The 1970s was a decade of massive commercial peaks where bands could sell millions of records without ever achieving the 'cool' status required for long-term critical immortality.
While groups like Led Zeppelin or Fleetwood Mac remain omnipresent, a whole tier of stadium-filling giants has slowly faded into the background of classic rock history. But why?
Often, these bands suffered from being 'faceless' – they lacked the scandalous frontmen or the polarizing fashion statements that make for great documentaries. Others were victims of the punk and grunge revolts, which painted their polished musicianship as bloated or 'corporate'.
These artists specialized in high-fidelity production and sophisticated arrangements that dominated FM radio for years, yet they lacked the jagged edges that modern curators look for. Consequently, they occupy a strange cultural purgatory: their melodies are instantly recognizable, but their names are often met with a blank stare by younger generations.
1. Bread
Los Angeles' Bread were kings of early-70s soft rock, scoring a relentless run of hits including 'Make It with You', 'Baby I’m-a Want You' and 'If.' David Gates’ gift for melody was undeniable, but the band became shorthand for romantic blandness almost overnight. As rock criticism hardened, Bread were increasingly framed as background music – pleasant but disposable.
Internal tensions and Gates’ dominance also stifled the band’s evolution. While their songs endure as songwriting masterclasses, Bread’s reputation suffered from the genre they helped define. Soft rock’s later caricature erased their craftsmanship, leaving them hugely successful yet critically sidelined.
The unfairly forgotten album: Baby I'm-a Want You (1972)
2. Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Canadians BTO were enormous in mid-70s North America, delivering muscular, no-nonsense rock hits like 'Takin’ Care of Business' and 'You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet'. Their straightforward ethos connected with working-class audiences, but critics dismissed them as plodding and unimaginative.
Then, when punk and new wave rewired rock’s aesthetic priorities, BTO’s earnestness felt obsolete. They lacked the mystique or artistry that sustains long-term mythmaking, leaving their legacy confined to classic-rock radio rotation rather than deeper cultural influence.
The unfairly forgotten album: Not Fragile (1974)
3. Ten Years After
Following their explosive performance at Woodstock, Ten Years After – and specifically their virtuosic guitarist Alvin Lee – were heralded as the future of heavy blues-rock. For a few years, Lee was considered the fastest gun in the West, and the band’s albums were consistent best-sellers. However, they struggled to move beyond the 'boogie' formula.
While 'I’d Love to Change the World' remains a classic rock radio mainstay, the band’s broader contribution to the British blues explosion has been largely overshadowed by the likes of Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.
The unfairly forgotten album: Cricklewood Green (1970)
4. Supertramp
At their peak, Supertramp were one of the biggest bands on the planet. Crime of the Century and Breakfast in America sold tens of millions, producing immaculate hits like 'Dreamer', 'The Logical Song' and 'Take the Long Way Home'. Their blend of progressive structure, pop hooks, and introspective lyrics was hugely appealing – yet deeply uncool. Critics often dismissed them as smug or overly slick, and punk-era disdain for sophistication hit them hard.
The band’s internal split between Rick Davies’ bluesy cynicism and Roger Hodgson’s wistful melodicism eventually fractured their identity. Without a dramatic implosion or mythic tragedy, Supertramp simply drifted into classic-rock anonymity, their precision and polish making them feel more like a time capsule than a living influence.
The unfairly forgotten album: Even in the Quietest Moments... (1977)
5. Grand Funk Railroad
Once dubbed 'The American Band', Grand Funk Railroad was the people’s champion of the early 70s. They were famously loathed by critics but adored by fans, once selling out Shea Stadium faster than The Beatles. Their sound was a heavy, soulful take on hard rock that bridged the gap between psychedelic blues and the arena-rock era.
With massive hits like 'We’re an American Band' and 'Some Kind of Wonderful', they were the quintessential blue-collar rock act. However, as the decade turned toward disco and punk, their straightforward, earnest brand of boogie-rock lost its lustre, and they are now largely remembered only by the generation that saw them live.
The unfairly forgotten album: Closer to Home (1970)
6. Bad Company
Formed from the wreckage of Free (singer Paul Rodgers, drummer Simon Kirke), Mott the Hoople (guitarist Mick Ralphs) and King Crimson (bassist Boz Burrell), Bad Company were instantly massive. Their debut album produced enduring staples like 'Can’t Get Enough' and 'Feel Like Makin’ Love'.
Yet their classic, stripped-back blues-rock offered little stylistic evolution. As the decade turned, their sound became synonymous with conservative FM rock. Without experimentation, controversy, or reinvention, Bad Company became a victim of their own reliability – respected, but rarely discussed with passion.
The unfairly forgotten album: Bad Company (1974)
7. America
Formed in London by the sons of U.S. Air Force personnel, America scored massive hits with 'A Horse with No Name' and 'Ventura Highway'. Their pastoral, acoustic sound defined early-70s radio, but became closely associated with a very specific moment. As rock culture hardened, America’s gentle introspection felt slight. Their songs endure; their stature faded.
