The 1970s proved to be a transformative decade for Glasgow, defined by sweeping social change.
Thousands of residents moved out of ageing inner-city tenements and into newly built housing estates on the city’s outskirts, reshaping Glasgow’s landscape and communities.
On the world stage, the decade was marked by major political and cultural moments. Richard Nixon became the first U.S. president to resign in the wake of the Watergate scandal, blockbuster films like The Godfather, Star Wars, and Grease dominated cinema, Billy Connolly rose to national fame, and the UK experienced political upheaval that culminated in Margaret Thatcher’s election as prime minister in 1979.
Meanwhile in Glasgow, the live music scene flourished. Big-name performers took to the stage at Green’s Playhouse — renamed The Apollo in September 1973 — and Hampden Park once again hosted a European Cup Final, with Bayern Munich facing Saint-Étienne in 1976.
Here are 70 atmospheric pictures that capture a fascinating glimpse of Glasgow in the 1970s.
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