High School in the '70s - A Look Back in Time

Curious about what high school was like back in the 1970s? Did you live through it yourself?
Join us on a journey back in time as we explore the fashion and social culture of this iconic era. From bell-bottom jeans and platform shoes to the sounds of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, high school in the 1970s was a time of freedom, experimentation, and self-discovery.
Whether you were there to witness it firsthand or are simply curious about this fascinating time in history, this video is sure to transport you back in time and offer a glimpse into the past. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride as we take a trip down memory lane and explore what high school life was like back in the 1970s.
#1970s #lifeinamerica #nostalgia

[@MrTPF1]

Graduated in '79. Something not mentioned was that most of us had after-school jobs so that we could have spending money. Music was HUGE for us. We bought albums, went to concerts which were pretty inexpensive (like less than $10) and one major artist after another was dropping a new album seemingly every week. We played outside a LOT with pickup games of basketball, baseball and football, and before we got our licenses, bicycles equaled freedom.

[@TraxandGrooves]

Very well stated.✌

[@consco3667]

Graduated in 79 as well. You summed up our lives perfectly.

[@idiot-983]

Graduated in 79 also, you are absolutely right.

[@larryn1929]

Graduated in '81. You stated it exactly as it was. It was awesome! Also, far less kids were overweight.

[@MrTPF1]

@@larryn1929 There were kids in every house in my neighborhood, and there was ONE fat kid. We were all too active to get fat!

[@RonaldSingleton-q4q]

I graduated in 78, and I wish we could go back. When we did have a disagreement we usually settled it with a few punches, a week later we would be friends, I guess we just needed to earn respect

[@tonyherdina9142]

And there were tough guys that were bullies. There was none of this "safe space" stuff. And if you told a teacher you were getting bullied the kid would kick your ass.

[@julenepegher6999]

I graduated in 77 , in high school, there were groups. Jocks, cliques, hoods , ect. We all got along. We just stayed with our group. I remember very few fights. I could care less what anyone else was doing I was just having a blast.

[@Jasmine215100]

@@tonyherdina9142 This was something that I WISH THEY KNEW ABOUT BACK THEN! As a former bullied student, we could have known better back then! Bullying should NEVER have been tolerated! Girls bully differently than boys do, like "I wouldn't date that geek!"

[@johnmaddock256]

Graduated in' 79 the whole world was different a place, people respected each other teacher were really respected and had respect for their students and nobody knew about their politics. You actually learned something too

[@brianmorger2174]

Same , and true that !

[@alenahawke475]

Graduated in 79 as well and you're correct about everything. I loved school and my teachers!

[@piobmhor8529]

Same here. We didn’t really think of it, but we had some amazing teachers compared to today. I had a few who were WW2 veterans, one of which would tell us about what it was like on D-Day as a 19 year old soldier. I had a Calculus teacher who flew Sabre jets in the Korean War, a Physics teacher who was a Holocaust survivor and a German Teacher who had escaped from East Germany. They were tough on us, but made us the people we are today.

[@PraveenSrJ01]

Even 2001 was much better than today and graduated class of 01’

[@beatrizrobinson6481]

They had pride in how they dressed and no tattoos!!! Great memories!!! Graduated in 1979.

[@PubliusSPQR]

I'd give anything to just for a few moments go back to those days. I would inhale deeply to savor the smell. I would stand silent and just absorb everything about those 70's world now gone forever. I would say hello to all the now deceased family and friends. And I would reluctantly return with a much deeper appreciation of my boyhood and adolescence.

[@WhodatnTx]

My God! I couldn’t have said it better! Oh how wonderful that would be! And probably a teacher or 2 I would apologize to 😅. Class of ‘74

[@mikestewart7338]

Fantastic! I didn’t see any pajama bottoms or yoga pants. People still had a sense of pride in their appearance.

[@Alden_Indoway]

In our school, 51% took pride in their appearance. The girls wore short miniskirts or cut-off jeans and a halter top, or blue jeans and a sweater in colder months. But a lot of us guys wore old torn Levi’s, Sears work boots and a black T-shirt with an unbuttoned plaid flannel shirt over. More than half had long hair, never combed, trimmed or styled, and scraggly facial hair was not uncommon.

[@PraveenSrJ01]

Exactly true. Upvoted your comment

[@beatrizrobinson6481]

Pride and no tattoos!!!! Great memories!!!

[@qtbrniis]

@@Alden_Indoway Wow! I went to a pretty cool school but halter tops and cut offs were not considered proper school attire. (Grad of '75.) And most girls wore jeans with midriff tops (crop tops now) and not dresses. These pics look like they are from the early 80's more than the 70's. I don't see many bell bottoms at all. And ragged out hems were all the rage! Nor do I see many pairs of hip hugger jeans! Nobody wore high waisted pants til the later 70's, early 80's.

[@kl0wnkiller912]

Yep. I really liked seeing the girls wearing those tight hip-hugger jeans!@@qtbrniis

[@hearttoheart4me]

Being in my 20s in the late 70s is better than being 70 in the late 20s was a lot more fun and my body didn't hurt then...well as much. 🤣

[@tonycollazorappo]

Agreed, I graduated in 1980, I was 19, and my body did hurt then. At 62 now everything hurts and that's just when standing up, LOL!!

[@Pinky-lg3lz]

Never regret growing old, it's a priveledge denied many. Think of all the classmates we've lost over the decades.

[@PraveenSrJ01]

It is the mid 20s now

[@julenepegher6999]

High School was a blast, I graduated in 77. They were the best years. Our guys were sexy with the long hair. We wore Bell Bottoms and platforms. And can’t forget the 70’s had the best music ever! 🎉

[@mutleymutley7474]

I agree 100%. I graduated in '78. I was one of the guys with long hair.

[@julenepegher6999]

@@mutleymutley7474 😉

[@misterwhipple2870]

Music? '69 through '73. After that, it went to crap. '71 was insanely great.

