1974 in British music

This is a summary of 1974 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.

List of years in British music

Events

Number Ones

Singles

Date[2] Single Artist
5 January "Merry Xmas Everybody" Slade
12 January
19 January "You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me" The New Seekers
26 January "Tiger Feet" Mud
2 February
9 February
16 February
23 February "Devil Gate Drive" Suzi Quatro
2 March
9 March "Jealous Mind" Alvin Stardust
16 March "Billy Don't Be a Hero" Paper Lace
23 March
30 March
6 April "Seasons in the Sun" Terry Jacks
13 April
20 April
27 April
4 May "Waterloo" ABBA
11 May
18 May "Sugar Baby Love" The Rubettes
25 May
1 June
8 June
15 June "The Streak" Ray Stevens
22 June "Always Yours" Gary Glitter
29 June "She" Charles Aznavour
6 July
13 July
20 July
27 July "Rock Your Baby" George McCrae
3 August
10 August
17 August "When Will I See You Again" The Three Degrees
24 August
31 August "Love Me for a Reason" The Osmonds
7 September
14 September
21 September "Kung Fu Fighting" Carl Douglas
28 September
5 October
12 October "Annie's Song" John Denver
19 October "Sad Sweet Dreamer" Sweet Sensation
26 October "Everything I Own" Ken Boothe
2 November
9 November
16 November "Gonna Make You a Star" David Essex
23 November
30 November
7 December "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" Barry White
14 December
21 December "Lonely This Christmas" Mud
28 December
4 January

Albums

Date[3] Single Artist Weeks
5 January Tales from Topographic Oceans Yes 2
12 January
19 January Sladest Slade 1
26 January And I Love You So Perry Como 1
2 February The Singles: 1969-1973 The Carpenters 4
9 February
16 February
23 February
2 March Old, New, Borrowed and Blue Slade 1
9 March The Singles: 1969-1973 The Carpenters 11
16 March
23 March
30 March
6 April
13 April
20 April
27 April
4 May
11 May
18 May
25 May Journey to the Centre of the Earth Rick Wakeman 1
1 June The Singles: 1969-1973 The Carpenters 1
8 June Diamond Dogs David Bowie 4
15 June
22 June
29 June
6 July The Singles: 1969-1973 The Carpenters 1
13 July Caribou Elton John 2
20 July
27 July Band on the Run Paul McCartney & Wings 7
3 August
10 August
17 August
24 August
31 August
7 September
14 September Hergest Ridge Mike Oldfield 3
21 September
28 September
5 October Tubular Bells 1
12 October Rollin' Bay City Rollers 1
19 October Smiler Rod Stewart 1
26 October Rollin' Bay City Rollers 1
2 November Smiler Rod Stewart 1
9 November Rollin' Bay City Rollers 2
16 November
23 November Greatest Hits Elton John 7
30 November
7 December
14 December
21 December
28 December
4 January

Year-end charts

Between 2 January and 6 December 1974.

Best-selling singles

[4]

