1974 in British music
| 1970s in music in the UK |
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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 winning Swedish group 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.[1]
- 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's 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 6 years.
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
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 | —[a] |
| 5 | The Dark Side of the Moon | Pink Floyd | 7[b] |
| 6 | Diamond Dogs | David Bowie | 1 |
| 7 | Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | Elton John | 2[c] |
| 8 | And I Love You So | Perry Como | 1 |
| 9 | Greatest Hits | Simon & Garfunkel | 6[d] |
| 10 | Greatest Hits | Elton John | 1 |
Notes:
- ^ 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.
- ^ Reached number 2 in 1973
- ^ Reached number 1 in 1973
- ^ Reached number 2 in 1972
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[6]
- Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Odessa File.
- Stanley Myers - House of Whipcord directed by Pete Walker.
Births
- 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
- James Blunt, singer-songwriter
- Chris Moyles, radio and television host
- 17 April - Victoria Beckham, singer (Spice Girls)
- 20 April – Tina Cousins, singer
- 7 May - Lynden David Hall, singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer (died 2006)
- 3 June - Kelly Jones, singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 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, British singer (East 17)
- 1 October - Keith Duffy, Irish singer (Boyzone)
- 4 November – Louise Nurding, singer and former member of Eternal
- 7 December – Nicole Appleton, Canadian-born, British-based singer (All Saints)
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)[7]
- 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
- ^ Mason, Colin; et al. (2007–17). "Bush, Alan (Dudley)". Grove Music Online. Retrieved 26 May 2017. (subscription required)
- ^ Official Charts Company - Number One singles(Link redirected to OCC website)
- ^ Official Charts Company - Number One albums(Link redirected to OCC website)
- ^ "Top Selling Singles for 1974". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications: 20. 4 January 1975.
- ^ Mawer, Sharon. "Album Chart History: 1974". Official UK Charts Company. Archived from the original on 17 December 2007.
- ^ "British Light Music Premieres, Vol. 1 - The Pallisers, television series score". Allmusic. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
- ^ "Fan pays tribute to Wurzel Adge". BBC Somerset. BBC. Retrieved 9 July 2008.