[@julenepegher6999]

@@misterwhipple2870 in my just humble opinion, the mid 70’s had some really great bands. But we can agree to disagree. 😉

[@peachablemacaw]

I still have full, long hair...'74 baby!!@@mutleymutley7474

[@The_best_days_are_yesterdays]

Class of 77 here. God I miss those days.

[@zanewoodward4822]

I'm 64 now But the 70s were the Best !

[@julenepegher6999]

Same here, I’ll be 64 soon. The 70’s were the Best! Cheers

[@Juuliexxxx]

Same here! We even had a smoking area!! Great times!

[@davidallen346]

Born in 72

[@mikemancini3907]

Yeap, 64 here. Hippies, great rock N roll, bell bottoms, super pretty girls everywhere. Kids now just don't have a clue !!!!

[@jcbulldog533]

​@@JuuliexxxxMy high school also had a smoking area as well... I remember when the teacher's lounge door would open I could see & smell the cigarette smoke.. Not to mention that big huge Glass ashtray they shared..I believe most of our parents had that huge ashtray on our Coffee tables at home,we certainly did!! Loved being a teenager in the late 70's early 80's Great memories

[@reverendtos4271]

Very cool. I was class of 80', but most of these pics were from 70-72. You can tell because everything still looked like the 60's. The real 70's look of clothes and hair didn't really kick in for a few more years. By 75-76 most the guys were wearing the feathered hair parted in the middle and those puka shell necklaces and the girls were wearing the farrah hair, longer skirts and platform sandals. Completely different. I remember the Dr Scholls fad when all the girls were wearing those in the spring and my high school banned them for making too much noise in the hallways :)

[@tonyherdina9142]

I remember the feathered hair. That was so disco.

[@lilorbielilorbie2496]

@@tonyherdina9142 And disco SUCKS. I'm sooo glad that Van Halen came along to help kill it.

[@larsedik]

I agree that the fashion looks more like the late 60s than the 70s. The 70s did not really begin until 73, and I associate the music of the 70s with Disco - not the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, or Pink Floyd, all of which were much better than most 70s music and had their roots firmly in the 60s. I was so glad when the punk/New Wave scene began and pushed out Disco.

[@globalfamily8172]

Yup, only 1:18 was later. I held onto those Scholl's until the 90s - then they came back!

[@jpetot]

Agreed! It struck me too that the range of time was quite narrow. I mean... where are the "burnouts"? And another way to tell is all the girls were in dresses and jumpers because it wasn't til 1972 (give or take a year) that dress codes were widely eliminated.

[@WWeronko]

Graduating from a Catholic high school in 1971, I didn't see much of the freedom of expression that video discusses. However, what I have noticed, the girls were much better looking back then. Overweight and out of shape girls were few and far between. Girls were sweeter by and large when compared with the rather nasty princesses of today. The boys were considerably tougher and tended to conform to male behavioral norms or get beat up. As noted, the music was far better in the late 60s and 70s.

[@siranimcneill7589]

Tell me your experiences?

[@brianbrooks1025]

I agree with you on the women being skinnier, prettier and boys being tougher. Jr-Sr high ‘71-‘77.

[@tommystx]

I also graduated in 1971. Went to a coed public H.S. I agree with everything you said. Girls were so polite and never used bad language. wore very little or no makeup and were still beautiful. Glad i was in H.S. back then and not today!

[@Chris_at_Home]

I graduated from a regional school in 1971 with 3 towns attending and with 7-12 grades we had just under 1,000 kids. I agree about the girls being sweeter as I married one that I first met in 7th grade.

[@bb-fe9ur]

It's the food, culture and fear causing the collapse. Just what the globalists bought

[@barbara5495]

Graduated in 1978..Disco was still going strong. Could get into bars at 18. Sure, we had social issues and all that...but we never worried about school shootings like now. We felt safe and our parents knew we were safe walking to and being in school each day. No social media to compound social/peer pressure (thankfully)....we had it good. I'm sad for the kids now.

[@TheBennie102103]

Tolman HS class of 1978, Pawtucket RI :)

[@jeffreyknight3884]

I was there in the 70's, that's when everyone respected everyone. No cellphones, just a wonderful time.

[@cam-edy1294]

Except if you were gay

[@kennyharris2407]

​@@cam-edy1294 Why would you wanna be gay for....

[@cam-edy1294]

@@kennyharris2407 huh? I'm straight

[@kennyharris2407]

@@cam-edy1294 😂😂🤣🤣🤣

[@cam-edy1294]

@@kennyharris2407 what is so funny? I'm confused

[@newerafrican]

I graduated in '75 and had a great time in HS. I am still close to several guys that I hung around with. I was very lucky to meet a wonderful young lady in 9th grade who later became (and still is) my wife and mother of my two sons. The girls were very attractive, not slutty, and the guys (including me) were net very worldly with girls, though we never quit trying!!

[@timacoata7456]

70’s we’re a great time!

[@dalecorne3869]

When I was in High School in the mid 70's, I had never heard of any high school shootings at all. Life was GREAT !!!

[@michaelchen8643]

