules’ and conventions used by other graffiti artists. It is also known as ‘hipster’, ‘ill style’ or ‘ignorant’ graffiti. Anti‑style graffiti writers suggest that their alternative results are intentional, rather than just poorly done. Anti‑style graffiti artists reject the concept of a graffiti ‘rule book’. Going against the grain makes it harder for anti‑style artists to gain recognition in the wider graffiti community.

Anime – Anime reflects a mixture of other graffiti styles, including ‘cartoon’ but focuses mainly on Japanese manga/anime‑style characters. Anime is becoming increasingly popular as a counter culture movement in the 21^st Century, so this form is relatively recent. It can also be very aesthetically pleasing in the right situation. Anime graffiti art requires a significant amount of expertise to do well.

Etch – Etch graffiti is a particular type of graffiti regarded as illegal vandalism because it uses an acid to imprint tags on glass, metal or stone permanently, making examples both costly and difficult to remove. Destructive etch styles have become common on train windows and vacant shop windows, sometimes by scratching the surface, rather than etching it (evoking the etymology of the word graffiti meaning, ‘to scratch’). Etch graffiti tends to be crude, ugly and universally unpopular. It isn’t clever, it is thuggery.

Light – Last but not least… Light graffiti, as the name states, involves the use of light (obvs.!) rather than paint. The 21^st Century has seen an explosion in LED graffiti with projected still or moving images projected onto buildings and other public spaces as a form of technological graffiti. Light graffiti has the advantage of being non‑destructive, portable and easily replicated. Sometimes it is used by event organisers for positive decoration and sometimes by protesters unable to deface certain sites.

In addition to the hardcore American and British graffiti archetypes, there are many national and regional styles worldwide that build on the styles above and make them unique to their geographical location. The many variations are not covered here; for anyone wanting further information, there are plenty of online resources on the Hinterwebby thingummy.

Many graffiti artists have become well known (at least in pseudonyms) outside graffiti artist circles, including (in alphabetic, rather than style order): Al Diaz, Banksy, Bates, Ben Frost, Blade, Blek le Rat, Bones, C215, CBS Crew, CES, Chaka, Charlie, Comet, Cornbread, Daim, David Choe, Daze, Dondi Duro, Eddie Colla, Edgar Mueller, Eggs, Eine, Espo, Faile, Faith47, Fume, Futura 2000, Gane, Ghost, Grave, Hex, Hert, Horfe, Iz the Wiz, JA, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Katsu, Kerse, Ket, Kurt Wenner, Lady Pink, Lost Hills, Mear One, Mode 2, MTA Crew, Nekst, Nick Walker, OG Abel, Oiler, Pyramid Oracle, Phase 2, Retna, Revok, Rime, Saber, Samo, Scaf, Serch, Shepard Fairey (Obey Giant), Sight, Slick, Smear, Space, Swoon, Taps & Moses, Tempt One, Tracey 168, Triston Eaton, Twist, Vhils, White, and Zorro.

Pinpointing quite where the boundary between authentic illegal graffiti vandalism ends and commissioned legal street art begins is a tricky one when investigated in the complicated subjective modern-day paradigm. Imagine a continuum with crude tags at one end and accomplished 3D and mural art done with consent at the other end. The aforementioned boundary will be a fluid point swishing around somewhere in between, determined as much by the consumer as by the artist. Graffiti is a subject for open‑ended debate that is unlikely to reach a mutually agreed, let alone unanimous, resolution. Discuss…

“Graffiti has been used to start revolutions, stop wars and generally is the voice of people who aren’t listened to” – Banksy (1973‑)

Films and Documentaries about Graffiti

There have been quite a few feature films about graffiti artists and graffiti culture including, ‘Wild Style’ (1982), ‘Style Wars’ (1983), ‘Beat Street’ (1984), ‘Kings & Toys’ (1997), ‘Bomb the System’ (2002), ‘Quality of Life’ (2004), ‘The Graffiti Artist’ (2004), ‘Against the Wall’ (2004), ‘Rash’ (2005) and ‘Piece by Piece’ (2005). The film, ‘Wild Style’ is probably the most well‑known of the pack.

In addition, there have been several documentary films about graffiti including, ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’ (2010), ‘Stations of the Elevated’ (1981), ‘Downtown 81’ (2000), ‘Jisoe’ (2004), ‘Infamy’ (2005), ‘Wholetrain’ (2006), ‘Bomb It’ (2007), ‘Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe’ (2008), ‘Graffiti Wars’ (2011), ‘Graffiti Fine Art’ (2011), ‘Banksy Does New York’ (2014) and ‘Saving Banksy’ (2017).

There are plenty of other films based within inner city environs shaped by graffiti, hip‑hop and street dance culture all going hand‑in‑hand, including, ‘The Warriors’ (1979), ‘Subway’ (1985), ‘Colors’ (1988), ‘Kids’ (1995) and ‘Dark Days’ (2001). Needless to say that this shortlist is only the tip of the illustrated iceberg.

The lines between a feature film, a docu‑film and a documentary are blurred when exploring an underground subculture like that of graffiti writers and artists. These films bring the static imagery into sharp relief and the attitudes underlying the motivations of those who risk their freedom making a point. The films showcase the art, hip‑hop music, DJs, urban dance with the focus as much on the people as on their creations.

“Your mind is working at its best when you’re being paranoid. You explore every avenue and possibility of your situation at high speed with total clarity” – Banksy (1973‑)

Music about Graffiti

Unsurprisingly, given that music closely reflects social culture over time, graffiti and music were integral to the lives of ‘boys in the ‘hood’. Graffiti writing seemingly became inseparable from rap/hip‑hop for a while, despite evolving discreetly, converging and diverging over time. Graffiti‑laden neighbourhoods became sources of inspiration for music artists wanting to be associated with ‘the streets’ rather than the recording studios for whom they made money. The two mediums, while contemporaneous were not mutually exclusive. Other music genres were also used to reference graffiti culture, including punk rock, electronica, indie rock and pop. Some examples testifying to the enduring nature of graffiti include (in date order):

Black Flag – Spray Paint the Walls (1981)
Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five – Beat Street (1984)
Lordz of Brooklyn – Tales from the Rails (1992)
Souls of Mischief – 93 ‘Til Infinity (1993)
Loop Troop – Spray Can Stories (1996)
Task Force – New Mic Order (1999)
Tommy Tee – Aerosoul (2003)
Mayhem Lauren – Got the Fever (2010)
ALL(H)OURS – Graffiti (2025)
Joywave – Graffiti Planet (2025)

I refuse to include Ed Sheeran’s ‘Overpass Graffiti’ (2021) in the list! Such a creative travesty indicates the desperation of the uncool mainstream to appear cool by associating with (if not appropriating) street culture. Sheesh!

“I am humbled by the destructive and creative nature in us all. This is what keeps me painting” – Faith47 (1979‑)

CRAVE Guitars’ Graffiti Gallery

Finally… Got there. The focus of this article is basically, what would happen if a reasonably adept but not necessarily great street graffiti artist was to be let loose to apply graffiti interpretations of CRAVE Guitars, CRAVE Vintage Guitars or just CVG wherever he/she wanted in whatever style he/she wanted to use at the time? This isn’t illegal because it is 100% make believe, so no real harm done, other than perhaps to one’s visual cortex (NB. the region of the human brain located in the occipital lobe responsible for processing visual information from the eyes via the optic nerves).

What follows is a small selection of 50‑odd examples of CRAVE Vintage guitars in various graffiti styles, produced by AI. I had to produce several hundreds of images in order to showcase these few which I think were the most ‘acceptable’ of the bunch. As a bit of a challenge, see if you can match the graffiti style in the images with the descriptions above. I’m not going to spoon feed you on this one – make up your own minds. Like the genuine work of graffiti artists, CRAVE Guitars intends the subject matter to evoke some form of reaction – good or bad. No iconoclasm here. No famous monuments were harmed in the making of this article.

Just an easy one to start with. I took the CRAVE Guitars logo used all over the web site and social media and asked AI to recreate it graffiti‑style. These are what it came up with…

“Graffiti is beautiful; like a brick in the face of a cop” – attributed to Hunter S. Thompson (1937‑2005)

An interesting start. OK then. I’m going to disappear for a while and make myself scarce. I’ll leave you to peruse some of the locations in which CRAVE Guitars graffiti may be found. The 54 images are ordered alphabetically by whereabouts. I hope you enjoy the spectacle and I’ll see you later on…

Earlier in the article, I also referred to geoglyphs, tattoos and ‘yarn bombing’ as an adjunct to, rather than core element of, graffiti, so here are a three CRAVE Guitars examples just to illustrate what I mean.

CRAVE Logo Tattoo

Finally, what might a totally fictional retail outlet for CRAVE Guitars might look like if the toned‑down signage was entrusted to a graffiti artist. I think I’d probably stick to the existing CRAVE logo thanks.

WOW! CRAVE Guitars sure gets out and about doesn’t it? A global phenomenon? Now wouldn’t that be nice. Good to know that fans, followers and acolytes are spreading the word and advertising the brand on my behalf. The examples are certainly not traditional forms of brand marketing but, heh, why not? All that promotional exposure and zero damage or harm done to anything or anyone in the slightest. The results may not be authentic but some of the images are, I reckon, quite fun. They may not necessarily be realistic but they are aesthetically intriguing nevertheless.

“I don’t think about art when I’m working. I try to think about life” – Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960‑1988)

Final Thoughts on ‘CRAVE Guitars AI Graffiti Style Gallery’

This month, I’ve largely let the images do the talking for a change, so I don’t have an awful lot to add. What I will say is that it took me a considerable amount of time and effort to get this far. Sometimes fun, sometimes laborious, sometimes satisfying and sometimes frustrating. Worth all the effort? On reflection, I think it hangs together reasonably well. No vintage guitars in sight this time, though; apologies for that.