No. Title Artist Peak
position
1 "Tiger Feet" Mud 1
2 "Seasons in the Sun" Terry Jacks 1
3 "Billy Don't Be a Hero" Paper Lace 1
4 "When Will I See You Again" The Three Degrees 1
5 "Rock Your Baby" George McCrae 1
6 "Gonna Make You a Star" David Essex 1
7 "She" Charles Aznavour 1
8 "Kung Fu Fighting" Carl Douglas 1
9 "Everything I Own" Ken Boothe 1
10 "Sugar Baby Love" The Rubettes 1
11 "Devil Gate Drive" Suzi Quatro 1
12 "Love Me for a Reason" The Osmonds 1
13 "Jealous Mind" Alvin Stardust 1
14 "The Air That I Breathe" The Hollies 2
15 "Annie's Song" John Denver 1
16 "Waterloo" ABBA 1
17 "The Wombling Song" The Wombles 4
18 "You Make Me Feel Brand New" The Stylistics 2
19 "The Most Beautiful Girl" Charlie Rich 2
20 "Y Viva España" Sylvia 4
21 "Hey Rock and Roll" Showaddywaddy 2
22 "Kissin' in the Back Row of the Movies" The Drifters 2
23 "I'm Leaving It Up to You" Donny Osmond & Marie Osmond 2
24 "The Streak" Ray Stevens 1
25 "Teenage Rampage" Sweet 2
26 "Remember You're a Womble" The Wombles 3
27 "Always Yours" Gary Glitter 1
28 "You're Sixteen" Ringo Starr 4
29 "Killer Queen" Queen 2
30 "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" Sparks 2
31 "Don't Stay Away Too Long" Peters and Lee 3
32 "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" Barry White 1
33 "Angel Face" The Glitter Band 4
34 "Born with a Smile on My Face" Stephanie de Sykes with Rain 2
35 "Hang On in There Baby" Johnny Bristol 3
36 "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" Jimmy Ruffin 4
37 "The Cat Crept In" Mud 2
38 "There's a Ghost in My House" R. Dean Taylor 3
39 "Sad Sweet Dreamer" Sweet Sensation 1
40 "Dance with the Devil" Cozy Powell 3
41 "Solitaire" Andy Williams 4
42 "Summerlove Sensation" Bay City Rollers 3
43 "Hey There Lonely Girl" Eddie Holman 4
44 "Emma" Hot Chocolate 3
45 "You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me" The New Seekers 1
46 "You Are Everything" Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye 5
47 "Far Far Away" Slade 2
48 "All of Me Loves All of You" Bay City Rollers 4
49 "Remember (Sha-La-La)" Bay City Rollers 6
50 "Band on the Run" Paul McCartney and Wings 3

Best-selling albums

The list of the top fifty best-selling albums of 1974 were published in Music Week and in Record Mirror at the end of the year, and later reproduced in the first edition of the BPI Year Book in 1976. However, in 2007 the Official Charts Company published album chart histories for each year from 1956 to 1977, researched by historian Sharon Mawer, and included an updated list of the top ten best-selling albums for each year based on the new research. The updated top ten for 1974 is shown in the table below.[5]

No. Title Artist Peak
position
1 The Singles: 1969–1973 The Carpenters 1
2 Band on the Run Paul McCartney and Wings 1
3 Tubular Bells Mike Oldfield 1
4 40 Greatest Hits Elvis Presley [lower-alpha 1]
5 The Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd 7[lower-alpha 2]
6 Diamond Dogs David Bowie 1
7 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Elton John 2[lower-alpha 3]
8 And I Love You So Perry Como 1
9 Greatest Hits Simon & Garfunkel 6[lower-alpha 4]
10 Greatest Hits Elton John 1

Notes:

  1. Greatest Hits was not eligible for the album chart in 1974, as television-advertised compilations were excluded from the chart until July 1975. The album did not officially reach number one until September 1977, following Presley's death.
  2. Reached number 2 in 1973
  3. Reached number 1 in 1973
  4. Reached number 2 in 1972

Classical music: new works

Film and Incidental music

Births

Deaths

See also

References

  1. Mason, Colin; et al. (2007–2017). "Bush, Alan (Dudley)". Grove Music Online. Retrieved 26 May 2017. (subscription required)
  2. Official Charts Company - Number One singles(Link redirected to OCC website)
  3. Official Charts Company - Number One albums(Link redirected to OCC website)
  4. "Top Selling Singles for 1974". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications: 20. 4 January 1975.
  5. Mawer, Sharon. "Album Chart History: 1974". Official UK Charts Company. Archived from the original on 17 December 2007.
  6. "British Light Music Premieres, Vol. 1 - The Pallisers, television series score". Allmusic. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  7. "Fan pays tribute to Wurzel Adge". BBC Somerset. BBC. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
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