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MIKE SMITH’S HOT HUNDRED UK HITS

1974

 

As Glam Rock was beginning to fade in 1974, we saw the first rumblings of the Disco sound from the USA.  Disco would become the dominant form of music in the second half of the 1970s.  Also from America, the Philadelphia Soul sound became very popular from acts based in that city, such as the Stylistics, the Three Degrees and Barry White.  Meanwhile, most of the established acts continued as before, including Elton John, David Bowie, Slade, Status Quo and the Bay City Rollers, the latter of whom began to create the hysteria amongst fans, not seen since the days of the Beatles.  1973 newcomers David Essex and Leo Sayer consolidated their arrival with more hits in 1974.  After a gap of four years, 1974 witnessed the return to the charts of Scottish 1960s songbird, Lulu, with a song written and produced by David Bowie.  British newcomers included bands Mud and the Rubettes.

From the States, the Osmond family continued hitting the charts in various combinations, as did Diana Ross who scored two hits in duet with Marvin Gaye.  The smooth Soul group, the Stylistics put three hits in the British charts, whilst the Doobie Brothers and the Three Degrees began their chart careers in 1974.  The man who became known as 'the love walrus', Barry White, also started his impressive run of hits in this year.

Perhaps the most important of all was the arrival of Swedish group Abba, who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974, and with a short gap, went on to dominate the British music scene for the rest of the 1970s.

These are my personal favourite recordings from this particular year, listed in the order in which they entered the UK hit singles chart.  You may not agree with my choices, but these were UK chart hits* that had plenty of air play on the music radio stations of the day, such as BBC Radio 1, Capital Radio, and Radio Luxembourg.

*four songs not a hit in the UK.

 


1

Title: All Of My Life
Artist: Diana Ross
Writer(s): Michael Randall
Entered chart 5 Jan 1974; Highest Position 9; Weeks on chart: 13.

Diana Ross was born on 26 Mar 1944 in Detroit, Michigan, USA.  She first found fame as the lead singer with the group the Supremes, which was one of the most successful female groups of the second half of the 1960s (see year 1964, song 75).  Ross had decided to leave the group for a solo career early in 1970.  Her first UK solo release "Reach Out And Touch" (year 1970, song 61) performed disappointingly in the UK, but she was soon in the UK and USA Top 10, and she enjoyed her first British Number One in the summer of 1971 with "I'm Still Waiting" (see year 1971, song 58).  She went on to have a highly successful career with numerous hit singles and albums, and was recording into the 2000s.
# This recording was featured on Diana's fourth solo studio album "Touch Me In The Morning", which reached number seven in the UK and number five in the USA on their respective album charts.  The title track from the album had been a UK hit single during the summer of 1973 (see year 1973, song 59).  She was back in the UK Top 10 in March in a duet with Marvin Gaye.


2

Title: Living For The City
Artist: Stevie Wonder
Writer(s): Stevie Wonder
Entered chart 12 Jan 1974; Highest Position 15; Weeks on chart: 9.

Stevie Wonder was born on 13 May 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan, USA, but he grew up in Detroit, Michigan, USA.  He was blind almost from birth, but began singing in a church choir as a child.  He was signed to Tamla Motown records at the age of eleven, and made several records.  In 1963, when he was 12, he had his first hit, "Fingertips", which went to Number One on the USA charts.  His next few releases, however, did not reach the charts, and there was a danger that Motown might drop him.  However, he was given one last chance to produce a hit, and with his musical mentors, Sylvia Moy and Henry Cosby, he wrote "Uptight (Everything's Alright)".  The single reached number 3 in the USA, peaking at number 14 in the UK - his debut hit there.  His career grew from there with a series of hit singles and albums over the following years.  By the end of the 20th century, he had scored 54 hit singles and 17 Top 30 hit albums in the UK.  He has continued to record and perform until the present time, although at greater intervals than in the earlier decades.  His most recent original album release was in 2005.
# This recording is taken from Wonder's 1973 album "Innervisions" which peaked at number eight on the UK album chart, where it eventually remained for 55 weeks.  His next hit came in April (song 29), which was also from "Innervisions".  


3

Title: Rockin' Roll Baby
Artist: Stylistics
Writer(s): Thom Bell & Linda Creed
Entered chart 19 Jan 1974; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart: 9.

The Stylistics was a smooth Soul five-piece vocal group that was formed in Philadelphia, USA in 1970.  The group was characterised by the falsetto voice of Russell Thompkins Jr (born on 21 Mar 1951 in Philadelphia, USA) and the smooth sound created by producer Thom Bell.  This combination resulted in a series of six UK hits until the summer of 1974.  Thom Bell stopped working with the group at that time, but production was taken over by record label owners Hugo & Luigi with arrangements by Van McCoy.  This resulted in another run of ten hits in the UK, with seven of those reaching the Top 10.  However, this second run of hits over the years 1974 to 1976, did not do well in the USA where the new Disco sound was becoming dominant.  In addition to the singles success in the UK, the group's "Best Of" album went to Number One on the British album chart, where it eventually stayed for 63 weeks.  The group continued for the next two decades, but Thompkins left in 2000.  He released a solo album in 2002, but in 2004 Thompkins formed a new group, Russell Thompkins Jr & The New Stylistics.  They are still performing (as a trio) at the present time.
# This was the first of three Top 10 hits that the group enjoyed in the UK during 1974.  Their next hit came in July (song 54).


4

Title: Tiger Feet
Artist: Mud
Writer(s): Nicky Chinn & Mike Chapman
Entered chart 19 Jan 1974; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 11.

Mud was a Rock band formed in London during 1966 by Rob Davis (born 1 Oct 1947) and Les Gray (9 Apr 1946 - 21 Feb 2004).  They began recording in 1967 but without any commercial success for several years.  But in 1973 they signed with Mickie Most's RAK label, and with help of songwriters Chinn and Chapman (who had written several hits for the band Sweet), hits started coming the way of Mud.  They had three hits in 1973, but 1974 saw them have their first Number One with the catchy "Tiger Feet".  That started a run of Top 10 hits that extended into 1976.  In 1975 the achieved five Top 10 hits, and in 1974 they made Number One with their Christmas hit "Lonely This Christmas", which has enjoyed radio airplay every December until the present time.  As their popularity waned in the late 1970s, they decided to split up in 1979.  Following the break up, Gray formed a new band, Les Gray's Mud, and they continued to perform, with a changing series of musicians, until Gray's death in 2004.  Since then various musicians have continued performing under that band name. 
# They were next in the UK charts in April with "The Cat Crept In" (song 30).


5

Title: Teenage Rampage
Artist: The Sweet
Writer(s): Nicky Chinn & Mike Chapman
Entered chart 19 Jan 1974; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 8.

The Sweet was a British Glam Rock band that found fame in the early 1970s.  The original lineup comprised lead vocalist Brian Connolly (5 Oct 1945 - 10 Feb 1997), bass player Steve Priest (23 Feb 1948 - 4 Jun 2020), guitarist Andy Scott (born 30 Jun 1949), and drummer Mick Tucker (17 Jul 1947 - 14 Feb 2002). The band was formed in London in 1968 and achieved their first hit, "Funny Funny", in early 1971 after teaming up with songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman.  They went on to have considerable chart success, achieving ten Top 10 hits by 1978, including a Number One and no less than five number twos in the UK charts.  They also had success in other parts of Europe, and in the USA where they enjoyed four Top 10 hits.  Sweet had their last international success in 1978 with "Love Is Like Oxygen".  Connolly left the group in 1979 to start a solo career and the remaining members continued as a trio until disbanding in 1981.  From the mid-1980s, Scott, Connolly and Priest each played with their own versions of Sweet at different times.  Connolly died in 1997, Tucker in 2002 and Priest in 2020.   Andy Scott, with a new line up, still tours the UK and the rest of Europe.
# This was the group's first of three hits in 1974, and although the first two reached the Top 10, their November release stalled at number 41.  They had a Top 10 entry in March 1975, however.  Their next hit in 1974 came in July (song 56).


6

Title: The Man Who Sold The World
Artist: Lulu
Writer(s): David Bowie
Entered chart 26 Jan 1974; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart: 9.

Lulu was born on 3 Nov 1948 near Glasgow, Scotland.  She started singing at a young age and by the time she was 13 she had a manager and was singing with a band around Glasgow.  Her manager took her to London in early 1964 and arranged a recording deal with Decca Records.  Her debut single, "Shout", was an American R&B song written by the Isley Brothers.  It was an instant hit, and Lulu's career took off from there.  However, some of her recordings with Decca did not sell as well as was hoped and she missed the charts completely in 1966.  So, in 1967 she moved to EMI's Columbia label, and producer Mickie Most.  This gave her a new start, with hits for the rest of the 1960s.  Lulu was given her own BBC TV series in 1968, which ran annually until 1975.  In 1969 she represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest, where she came joint first.  She continued to record and tour in the following decades, and in 1993 achieved her first chart-topper when she duetted with boy band Take That on "Relight My Fire".  She was in the Top 10 again in 2002 when she duetted with Ronan Keating with the song "We've Got Tonight".  Recording and touring continued, and she embarked on another concert tour of the UK during the autumn of 2017.
# This was Lulu's first hit after a gap of four years.  The song was written by David Bowie, the recording was produced by him, and he also provided backing vocals.  The recording did not mark a sustained return to the charts for Lulu, however.  She next had one Top 40 hit in 1975, then no more until the 1980s.  In fact her next solid run of hits did not come until the mid 1990s.


7

Title: The Wombling Song
Artist: The Wombles
Writer(s): Mike Batt
Entered chart 26 Jan 1974; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart: 23.

The Wombles are fictional furry creatures created by Elisabeth Beresford and originally appearing in a series of children's novels from 1968. The Wombles live in burrows, where they aim to help the environment by collecting and recycling rubbish, on Wimbledon Common in London, England.  In the early 1970s the BBC decided to produce a stop-motion animated series of the Wombles and composer Mike Batt (born 6 Feb 1949) was asked to provide songs and music for the programmes.  Batt enlisted the help of session musicians to record the music, which became so popular, singles and albums of the songs were issued.  To promote the recordings, Batt and other musicians dressed up in Womble costumes and performed the songs on TV.  Four singles including the Christmas hit "Wombling Merry Christmas" reached the UK Top 10 during 1974, with three smaller hits in 1975.  Three albums of Wombling songs also reached the UK album chart in 1974.  Batt has continued to write mainstream hits and produce recordings for various artists, especially for Katie Melua, up to the present time.


