1974 in music

List of years in music (table)
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See also: 1970s in music.

Events

• January - The Ramones form.
• February 1 - The Doobie Brothers release their album What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits featuring their signature and hit song Black Water
• February 10 - record producer Phil Spector is badly injured in a car accident. Details of the accident are kept secret.
• February 12 - New York's legendary rock club, The Bottom Line, opens in Greenwich Village.
• February 14 - The Captain & Tennille are married in Virginia City, Nevada.
• February 18 - Yes sells out the first of two nights at Madison Square Garden, without a bit of advertising for the show.
• February 20 - Cher files for divorce from her husband of 10 years, Sonny Bono.
• March 12 - John Lennon is involved in an altercation with a photographer outside the Troubador Club in Los Angeles, California. Lennon and friend Harry Nilsson had been heckling comedian Tommy Smothers and were forced to leave the club.
• March 16 - Country music's legendary Grand Ole Opry moves to a new location at the Opryland USA theme park in Nashville, Tennessee
• March 30 - The Ramones play their first concert at the Performance Studio in New York.
• April 6 - 200,000 music fans attend The California Jam rock festival. Artists performing at the event include Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Black Oak Arkansas, and the Eagles.
• April 6 - ABBA win the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton, England, kickstarting their stellar international career.
• April 25 - Pam Morrison, Jim Morrison's widow, is found dead in her Hollywood, California apartment from an apparent heroin overdose.
• August 7 - Peter Wolf, lead singer of the J. Geils Band, marries actress Faye Dunaway.
• August 17 Ramones play their first concert at CBGB's. The venue would help establish their place at the forefront of punk.
• Patti Smith releases her debut recording, "Hey Joe", which many consider to be the first punk rock single.
• Lord Shorty's Endless Vibrations is the first soca LP and the first major soca hit worldwide.
• Peter Gabriel leaves Genesis and begins solo career.
• Rover Thomas claims to have been visited in a dream by a deceased friend near Warmun, Australia and receives the Krill Krill song cycle.
• Dino Martin, singer and son of Dean Martin, is arrested on suspicion of possession and sale of two machine guns.
• Journey signs to Columbia Records.
• Blondie forms.
• The Stranglers form with original line up.
• Daniel Amos forms out of the remnants of Jubal's Last Band.
• Twenty years after it was recorded, "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and His Comets returns to the Billboard Top 40, after it gains renewed popularity from its use in the film American Graffiti and the TV series Happy Days.
• Robin Zander joins with Tom Petersson, Bun E. Carlos and Rick Nielson and the "real" Cheap Trick band line up as we have come to know is formed.
• The original Alice Cooper group breaks up. The band's leader, Vincent Furnier, changes his name to Alice Cooper and goes on to a solo career.

Bands formed

• Japan
• The Nits
• The Ramones
• Talking Heads
• Van Halen (not yet any albums made)

