I've been looking over years to see if they have a certain "vibe" to them, and came across something interesting in regards to 1979, the year had a very, VERY dark tone compared to the rest of the 70s. Unlike the disco-obsessed years of 1977 and 1978, 1979 was more interested in dark music. The highest-grossing movies of the year were quite dark. It was dominated by movies like Apocalypse Now, Amityville Horror, and Alien. Post-apocalyptic/dystopian Mad Max also started this year. The music also had a very different vibe. People were sick of disco, and this resulted in Disco Demolition Night. And in its place? Dark post-punk like Joy Division and The Cure. Pink Floyd's The Wall was released this year, which has a very bleak, dark, and misanthropic vibe to it. 1980 honestly wasn't much better. The Empire Strikes Back was the highest-grossing film of the year, and is considered one of the darkest films in the franchise. Slashers like Friday the 13th were popular. Post-punk continued, with another Joy Division album and also albums by The Cure and Killing Joke. However, things began to shift in 1981. I think Ian Curtis's suicide had an impact very similar to Kurt Cobain's in 1994. It was a huge event, and many didn't want to be associated with the dark and negative energy of post-punk. It did continue to get darker, albeit less popular in the early 80s, becoming gothic rock. Popular music, meanwhile, was becoming much lighter, with the rise of new wave and glitzy pop. By 1982, the cinemas were dominated by lighthearted family-friendly blockbusters like ET, and music was dominated by generally happy pop like Michael Jackson. The tone shifted toward a more positive, optimistic tone we associate with the 80s. But it seemed in between the lighthearted disco (1976-1978) and new wave (1981-1985) eras, there was the bleak transitional period of 1979-1980.
I know about some dark events that happened this era, the oil crisis, Ian Curtis's and John Lennon's death, etc. I think the backlash toward disco played a role, and people wanted something much darker and "deeper", hence the vibe of 1979-1980. But I'm curious about your thoughts, why do you think 1979 was so dark, and do you have anything to add here?

Although you make valid points and I read them with interest, you seem to be basing your whole argument on disco being the ground zero of the 70s from which all else emanates. This is a common revisionist history that ignores too much. The early 70s were the dark period, although I think a better word is "serious" or "VERY serious". High seriousness does not always equate with "dark" though. The early 70s were also highly introspective. The predominant singer-songwriter music of the period was very personal and very serious. James Taylor's 1970-71 smash hit "Fire & Rain", from the "Sweet Baby James" album which arguably set off the entire singer-songwriter movement of the early 70s, is a song about a SUICIDE for heaven's sake. And the Vietnam War was still raging full force, including the 1972 Christmas bombing of Hanoi. You just don't get any "darker" than that.

As for movies, "New Hollywood" reigned supreme and 1972 alone had movies like "The Godfather" and "Deliverance", now considered absolute classics. They were definitely dark.

None of this is to say that it was some kind of irredeemable darkness. The early 70s especially, was a time of great spiritual growth. People were still very interesting in attaining a higher awareness, a higher consciousness. The music reflects it and so do the movies. This would shift by the mid 70s when the Vietnam War ended and disco numbed the senses. "Jaws" and "Star Wars" ushered in the age of the blockbuster and ended the artistry of "New Hollywood".

Although you make valid points and I read them with interest, you seem to be basing your whole argument on disco being the ground zero of the 70s from which all else emanates. This is a common revisionist history that ignores too much. The early 70s were the dark period, although I think a better word is "serious" or "VERY serious". High seriousness does not always equate with "dark" though. The early 70s were also highly introspective. The predominant singer-songwriter music of the period was very personal and very serious. James Taylor's 1970-71 smash hit "Fire & Rain", from the "Sweet Baby James" album which arguably set off the entire singer-songwriter movement of the early 70s, is a song about a SUICIDE for heaven's sake. And the Vietnam War was still raging full force, including the 1972 Christmas bombing of Hanoi. You just don't get any "darker" than that.

As for movies, "New Hollywood" reigned supreme and 1972 alone had movies like "The Godfather" and "Deliverance", now considered absolute classics. They were definitely dark.

None of this is to say that it was some kind of irredeemable darkness. The early 70s especially, was a time of great spiritual growth. People were still very interesting in attaining a higher awareness, a higher consciousness. The music reflects it and so do the movies. This would shift by the mid 70s when the Vietnam War ended and disco numbed the senses. "Jaws" and "Star Wars" ushered in the age of the blockbuster and ended the artistry of "New Hollywood".