I must re‑stress that I am not an artist and there is no way that I could have produced this month’s images from scratch using my extremely limited graphics skills. My role was in using my imagination to contrive the prompts used to generate the AI images in the first place. That role then extended to manually ‘improving’ what AI produced initially. Without AI, there wouldn’t be this article. Whether genuine street artists see any merit in the output, I probably doubt. I am, though, indebted to them for providing me with sufficient inspiration to give it a go and to put it out there in the public domain under my own brand. A bit of courteous and responsible ownership there.

While I am stressing points, I want to reiterate that this month’s article was intended purely as a bit of amusement. No educational content is presumed. I am not so conceited as to describe it as ‘cool’; that is for others to judge. At times, I had quite a lot of fun doing it. However, correcting AI’s basic mistakes was at times very exasperating. Furthermore, the outputs are entirely digital and virtual; I didn’t damage or deface anyone’s property in doing so and no-one has to deal with the consequences of my actions. I do not condone vandalism but I do understand and respect the social and cultural roots behind the practice and protest of street art. By its nature, graffiti is anti‑institution and the cultural critiques conveyed by this distinct form of expression are very real and shouldn’t be dismissed, simply because it was produced in an underground (i.e. not mainstream), anti‑social, amateur way.

“I don’t know if street art ever really works indoors. If you domesticate an animal, it goes from being wild and free to sterile, fat and sleepy. So maybe the art should stay outside” – Banksy (1973‑)

Perhaps most importantly, what do you think? Whether you like it or not, whether it is something to be appreciated, abhorred or abolished, whether it is worthy art or criminal vandalism, is subjective and will vary from person to person. One thing is assured, graffiti in its many diverse forms ain’t goin’ anywhere anytime soon. Public spaces will continue to reflect the community in all its forms, good and bad. Graffiti will continue to be used as a form of human communication as it has done for millennia already. Whether based in grass roots urban isolation, deprivation and social rejection or pompous art gallery‑worthy exploitation of a subversive movement that was intended to challenge where it ended up is for further deliberation. Discuss…

I pondered the thought about ‘what is the dealio with graffiti?’ I quickly came to the conclusion that, for me at least, graffiti shouldn’t mean anything, it doesn’t need to justify its place, it doesn’t need to seek external validation. It just… is.

A quick thank you to the providers of two stock images and two fonts that were used to support this article. Everything else is my own work.

In terms of AI capability, the technology has moved on considerably since I covered the topic in depth from March to May 2024. No real surprise there. Some of the imagery, to me, is actually quite stimulating within the context of the subject matter (in which I am no expert, remember). AI still has a long way to go and the artificial ‘artistry’ on show here, I believe, demonstrates the point admirably. The simple fact that many of the images had to be finessed by my own real hand (taking a lot longer than the original digital image took to create) emphasises the remark that AI is very much still a work‑in‑progress process as of July 2026.

Just a final thought on AI… I neither embrace nor fear AI. I use it as pragmatically as a creative tool – a means to an end, not an end in itself. I don’t believe that AI will be as good or as bad as many people predict. Like all emerging technologies, one cannot fight against it and hope to achieve much traction. Think about the pronounced evils of industrialisation, the motor car, television, rock & roll music, the Internet, etc. Never mind the Luddites (NB. Named after Ned Ludd who destroyed machinery in 1779 and became an eponym for organised protests against automated factory machines from 1811 to 1816) facing off against the unstoppable progress of the industrial revolution. Like previous paradigm changes in human evolution, it will reach an equilibrium that we may not be comfortable with but will learn to adopt one way or another in the medium‑long‑term. Get used to it folks, AI is here to stay. Don’t get left behind. Let’s just hope that Skynet doesn’t get a look in though.

“Public space is supposed to be for the public, not just for commercial messages” – Shepard Fairey (1970‑)

The CRAVEman at Work and Play

Before we go any further, I find it unbelievable that it was only July last year (2025) that The CRAVEman was introduced to the world. Since that auspicious inauguration, he has kinda become a regular visitor to CRAVE Guitars’ articles. Apologies to anyone who may not appreciate his particular presence over the last 12 months.

I guess that it was inevitable that el jefe, The CRAVEman would want to inveigle himself into some graffiti action. So, here is the Stone Age Rock God, ‘TC’ for short, providing us all with a bit of his very own prehistoric cave wall art presented in his very own distinctive graffiti style.

Back to the modern day and The CRAVEman has been immortalised as the subject of his own ‘piece’ of mural street art. Here he is, painted spectacularly on a modern end‑of‑terrace house wall. How cool is that?

Finally, having established that The CRAVEman has been casually commemorated throughout human history, here he is depicted as a contemporary cartoon character in street graffiti art style. Warning! Having now introduced you to ‘Cartoon CRAVEman’, you may just see more of him in the future (or should that be the past?). Maybe.

“I wanted to be a star, not a gallery mascot” – Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960‑1988)

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Album of the Month’

Well, we are talking graffiti, so this month’s selection was relatively easy to come up with. You might think that it should be a slice of classic east coast rap/hip‑hop but that could be construed as a bit too narrow. So I’ve gone with a slice of classic hard rock it is. The album cover is an ideal counterpoint to the CRAVE Guitars’ graffiti banner on a NYC brownstone tenement building above. This month’s accolade therefore goes to…

Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti (1975): Physical Graffiti was Led Zeppelin’s 6^th studio album, released in 1975 on Swan Song Records and distributed by Atlantic Records. The double album comprised 15 tracks covering 84 minutes. The original vinyl release featured an innovative die‑cut‑out sleeve, designed by Peter Corriston, based on actual tenement block buildings at 96 & 98 St. Mark’s Place in Manhattan’s East Village, NYC (NB. A cool place to visit if you can, as I have). The album’s release was supported by a sell‑out series of five concerts held at London, England’s Earl’s Court venue. The song material is diverse and multi‑genre, demonstrating the band’s pinnacle of musical creativity. Classic tracks such as, ‘Houses of the Holy’, ‘Trampled Under Foot’ and the colossal, ‘Kashmir’ made certain the album was a critical and commercial success. The band had evolved considerably over previous albums, nominally called, ‘Led Zeppelin I‑IV’ (1969‑1971 and ‘Houses of the Holy’ (1973).

As a teenager, ‘Physical Graffiti’ was the first Led Zeppelin album I bought. Sadly, I no longer have the vinyl double LP with its iconic cut‑out sleeve artwork. I was, though, lucky enough to get tickets and attend one of the Earl’s Court shows in May 1975, which remains a highlight in my gigging experience, even today. The concert series was filmed and is available as, ‘Led Zeppelin – Live At Earl’s Court 1975’. Good old days indeed.

Yeah, I could have gone for the soundtrack to the great coming‑of‑age film, ‘American Graffiti’ (1973). Great music for a compilation by various artists, called, ‘41 Original Hits from the Soundtrack of American Graffiti’. The film’s title is, however, a bit of a misnomer (NB. It was originally called, ‘Another Quiet Night in Modesto’). The eventual title is apparently a metaphor for ‘scratching the surface’ of the characters’ attempts to express their individualism, experiences and emotions before parting ways forever. Whatever dude, I’m sticking with Led Zeppelin on this occasion.

BELIEVE IN MUSIC!

“Street art’s biggest crime is that it’s more interesting than the advertising it replaces” – Shepard Fairey (1970‑)

Tailpiece

Well, that’s it for another month. I hope you enjoyed something just a bit different from the normal output from CRAVE Guitars. You never know, you might have learned something along the way. I did. I try to keep things fresh and I think this month’s missive fits that particular bill quite well.

‘Nuff said. Whatever you think about the practice of graffiti and street art, I hope you appreciated viewing this article as much as I did in creating it.

FWIW, DFTBA ‘n’ DLTBGYD amigos y amigas! KWIM? FNLLY, No dissin’ yo MC ‘n’ PLS RSPCT OPP! Hang loose ‘n’ shaka, baby. Lateskies. I’m ghost.

“Speak softly, but carry a big can of paint” – Banksy (1973‑)

Truth, peace, love, and guitar music be with you always. The CRAVEman (TC), signing off for now. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “You must make peace with yourself before you can make lasting and genuine peace with others”

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28 Sep 2019

September 2019 – The Story of Modern Music in 1,500+ Facts – Part VII

by CRAVEGuitars | posted in: History, Introduction, Observations | 0

Introduction

Welcome to the 1970s. Well kinda. Yep, here we are yet again, with the 7^th article in the current series of musical discovery, focusing on the delightful ‘Seventies’. As is often the case with monumental projects, the amount of work involved has been colossal and the amount of information has been considerable. The scale alone has meant that compressing it all into logical and manageable chunks has proved somewhat of a challenge. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, it has been the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s that have proved to be the most eventful and remarkable. This month’s article focuses on the unpredictable 1970s as it follows on from the previous two tumultuous decades.

If you would like to (re)visit the first four parts (and over 300 years) of the story to‑date, you can do so here (each link opens a new browser tab):

In terms of this article as part of the overall series, the 1970s has, by far, more content than any other single decade. While it is inherently fascinating, it makes for quite a hefty read (over 300 facts this month)… so be prepared and apologies.

The Story of Modern Music Part VII 1970-1979

The so-called ‘golden era’ of music (1950s-1970s inclusive) was characterised by major seismic musical movements. The 1950s saw rock ‘n’ roll burst onto the scene, the 1960s saw the fan hysteria of the ‘British Invasion’ followed by heady idealism of hippie flower power full of peace & love, while the 1970s heralded a very different form of youth rebelliousness, veritably bristling with vigorous nihilistic punk attitude.