First of all in 1971 the composition of the American population was a lot more homogeneous I’m sorry, but I have to use a racial euphemism. There were more white people and the largest group of non-white people were African-Americans. But more importantly, even people who might’ve had less than Standard appearance to the western European lighter, skinned and lighter hair. They were descendants of people that have been here for a few generations like Puerto Ricans or Mexicans. Most people don’t realize that immigration starting in 1924 was severely restricted and wasn’t lifted to the Kuo system until 1965 In the 1970s, you did not have a lot of immigrants in numbers that were coming here to the US. Transportation was a lot more difficult than even the mindset of people to travel to America was a little bit discouraged. As firearms, firearm technology was not as well developed. I know that sounds a little strange, but you didn’t have the advent of polymer frame guns even aluminum frame. Firearms were not quite as common. Many of the handguns were revolvers even the semi automatic pistols were rather limited the single stack with only one company, Smith and Weston making double stack firearms. Also the 1968 gun control laws put a little bit of a damper on distributional firearms. You could no longer get them through the mail. You had to go face-to-face to a gun dealer when you got it from the factory indirectly. There were more single income families were you had a homemaker, so you had more adult supervision So you had more social cohesion, more social, homogeneity and less of an entertainment venue that encouraged violence as a way for solving problems you did not have video games or the Internet, so transportation and communication were a lot more controlled and a lot more filtered This is why school shootings were rare You also had for the fundamentals of life a lot more wealth you did not have the unhoused un homeless to any degree From a personal standpoint, I remember the 1970s in the local I lived in. There was a dozen people who were unhoused by choice because of mental illness or some personal preference basically lifestyle choice to prove a point. These people had access to multiple choices of emergency shelter. If it got too difficult, they were just eccentric or mentally unhinged. You did not have the involuntary unhoused You had a social safety net that people rely on to get housing and food and medical care and medical care was a lot more available for what was the state of the art as you did not have for profit medical care that was illegal they had to be nonprofit at that time it wasn’t until the early 1980s That certain freedoms way to be able to get abortion on demand and access to birth control and people had a lot of freedom starting around 1973

[@maryshores42]

But there were lots of bomb threats at ours.

[@stevenbarnes8238]

​@@maryshores42northern Ireland was rough indeed.

[@user-Angelic57]

I guess you didn't know about the clock tower shooting in Texas then. Maybe your parents shield you from it but there had been school shootings at that tower. And that's it.

[@craigwitte2943]

Bell bottoms, tube tops, halter tops and no bras!! The best music of all time! Gas was .21 cents per gallon! You could fill up your car, take a girl to a movie and out for pizza after and not have spent $10! Or just cruise the country side with cold beer and a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos! Some of the best memories of my life. 1974 graduate here.

[@laurieeyebee]

me too!

[@richardduvall5306]

Of course that was 4 or 5 hours wages

[@gibbyjones1040]

class of '77 - no face piercings, no tattoos, only 2 in ten were fat

[@robertmontgomery3943]

Agree, a time when girls didn’t look like billboards, and body piercing was just starting

[@childfreesingleandatheist8899]

...and no green or blue hair.

[@julenepegher6999]

The most daring thing I had was pierced ears.

[@geraldpolymath]

I was in elementary school. However, the drug use affected my older brother who was in High School. His battle ended this year with his death and long suffering drug addiction, sad what drugs have done to our country.

[@razony]

I only did cannabis.

[@cmorales932]

I’m very sorry.

[@tttais._.teddytuff1694]

I’m so sorry man :(

[@MeadeSkeltonMusic]

I like how the girls back then had beautiful natural hair without all the odd funny colors, and they just looked naturally pretty and respectable.

[@albedougnut]

People will look back at the 2020s and talk about how pretty people's hair was as well. It happens with every generation.

[@MeadeSkeltonMusic]

@@albedougnut I'm sorry but no

[@eddyhouchins5508]

My favorite memory of High School in the 1970's was graduating and turning my back for the last time and walking away from that place FOREVER.

[@bobgomez9481]

cool story bro

[@bobgomez9481]

How was it working for the sewer department?

[@DryWall-wd4ei]

@@bobgomez9481 That's a good paying job. I worked at a sewage treatment plant for awhile. It was good pay at the time.

[@RoyB327]

Ditto.... Lived in a town of 5,000....joined the Air Force at 17 and never looked/went back

[@kevinhothan7328]

I had fun in high school 1975 grad said see ya. Joined the AF and had the best time of my life

[@SamhainBe]

And no tattoos...one forgets just how beautiful women can be. Class of '77 and times were indeed so much better then!

[@tomsuh1362]

Not too many fat girls with funny dye hair colors.

[@w2tty]

I agree with most others who have posted. The styles probably changed rapidly in the 70s. By 1976 people looked much different.

[@tonyherdina9142]

That's when the disco Era started kicking in.

[@michaelbarry8373]

Agreed, most of these photos seem to be from the late 60's. Or January 1st 1970. Look at 1:18, and compare to 1:10,see the difference ? Thats what I remember in high school. Graduated in 1978,

[@bobbym104]

Yeah, these pics look like they're from '70, '71.

[@globalfamily8172]

@@michaelbarry8373 I actually had those turtlenecks and gauze shirts! approx 1976-77 for 1:18

[@errk25]

Class of '78 here from California. Many of these pictures look from early 70's or even 60's to me. Way too many girls in skirts. More were wearing jeans as I remember. It was a great time to be a teenager.

[@Jeffrey.Seelman]

You remember correctly

[@TheBennie102103]

Tolman HS class of 1978, Pawtucket RI :)

[@grantfarkas2715]

This looks like the early 1970s in high school. I was in hs from 73-76 styles in clothes changed through the years. The bell bottoms changed to flare bottoms and guys wore T-Shirts with logos on them. When you took your picture for the yearbook you wore a dress shirt. Guys wore different types of shirts and tank tops. Guys also grew sideburns which I thought were gross. Hair styles varied from long or short-haired or styled. Girls did wear pants or jeans and halter tops. That 70s Show gives you an idea of how everyone dressed.

[@razony]

What I thought. We were about bell bottoms and T's.

[@edmiera3583]

Remember girls wore hot pants those shorts that Hooter girls wear now😊

[@oursolidarity99]

Lots of freedom, graduated in '78. Remember going to a keg party hosted by a teacher graduation night. Suppose to be attended by students who were 18, but no one cared. Stuff that occurred back then would be totally illegal today. Proves how restricted life has become since those days.

[@julenepegher6999]

Graduated 77 they were the best times. We did get away with a lot. You could cut a class then come right back without anyone knowing.

[@Grannylovescoffee]

Graduated in ‘76. And we also had a designated smoking section for students that smoked

[@TheBennie102103]

Tolman HS class of 1978, Pawtucket RI :)

[@ismaelruiz4227]

you're so right, graduated in '79 and we would go drink at our AG teacher's house and our baseball coach's house none of us were 18..crazy to think about that now...

