1973

This blog is about the music from 1973 because that’s the year I believe "the Sixties", as a socio-cultural phenomenon  ended. All those English invasion bands were fading, The influence of Electric Organs and synthesizes were having an impact on pop music. What's more,  radio clearly diverged into AM pop and FM-friendly music. 1973 saw Alice Cooper, Led Zeppelin and the Who all touring North America. It was an amazing time and the managers of these bands had realized that the big money was made touring; it was not from hits on AM radio.

Alice Cooper had a big hit with I'm 18 in 1972. And following up on this hit and a big hit album called Billion Dollar Babies,  "Alice"  hit the road for a monumental tour in 1973.
The Who were also touring to promote an album, Quadrophenia. It was Pete Townsend‘s second rock opera.  Long Train Running from the Doobie Brothers  another hit from 1973. The beginning of many for them in that decade.

Another hit from 1973 is Will It Go Round in Circles from Billy Preston.  When Get back by the Beatles was released as a single in 1968, it featured Billy Preston. Billy was very popular in London at that time and hung around Apple studios a lot. Photograph from Ringo is his no.1 from 1973.

Many great albums now considered "Classic Rock" and are still being played on the radio today were released in 1973. Possibly the most prominent is Pink Floyd's Dark side of the moon, but also there was  Stevie Wonder's  Innervisions. A great track from that LP is Higher Ground. It was released as a single and made the top 10 in 1973.

Fleetwood Mac were on tour in that year, what a great year to have been young and a music lover. I feel lucky to have been there and experience these great moments. 

post script

42 years ago July 26, 1977, Zeppelin were touring North America once again when they got a message that Robert Plant's five-year-old son was very ill. They cancelled the rest of the tour,  Robert flew back to England.  Sadly, his son passed away. Robert Plant was shattered by the loss and did not do much for the next 18 months. After that date in 1977,  Led Zeppelin never toured America again; Because in 1980  their drummer, John Bonham died from alcohol poisoning and the band effectively dissolved.

PLAYLIST for 1973

18 from Alice Cooper.

the real me (from Quadrophenia)

Long train running from the Doobie Brothers

Will it go round in circles from Billy Preston.

Photograph from Ringo,

Higher Ground from Stevie Wonder