This is a summary of 1974 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
Events 6 April – The 19th Eurovision Song Contest is staged at the Dome in Brighton. The winners, Sweden's ABBA, go on to be the top-selling act of the decade. 7 May – Led Zeppelin announce their new record label, Swan Song Records, with a lavish party at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York. 19 June – Alan Bush's 1950 opera Wat Tyler receives its UK première at Sadler's Wells Theatre, the only time one of Bush's operas has been staged in the UK. 20 July – The first Knebworth Concert is held, headlined by the Allman Brothers Band. 2 November – George Harrison launches his George Harrison & Friends North American Tour in Vancouver. It is Harrison's first tour since the Beatles North American tour of 1966. 28 November – John Lennon joins Elton John on stage at Madison Square Garden for three songs. It would be Lennon's last stage performance. 12 December – Mick Taylor leaves the Rolling Stones after six years.
Number Ones
Singles DateOfficial Charts Company - Number One singles(Link redirected to OCC website)SingleArtist5 January"Merry Xmas Everybody"Slade12 January19 January "You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me" The New Seekers26 January"Tiger Feet"Mud2 February9 February16 February23 February"Devil Gate Drive"Suzi Quatro2 March9 March"Jealous Mind"Alvin Stardust16 March"Billy Don't Be a Hero"Paper Lace23 March30 March6 April"Seasons in the Sun"Terry Jacks13 April20 April27 April4 May"Waterloo"ABBA11 May18 May"Sugar Baby Love"The Rubettes25 May1 June8 June15 June"The Streak"Ray Stevens22 June"Always Yours"Gary Glitter29 June"She"Charles Aznavour6 July13 July20 July27 July"Rock Your Baby"George McCrae3 August10 August17 August"When Will I See You Again"The Three Degrees24 August31 August"Love Me for a Reason"The Osmonds7 September14 September21 September"Kung Fu Fighting"Carl Douglas28 September5 October12 October"Annie's Song"John Denver19 October"Sad Sweet Dreamer"Sweet Sensation26 October"Everything I Own"Ken Boothe2 November9 November16 November"Gonna Make You a Star"David Essex23 November30 November7 December"You're the First, the Last, My Everything"Barry White14 December21 December"Lonely This Christmas"Mud28 December4 January
Albums DateOfficial Charts Company - Number One albums(Link redirected to OCC website)AlbumArtistWeeks5 JanuaryTales from Topographic OceansYes212 January19 JanuarySladestSlade126 JanuaryAnd I Love You SoPerry Como12 FebruaryThe Singles: 1969-1973The Carpenters49 February16 February23 February2 MarchOld, New, Borrowed and BlueSlade19 MarchThe Singles: 1969-1973The Carpenters1116 March23 March30 March6 April13 April20 April27 April4 May11 May18 May25 MayJourney to the Centre of the EarthRick Wakeman11 JuneThe Singles: 1969-1973The Carpenters18 June Diamond DogsDavid Bowie415 June22 June29 June6 JulyThe Singles: 1969-1973The Carpenters113 JulyCaribouElton John220 July27 JulyBand on the RunPaul McCartney & Wings73 August10 August17 August24 August31 August7 September14 SeptemberHergest RidgeMike Oldfield321 September28 September5 OctoberTubular Bells112 OctoberRollin'Bay City Rollers119 OctoberSmilerRod Stewart126 OctoberRollinBay City Rollers12 NovemberSmilerRod Stewart19 NovemberRollinBay City Rollers216 November23 NovemberGreatest HitsElton John730 November7 December14 December21 December28 December4 January
Year-end charts Between 2 January and 6 December 1974.
