This Is What Pop Culture Looked Like In 1978
1978 marked the beginning of the end of the 1970s in a few ways, not least of which in television. TV viewing was still mostly restricted to four channels but cable was right around the corner in the 1980s, and that would fully change the game. But Atari home systems transformed that set in the rec room into an arcade. In the world of music, Kiss continued to explode across America. In movies, Grease reigned.
All in all, a very active year for pop culture across its broadening expanse. So, this is a cross-section of what that looked like in 1978.
The Wiz
A big flop nobody liked, but at the time, it appealed to everyone. The Wizard of Oz meets Michael Jackson and Diana Ross? What's not to like? People would soon find out in theaters.
Superman
Superman debuted on the big screen, and these two characters became role models for the young generation.
Simon
Electronic games became a hit at the end of the '70s, with Simon and Electronic Battleship being the most requested for Christmas.
Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
Even without big anime franchises and movies, the Shibuya Crossing was already packed daily with locals and tourists alike.
Thanksgiving Day Parade
Television characters joined black-and-white classics during Thanksgiving, becoming more and more popular by the minute.
Home TV
Watching TV in 1978 mostly meant watching four channels, but that would soon change with the advent of cable.
Sex Pistols Worldwide
The Sex Pistols arrived in the USA to bring a different kind of punk.
Music Shops
This was where a lot of young men and women spent their afternoons, only to go back home and spend the rest of the day listening to the albums they bought.
KISS Mania
KISS became big in no time, and this kind of picture was fairly common by the end of the 1970s.
The Great Blizzard
Winter hit hard all over the world in 1978, and while it wasn't fun at all, it did leave a lot of great pictures of the unique phenomenon.
Garfield Debuts on TV
In 1978, the first Garfield cartoon aired on TV. While it's not the best-known or best-regarded version of the character, it did change TV and how people viewed cartoons at the time, opening the doors to a lot of new shows in the years to come.
Electronic Quarterback
The peak of electronic gaming at the time. Everyone had one.
1978's hairstyles
If you look at the boys in this picture, you'll notice a pattern.
Van Halen
The rock band debuted their first album, and Eddie Van Halen quickly became one of the best guitarists the world had ever seen. And this was happening while Led Zeppelin was still rocking the world.
Mork & Mindy
Happy Days' spin-off, Mork & Mindy, debuted, and people fell in love with the duo. The show couldn't keep the quality for too long, but thanks to Robin Williams, it left a mark on TV's history.
Grease
Everybody went to the movies to see Olivia Newton-John and fell in love with John Travolta in a musical that changed everything.
Halloween
Star Wars debuted in 1977 and became an instant classic, but the fandom grew way bigger than anyone expected, so most Halloween costumes were handmade because there wasn't as much official merch or a theme park like today.
Bee Gees Dominance
Saturday Night Fever debuted in December 1977, and the Bee Gees became the face of disco music. There was a lot of hate, of course, but they were still number one.
Atari Youth
Video Games kept evolving at a slow pace, but they were already capturing the minds of young men and women all over the world.
1978's Van
If you see one of these vans today, you run the other way. But in 1978, this meant something different. Usually nothing too good, but also not entirely bad? It's hard to explain, you had to be there.
