Last Updated on July 16, 2025 by Colby Droscher
Ah, the ’70s. It was a decade of disco balls, bell bottoms, and shag carpets. While some look back fondly on the era’s groovy tunes and cultural revolutions, it wasn’t all platform shoes and peace signs. Beneath the surface of lava lamps and polyester suits were plenty of trends, technologies, and societal quirks that are better left in the past.
Whether it was the constant haze of cigarette smoke, clunky home appliances, or baffling fashion choices, the ’70s had their fair share of cringeworthy moments. In this list, we’re taking a stroll down memory lane, not to reminisce, but to remember exactly why we’re glad some things stayed behind. Here are 17 things no one misses about the 1970s.
1. Shag carpets
2. Crank windows
3. Rotary phones
4. Smoking everywhere (including the car)
5. Everything being brown and orange
6. Typewriters
7. No seatbelts in the backseat
8. Using a phone book
9. Adjusting the TV antennas
10. Wood paneling
11. Having to develop film
12. TV sign-offs
13. Paper maps
14. Lawn darts
15. Men’s short shorts that were way too short
16. Pay phones
17. Cars that got only 12 mpg
Want to see more content from the 1970s?
Check out 20 Muscle Cars From The 1970s, or take a look at 20 Vintage Photos of 1970s Suburbia. Finally, if you want to see the lost rituals of family life from the ’70s, check out 20 Lost Rituals of American Family Life in the 1970s.
