Look Back To The 1970s: The Whole Decade

Glam rock, power cuts, decimal money and a summer so hot the country ran out of water.

Below is the decade in sections, and a link to every single year from 1970 to 1979.

The music

• Glam rock ran the first half of the decade - T. Rex, Slade, Sweet, Wizzard and David Bowie were all over Top of the Pops.
• Slade's 'Merry Xmas Everybody' was the 1973 Christmas number one and has returned to the chart most Decembers since.
• Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' spent nine weeks at number one over Christmas 1975.
• Punk arrived in 1976 and 1977, with the Sex Pistols and the Clash, and was treated as a national emergency by the newspapers.
• Abba won Eurovision in 1974 with 'Waterloo' and were one of the decade's biggest-selling acts.
• Disco and Saturday Night Fever closed the decade, with the Bee Gees everywhere in 1978.

The news

• Britain went decimal on 15 February 1971.
• The UK joined the European Economic Community on 1 January 1973 and voted to stay in the 1975 referendum.
• The three-day week ran from January to March 1974 during the miners' dispute, with regular power cuts.
• The Queen's Silver Jubilee in June 1977 brought street parties across the country.
• The winter of discontent, in early 1979, brought widespread strikes.
• Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in May 1979, the first woman to hold the office.

On screen

• Colour television spread through the decade, though many homes still rented a black and white set for years.
• Morecambe and Wise's Christmas shows were watched by well over twenty million people.
• Fawlty Towers began in 1975; Dad's Army ran until 1977.
• Blue Peter, Grange Hill from 1978 and Play School shaped children's afternoons.
• Star Wars opened in the UK in December 1977 and queues went round the block.
• The test card and closedown meant television actually stopped at night.

Everyday life

• The heatwave and drought of summer 1976 brought standpipes in the street and a Minister for Drought.
• Space hoppers, Chopper bikes and Clackers were the toys everybody wanted.
• Green Shield stamps were stuck into books and swapped for catalogue goods.
• Sunday was quiet: shops shut, and television started late.
• The Ford Cortina and the Austin Allegro were the cars on every street.
• Cigarettes were smoked on buses, in cinemas and at work.

Year by year

• 1970 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1971 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1972 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1973 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1974 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1975 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1976 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1977 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1978 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1979 - see the full page for that year, linked below.

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How to write it so it lands

• Each year has its own page with the charts, the news and the everyday detail.
• For a party, pull three facts from one year and run it as a guess-the-year round.
• For a card, use the year they were born rather than the decade.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1979
• Look back to 1978
• Look back to 1977
• Look back to 1976
• Look back to 1975
• Look back to 1974
• Look back to 1973
• Look back to 1972
• Look back to 1971
• Look back to 1970
• 1970s party playlist
• 70s kids' TV shows
• 70s quiz questions
• British Bulldog rules
• Kerby rules
• Sweets that disappeared
• Test card, Ceefax and three channels
• The 2020s so far
• The 2010s: the whole decade
• The 2000s: the whole decade
• The 1990s: the whole decade
• The 1980s: the whole decade
• The 1970s: the whole decade
• The 1960s: the whole decade
• The 1950s: the whole decade
• The 1940s: the whole decade
• The 1930s: the whole decade
• The 1920s: the whole decade
• Decade calendar: every year from 1920
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Decade recipes: dishes and food trends by era
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays by era
• Decade tech: gadgets and computers by era
• Decade films: best movies and directors by era
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends by era
• Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
• Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
• Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Nostalgia birthday party by decade
• Nostalgia hamper and gift ideas
• Guess the year quiz
• Care home reminiscence quiz
• Reminiscence gifts for grandparents
• Milestone birthday cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Birthday cards for kids
• Funny Father's Day cards
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

When did Britain go decimal?

15 February 1971, known as Decimal Day, when pounds, shillings and pence were replaced by 100 new pence to the pound.

What was the three-day week?

From 1 January to 7 March 1974, commercial electricity users were limited to three consecutive days' supply a week to conserve coal during the miners' dispute.

How hot was the summer of 1976?

It brought a long heatwave and severe drought across England and Wales, with standpipes in some areas and a Drought Act passed in August.

When was the Silver Jubilee?

1977, marking twenty-five years of the Queen's reign, with the main celebrations and street parties in early June.

Do you sell anything to do with this decade?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. The pages themselves are free to read and free to copy.