Before MTV, GenX had Casey Kasem and the Solid Gold Dancers!

Photo by Jace & Afsoon on Unsplash

Today, let’s remember some of the ways GenXers consumed music in the 1970s. If you enjoy this essay, tell your friends!

When we weren’t listening to 8-track tapes or vinyl records (later “re-discovered” by hipsters), we tuned in to AM/FM radio, often on tiny transistor radios or stereos housed in gigantic wooden cabinets in our living rooms. Beyond that, we found music on television.

Next week, we’ll be looking at the influence of MTV on Generation X. Today, let’s remember some of the ways GenXers consumed music in the 1970s. If you enjoy this essay, tell your friends!

When we weren’t listening to 8-track tapes or vinyl records (later “re-discovered” by hipsters), we tuned in to AM/FM radio, often on tiny transistor radios or stereos housed in gigantic wooden cabinets in our living rooms. Beyond that, we found music on television.

Cartoons were the mainstay of Saturday morning television programming, but I loved one little non-animated show: The Monkees. In 1966, Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider, inspired by The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night, created a TV program about the antics of Mickey, Mike, Peter, and Davy, AKA a band called The Monkees. It ran through 1968 and was unlike anything else airing at the time. In addition to vocal performances by the band, it featured weird cuts, improvisation, moments of breaking the fourth wall, and general wackiness. As my husband pointed out, the show was anarchy in the form of comedy and music. After the first run ended, reruns aired on Saturday mornings through 1972, and it went into regular syndication in 1975.

I had such a crush on Davy Jones. The British accent contributed to his cuteness. As a child, I didn’t know anything about the backlash The Monkees faced as some critics perceived them as a rip-off of The Beatles and because they didn’t play their own instruments (at first). However, history has been kind to them. Today, they’ve earned a degree of respect that they didn’t receive in the 1960s.

Don Kirshner was one of the individuals involved in music production for The Monkees. Already a big name in the music industry, he continued to be a presence even after he and The Monkees had a falling out. In 1973, he created a late-night television program called Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert. It offered live musical performances by some of the biggest names of the day in rock music: The Rolling Stones, The Ramones, Van Morrison, Kiss, Black Sabbath, Cheap Trick, Queen, Lou Reed, Stevie Wonder, and many other notable artists. The show ended in 1981, right around the time video killed the radio star.

One thing that brought me back to the radio on weekends was the broadcast of American Top 40. American Top 40, hosted by Casey Kasem, highlighted the top forty songs of the week as measured by the Billboard Charts. The show interspersed artist biographies, stories, and listener requests with the week’s hits. Kasem’s famous catchphrases included “And now, we’re up to our long distance dedication,” “Now, on with the countdown,” and “Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.” Listen to clips from American Top 40 on YouTube for a blast from the past. 

Fun fact: Kasem voiced cartoon characters, including Shaggy (Scooby Doo) and Robin (Super Friends).

Let’s talk about one of the cheesiest shows ever to hit the television airwaves: Solid Gold. From 1980-1988, this show focused on the top pop songs airing on the radio. Choreographed dance routines performed by the Solid Gold Dancers accompanied each song. Panned by critics, the show constantly reinvented itself by changing formats and hosts. The hosts included Dionne Warwick, Andy Gibb, Glen Campbell, Marilyn McCoo, Rex Smith, Arsenio Hall, and, weirdly, Wayland Flowers and his puppet Madame. It was solid gold cheddar! 

Fun fact: The Solid Gold Dancers last appeared in the Bill Murray Christmas movie Scrooged.

Still on the radio, Casey Kasem also made time to host America’s Top 10 on television. The show aired for about a dozen years and capitalized on the growing popularity of music videos.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention two other popular shows: American Bandstand and Soul Train. 

Bandstand was over twenty years old when I started watching it in the ’70s. Hosted by Dick Clark, it showcased young adults dancing to the latest pop hits. Some of these dancers became minor celebrities in Philadelphia, where the show was based.

Soul Train, created and hosted by Don Cornelius, aired from 1971 to 2006. Like American Bandstand, it focused on young people dancing, but the music was soul, R&B, and hip hop. Ericka Blount Danois said, “Soul Train was one of the first national shows to showcase Black joy and our everyday lives on television.”

Fun fact: Famous people who first got noticed on Soul Train include Rosie Perez, Carmen Electra, Vivica A. Fox, MC Hammer, and Jody Watley.


That’s a brief rundown of some ways that Generation X whet its musical appetite. Coming up next week: Friday Night Videos and the GOAT, MTV.

If you enjoyed this essay, tell your friends!