Def Leppard made their bow at Westfield School on July 18, 1978, while the Human League’s debut gig took place a month earlier at the Wham Bar in Sheffield University Students’ Union on June 12, 1978.
As if that were not enough, 1978 was also the year in which Jarvis Cocker formed Pulp, who nearly two decades later would uncork the classic anthem Common People, one of the Britpop era’s few true masterpieces.
These pictures take you back to those heady days in Sheffield, revealing how much has changed since those three bands took their first strides towards greatness nearly half a century ago.
The retro photo gallery shows many of the popular shops, pubs and other businesses of the era that have long since vanished, along with several other lost landmarks, including the Hallam Tower Hotel and the Bernard Road incinerator, once named as the worst in England.
During the year in which the first IVF baby was born, these nostalgic images show how Woolworths was still doing a roaring trade on The Moor, while shoppers flocked to Debenhams and Robert Brothers department stores.
The Royal Hospital is pictured on West Street a few years prior to being torn down; Sheaf Valley Baths is shown long before it was replaced by Ponds Forge; and demolition crews are already busy consigning The Albert pub, on the corner of Division Street and Cambridge Street, to history.
Elsewhere, Sheaf Market is pictured during its heyday, Sheaf Valley Baths is seen many years before it would be replaced by Ponds Forge, and the legendary owner of a famous Sheffield record store is shown behind her shop counter.
Sheffield Wednesday fans of a certain age will recognise the club’s latest signing being put through his paces, while Sheffield United supporters can see the club’s Bramall Lane stadium as it looked following the completion of a new £1 million stand.
These fascinating black and white photos capture life as it was back then, both in the city centre and in the suburbs, from Attercliffe to the Manor estate.
You may recognise some of the characters pictured, from binmen and police officers to schoolchildren.
Amid all the upheaval since the 70s, some things remain reassuringly familiar.
One of Sheffield's most historic buildings, the Old Queens Head pub, can be seen looking much as it does today, despite its surroundings having changed dramatically.
Do these photos bring back any memories for you of Sheffield during the late 70s, and what do you miss most about life all those years ago?
1. Looking down The Moor
Looking down The Moor from Pinstone Street in January 1978, showing shops including Debenhams, Robert Brothers, and Atkinsons department store | Picture Sheffield/Sheffield Newspapers Ltd Photo: Picture Sheffield/Sheffield Newspapers Ltd
2. Fargate
Shoppers on Fargate, in Sheffield city centre, in 1978 | Sheffield Newspapers Ltd
3. Top Rank
The Top Rank bingo club (formerly Odeon Cinema), seen from Esperanto Place, Sheffield city centre, showing the steps to Flat Street, in December 1978 | Picture Sheffield/Sheffield Newspapers Ltd Photo: Picture Sheffield/Sheffield Newspapers Ltd
4. The Hermitage
The Hermitage pub on London Road, Sheffield, which was also known as Harvey's Tavern, Harvey's Bar and R and R, pictured in September 1978. The original Hermitage was bombed in the blitz. | Picture Sheffield/Sheffield Newspapers Ltd Photo: Picture Sheffield/Sheffield Newspapers Ltd