Gone was the positivity and optimism to be replaced with disaffection distrust and deeply seated urban angst. Instead of striving for some sort of wistful, unobtainable utopia, the desperate pursuit for a grimy dystopian anarchy became almost an end in itself. The zeitgeist of warts‑and‑all realism was striking back.

The 1970s would ultimately descend into gritty and chaotic demands for change without a clear idea of what outcome the disillusioned generation was rebelling for or against. In many respects, it didn’t matter as the alienated youth voice was seen as irrelevant to detached and remote institutions who weren’t listening and, worse, seemed not to care.

As social provocateur Malcolm McLaren proclaimed, “What matters is this: Being fearless of failure arms you to break the rules. In doing so, you may change the culture and just possibly, for a moment, change life itself.” He went on to comment, “I always said punk was an attitude. It was never about having a Mohican haircut or wearing a ripped T-shirt. It was all about destruction, and the creative potential within that.”

Civilisation wasn’t really breaking down of course and not everything was tainted by dismal doom and gloom. However, western societies were being tested and forced to adapt to a darker, more uncertain, complex and ambiguous new world.

Historical Context 1970-1979

The self-indulgent 1970s was described as the ‘Me Decade’ (coined by writer Tom Wolfe), with a move away from the model of social collectivism (communities) to individualism (self). To many, the ‘70s may well be remembered as a caricature of kitsch, a gaudy facsimile of 1960s’ sybaritic, exuberant excess. While not devoid of conflict and warfare, particularly in Asia and the Middle East, the world was slowly becoming accustomed to a period of extended and stable peace around the globe. Even the tension of the Cold War became a continuous mutual standoff. Progressive political, cultural and social change that began in the 1960s continued, including the emergence of the Women’s Liberation Movement, enabling greater social mobility for many. The ever‑more liberal ‘permissive society’ was well under way representing a crucial stage in that generation’s struggle for greater individual freedom and equality. Technology was developing at a rapid pace, providing much greater work, leisure and recreational opportunities for people in their everyday lives. However, a number of disruptive economic and political events began to destabilise a long period of post‑war economic expansion. Widespread social discontent and a rejection of a stagnant status quo resulted in widespread riots, protests, labour strikes, direct action and hints of anarchy, culminating in the UK with the infamous ‘winter of discontent’.

Year	Global Events
1970	Manned moon mission Apollo 13 narrowly avoided tragedy after an emergency in space, ultimately returning all 3 astronauts safely to Earth. After being signed in 1968, 43 nations ratified The Treaty on the Non‑Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, intended to curb the spread of nuclear weapons and promote co‑operation on the peaceful use of nuclear power.
1971	The phenomenally successful coffee empire, the Starbucks Corporation, was founded in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. The massive Aswan High Dam across the River Nile in Egypt was opened. The project had required moving the ancient Egyptian temples of Ramses at Abu Simbel (in 1964) above the rising waters of Lake Nasser.
1972	The first commercial video game, Pong was released by Atari. The classic gangster movie, ‘The Godfather’, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Marlon Brando was released. Britain imposed direct rule over Northern Ireland following the so‑called ‘Bloody Sunday’ massacre. A Palestinian terrorist group killed 11 Israeli Olympic team members and a German police officer at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, West Germany. Apollo 17 became the last moon landing (to‑date) where humans have walked on the surface of the Moon.
1973	The United Kingdom joined the expanding European Economic Community (EEC). The seminal and controversial ‘horror’ movie about faith, ‘The Exorcist’ was released, directed by Willian Friedkin and starring Linda Blair. A global oil crisis was triggered by OPEC, the confederation of Arab oil producing nations, which imposed an embargo on oil exports to countries supporting Israel in the Yom Kippur War, also known as the Arab-Israeli War. The famous Spanish artist and co‑founder of the Cubist movement, Pablo Picasso died at the age of 91.
1974	American President Richard Nixon resigned from office following the Watergate scandal, to be succeeded by Gerald Ford as the 38^th U.S. president. The popular 3-D combination puzzle Rubik’s Cube was invented by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture, Ernő Rubik. The ubiquitous Bar Code was introduced. It was notable because it was the first standardised method of representing data in a visual, machine-readable form.
1975	America finally pulled out of the Vietnam War after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the formal reunification of north and south Vietnam. An historic joint American/Russian Apollo and Soyuz space mission took place in Earth orbit. It was the first time that spacecraft from different nations docked in space. Widely recognised as the first modern summer blockbuster film, ‘Jaws’ was released, directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the novel by Peter Benchley published in 1974. American technology innovators, Bill Gates and Paul Allen co‑founded the Microsoft Corporation in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
1976	American technology entrepreneurs, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne co‑founded Apple Computer Company (now Apple Inc.) in California. The infamous ‘Son of Sam’ serial murders began in New York City, sparking the largest manhunt in the city’s history. The notorious killer, David Berkowitz, was finally arrested in 1977. Chinese communist leader, Chairman Mao Zedong died, effectively ending the decade‑long Chinese Cultural Revolution.
1977	South African activist and anti-apartheid campaigner Stephen Biko died while in police custody after violating an order to restrict his movements. The cinema phenomenon and start of a major film and merchandise franchise, Star Wars Episode 4 was released, directed by George Lucas.
1978	English woman Louise Brown, the world’s first test tube baby, was born after conception by in‑vitro fertilisation (IVF). The classic video game created by Tomohiro Nishikado, Space Invaders was released. The Camp David Accords signifying a negotiated peace agreement between Israel and Egypt was signed in Maryland in the U.S.A, leading to the Egypt‑Israel Peace Treaty of 1979.
1979	Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher became the UK’s first female Prime Minister. She was Prime Minister for nearly 12 years. Russia invaded the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, starting the Soviet‑Afghan war that would last until 1989. Revolutionary Iranian religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini proclaimed Iran to be an Islamic Republic in the Middle East, starting decades of international isolation. The epic Vietnam war film, ‘Apocalypse Now’, written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starring Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando was released. In Africa, the notorious Ugandan president and dictator Idi Amin was forced to leave the country into exile. The nuclear power plant at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, America suffered a catastrophic meltdown.

Musical Genre Development 1970-1979

If the 1960s was memorable for its own musical revolutions, the 1970s was about to unleash its own rebellious step changes. The music of the 1970s can be categorised by bursts of creativity, using existing musical styles to come up with something relevant, new, raw and vital with something important to say. Perhaps more than any other decade, the 1970s produced greater musical diversity than any other before or since. Pop music continued to be commercially successful into the 1970s including artists like David Cassidy, The Osmonds, Abba, The Bay City Rollers and the Jackson 5.

Progressive rock, often abbreviated to ‘prog’, is a broad musical genre that grew largely from psychedelic rock and the British Canterbury Scene to achieve significant appeal in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Progressive rock can be characterised by long instrumental compositions influenced by fusing classical, jazz, rock and folk styles often complemented by elegiac, poetic lyrics. Prog music was usually only released by bands on LP albums rather than singles. Studio technology and instrumental proficiency were central to the artistic soundscapes used. Like most classical music, it was intended to be listened to, rather than danced to. To some critics, prog rock was seen as avant‑garde, pompous, overblown and boring, being not readily accessible to casual listeners. For some prog musicians, it was important to elevate music from largely populist to the status of art and included experimental arrangements to create debate and stimulate interpretation. This attitude was regarded by some as pretentious and elitist, pushing the genre into somewhat of a dead end niche. Prog rock reached its peak around 1973 and had largely been rejected by the rise of punk rock in the mid‑1970s. Early artists associated with prog rock include Procol Harum, Colosseum, Soft Machine, Barclay James Harvest, Caravan and Curved Air, paving the way for the progressive giants of the genre, including Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, Van der Graaf Generator, Emerson, Lake and Palmer (ELP), as well as Pink Floyd and Mike Oldfield.

The underpinnings of heavy metal began in the late 1960s as hard rock explored new musical territories. Often cited as the pioneers of the genre were Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, all forming in 1968. Arguably, though, the first two, while clearly influencing metal, lean more towards hard rock and its successors. Even though many of the characteristics of metal had been used before, Black Sabbath are widely regarded as the true forefathers of today’s heavy metal. The sound of heavy metal took hard rock and laid on layers of thick, heavy distorted riffs using power chords, high volume levels, searing guitar solos, pounding drums and thundering bass. Vocals were often strong and bold and had a dark or satanic emphasis. During the formative 1970s, there were a few bands that adopted the metal tropes, including Judas Priest. By the end of the 1970s, a new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) was spearheaded by bands such as Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Saxon and UFO. Although more rock than metal, Motörhead played their part in promoting heavy rock to audiences. The sub‑culture surrounding heavy metal grew alongside the music with fans branded as ‘headbangers’ with a dress code not unlike the rockers of the previous decade but taken further. By 1984 and the release of the mockumentary film ‘This Is Spinal Tap’, metal had reached a point of self‑parody. During the 1980s and beyond, metal gave birth to sub‑genres including hair metal (Van Halen, Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe), thrash metal (Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth), groove metal (Pantera, Blackstone Cherry and White Zombie), industrial (Rammstein and Marilyn Manson), alternative metal (Alter Bridge, Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot, Deftones, Tool and Queensryche) and nu‑metal (Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, Korn and Disturbed), amongst many others such as glam metal, progressive metal, black metal, doom metal, death metal, power metal, metalcore, Christian metal, etc. Possibly more than any other style of music, heavy metal has proliferated sub‑genres.

