In the 1970s, the term rock was used to describe everything from metal to ballads. Hard rock sprouted up with the '60s popularity of the electric guitar and bloomed in the early '70s. Groups like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin were hard rock leaders. On the other end of the spectrum, soft rock was categorized by its laid-back melodies that blended with hints of folk. Artists like Elton John and Paul Simon were considered soft rock. Prog rock was a style given to the progressive and experimental jam bands of the day such as Queen and Pink Floyd.
Soul grew out of the popularity of the Motown sound and other R&B sounds of the 1960s. By the 1970s, the sound grew to include many styles, just as rock did. Solo artists like James Brown and Marvin Gaye represented two ends of the soul spectrum with Brown performing lively, upbeat tunes with near screaming, while Gaye captured soul inside slow groove ballads. Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder were huge R&B acts in the '70s and large bands with horn sections and harmonies caught on as well, such as The Commodores and Earth, Wind and Fire.
Punk began on the streets of London in the '70s and went far beyond a genre of music, becoming a fashion statement and lifestyle for many. Punks dressed in torn and vintage clothes that were mismatched, pierced their faces, got tattoos and cut their hair into spiky mohawks. The music was loud, fast and relentless. It delivered a constant message of rebellion against all authority and society in general. Bands such as The Sex Pistols represented the British style of punk, while bands like The Ramones were considered American punks.
If any one music genre is most often associated with the 1970s, it is disco. Disco music was a melodic blend of pop music and the rhythms and bass lines of R&B. It was catchy, easy to sing along to, and easy to dance to. Disco dance clubs popped up everywhere and the genre inspired one of the biggest movies of the time, "Saturday Night Fever." Bands like the Bee Gees and KC and the Sunshine Band had huge disco hits as did solo artists such as Gloria Gaynor and Donna Summer.