1974 Was a Year That Truly Rocked: The Biggest & Best Music That Defined the Year
Whether you wanted to rock on, rock your baby, rock and roll all night, spend midnight at the oasis, boogie down, boogie in the jungle, or be just entertained by all of it, 1974 was the year that anything was possible.
1974 in Music News …
Greenwich Village’s legendary The Bottom Line opens its doors.
The first American Music Awards air on ABC.
Everett Collection
The Captain marries Tennille, and soul legend Barry White and his Love Unlimited singer Glodean James tie the knot, while Cher files for divorce from Sonny Bono after a decade of marriage. Sly Stone of Sly & the Family Stone weds actress/model Kathy Silva mid-performance at Madison Square Garden.
Yes sells out two dates at Madison Square Garden without ever advertising the shows.
Rush releases its self-titled debut album.
John Lennon and Harry Nilsson get kicked out of Los Angeles’ Troubadour nightclub for heckling comedy act the Smothers Brothers.
Ian Dickson/Redferns
Queen plays its first North American concert, opening for Mott the Hoople in Denver.
Among the bands that formed in 1974 are .38 Special, Blondie, Cheap Trick, Jimmy Buffet’s Coral Reefer Band, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Firefall, Mannheim Steamroller and Squeeze.
Van Halen and the Ramones each perform for the first time.
Gene Stein/TV Guide /courtesy Everett Collection
Mama Cass Elliot dies of a heart attack in her sleep at age 32 after two weeks of solo shows in July at London’s Palladium. A still-popular rumor that Elliot choked to death on a ham sandwich was started by her own manager Allan Carr, who — suspecting something more unsavory and wanting to save his star’s reputation — fed the rumor to Elliot’s friend, Hollywood Reporter columnist Sue Cameron, who published it even though she doubted its truth.
Billboard Top 20 Albums of 1974
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road— Elton John
John Denver’s Greatest Hits— John Denver
Band on the Run— Paul McCartney & Wings
Innervisions— Stevie Wonder
You Don’t Mess Around With Jim— Jim Croce
American Graffiti Soundtrack— Various Artists
Imagination— Gladys Knight & the Pips
Behind Closed Doors— Charlie Rich
The Sting Soundtrack — Marvin Hamlisch
Tres Hombres— ZZ Top
Dark Side of the Moon— Pink Floyd
Bachman-Turner Overdrive II— Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Court & Spark— Joni Mitchell
Sundown— Gordon Lightfoot
Maria Muldaur— Maria Muldaur
I Got a Name— Jim Croce
Brain Salad Surgery— Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Ship Ahoy— The O’Jays
Full Sail — Loggins & Messina
Wild & Peaceful — Kool & the Gang
Billboard Top 50 Singles
Barbra Streisand — The Way We Were
Terry Jacks — Seasons in the Sun
Love Unlimited Orchestra —Love’s Theme
Redbone — Come and Get Your Love
The Jackson 5 — Dancing Machine
Grand Funk Railroad — The Loco-Motion
MFSB — TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)
Ray Stevens — The Streak
Elton John — Bennie and the Jets
Mac Davis — One Hell of a Woman
Aretha Franklin —Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)
Kool & the Gang — Jungle Boogie
Maria Muldaur — Midnight at the Oasis
The Stylistics — You Make Me Feel Brand New
Al Wilson — Show and Tell
Jim Stafford — Spiders and Snakes
David Essex — Rock On
John Denver — Sunshine on My Shoulders
Blue Magic — Sideshow
Blue Swede —Hooked on a Feeling
Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods — Billy Don’t Be a Hero
Paul McCartney & Wings — Band on the Run
Charlie Rich — The Most Beautiful Girl Jim Croce — Time in a Bottle
John Denver — Annie’s Song
Olivia Newton-John — Let Me Be There
Gordon Lightfoot — Sundown
Paul Anka — (You’re) Having My Baby
Andy Kim — Rock Me Gently
Eddie Kendricks — Boogie Down
Ringo Starr— You’re Sixteen
Olivia Newton-John — If You Love Me (Let Me Know)
Cher — Dark Lady
Gladys Knight & the Pips — Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me
Roberta Flack — Feel Like Makin’ Love
The Main Ingredient — Just Don’t Want to Be Lonely
Billy Preston — Nothing From Nothing
George McCrae — Rock Your Baby
The Carpenters — Top of the World
Steve Miller Band — The Joker
Gladys Knight & the Pips — I’ve Got to Use My Imagination
Three Dog Night — The Show Must Go On
The Hues Corporation — Rock the Boat
Brownsville Station — Smokin’ in the Boys Room
Stevie Wonder — Living for the City
Dionne Warwick & the Spinners — Then Came You
Paper Lace — The Night Chicago Died
Marvin Hamlisch — The Entertainer
ABBA — Waterloo
The Hollies — The Air That I Breathe
Popular Concert Tours of 1974
Bob Dylan and the Band 1974 Tour
Bruce Springsteen — Born to Run Tour ’74
David Bowie — The Diamond Dogs Tour
Elton John North American Tour
Kiss — The First Tour
Kiss — Hotter Than Hell Tour
George Harrison and Ravi Shankar — 1974 North American Tour
Fleetwood Mac — Heroes Are Hard to Find Tour
The Jackson 5 World Tour
Joni Mitchell — 1974 Tour of North America
Lynyrd Skynyrd — Nuthin’ Fancy Tour
Pink Floyd 1974 Tours
Queen — Sheer Heart Attack Tour
Santana — Welcome Tour
1974 (50 Years Ago)
January 2024
In this time capsule issue of ReMIND Magazine we look back 50 years ago to 1974!
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