If the 1950s were the golden age of rock n roll, the 70s were the silver... specifically, from 1970-76.
That's not to disqualify the 60s as a high point in music (the Beatles and Motown, for example obviously disprove that), but rather to point out that the early 70s was a high point in creativity and options...
Back then, there was no "format" for radio stations... instead, if it was good, it went on the air. As a result, a typical 1973 AM radio station would swing from R&B, to country, to rock, to a ballad, to soul, to an oldie, and then something brand new.
Program directors, focus groups, advertisers and so on have now splintered radio (and music listeners) into such segmented audiences, that the commonality of music is hopelessly a thing of the past.
As Perplexio alluded to, it was the era of the singer/songwriter, when Jim Croce could sing about his recovery from a failed relationship to a telephone operator; where Harry Chaplin could express the universal regret of fathers and sons who didn't spend enough time together because of the demands of the world...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etundhQa724&feature=relatedIt was an era when country, rock and blues once again intertwined in the form of Southern rock, as Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Allman Brothers, the Marshall Tucker Band and so on sung about the South or typical "country" themes, with a much harder edge than what country was doing at the time. That sound would forever change country music later in the decade as people like Waylon Jennings and Hank Williams Jr. created the "outlaw" sound that continues to echo across country music today.
It was an era where some of the best soul music I ever heard became part of my life... Al Wilson's "Show & Tell", the Spinners' "I'll Be Around", Billy Paul's "Me & Mrs. Jones" and so on... Stevie Wonder's album, "Songs In the Key Of Life" with such classics as "I Wish" and "Sir Duke"... Indeed, I used to watch Don Cornellias and Soul Train to see some of my favorite singers of the day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGq0GZ9noA&feature=fvstAlso the variety shows of the day used to feature quite a few musicians, too...
It was also the era of excess and arena rock, as bands such as KISS and solo musicians such as Alice Cooper began to create a theatrical show as well as sing and play music. It was only a matter time before the rock operas of The Who ("Tommy") Styx and Queen were the next extension.
This is my favorite decade of music...