Music in the UK, 1970s

Though popular rock and roll was still a force in England during the 1970s--the Rolling Stones were still on the charts--its influence was somewhat overshadowed first by the break-up of the Beatles at the beginning of the decade, and then by the emergence of other potent strains of rock and roll.

Glam Rock, which is most notably exemplified by David Bowie, continued to shine through bands like T. Rex. Led Zeppelin was reinventing Blues Rock into what would later become Heavy Metal at the hands of acts like Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. Punk Rock arrived head on, the Sex Pistols leading the way and others, like the Clash, following close behind. Finally, Folk Rock continued to have an influence, championed by the Fairport Convention and perfected by such greats as Nick Drake.

The article on Wikipedia has more details.