Glam rock is a relatively short‑lived offshoot of rock music that developed in the early 1970s, particularly in the UK. Glam rock’s heyday was roughly between 1970 and 1975. The music was tightly interwoven with flamboyant and colourful fashions, being performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, stark makeup and pronounced hairstyles. The impact of the symbolism was to blur the traditional gender stereotyping that was prevalent before 1970. The visuals often extended to custom instruments used by some artists. Although it may not appear obvious, glam rock influenced subsequent genres such as punk rock, new romantics, Goth rock and new wave that followed. Significant artists included Marc Bolan and T.Rex, David Bowie, Queen, Sweet, Slade, Elton John, Mud, Roxy Music and Gary Glitter. Although its impact was lower profile in the USA, artists such as Alice Cooper, New York Dolls and Iggy Pop adapted glam imagery for their own purposes.

Reggae emanated from Jamaica in the late 1960s and significantly became popular internationally during the 1970s. Reggae evolved from ska and a transitional form between ska and reggae called rocksteady. Reggae is distinctive in that it has a 4/4 rhythm with the drum marking the 3^rd beat of the bar with a guitar or keyboard staccato ‘skank’ on the 2^nd and 4^th (off) beats of the bar. Reggae is also often associated with strong and heavy rhythmic bass lines, sometimes complemented by horn arrangements. Reggae is often but not exclusively connected to Rastafarianism which also features strongly in many reggae songs, as does the use of marijuana. Roots reggae refers to its African roots and the black diaspora. Jamaican record producers also played a strong part in moulding the sound of reggae and developed a complete sub‑genre known as ‘versions’ or dub reggae that used production techniques to remove vocals and remix instrumental elements of drum, bass and guitar. Dub reggae was often played on loud PA sound systems. Key producers include Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, King Tubby, Mad Professor and Scientist. Reggae has been successfully exported worldwide, although the UK remains a key consumer market. One of the major artists who not only popularised commercial reggae globally but also acted as an ambassador for Jamaica was Bob Marley who, with his band, The Wailers became an international icon. Other major artists also include Peter Tosh, Toots & The Maytals, Burning Spear, Augustus Pablo, Horace Andy, I‑Roy, U‑Roy, The Abyssinians, Black Uhuru, Sly & Robbie, The Upsetters, Desmond Decker, Jimmy Cliff, Johnny Nash, Third World, Gregory Isaacs and many others. British reggae artists include Aswad, Steel Pulse, Linton Kwesi Johnson and UB40. After Bob Marley’s death, the genre diversified into other forms, such as dancehall and ragga.

The origins of rap and hip hop music derived from vocal a cappella rapping and African American urban street music originating in New York house and block parties in the Bronx during the early 1970s. The largely vernacular spoken rhyming lyrics were backed by rhythmic percussive soul, funk and disco beats of the period. The sub‑culture expanded by the late 1970s to include MCing, DJ scratching, sampling and beatboxing frequently using drum machines. Also associated with rapping were break dancing, urban graffiti art and aggressive gangland/gun culture. The broader cultural definition has become widely known as hip hop, which is the current common categorisation. Early practitioners included Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, the Sugarhill Gang and Afrika Bambaataa. The genre spread widely during the ‘golden age of hip hop’ from the 1980s up to the early 1990s spawning many sub‑genres, often associated with the region or country. For instance, there was intense rivalry between U.S. West Coast and East Coast hip hop during the 1990s, coining the term ‘gangsta rap’. Hip hop became massively influential in many other mainstream musical genres who adapted the rhyming lyrical style and sparse percussive beats. Despite a decline in the mid‑2000s, hip hop is now a global phenomenon with numerous offshoots and diverse styles. While its origins are African American, a few white artists have been successful including the Beastie Boys and Eminem. There are way too many hip hop artists to mention all of them. However, they include Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Ice‑T, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill, N.W.A., The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Wu-Tang Clan, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, OutKast, Jay‑Z and Kanye West among many others.

Like other musical forms, funk and disco adapted from previous genres, becoming mainstream during the 1970s. Funk emerged from African American communities and mixed soul, jazz and R&B. Funk is recognisable by have an addictively danceable groove. Funk focused on a strong first beat of the bar and was driven by strong insistent bass and drum rhythms. Funk artists included James Brown, Sly & The Family Stone, Parliament/Funkadelic, Chaka Khan, Earth Wind & Fire and Kool & The Gang. Later, artists like Rick James and Prince would adopt funk as a key ingredient in their dance‑fused arrangements. Funk tends to be more musically complex than its sister genre, disco. Disco originated in America and rapidly spread to the UK. It is associated with urban nightclubs and DJs mixing dance records through loud sound systems to audiences in clubs and discothèques. Discos also used complex light and strobes to emphasise the beat. Disco is a heavily produced bass and drum‑driven 4/4 rhythm, often using electronic instruments to add syncopation. Disco’s core rationale was music to dance to, so disco dancing became very popular. Culturally, disco is also associated with fashion, drug use and promiscuity. Disco artists included Gloria Gaynor, The Bee Gees, Donna Summer, The Village People, Sylvester and Chic. Disco was hugely influential on later dance genres such as house, techno, drum ‘n’ bass and rave. Like many other broad genres, funk and disco have diversified into many other related sub‑genres over the years.

Widespread social dissatisfaction and a rejection of established musical forms on both sides of the Atlantic during the mid‑1970s led to the emergence of punk rock. Loud, brash, nihilistic and stripped‑back arrangements performed mainly on guitar, bass and drums were used to support often angry and alienated anti‑establishment lyrics. The result was short, sharp bursts of controversial and provocative music. The emergence of punk in America is associated with artists such as Television, Patti Smith and Ramones, building on the work of proto‑punk bands like Velvet Underground, New York Dolls and Iggy & The Stooges. Meanwhile a parallel evolution in the UK was epitomised by bands such as Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned, Buzzcocks, Sham 69 and The Ruts. As with many other music‑related sub‑cultures, punk led to distinctive fashions (Vivienne Westwood), art (Jamie Reid) and agressive attitudes. The anarchic punk movement spread rapidly and by 1977 was pervasive in many westernised countries. As popularity increased and punk sensibilities were adopted by the commercial mainstream, the essential ethos of punk imploded and was overtaken by the music business machinery that, ironically, was punk’s original anathema. The demise of chaotic punk rock principles led to post‑punk sub‑genres that expanded its appeal beyond the original audience, including artists like Joy Division, Bauhaus, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Ian Dury, The Cure and The Sisters Of Mercy. Punk in its purest form could not and did not last long. However, it was very influential in subsequent styles such as new wave, new romantic, emo and Goth sub‑genres. Live music venues were very important for audiences to experience the visceral nature of punk rock first hand, including CBGBs in New York and the Marquee in London. Punk saw a revival in the 1990s with bands like Green Day, Blink‑182 and The Offspring but it was far more commercial and lacking the authenticity of the original.

