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1977
Season 1 · Episode 107 · May 17, 2000
1977 - the Year of the Outsider. In 1977 an eclectic group of original do-it-yourself (DIY) bands rose up to challenge the tired, bloated world of corporate rock ruled by the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Boston, and Linda Ronstadt. The year saw diverse debut albums by the Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, the Sex Pistols, The Clash, Pere Ubu and Television, along with second albums by the Ramones, Blondie, and Patti Smith. These outsiders brought rock and roll both back to its roots and to new highs of creativity.1977 was also a peak year for disco. The music and the culture that came from the outsider minorities of blacks and gays gained a world-wide audience with the opening of Studio 54 and Saturday Night Fever. Donna Summer, Thelma Houston, the Trammps and the Bee Gees had huge hits with "I Feel Love", "Don't Leave Me This Way", "Disco Inferno" and "Stayin' Alive". Jimmy Carter marched into the White House in 1977, backed by Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd, Charlie Daniels and the Allman Brothers. As a Southerner and born-again Christian, he was certainly an outsider, and after the reign of Richard Nixon, he seemed a breath of fresh air in '77. 1977 was also the year the King died. Elvis Aaron Presley died at 42 years of age, the result of prescription drug abuse. The way was now clear for the new guard to stake their rock revolution. 1977 - the year behind the music.Includes interviews with Joe Strummer, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, Jerry Harrison, Joey Ramone, Roberta Bayley, Danny Fields, Siouxsie Sioux, and Malcolm McLaren, not to mention Jerry Falwell, Jerry Brown and Camille Paglia.
