3 Spacey Songs From the 70s That We Love to the Moon and Back
The article looks at three space-themed songs associated with the 1970s, a decade shaped by the final Apollo missions and the arrival of Star Wars. It highlights how space and science fiction influenced popular music, from disco adaptations of film scores to songs about the costs of life in space.
Meco’s 1977 disco version of the Star Wars theme reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Elton John’s “Rocket Man” drew on a Ray Bradbury story about an astronaut whose work keeps him away from his family. David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” was first released in 1969 to coincide with Apollo 11, then gained further commercial success when reissued in the US and UK during the 1970s.
- Meco’s Star Wars disco hit reached No. 1.
- “Rocket Man” was inspired by a Ray Bradbury story.
- “Space Oddity” became more successful after 1970s reissues.