Musical Facts 1970-1979

Day	Month	Year	Music Fact
26	January	1970	American folk rock duo Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel released their 5^th and final classic studio album, ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’.
3	February	1970	Multi-talented American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, solo artist and member of rock super group The Winery Dogs, Richie Kotzen was born in Reading, Pennsylvania.
13	February	1970	English heavy metal legends Black Sabbath released their classic, game-changing self-titled debut album, ‘Black Sabbath’ in the UK (NB. appropriately on Friday 13^th).
14	February	1970	English rock band The Who performed a concert at Leeds University. The show was recorded and released as the band’s first official live album, ‘Live At Leeds’.
5	March	1970	American guitarist, former member of rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers and solo artist, John Frusciante was born in New York City.
9	March	1970	After changing their name from Earth, English heavy metal rock band Black Sabbath performed their debut live concert at the Roundhouse in London.
22	March	1970	Marc Bolan and Tyrannosaurus Rex released their last studio album before transforming into glam rockers T.Rex, ‘A Beard of Stars’.
10	April	1970	English singer, songwriter and bass guitarist, Paul McCartney issued a press statement that he was leaving The Beatles, signalling the band’s break up.
21	April	1970	American Chicago blues guitarist Earl Hooker died of complications from tuberculosis in Chicago, Illinois at the age of 40.
1	May	1970	English guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and former member of indie rock band Suede, Bernard Butler was born in London.
3	May	1970	English rock band The Who released their classic live album, ‘Live At Leeds in the UK.
8	May	1970	Legendary English pop/rock band The Beatles released what would be the group’s 12^th and final studio album, ‘Let It Be’, after the band split up.
3	June	1970	British heavy rock band Deep Purple released their classic breakout studio album, ‘Deep Purple in Rock’ in the UK.
5	June	1970	English heavy rock band Deep Purple released their breakthrough hit single ‘Black Night’ in the UK.
6	June	1970	American rhythm guitarist and co-founder of Nu-Metal rock band Korn, James Shaffer (a.k.a. Munky) was born in Bakersfield, California.
8	July	1970	Innovative and massively talented American alternative rock singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer, Beck was born in Los Angeles, California.
18	July	1970	London hosted the third Free Concert held in Hyde Park featuring Pink Floyd, Roy Harper, Kevin Ayers, and the Edgar Broughton Band.
14	August	1970	English psychedelic space rock band Hawkwind released their debut studio album, the eponymous, ‘Hawkwind’.
23	August	1970	American singer, songwriter and guitarist Lou Reed performed his final live concert appearance with The Velvet Underground (bar reunions) at Max’s Kansas City rock club in Manhattan, New York City.
26	August	1970	The famous Isle of Wight Festival began at Afton Down, attracting between 600,000 and 700,000 attendees, the largest open air music festival of its kind. Tickets for the weekend cost £3.
28	August	1970	Well over half a million people attended the 3^rd day of the UK’s famous Isle of Wight Festival to see artists including Taste, Chicago, Family and Procol Harum.
29	August	1970	The 4th day of the massive Isle of Wight Festival continued starring Joni Mitchell, Miles Davis, Ten Years After, ELP, The Doors, The Who and Sly & The Family Stone.
30	August	1970	The 5^th and final day of the gigantic Isle of Wight Festival took place starring Jethro Tull, Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen and Richie Havens.
4	September	1970	English rock group The Rolling Stones released their classic live album, ‘Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out’ in the UK.
6	September	1970	Legendary American rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix played his final live concert at the Isle of Fehmarn in Germany.
11	September	1970	American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Jimi Hendrix gave his final interview for the UK weekly music magazine New Musical Express (NME).
12	September	1970	London hosted the fourth Free Concert held in Hyde Park (the 2^nd that year) featuring Canned Heat, Eric Burdon and War, John Sebastian, Michael Chapman, Stoneground and others.
18	September	1970	Legendary American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter, Jimi Hendrix died tragically of asphyxia in his London flat at the age of 27.
18	September	1970	Pioneering English heavy metal rock band, Black Sabbath released their classic sophomore studio album, ‘Paranoid’ in the UK.
19	September	1970	The very first Glastonbury Pop, Folk & Blues Festival took place at Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset, UK, attended by approximately 1,700 people.
19	September	1970	Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist Neil Young released his classic 3^rd studio album, ‘After The Gold Rush’.
1	October	1970	American guitarist Jimi Hendrix’s funeral service took place at Dunlap Baptist Church in his hometown of Seattle before he was buried at the Greenwood Cemetery in Renton, also in Seattle.
2	October	1970	English glam rock band Marc Bolan and T.Rex released their classic breakout hit single ‘Ride A White Swan’ in the UK.
2	October	1970	English progressive rock band, Pink Floyd released their 4^th studio album, ‘Atom Heart Mother’ in the UK.
4	October	1970	Respected American rock, soul and blues singer Janis Joplin was found dead following an accidental heroin overdose in Los Angeles, California at the age of 27.
5	October	1970	English heavy rock band Led Zeppelin released their classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Led Zeppelin III’ in the UK.
10	October	1970	English heavy metal rock band, Black Sabbath had their classic 2^nd studio album, ‘Paranoid’ reach No. 1 in the UK album chart.
23	October	1970	The Jimi Hendrix Experience released the song ‘Voodoo Child (Slight Return)’ shortly after the guitarist’s untimely death. It reached number 1 in the UK singles chart.
23	October	1970	English progressive rock band Genesis released their breakout studio album, ‘Trespass’ in the UK.
1	November	1970	Legendary American psychedelic rock band Grateful Dead released their classic 5^th studio album, ‘American Beauty’.
4	November	1970	English singer and songwriter David Bowie released his classic 3^rd studio album, ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ in the UK.
6	November	1970	Emerging American rock band Aerosmith made their debut live appearance in the gymnasium at what was Nipmuc Regional High School (now Miscoe Hill Middle School) in Mendon, Massachusetts.
9	November	1970	American blues/rock guitarist, singer and member of the Tedeschi Trucks Band along with hubby, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
15	November	1970	American alternative rock band, The Velvet Underground released their 4^th and possibly most commercial studio album, ‘Loaded’.
27	November	1970	Former member of English rock band The Beatles, George Harrison released his hugely successful solo triple studio album, ‘All Things Must Pass’ in the UK.
11	December	1970	English singer, songwriter and guitarist, Marc Bolan and T.Rex released the first post-Tyrannosaurus Rex studio album, ‘T.Rex’ in the UK.
11	December	1970	English singer and songwriter John Lennon released his post-Beatles solo album, ‘John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band’ in the UK.
12	December	1970	American rock band, The Doors played their final live concert with singer Jim Morrison at the Warehouse in New Orleans, Louisiana.
16	January	1971	American blues rock band, ZZ Top, released their debut studio album, ‘ZZ Top’s First Album’ in the UK.
17	March	1971	Renowned Canadian singer, songwriter and poet, Leonard Cohen released his classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Songs of Love and Hate’ in the UK.
19	March	1971	English progressive rock band Jethro Tull released their classic 4^th studio album, ‘Aqualung’ in the UK.
16	April	1971	English blues rock band The Rolling Stones released their huge hit single, ‘Brown Sugar’, taken from the album, ‘Sticky Fingers’.
23	April	1971	The Rolling Stones released what was probably their career peak 9^th studio album, ‘Sticky Fingers’.
29	April	1971	American rock band, The Doors released their massive 6^th studio album, ‘L.A. Woman’, including the classic single, ‘Riders On The Storm’, recorded shortly before singer, Jim Morrison’s death.
22	June	1971	The second Glastonbury Festival took place in Pilton, Somerset, UK, attended by c.12,000 fans. Artists included Hawkwind, Traffic, David Bowie, Joan Baez, Fairport Convention, Quintessence and Melanie.
2	July	1971	English glam rock group T.Rex, led by the late Marc Bolan, released their classic hit single ‘Get It On’.
3	July	1971	American singer, poet and member of rock band The Doors, Jim Morrison died from reported heart failure at an apartment in Paris, France at the age of 27.
6	July	1971	American jazz trumpeter and singer, Louis Armstrong died of a heart attack in a New York hospital at the age of 69.
31	July	1971	American guitarist known for his work with heavy rock bands Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie, as well as a solo artist, John Lowery (a.k.a. John 5) was born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
25	August	1971	English rock band, The Who, released their 5^th studio album, ‘Who’s Next’ in the UK.
9	September	1971	English singer, songwriter, guitarist and former Beatle, John Lennon released his career-defining solo studio album, ‘Imagine’ in the UK.
15	September	1971	English heavy rock band, Deep Purple released their flaming hot 5^th studio album, ‘Fireball’ in the UK.
21	September	1971	UK broadcaster, the BBC aired their highly regarded long-running contemporary music TV programme, ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’ for the first time.
8	October	1971	English psychedelic space rock band Hawkwind, released their 2^nd studio album ‘In Search Of Space’ in the UK.
29	October	1971	American guitarist and co-founder of rock band The Allman Brothers Band, Duane Allman died tragically in a motorcycle accident in Macon, Georgia at the age of 24.
30	October	1971	English former member of The Beatles, John Lennon had his classic solo studio album, ‘Imagine’ reach number 1 in the UK album chart.
1	November	1971	The classic hit single ‘Jeepster’ was released, performed by English glam rock pioneer Marc Bolan and T.Rex, reaching No. 2 in the UK singles chart.
1	November	1971	British guitarist, singer and songwriter John Martyn released his classic 3^rd solo album ‘Bless The Weather’ in the UK.
5	November	1971	Supremely versatile English lead guitarist with alternative rock band Radiohead, Jonny Greenwood was born in Oxford.
8	November	1971	English hard rock band Led Zeppelin released their classic multi-million-selling 4^th studio album, ‘Led Zeppelin IV’ in the UK, which included the track, ‘Stairway To Heaven’.
12	November	1971	English progressive rock band Genesis released their ambitious 3^rd studio album, ‘Nursery Cryme’ in the UK.
13	November	1971	English progressive rock band Pink Floyd released their outstanding 6^th studio album, ‘Meddle’ in the UK.
4	December	1971	The Montreux Casino in Switzerland, built in 1881, burnt down during a Frank Zappa gig, inspiring Deep Purple’s classic rock song, ‘Smoke On The Water’.
17	December	1971	Legendary English rock singer, songwriter and actor, David Bowie released his classic 4^th studio album, ‘Hunky Dory’ in the UK.
