1. Over the Edge (1979)
This gritty teen drama gave Matt Dillon his very first movie role, and he was only 14 at the time. The story about restless suburban kids rebelling against parents and teachers felt shockingly real, almost documentary-like. It wasn’t a big hit when it came out, but it perfectly captured late ’70s teen angst.
Though mostly forgotten today, it influenced later youth rebellion films and even caught the attention of Kurt Cobain, who cited it as an inspiration. For a certain generation, it’s a cult classic, but most people today have never seen it. Still, it deserves credit for showing how raw and messy teen life really was at the time.
2. The Bad News Bears (1976)
Starring Walter Matthau and a young Tatum O’Neal, this underdog baseball comedy was a massive hit in its day. It told the story of a misfit little league team full of rough-around-the-edges kids who shocked everyone with their determination. The kids didn’t act polished, and that’s exactly why audiences loved them.
The film spawned sequels and even a short-lived TV show, but the original has largely faded from mainstream memory. Still, it defined how sports comedies could center around kids and feel authentic. O’Neal became the youngest actor ever to win an Oscar a few years earlier, and this role cemented her as one of the decade’s most famous teen stars.
3. Carrie (1976)
While remembered as a horror classic, Carrie was also one of the most striking teen movies of the decade. Starring Sissy Spacek as the shy girl tormented at school and Piper Laurie as her terrifyingly strict mother, it was as much about the pain of adolescence as it was about supernatural powers.
The prom scene remains one of the most iconic in movie history, but younger audiences may not realize just how groundbreaking it was at the time. It inspired countless other films about bullying, revenge, and teen identity struggles. Today, people remember Carrie as “that horror movie,” but in the ’70s, it was a defining teen story.
4. Breaking Away (1979)
This sweet coming-of-age film about four small-town friends in Indiana won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. It centered on a bike-racing teen played by Dennis Christopher, alongside a cast that included a young Dennis Quaid and Daniel Stern. The story was heartfelt and realistic about small-town dreams.
Though critically acclaimed, it’s not a film that gets much attention today. At the time, though, it was celebrated for showing teen friendship and identity struggles with real warmth. It also helped launch Quaid and Stern toward bigger Hollywood careers.
5. Foxes (1980)
Technically released right at the turn of the decade, this film still embodies ’70s teen culture. Jodie Foster played a rebellious California teen dealing with friendships, love, and growing up too fast. The soundtrack was loaded with disco and rock, making it a time capsule of the era.
While Foster is remembered for her more serious roles, Foxes showed her teenage side and resonated with young audiences at the time. It’s mostly forgotten now, but it helped usher in a new wave of teen dramas in the early ’80s.
6. Cooley High (1975)
This comedy-drama set in Chicago told the story of Black teens navigating friendship, love, and tragedy. It was loosely based on the real-life experiences of screenwriter Eric Monte, who went on to co-create Good Times. The film was praised for its humor and honesty.
Although it doesn’t get talked about much today, it was a landmark in Black teen storytelling and influenced later films like Boyz n the Hood. For audiences in the ’70s, it felt refreshing to see teenage life portrayed outside the typical Hollywood mold.
7. American Graffiti (1973)
Directed by George Lucas, this movie was a monster hit when it came out, even though it feels overlooked now compared to Star Wars. It followed a group of teens cruising around on their last summer night before college, with an incredible soundtrack of ’50s and ’60s hits.
The cast was stacked with future stars like Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, and Cindy Williams. At the time, it defined nostalgia-driven teen films and inspired many imitators. Today, though, it’s overshadowed by Lucas’s other work, which is why it deserves to be remembered in this list.
8. Pretty Baby (1978)
This controversial film starred a very young Brooke Shields as a child growing up in a New Orleans brothel. At the time, it was marketed as “art” but shocked audiences with its subject matter. Shields was just 12 when she played the role, which makes the film even more debated today.
While it helped launch her career, it’s a movie that many people would rather forget. Still, in terms of teen stardom and notoriety, it defined the era’s willingness to push boundaries. It’s rarely mentioned now, but in the ’70s, it was headline-making.
9. Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Most people remember the soundtrack, but at its core, this was a teen movie about a 19-year-old kid trying to escape his dead-end life in Brooklyn. John Travolta became a megastar thanks to his role as Tony Manero, and the Bee Gees made disco a global phenomenon.
While the dance scenes are iconic, the story itself was raw and gritty, dealing with class struggles, identity, and broken dreams. Today it’s remembered mainly for the white suit and disco craze, but back then, it was a defining teen drama wrapped in music and style.
10. Grease (1978)
It’s hard to call Grease “forgotten,” but most people today remember it only as a musical and not as the ultimate teen film of its time. Starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, it told a story of high school romance, cliques, and teenage rebellion in the 1950s, viewed through a ’70s lens.
The songs and style made it timeless, but the movie was also very much about teen life—peer pressure, popularity, and figuring out who you want to be. Its cultural impact was massive, but modern audiences treat it more like camp nostalgia than the defining teen movie it was.
11. A Little Romance (1979)
This charming film starred a young Diane Lane in her very first role, alongside Laurence Olivier. The story followed two teenagers in Paris who fall in love and go on an adventure together. It was sweet, romantic, and very different from the more rebellious teen films of the decade.
Though it was well received, it’s hardly ever mentioned now. For Lane, it was the start of a long career, and for audiences then, it was a refreshing look at innocent young love. It may not have the notoriety of other teen films, but it represented another side of growing up in the ’70s.
12. Big Wednesday (1978)
This coming-of-age surf film starred Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, and Gary Busey. It followed three California friends as they grew from carefree surfers into adulthood, set against the backdrop of the Vietnam era. It was about more than just surfing—it was about friendship, change, and nostalgia.
At the time, it didn’t make much money, but it’s now considered one of the best surf films ever made. For teens in the ’70s, it reflected the mix of freedom and uncertainty that defined the decade. Today, though, it rarely comes up in conversations about classic teen films, even though it captured an entire youth culture.
