Monday, 7 December 2015

The Seventies Musical Scene With Acts Like Hinsons The Lighthouse

By Marci Nielsen


Music is the most popular art form globally. It uses sound as its medium transcending both social and cultural barriers. It is used as a form of entertainment and a means of passing messages. It has been in existence since the Paleolithic era and has succeeded many generations. Today, it has many genres. Some of them were created in the seventies during an era where many legends were created. These include Willie Nelson, Elton John, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Marley and Led Zeppelin. Earlier in the decades, The Hinsons The Lighthouse signature song was released.

Music in this decade became a form of expression with several artists singing about leading contemporary issues affecting the world at the time. Writers wrote material that touched on issues like the Vietnam War. It was common to speak out about real issues. This decade saw the maturity of artists. It was used to speak about how governments ran their country. America was criticized for its role in wars among many other issues. However not everything was politicized.

The decade saw the growth of many styles. Many artistes and groups came up with new sounds and styles that propagated their rise in the industry. Main styles from this decade were Disco, and Reggae. The former however quickly fell from grace while the latter was a successor to Ska. This experimentation resulted in a diversified crop of artistes like the infusion of pop into Country music.

Many artistes and bands faced the challenge of staying relevant and fresh, family bands like the Hinsons performed the same songs and content to audiences. In fact, their hit song the Lighthouse came as a result of the need to have fresh content. Ronny Hinson, songwriter and producer to date, wrote the song in the year nineteen seventy. It was released the following year becoming their signature song.

Music from the seventies was more mature and softer than the rebelliousness of the previous decade. It set the tone for the happy and joyous songs that came in later years. The first half saw the market embrace upbeat disco sounds while the latter part saw relaxed sound that focused on content and excellence. In fact, Disco was renounced due to its commercialization and silliness

This decade produced legends in different genres each going ahead to assume huge fan following. The Hinson gospel group rode on the success of their singles The Lighthouse and He Pilots My Ship. Their popularity saw them tour the country and get excellent record sales.

The decade never lacked in creativity. This was a necessity for relevance and success. The industry was filled with many acts and different styles thus became quite competitive. Creativity saw legends like Bob Marley break from traditional Rocksteady and Ska styles and crossed over to Reggae.

The seventies was a great period that saw the advent of many musical hits, styles and creations. Many bands got their breakthroughs in this period with some achieving international stardom and record sales. Many groups like The Hinsons peaked in this period touring the country. One of the members Ronny Hinson has since become a renowned gospel songwriter winning any accolades and awards.




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