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They were massive, they were polarizing, and the critics absolutely despised them! Join us as we count down the most successful yet controversial bands of the seventies that audiences couldn't help loving to hate! From soft-rock ballads to glam theatrics and bubblegum hysteria, these acts dominated the decade while dividing opinion. Which of these polarizing acts do you think deserved more respect? Let us know!
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00:07Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for those super successful
00:1170s artists that still developed polarizing reputations with music fans.
00:20Number 10. America. While they racked up huge soft rock hits like A Horse With No Name and
00:26Ventura Highway, America faced heavy criticism for their notoriously laid-back vibe and puzzling
00:31lyricism. Critics tore into their breezy acoustic sound, calling it tepid, derivative, and far too
00:49dependent on the breezy West Coast folk formula perfected by Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Furthermore,
00:54track details like there were plants and birds and rocks and things drew endless snark from music
00:59reviewers who deemed their songwriting hilariously lazy. Despite selling out arenas, the trio was
01:13frequently dismissed as the ultimate elevator music offenders of the decade. Yet their mellow hooks
01:19stood the test of time, proving that easy listening could generate massive, enduring success.
01:24You can do magic. You can have anything that you desire. Magic.
01:34Number 9. The Osmonds. Hey, did you know that the Osmonds transitioned from squeaky-clean
01:39barbershop kids into a full-fledged hard rock family band? Yep.
01:43There's a message thrown in the air or come thrown. Crazy horses riding everywhere.
01:51But not even the wildly electric Crazy Horses LP could save the Osmonds from earning scorn from
01:56tradition-minded fans. Their early, polished image and wholesome family values felt largely out of touch
02:02with the gritty, rebellious counterculture that defined the early 70s. The music press largely scoffed at
02:08what was honestly a pretty varied-sounding group, viewing them as a manufactured commercial machine
02:13designed solely to milk adolescent pocket money. Elsewhere, their omnipresence on television and
02:20radio made them an easy target for anyone craving authenticity over pristine pop production.
02:25What a show! There they go! Smoking up the sky! Yeah!
02:32Number 8. Sha-na-na.
02:34Well, every morning about this time, she gets me out of my bed, I cry and get a job.
02:39Hailing from Columbia University, Sha-na-na carved out a massive niche by performing energetic
02:441950s rock and roll covers complete with grease, gold lame, and choreographed antics. While their iconic
02:51appearance at Woodstock and subsequent hit television show brought nostalgic joy to millions,
02:56purists hated them with a passion.
03:02Critics viewed the group as a glorified novelty act that turned genuine rock history into a
03:07cartoonish caricature. By leaning heavily into theatrical shtick rather than crafting original
03:12music, they alienated audiences who wanted 70s music to move forward, not look backward.
03:17Love them or hate them, Sha-na-na proved that pure, unadulterated nostalgia could be an incredibly
03:23lucrative business model.
03:28Number 7. Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
03:31Canadian rocker's Bachman-Turner Overdrive pounded out some of the most recognizable guitar
03:36riffs of the decade, including Taking Care of Business and You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet.
03:51However, snobbish music journalists routinely slaughtered them for their basic chord progressions,
03:57unpretentious lyrics, and blue-collar stomping grounds. BTO was often dubbed the ultimate bar
04:02band made good, which elitists used as a term of supreme derision.
04:15They were accused of recycling formulaic hard rock tropes to cater to the lowest common denominator.
04:21Yet, while critics turned up their noses at the lack of artistic depth, working-class fans
04:26embraced their straightforward meat-and-potatoes rock anthem format, filling stadiums everywhere
04:31where the band played.
04:39Number 6. Foghat.
04:41The British imports in Foghat mastered the art of boogie rock, turning standard blues riffs
04:46into arena-shaking jams like Slow Ride and Fool for the City.
04:50Slow Ride. Take it easy.
04:56Unfortunately, critics viewed their output as the epitome of mindless repetitive arena
05:00rock filler. To the highbrow press, Foghat represented everything wrong with the era's
05:06commercial rock machine. Endless solos, simplistic lyrics, and songs that dragged on far longer
05:11than necessary. Their heavy reliance on slide guitar and relentless blues rock formulas left
05:17to trackers complaining that every track sounded virtually identical.
05:22Still, Foghat never pretended to be deep philosophers. They just wanted to turn up the volume, party,
05:29and keep the stadium crowd stomping their feet all night long.
