Song of the Year 1974

The Steve Miller Band had been successful since 1968 but it was not until The Joker that they gained popular acclaim. The song is famous for it quirky sounds (electric guitar wolf whistle), unique cliches (pompatus of love) and stolen lyrics (lovey dovey all the time). It became a hit again in 1990 after it was used in a blue jean advertisement and is still played often on rock classic radio stations. Steve Miller at Wiki

Billboard Top 40 of 1974

1. The Way We Were, Barbra Streisand
2. Seasons In The Sun, Terry Jacks
3. Love's Theme, Love Unlimited Orchestra
4. Come And Get Your Love, Redbone
5. Dancing Machine, Jackson 5
6. The Loco-Motion, Grand Funk Railroad
7. TSOP, MFSB
8. The Streak, Ray Stevens
9. Bennie And The Jets, Elton John
10. One Hell Of A Woman, Mac Davis
11. Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do), Aretha Franklin
12. Jungle Boogie, Kool and The Gang
13. Midnight At The Oasis, Maria Muldaur
14. You Make Me Feel Brand New, Stylistics
15. Show And Tell, Al Wilson
16. Spiders And Snakes, Jim Stafford
17. Rock On, David Essex
18. Sunshine On My Shoulder, John Denver
19. Sideshow, Blue Magic
20. Hooked On A Feeling, Blue Swede
21. Billy Don't Be A Hero, Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods
22. Band On The Run, Paul McCartney and Wings
23. The Most Beautiful Girl, Charlie Rich
24. Time In A Bottle, Jim Croce
25. Annie's Song, John Denver
26. Let Me Be There, Olivia Newton-John
27. Sundown, Gordon Lightfoot
28. (You're) Having My Baby, Paul Anka
29. Rock Me Gently, Andy Kim
30. Boogie Down, Eddie Kendricks
31. You're Sixteen, Ringo Starr
32. If You Love Me (Let Me Know), Olivia Newton-John
33. Dark Lady, Cher
34. Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me, Gladys Knight and The Pips
35. Feel Like Makin' Love, Roberta Flack
36. Just Dont Want To Be Lonely, Main Ingredient
37. Nothing From Nothing, Billy Preston
38. Rock Your Baby, George McCrae
39. Top Of The World, Carpenters
40. The Joker, Steve Miller Band

Top Albums of 1974

The Carpenters The Singles 1969-1973
Paul McCartney & Wings Band On The Run
Mike Oldfield Tubular Bells
Elvis Presley Elvis's 40 Greatest Hits
Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon
Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
The Bay City Rollers Rollin'
Perry Como And I Love You So
Slade Old New Borrowed And Blue
Kiss - Kiss
Kansas: Kansas
Bachmann Turner Overdrive: Not Fragile
Bob Marley and The Wailers - Natty Dread
Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Boulevard
The Velvet Underground -Live
Linda Ronstadt - Heart Like a Wheel
Lou Reed - Rock'n'Roll Animal
Bad Company - Bad Co.
David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
Bob Dylan/The Band - Before the Flood
Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
Barry White - Can't Get Enough
The Rolling Stones - It's Only Rock'n'Roll

Music News 1974

ABBA is the acronym from the first names of the four members, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog. This Swedish group with it's well written hooks and an overdubbed wall of sound became a pop success second only to the Beatles in international sales. They have recently become popular again with the 2008 musical road show and movie Mama Mia! ABBA History website

Rock & Roll 1974

Diamond Dogs was David Bowie's glam swan song as Ziggy Stardust. A political concept album with raw guitars side two spun George Orwell's novel 1984. The song Rebel Rebel became a Bowie anthem which he still performs today. The life of Ziggy Stardust

Heavy Metal 1974

KISS must answer to Alice Cooper for their showmanship. Using face paint, costumes and very high heels band members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss took Heavy Metal to Pop success until the early 1980s.

Rhythm & Blues 1974

Kool and the Gang began in 1964 with brothers Robert Bell (Kool) and Ronald Bell. They abandoned their jazz roots for R&B Funk in 1973 through 1975 which was the height of their success. They fell to Disco in 1976 never regaining their critical acclaim. History of Kool and the Gang

Folk Rock 1974

Folk singer and songwriter Gordon Lightfoot had been at the top of his game in Canada throughout the 1960s. He broke into the American market with his album Sundown and the song of the same name. In 1976 he hit the top of the charts again with The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Biography of Gordon lightfoot

Country & Western 1974

Comedy songwriter Ray Stevens has his biggest career hit with The Streak which called attention to the culture of the time in which young mean ran naked through crowds, the bigger the better. A History of Streaking