Albums released

• 7-Tease - Donovan
• 461 Ocean Boulevard - Eric Clapton
• 1969: The Velvet Underground Live - The Velvet Underground
• Alvorecer - Clara Nunes
• Apostrophe - Frank Zappa
• Autobahn - Kraftwerk
• Bad Company - Bad Company
• Badfinger - Badfinger
• Burn - Deep Purple
• Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe - Barry White
• Charlie Parker On Dial - Charlie Parker
• Country Life - Roxy Music
• Court and Spark - Joni Mitchell
• Crime Of The Century - Supertramp
• The Civil Surface - Egg
• Dark Horse - George Harrison
• David Live - David Bowie
• Diamond Dogs - David Bowie
• Eldorado - Electric Light Orchestra
• Ella in London - Ella Fitzgerald
• Endless Summer - Beach Boys
• Explosive Hits '74 - Various Artists
• Feats Don't Fail Me Now - Little Feat
• Fine and Mellow - Ella Fitzgerald
• Fly to the Rainbow - Scorpions
• Free And Easy - Helen Reddy
• Fulfillingness' First Finale - Stevie Wonder
• Good Old Boys - Randy Newman
• Grateful Dead From The Mars Hotel - Grateful Dead
• Great Balls Of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis
• Greatest Hits - Alice Cooper
• Grievous Angel - Gram Parsons
• Here Come the Warm Jets - Brian Eno
• Hergest Ridge - Mike Oldfield
• Hotcakes - Carly Simon
• Hotter Than Hell - Kiss
• I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight - Richard and Linda Thompson
• If You Love Me, Let Me Know - Olivia Newton-John
• I'm Leaving It All Up To You - Donny and Marie Osmond
• It's Only Rock 'n' Roll - The Rolling Stones
• It's Too Late to Stop Now - Van Morrison
• Jolene - Dolly Parton
• Kansas - Kansas
• Kimono My House - Sparks
• Kiss - Kiss
• Late for the Sky - Jackson Browne
• The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - Genesis
• Live in London '74 - Bill Haley & His Comets
• Live In Japan - Carpenters
• Living In The 70s - Skyhooks
• Love Song For Jeffrey - Helen Reddy
• The Main Event – Live - Frank Sinatra
• Manifiesto - Víctor Jara
• Manuel - Dalida
• Meet the Residents - The Residents
• Muscle of Love - Alice Cooper
• Natty Dread - Bob Marley
• The Night the Light Went on (in Long Beach) - Electric Light Orchestra
• Nightlife - Thin Lizzy
• Not Just Another Bunch of Pretty Faces - IF
• Olympia 74 - Dalida
• On the Beach - Neil Young
• On The Border - Eagles
• Perfect Angel - Minnie Riperton
• Phaedra - Tangerine Dream
• Phenonmenon - UFO
• Pretzel Logic - Steely Dan
• Queen II - Queen
• Red - King Crimson
• Relayer - Yes
• Remember Me This Way - Gary Glitter
• Ride 'Em Cowboy - Paul Davis
• Rocka Rolla - Judas Priest
• Rock n Roll Animal - Lou Reed
• Röda Kapellet - Röda Kapellet
• Rub It In - Billy "Crash" Craddock
• Rush - Rush
• Sally Can't Dance- Lou Reed
• Second Helping - Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Sheer Heart Attack - Queen
• The Singles: 1969-1973 - Carpenters
• Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley - Robert Palmer
• Some Nice Things I’ve Missed - Frank Sinatra
• Song for America - Kansas
• Soon Over Babaluma - Can
• Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On - Funkadelic
• Starting Over - Raspberries
• Streetlife Serenade - Billy Joel
• Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) - Brian Eno
• There's the Rub - Wishbone Ash
• Todd - Todd Rundgren
• Up For The Down Stroke - Parliament
• Veedon Fleece - Van Morrison
• War Child - Jethro Tull
• Waterloo - ABBA
• What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits - The Doobie Brothers
• Wish You Were Here - Badfinger
• Wrap Around Joy - Carole King
• Solid - The Groundhogs