27	December	1971	Remarkable English guitarist with The Aristocrats and noted guitar teacher, Guthrie Govan was born in Chelmsford, Essex.
21	January	1972	English glam rockers Marc Bolan with T.Rex released the classic hit single ‘Telegram Sam’ in the UK.
10	February	1972	English glam rock singer David Bowie made his debut live appearance as his legendary alter-ego, Ziggy Stardust at the Toby Jug pub in London.
17	February	1972	American singer, songwriter, guitarist, front man and co‑founder of pop punk rock band Green Day, Billie Joe Armstrong was born in Oakland, California.
25	February	1972	English singer, songwriter and guitarist, Nick Drake, released his sublime 3^rd and final studio album, ‘Pink Moon’.
25	February	1972	Legendary Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist, Neil Young, released his classic 4^th studio album, ‘Harvest’.
3	March	1972	English progressive rock band Jethro Tull released their classic 5^th studio album, ‘Thick As A Brick’ in the UK.
25	March	1972	English heavy rock band Deep Purple released their classic 6^th studio album, ‘Machine Head’ in the UK, which included the track, ‘Smoke On The Water’.
29	April	1972	English hard rock band Wishbone Ash released their career-defining classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Argus’.
5	May	1972	English glam rockers, Marc Bolan and T.Rex released their classic hit single ‘Metal Guru’ in the UK.
12	May	1972	English rock band, The Rolling Stones released their massive 10^th studio double album, ‘Exile On Main Street’.
6	June	1972	English glam rock singer and songwriter, David Bowie released his classic 5^th studio album, ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars’.
3	July	1972	American country blues guitarist, Mississippi Fred McDowell died from cancer in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 66.
23	July	1972	British glam rock band, Marc Bolan and T.Rex released their classic studio album ‘The Slider’ in the UK.
8	September	1972	British glam rock star Marc Bolan and his band T.Rex released the classic hit single ‘Children Of The Revolution’.
11	October	1972	Mexican-American guitarist Carlos Santana with his band released their classic 4^th studio album, ‘Caravanserai’.
17	October	1972	American rapper and hip-hop artist, Eminem was born as Marshall Bruce Mathers III, a.k.a. ‘Slim Shady’ in St. Joseph, Missouri.
10	December	1972	British singer, songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of alternative rock band Placebo, Brian Molko was born in Brussels, Belgium.
5	January	1973	American rock band, Aerosmith, released their eponymous debut studio album, ‘Aerosmith’.
5	January	1973	American singer and songwriter Bruce Springsteen released his debut studio album, ‘Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.’.
30	January	1973	After changing their name to KISS, the American rock band made their debut live performance in Queens, New York.
1	February	1973	British singer, songwriter and guitarist, John Martyn released his classic 4^th solo studio album, the sublime and career-defining, ‘Solid Air’.
7	February	1973	American proto punk rock band Iggy The Stooges released their hugely influential 3^rd studio album, ‘Raw Power’.
8	February	1973	Max Yasgur, who owned the New York dairy farm on which the legendary Woodstock Festival was held in August 1969, died from a heart attack in Florida at the age of 53.
23	February	1973	English pop/rock band Slade released their classic hit single, ‘Cum On Feel The Noize’ in the UK.
2	March	1973	British glam rockers, Marc Bolan and T.Rex released their classic hit single ‘20^th Century Boy’ in the UK.
16	March	1973	English progressive rock group Pink Floyd released their career pinnacle 8^th studio album, ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ in the UK.
23	March	1973	English progressive rock band King Crimson released their 5^th studio album, ‘Larks’ Tongues in Aspic’.
28	March	1973	British heavy rock band Led Zeppelin released their 5^th studio album, ‘Houses Of The Holy’ in the UK.
12	April	1973	English glam rock singer, David Bowie released his milestone classic 6^th studio album, ‘Aladdin Sane’ in the UK.
13	April	1973	Jamaican Reggae legends, Bob Marley & The Wailers released their classic 4^th studio album ‘Catch A Fire’ in the UK.
17	May	1973	American singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, actor and founder of rock bands Queens Of The Stone Age and Eagles Of Death Metal, Josh Homme was born in Joshua Tree, California.
25	May	1973	Richard Branson’s Virgin Records label was launched, marked by the release of Mike Oldfield’s seminal studio album, ‘Tubular Bells’.
18	June	1973	American folk rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, Ray LaMontagne was born in New Hampshire.
22	June	1973	English glam rock singer David Bowie released his classic hit single, ‘Life On Mars?’, with ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ on the B-side.
3	July	1973	English glam rock star David Bowie announced that his iconic on-stage persona, Ziggy Stardust was to retire (not Bowie himself, as was widely reported in the press).
13	July	1973	English rock/pop band Queen released their great debut studio album in the UK, the eponymous ‘Queen’.
15	July	1973	American bluegrass and country rock guitarist, a member of rock band The Byrds and an accomplished session musician, Clarence White died in a car accident in Palmdale, California at the age of 29.
26	July	1973	American southern blues/rock power trio ZZ Top released their critically acclaimed 3^rd studio album, ‘Tres Hombres’.
6	August	1973	Influential American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist Memphis Minnie (real name Lizzie Douglas) died from a stroke in a nursing home in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 76.
13	August	1973	American southern rock band, Lynyrd Skynyrd released their storming debut album, ‘(pronounced ‘lĕh-‘nérd ‘skin-‘nérd)’, featuring their career-defining signature song, ‘Freebird’.
11	September	1973	American rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, Bruce Springsteen released his sophomore studio album, ‘The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle’.
19	September	1973	American guitarist with country rock band The Byrds, Gram Parsons died of a drug overdose in Joshua Tree, California at the age of 26.
20	September	1973	American folk/rock guitarist, singer and songwriter, Jim Croce died tragically along with 5 others in a plane crash in Natchitoches, Louisiana at the age of 30.
1	October	1973	British singer, songwriter and guitarist John Martyn released his remarkable change of direction 5^th studio album, ‘Inside Out’ in the UK.
9	October	1973	Influential American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe died from a stroke in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the age of 58.
12	October	1973	English progressive rock band Genesis released their classic 5^th studio album, ‘Selling England By The Pound’.
19	October	1973	Jamaican reggae legends (Bob Marley &) The Wailers released their classic studio album, ‘Burnin’’ in the UK.
19	October	1973	English singer and songwriter David Bowie released his 7^th studio album comprising cover songs, ‘Pin Ups’ in the UK.
26	October	1973	English rock band, The Who, released their classic 6^th studio double album; the rock opera and ode to the UK’s mod movement, ‘Quadrophenia’.
11	November	1973	Legendary Irish blues/rock guitarist, Rory Gallagher, released his 4^th studio album, ‘Tattoo’ in the UK.
1	December	1973	English heavy metal band Black Sabbath released their 5^th studio album, ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’.
5	December	1973	English former member of The Beatles, Paul McCartney and Wings released his 5^th and most successful ‘solo’ studio album, ‘Band On The Run’ in the UK.
10	December	1973	The legendary New York alternative, punk and New Wave music venue at 315 Bowery, Manhattan, CBGB & OMFUG, was opened by club owner Hilly Kristal.
31	December	1973	Australian heavy rock band AC/DC made their debut live performance at a local bar in Sydney, Australia.
17	January	1974	Legendary American guitarist, singer and songwriter Bob Dylan released the studio album recorded with The Band, ‘Planet Waves’.
15	February	1974	British hard rock band, Deep Purple released their classic 8^th studio album, ‘Burn’ in the UK.
20	February	1974	American jazz rock band Steely Dan released their critically well-received and commercially successful classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Pretzel Logic’.
8	March	1974	English rock band, Queen released their classic 2^nd studio album, ‘Queen II’ in the UK.
15	April	1974	American southern rock group, Lynyrd Skynyrd released their classic breakout 2^nd studio album ‘Second Helping’.
17	April	1974	Swedish guitarist, singer and songwriter with progressive death metal rock band Opeth, Mikael Åkerfeldt was born in Stockholm.
18	April	1974	Accomplished American guitarist, singer and songwriter with rock bands Creed, Alter Bridge and as a solo artist, Mark Tremonti was born in Detroit, Michigan.
24	April	1974	English glam rock legend, David Bowie released his classic 8^th studio album, ‘Diamond Dogs’ in the UK.
1	June	1974	Talented Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, activist and actress Alanis Morissette was born in Ottawa, Ontario.
15	June	1974	English rock super group Bad Company released their self‑titled debut studio album, ‘Bad Company’ in the UK.
1	July	1974	English blues/rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Eric Clapton released his classic 2^nd studio album, ‘461 Ocean Boulevard’.
21	July	1974	Highly acclaimed Irish blues/rock guitarist Rory Gallagher released his hugely successful live album, ‘Irish Tour ‘74’.
29	July	1974	Perennial Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist Neil Young released his classic 5^th studio album, ‘On The Beach’.
16	August	1974	American punk rock band Ramones played their first live concert at the legendary CBGB & OMFUG music venue in New York City.
6	September	1974	English space rock band, Hawkwind, released their classic 4^th studio album, ‘Hall of the Mountain Grill’.
14	September	1974	English guitarist, singer and songwriter Eric Clapton released his cover of Bob Marley’s ‘I Shot The Sherriff’ as a single, which reached number 1 in the U.S.
6	October	1974	English progressive rock band King Crimson released their 7^th studio album, ‘Red’.
12	October	1974	American punk rock band Blondie made their first appearance at the legendary CBGB & OMFUG music venue in New York City.
25	October	1974	Jamaican reggae legends, Bob Marley & The Wailers released their studio album, ‘Natty Dread’ in the UK, the first Wailers’ album to bear Marley’s name in the title.
29	October	1974	Hugely impressive American blues/rock guitarist, Eric Gales was born in Memphis, Tennessee.
8	November	1974	English rock band Queen moved in a more commercial direction and released their successful 3^rd studio album, ‘Sheer Heart Attack’ in the UK.
18	November	1974	English progressive rock band Genesis released their 6^th studio double concept album, and their final LP with singer Peter Gabriel, ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’.
25	November	1974	English singer, songwriter and guitarist, Nick Drake died from a drug overdose at his home in Tanworth-in-Arden, Warwickshire at the age of 26.
28	November	1974	English former Beatle, John Lennon made his final live appearance, joining Elton John on stage at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
16	December	1974	After 5 years as a member of The Rolling Stones, English guitarist, Mick Taylor announced that he was leaving the band.
17	January	1975	English former member of The Beatles John Lennon released his classic solo covers album, ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ in the UK.