[@robertabray-enhus3198]

I graduated HS in 79. So many great memories. You could see concerts for very reasonable prices. I still have one of my ticket stub from seeing Queen in Boston for $7.50. There were no difficult problems really like there are today. You were a girl or a guy. None of this foolish gender issue crap. I had a small group of friends,who I’d known from grammar school and junior high. We did fun stuff on the weekends like going to the movies, the drive in,bowling,or rollerskating. I had horseback riding lessons on Saturday afternoon. We all just simply hung out at one of our houses. We often had sleepovers,listened to our records,we listened to the radio and made mix tapes too,we watched tv,had pizza,made Jiffy Pop and brownies,no weed added though! In the summertime we all went to the beach on weekends too. We didn’t have to worry about violence in school. Kids didn’t back talk their teachers. If you did,you got sent to the office. If you wanted to mess around at school you got sent home. I had my first serious boyfriend for 3 years too. He hung out with me and my girlfriends too. Unfortunately,we all went to different colleges,and over the years kind of lost touch. We have over the last few years we’ve been able to reconnect.

[@robertlee6781]

I saw Styx in my High School gym with my sister.5 bucks!

[@tommystx]

I grad in 1971 and all that you described was the same for me in 71 Better times back then

[@DareToBeDeviant]

That's a rock solid friendship circle you had and obviously fun childhood. It's been 15+ years since the high school ended for me and majority of everyone I knew just went off in their own direction without saying a word. Despite having shared meaningful connections with them so it's weird everyone dropped each other like hot potatoes as if it meant nothing. Oh, well, even the ones who did stay local started to become distant once portable devices became cheap and popular. Now nobody wants to do anything other than lay around staring at a screen. I'd kill for an afternoon at a bowling alley, diner, and movie theater. :( With that said, I envy the older generations. Critical thinking was encouraged and common sense was a given trait. Now both are considered super powers. @_@

[@schoolgirl4suzuki]

I also saw Queen in Boston! Graduated 1979. My parents didn't welcome freedom of expression.

[@misterwhipple2870]

Speaking of prices in 1971, I lived in Orlando and you could get into Disney for $7 admission, 50 cents for parking and $1.50 for the Monorail or the Boat. Today it's $129 for admission and $35 for parking, but the boat is free. The Contemporary Hotel would give you a room for $21 a night. Today it's $600 and up. And the girls were a lot prettier, and the teachers were HOT.

[@canoedoc2390]

The worst thing that happened in 1973 was someone getting caught smoking in the bathroom, or possibly getting drunk during the weekend. Drug use was not common and would never have been "tolerated" in Lancaster county Pennsylvania. How did we go from this to regular school shootings and the mass murder of grade school children?

[@misterwhipple2870]

Then there was Red Lion in 2000.

[@sharoncrawford7192]

There were drugs around when I went to school. Grad of 74. Mostly marijiana and some pills. Alot of alcohol. I grewup in Ohio.

[@JPG_Spizzfan]

I'm class of '76 I'm looking at the pictures and wow I remember the kids dressing like that , and it was very true the dances and prom's and regular school function were safe and civil, nothing to fear except fear it's self . I feel sorry for the kids today ! I'm glad a grew up in the '70 wouldn't trade it for anything

[@tttais._.teddytuff1694]

Oh god you should be sorry…coming from a teenager from gen z I literally hate it! I just wish I was alive in the 80s and 90s :

[@LA_HA]

​@@tttais._.teddytuff1694That's okay. A Lot of people wish they were there during that time instead of now. One way to get more into it is watch videos like this and read people's comments on what it was like for them. It's always entertaining and educational. And another thing you can do is ask your parents and grandparents about their childhoods and look at their photo albums and stuff they kept from that era. Lots of people are really into the retro vibe and love it because it makes them happy. I'm one of those people who loves talking to my older relatives and family friends about their lives growing up. I learn So much

[@carolynridlon3988]

I definitely was in school during the 70's (graduated Jr high in 1974 & high school 1978!) The clothes in most of the pictures were more from pre 1974. I remember many of those styles in Jr high. For the high school years of 1974-1979 watch the original That 70's Show - it was exactly the years of my teen years!

[@PantheraOnca60]

I was thinking the same thing; I graduated the same year, BTW. And some of these photos are even late 60s.

[@tonyherdina9142]

That's when disco started getting popular.

[@dipaknadkarni62]

Graduated in ‘78. Unbelievable that was 45 years ago as I just turned 63.

[@TheBennie102103]

Tolman HS class of 1978, Pawtucket RI :)

[@jamessatterfield7667]

Montclair HS, SoCal. Class of ‘78 Go Cavaliers!!

[@johnvrabec9747]

Graduated in '76, still miss HS. The most fun and exciting time. The first hints of adulthood, Learning to drive, making some $ and listening to the best music. Hanging out and if you were lucky, cruising with your friends. still remember how my heartbeat jumped when a girl looked my way lol

[@281cobracar7]

Best thing about going to high school in the 70's. Miniskirts, miniskirts and miniskirts. I was and still am a leg man. 🙂

[@bobpierce115]

I graduated in '75, just turning 18. I love this video as it's a real time capsule. Started 9th grade in Sept. '71 and finished June '75. Like the '60s that preceded it, it had about 3 different sections to it. Mine was unique in that 9th grade pre-dated Watergate, 10th & 11th fully engulfed, then 12th with it over. Not unlike 1961-'65 a decade earlier, my years were more 'invisible' than the '75-'79 years my younger sister was in high school. What the decade is remembered for (fairly or unfairly) is the disco era which burst wide open in the summer of '75, Charlie's Angels in '76, Star Wars in '77, Saturday Night Fever late '77. Groups like Grand Funk, 3 Dog Night were long gone, but early Foreigner and The Cars (to name 2) became the sounds of that very different section, as it should be. Vietnam, Watergate, The Partridge Family, Here's Lucy, other events, TV shows, already years ago even while still in the '70s.