Top hits on record

• "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" - The Rolling Stones
• "Already Gone" - Eagles
• "Always Yours" - Gary Glitter
• "Another Saturday Night" - Cat Stevens
• "Are You Ready To Rock - Wizzard
• "Atlanta" - Little Feat
• "Bad Motor Scooter" - Montrose
• "Band on the Run" - Paul McCartney & Wings
• "Beach Baby" - The First Class
• "Best Of My Love" - Eagles
• "Billy, Don't Be a Hero" - Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods
• "The Bitch is Back" - Elton John
• "Break the Rules" - Status Quo
• "The Bump" - Kenny
• "Bungle In the Jungle" - Jethro Tull
• "California Saga(EP)" - The Beach Boys
• "Can't Get Enough" - Bad Company
• "Caroline Says" - Lou Reed
• "China Grove" - The Doobie Brothers
• "Counting Out Time" - Genesis
• "Devil Gate Drive" - Suzi Quatro
• "Diamond Dogs" - David Bowie
• "Dirty Old Man" - The Three Degrees
• "Don't Let the Sun go Down on Me" - Elton John
• "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" - Stevie Wonder
• "Down Down" - Status Quo
• "Drift Away" - Dobie Gray
• "The Faith Healer" - The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
• "Free Man In Paris" - Joni Mitchell
• "Going Down The Road" - Roy Wood
• "Gonna Make You A Star" -David Essex
• "Good Morning (How Are You)" - Moir Sisters
• "Haven't Got Time For The Pain" - Carly Simon
• "He's Mistra Know It All" - Stevie Wonder
• "Honey, Honey" - ABBA
• "How Long" - Ace
• "I Know What I Like In Your Wardrobe" - Genesis
• "I Honestly Love You" - Olivia Newton-John
• "I Shot The Sheriff" - Eric Clapton
• "It's Only Rock'n Roll" - The Rolling Stones
• "Jet" - Paul McCartney and Wings
• "Jessica" - Allman Brothers Band
• "Jungle Boogie" - Kool and the Gang
• "Junior's Farm" - Paul McCartney & Wings
• "Killer Queen" - Queen
• "Kissin' In The Back Row Of The Movies" - The Drifters
• "Kung Fu Fighting" - Carl Douglas
• "Let Go" - Brian Cadd
• "Let It Ride" - Edgar Winter Group
• "Listen To The Music" - The Doobie Brothers
• "Long Legged Woman Dressed In Black" - Mungo Jerry
• "Long Train Running" - The Doobie Brothers
• "The Love I Lost" - Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
• "Love's Theme" - Love Unlimited Orchestra
• "Ma-Ma-Ma-Belle" - Electric Light Orchestra
• "Machine Gun" - The Commodores
• "Magic" - Pilot
• "Mama's Little Girl" - Linda George
• "The Man Who Sold The World" - Lulu
• "Midnight At The Oasis" - Maria Muldaur
• "Midnight Rider" - Gregg Allman
• "Mockingbird" (with James Taylor) - Carly Simon
• "Money" - Pink Floyd
• "Mr Soft" - Cockney Rebel
• "Oh Very Young" - Cat Stevens
• "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" -The Raspberries
• "Phil Spector's Christmas Single" - Various Artists
• "Queen Of Clubs" - KC and the Sunshine Band
• "Rebel Rebel" - David Bowie
• "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" - Steely Dan
• "Rock'n'Roll Winter" - Wizzard
• "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" - David Bowie
• "Rock On" - David Essex
• "Ride 'Em Cowboy" - Paul Davis
• "Roxette" - Dr. Feelgood
• "Samba Pa Ti" - Santana
• "Seasons in the Sun" - Terry Jacks
• "Shang-A-Lang" - Bay City Rollers
• "Silvery Moon" - Sherbet
• "The Six Teens" - The Sweet
• "Slipstream" - Sherbet
• "Smokin' In The Boys Room" - Brownsville Station
• "Streets Of London" - Ralph McTell
• "Sugar Baby Love" - The Rubettes
• "Summer Breeze" - The Isley Brothers
• "Sweet Home Alabama" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
• "Takin' Care Of Business" - Bachman-Turner Overdrive
• "Teenage Lament '74" - Alice Cooper
• "Teenage Rampage" - The Sweet
• "This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us" - Sparks
• "Tiger Feet" - Mud
• "Tin Man" - America
• "Too Popped To Pop" - La De Da's
• "Wall Street Shuffle" - 10cc
• "Walk On" - Neil Young
• "Waterloo" - ABBA
• "Whatever Gets You Through The Night" - John Lennon
• "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" - Bachman-Turner Overdrive
• "(You're) Having My Baby" Paul Anka & Odia Coates
• "You're The First The Last My Everything" - Barry White
• "School Love" - Barry Blue
• "Oh Yes! You're Beautiful" - Gary Glitter
• "Angel Face" - Glitter Band
• "The Cat Crept In" - Mud
• "The Wild One" - Suzi Quatro
• "Remember Me This Way" - Gary Glitter
• "Jealous Mind" - Alvin Stardust

Published popular music

• "Annie's Song" w.m. John Denver
• "Happy Days" w.m. Pratt & McClain from the ABC-TV Series Happy Days
• "Hasta Manana" w.m. B Andersson, S Anderson, B Ulvaeus
• "I Honestly Love You" w.m. Peter Allen & Jeff Barry
• "I Won't Send Roses" w.m. Jerry Herman from the musical Mack & Mabel
• "I've Got The Music In Me"     w.m. Bias Boshell
• "Midnight At The Oasis"     w.m. David Nichtern
• "Murder On The Orient Express" m. Richard Rodney Bennett from the film Murder on the Orient Express
• "No Goodbyes" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the musical Over Here
• "Ring Ring" - ABBA
• "She" w. Herbert Kretzmer m. Charles Aznavour
• "Southern Nights" w.m. Allen Toussaint
• "Sunshine On My Shoulder" w.m. John Denver, Richard Kniss & Michael Taylor
• "Tap Your Troubles Away" w.m. Jerry Herman from the musical Mack & Mabel
• "(You're) Having My Baby" w.m. Paul Anka
• "Gigi L'Amoroso" - Dalida
• "Anima Mia" - Dalida
• "Ta Femme" - Dalida