8

Title: Love's Theme
Artist: The Love Unlimited Orchestra
Writer(s): Barry White
Entered chart 2 Feb 1974; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart: 10.

The Love Unlimited Orchestra was a 40-piece string-laden orchestra, formed by American singer-songwriter Barry White, that served as a backing unit for White and female vocal trio Love Unlimited.  In the mid-1970s the orchestra also recorded several singles and albums under their own name.  This recording is the only one to appear on the UK charts.  It reached Number One in the USA where the orchestra additionally had a few further hit singles and albums until 1977.


9

Title: Happiness Is You And Me
Artist: Gilbert O'Sullivan
Writer(s): Gilbert O'Sullivan
Entered chart 9 Feb 1974; Highest Position 19; Weeks on chart: 7.

Gilbert O'Sullivan was born on 1 Dec 1946 in Waterford, Ireland.  When he was just seven years old his family moved to England where he grew up.  He began playing when at art college in the 1960s.  He signed a recording contract in 1967, but no hit recordings came from that.  It was not until 1970 when he came under the management of Gordon Mills that things took off.  To gain publicity, he went for an unusual appearance comprising a pudding basin haircut, cloth cap and short trousers.  This did attract attention, and by late 1970 he was in the UK charts with his debut hit "Nothing Rhymed".  His style and songs were certainly unique, and he enjoyed enormous success for the first half of the 1970s.  He changed his appearance to a college boy look after a year or so, and the hits continued.  He had eleven Top 20 hits up to the end of 1974, two of which were Number Ones, and he achieved four Top 10 albums during that period as well.  He also enjoyed three Top 10 hits in the USA including a Number One.  Later in the 1970s however, he realised that he had not received a fair proportion of his earnings from his management company.  He sued them, but it was not until 1982 that the courts found in his favour and awarded him seven million pounds.  His career had been on hold for most of the second half of the 1970s, but he had another Top 20 hit in 1980.  He has continued to record and perform, issuing four new albums between 2007 and 2018.  He has also toured the UK and Ireland in recent years.
# This recording marked a decline in O'Sullivan's popularity as far as the charts were concerned.  He did however have a Top 20 hit with his Christmas recording "Christmas Song (I'm Not Dreaming Of A White Christmas)" at the end of 1974, which in common with other seasonal recordings of the 1970s, is played on radio stations in the UK over the Christmas period every year.


10

Title: Remember (Sha-La-La)
Artist: Bay City Rollers
Writer(s): Phil Coulter & Bill Martin
Entered chart 9 Feb 1974; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart: 12.

The Bay City Rollers was a Scottish band from Edinburgh, formed originally in the 1960s under different names.  Although the personnel changed a few times, the best-known line up comprised lead singer Les McKeown (12 Nov 1955 - 20 Apr 2021, born in Edinburgh),  guitarists Eric Faulkner and Stuart Wood, bassist Alan Longmuir (20 Jun 1948 - 2 Jul 2018), and drummer Derek Longmuir.  They signed a contract with Bell records and had their first hit in 1971, "Keep On Dancing", which reached the UK Top 10 (see year 1971, song 71).  They did not have another hit until 1974 when they began a run of Top 10 hits until 1976.  Fan adulation for the group during that time was dubbed 'Rollermania', echoing the 'Beatlemania' of the 1960s.  They also had some success in the USA in the mid-1970s, with three of their releases reaching the American Top 10.  After their popularity began to wane, there were several personnel changes, but they continued into the 1980s.  Various regroupings and reunions have taken place since then, with tours at home and abroad in the 2010s.
# As referred to above, this recording was their first hit since 1971, but it marked the start of a run of nine Top 10 hits, including two Number Ones, until the end of 1976.  They also had four Top 10 albums in the UK album chart, two of which were chart-toppers.  Their next hit came in April (song 33).


11

Title: The Air That I Breathe
Artist: The Hollies
Writer(s): Albert Hammond & Mike Hazlewood
Entered chart 9 Feb 1974; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 13.

The Hollies was a beat group from Manchester, England.  It was formed by Allan Clarke and Graham Nash in 1962, and by early summer 1963 they had their first hit.  In the autumn of that year they made their debut in the Top 10 with a recording of a former American chart topper, "Stay".  This started a run of fifteen Top 10 hits by the end of the 1960s, and they continued successfully into the 1970s as well.  They finally broke into the USA charts in 1966, and enjoyed six Top 10 hits there.  In 1968, founding member Graham Nash left the group, moving to California where he became part of the super group, Crosby, Stills & Nash.  With some changes of personnel, the Hollies continued to perform through to the 1990s, mostly in the guise of a sixties revival group.  Clarke finally retired in 2000, but the Hollies still perform on the nostalgia circuit.
# This recording was the group's first Top 10 hit since 1970, although they had five Top 40 hits during that time.  It was also a Top 10 hit in the USA.  However, it was their last hit of the 1970s and their final Top 40 hit with new material.  In 1988 their hit from 1969, "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" (see year 1969, song 81) went to Number One in the UK charts, after it was used in a TV commercial for Miller Lite beer.
# In 1998 a recording of the song by UK band Simply Red reached number six in the UK charts.
# The song, co-written by Albert Hammond, was originally recorded by him for his 1972 album "It Never Rains In Southern California".


12

Title: The Most Beautiful Girl
Artist: Charlie Rich
Writer(s): Billy Sherrill, Norro Wilson & Rory Bourke
Entered chart 16 Feb 1974; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 14.

Charlie Rich (14 Dec 1932 - 25 Jul 1995) was born in the state of Arkansas, USA.  He was primarily a Country music singer, although early in his career, he preferred Jazz.  He was in the US Air Force from 1953 to 1956 where he formed a small group to play Jazz and Blues music.  In the late 1950s began working at Sun Studios as a session musician.  He left Sun in 1963, and began recording in his own right with RCA, although there was no real commercial success.  He signed with Epic records in 1967 and several albums were issued.  His breakthrough came in 1972 when he began reaching the Top 10 of the American Country music charts.  In 1973/1974 he had the USA Number One "The Most Beautiful Girl", which was followed by five more chart-toppers on the Country chart, three of which reached the Top 30 on the American pop charts.  Sadly, he succumbed to alcoholism in the late 1970s, and he gave up performing.  He returned to recording in the early 1990s, but died in his sleep in 1995 at the age of 62.


13

Title: Jealous Mind
Artist: Alvin Stardust
Writer(s): Peter Shelley
Entered chart 16 Feb 1974; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 11.

Alvin Stardust (27 Sep 1942 - 23 Oct 2014) was born in north London, England.  He first found fame in the early 1960s, when he performed under the name of Shane Fenton.  His real name was Bernard Jewry, and in the early 1960s he was working as a roadie for a band called Shane Fenton & The Fentones.  Unfortunately, the lead singer (real name Johnny Theakstone) died just before the band was asked to audition for the BBC.  With the blessing of the mother of the deceased singer, the band members asked Jewry to take on the role of lead singer so they could attend the audition.  So Jewry became Shane Fenton.  The audition was a success, and this led to a record deal with EMI.  Several smallish hits followed, plus the Top 20 entry "Cindy's Birthday" (see year 1962, song 53).  There were no more hits after 1962 for the band, and Jewry turned to music management for a decade.  However, in 1973 he took on another persona, as Alvin Stardust, after Peter Shelley had written and recorded the song "My Coo-Ca-Choo".  Shelley had used the pseudonym Alvin Stardust on the recording, but did not wish to perform it on TV.  Bernard Jewry was contacted and he agreed to become that singer to promote the song on TV.  The song was a big success and Stardust went on to record several hits from 1973 to 1985.  Following that he went into stage musicals and TV presentation work.  He died from prostate cancer at age 72.
# This was Stardust's only Number One, out of seven Top 10 hits.


14

Title: Billy Don't Be A hero
Artist: Paper Lace
Writer(s): Mitch Murray & Peter Callander
Entered chart 23 Feb 1974; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 14.

Paper Lace was a four-piece band formed during 1969 in Nottingham, England, and they performed at several clubs in the north of England from that time.  In 1973, they appeared on the TV talent show "Opportunity Knocks", which they won for five consecutive weeks.  As a result of this publicity, songwriters Murray and Callander offered to write them a song.  That song, "Billy Don't Be A Hero" went to Number One in the UK.  In the USA the song was covered by a band called Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods, who took their recording of it to Number One in that country.  Paper Lace went on to have two more Top 20 hits during 1974, however their popularity waned in the second half of the 1970s, and they broke up in 1980.  At the present time there are two bands touring the UK with names derived from the original Paper Lace name.
# Their next hit came in May (song 37).


15

Title: You're Sixteen
Artist: Ringo Starr
Writer(s): Robert B Sherman & Richard M Sherman
Entered chart 23 Feb 1974; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart: 10.

Ringo Starr was born on 7 Jul 1940 in Liverpool, England, and found fame as a member of the Beatles group.  After the breakup of the band, Starr pursued a solo career, as did the others.  His first solo hit came in April 1971 with "It Don't Come Easy" (year 1971, song 29), which reached number four in the UK charts.  He had four Top 10 entries on the UK singles charts, one each in the years from 1971 to 1974.  Two of those reached Number One in the USA.  He also enjoyed two Top 10 albums in the British album chart.  As well as performing and recording music, Starr also narrated the first two series of the children's television programme "Thomas & Friends" and portrayed "Mr. Conductor" during the first season of the PBS children's television series "Shining Time Station".  Since 1989, he has frequently toured with his All-Starr Band.  He has continued recording from time to time, and issued his twentieth album in 2019.  As at 2021, Starr mainly resides in Los Angeles, USA, with his wife, actress Barbara Bach.
# This was Starr's final Top 10 hit in the UK, which went to Number One in the USA, and he went on to have a further three Top 10 hits in America.  This recording was taken from his late 1973 album "Ringo" which reached number seven on the UK album chart, and remaining on the chart for 20 weeks.
# The song dates from 1960, and it was a number three hit for Johnny Burnett in the UK during early 1961 (see year 1961, song 1).


16

Title: Rebel Rebel
Artist: David Bowie
Writer(s): David Bowie
Entered chart 23 Feb 1974; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart: 7.