[@mrsandmom5947]

Graduated in 1980. The 70’s were wonderful. I played basketball, volleyball and was a good student. I grew up in Southern California. Great place back then and had a great childhood.

[@johnnoeth2191]

It was a great time to be a kid. I feel sorry for the kids today.

[@tomsuh1362]

They were only two genders in sex education.

[@alecfoster4413]

Class of '77. Society was definitely less uptight than it is now. More open-minded, more good will, and more fun.

[@jwmjr59]

The best years of my life.

[@wandobudwell3088]

71' Seemed like everyone was busy and having a good time. Always something to do and football was the toughest game in School. Still remember...

[@threeg6966]

Big bell bottom Levi's. Chuck Taylor shoes. T-shirts. 8 track tapes. Sports. Part -time job. Steady girlfriend. Great parents. Unbelievable music. Lifelong friends. Good times. 👍

[@recoveringnewyorker2243]

I was a fat kid in high school. I had an abusive mother (Pop died when I was 14) However , I had a great circle of friends and school officials who knew what I was going through and tried their best to be my “family” I was active in the drama club and was a manager for the basketball team. You mentioned school shootings. Where I went to high school (North Central Florida) nearly every pick up truck in the parking lot had a shotgun and hunting rifle on a rack in the rear glass. At any one time there were 30-40 guns on campus and NO ONE got hurt (OR WORSE)

[@thegood9]

The biggest thing was, people were MUCH fitter due to less access to cheap foods, more exercise, and less sitting on the phone, watching TV, and "chilling to Netflix". Not fat shaming at all, but, most of it has been brought onto ourselves due to these changes and accepting these things.

[@williamquigley5836]

From the class of '72; For me, the greatest thing about the 70's high school experience was the available and inexpensive media. Newspapers cost a dime. A weekly news magazine subscription could be had for 5 dollars. Movies, TV and music was becoming more diverse and interesting. Nobody ever worried about being gunned down at school; it was unheard of. Compared to today, teachers were well paid and mostly left alone to do their job. Usually, my teachers seemed enthusiastic and professional. The general belief was if we could graduate, we could probably forgo college and make a decent living in a unionized factory. It was a world of expanding freedom and knowledge.

[@RivetGardener]

Graduated in 1980. I remember these huge classrooms full of typewriters for classes to teach typing for future secretary work. Also a wing (was a huge HS) for hairdressing and cosmetology classes. Back then, the main groups (numerically small though) were either a "freak" or a "jock". The rest, most of us, just went through our day as regular kids. Pot was rampant. Went to a concert to see Lynyrd Skynyrd at (the no longer Capital Center in Washington DC) for $10.50. There was no crime, nobody carried guns. It was kind of fun, but I was glad to graduate and get out and get into real life away from the cliques, which I learned are forever going on, ever on, no matter where you work.

[@kylemoran4343]

Saw a lot of concerts at the Capital Center back in the day. Loved general admission !! There were "more" drugs in my catholic school then in most public schools back then... But NO GUNS in either, Just fists !

[@QuietStormX]

1980 I graduated High School in Alexandria, VA. Lived around the Beltway in Montgomery County, MD. I served in the Air Force all overseas in Asia & Europe. Saw the World and history you read about. In the Philippines on vacation just before.. I Served in the Air Force as a Jet Engine Mechanic, Turbo Fans too.. :-D

[@jameswatt4694]

Class of 80 as well. Punk Rock saved my life. Or runied it - the jury is still deliberating....

[@ruthresetar5940]

I do not even need to watch this to tell you that as a youth in the 1970's it was the best.

[@bbowen1751]

Most of those photos look 72ish. Especially the hair and short dresses. I remember having "feathered" bangs, shoulder length hair. And I wore mostly levi jeans, a cute top, or sweater and platforms.The bands I remember were, Boston, Foreigner, Journey, Styx, and Peter Frampton.

[@freedomforever6718]

I graduated in 73. My high school experience was pretty much the way you depicted it. The best part was very little violence. I was never afraid of going to school. The teachers were friendly but demanded respect. Most people regardless of clique got along with each other. And yes many of us experimented with pot and LSD. After I graduated I became a construction worker and then real-estate developer.

[@derlingerardclair6252]

I graduated in 74.Unfortunately I didn;t keep in touch with the few people I knew back in high school,Some of them may be living out of state,or they may possilby even be deceased by now,God only knows?

[@freedomforever6718]

@@derlingerardclair6252 , Several dozen of the people in my class have passed away. I've been to three reunions over the years and this year was my 50th reunion but I didn't receive an invitation. My town is small enough that I would have heard if it was happening but I didn't. No biggie. The people from high school that I care about are still friends.

[@cynthiamurphy3669]

I also graduated from high school in 1973 (Dayton, Ohio). In my junior-senior years, we worked two weeks per month alternating with school for two weeks and attended school all year long. My school was half white, half black and located downtown. We had a decent football team. Those were very different times. I was actually more into the Motown sound back then and have never cared much about rock music. I came from a white mostly catholic neighborhood in the city. Anyway, I feel we were far more mature when compared to other high schools in the city and were treated that way, and we mostly dressed as though we were on the job, even when back in school. Not a lot of room for goof-offs, and you had to keep your grades up or you would be kicked out. You'd better never get caught in the hallways between classes unless you had a permission slip on you, as the assistant principal was always patrolling. I only remember two girls getting pregnant; one was a freshman and had to leave; she married the guy and is still married to him. The other one only missed one day of school throughout her pregnancy when she was a senior. We really did have a leg up when it came to the working world back then, what with Dayton being a rust belt city. We had several GM plants, hospitals, plenty of good places for employment. Many did go on to college. Sadly, quite a few of my fellow students are deceased at this time.

[@freedomforever6718]

@@cynthiamurphy3669, Great story! Thanks. Happy 50th High School Anniversary!