18	January	1975	American jazz, blues and country rock guitarist, Johnny Hiland was born, growing up in Maine.
20	January	1975	Legendary American guitarist, singer and songwriter, Bob Dylan released his renaissance studio album, ‘Blood On The Tracks’ in the UK.
24	January	1975	Influential and pioneering British singer, songwriter and guitarist John Martyn released his 6^th studio album, ‘Sunday’s Child’.
7	February	1975	American guitarist and member of nu-metal band Limp Bizkit and Black Light Burns, Wes Borland was born in Richmond, Virginia.
17	February	1975	Australian hard rock band, AC/DC released their debut studio album, ‘High Voltage’.
24	February	1975	English heavy rock band, Led Zeppelin released their epic 6^th studio double album, ‘Physical Graffiti’.
7	March	1975	English singer, songwriter and true rock legend, David Bowie released his change of direction classic 9^th studio album, the soul-oriented ‘Young Americans’ in the UK.
11	March	1975	English pop/art/rock band 10cc released their hugely successful 3^rd studio album, ‘The Original Soundtrack’ in the UK.
16	March	1975	American blues legend, Aaron Thibeaux ‘T-Bone’ Walker died from pneumonia following a stroke in Los Angeles, California at the age of 64.
17	March	1975	English singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as member of hard rock band The Darkness, Justin Hawkins was born in Chertsey, Surrey.
29	March	1975	Experimental virtuoso English rock guitarist, Jeff Beck released his seminal and commercially successful 2^nd solo album, ‘Blow By Blow’ in the UK.
2	April	1975	English super group Bad Company released their classic sophomore studio album, ‘Straight Shooter’.
8	April	1975	American hard rock band Aerosmith released one of their most successful records, their 3^rd studio album, ‘Toys In The Attic’, including the hit track, ‘Walk This Way’.
9	May	1975	English space rock perennials, Hawkwind, released their 5^th studio album ‘Warrior On The Edge Of Time’ in the UK.
23	May	1975	English pop/rock band 10cc released their superbly written and produced massive hit single, ‘I’m Not In Love’.
20	June	1975	Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist Neil Young released his classic 6^th studio album, ‘Tonight’s The Night’.
23	June	1975	Hugely talented Scottish multi-genre singer, songwriter and guitarist, KT Tunstall was born in Edinburgh.
29	June	1975	Influential American singer, songwriter and guitarist Tim Buckley died from a drug overdose in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 28.
9	July	1975	Mercurial American singer, songwriter and flamboyant guitarist with The White Stripes, The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs, as well as solo artist, Jack White was born in Detroit, Michigan.
11	July	1975	British/American rock band Fleetwood Mac released their self-titled 10^th studio album, ‘Fleetwood Mac’.
17	July	1975	Jamaican reggae icons, Bob Marley And The Wailers performed the first of 2 live concerts at London’s Lyceum. The concerts were recorded for the classic live album, ‘Live!’
25	July	1975	English singer and songwriter, David Bowie released his hit single, ‘Fame’, co-written with Carlos Alomar and with backing vocals by John Lennon. It was reportedly a jibe at Bowie’s artist management.
16	August	1975	English singer and songwriter Peter Gabriel announced that he was leaving Genesis, the progressive rock band he co‑founded.
25	August	1975	American rock icon Bruce Springsteen released his massively successful 3^rd studio album, ‘Born To Run’.
1	September	1975	British singer, songwriter and guitarist John Martyn released his masterful live concert album, ‘Live At Leeds’.
5	September	1975	English progressive rock band Jethro Tull released their 8^th studio album, ‘Minstrel In The Gallery’ in the UK (8 September in the U.S.).
12	September	1975	English progressive rock band, Pink Floyd released their massive classic 7^th studio album, ‘Wish You Were Here’.
23	October	1975	English singer and songwriter, Elton John received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6915 Hollywood Boulevard.
6	November	1975	British punk rock band, Sex Pistols made their debut live performance as a support act in the Common Room of Saint Martin’s School Of Art at Charing Cross Road in central London.
10	November	1975	Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist, Neil Young with his band Crazy Horse released the classic 7^th studio album, ‘Zuma’.
2	December	1975	English pop/rock band Queen released their 4^th studio album, ‘A Night At The Opera’, including the massive hit single ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.
5	December	1975	Jamaican reggae legends Bob Marley And The Wailers released their classic live album, ‘Live!’ recorded at London’s Lyceum Theatre on 17 & 18 July 1975.
13	December	1975	American punk rock singer, beat poet and political activist, Patti Smith released her classic anti‑establishment debut studio album, ‘Horses’, produced by John Cale.
13	December	1975	American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and co‑founder of pop punk rock band Blink-182, Tom DeLonge was born in Poway, California.
20	December	1975	American guitarist Joe Walsh joined the country rock band Eagles, replacing former band guitarist Bernie Leadon.
5	January	1976	Renowned American guitarist, singer and songwriter, Bob Dylan released his classic mid-career studio album, ‘Desire’ in the UK.
10	January	1976	American blues legend Howlin’ Wolf died from complications of kidney surgery in Hines, Illinois at the age of 65.
23	January	1976	Legendary English rock singer and songwriter, David Bowie released his classic 10^th studio album, ‘Station To Station’.
9	March	1976	Country music legend Johnny Cash received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6320 Hollywood Boulevard.
18	March	1976	The classic sci-fi film ‘The Man Who Fell To Earth’, directed by Nicolas Roeg and starring English singer David Bowie was released in the UK.
19	March	1976	English guitarist with rock band Free, Paul Kossoff died from a drug-related heart attack on a flight from Los Angeles to New York City at the age of 25.
21	March	1976	Guitar pioneer, innovator and entrepreneur, Adolph Rickenbacker died from cancer in Orange County, California at the age of 89.
23	March	1976	English heavy metal band Judas Priest released their classic sophomore studio album, ‘Sad Wings of Destiny’.
26	March	1976	Irish rock group, Thin Lizzy released their breakout classic 6^th studio album, ‘Jailbreak’.
28	March	1976	American guitarist with rock group The Killers, Dave Keuning was born in Pella, Iowa.
31	March	1976	Legendary English heavy rock band Led Zeppelin released their 7^th studio album, ‘Presence’.
3	April	1976	British pop group Brotherhood Of Man won the 21^st Eurovision Song Contest with, ‘Save Your Kisses for Me’.
23	April	1976	American punk rock band, Ramones released their eponymous debut studio album, ‘Ramones’.
30	April	1976	Jamaican reggae legends, Bob Marley & The Wailers released their commercially successful studio album, ‘Rastaman Vibration’.
3	May	1976	American hard rock band, Aerosmith, released their 4^th studio album, ‘Rocks’.
4	July	1976	British punk rock band The Clash made their live concert debut supporting the Sex Pistols at the Black Swan pub (known to locals as ‘The Mucky Duck’) in Sheffield, England.
27	July	1976	English singer, songwriter, guitarist and former member of The Beatles, John Lennon, finally had his application for permanent American residency approved by the U.S. Government.
31	July	1976	American hard rock band, Blue Öyster Cult released their signature tune and huge commercial hit, the classic single, ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’.
29	August	1976	Exemplary American blues guitarist and singer, Jimmy Reed died from respiratory failure in Oakland, California at the age of 50.
13	September	1976	American southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd released their great live double album ‘One More From The Road’ in the US.
7	October	1976	Following an appeal hearing, English former member of The Beatles, John Lennon had his permanent residency of the USA confirmed.
8	October	1976	American jazz fusion pioneer and bass guitarist Stanley Clarke released his ground breaking studio album ‘School Days’.
22	October	1976	Influential American poet, singer, songwriter, artist and activist Patti Smith released her 2^nd studio album, ‘Radio Ethiopia’.
24	October	1976	Legendary Irish guitarist, Rory Gallagher, released his classic 6^th studio album, ‘Calling Card’.
25	November	1976	Canadian/American rock group, The Band, played their final concert in San Francisco, California, ‘The Last Waltz’, documented by filmmaker Martin Scorsese.
26	November	1976	English punk rock pioneers, Sex Pistols released their controversial debut single, ‘Anarchy In The UK’ on EMI Records.
2	December	1976	The photoshoot for the iconic album cover to Pink Floyd’s ‘Animals’ (released in 1977) took place at Battersea Power Station in London, complete with giant inflatable pig.
3	December	1976	Jamaican reggae star Bob Marley was wounded when gunmen shot him, his wife and manager at his home in Kingston. The incident was widely thought to be a politically motivated act.
5	December	1976	French electronic musician Jean Michel Jarre released his milestone 3^rd studio album Oxygène in France.
8	December	1976	American country rock band Eagles released their top‑selling and career-defining classic 5^th studio album, ‘Hotel California’.
12	December	1976	English guitarist with hard rock bands The Darkness and Stone Gods, Dan Hawkins was born in Chertsey, Surrey.
28	December	1976	American blues guitar legend, Freddie King died of complications from ulcers and acute pancreatitis in Texas at the age of 42.
14	January	1977	English rock singer David Bowie released his 11^th studio album and the first part of his highly acclaimed ‘Berlin Trilogy’, ‘Low’ in the UK.
23	January	1977	Highly acclaimed English progressive rock band, Pink Floyd, released their 10^th studio album, ‘Animals’, in the UK.
4	February	1977	Anglo-American rock band, Fleetwood Mac released their massive career-topping 11^th studio album, ‘Rumours’ in the US.
26	February	1977	American delta blues guitarist and singer Booker T. Washington ‘Bukka’ White died from cancer in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 67 or 70 (age disputed).
2	March	1977	English singer, songwriter, co-founder and front man of band Coldplay, Chris Martin was born in Exeter, Devon.
10	March	1977	English punk rock band Sex Pistols controversially ‘signed’ a short-lived recording contract with A&M Records outside Buckingham Palace in London.
21	March	1977	Australian hard blues/rock band, AC/DC, released their 4^th studio album, ‘Let There Be Rock’.
8	April	1977	English punk rock band, The Clash released their classic eponymous debut studio album, ‘The Clash’. Often considered to be one of the finest British punk albums.
8	May	1977	Great American blues rock guitar maestro, Joe Bonamassa was born in New Hartford, New York.
27	May	1977	In the same year as Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee, British punk pioneers Sex Pistols released their controversial 2nd single, ‘God Save The Queen’ in the UK.
31	May	1977	The BBC and the Independent Broadcasting Authority banned the Sex Pistols’ controversial single, ‘God Save The Queen’ from being played on UK radio for being “in gross bad taste”.
3	June	1977	Jamaican reggae icons Bob Marley & The Wailers released their career-defining massively successful 9^th studio album, ‘Exodus’.
12	June	1977	Talented American blues/rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Kenny Wayne Shepherd was born in Shreveport Louisiana.
