This American Songwriter article looks back at glam rock's rise in the 1970s, arguing that a handful of standout songs and striking televised performances propelled the genre into the mainstream, particularly in the UK. It highlights how visual flamboyance and androgynous style, alongside the music itself, were central to glam rock capturing public attention and shaping an era.

The piece focuses on three tracks. T. Rex's "Hot Love", performed by Marc Bolan on Top of the Pops in March 1971 in a silver suit and his wife's glitter, is credited with sparking the movement; David Bowie's "Starman", played on the same show in 1972, reached No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart and introduced his androgynous alien character Ziggy Stardust; and Slade's heavier "Cum On Feel The Noize" entered the UK chart at No. 1, the first song to do so since The Beatles' "Get Back" roughly four years earlier.