David Bowie (8 Jan 1947 - 10 Jan 2016) was born in south London, England.  He developed an interest in music as a child, eventually studying art, music and design before embarking on a professional career as a musician in 1963.  "Space Oddity" became his first entry on the UK charts after its release in July 1969.  Following a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the Glam Rock era with his flamboyant alter ego Ziggy Stardust.  The character was spearheaded by the success of his single "Starman" and the album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars", which won him widespread popularity and recognition.  After an uneven period in the late 1970s, Bowie had UK number ones with the 1980 single "Ashes to Ashes", its parent album "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)", and "Under Pressure", a 1981 collaboration with Queen.  He reached his commercial peak in 1983 with "Let's Dance", which topped both the UK and USA charts.  Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles.  He stopped touring after 2004 and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006.  In 2013, Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with the album "The Next Day".  He remained musically active until he died of liver cancer in New York City at age 69, two days after the release of his final album, "Blackstar" (2016).
# This was the lead single from Bowie's 1974 album "Diamond Dogs" which entered the UK album chart at Number One in June.  His next Top 10 hit was a recording of "Knock On Wood", in September (song 74).


17

Title: Jet
Artist: Paul McCartney & Wings
Writer(s): Paul McCartney & Linda McCartney
Entered chart 2 Mar 1974; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart: 9.

Paul McCartney was born on 18 Jun 1942 in Liverpool, England, and found fame as a member of the Beatles group.  After the breakup of the band, McCartney pursued a solo career, as did the others.  His first solo hit was "Another Day" in 1971, which just missed reaching the top spot of the charts.  Despite this success, in 1972 he formed the band Wings, with his wife Linda on keyboards and former member of the Moody Blues, Denny Laine, on guitar.  This group enjoyed considerable success (sometimes billed as Paul McCartney & Wings) until the end of the 1970s.  In 1981 Denny Laine left the group, which McCartney then decided to dissolve, and all following hits and albums were credited to McCartney as a solo artist.  He also had much success on the album chart, with his most successful being "Band On The Run" which peaked at Number One, and remained on the UK album chart for 124 weeks.  He has been very successful too on the USA charts where he has scored seven Number One albums.  He has continued concert performances throughout the 21st century, and performed at the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games in 2012.  His most recent album was released in 2018.
# This recording was taken from McCartney's late 1973 album "Band On The Run" (see above), which also reached Number One on the USA album chart.  The band's next hit single came in July, being the album title track "Band On The Run" (song 52).


18

Title: Candle In The Wind
Artist: Elton John
Writer(s): Elton John & Bernie Taupin
Entered chart 2 Mar 1974; Highest Position 11; Weeks on chart: 9.

Elton John was born on 25 Mar 1947 in Pinner, Middlesex (north-west London).  He learned to play piano at an early age, and by 1962 had formed Bluesology, an R&B band with whom he played until 1967.  He met his longtime musical partner Bernie Taupin in 1967, after they both answered an advert for songwriters.  For two years, they wrote songs for artists including Lulu, and John worked as a session musician for artists including the Hollies and the Scaffold.  Elton John was also one of several singers in the late 1960s and early 1970s who recorded covers of hit songs for sale as budget-priced albums in shops like Woolworths.  In 1971, his first hit single, "Your Song", taken from his second album, "Elton John", reached the top ten in the UK and the USA.  From that point he gradually became a star and by the end of the 20th century he had achieved over seventy hit singles in the UK charts and some 36 albums in the album chart.  In the USA he has had more than 50 Top 40 hits and seven consecutive number-one albums.   His tribute single "Candle in the Wind 1997", rewritten in dedication to Diana, Princess of Wales, sold over 33 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling single in the history of the UK and USA singles charts.  He has also composed music for the musical film and stage presentation "The Lion King", as well as for several other musicals.  Elton John owned Watford Football Club from 1976 to 1987 and from 1997 to 2002, and is an honorary Life President of the club.  In 2019 a biographical film tilted "Rocket Man", about Elton John's life from childhood to the 1980s, was released.
# This was Elton's first hit of 1974, which just missed out on a Top 10 position.  However, in 1988 a live version of the song, which Elton had recorded in Australia, was issued as a single and it reached number five in the UK that year.  
# The original lyrics are about American film actress Marilyn Monroe, but in September 1997 Bernie Taupin wrote revised lyrics in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales who had died in August that year.  Elton John performed the new version at Diana's funeral, and a studio recording made earlier was released as a single (titled "Candle In The Wind 1997"), which reached Number One in the UK, USA and several other countries.  All royalties from the recording went to Diana's charities.
# Elton's next single was "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me", in June 1974 (song 43).


19

Title: Jambalaya
Artist: The Carpenters
Writer(s): Hank Williams & Moon Mullican
Entered chart 2 Mar 1974; Highest Position 12; Weeks on chart: 11.

The Carpenters were a brother and sister duo from Connecticut, USA.  The act comprised Richard Carpenter (born 15 Oct 1946) and Karen Carpenter (2 Mar 1950 - 4 Feb 1983).  Karen provided the vocals and sometimes drums, while Richard provided the arrangements,  instrumentation (mostly piano), and sometimes backing vocals.  During the 1970s they were an extremely popular easy-listening act with numerous hit singles and albums throughout the world.  Their compilation album "The Singles 1969-1973" reached Number One in the UK and remained on the album chart for well over two years, with seven other albums reaching the Top 10.  They toured the world extensively for a decade, but Karen began to suffer from the eating disorder anorexia nervosa, although she always denied the suggestion.  However, in early February 1983 she collapsed and died from a heart attack brought on by anorexia nervosa.  Richard Carpenter then began producing a new album of unreleased Carpenters recordings which was issued later in 1983.  Since then he has produced several compilation albums, and in 2018 an album of the duo's hits with orchestration from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was issued, reaching number eight in the UK album chart.
# This song dates from 1952 when it was co-written and recorded by American Country music singer Hank Williams.  It is named after the Louisiana meat and rice dish.  It has been recorded by numerous artists, including Fats Domino whose version reached number 41 in the UK charts during 1962.
# The Carpenters' next Top 10 hit came in January 1975.


20

Title: Listen To The Music
Artist: The Doobie Brothers
Writer(s): Tom Johnston
Entered chart 9 Mar 1974; Highest Position 29; Weeks on chart: 7.

The Doobie Brothers is a band from San Jose, California, USA, which formed in 1970.  At the time of this hit recording the members were Tom Johnston (lead vocalist), Patrick Simmonds and three others.  They began touring and recording, although their debut album in 1971 was not a success.  The second album, "Toulouse Street", reached number 21 in the USA album chart, and provided their first hit single "Listen To The Music".  This was followed by several Top 30 hits, including the 1974 American Number One "Black Water".  Success in the UK was rather more muted.  By 1975, Johnston was in poor health, and he took a break from the band.  He was replaced by Michael McDonald, whose distinctive voice gave the band a new sound, and they enjoyed even greater success.  The band broke up in 1982, but reformed in 1987 with Johnston back in the fold.  McDonald meanwhile had forged a successful solo career, but he did make a few guest appearances on the band's concert tours during the 1990s and 2000s.  McDonald rejoined on a permanent basis in 2019 for a planned 50th anniversary tour in 2020, although that was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.


21

Title: I Get A Little Sentimental Over You
Artist: The New Seekers
Writer(s): Tony Macaulay & Geoff Stephens
Entered chart 9 Mar 1974; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart: 9.

The New Seekers was a British five-piece vocal group, formed by Australian musician Keith Potger, after the break up of his group the Seekers.  The New Seekers comprised female lead singers Eve Graham (born in Auchterarder, Scotland on 19 Apr 1943) and Lyn Paul (born in Manchester, England on 16 Feb 1949), plus three males.  The first version of the group, formed in 1969, did not include Lyn Paul, but after the first album release, several personnel changes were made, including the addition of Paul.  They had a minor hit in late 1970, but made the big time in the summer of 1971 with their first Top 10 entry "Never Ending Song Of Love".  This was followed later in the year by "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing", which was their first Number One chart hit.  They enjoyed considerable success through to the mid-1970s, but broke up in the second half of 1974.  However, they reformed in 1976, but without Lyn Paul.  They had three smallish hits until 1978, when Eve Graham left.  With new personnel, the group has continued to tour and perform.
# This was the group's follow-up to their hit of November 1973 "You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me" (year 1973, song 95).  Despite the success of this recording, it was their final Top 10 hit, as they broke up later in the year (see above).


22

Title: Long Live Love
Artist: Olivia Newton-John
Writer(s): Valerie Avon & Harold Spiro
Entered chart 16 Mar 1974; Highest Position 11; Weeks on chart: 8.

Olivia Newton-John ( 26 Sep 1948 - 8 Aug 2022) was born in Cambridge, England.  Her family moved to Australia in 1954, where she grew up.  She was a member of a short-lived group when she was 14, but after appearing at a few talents contests, she was soon appearing on Australian TV and radio.  She went to the UK after winning the trip as a prize, and was performing there in the late 1960s.  In 1971 she recorded her first album, and the track "If Not For You" was issued as a single.  It rose to number seven in the UK and number 25 in the USA.  Further hits followed in the UK, and in 1974 she represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest.  In the mid-1970s she moved to the USA to live and work.  She had much success there, culminating in her role in the musical film "Grease" in 1978.  Two of her songs from the movie become Number One hits in the UK.  Hits continued on both sides of the Atlantic, and she made more films as well during the 1980s and 1990s.  She continued performing in concerts in to the 2010s.  She was honoured with a Damehood at New Year 2020, but died from breast cancer in 2022 at the age of 73.
# This song, performed by Newton-John, was the UK's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest of 1974.  The entry came fourth in the contest.  The winning country was Sweden, with Abba performing "Waterloo" (song 31 below).
# This was Newton-John's biggest hit since her two Top 10 entries in 1971.  Her next hit came in October (song 77), which only reached number 22 in the UK but went all the way to Number One in the USA.
# This song is different to "Long Live Love" by Sandie Shaw, which was a Number One hit for her in 1965 (year 1965, song 42).


23

Title: Emma
Artist: Hot Chocolate
Writer(s): Errol Brown & Tony Wilson
Entered chart 16 Mar 1974; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart: 10.

Hot Chocolate is a five-piece Soul band from London, England which became one of the most successful acts during the 1970s and 1980s.  It was formed by Errol Brown (12 Nov 1943 - 6 May 2015, born in Jamaica) and Tony Wilson (born in Trinidad on 8 Oct 1947).  They started in 1968 as a Reggae band, but from 1970, under the guidance of producer Mickie Most, they moved to a Soul/Pop style.  Their first hit was "Love Is Life" in 1970, and this began a run of 25 UK Top 40 singles (12 Top 10) until 1984.  Later in the 1980s, reissues returned them to the charts.  There were some personnel changes from time to time, with Wilson leaving in 1976 and Errol Brown departing in 1986.  The band broke up after Brown's departure for a solo career, but it was reformed with a new vocalist in 1992, with another new vocalist in 2010, and it continues to perform in Britain and Europe until the present.
# This was the band's first Top 40 hit since "Brother Louie" was in the Top 10 during April 1973 (year 1973, song 32).  They had three major hits in 1975, including their celebrated "You Sexy Thing" which became a Top 10 hit in three different decades.


