[fintstone]

For most folks, remembering music of the past is more about where you were and who you were with than the actual quality of the music. I can listen to pretty much any popular music (AM radio music) of the 70s and remember good times (and bad). Songs/music/bands without any critical acclaim are often the ones that were poignant at the time...as the world was changing before our eyes. '74 had silly songs like "The Streak" and '75 like "Convoy"...that both reflected the times, and of course the Kiss "Alive!" album that others apparently enjoyed more than you. Much like "War," "Fortunate Son," "All Along the Watchtower," and "Paint it Black" did just a few years earlier when we sent our brothers off to war and waited to be old enough for our turn.

I particularly like "Afternoon Delight" by the Starland Vocal Band (which was a big hit in the summer of '76) and it is at the very top of my playlist. It makes me smile despite the fact that it has been dissed later by almost everyone (critical distain?) as one of the worst songs of all time.
I wax nostalgic when it plays...as that summer was probably the best time of my life and it seemed to play every time my new girlfriend (now wife) and I got into the car...and it became our private joke. Obviously, I am not a connoisseur (or music snob), but I well remember listening to friend's Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin Albums in high school where my circle of friends expanded to folks with more wealth (and that lived in a different, more affluent area) ...but my youth filled was filled with more Motown and Pop (British invasion, Beach music. Top 40).

Music (for me) was essentially what I heard on the radio or what others shared. Radios were common and once you passed the barrier for entry (small cost) it was free. There was always music, but it was largely what others selected for you to listen to (DJ/station format) ...and there was only one local country station and one local rock/pop station in the nearby city. Late at night, you could read a book while tuning in farther stations and more variety with a good radio and the bounce. Yes. I grew up listening to the radio and it helped provide my viewpoint of the world outside of my small hometown.

We obviously did not have internet and only limited TV. We certainly did not have a cell phone, but did have a landline (on a party line), but could only call locally about a 6-10 mile radius without massive long-distance fees we could not afford (and someone else listening in on the party line). It was often better to just walk the 6 miles to say what you wanted in person/private. The radio was our lifeline.