[@LeeFKoch]

I went to high school in the 80s. Judging by your pics, I'd say that one of the biggest changes was that girls started wearing pants a lot more often, and when they did wear dresses or skirts, the hemlines were lower than in the 70s. I know the dress code forbade anything shorter than one hand-width above the knees. Of course, hair-dos were different, too. And for the guys, other than bell bottoms disappearing, there really wasn't too much difference in what we wore. Again, hair-dos, and the cool kids wore parachute pants. As far as the description goes, I'd say that pretty much was true of high school in the 80s as well. Okay, the music we listened to was different, and we hung around in cliques. There were the jocks, the band bobs, the theater arts kids, the preppies, the druggies, etc.

[@tilu3303]

Dress codes in the early 70's were virtually non-existent where I went to school. I think it took awhile for administrations to think they might be needed. I remember no length requirement for miniskirts and short dresses as it wasn't unusual to see floral dresses with matched/coordinated undies.

[@SteveBrownRocks2023]

I graduated HS in ‘77. It was a good time! The 5 years AFTER HS were even BETTER!

[@sbolfing]

When I was a freshman, girls were required to wear dresses or skirts. In my sophomore year, they were allowed to wear pant suits. Finally, as juniors, girls could wear jeans. For boys, the biggest changes were: losing hair code (except for athletics) and being able to wear sandals. I am still close friends with people I went to high school with - we're all in our late 60s now! But, we also saw the implementation of bussing (forced integration) - which led to some hard feelings, but for the most part, the kids just decided to get along with each other and not let the adults pass their problems to us. We were never rude to teachers, but could courteously disagree.

[@kristytimm1727]

Ppl

[@brisnwinters8161]

I went to high school 71 to 75 brings back many memories.

[@pnwester2697]

We're the best and that's no jive, we're the class of 75

[@frogger74]

My favorite 70's memories is listening to Casey Kasem on SiriusXm's 70's On7 ,and; listening to American Top 40 1970-79 especially the Long Distance Dedications when people wrote awesome stories about a memory of a song & asked if Casey would play it on Casey's program.

[@hertzair1186]

Does anyone else remember the jean fad in the ‘70’s we called “inside out pants” ….they were blue jeans with gold stitching on the outside…they were all the rage in 73-75….they were kind of the pre-curser to fashion jeans.

[@mread958]

1979 graduate Here. Concerts were AWESOME! I remember standing in line for them because there was no "online" then. High school was a blast. Everyone had "Boston's More Than A Feeling" blasting out of every car radio in the drive thru at McDonald's. White painter pants? Anyone else have them? Radio was AWESOME! babysitting on Friday night unless you had a date of course. Man getting your license was so liberating! Freedom and then oh man I am late for curfew! I drank alot in high school but prided myself on no pot. Had A bad surgery and now I smoke every day. Funny how when we grow up, we see what really matters. I thought learning shorthand I would be set with a job anywhere. Little did we know............

[@Sctronic209]

Class of ‘78 Illinois was a great time to grow up. Miss those days.

[@TheBennie102103]

Tolman HS class of 1978, Pawtucket RI :)

[@cancel1913]

Class of 75! Yahoooooooo!!!

[@terri348]

Graduated in 1976. Many of these pictures look exactly like ones in my senior yearbook!

[@tonyherdina9142]

Us that grew up in the 60s and 70s were product of parents that grew up during the depression and possibly a father that was in WWII or the Korean War.

[@cajunsushi]

I’m thankful for my San Diego High School days. We were much more diverse with White, Black, Chicano and Asian students. Seems we had more elective classes back then too, heck we even had a gun range for ROTC Marksmanship classifications . In my junior year you could take a semester of driving classroom instruction and then driving with an instructor in new Chevrolet Impalas.

[@SputnickSpooner-jg5gi]

Driving instruction in a huge 1973 Ford LTD.

[@jeng1395]

I was in elementary and junior high in the 70s, what an awesome time to be young!

[@laurencemarkmallak3076]

Thanks for bringing back some fond memories from high school in 1973 thru 1976 at West Milwaukee High School in West Milwaukee, WI. We create very strong life long bonds during the high school years.

[@Jeffrey.Seelman]

I went to Shorewood 1974-1978. We pretty much did whatever we wanted to do. Very close friends and very large parties. Cheap concert tickets. Lots of weed

[@johnschultz9023]

Hamilton class of '76!!!!!

[@realdealradio]

@@Jeffrey.Seelman Dominican HS then Shorewood briefly same time period around '76

[@Richard-y2n]

I went to hs from 71-74. One of the best times of my life!

[@larryjex6485]

Great video, but most of these images appear to be very early '70s and even late '60s. I graduated from Camden H.S. in San Jose in 1978, and very few girls were wearing skirts at this point. Most of us wore our hair a lot longer than in these images, and a lot of guys were parting in down the middle and "blowing it out" with a hair dryer. The lowrider culture was alive and well at my high school, and we had a lot of Chola Girls who really imbraced it. In fact the song "Low Rider" by War (1975) was our unofficial school song. The fashions at this time had become highly influenced by disco and even new wave, and we were listening to groups like Blondie, The Cars, Donna Summer, The Runaways, and even The Sex Pistols if you were a "waver". One of the fondest memories was going to see 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' with my buds.

[@mikemancini3907]

Thanks Kevin for another great walk back in time when things were so cool and great 👍

[@kl0wnkiller912]

Graduated a year late in 1979 (we moved mid year). Overall I had a great time in High School. I partied a lot but still managed to graduate with a decent score. We moved to a small town and school there was a bit different but I fit in pretty well. I was a gearhead and loved hot rod cars (still do) and I did my share of street racing on the weekends. School back then was not a place where we were told how to be 'politically correct' or any of that nonsense. We were taught math, science, literature, physical education... the things people really need to succeed and it has served me well my whole life. I had a great time in the 70s overall. The music is still unmatched in my opinion. And as he said, yes, I do miss it. It was a great time to be young and alive. I would not trade it with growing up in today's mess for the world.