24

Title: Homely Girl
Artist: The Chi-Lites
Writer(s): Eugene Record & Stan McKenny
Entered chart 23 Mar 1974; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart: 13.

The Chi-Lites were formed in Chicago, USA during 1964 with lead singer and songwriter Eugene Record and Marshall Thompson.  Their first UK hit came in 1971, but in 1972 their recording "Have You Seen Her" reached number three on both sides of the Atlantic.  This was followed by five Top 10 hits in the UK up to the summer of 1976.  In the mid-1970s, most of the group's personnel changed, even seeing the departure of Eugene Record, although Marshall Thompson has remained throughout.  The often-revised band has continued until the present time.  A new album was released in 2006.
# This was the band's first UK Top 10 hit since January 1972 when "Have You Seen Her" reached number three in the charts (year 1972, song 9).  They were in the British Top 10 again in November (song 83).
# In 1989 British band UB40 recorded a Reggae version of the song which reached number six in the UK charts that year.


25

Title: You Are Everything
Artist: Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye
Writer(s): Thom Bell & Linda Creed
Entered chart 23 Mar 1974; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart: 12.

For information about Diana Ross, see song 1 above.
Marvin Gaye (2 Apr 1939 - 1 Apr 1984) was born in Washington DC, USA.  He joined a Doo-Wop group whilst still at high school, but in 1960 he moved to Detroit, and having been seen singing by Barry Gordy Jr, he was signed to Gordy's record label Tamla Motown.  He had a few smallish hits in the USA from 1962, and his first British hit came in 1964, although it only just entered the Top 50.  His early successes were duets with female performers - first with Mary Wells, then with Kim Weston, and later with Tammi Terrell.  He is probably best remembered for his 1970s and 1980s hits which often contained social commentary and civil rights messages.  Gaye was shot dead by his own father, when Gaye was just 44 and arguably at the peak of his career.
# This song was first recorded by smooth Philadelphia Soul group, the Stylistics.  Their version reached number nine in the USA during 1972 but it did not chart in the UK.
# This version by Ross and Gaye was taken from their 1973 album "Diana & Marvin", which reached number six in the UK album chart.  The pair charted with another duet in the UK during July this year (song 58).


26

Title: A Walkin' Miracle
Artist: Limmie & The Family Cookin'
Writer(s): Luigi Creatore, George David Weiss & Hugo Peretti
Entered chart 6 Apr 1974; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart: 10.

The leader of this family trio, Limmie Snell was born in Dalton, Alabama, but his family moved to Canton, Ohio when he was very young.  He recorded with Columbia Records from age 11 as a solo artist before joining family members Jimmy (female lead singer) and Martha Snell to form Limmie & Family Cookin'.  They released one single on Scepter Records, then signed with Avco Embassy, where they released three singles which hit the UK singles charts in 1973-74.  The first was "You Can Do Magic" (number 3), followed by "Dreamboat" (number 31), and "A Walking Miracle" (number 6).  Despite their success in the United Kingdom, they entered the USA charts only once, with "You Can Do Magic" (reached number 84).  Because of their popularity in the UK, they continued performing there regularly into the 1980s.  In the mid-1970s they split into two musical groups, the second of which was named Limmie Funk Limited.
# This song was originally recorded by the American group The Essex, which had no real success in the UK.  Their version was a Top 20 hit in the USA during 1963.  The Limmie & The Family Cookin' version was not a hit in the USA.


27

Title: Everyday
Artist: Slade
Writer(s): Noddy Holder & Jim Lea
Entered chart 6 Apr 1974; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart: 7.

Slade was a Glam Rock band formed in Wolverhampton, England during the late 1960s (under a different name) by Noddy Holder (born 15 Jun 1946), Jim Lea (born 14 Jun 1949), with lead guitarist Dave Hill and drummer Don Powell.  As Slade they obtained a deal with Polydor records, and from 1971 to 1977 they had 19 hit singles, with twelve consecutive Top 10 hits which includes six Number Ones.  They were the most successful group of the 1970s in terms of singles sales.  Their most successful recording is "Merry Xmas Everybody" which reached Number One in 1973, but has become a seasonal perennial, being played on radio and in shopping centres every December since.  They lost some momentum in the late 1970s, but bounced back in 1980, enjoying hits for most of that decade.  However, with falling sales and general disillusionment in the band, it broke up in 1992.  Noddy Holder then moved into acting and radio DJ work.  Lee continued writing songs and making occasional recordings.  Hill and Powell formed Slade II and began touring and recording into the 2010s.
# This was the first of three Top 10 hits the band enjoyed during 1974.  The recording was taken from their fourth studio album "Old New Borrowed And Blue", which went to Number One on the UK album chart.  The next hit single came in July (song 51).


28

Title: Year Of Decision
Artist: The Three Degrees
Writer(s): Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff
Entered chart 13 Apr 1974; Highest Position 13; Weeks on chart: 10.

The Three Degrees is a female vocal trio formed in Philadephia, USA during the early 1960s.  There has always been a rotation of group members (some 15 women have been members at one time of another), but at the time of this hit, the singers were lead vocalist Sheila Ferguson (born 8 Oct 1947), Fayette Pinkney (10 Jan 1948 – 27 Jun 2009) and Valerie Holiday (born 2 Dec 1947).  They made several recordings during the late 1960s and early 1970s, but it was not until they signed with Philadelphia International records that they became a major act.  Their debut album spawned their first hit single "Year Of Decision", as well as the international best seller "When Will I See You Again", which reached Number One in the UK (song 55).  More hits followed for the rest of the 1970s, and they toured the UK several times in that decade.  Fayette Pinkney left in 1976 and was replaced by Helen Scott.  The trio's final Top 10 hit came in 1979, and Sheila Ferguson left in 1986.  She was replaced, but there were several changes of personnel over the following years, with some members leaving and returning.  Nevertheless, the group continues to tour and perform in the 21st century with Valerie Holiday (continuous member since 1967), Helen Scott and Freddie Pool.


29

Title: He's Mistra Know It All
Artist: Stevie Wonder
Writer(s): Stevie Wonder
Entered chart 13 Apr 1974; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart: 9.

This was Wonder's follow-up to his hit of January "Living For The City" (song 2).  This recording also came from his 1973 album "Innervisions", which reached number eight in the UK album chart.  His next single release, in October "You Haven't Done Nothin'" was a Number One hit in the USA, but it stalled at a disappointing number 30 in the UK.  However, the album from which it came, "Fulfillingness' First Finale", reached number five in the UK album chart.  His next Top 10 single in the UK did not come until December 1976, although he had a Top 20 hit in January 1975.


30

Title: The Cat Crept In
Artist: Mud
Writer(s): Nicky Chinn & Mike Chapman
Entered chart 13 Apr 1974; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 9.

This recording was the band's follow-up to their Number One hit of January "Tiger Feet" (song 4).  They kept the feline theme going with this release which reached number two in the UK charts.  The band toured the UK during 1974, the tour being titled 'Mud on the Road'.  Their next hit, "Rocket", came in July (song 62).


31

Title: Waterloo
Artist: Abba
Writer(s): Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus & Stig Anderson
Entered chart 20 Apr 1974; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 9.

Abba was a Swedish group who shot to fame when they won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest.  The members were: Agnetha Fältskog (born 5 Apr 1950 in Jönköping, Sweden), Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad (born 15 Nov 1945 in Ballangen, Norway), Björn Ulvaeus (born 25 Apr 1945 in Gothenburg, Sweden), and Benny Andersson (born 16 Dec 1946 in Stockholm, Sweden).  Following their "Waterloo" success, there was a slight gap in record sales until 1975 when they began a run of 18 UK Top 10 hits, lasting until 1981.  They were the most successful Scandinavian act, with success in the USA, Australia, most of Europe and other parts of the world.  They toured the world extensively during the second half of the 1970s.  In 1977 "ABBA: The Movie" a  drama-documentary about their Australian tour was released.  Three 'greatest hits' albums were issued between 1976 and 1982, but in 1992 their "Gold" compilation album was released, which reached Number One in the UK, eventually staying on the chart for 328 weeks.  The group split in 1982, and Benny and  Björn went on to write the musical "Chess" (with Tim Rice) which opened in London in 1986.  In 1999 a musical called "Mamma Mia!", which featured numerous Abba songs opened in London.  A film version of the musical was released in 2008.  Agnetha has issued several solo albums, the most recent in 2013.  Frida initially retired from the music business and moved to Switzerland.  However, in late 2021 it was announced that Abba had reunited to record a new album called "Voyage".


32

Title: Rock 'n' Roll Winter (Loony's Tune)
Artist: Wizzard
Writer(s): Roy Wood
Entered chart 27 Apr 1974; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart: 7.

This group was formed in 1972 by Roy Wood (born 8 Nov 1946 in Birmingham, England).  Wood had previously been co-founder of the band The Move, which had success in the 1960s.  He also formed the Electric Light Orchestra with Jeff Lynn which enjoyed its first hit in 1972.  However, after tensions within the band, Wood left in the summer of 1972, and went on to form Wizzard.  It was a large band (eight members), including saxophone and cello players.  Their first hit came at the tail end of 1972, but 1973 was their big year, with two Number One hits, and the Christmas perennial "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday".  That festive recording only reached number four in the charts that year, but it is played every December on radio and in shopping centres.  It returned to the charts in 1981 and 1984, and with the advent of music downloads, it has appeared in the charts every year since 2007.  Wizzard had their final hit with original material in 1974, and since that time Wood has worked on various solo projects.  He was also record producer to Doo-wop revival band Darts during the second half of the 1970s.
# This was the band's first hit of 1974, with their final Top 10 entry to come late in the year (song 99).


33

Title: Shang-A-Lang
Artist: Bay City Rollers
Writer(s): Bill Martin & Phil Coulter
Entered chart 27 Apr 1974; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 10.

This was the group's follow-up to their Top 10 hit of February (song 10).  This one did a little better in the charts, getting to four places higher.  It was the second of four Top 10 entries they had in 1974, which made them a major act in the mid-1970s.  Their next hit came in July (song 59).


34

Title: I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song
Artist: Jim Croce
Writer(s): Jim Croce
Entered chart 27 Apr 1974; Highest Position 9 (USA chart data - not a UK hit).