The unfairly forgotten album: America (1972)
8. Seals & Crofts
The duo of Jim Seals and Dash Crofts defined the 'sun-drenched' California soft-rock sound of the mid-70s. With intricate acoustic guitar work, mandolins, and soaring harmonies, hits like 'Summer Breeze' and 'Diamond Girl' were the soundtrack to the decade’s more relaxed moments.
Their career took a hit due to the controversy surrounding their anti-abortion song 'Unborn Child', but more broadly, their brand of spiritual, folk-inflected pop simply fell out of fashion as the 80s approached, leaving them as a nostalgic relic of a very specific era.
The unfairly forgotten album: Summer Breeze (1972)
9. Little River Band
An Australian export that conquered American radio, Little River Band were masters of pristine vocal harmony and adult-oriented pop-rock. Songs like 'Reminiscing' and 'Lonesome Loser' were huge hits, but the band became associated with a corporate smoothness that later generations recoiled from. Lineup changes diluted their identity, and their meticulous sound lacked the friction that sustains legend. Their influence is felt, more than acknowledged.
The unfairly forgotten album: First Under the Wire (1979)
10. The Doobie Brothers (Tom Johnston Era)
While the Michael McDonald-led 'yacht rock' version of the Doobies is currently enjoying a critical revival, the original, biker-friendly rock band led by Tom Johnston is often overlooked. In the early 70s, they were a gritty, dual-drummer powerhouse responsible for 'Listen to the Music' and 'China Grove'. This version of the band was much more aligned with the Hells Angels than the yacht club, but that transition in style has somewhat muddled their legacy, leaving the early, hard-rocking Doobies in the shadow of their later, smoother selves.
The unfairly forgotten album: Toulouse Street (1972)
11. Hot Chocolate
Globally successful and remarkably versatile, Hot Chocolate blurred soul, pop, funk, and rock with hits like 'You Sexy Thing' and 'Every 1’s a Winner'. Yet their refusal to align with a single scene left them oddly unclaimed by history. Too pop for rock purists, too band-oriented for disco narratives, they slipped between genres. Their songs remain cultural fixtures, but the band themselves rarely enter rock discussions.
The unfairly forgotten album: Hot Chocolate (1975)
12. Three Dog Night
Between 1969 and 1975, Three Dog Night was a hit-making machine, achieving 21 consecutive Top 40 hits. They were unique because they didn't write their own material; instead, they were world-class 'curators' with three distinct lead vocalists who could harmonize with soul-stirring precision. They introduced the world to the songwriting of Randy Newman, Harry Nilsson, and Elton John.
Despite being ubiquitous on the 70s airwaves with tracks like 'Joy to the World' and 'Mama Told Me (Not to Come)', 3DN are often unfairly dismissed as a singles band or a cover act, leading to a quiet erasure from the pantheon of 'serious' 70s rock legends.
The unfairly forgotten album: Suitable for Framing (1969)
13. Humble Pie
Formed as one of the first true 'supergroups' featuring Steve Marriott (Small Faces) and a young Peter Frampton, Humble Pie was a touring juggernaut. Their live album, Performance Rockin' the Fillmore, is still cited by musicians as a textbook on hard-rock energy and soulful grit. Marriott was arguably the greatest white soul singer of his generation, but the band’s lack of a consistent 'crossover' pop hit (aside from '30 Days in the Hole') prevented them from achieving the lasting household-name status of a band like Aerosmith or Led Zeppelin.
The unfairly forgotten album: Smokin' (1972)
14. Bay City Rollers
For a brief window in the mid-70s, 'Rollermania' was a real phenomenon that, honestly, rivalled the early days of The Beatles. This Scottish group, with their signature tartan outfits, dominated the teen magazines and the charts with 'Saturday Night', 'Bye, Bye, Baby' and 'Shang-a-Lang'. However, because they were marketed so heavily as a 'teenybopper' act, they were never taken seriously by the rock establishment. Once their young fans grew up, the band’s relevance vanished almost instantly, making them a fascinating but largely forgotten footnote in the history of pop hysteria.
The unfairly forgotten album: Rollin' (1974)
15. Foghat
London rockers Foghat were the ultimate working man's band, touring relentlessly and delivering a high-energy blend of blues-rock and slide guitar. Their 1975 hit 'Slow Ride' is one of the most recognizable riffs in history, yet the band themselves often disappear into the 'faceless 70s rock' category. They were masters of the eight-minute jam and the arena spectacle, but they lacked the experimental edge or the charismatic myth-making that has kept bands like Pink Floyd or The Doors in the cultural conversation.
The unfairly forgotten album: Fool For the City (1975)
Pics Getty Images
Top pic Grand Funk Railroad, 1972