Best-selling singles
Title Artist Peakposition 1 "Tiger Feet" Mud 1 2 "Seasons in the Sun" 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" 1 6 "Gonna Make You a Star" 1 7 "She" 1 8 "Kung Fu Fighting" 1 9 "Everything I Own" 1 10 "Sugar Baby Love" 1 11 "Devil Gate Drive" 1 12 "Love Me for a Reason" 1 13 "Jealous Mind" 1 14 "The Air That I Breathe" 2 15 "Annie's Song" 1 16 "Waterloo" ABBA 1 17 "The Wombling Song" 4 18 "You Make Me Feel Brand New" 2 19 "The Most Beautiful Girl" 2 20 "Y Viva España" Sylvia 4 21 "Hey Rock and Roll" Showaddywaddy 2 22 "Kissin' in the Back Row of the Movies" 2 23 "I'm Leaving It Up to You" & 2 24 "The Streak" 1 25 "Teenage Rampage" Sweet 2 26 "Remember You're a Womble" 3 27 "Always Yours" 1 28 "You're Sixteen" 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" 1 33 "Angel Face" 4 34 "Born with a Smile on My Face" with Rain 2 35 "Hang On in There Baby" 3 36 "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" 4 37 "The Cat Crept In" Mud 2 38 "There's a Ghost in My House" 3 39 "Sad Sweet Dreamer" Sweet Sensation 1 40 "Dance with the Devil" 3 41 "Solitaire" 4 42 "Summerlove Sensation" Bay City Rollers 3 43 "Hey There Lonely Girl" 4 44 "Emma" Hot Chocolate 3 45 "You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me" 1 46 "You Are Everything" & 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-La)" Bay City Rollers 6 50 "Band on the Run" 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. Title Artist Peakposition 1 The Singles: 1969–1973 1 2 Band on the Run and Wings 1 3 Tubular Bells 1 4 40 Greatest Hits — 5 The Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd 7 6 Diamond Dogs 1 7 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 2 8 And I Love You So 1 9 Greatest Hits Simon & Garfunkel 6 10 Greatest Hits 1
Notes:
Classical music: new works Benjamin Britten – Suite on English Folk Tunes: 'A time there was...'
Film and incidental music Richard Rodney Bennett – Murder on the Orient Express, starring Albert Finney Herbert Chappell – The Pallisers Andrew Lloyd Webber – The Odessa File Stanley Myers – House of Whipcord directed by Pete Walker
Births 2 January – Ian Vine, composer 12 January – Melanie C, singer (Spice Girls) 7 February – Danny Goffey, singer-songwriter and drummer (Supergrass, Babyshambles, The Jennifers, Lodger, and The Hotrats) 13 February – Robbie Williams, singer (Take That) 22 February Chris Corner, singer-songwriter and musician (Sneaker Pimps, IAMX) James Blunt, singer-songwriter Chris Moyles, radio and television host 15 March – David Ross, singer (Bad Boys Inc) 23 March – David and Michael Smallwood, singers (Gemini) 1 April – Stuart Black, bassist (Menswear) 17 April – Victoria Beckham, singer (Spice Girls) 20 April – Tina Cousins, singer 3 May – Nick Keynes, bassist (Ultra) 7 May – Lynden David Hall, singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer 3 June – Kelly Jones, singer-songwriter and guitarist 10 July – Simon White, guitarist (Menswear) 17 July – Laura Macdonald, Scottish saxophonist and composer 21 July – Terry Coldwell, singer (East 17) 5 August – Spike Dawbarn, singer (911) 8 August – Brian Harvey, singer (East 17) 18 August – Mark Baron, singer (Another Level) 9 September – Niall O'Neill, Irish singer (OTT) 22 September – G-Man, Trinidadian-born singer (MN8) 1 October – Keith Duffy, Irish singer (Boyzone) 4 November – Louise Nurding, singer and former member of Eternal 10 November – Heavenli Denton, singer (Honeyz) 23 November – Jacqui Blake, singer (Shampoo) 7 December – Nicole Appleton, Canadian-born singer (All Saints) 13 December – Nick McCarthy, English-German rhythm guitarist (Franz Ferdinand) 27 December – Tasha Baylis, drummer (Hepburn) date unknown Matthew Jones, violist, violinist and composer Sophie Viney, composer and arranger
Deaths 1 April – Alfred Whitehead, English-born Canadian composer, organist, choirmaster, music educator and painter, 86 5 April – Jennifer Vyvyan, operatic soprano, 49 (bronchial condition) 28 April – Leslie Statham, composer and arranger, 5 May – Adge Cutler, folk musician, 42 (car accident) 8 May – Graham Bond, R&B musician, 36 (hit by train) 15 September – Thomas Fielden, pianist and teacher, 90 November – Bessie Jones, musical theatre singer, 87 3 November – Victor Olof, violinist and conductor, 76 25 November – Nick Drake, singer/songwriter, 26 (overdose)
See also 1974 in British radio 1974 in British television 1974 in the United Kingdom List of British films of 1974
References