Jim Croce (10 Jan 1943 – 20 Sep 1973) was born in Philadelphia, USA.  He was a Folk-rock singer-songwriter, and in the early 1960s he formed a singing duo with his wife, known as Jim & Ingrid, but they had no commercial success.  He always had doubts about having a singing career, and frequently took long breaks from performing to do other jobs.  However, in the early 1970s he got a recording deal in New York, and he recorded a few albums.  His 1972 album "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" went to Number One in the USA album chart.  The album included the track "Time In A Bottle", and released as a single it went to Number One in the USA and Canada in 1973.  His 1974 single release "I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song" was also a great success in the USA.  None of his singles or albums charted in the UK.  Sadly, on 20 September 1973, he and five others were killed when a plane they were in whilst touring the USA, crashed during take off in Louisiana.  Several of his biggest hits came posthumously, including this American hit.
# The song has been recorded by several artists for album tracks.


35

Title: TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)
Artist: MFSB featuring the Three Degrees
Writer(s): Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff
Entered chart 27 Apr 1974; Highest Position 22; Weeks on chart: 9.

MFSB (meaning Mother, Father, Sister, Brother) was a group of over 30 studio musicians, based at Philadelphia’s Sigma Sound Studios.  They worked with the production team of Gamble and Huff and producer/arranger Thom Bell, and backed such groups as Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the O’Jays, the Stylistics, the Three Degrees, and Billy Paul, who were all signed to the Philadelphia International record label.  The musicians also recorded instrumental tracks for albums under the name of MFSB.  This track, like several others, was influential in establishing the Disco sound which became dominant in the second half of the 1970s.  The recording "TSOP" also features some limited vocals from female trio, the Three Degrees.  This track reached Number One in the USA, but a further 14 singles were only minor hits, at best, in the USA.  In the UK they had a Top 40 hit in 1975, and a final hit in 1981 which reached number 41 on the British charts.


36

Title: Sugar Baby Love
Artist: The Rubettes
Writer(s): Wayne Bickerton & Tony Waddington
Entered chart 4 May 1974; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 10.

The Rubettes was an English pop band put together by musician John Richardson in 1974, after the release of "Sugar Baby Love", which had been recorded by various studio session musicians in the previous year, and featuring the distinctive falsetto and lead vocals of Paul Da Vinci.  However, Da Vinci preferred not to join the band as he wanted to pursue solo work.  The Rubettes were formed with lead singer Alan Williams, whose vocals never appeared on the original recording of "Sugar Baby Love", but he sang lead on all subsequent recordings.  John Richardson was part of the band, along with four others.  Several hit singles followed including three Top 10 hits in the UK and five in Germany where they were particularly popular.  However, the hits dried up towards the end of the 1970s and the band split in 1980.
# The band's next hit came in July (song 53).


37

Title: The Night Chicago Died
Artist: Paper Lace
Writer(s): Peter Callander & Mitch Murray
Entered chart 4 May 1974; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart: 11.

This was the band's follow-up to their hit of February, "Billy Don't Be A Hero" (song 14).  This recording was a Number One hit in the USA.  They had one more Top 20 hit in 1974, but that was pretty much it.  See song 14 for more info.
# "The Night Chicago Died" is about a shoot-out between the Chicago Police and gangsters tied to mobster Al Capone.  It was inspired by the real-life St Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929, although that involved Capone's men killing seven of Bugs Moran's gang members and had nothing to do with the police.


38

Title: Break The Rules
Artist: Status Quo
Writer(s): Francis Rossi, Bob Young & Alan Lancaster
Entered chart 4 May 1974; Highest Position 8; Weeks on chart: 8.

Status Quo found fame as a Psychedelic band, but had lasting success through the 1970s, 1980s and beyond as a Rock band, sometimes referred to as a Boogie band.  The origins of the group go back to 1962.  They performed under different names for five years, but became Status Quo in 1967 with members Francis Rossi (born 29 May 1949, south London), Rick Parfitt (12 Oct 1948 - 24 Dec 2016), Alan Lancaster (7 Feb 1949 - 26 Sep 2021), and John Coghlan.  They had a deal with Pye Records and had their first hit, "Pictures Of Matchstick Men", in early 1968.  They accrued five hits by the end of 1970.  There was then a gap of two hitless years until they emerged as a Rock band in 1973 with the hit recording "Paper Plane" on the Vertigo label, where they remained for a couple of decades.  Their first Number One came in 1974 ("Down Down"), and they have had over sixty hits in the UK singles charts, continuing well into the 2000s.  They opened the "Live Aid" fund-raising event in 1985, and have continued with recording and live concert work into the 2010s despite forced personnel changes.
# This was the band's first hit of 1974, with the chart-topper mentioned above coming in December (song 92).


39

Title: If I Didn't Care
Artist: David Cassidy
Writer(s): Jack Lawrence
Entered chart 11 May 1974; Highest Position 9; Weeks on chart: 8.

David Cassidy (12 Apr 1950 – 21 Nov 2017) was born in Manhattan, New York City, USA.  His parents were singers/actors and spent much time touring the USA.  This resulted in Cassidy being raised mainly by his grandparents.  His father divorced his first wife (Cassidy's mother), and in 1956 he married singer and actress Shirley Jones.  In 1968 Cassidy moved in with his father, Shirley Jones and his half-siblings, in New York City.  Cassidy's father fixed him up with a manager, and by 1969 he was acting on the Broadway stage.  In 1970 Cassidy took a role in the TV musical sitcom The Partridge Family, which starred his step mother Shirley Jones.  The show ran from 1970 to 1974.  With Jones and others he recorded several songs as the Partridge Family, and these became hits on both sides of the Atlantic in the early 1970s.  Simultaneously he was recording solo, and he enjoyed several hits during the first half of the 1970s in the UK.  He became a teen idol, and his concert tours in the USA and UK were sell-outs, often with mass hysteria amongst the audience.  By the mid-1970s he had decided to quit touring and acting to concentrate on songwriting and recording.  By the 1980s he was performing in musical stage shows and had another UK Top 10 hit in 1985.  Some sporadic performing and acting took place until his death at age 67 from liver failure.
# This recording was Cassidy's final Top 10 hit in the UK until 1985, although he reached number eleven in the summer of 1975.  It failed to chart at all in the USA.  His next release in the UK was a remake of the Beatles' "Please Please Me", which peaked at number 16 in the charts in July 1974.
# The song was written in 1939 when it was recorded by American vocal group The Ink Spots, selling over nineteen million copies.  Several other artists have recorded the song, but Cassidy's version is the only one to reach the UK charts.


40

Title: (You Keep Me) Hangin' On
Artist: Cliff Richard
Writer(s): Ira Allen & Buddy Mize
Entered chart 18 May 1974; Highest Position 13; Weeks on chart: 8.

Cliff Richard was born on 14 Oct 1940 in Lucknow, India, whilst his parents were working in that country.  He returned to England with his family in 1948.  He formed a band in 1957 and a year later he was chosen as a singer for the TV Rock 'n' Roll show "Oh Boy!".  His first hit came in 1958, which started a career that continued into the 21st century, with more than 130 hit singles and over 50 original albums, spanning 60 years plus.  In the early 1960s he also starred in several musical films, notably "The Young Ones" and "Summer Holiday".  He also achieved a number one single in five different decades, and is the most successful British recording artist of all time.  He was honoured with a knighthood in 1995.  He continues in the 21st century and issued a new album in 2018 ("Rise Up"), which reached number four in the album chart, and another album in 2020, "Music.. The Air That I Breathe", which peaked at number three in the UK album chart.
# This song was first recorded by American Country music duo the Gosdin Brothers in 1967.  It has been recorded by numerous Country artists since that time, and this Cliff Richard version retains a Country feel.
# This was Cliff's only hit of 1974, and he had no hits at all during 1975.  However, he returned in 1976 with four hits, including the Top 10 entry "Devil Woman".
# The song is different to "You Keep Me Hangin' On" written by Motown composers Holland–Dozier–Holland.  That song was recorded in 1966 by American female group the Supremes, which reached number eight on the UK charts.  American rock band Vanilla Fudge released a version in 1967, which reached number 18 in the UK.  British singer Kim Wilde recorded the song in 1986, and her version reached number two in the UK, and Number One in the USA.


41

Title: Jarrow Song
Artist: Alan Price
Writer(s): Alan Price
Entered chart 25 May 1974; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart: 9.

Alan Price was born 19 Apr 1942 in County Durham, England.  He had been one of the founders of the group the Animals which had enjoyed a series of hit recordings from 1964 onwards.  Price left the Animals in 1965 for a variety of reasons, but soon formed his own band, called the Alan Price Set, which featured a small brass section.  Although his main musical interest was the Blues, after his first hit he turned more to lighter pop.  He had eleven hits in the UK, four of which reached the Top 10.  In the 1980s he joined other members of the Animals for reunion concerts.  He was still recording into the early 2000s.
# Alan Price wrote this song about the Jarrow March of the 1930s.  This was a march by two hundred men from the town of Jarrow in north-east England to lobby Parliament at Westminster, a distance of some two hundred and eighty miles, which they covered in 22 stages.  The marchers left Jarrow  5th October 1936 and arrived at the Palace of Westminster on 31st October. The purpose was to highlight the collapse of industry on Tyneside at the height of the Great Depression, although it failed to influence Parliament.
# This was Price's first Top 20 hit since his hit with Georgie Fame in 1971 (see year 1971, song 25).  It was also his final major hit, although he had a couple of smaller ones later in the 1970s.  In June 1974 he reached the Top 10 of the UK album chart with "Between Today And Yesterday".


42

Title: Summer Breeze
Artist: The Isley Brothers
Writer(s): Jim Seals & Dash Crofts
Entered chart 25 May 1974; Highest Position 16; Weeks on chart: 8.

The Isley Brothers are a Soul and R&B group from Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.  They began by singing Gospel music, but moved to New York City in 1957 and began recording R&B tracks.  In 1959 they had a moderate hit with their song "Shout", which was later a hit for Lulu.  They first appeared in the UK charts in 1963 with "Twist And Shout", although it was only a minor hit for them.  "This Old Heart Of Mine" first charted in 1966, when it peaked at number 47.  However, it became a number three hit two years later.  At the time of this hit the Isley brothers were: Ronald, Rudolph, O'Kelly, Marvin and Ernie plus Chris Jasper.  During the 1970s and early 1980s they enjoyed enormous success in the USA and elsewhere.  In 1984, however,  Chris Jasper and Marvin left the band which was dissolved.  It was reformed in 1991, with Ronald, Ernie, and Marvin.  In 1996 Marvin left due to ill health, leaving Ronald and Ernie as a duo, and the pair have continued performing until the present time.
# This was the group's first Top 20 hit since September 1973, when "That Lady" reached number 14 in the UK (year 1973, song 77).  They did not have another hit in the UK until the summer of 1976 when "Harvest For The World" reached number ten.  Strangely, their biggest hits in Britain did badly in the American charts.
# This song was written by the soft Rock duo Seals & Crofts, whose original version was a Top 10 hit in the USA during 1972.  The pair never had any hits in the UK.