Yeah true. I even said in my post that disco's prime era was 1976-1978. I'd say the tone of 1970-1975 wasn't necessarily bleak, so much as realistic. Maybe 1970 was darker due to the era's STRONG obsession with war (Patton, M.A.S.H), as well as the rise of Black Sabbath. But I put 1979 specifically on the spotlight for being the last major year of New Hollywood, as well as the aforementioned post-punk boom. Again, this was short-lived and ended by 1981, giving way to the optimistic and family-friendly tone of the 80s.

Yeah true. I even said in my post that disco's prime era was 1976-1978. I'd say the tone of 1970-1975 wasn't necessarily bleak, so much as realistic. Maybe 1970 was darker due to the era's STRONG obsession with war (Patton, M.A.S.H), as well as the rise of Black Sabbath. But I put 1979 specifically on the spotlight for being the last major year of New Hollywood, as well as the aforementioned post-punk boom. Again, this was short-lived and ended by 1981, giving way to the optimistic and family-friendly tone of the 80s.


Yes, correct. As for 1970's obsession with war, it couldn't be helped. VIETNAM. It was everywhere, it was destroying families, it was destroying lives. It manifested itself everywhere, such as in the Kent State massacre. I consider 1970 a full fledged cultural 60s year. As I have said on this site many, many times, I place the end of the cultural 60s squarely at the end of 1972. And no one incident ended it, not even the landslide election of Richard Nixon that year. It simply petered out, staggered to a close. It was exhausted. One could literally FEEL it at the time. And you are correct, the cultural 80s began ON THE DOT in 1981 after the election of Reagan and the assassination  of John Lennon.

The early 70s were introspective. the mid 74-75 period is a bit of an island unto itself. That's where I'd put the "bleakness", but it was more a "waiting". 76-79 was when disco and punk battled it out , disco representing numbness and death of spirit, punk fighting to revive that spark of fire and life that was left in rock and roll. I might add, through all of that late 70s period a great feeling of spirituality or searching still hung over things. Even in seemingly occult things. There were magazines about pyramid power and UFOs everywhere you turned. There was a genuine searching there at the time. This gave birth to the  commercialized "New Age" movement of the 80s. I often say that the late 70s, for a brief period,  was actually the ideals of the 60s realized but NOBODY NOTICED. We had a Democrat president in office, Jimmy Carter, who actually referred to himself as a pacifist. The Vietnam War was finally over. But people were numbing themselves and cocooning with disco.

Yes, correct. As for 1970's obsession with war, it couldn't be helped. VIETNAM. It was everywhere, it was destroying families, it was destroying lives. It manifested itself everywhere, such as in the Kent State massacre. I consider 1970 a full fledged cultural 60s year. As I have said on this site many, many times, I place the end of the cultural 60s squarely at the end of 1972. And no one incident ended it, not even the landslide election of Richard Nixon that year. It simply petered out, staggered to a close. It was exhausted. One could literally FEEL it at the time. And you are correct, the cultural 80s began ON THE DOT in 1981 after the election of Reagan and the assassination  of John Lennon.

The early 70s were introspective. the mid 74-75 period is a bit of an island unto itself. That's where I'd put the "bleakness", but it was more a "waiting". 76-79 was when disco and punk battled it out , disco representing numbness and death of spirit, punk fighting to revive that spark of fire and life that was left in rock and roll. I might add, through all of that late 70s period a great feeling of spirituality or searching still hung over things. Even in seemingly occult things. There were magazines about pyramid power and UFOs everywhere you turned. There was a genuine searching there at the time. This gave birth to the  commercialized "New Age" movement of the 80s. I often say that the late 70s, for a brief period,  was actually the ideals of the 60s realized but NOBODY NOTICED. We had a Democrat president in office, Jimmy Carter, who actually referred to himself as a pacifist. The Vietnam War was finally over. But people were numbing themselves and cocooning with disco.


You should read The Fourth Turning by Neil Howe and William Strauss, they talk about the 1960s and 1970s as a spiritual awakening, there were others like this as well. During the 1890s there was populism, feminism, anarchist violence, labor riots, the middle class progressive movement, and the strangely very psychedelic Art Nouveau movement, they call this era the Third Great Awakening.

The abolition movement to end slavery basically gained ground during the Second Great Awakening of the 1820 and 1830s, these eras fragment culture and values, they start idealistically then turn very pessimistic(as is the case during the 1970s). By their count the next Great Awakening should happen around the years 2047-2050 as these eras are usually 80 years apart.

I thought they were dancing in Studio 54 during this time?

I remember 1979 about as clearly as any year in my adult life.  I honestly didn't feel that it was significantly darker than any other year I can remember.