[@abingdonpresbyterianchurch4069]

I went to High school in the 70s. This was a good walk down memory lane. There was one thing that was very different from today. Smoking cigarettes! The teacher's lounge was a smokey place (just coming to the door of it). And we had a smoking area for the students as well. Not that this was a good thing, but it is something that today's HS students would find hard to believe. In the early 70's we still had a dress code with no jeans aloud, and hair length on boys was regulated. I had a part in getting that changed. I do remember guys outside who would not be let in for having their hair too long.

[@nancybump6876]

Cool pics The History Lounge! I remember typing class for sure. It was a fun time in my life and I did feel safe at school. It is so sad for students now having to be scared to go to school.

[@TheHistoryLounge]

I remember my typing class too, with Mrs. Clark. She used to play rock music on her radio while we typed!

[@anthonycashero7605]

Girls, we're fun and moral. The majority had self-respect. Most got better as they grew older.

[@HaveaVH5150]

Loved those days,graduated in 80.Started to see major bands from mid 70s until now.Have a ton of stubs.Seen most of the bands played on classic stations.5-$10 back then.VH,Sabbath,AC/DC,Nugent,Deep Purple among some in 78.Great times and high school wasn’t bad!

[@Go4Corvette]

I remember this, but I was very independent and didn't hang out with the groups or drug addicted guys. I was into sports and motorcycle racing. North Hollywood High class of 1979.

[@MrKdr500]

seems like motorcycle racing kept a few of us away from drugs....

[@serinachilders74]

76 to 80 here, the drug most kids were doing was pot, a few were doing moms pills. No acid more a 60's thing. Girls and guys wore jeans, T shirts, short shorts, striped top tube socks. Music was rock or disco. Was glad to leave it all behind and get on with life. I hated school.

[@BeCreativewithTerryJeanette]

I graduated in 77. I remember the girls had long straight hair, parted in the middle. Puka shells, bell bottom hip huggers, wide belts and platform shoes were very popular. We had the best music!

[@tommywilliams8953]

Aaah the 1970's, this really takes me back. Back to when I was still dead and not born yet!🤤

[@davidmurray5399]

I played football, was on the wrestling team and played baseball. I was an "AV" nerd[I would set up your Bell&Howell projector!], was in the school theater group, I had a DJ gig on our school radio station and worked at the local A&P grocery store. My friends and I went to concerts[Deep Purple, The Who, Rolling Stones, MC5, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, just a few examples]. Because I had a radio show, I could get samples at Chess records[Blues and Jazz, on 45s(remember those!!)]. I had a great time, there was always something going on!

[@GingerCarney-p5d]

Class of ‘72. I went to a Catholic school so we wore uniforms. I liked it since I didn’t have to worry what I wore to school everyday. I’m sure my parents saved money on my clothes. We had some great high school years and I’d go back in a minute! Most of us were involved in extracurricular activities, including lots of sports. I think it created lots of bonds & friendships. Our class is still very close-we just had our 50 year reunion and about half of us showed up!! Most of us treasure what we had back then ❤️

[@percubit10]

Awesome time and beautiful people.

[@duckfood65]

I still have a super stud necklace I had in 1973. I wore it everyday in 9th grade. Lost it for 42 years. After my parents died we cleaned out my old room. I found my Daisy Red Ryder, some pot pipes, Zig Zag wheat straw rolling papers, an Oat Willie power hitter, many LP's, some clothes, lighters, 2 packs of Kool's, and someone put a bunch of skin mags under my bed. What a day that was. I slipped back in time for a while. If only my 1968 R/S was still in the garage I would slip way back in time, and never return.

[@chuckaddison5134]

Man! Looking at these pictures and realizing that those still with us are all grey headed grandparents.

[@JohnPaulBakshoian]

Most high schools in the 1970s would have had a lot of Liberal Arts classes available: Art, Marching Band, Music Orchestra, Singing, Auto and Wood Shop, Sewing, Cooking, Typing, Computers and even Driver's Education. These elective courses allowed you to experience a subject; something outside of your normal purview that wasn't Readin', Ritin' and Rithmatic. It was acceptable and expected that you participate in these cultural activities as well as academic. I'm not sure when all that started changing, but I'm sure it was mostly gone by the '90s. Which is sad because High School is where one should experiment and sample these things as later in life it can become more difficult to approach learning it.

[@susanfaulkner2304]

Now, the kids would use the various objects from these bygone classes as weapons!

[@tracedehaven2190]

I could look at these photos and tell, pretty easily, whether they were taken in the early 70's or later, after 1975. Styles changed a lot. I think most of these are from the early 70's, and one or two even look like the late 60's, or 1970-71 at the latest.

[@nickshelley3118]

graduated in 78, had a smoking area, i didnt smoke, could drink at 18, of course not at school, could get in a fight and not have them call the police out, and the list goes on. 70's were the most freedom that will ever be in this country, glad i was in the middle of it. oh yeah, forgot my cars i drove to school, 57 chevy, 69 chevelle ss, and my parents little red badass datsun 510

[@RussellMiller-gh7fb]

That was a different world we lived in then.

[@pjperdue1293]

I was a teenager in the 1970s and most of these photos are from the 1960s. They were very, very different decades.

[@Khatoon170]

Thank you for your wonderful cultural documentary channel. Iam Arabic lady subscriber to several British and American KZbin channels. I was born in 1970s I turned to 48 years old. Same high school curriculum in USA same too in Arabic countries as well. But in Saudi Arabia my homeland we studied English language little bit late at middle schools. Recently they teach English language at kindergartens. Actually as I read high schools in 1970s in USA were open classes, less government involvement in education . USA high school curriculum math four years included algebra , geometry, trigonometry. English four years covers classic , drama , research, writing. Science three classes involved biology, chemistry, physics.history three years classes USA history , world history . Civic are common requirement . Yes we choose at high schools to study either literary sections including history , geography, language , literature or scientific sections included math , science including ( chemistry, biology, physics) till now days . Fashion of high school students in 1970s known as hippie inspired bell bottom . Thank you for giving us chance to read learn new information improve our English language as well.