43

Title: Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
Artist: Elton John
Writer(s): Elton John & Bernie Taupin
Entered chart 1 Jun 1974; Highest Position 16; Weeks on chart: 8.

This was Elton's follow-up to his hit of March, "Candle In The Wind" (song 18).  This release also failed to breach the UK Top 10 although it reached number two in the USA.  The first part of 1974 saw him touring Japan and Australia, whilst during the second half of the year he was touring the USA and Canada.  His next hit in this listing (song 89) saw him entering the UK Top 10 for the first time in over a year.
# In late 1991, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" was a hit as a live version by George Michael who was performing at Wembley Arena, London.  Towards the end of the song Elton John came onto the stage to join in.  The duet recording was issued as a single which went to Number One in both the UK and USA.
# Earlier in 1991, Jazz/Soul singer Oleta Adams recorded the song and her version reached number 33 in the UK charts.


44

Title: Kissin' In The Back Row Of The Movies
Artist: The Drifters
Writer(s): Geoff Stephens, Roger Greenaway & Roger Cook
Entered chart 15 Jun 1974; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 13.

The Drifters are an American vocal group, formed in the early 1950s, and with a constant rotation of members.  A count has indicated that some 60 individuals have performed under the band name at one time or another. The group enjoyed several hits in the 1960s, but in the 1970s, they signed a deal with Bell records and based themselves in the UK, with lead singer Johnny Moore (14 Dec 1934 - 30 Dec 1998).  This gave them a run of nine hit singles, six of which made the Top 10, until the end of 1976.  Members came and went (and returned again) several times during the next three decades.  Johnny Moore died in London at the end of 1998, having been in the group (with some breaks) since he was 21 years old in 1955.  Nevertheless, others continued with the group which has performed into the 21st century, but there have been numerous lawsuits over the use of the group name.  No members of the hits-making versions of the band are in the current lineup.
# This was the group's first hit of 1974, and was the second of four recordings taken from their album "Love Games".  Their next hit single, "Down On The Beach Tonight", came in October (song 75).


45

Title: One Man Band
Artist: Leo Sayer
Writer(s): David Courtney & Leo Sayer
Entered chart 15 Jun 1974; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart: 9.

Leo Sayer was born on 21 May 1948 at Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, England.  Sayer began his music career co-writing songs with British singer-songwriter David Courtney (including "Giving It All Away", which gave Roger Daltrey of the Who his first solo hit in 1973).  Also in 1973, Sayer began his career as a recording artist under the management of Adam Faith, who arranged Sayer's record deal.  He went on to have a very successful career, enjoying seven consecutive Top 10 hits until 1977, with three more up to 1982.  Also in 1977 he had two consecutive Number One hits in the USA.  In Britain he also had six Top 10 albums in the album chart.  In the 1990s he had financial difficulties, but successfully sued his management and record company for unpaid royalties.  He moved to Australia in the early 2000s and became an Australian citizen in 2009.  Since that time he has recorded in Australia and mostly performed in that country.
# This was Sayer's follow-up to his debut hit in December 1973, "The Show Must Go on" (year 1973, song 99).  He was back in the UK Top 10 in September (song 72).
# This song was first recorded by Roger Daltrey of the Who for his 1973 debut solo album "Daltrey", on which most tracks were written by
David Courtney & Leo Sayer.  The Daltrey version was not issued as a single in the UK.
# A one-man band is a street performer who plays several instruments at once, strapped to various parts of the body.


46

Title: Beach Baby
Artist: First Class
Writer(s): John Carter & Gillian Shakespeare
Entered chart 15 Jun 1974; Highest Position 13; Weeks on chart: 10.

First Class was a studio group put together by British singer-songwriter John Carter.  Carter had previously been a founding member of the group the Ivy League who had hits back in 1965.  He then formed the group the Flowerpot Men in 1967 and enjoyed more hits.  The Flowerpot Men featured the voice of Tony Burrows who fronted several manufactured groups in the early 1970s including Edison Lighthouse and White Plains.  For this new venture, Carter again enlisted Tony Burrows to be the lead voice for First Class.  As with their previous groups, neither Carter nor Burrows were interested in touring when the recording became a hit, so other musicians were hired to form a touring band.  Further singles and two albums were recorded but none reached the UK charts.  "Beach Baby" reached number four in the USA, and was followed there by two minor hits.  With a lack of commercial  success, the group was dissolved in the late 1970s.


47

Title: Wall Street Shuffle
Artist: 10cc
Writer(s): Eric Stewart & Graham Gouldman
Entered chart 15 Jun 1974; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart: 10.

10cc was a British band, formed in 1972.  The members were Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme.  They were two pairs of songwriters - Gouldman and Stewart, as well as Godley and Creme.  Graham Gouldman in particular was a well-known songwriter, having composed hits for the Yardbirds and the Hollies amongst others during the 1960s.  The band became very successful, and from 1972 to 1978, 10cc had five consecutive UK top-ten albums, plus twelve singles in the UK Top 40, three of which were the chart-toppers "Rubber Bullets" (1973), "I'm Not in Love" (1975) and "Dreadlock Holiday" (1978).  "I'm Not in Love" was their breakthrough worldwide hit and is known for its innovative backing track.  Godley and Creme quit the band in 1976 due to artistic disagreements and became a duo act who had a couple of Top 10 hits in 1981.  They were replaced, and the band continued recording and performing until the end of 1978.  There were reunions of all four members from time to time, but Stewart left the band in 1995.  Since 1999, Gouldman has led a touring version of 10cc with four others.
# The band's next major hit, "Life Is A Minestrone", came in April 1975, reaching number seven on the UK charts.
# Wall Street is a street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City.  It is home to the New York Stock Exchange, and many other financial institutions and companies.  The term "Wall Street" has become a description for the financial markets of the USA in general.


48

Title: Laughter In The Rain
Artist: Neil Sedaka
Writer(s): Neil Sedaka & Phil Cody
Entered chart 22 Jun 1974; Highest Position 15; Weeks on chart: 9.

Neil Sedaka was born on 13 Mar 1939 in Brooklyn, New York, USA.  Since his music career began in 1957, he has sold millions of records as an artist and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and others, collaborating mostly with lyricists Howard Greenfield and Phil Cody.  When Sedaka was 13, a neighbour heard him playing piano and introduced him to her 16-year-old son, Howard Greenfield, an aspiring poet and lyricist. They became two of the legendary Brill Building's composers in New York City.  Sedaka co-wrote several hit songs for Connie Francis as well as others, and began his own singing career in 1958.  His first UK hit came in 1959, which led to a run of Top 20 hits in the early 1960s.  After his Rock 'n' Roll style went out of fashion, he reinvented himself in the early 1970s with a series of ballads which charted between 1972 and 1975.  He continues to perform in concert in the USA and overseas in the 21st century.
# This was Sedaka's penultimate UK hit, which reached Number One in his native USA.  He had a few more Top 20 hits in America until 1976.  In the UK, in 1976, his album "Laughter and Tears", a compilation of his 1970s recordings, reached number two, and remained on the chart for 25 weeks.


49

Title: She
Artist: Charles Aznavour
Writer(s): Charles Aznavour & Herbert Kretzmer
Entered chart 22 Jun 1974; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 14.

Charles Aznavour (22 May 1924 – 1 Oct 2018) was born in Paris to Armenian immigrant parents.  He began as an entertainer as a child, and after WWII and the Nazi occupation of France, he took to singing full time.  He wrote many songs himself, and began performing in several European countries as well as the USA.  It wasn't until 1974, however, that he found fame in the UK when he recorded the song "She".  The recording went to Number One and remained there for four weeks.  This success resulted in his album "A Tapestry Of Dreams" reaching the UK album chart Top 10.  Unfortunately he had no other significant entries in the UK charts.  He continued performing throughout the world into the 21st century, with his final world tour taking place during 2017 and early 2018, at the age of 93.  He died at his home in Switzerland at age 94.
# The song "She" was especially written for the 1974 British TV series "Seven Faces of Woman".
# In 1999 British singer Elvis Costello recorded the song, which was used on the soundtrack of the film "Notting Hill" which starred Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant.  The Costello version reached number 19 in the UK charts.


50

Title: Rock Your Baby
Artist: George McCrae
Writer(s): Harry Wayne Casey & Richard Finch (founding members of K C & The Sunshine Band)
Entered chart 29 Jun 1974; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 14.

George McCrae was born on 19 Oct 1944 in Florida, USA.  He joined the US Navy in 1963 and married in the same year.  After finishing his naval duties, he began singing with his wife around different venues in Florida from 1967.  In 1974 he was approached by Harry Casey and Richard Finch of K C & The Sunshine Band, asking if he would like to record this song.  He did, and it became one of the best sellers of 1974, reaching Number One in both the UK and USA.  It was also one of the first hits in the Disco genre which would grow during the following years.  He had two further Top 10 singles and a Top 20 album in the UK until 1975.  He then moved to Canada, but in the 1980s moved to the Netherlands where he recorded and married again.  He enjoyed success in various parts of Europe and as recently as 2016 he recorded a new album which performed well in Germany. 
# In 1992 British band KWS recorded the song, and their version reached number eight in the UK charts that year.


51

Title: The Bangin' Man
Artist: Slade
Writer(s): Noddy Holder & Jim Lea
Entered chart 6 Jul 1974; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart: 7.

This was the band's follow-up to their hit of April "Everyday" (song 27).  It was the second of three Top 10 hits they enjoyed in 1974.  It was written while the band was touring Australia earlier in the year, and it refers to their tour manager who would bang on their hotel doors to get them up ready to move on to the next location of the tour.  Their next hit came in October (song 81).


52

Title: Band On The Run
Artist: Paul McCartney & Wings
Writer(s): Paul McCartney & Linda McCartney
Entered chart 6 Jul 1974; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart: 11.

This was the follow-up to the band's hit of March, "Jet" (song 17).  This recording was the title song from their album "Band On The Run" which reached Number One on the album charts of the UK and USA.  This single was also a Number One in America.  The next single release, "Junior's Farm" peaked at number 16 in the UK charts during November, but they were back in the Top 10 in May 1975.


