Decades of airplay and cultural praise have shaped how certain 1970s artists are remembered today. Yet popularity does not always equal influence or innovation. Looking closer, it’s confusing how some of the so-called legends earned their status.

Some names topped charts while still driving people crazy. In the '70s, a band could be wildly popular and deeply disliked at the same time, sparking arguments that had nothing to do with talent or success.

Being influential doesn’t automatically mean being great. Several classic rock acts benefited from hype and exposure while delivering catalogs that remain uneven when examined beyond their biggest hits.

Rosanne Cash carries one of the proudest family traditions in American music.

Shinki Chen’s career is one of rock’s most fascinating disappearances. In the early ’70s, he was shredding with the kind of fire that made critics call him “Japan’s Hendrix.” But just as he seemed destined for global fame, he simply turned his back on the industry forever. So what happened? Here’s the wild, true story of a guitar legend who walked away right as he was about to explode.

Leaving the most successful girl group in pop history sounds like the kind of move legends make. In reality, Diana Ross’s exit from The Supremes was filled with second-guessing, stalled momentum, and moments where even Motown’s inner circle wondered if the leap had been mistimed. The woman who helped define the sound of the 1960s suddenly had to redefine herself—and that reinvention didn’t come easily.