It seems like every year and every decade I've lived though, people have been complaining that the world was on the precipice of Doomsday and that the world was going to hell in a handbasket.


BTW, I have to disagree with your characterization of 1982 as being lighthearted.  In fact, in my opinion, I've always felt that 1982 was one of the darkest years of the 80s:


First, at least for me, living in Hawaii, it was LITERALLY dark.  One of the cloudiest, stormiest and rainiest years of the 80s on Oahu.
The recession was at its worst.  Unemployment reached 50% among black youth.  Interest rates at 15%.
Cold war tensions.
Near the highest crime rate in my lifetime (I think only 1981 had a higher murder rate)
You mention E.T., but the movies I think of first are Blade Runner and Koyaanisqatsi, a very foreboding movie



i4MXPIpj5sA


You also had a revival of Medieval fantasy movies which started with Excalibur the previous year.

0JNlOTccdck


You also had all the slasher pictures and so forth.

I thought they were dancing in Studio 54 during this time?


Yeah, so? What about people in the rest of the country (and world)?

You should read The Fourth Turning by Neil Howe and William Strauss, they talk about the 1960s and 1970s as a spiritual awakening, there were others like this as well. During the 1890s there was populism, feminism, anarchist violence, labor riots, the middle class progressive movement, and the strangely very psychedelic Art Nouveau movement, they call this era the Third Great Awakening.

The abolition movement to end slavery basically gained ground during the Second Great Awakening of the 1820 and 1830s, these eras fragment culture and values, they start idealistically then turn very pessimistic(as is the case during the 1970s). By their count the next Great Awakening should happen around the years 2047-2050 as these eras are usually 80 years apart.


You're the second person in a week that mentioned "The Fourth Turning" to me. I had already looked it up on Amazon before I even saw your post. That must be a sign.  :)  The late 1800's and early 1900s were indeed a highly spiritual time, especially in the US, as people sought an alternative to highly restrictive religion of the time. This gave rise to the New Thought movement. Some of the New Thought books written during this period remain the best ever written.  The stentorian language used in these books is gorgeous, although it would seem difficult to the casual reader of today, used to the 280 letter pronouncements of Twitter. The  "self help" or "I'm-spiritual-but-not-religious" books of today are highly watered down, wishy-washy versions of the early, classic stuff.

Yes, correct. As for 1970's obsession with war, it couldn't be helped. VIETNAM. It was everywhere, it was destroying families, it was destroying lives. It manifested itself everywhere, such as in the Kent State massacre. I consider 1970 a full fledged cultural 60s year. As I have said on this site many, many times, I place the end of the cultural 60s squarely at the end of 1972. And no one incident ended it, not even the landslide election of Richard Nixon that year. It simply petered out, staggered to a close. It was exhausted. One could literally FEEL it at the time. And you are correct, the cultural 80s began ON THE DOT in 1981 after the election of Reagan and the assassination  of John Lennon.

The early 70s were introspective. the mid 74-75 period is a bit of an island unto itself. That's where I'd put the "bleakness", but it was more a "waiting". 76-79 was when disco and punk battled it out , disco representing numbness and death of spirit, punk fighting to revive that spark of fire and life that was left in rock and roll. I might add, through all of that late 70s period a great feeling of spirituality or searching still hung over things. Even in seemingly occult things. There were magazines about pyramid power and UFOs everywhere you turned. There was a genuine searching there at the time. This gave birth to the  commercialized "New Age" movement of the 80s. I often say that the late 70s, for a brief period,  was actually the ideals of the 60s realized but NOBODY NOTICED. We had a Democrat president in office, Jimmy Carter, who actually referred to himself as a pacifist. The Vietnam War was finally over. But people were numbing themselves and cocooning with disco.


Carter, who deregulated the airline and trucking industries, and ended Detente and restarted the Cold War, and whose Presidency saw the hostage crisis in Iran? As far as the US was concerned 95% of combat troops were out of Vietnam as of August 15th 1973, with the final 5% acting as support and aiding in the evacuation in April 1975. You had the Mayaguez Incident in May 1975, but there were no other battles (involving American troops) between '73 and '75. As of 12/31/1973 only 50 U.S. military personnel remained in Vietnam

You also had a revival of Medieval fantasy movies which started with Excalibur the previous year.

0JNlOTccdck


You also had all the slasher pictures and so forth.



EXCELLENT movie. I had a copy of it and watched it many, many times. Having seen that it in a long time.


Cat

I think the darkest year of the decade was 1975, when the Khmer Rogue took over Cambodia.