53

Title: Tonight
Artist: The Rubettes
Writer(s): Wayne Bickerton & Tony Waddington
Entered chart 13 Jul 1974; Highest Position 12; Weeks on chart: 9.

This was the group's follow-up to their debut hit in May, "Sugar Baby Love" (song 36).  The recording was taken from their first album "Wear It's 'At", which reached the Top 40 in Germany and the Netherlands, but failed to reach the charts in the UK.  The band's third single, "Juke Box Jive", reached number three in the UK charts during November (song 87).


54

Title: You Make Me Feel Brand New
Artist: The Stylistics
Writer(s): Thom Bell & Linda Creed
Entered chart 13 Jul 1974; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 14.

This recording was the group's follow-up to their hit of January, "Rockin' Roll Baby" (song 3).  The track was featured on their 1974 album "Let's Put It All Together", which reached number 26 on the UK album chart.  This single also reached number two on the USA charts.  It was the band's biggest hit in the UK until 1975 when they finally reached Number One with "Can't Give You Anything (But My Love)".  They were next in the UK charts during October (song 80).
# In 2003, British band Simply Red recorded the song, and their version reached number seven in the UK charts that year.


55

Title: When Will I See You Again
Artist: The Three Degrees
Writer(s): Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff
Entered chart 13 Jul 1974; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 16.

This was the trio's follow-up to their debut hit in April, "Year Of Decision" (song 28).  The recording is their most successful single in the UK, which peaked at number two in the USA.  The song was featured on the group's album "The Three Degrees", which reached number 12 in the UK album chart from August 1974.  Their next release in November stalled at number 34, but they were in the UK Top 10 again in April 1975.


56

Title: The Six Teens
Artist: The Sweet
Writer(s): Nicky Chinn & Mike Chapman
Entered chart 13 Jul 1974; Highest Position 9; Weeks on chart: 7.

This followed the band's hit of January this year, "Teenage Rampage" (song 5).  This recording peaked at their lowest position in the UK charts since February 1972.  The next single release, in November, failed reach the Top 40, after being banned by the BBC, but they were at number two in March 1975.


57

Title: Born With A Smile On My Face
Artist: Stephanie De Sykes
Writer(s): Roger Holman & Simon May
Entered chart 20 Jul 1974; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 10.

Stephanie De Sykes was born in 1948.  During the 1970s she was primarily a session singer, providing backing vocals for other artists.  However, in 1974 she recorded and issued the song "Born With A Smile On My Face" which reached number two on the UK charts.  In 1978 and 1980 she co-wrote two songs for entry in the Eurovision Song Contest.  The first was "Bad Old Days" by Co-Co which reached number 13 in the UK charts.  The 1980 entry was "Love Enough For Two" by Prima Donna which peaked at number 48 on the UK charts, even though it came third in the contest.  She continued as a session singer into the 1980s, but in more recent times she has been a human rights campaigner.


58

Title: Stop Look Listen (To Your Heart)
Artist: Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye
Writer(s): Thom Bell & Linda Creed
Entered chart 20 Jul 1974; Highest Position 25; Weeks on chart: 8.

Like the pair's previous duet in March (song 25), this song was first recorded by smooth Philadelphia Soul group, the Stylistics.  Their version reached number 39 in the USA (number six on the R&B chart) during 1971 but it did not chart in the UK.  This version by Ross and Gaye was also taken from their 1973 album "Diana & Marvin", which reached number six in the UK album chart.  Ross had to wait until 1976 before reaching the UK Top 10 again, and Gaye had to wait until 1977 before he too was in the British Top 10.


59

Title: Summerlove Sensation
Artist: Bay City Rollers
Writer(s): Bill Martin & Phil Coulter
Entered chart 27 Jul 1974; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart: 10.

This was the band's third of four Top 10 hits that they enjoyed during 1974, and was the follow-up to "Shang-A-Lang" in April (song 33).  All four were written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter who had previously penned the UK's Eurovision entries in 1967 ("Puppet On A String") and 1968 ("Congratulations").  The group's fourth Top 10 came in October (song 78).


60

Title: Rock The Boat
Artist: Hues Corporation
Writer(s): Wally Holmes
Entered chart 27 Jul 1974; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart: 10.

The Hues Corporation was a Soul trio from Santa Monica, California, USA.  They were formed in 1969 and began as a support group for several acts.  Their first recordings did not chart, but after a slow start, "Rock The Boat" climbed to Number One in the USA during spring 1974.  It is regarded as one of the first recordings in the Disco genre.  Further releases did not have the same success, and the group broke up around 1980.  However, they reunited for some special events during the 1990s.


61

Title: I Shot The Sheriff
Artist: Eric Clapton
Writer(s): Bob Marley
Entered chart 27 Jul 1974; Highest Position 9; Weeks on chart: 9.

Eric Clapton was born on 30 Mar 1945 in Surrey, England.  He learned to play guitar as a young teenager and he began to take a keen interest in American Blues music.  In 1962 he began performing with groups in local venues, and in 1963 he joined the Yardbirds (see year 1965, song 26).  They enjoyed growing success, but Clapton left after their first hit recording as he thought the group had gone too pop rather than Blues.  He then joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, but left them in 1966 to be part of the super group Cream.  By 1967 he was regarded as one of Britain's finest guitarists, and Cream performed in New York that year.  However, the band broke up in 1968, and Clapton spent a few years collaborating with various American bands, culminating in his hit "Layla" (in 1972) credited to Derek & The Dominoes (see year 1972, song 62).  He then began recording as a solo artist, and had the 1974 hit "I Shot The Sheriff" which reached Number One in the USA.  The track was featured on his album "461 Ocean Boulevard" which reached Number One in the USA during 1974 (number three in the UK).  His success continued into the 21st century, and he accrued 38 hit albums in the UK from 1974 to 2020, 18 of which reached the Top 10.
# "I Shot The Sheriff" was written by Reggae superstar Bob Marley, and recorded by him in 1973 for an album.


62

Title: Rocket
Artist: Mud
Writer(s): Nicky Chinn & Mike Chapman
Entered chart 27 Jul 1974; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart: 9.

This was the band's follow-up to their hit of April, "The Cat Crept In" (song 30).  This was another song from the pens of Chinn and Chapman.  They went on to write Mud's perennial Christmas song "Lonely This Christmas" which reached Number One at Christmas 1974, but is heard annually on the radio every December. 
# The band had no less than five Top 10 hits in 1975, one of which reached Number One.  The first of those hits came in February 1975.


63

Title: I'm Leaving It (All) Up To You
Artist: Donny & Marie Osmond
Writer(s): Don Harris & Dewey Terry
Entered chart 27 Jul 1974; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart: 9.

Donny and Marie are brother and sister.  Donny had enjoyed several major hits, including three Number Ones, in the UK over 1972 and 1973.  He was also a member of the family group The Osmonds, with whom he was having further hits.  Marie had enjoyed one solo hit in the UK during late 1973.  For more info on these artists see year 1973, song 19 (Donny) and year 1973, song 93 (Marie).  This recording was a revival of a song written in 1957 and recorded by the composers that year.  It became well-known in the USA during 1963 when it was recorded by the duo Dale & Grace.  Their version reached Number One on the USA charts.  The Donny & Marie version peaked at number four in America.  They were in the UK Top 10 again, with another duet, in December (song 94).


64

Title: Hello Summertime
Artist: Bobby Goldsboro
Writer(s): Roger Cook & Roger Greenaway
Entered chart 3 Aug 1974; Highest Position 14; Weeks on chart: 10.

Bobby Goldsboro was born on 18 Jan 1941 in Florida, USA, but he grew up in Alabama, USA.  He began his musical career in 1962, and was in the USA Top 10 by 1964.  In 1968 he was in the UK Top 10 (USA Number One) with the tear-jerker "Honey", about the death of a man's wife.  He wrote many songs, and several became hits for other artists.  His second UK hit came belatedly in 1973, "Summer (The First Time)" which was not without controversy as it documented a teenager's first sexual encounter.  Goldsboro was in the UK Top 20 in 1974 with "Hello Summertime", and "Honey" charted again 1975.  No more recordings reached the UK charts.  He had his own American TV series, "The Bobby Goldsboro Show", from 1973 to 1975.  He continued songwriting and in the 1990s was writing themes for TV shows.
# This followed his 1973 hit "Summer (The First Time).  As mentioned above, his debut hit in the UK, "Honey", reached the Top 10 again seven years later, in 1975.  There were no more British hits.


65

Title: Annie's Song
Artist: John Denver
Writer(s): John Denver
Entered chart 17 Aug 1974; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 13.

John Denver (31 Dec 1943 - 12 Oct 1997) was born in New Mexico, USA.  He was given a guitar at the age of eleven, and he was giving performances by the time he was at college.  He moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s, and began performing in Folk clubs.  He joined a group in 1965, but decided to go solo in 1969.  He composed most of his recordings, and one of his songs, "Leaving On A Jet Plane", was recorded in 1969 by American Folk group Peter, Paul & Mary, whose version reached Number One in the USA.  It reached number two in the UK (see year 1970, song 4).  By 1971 Denver was at number two in America with "Take Me Home Country Roads", which was a hit in the UK for Olivia Newton-John in 1973.  Denver was reaching the UK album chart from 1973, but finally made it to the singles chart in 1974 with "Annie's Song", which is his only solo hit in Britain.  By contrast, he had four Number Ones in the USA and numerous other hits.  In the 1980s, whist still successfully recording, he turned much of his attention to humanitarian and conservation causes.  He was a keen pilot, and sadly was killed when his private aircraft crashed in California.


66

Title: Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe
Artist: Barry White
Writer(s): Barry White
Entered chart 17 Aug 1974; Highest Position 8; Weeks on chart: 12.

Barry White (12 Sep 1944 - 4 Jul 2003) was born in Galveston, Texas, USA, but he grew up in Los Angeles.  He began singing in the early 1960s, often with groups, sometimes solo, and he began producing recordings in the second half of the 1960s.  In the early 1970s he had success with girl group Love Unlimited and their hit "Walking In The Rain With The One I Love" (see year 1972, song 52), which White wrote, arranged and produced.  In 1973 White created the Love Unlimited Orchestra, which was used mainly to provide backing for for himself and the girl group.  However, the orchestra also recorded instrumental tracks, and they had the hit "Love's Theme" (see song 8 above).  White had a couple of small hits before his first UK Top 10 in August 1974.  This kicked off his solo career in the USA and UK, where he had ten Top 20 hits by the end of the 1980s.  He continued recording and performing until the end of the 1990s.  In the early 2000s he suffered from kidney failure, and a stroke in 2003, which led to his death at the age of 58.
# His next hit came in November, the Number One, "You're The First, The Last, My Everything" (song 84).


