Wednesday, July 11, 2012: The "Telephone In The 70's Edition"

By 1971 there were over 100 million phones in service.

However, the 1970's would prove to be some of the darkest days for the telephone. Well, Bell Telephone Company, I mean.

In 1974, an antitrust lawsuit was filed by the U.S. Department of Justice against Bell , alleging illegal practices by the Telephone Company to stifle competition in the telecommunications industry. After almost a decade of litigation, the suit was finally settled on January 8, 1982, and led to the break up of Ma Bell into the Baby Bells in 1984.

Another example of turmoil in the 1970's. It was truly a world in upheaval, saturated in change, born out of decades of frustration with the status quo. Punks like Johnny Thunders would rise up in rebellion against the very bands like ELO.

And it was all glorious. And horrible. And the breeding ground for some of the best music ever made. Fact.