Album artwork for In Perfect Harmony: Sing-a-Long Pop in 70's Britain by Will Hodgkinson

In 1970, pop was in trouble. The Beatles were no more. Pink Floyd gave up on singles altogether. Led Zeppelin dismissed anything beyond their 'musical statements' as childish frippery. Thankfully, help was on its way.

This comprehensive chronicle by music historian Will Hodgkinson explores how an unlikely mix of backroom songwriters, revitalised rockers, actors, producers, teen stars and children turned pop into the dominant sound and vision of the 1970s.

While bands such as the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac were ruling the albums chart, the singles chart was swinging along to the tune of million-selling blockbusters by the likes of Brotherhood of Man, the Sweet and the Wombles. These were the songs you heard on Radio 1, on Saturday-night TV, at youth clubs, down the pub and even emanating from your parents' record player...

It was never cool, but it was the real soundtrack of the decade.

Against a rainy, smog-filled backdrop of three-day weeks, national strikes, IRA bombings and the Winter of Discontent, this unending stream of novelty songs, sentimental ballads, glam-rock stomps and blatant rip-offs offered escape, uplift, romance and the promise of eternal childhood - all released with one goal in mind: a smash hit.

In Perfect Harmony takes the reader on a journey through the most colour-saturated decade in music, examining the core themes and camp spectacle of '70s singalong pop, as well as its reverberations through British culture since. This is the pioneering social history of a musical revolution.

Will Hodgkinson

In Perfect Harmony: Sing-a-Long Pop in 70's Britain

Nine Eight Publishing
Album artwork for In Perfect Harmony: Sing-a-Long Pop in 70's Britain by Will Hodgkinson
Hardback +

£25.00

signed

Signed Book Plates

Signed Copy
Released 15/09/2022Catalogue Number

9781788705615signed

Learn more
Album artwork for In Perfect Harmony: Sing-a-Long Pop in 70's Britain by Will Hodgkinson
Hardback

£25.00

Released 15/09/2022Catalogue Number

9781788705615

Learn more
Will Hodgkinson

In Perfect Harmony: Sing-a-Long Pop in 70's Britain

Nine Eight Publishing
Album artwork for In Perfect Harmony: Sing-a-Long Pop in 70's Britain by Will Hodgkinson
Hardback +

£25.00

signed

Signed Book Plates

Signed Copy
Released 15/09/2022Catalogue Number

9781788705615signed

Learn more
Album artwork for In Perfect Harmony: Sing-a-Long Pop in 70's Britain by Will Hodgkinson
Hardback

£25.00

Released 15/09/2022Catalogue Number

9781788705615

Learn more

In 1970, pop was in trouble. The Beatles were no more. Pink Floyd gave up on singles altogether. Led Zeppelin dismissed anything beyond their 'musical statements' as childish frippery. Thankfully, help was on its way.

This comprehensive chronicle by music historian Will Hodgkinson explores how an unlikely mix of backroom songwriters, revitalised rockers, actors, producers, teen stars and children turned pop into the dominant sound and vision of the 1970s.

While bands such as the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac were ruling the albums chart, the singles chart was swinging along to the tune of million-selling blockbusters by the likes of Brotherhood of Man, the Sweet and the Wombles. These were the songs you heard on Radio 1, on Saturday-night TV, at youth clubs, down the pub and even emanating from your parents' record player...

It was never cool, but it was the real soundtrack of the decade.

Against a rainy, smog-filled backdrop of three-day weeks, national strikes, IRA bombings and the Winter of Discontent, this unending stream of novelty songs, sentimental ballads, glam-rock stomps and blatant rip-offs offered escape, uplift, romance and the promise of eternal childhood - all released with one goal in mind: a smash hit.

In Perfect Harmony takes the reader on a journey through the most colour-saturated decade in music, examining the core themes and camp spectacle of '70s singalong pop, as well as its reverberations through British culture since. This is the pioneering social history of a musical revolution.