This article is part of an editorial series sponsored by our friends over at HBO celebrating the launch of their new show 'Vinyl,' from Martin Scorsese, Mick Jagger, and Terry Winter exploring the crazy and fantastic world of music in the 1970s. Throughout the week, Noisey will analyze this iconic era with articles looking back in time.--The 1970s was the decade of decadence, before the 80s came along and freebased their way over the top. Bands like Suicide, artists like Bowie, they took over the stage and took you to a whole new world. This was the post-Beatles uptight decade, the decade before we suddenly realized that our heroes weren't actually invincible.It was a time and a place where anything could happen if you just wanted it to. Elvis met Nixon. The Kent State massacre occured just as the decade began. The Beatles ended and The Ramones and Sex Pistols picked up where they left off, only this time more aggressive, as if an answer to the rumblings and dissatisfaction with the way the United States was handling Vietnam. We lost Nixon, and gained disco, though many are still arguing over who really got the short end of the stick.No matter what you think of the 70s and their high-rolling, coked out excess, at least put on your headphones and enjoy some of the best hits and B-sides from the era that will never die.Check out our playlist now.