Best articles of the 1970s

This is a subsection of the larger Best Magazine Articles Ever list. The list introduction, top 25, and links to other decades are here.

* Woody Allen, “A Fan’s Notes on Earl Monroe.” Sport Magazine. Originally appeared in the now defunct Sport magazine, and later published in the Norton Book of Sports, available on Google Books here.

********* Hunter S. Thompson, “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved.” Scanlan’s Monthly, June 1970.

* Tom Wolfe, “Radical Chic & Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers.” New York Magazine, June 8, 1970. [Ed.’s note: This is actually two pieces that were collected in a single volume. The text of the first essay is available at the New York Magazine link above; the text of the second essay is available here.]

* Norman Mailer, “Ego.” Life, March 19, 1971.

***** Ron Rosenbaum, “Secrets of the Little Blue Box.” Esquire, October 1971. The first and best account of telephone hackers, more amazing than you might believe.

***** Hunter S. Thompson, “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream.” Rolling Stone. Part I: November 11, 1971; Part II: November 25, 1971.

* David Felton, “The Lyman Family’s Holy Siege of America.” Rolling Stone. Part I: December 23, 1971; Part II: January 2, 1972. Rolling Stone for several years in the 70s was, along with Co-Evolution, was the best periodical going. I saw you listed the Patty Hearst story. But for my money the absolute best was this creepy but true story on the Mel Lyman cult.

** Nora Ephron, “A Few Words About Breasts.” Esquire, May 1972. [Ed.’s note: Republished in Ephron’s Crazy Salad.]

** Stewart Brand, “Space War: Fanatic Life and Symbolic Dearth Among Computer Bums.” Rolling Stone, December 7, 1972. Written nearly 40 years ago, this account of virtual realities has all the classic props: midnight hours, geek humor, nerd hubris, and other worldliness.

* Brad Darrach, “The Day Bobbly Blew It.” Playboy, July 1973. Republished in Halberstam’s The Best American Sports Writing of the Century.

* Cameron Crowe, “The Allman Brothers Story.” Rolling Stones, December 6, 1973.

* Hunter S. Thompson, “The Great Shark Hunt.” Playboy, December 1974. [Ed.’s note: Rebpublished in Thompson’s anthology of the same name, The Great Shark Hunt.]

* Roger Angell, “The Sporting Scene, Down the Drain.” The New Yorker, June 23, 1975. The best writer we’ve ever had on baseball explores what happens when an ace pitcher’s talent simply abandons him.

* Howard Kohn and David Weir, “Tania’s World: The Inside Story.” Rolling Stone, October 23, 1975. About Patty Hearst’s kidnapping.

* Lester Bangs, “The Greatest Album Ever Made.” Creem, March 1976.

* Robert Scheer, “The Playboy Interview: Jimmy Carter.” Playboy, November 1976.

* John McPhee, “Coming into the Country.” The New Yorker, June 20, 1977. One of the best articles about Alaska, and Alaskans.

* Lester Bangs, “Where Were You When Elvis Died?” Village Voice, August 29, 1977.

* Frank Deford, “A Christmas Gift for Fort Zack.” Sports Illustrated, December 19, 1977.

* P. J. O’Rourke, “How to Drive Fast on Drugs While Getting Your Wing-Wang Squeezed and Not Spill Your Drink.” Republican Party Reptile, 1978.

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