15	June	1977	English punk rock band Sex Pistols infamously performed ‘Anarchy In The UK’ aboard a party boat on the River Thames outside the Houses of Parliament in London.
20	June	1977	Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist Neil Young released his 8^th studio album, ‘American Stars ‘n Bars’.
30	June	1977	Marvel Comics published the first comic book with characters loosely based on members of the American rock band KISS.
2	July	1977	British punk rock pioneers Sex Pistols released their controversial 3^rd single, ‘Pretty Vacant’ in the UK.
16	August	1977	American rock ‘n’ roll legend, Elvis Presley died from a drug-related heart attack in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 42.
18	August	1977	The funeral of American singing legend, Elvis Presley took place at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee.
11	September	1977	Welsh guitarist and co-founder of rock band Coldplay, Jonny Buckland was born in London.
16	September	1977	Flamboyant English glam rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Marc Bolan of Tyrannosaurus Rex and later T.Rex died tragically in a car accident in London at the age of 29.
16	September	1977	American alternative rock band, Talking Heads, released their remarkable debut studio album, ‘Talking Heads: 77’.
23	September	1977	English singer and songwriter David Bowie released the single ‘Heroes’, which would become one of his greatest signature songs.
24	September	1977	English heavy rock band Motörhead released their debut studio album, the self-titled ‘Motörhead’ in the UK.
30	September	1977	English post-punk and new wave singer, songwriter and actor, Ian Dury released his debut studio album with The Blockheads, ‘New Boots And Panties!!’ in the UK.
30	September	1977	Fiery American blues/rock guitarist and member of Supersonic Blues Machine, Lance Lopez was born in Galveston, Texas.
7	October	1977	English guitarist Steve Hackett left progressive rock band Genesis to pursue a successful solo career.
12	October	1977	American singer, songwriter and guitarist Bruce Springsteen released his 4^th studio album, ‘Darkness on the Edge of Town’.
14	October	1977	English singer and songwriter David Bowie released his 12^th studio album, ‘Heroes’, the 2^nd part of his famed ‘Berlin Trilogy’.
16	October	1977	Award-winning American blues/rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer John Mayer was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
17	October	1977	American southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd released their 5^th studio album, ‘Street Survivors’, just days before the band’s tragic plane crash.
20	October	1977	Several members of American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, including singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and his sister, singer Cassie Gaines were among those tragically killed and injured in a plane crash near Gillsburgh, Mississippi.
21	October	1977	American rock band, Meat Loaf, released their best‑selling debut studio album, ‘Bat Out Of Hell’.
28	October	1977	English punk rock band, Sex Pistols released their controversial debut (and currently only) studio album, ‘Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols’.
4	November	1977	American punk rock pioneers, Ramones released their definitive 3^rd studio album, ‘Rocket To Russia’.
4	November	1977	British guitarist, singer and songwriter John Martyn released his classic 7^th solo studio album, ‘One World’ in the UK.
25	November	1977	English blues/rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Eric Clapton released his classic 5^th studio album, ‘Slowhand’.
1	December	1977	American guitarist, producer and founding member of nu-metal rock band Linkin Park, Brad Delson was born in Agoura, California.
25	January	1978	After changing their name from Warsaw to Joy Division, the post-punk rock band made their first live performance in Manchester, UK.
6	February	1978	Influential Dutch/American guitarist, Eddie Van Halen released the eponymous debut studio album that launched the band’s career ‘Van Halen’.
10	February	1978	English heavy metal band Judas Priest released their classic 4^th studio album, ‘Stained Class’.
3	March	1978	American punk rock singer, poet, activist and artist, Patti Smith released her classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Easter’.
23	March	1978	Jamaican reggae legends, Bob Marley & The Wailers released their 9^th studio album and follow up to the massive ‘Exodus’, ‘Kaya’.
5	April	1978	English new romantic and pop/rock band Duran Duran performed their debut live concert at Birmingham Polytechnic.
15	May	1978	Antipodean heavy rock band, AC/DC released their storming 5^th studio album, ‘Powerage’.
19	May	1978	British rock band, Dire Straits released their breakout debut single, ‘Sultans of Swing’ in the UK.
2	June	1978	Irish rock band, Thin Lizzy released their massive live double album, ‘Live And Dangerous’ in the UK.
9	June	1978	Mercurial English guitarist, singer, songwriter and founding member of rock band Muse, Matt Bellamy was born in Cambridge.
7	July	1978	American indie rock band, Talking Heads, released their 2^nd studio album, ‘More Songs About Buildings and Food’.
7	September	1978	English drummer with rock band The Who, Keith Moon, died of a drug overdose in London at the age of 31.
12	October	1978	English bass guitarist with the Sex Pistols, John Ritchie (a.k.a. Sid Vicious) was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City.
30	October	1978	American punk rock band Blondie released their single ‘Hanging On The Telephone’, their first Top 10 hit in the UK singles chart.
2	November	1978	English post-punk rock band The Police released their astounding debut studio album, ‘Outlandos d’Amour’ in the UK.
11	November	1978	The first commercially available vinyl 7” single picture disc was released by the Elektra label, featuring The Cars, ‘My Best Friend’s Girl’.
23	November	1978	American singer, songwriter, artist and occasional guitarist with rock bands, The Kills and The Dead Weather, Alison Mosshart was born in Vero Beach, Florida.
2	January	1979	The trial of English bass guitarist with Sex Pistols, Sid Vicious, started in New York. He was accused of murdering his American girlfriend, Nancy Spungen in 1978.
31	January	1979	American virtuoso jazz guitarist Grant Green died of a heart attack while on the road in New York City at the age of 43.
2	February	1979	English bass guitarist of Sex Pistols, Sid Vicious (John Ritchie) died from a heroin overdose in New York City at the age of 21.
7	February	1979	American guitarist, singer and songwriter Stephen Stills became the first major rock artist to record tracks using digital studio equipment at the Record Plant in Los Angeles, California.
3	March	1979	American guitarist, singer and songwriter, Frank Zappa released his highly successful and humorous part studio, part live double album, ‘Sheik Yerbouti’.
12	March	1979	English singer, songwriter, guitarist and founding member of indie rock bands The Libertines and Babyshambles, Pete Doherty was born in Hexham, Northumberland.
24	March	1979	English rock band, Motörhead hit the mainstream with the release of their classic 2nd studio album, ‘Overkill’.
8	May	1979	English indie rock giants The Cure released their debut studio album, ‘Three Imaginary Boys’ in the UK.
14	May	1979	Great American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and member of blues rock band The Black Keys, Dan Auerbach was born in Akron, Ohio.
18	May	1979	Legendary English rock singer and songwriter David Bowie released his 13^th studio album and the third part of his ‘Berlin Trilogy’, ‘Lodger’.
8	June	1979	American guitarist, songwriter, member of rock band The Allman Brothers Band and founder of The Derek Trucks Band, Derek Trucks was born in Jacksonville, Florida.
15	June	1979	English post-punk band Joy Division released their impressive debut studio album, ‘Unknown Pleasures’.
20	June	1979	English guitarist, singer, songwriter, former member of indie rock band Ash and then solo artist, Charlotte Hatherley was born in London.
29	June	1979	American singer, songwriter and guitarist with Little Feat, Lowell George died from a cocaine-related heart attack in Arlington, Virginia at the age of 34.
1	July	1979	Japanese technology company Sony launched the first Walkman portable media player, capable of playing Compact Cassettes while on the move.
27	July	1979	Australian hard rock band AC/DC released their classic 6th studio album, ‘Highway To Hell’.
3	August	1979	American alternative rock band Talking Heads released their classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Fear Of Music’, produced by Brian Eno.
11	August	1979	English hard rock band Led Zeppelin played their final UK concert with their original line up at Knebworth Festival in Hertfordshire.
12	August	1979	American pop singer and songwriter Michael Jackson released his 5^th studio album, ‘Off The Wall’, marking his status as a global superstar.
15	August	1979	English heavy rock band Led Zeppelin released their last album with their original group line up, ‘In Through The Out Door’.
24	August	1979	American guitarist Peter Frampton received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6819 Hollywood Boulevard.
17	September	1979	American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer Frank Zappa released his studio album, ‘Joe’s Garage Act I’. The first of 3 ‘parts’.
29	September	1979	English post-punk rock trio The Police had their first UK No.1 hit single with, ‘Message In A Bottle’, the band’s 3^rd Top 20 hit.
2	October	1979	Jamaican reggae legends, Bob Marley & The Wailers released their studio album, ‘Survival’ in the UK.
2	October	1979	English post-punk rock band The Police released their massively commercial chart-topping 2^nd studio album, ‘Reggatta de Blanc’ in the UK.
7	October	1979	English post-punk rock band Joy Division released their debut single ‘Transmission’ on Factory Records in the UK.
19	October	1979	Anglo-American rock group Fleetwood Mac released their divisive, experimental 12^th studio album, ‘Tusk’ amidst reports of the band’s excess.
27	October	1979	English rock band Motörhead released their strong 3^rd studio album, ‘Bomber’ in the UK, with the classic line up of Lemmy, Eddie Clarke and Phil Taylor.
19	November	1979	American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer Frank Zappa released his classic studio double album, ‘Joe’s Garage Acts II & III’.
30	November	1979	English progressive rock band, Pink Floyd released their epic 11^th studio double concept album, ‘The Wall’. Estimated worldwide sales are around 30 million copies.
14	December	1979	English punk rock band, The Clash released their mighty 3^rd studio double album, ‘London Calling’ in the UK.

Tailpiece

That’s more than enough for now! Looking at the list of artists, it is a veritable roll call of modern music. Just contrast the albums that started and ended the decade to see how much irreversible change had occurred in just 10 years. For many, the 1970s was the last decade to witness truly fundamental changes in musical and social paradigms. While not being strictly true, it was always going to be a tough task to sustain the energy and innovation of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s into subsequent decades. However, this didn’t stop existing and emerging artists trying to break the constraints of predictability. So, the 1980s was to prove a different kettle of fish altogether and that is what the story seeks to explore in the next article. Are you with me? Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “Nobody should have to play a secondary character in their own life”

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