[@Julia29853]

Thanks for being here! Ive seen photos of Middle Eastern countries from those time, some dressed more in western style than they do now.

[@mimime5376]

Thanks for the memories! Class of 70!

[@UncleSam-bu9gz]

My high school years are immortalized in "Remember the Titans" with Denzel Washington. I was there during the time it covers.

[@Laine2539]

I went to HS from 1973 to 1977.. it was a newly built school. Many of our teachers were fresh out of college, we had a smoking lounge, and you were allowed to go outside at lunch and play frisbee on the front lawn of the school. We did not have our own football field for another year, and there was no senior class my freshman year. My class of 1977, was the first class to graduate attending all four years in that new school building.

[@tommystx]

sounds like Maine North in Desplanes Ill. Where the Breakfast Club was filmed

[@misterwhipple2870]

It wasn't Brantley, was it?

[@Grannylovescoffee]

I was thinking Lake Brantley in FL also

[@misterwhipple2870]

@@Grannylovescoffee Did you go to Brantley? I did, for 2 1/2 years, leaving in '76. The description fits perfectly; the stadium was not finished until '75 and '77 was the first class to have attended all 4 years in the new building.

[@Grannylovescoffee]

@@misterwhipple2870 yes I did. I graduated in ‘76. I had a fun time there

[@chrismoody1342]

50 years ago. Can you believe it.

[@piratepete842]

And a few short years later we all dancing under the disco ball..the guys wearing the loud leisure suits.. I still have a brown suede one..but boogie was my forte

[@karukun0212]

Go Mitchell (Colorado Springs, class of 77)! 1-2-3-4-5 Mitchell High don't take no jive. Pretty right on here; right on baby for sharing the memories. Lots of dances by the way--with live rock bands. They would always play Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple), Brick House (Commodores) and Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin) without fail. My hair was at my shoulders, bell-bottoms at my ankles and I had the time of my life cruising for chicks in my yellow Plymouth Satellite.

[@jasonbertalotto2355]

Groovy times

[@bigkittylittlekitty1740]

Class of 1980 memories: preppy clothes, manual typewriters, kids streaking through the HS, real-food lunches actually made in the HS, study halls, albums, the presidential fitness award, saying “bullshit”, drinking 3.2 beer in Ohio, wearing hideous one-piece zippered gym suits (gross me out), hall monitors, “that behavior will go on your permanent record”, reading Moby Dick (bullshit book), developing film and photos in the photo lab, driver’s ed in a leaky car, audio-visual geeks, and a field trip to the HS basement to view 2 computers (run by geeks).

[@MsJNix]

I graduated in 1976. I don't remember wearing short dresses and skirts like the girls in this video. I remember women wore long dresses to the ankle when they were attending weddings, graduations etc. It was a very interesting time for fashion.

[@kingporter67]

Excellent 1970's High School back in time video!!

[@North49191]

I went to high school in the 70's and nobody dressed like that. This is more like the 60's.

[@tilu3303]

At 1:54 those hairstyles were definitely 1960's. No girls wore their hair like that unless it was nostalgia week or something. By the mid-70's it was totally uncool for guys to have their ears not covered by hair.

[@johnnyc5422]

...and I don't remember so many adorable girls in high school in the 70's. None of these pictures are from my area, that's for sure.

[@nealinnc]

early 70's maybe. I was in jr high 74-76 and HS 77-80. We dressed in jeans and t-shirts in the late 70's maybe a few flower shirts still left

[@Jeffrey.Seelman]

I completely agree. I went to high school from 1974 to 1978. All the dudes had long hair, well most of them anyway. Bell-bottoms went out with the 60s. The only thing that they got right were the drugs and the music and our high school teachers not wanting to interfere. They just wanted us to go away on Friday after school so they could party themselves.

[@Tuck_Frump2024]

Hey Johnny let's see your picture. I bet you looked like Jason Momoa?! NOT!

[@TrustKnowWun]

The teens in this video look wholesome. We weren't quite so. Our divorced mom worked 2nd shift, so we were left alone most of the time; took care of ourselves, cooked, cleaned, watched our little brother; partook in things we probably wouldn't have if a parent would have been present. Two of us were "in trouble" all the time (burnouts), and the other 2 were the "good kids" (jocks) who got all the attention and praise. But we all survived and turned out relatively sane.

[@15DurangoRT]

When boys were actually boys and girls were actually girls!

[@skywishr1313]

Just like now

[@eliseintheattic9697]

No, they just pretended to be so they wouldn't get beat up.

[@GenXamerica]

Except for Lola…L O L A…Lola 😂😂😂

[@tomsuh1362]

And you can call ed girls "chicks"

[@dbelex]

@@skywishr1313 just don't turn on the TV

[@ncwdane]

My HS was literally more like Fast times at Ridgemont High than this video & we had our "Farris Bueller days off" episodes too... But we never meant harm & it was all in fun, I like what you said, we felt in a safe environment, i miss the networking & comradery Orange county SoCal between Disneyland & The beach, Disney was so affordable back then, we could go dancing there in the summer 2 days a week, easy & Knotts berry farm another, hit the beach the rest of the days :-) (Party every weekend 200-300 ppl) someone's house

[@robbiesellers3384]

Class of 77. Skirts were short. Love the jet skirt.

[@doctordetroit4339]

Girls had long natural hair.....were thin and wore dresses or skirts......no tatts or facial suds.....no obesity...wow. Whudda thunk?

[@valerievaughan6201]

Odd how you don’t diss the boys of today.

[@rascal211]

@@valerievaughan6201 We don't care how the boys look.

[@The_best_days_are_yesterdays]

Lincoln Mall, Matteson, Illinois opened in 1973 when I was 14 and I enjoyed spending the better part of my teens there. Such good memories, some of the best years of my life. I miss those days so much.