The 1970s was a defining decade for Glasgow, marking a period of dramatic change as many residents left the city’s inner-city slums for newly built housing estates on its outskirts.
Globally, it was a time of major events and cultural milestones — Richard Nixon became the first U.S. president in history to resign following the Watergate scandal, films like The Godfather, Star Wars, and Grease captivated audiences, Billy Connolly emerged as a national star, and the UK experienced political turbulence leading up to Margaret Thatcher’s rise to power in 1979.
In Glasgow, the live music scene thrived. Notable acts performed at Green’s Playhouse — renamed The Apollo in September 1973 — while Hampden Park once again hosted a European Cup Final, with Bayern Munich taking on Saint-Étienne in 1976.
Here are 70 photographs that capture the changing face of Glasgow and everyday life in the city throughout the seventies.
1. Sauchiehall Street 1975
Shoppers pictured on Sauchiehall Street in 1975. | Glasgow City Archives
2. T-Rex at The Apollo
Singer and guitarist Marc Bolan performing with British glam rock group T-Rex, at The Apollo, Glasgow in January 1974. | Getty Images
3. The Who at Celtic Park
Teenagers enjoying The Who concert at Parkhead in Glasgow, May 1976. Photo: TSPL
4. Govan shipyard workers
Shipyard workers eat their lunch in the sunshine outside the gates of the Govan division of the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders in June 1971. Photo: TSPL