05:40Don't want to get stuck being a fool for the city? Then scan this QR code today to check out
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05:55Number 5. Bread.
05:57Led by master songwriter David Gates, Bread dominated 70s radio with soft rock ballads like
06:03Make It With You and Baby I'ma Want You.
06:14While hopeless romantics swooned, hard rock enthusiasts and edgy critics treated Bread like a
06:20toxic substance. They were constantly mocked for their ultra-light arrangements, syrupy sentiments,
06:25and soft-spoken delivery that lacked any aggressive edge.
06:34For rock listeners brought up on Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, Bread represented the ultimate
06:39threat, corporate soft rock designed to tame the wild spirit of the previous decade. Their songs
06:45were endlessly parodied, yet their undeniable melodic craftsmanship earned them top placement
06:50on the charts throughout the decade.
07:00Number 4. Styx.
07:02This group boldly bridged the gap between pompous progressive rock and radio-friendly pop,
07:07creating massive hits like Come Sail Away and Babe.
07:18However, Styx's theatrical pomposity, grandiose concept albums, and dramatic stage antics made
07:24them a favorite punchline for rock critics. Highbrow magazines routinely blasted the band
07:29for being overly earnest, melodramatic, and pretentious.
07:42The stark tension between Dennis DeYoung's theatrical pop preferences and Tommy Shaw's
07:47hard rock instincts gave detractors endless ammo to call the band unfocused and self-indulgent.
07:52Despite the critical backlash and constant ridicule for music snobs, Styx built an insanely loyal fan base
07:58that filled sports arenas and bought millions of their albums nationwide.
08:04Number 3. The Eagles.
08:06Few bands define the 70s like the Eagles, but few generated as much sheer hatred from rival music scenes.
08:13There's plenty of room and you'll tell California.
08:17Their seamless blend of country rock, pristine vocal harmonies, and slick production yielded unstoppable hits,
08:23yet critics saw them as cold, calculating, and arrogant.
08:27As punk rock erupted in the late 70s,
08:30the Eagles became the ultimate symbol of corporate rock decadence.
08:34Wealthy, polished musicians complaining about the perils of fame from luxury Beverly Hills mansions.
08:43The lingering resentment from music critics and counterculture purists was palpable,
08:48famously immortalized years later in The Big Lebowski.
08:51Yet their massive record sales proved that millions were perfectly fine ignoring the critics.
08:56I'll float to the side and kick your ass out.
08:58Man, come on, I had a rough night and I hate the f***ing Eagles, man.
09:02Number 2. Kiss.
09:04These knights in Satan's service took their iconic face paint, leather outfits, and explosive pyrotechnics
09:10and turned it all into a multi-million dollar merchandising empire.
09:14I sure know something. I sure know something.
09:18Naturally, critics absolutely loathed them.
09:22Reviewers routinely slammed Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley for prioritizing bombastic theatricality
09:27and comic book marketing over musical talent.
09:30Their lyrics were frequently dismissed as childish,
09:32and their simple driving riffs were branded as derivative.
09:43To the rock establishment,
09:45Kiss was a cynical commercial gimmick designed to sell lunchboxes and action figures to teenagers.
09:50Yet the Kiss army did not care about critical acclaim.
09:53They wanted a show,
09:55and Kiss delivered the loudest, most spectacle-driven performance in the entire world.
10:07Before we continue, be sure to check out WatchMojo's 24-hour live stream.
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10:17Are you not entertained?
10:19Number 1. The Bay City Rollers.
10:22Hailed briefly as the next Beatles,
10:24This boy band sparked absolute hysteria with tracks like Saturday Night.
10:35However, outside their passionate fan base of teenage girls,
10:39the backlash was swift and brutal.
10:42Serious music fans, punk rockers, and critics despised them for their manufactured image,
10:47ultra-simple lyrics, and aggressive marketing gimmicks.
10:56They were viewed as the ultimate symbol of bubblegum pop fluff,
11:00an artificially produced product with zero artistic substance.
11:04Their sudden explosion and messy collapse
11:06made them the decade's quintessential band that music snobs loved to hate.
11:23Does it matter what the masses say?
11:25Shout out your defense for any of these groups in the comments.
11:28We'll see you next time.
11:30We'll see you next time.
11:30We'll see you next time.
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11:33We'll see you next time.