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.
57. Buchanan Street (1974)
This image of Buchanan Street in the early seventies was published by Glasgow Junior Chamber of Commerce in their shopping guide. | Glasgow City Archives
58. Shawlands shopping centre
A view of Shawlands shopping centre in the early seventies. | Glasgow City Archives
59. Anderston Centre
Completed in 1973, the vast megastructure was designed by London-based architect Richard Seifert. It contained shops, leisure facilities, a bus station and housing, but almost all has been revamped or demolished. | Glasgow City Archives
60. Buchanan Street
Buchanan Street station pictured in the 1970s before modernisation works. | SPT Subway