Super 70s

My Month With Black Singers From the 70s

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I’m Kayla, and I lived with these records for a month. I played them while I cooked. I played them on my old Technics deck. I streamed them on the bus with my headphones. Different rooms. Different moods. Same magic.
If you’re itching to wander even deeper into this era, Super70s is a gold-mine of album lore, chart trivia, and sleeve-note geekery.

You know what? Some songs hit like a hug. Some feel like a sermon. A few ran long and made me check the clock. That’s real life.

The Voices I Kept Replaying

  • Marvin Gaye — What’s Going On and Mercy Mercy Me. His voice feels warm, like a room with soft light. The bass sits low. The strings float. The words still ask hard things, but the groove keeps you there.

  • Stevie Wonder — Superstition, Sir Duke, and the whole Songs in the Key of Life set. The keys pop. The clavs bite. His runs are clean. He packs joy into tight bars, then flips to wonder and awe. I danced while washing dishes. Sue me.

  • Aretha Franklin — Day Dreaming, Rock Steady, and Something He Can Feel. She bends a note, and you lean in. The band locks. The pocket is deep. Also, Sparkle? Still smooth on a rainy night.

  • Al Green — Let’s Stay Together and Love and Happiness. His whisper sounds close, like he stepped into your kitchen. The drums are dry. The guitar flicks, then chills. Easy to love. Easy to replay.

  • Chaka Khan — I’m Every Woman and Rufus with Chaka: Tell Me Something Good. That growl. That glide. The hook sticks like gum on a hot day. In a good way.

  • Donna Summer — I Feel Love and Bad Girls. The synths hum like neon. Her voice is light but strong. I thought I’d get tired. I didn’t. Well, not always.

  • Gladys Knight — Midnight Train to Georgia. It feels like a movie in three minutes. Story first. Voice second. But the voice is still huge.

  • Bill Withers — Lean on Me, Lovely Day, Ain’t No Sunshine. Plain words. Big heart. His tone is fine grain, like wood you want to touch.

  • Curtis Mayfield — Move On Up and Pusherman. Grace meets grit. The horns feel brave. The message keeps its chin up.

  • Barry White — Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe. That low voice? Like velvet with a wink. The strings swirl without getting in the way.

  • Roberta Flack — Killing Me Softly. Soft, not weak. The piano is steady. She tells it like a diary.

  • Minnie Riperton — Lovin’ You. Those high notes feel like glass in the sun. Pretty and a bit sharp.

  • Michael Jackson — Ben and Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough. Young on one, grown on the other. Both neat. Both tight.

  • Tina Turner — Proud Mary (with Ike & Tina). Rough, fast, and alive. The switch from “nice and easy” to “nice and rough” still thrills.

If you’re curious how voices in another corner of the decade—specifically the women of ’70s country—could feel just as welcoming, this look at the singers who sounded like home is a worthy spin.

How It Felt at Home

Morning eggs with Roberta felt calm. Late night pasta with Marvin felt deep. A quick run with Donna and Chaka gave me pace. Folding laundry with Bill made me hum. Does music make chores better? For me, yes. Every time.

Little Nerd Notes (But Friendly)

  • Falsetto: Philip Bailey on Reasons (Earth, Wind & Fire) floats up high. That thin, sweet top note? That’s falsetto. It hits the heart fast.

  • Bridge: In Rock Steady, the middle part shifts the mood. That’s the bridge. It lifts, then drops you back to the hook.

  • Modulation: Stevie likes to bump the key at the end. Your ear jumps. Your smile does too.

  • Mix: Old pressings can be left-heavy. I nudged my balance knob. Tiny fix, big help.

If geeking out on tiny details is your jam, you’ll love this hands-on dive into two ’70s trivia games that puts your knowledge to the test.

The Good Stuff

  • Range: From hush (Bill) to bolt (Tina), the spread is wild.
  • Stories: Love, protest, joy, pain. Simple words. Big hits.
  • Bands: Real drums. Real bass. You can feel the room air.
  • Hooks: Short lines that stick for days. Kind of rude, kind of great.

The Not-So-Perfect Bits

  • Some songs run long. Six minutes is sweet at night, not during chores.
  • A few old vinyl cuts crackle, even after a brush. I deal. You might not.
  • Some lyrics feel dated on gender stuff. The groove saves them, but still.
  • Live takes swing hard, but a chorus may drift. Charm for me. Maybe not for you.

Quick Starter Kit (Play These First)

  • What’s Going On — Marvin Gaye
  • Superstition — Stevie Wonder
  • Midnight Train to Georgia — Gladys Knight & the Pips
  • I Feel Love — Donna Summer
  • Let’s Stay Together — Al Green
  • Killing Me Softly — Roberta Flack
  • Move On Up — Curtis Mayfield
  • I’m Every Woman — Chaka Khan
  • Lovely Day — Bill Withers
  • Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough — Michael Jackson

Need everything in one click? The iHeartRadio Black History Month '70s playlist corrals many of these songs so you can hit play and let the era roll.

Use Case Check

  • Cooking: Aretha, Al, and Marvin. Warm and steady.
  • Cleaning: Stevie and Chaka. High energy, sharp keys.
  • Late night talk: Bill and Roberta. Soft edges, clear lines.
  • Road trip: Donna and Curtis. Beat, message, motion.

For readers who feel inspired to take these soulful vibes into the real world—especially if you find yourself up in North Dakota—scroll through Backpage Minot where you’ll uncover local nightlife classifieds, meet-up ideas, and entertainment options that help you turn a record-player mood into a live hangout or post-show after-party.

Culture, Feeling, and Why It Still Works

Church meets street. Joy meets fight. You hear the 70s push and pull. War on the news. Love in the house. Parties on the block. The singers carry all of it. Not as a lecture. As a groove you can hold.

Just like these artists bared their souls in the studio, visual storytelling can strip things back too; if you’re curious how that kind of openness looks through a camera lens, swing by this curated nude-snap showcase—it matches tasteful, stripped-down photography with tips on light, posing, and self-confidence, giving you fresh inspiration for album-cover daydreams or simply a new angle on body positivity.

Final Take

I came for the hits. I stayed for the voices. Some tracks drag. A few mixes lean funny. But the heart? It’s bright and close.

Would I keep these in my daily stack? Yes. And not just for “classic” nights. For Tuesday. For rain. For dinner with friends who talk with their hands. Turn it up a little. Then let the singers do the heavy lift.

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