Music to My Years: 1974
We have reached the year 1974 in my Music to My Years series. This was the year I turned three and my first brother was born.
Unlike last week where the year was questionable, this year is full of complete classics – and for that reason, it was not an easy choice. It does depend on my mood much of the time and the likelihood of my changing my mind on my favourite songs next week is very much there!
There are a number of honourable mentions this week:
- John Denver – Annies Song
- Carl Douglas – Everybody’s Kung Fu Fighting
- The Osmonds – Love Me for a Reason
- The Hollies – The Air that I Breathe
- Bachman-Turner Overdrive – You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
- Mud – The Cat Crept In
- The Three Degrees – When Will I See You Again
- Terry Jacks – Seasons in the Sun
- Ray Stevens – The Streak
- Jimmy Ruffin – What Becomes of the Broken Hearted
- Alvin Stardust – My Coo-Ca-Choo
- The Hues Corporation – Rock the Boat
- Wings – Jet
- Pilot – Magic
As I am now a radio presenter on Radio Ninesprings, and I will be sharing my Top 10 all week and sharing 1 track from the list each day, Monday to Friday, on my show from 3pm.
So, from the year I was born taking me right up to 2021, I am going to be sharing my top 10 chart songs from the year in question.
Table of Contents
10. BANANA Rock By The Wombles
And so began a bit of an obsession with The Wombles. Mike Batt was a fantastic song writer and singer and this song was relevant before the climate change and world pollution really became a thing. The Wombles of Wimbledon Common set a brilliant example!
9. Remember You’re a Womble By The Wombles
See what I mean about an obsession?! I can remember the record label being orange, the white cover and the records being on parents record player A LOT! I think this was probably my favourite Wombles song.
8. Gonna Make You A STar By David Essex
I can remember my mum loving David Essex. This song was the lead single from David Essex’s second album and became his first number 1 in the UK, spending three weeks at the top of the chart in November 1974. The ‘I don’t think so’ part was my particular favourite bit!
7. The Show Must Go On By Leo Sayer
I have great memories of Leo Sayer and his songs – so it was a real pleasure to meet and interview him at the Rewind Festival a few years back. This song is wonderful in the fact that it uses a circus theme as a metaphor for dealing with the difficulties and wrong choices of life. He used to perform it dressed and made up as a pierrot clown.
6. Devil Gate Drive By Suzi Quatro
One of my favourite memories of Suzi Quatro is her appearing on Happy Days. This is a real rocking song – and Suzi was definitely my first experience of a rock chick!
She explained that this song means “It’s the place where you go when you’re a teenager, and your parents say, ‘Where are you going?’ ‘I’m going out.’ ‘Don’t you dare go to such-and-such.’
5. The Man Who Sold The World by Lulu
Lulu and her amazing voice has always struck me with the likes of Shout and The Man with the Golden Gun (which I believe is one of the only songs I can sing pretty well!). This song is ois fantastic! It was written by David Bowie and appeared as a B-side on the 1973 reissues of “Space Oddity” in the US and “Life on Mars?” in the UK.. It wasn’t until Lulu, covered it that it became noticed and peaked at No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart.
4. Waterloo by Abba
The year’s Eurovision winner for Sweden and the song that put ABBA on the music map. Waterloo is, of course, the place where Napoleon Bonaparte met his defeat at an epic battle in 1815. This song uses the battle as a metaphor for a woman who gives in and falls in love with a man – he’s her “Waterloo.”
3. Killer Queen by Queen
The first time Queen features in Music to My Years (and, very likely, not the last!). Killer Queen is a superb track and Brian May said in Q magazine back in March 2008: “This is a perfect pop record and one of Freddie’s greatest songs. It’s beautifully constructed and it’s also got one of the solos I’m most proud of.” I totally agree Brian!
2. Band on the Run by Wings
Yet another appearance in Music to My Years for Paul McCartney and Wings. This is a great song which has brilliant peaks and troughs in the way it speeds up and slows down. The song topped the charts in the United States and reached number 3 in the UK. The single sold over one million copies in 1974 in America and has become one of the band’s most famous songs.
1. Tiger Feet by Mud
Back in 2011, for my 40th Birthday, I put together a list of ALL the songs I wanted played at the big party I arranged. This was one of the first on the list. It is one of the songs that will ALWAYS make me get up and dance.
Another great track which was written and produced by the song-writing team of Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn. This was the first of three number No. 1 singles for the band. At one stage the band appeared on Top of the Pops wearing tiger slippers!
Find my playlist over on Spotify:
