History 120: #11 Group Post Top Ten in the 1970s

December 2004

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The whole of American media was culturally transformed by the 1970s.
The Top Ten Songs and Movies of the seventies varied in their motives and themes tremendously but they all reflected the feelings of a nation that was at war with its own government at home, as well as, at war with a foreign government abroad. The Top Ten Movies were excursions away from the current events that were constantly broadcasted on television, while The Top Ten Songs were emotional outlets in response to the Vietnam Conflict.

Top Ten Songs:
10 Beatles "Long Winding Road"
World War 2 was over and Americans at war were finally reunited with their families and loved ones this song reflected the carefree and family oriented decade before the seventies.

9 Ray Stevens "Everything is Beautiful"
Ray Stevens wrote this song in as the theme song for his own show "Andy Williams Presents Ray Stevens" on NBC.
President Johnson had hoped that his plans to remove communism from Vietnam and support a ruinous South Vietnamese government would have been a success rather than the mistake it became for America. Americans had hoped for a quick successful operation and were confident of it's abilities in defeating communism and fascism.
The public had not yet seen any real photographs of wars in progress the Vietnam Conflict became the first “Television war”. [1]

[1] http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/V/htmlV/vietnamonte/vietnamonte.htm

8 The Guess Who "American Woman"
The subject matter of this song was about how American woman were growing up to fast compared to girls in other countries mainly because of the 50's rebellious era and the theme of loose sexuality. More and more American troops were stationed in the major cities of South Vietnam. Ironically the American deployment was part of the reason that nearly all of the South Vietnamese were forced to flee their villages and homes to become refuges in the major cities [1]. Furthermore with a ruinous and corrupt government refugees were forced into camps and many resulted to crime and prostitution for survival. [2]

[1] Frauger et al. "Out of Many" p 571

[2] http://www.davidpye.com/tourofduty71/

7 Jackson 5 "ABC"
Written in Feburary 24 1970. The Hippie years were beginning and themes of free love and peace were becoming popular and motivated by anti-war activists. The lyrics to this song were about how easy it was during this time to fall in love at a young age and not worry about the consequences such as family because during this time American men were beginning to be drafted into the war. [1]

[1] Frauger et al. "Out of Many" p 575

6 Beatles "Let It Be"
Let It Be could be interpreted as the acceptance of loss and salvation in times of need. The war in Vietnam was at its apex and during this time American casualties were increasing with any signs of surrender from the Vietcong.

5 Simon Garfunkle "Bridge Over Troubled Waters"
Another yet depressing song for a depressing era of international affairs, President Johnson was dealing with opposition in the war-front and home-front.

4 Bill Crosby, Nash Stills, Neil Young "Ohio"
Ohio was a song about the Kent State Massacre that occurred during May of 1970 in which four students were killed and nine wounded. [1]

[1] Frauger et al. “Out of Many” p 590

3 Sly and Family Stone "Thank you for Being my Friend"
This song must reflect the emotions of every American soldier who had lost a friend in the war.

2 Jackson 5 "I Want you Back"
This song must have reflected feelings of relief at home when troops were withdrew from Vietnam in March 1973. [1]
[1] Frauger et al. “Out of Many” p 591

1 BJ Thomas "Raindrops keep falling on my head"
This song reflected the Nations feelings of finally impeaching Nixon because of his abuse of the Presidency during the Watergate Scandals. [1]
[1] Frauger et al. “Out of Many” p 593

Top Ten Movies:

10. The Godfather (1972) was a movie about mafia life in America during the 1940s and 50s. It was the first of a trilogy that placed a great emphasis on family ties, and created one of the most memorable characters for Marlon Brando as the Godfather. Box Office Gross: $134,966,411

9. Saturday Night Fever (1977) was a movie about Brooklyn youth struggling to escape their unsatisfying lives for freedom and adventure in Manhattan. It depicted a generation of disco dancers and 1970s youths rebelling against the more traditional expectations of their parents. It made white polyester suits an instant fad.

Box Office Gross: $139,486,124

8. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) was another musical about sexual liberation, but this time it was focused around alien transvestites. It was an immediate cult favorite and developed a following of devoted fans who dressed up and created their own dialogue with the characters on screen.

Box Office Gross: $139,876,417

7. National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978) was a film about the adventures of a group of college misfits who center their activities around terrorizing the dean and other fraternities that turned their noses up at them.

Box Office Gross: $141,600,000

6. The Sting (1973) was a 1930s gangster movie, revolving around one man trying to avenge his former partner’s death. The score brought back a revival of ragtime music. Box Office Gross: $159,616,327

5. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) was a film about a man obsessed with UFOs. It was another science-fiction movie of the time that audiences flocked to.

Box Office Gross: $166,000,000

4. Grease (1978) was a high-energy musical about a group of students in the 1950s. It captured the rebellious state of mind and sexual liberation of the teenagers of the time.

Box Office Gross: $181,518,204

3. The Exorcist (1973) was a heart-stopping terror film that led to religious boycotts. There were even some audience members who fainted or grew nauseous while watching the story of a twelve-year-old girl being possessed by the devil. Box Office Gross: $204,632,868

2. Jaws (1975) was a suspense/horror film that evoked one of the most primal human fears-the unknown. It had a similar affect on audiences as Psycho did in 1960, where people were afraid to take showers, after seeing Jaws people were afraid of the ocean.

Box Office Gross: $260,000,000

1. Star Wars (1977) expressed the adventurous side of the 1970s. It set box office records for the time. It also launched a trend towards special-effects-driven movies that were aimed at teenagers. Box Office Gross: $460,998,007

All information on top ten movies from Yahoo! Movies. http://movies.yahoo.com/

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December 2004

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#11 Group Post Top Ten in the 1970s

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