The jangly pop melodies of the 60s were muscled aside by the thudding beat of disco and the DIY energy of punk.
Fashion became even more flamboyant, with the rise of platform shoes, and technological breakthroughs included the Sony Walkman, the VHS video recorder and exciting new video games.
It wasn’t all good though, with the miners strike leading to a three-day week, and the decade ending with a series of strikes during the ‘winter of discontent’.
Below are some of the things you’ll probably remember doing if you grew up during the 1970s, from popular toys you may have played with to restaurants you would have eaten at and the TV shows children watched.
1. Bouncing on your Space Hopper
Streets around the UK echoed with the thumping sound of racing Space Hoppers during the 1970s. The iconic toy was invented in the late 60s and proved phenomenally popular during the 70s. | Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Photo: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
2. Trying to pull off the latest disco dance moves
Disco ruled during the 70s, as clubs reverberated to the sounds of the Bee Gees, Boney M and Donna Summer. The hottest dance moves included the hustle, the bump, and the funky chicken, but trying to pull them off at the school disco could end in triumph or disaster. | Chris Ware/Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Photo: Chris Ware/Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
3. Driven your parents crazy by playing with your clackers
Yes, it sounds like a euphemism but clackers genuinely were one of the biggest crazes of the 70s. They consisted of two acrylic balls on a piece of string which you had to make collide to produce the 'clacking' noise which gave the toy its name. This high-speed, handheld version of a Newton's cradle proved incredibly addictive, with millions being sold and the incessant sound driving many parents to distraction. But the balls had an alarming tendency to 'explode', which led to clackers being banned over safety concerns. | Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Photo: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
4. Dreaming of emulating Evel Knievel
The nation watched in amazement and then horror as the US motorbike stunt rider Evel Knievel jumped over 13 buses at Wembley Stadium in May 1975 before crashing upon landing and breaking his pelvis and fracturing bones in his hand. It was the latest daredevil act of a remarkable career which made him a global superstar and a hero to a generation of youngsters. Children everywhere dreamed of emulating his astonishing feats and some tried to recreate them on a much smaller scale, with the aid of a bicycle some makeshift ramps and a willing friend or two. | David Ashdown/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Photo: David Ashdown/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images