6 of the Biggest Misconceptions About the 1970s

The 1970s was a fun time. When you think of the 1970s, you probably imagine things like funky bright colors, disco, jazzercise, and bell bottoms, but the decade has a lot more to offer. This vibrant decade brought us some of the best musical artists ever heard, like Aerosmith, the Eagles, Queen, Blondie, and the Village People.

The 70s was also a decade of rapid change. A lot of social changes and movements from the 1960s bled into the 1970s. Young people were marching for change and against disastrous wars. Some of the biggest social movements from this decade were second-wave feminism and the push for gay rights.

Despite all of the amazing things that came out of this decade, there are still some common misconceptions. It's easy to assume that every young person in the 1970s was a hippie, dressing in bright colors and patterns, but was this really the case? Not exactly.

Like most decades, a lot of fashion from the 70s is coming back. It's not strange to see a young teenager or adult dressed in flower bell bottoms and long-sleeved shirts with flowy and open sleeves. Fashion from the 1950s and 1960s are also still popular. (Click here for our article: the 1950s was a far different world than today.)

This was touched on a little bit above, but it deserves its own section. A lot of people assume the 1970s was a time just for the hippies. But that can't be further from the truth.

While anti-war and peace-filled hippies were common during the 70s, there was also a rise in young adults entering the punk subculture. In the U.S. and U.K., the punk subculture bloomed in the mid-70s. This was a time for experimental fashion, spiky colored hair, dark and bold makeup, and body modifications.

People love to say that the best movies come from now, the 21st century, but is that true? Not at all. The 1970s produced some of the best movies and TV shows ever seen today. How can you not love and adore "The Godfather?" This dark and gritty movie is just one of many.

In this decade we also got classics like "Halloween," "Rocky," "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." TV shows that came from this decade include "The Muppet Show," "Happy Days," "Wonder Woman," and "Charlie's Angels."

While disco music was popular during the 1960s and 1970s, it isn't the only genre of music. Instead, the 1970s also gave us incredible artists in genres like J-pop, punk rock, glam rock, roots and soul, and smooth jazz.

Artists that thrived in the 70s are Stevie Wonder, the Ohio Players, Marvin Gaye, Roberta Flack, Labelle, Van Halen, and Journey.

Although every household is different, we did start to see a more even distribution of housework during the 1970s. More men were helping their wives with housework as women entered the workforce in large numbers.

While movies and TV shows from the 70s make housework seem easy, this wasn't the case. There was also a lot more help. It was way more common for middle to low-income households to pay housekeepers and cleaners.

Technology has evolved a lot in the last few decades. Even in the 1970s, technology was quickly developing. Arcades were very popular in the 70s and 80s because of inventions like Pong. Do you know what else was invented during this decade? Email! There are a few theories as to who really invented emails, but typically, the credit is given to Ray Tomlinson.

Also invented in the 70s was the first cell phone, it just wasn't commercially sold until the '80s. Martin Cooper produced the first successful prototype and called on it in 1973.

Last but not least is the idea that the 1970s was a safe decade. Although we hear all about how children during the '70s could safely play outside, there were still kidnappings. The danger wasn't completely erased during this decade.

Crimes were a lot more common in larger cities in the 1970s. For instance, in Los Angeles, the homicide rate during the 1970s was 23 per 100,000 population. Between 1970 and 1979, Los Angeles saw an 84.0 increase in homicide.

Are you interested in learning about more misconceptions? Click here for the biggest misconceptions about the 1960s.

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