Classical music

• Anne Boyd - Angklung for piano
• George Crumb - Music for a Summer Evening (Makrokosmos III) for two amplified pianos and percussion (two players).
• Mario Davidovsky - Synchronisms No. 7 for orchestra and tape
• Mario Davidovsky - Synchronisms No. 8 for woodwind quintet and tape
• Einar Englund - Piano Concerto no. 2
• Nicolas Flagello - The Passion of Martin Luther King (oratorio)
• Joaquin Homs - Trio
• György Ligeti - San Francisco Polyphony for Orchestra (1973-74)
• Wolfgang Regel - Requiem "à la mémoire de César Geoffray"
• Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians
• Dmitri Shostakovich - String Quartet No.15 in E flat minor, Op.144

Opera

• Robert Ashley - Music with Roots in the Aether

Musical theater

• Candide (Leonard Bernstein) - Broadway revival
• Gypsy (Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim) - Broadway revival
• Hans Christian Andersen     London production
• Lorelei     Broadway production
• Mack & Mabel     Broadway production
• The Magic Show     off-Broadway production
• Over Here!     Broadway production
• West Side Story (Bernstein) - London revival

Musical films

• Huckleberry Finn
• Lost in the Stars
• Mame
• Phantom of the Paradise
• That's Entertainment!
• Son of Dracula

Births

• February 11 - D'Angelo
• February 13 - Robbie Williams, singer
• February 23 - Jaime Villarreal
• April 14 - Da Brat
• April 17 - Victoria Beckham, singer
• April 18 - Millie Corretjer
• May 16 - Laura Pausini
• May 18 - Chantal Kreviazuk
• May 23 - Jewel, singer
• June 1 - Alanis Morissette, singer-songwriter
• July 9 - Nikola Sarcevic, singer and bassist Millencolin
• July 12 - Sharon den Adel, Dutch singer
• July 13 - Deborah Cox
• July 16 - Jeremy Enigk, singer/songwriter Sunny Day Real Estate, The Fire Theft
• August 8 - Preta Gil, singer
• August 14 - Ana Matronic, Scissor Sisters
• August 17 - Salem Abraha, singer-songwriter
• September 19 - Jimmy Fallon, comedian & musician
• October 5 - Heather Headley
• October 18 - Peter Svenson, The Cardigans
• November 2 - Nelly, Rapper
• November 4 - Louise Nurding, singer and former member of Eternal
• November 4 - Marcus Collegary, drummer for Aero
• December 7 - Nicole Appleton, singer
• December 8 - Nick Zinner, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• December 10 - Meg White, The White Stripes
• December 24 - Julian Rachlin, violinist

Deaths

• February 15 - Kurt Atterberg, composer
• March 7 - Alberto Rabagliati, Italian singer and actor
• March 28 - Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup
• March 28 - Dorothy Fields, lyricist
• April 15 - Giovanni D'Anzi, Italian songwriter
• April 17 - Blossom Seeley, US singer and vaudeville entertainer
• April 25 - Pamela Courson, Jim Morrison's widow, heroin overdose
• May - Paul Gonsalves, Jazz Saxophonist
• May 24 - Duke Ellington
• June 8 - Rodolfo Lipizer, violinist and conductor
• June 22 - Darius Milhaud, composer
• June 27 - Cliff Friend, US composer
• July 29 - "Mama" Cass Elliott, singer The Mamas & the Papas
• September 3 - Harry Partch, composer
• September 23 - Robbie McIntosh, drummer Average White Band
• October 24 - David Oistrakh, violinist
• November 11 - Alfonso Leng, composer
• November 19 - George Brunies, jazz musician
• November 21 - Frank Martin, composer
• November 25 - Nick Drake, British singer/songwriter, overdose

Awards

Grammy Awards

• Grammy Awards of 1974

Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1974

See also

• other events of 1974
• list of 'years in music'
• 1970s in music