67

Title: Love Me For A Reason
Artist: The Osmonds
Writer(s): Johnny Bristol, Wade Brown Jr & David Jones Jr
Entered chart 24 Aug 1974; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 9.

The Osmonds was a family group comprising brothers Alan (born 22 Jun 1949), Wayne (born 28 Aug 1951), Merrill (born 30 Apr 1953), Jay (born 2 Mar 1955) and Donny (born 9 Dec 1957).  The older siblings began singing at a young age, and the oldest four began appearing on American TV, notably on the Andy Williams show from 1962 to 1969.  As they grew older they moved into more contemporary material, and were joined by Donny in the late 1960s.  They first appeared in the UK charts in 1972, and their second entry in November ("Crazy Horses") was a Top 10 hit over the Christmas period.  "Love Me For A Reason" was the group's fourth Top 10 hit and was a strong harmony ballad.  They continued having hits until the end of 1975, but remained a successful live act for several years.  Alan and Wayne have retired from performing, and Donny concentrates on his TV presentation work and concerts in Las Vegas and other venues.  Merrill and Jay continue performing as the Osmonds.
# This was the group's only Number One hit in the UK, which peaked at Number ten in the USA.  Their next significant hit came in May 1975, which was their final major hit.
# This song, co-written by American singer Johnny Bristol was recorded by him in 1974, but it was not a hit in the USA or UK.  In December 1994 the song was the debut hit single from Irish boy band Boyzone, which reached number two in the UK charts.


68

Title: Feel Like Makin' Love
Artist: Roberta Flack
Writer(s): Eugene McDaniels (American singer-songwriter)
Entered chart 24 Aug 1974; Highest Position 34; Weeks on chart: 7.

Roberta Flack was born on 10 Feb 1937 in North Carolina, USA, but grew up in Arlington, Virginia, USA.  She learned to play piano as a youngster and decided to study music.  She graduated from Howard University at the age of 19, and went into teaching music.  She began her professional singing career at a restaurant at Capitol Hill, Washington DC in 1968.  Her reputation grew and she soon had a recording contract.  Her recordings did not sell particularly well until she recorded Ewan MacColl's "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face".  Her version went to Number One on the USA charts (number 14 in the UK), and she enjoyed two further chart-toppers in the USA.  Her career flourished, and she recorded a number of duets, notably with Donny Hathaway and Peabo Bryson.  She has continued to record and perform - her most recent album was released in 2018.
# This release reached Number One in the USA, but was a disappointment in the UK, peaking at only number 34 .  Her next major hits in Britain did not come until the 1980s, and they were duets.


69

Title: Rock Me Gently
Artist: Andy Kim
Writer(s): Andy Kim
Entered chart 24 Aug 1974; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 12.

Andy Kim was born on 5 Dec 1946 in Montreal, Canada to Lebanese immigrants.  He took an interest in music from a young age, and moved to New York whilst still in his teens.  He began writing and some recording with moderate success, but in 1969 he was the co-writer of the Archies big hit "Sugar Sugar" (see year 1969, song 82).  From 1970 he was recording and touring the USA and Canada.  His only hit in the UK came in 1974 when "Rock Me Gently" reached number two.  The recording reached Number One in the USA and Canada.  He has continued with recording and performing, sometimes under a pseudonym.  He issued a new album in 2011, and in 2018 he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto.


70

Title: Something 'Bout You Baby I Like
Artist: Tom Jones
Writer(s): Richard Supa (American guitarist and songwriter)
Entered chart 7 Sep 1974; Highest Position 36; Weeks on chart: 5.

Tom Jones was born on 7 Jun 1940 in Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales.  For over six decades he has been an international star with TV series in the UK and USA, and seasons in Las Vegas.  In his seventies he continues to perform and act as a judge on a TV talent contest.  He began singing with a group called Tommy Scott & the Senators in the early 1960s.  They performed in local venues and even made a couple of records.  Then in 1964 Jones was spotted by artist manager Gordon Mills.  He took Jones to London and arranged a contract with Decca Records.  Jones' first hit, "It's Not Unusual", started a life-long career in showbiz.  1967 saw him jet off for his first of many seasons in Las Vegas.  The big hits continued through the 1960s, but chart entries were thinner after that.  Nevertheless he remained immensely popular on both sides of the Atlantic, and in 1999 he released an album of duets, "Reload", which went to Number One in the UK album chart.  Several singles were released from the album, including "Sex Bomb" which peaked at number three on the singles chart in May 2000 when he was almost 60 years old.  He continues to perform on TV, issue albums, and since 2012 has been a judge/coach on the UK version of the talent show "The Voice".
# This recording is taken from Jones' 1974 album of the same title.  He was still mainly performing in the USA, although neither the single nor album charted in that country.  His next Top 40 UK hit did not come until 1977, and it was 1987 before he reached the Top 10 again.


71

Title: Sad Sweet Dreamer
Artist: Sweet Sensation
Writer(s): David Parton
Producer: Tony Hatch
Entered chart 14 Sep 1974; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 10.

Sweet Sensation were a British Soul group formed in Manchester in 1971.  It was an eight-piece band with lead singer Marcel King (4 Jan 1957 - 5 Oct 1995), who was 17 when this song was recorded, which he sang in a falsetto voice.  They came to prominence when they appeared on the TV talent show "New Faces" in early 1974.  One of the judges on the show's panel was record producer Tony Hatch, who had crafted numerous hits for Petula Clark in the 1960s.  Hatch saw their potential and arranged for them to sign a record deal with Pye records.  Their first release did not reach the charts but the second offering became a Number One hit in the UK, and it even reached the Top 20 in the USA.  One further release reached number eleven in January 1975, but there were no further hits, and the band was dissolved in 1977.
# British songwriter, David Parton covered the Stevie Wonder song "Isn't She Lovely" in 1977 when Wonder's album version received considerable airplay, but the record company refused to release it as a single.  As a result, Parton's cover reached number four in the UK charts.


72

Title: Long Tall Glasses
Artist: Leo Sayer
Writer(s): Dave Courtney & Leo Sayer
Entered chart 14 Sep 1974; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart: 9.

This was Sayer's follow-up to his hit of June, "One Man Band" (song 45).  This release climbed two places higher than its predecessor, and came from the same album, "Just A Boy", which reached number four in the UK album chart.  Sayer's next hit single came in August 1975, the number two charter, "Moonlighting".  


73

Title: Everything I Own
Artist: Ken Boothe
Writer(s): David Gates
Entered chart 21 Sep 1974; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 12.

Ken Boothe was born on 22 Mar 1948 in Kingston, Jamaica.  Boothe began singing in the early 1960s, usually in duos or groups, and several recordings were issued.  His first solo recordings were made in 1966, and by 1974 he had issued his seventh album.  That album included the single "Everything I Own" which was released in the UK on Trojan records.  This Reggae version of the David Gates song reached Number One in the UK, and was followed later in the year by "Crying Over You" which reached number eleven.  There were no further UK hits, but Boothe continued to record and perform into the 1990s.  Boothe was awarded the Order of Distinction for his contribution to Jamaican music by the Jamaican government in 2003.
# The song was first recorded by Gates' band Bread, and their version reached number 32 in the UK charts during 1972 (see year 1972, song 36).


74

Title: Knock On Wood
Artist: David Bowie
Writer(s): Eddie Floyd & Steve Cropper
Entered chart 28 Sep 1974; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart: 6.

Most of Bowie's hits were written by himself, but this one was a revival of a song from 1966.  It had originally been co-written and recorded by American Soul singer Eddie Floyd.  That original version reached number 19 on the UK charts during 1966.  The Bowie version is a live performance recording made in Philadelphia, USA, and was featured on his album "David Live" which reached number two on the UK album chart from November 1974.  This single was Bowie's second Top 10 hit of the year, following "Rebel Rebel" in February (song 16).  Two releases in between only reached the Top 30.  Bowie's next hit single, "Young Americans" came in March 1975.
# As well as Eddie Floyd's original version, the song was a UK Top 10 hit during 1979 when American Soul singer Amii Stewart recorded a Disco version.


75

Title: Down On The Beach Tonight
Artist: The Drifters
Writer(s): Roger Greenaway & Tony Macaulay
Entered chart 12 Oct 1974; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart: 9.

This was the Drifters' second Top 10 hit of the year, and the hits would continue in 1975.  They were still recording in the UK and largely performing in that country too, with appearances at the London Palladium during 1974.  Their next UK hit came in February 1975, although it peaked at a lowly number 33.  However, they were in the Top 10 during September and again in November 1975.


76

Title: Gonna Make You A Star
Artist: David Essex
Writer(s): David Essex
Producer: Jeff Wayne
Entered chart 12 Oct 1974; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 17.

David Essex was born on 23 Jul 1947 in east London, England.  He thought he might become a footballer before his singing and acting career took off.  He first recorded in 1965 and toured with a band for two years.  In 1971 he got the lead role in the stage musical "Godspell", and in 1973 he starred in the film "That'll Be The Day" along with Ringo Starr.  He had his first hit single, "Rock On" in 1973, which was taken from his debut album also titled "Rock On".  The album reached number seven on the UK album chart.  Essex has placed 25 hits on the singles charts, including eight Top 10s and two Number Ones.  He has also seen many albums reach the album chart.  He has continued with recording and acting in films, TV and on the stage up to the present time.
# This was the first Number One from David Essex, which remained on the chart for an impressive 17 weeks.  It was featured on his second album, "David Essex" which reached number two on the UK album chart during the autumn of 1974.  His next single, from the same album, "Stardust", came in December (song 95).


77

Title: I Honestly Love You
Artist: Olivia Newton-John
Writer(s): Jeff Barry & Peter Allen
Entered chart 12 Oct 1974; Highest Position 22; Weeks on chart: 6.

This was the follow-up to her hit in March, "Long Live Love" (song 22).  This recording only reached number 22 in the UK, although it went to Number One in the USA, Canada, Australia and Sweden.  Furthermore, at the 17th Grammy Awards in 1975, the single won both Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.  Obviously the British record-buying public just did not take to it.  Her next UK hit did not come until 1977, after which she entered her USA period with hit songs from the film "Grease".


78

Title: All Of Me Loves All Of You
Artist: Bay City Rollers
Writer(s): Bill Martin & Phil Coulter
Entered chart 12 Oct 1974; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart: 10.

This was the fourth and final Top 10 hit for the band in 1974.  It followed "Summerlove Sensation" (song 59).  Their popularity continued into 1975 when they had three Top 10 hits, including two Number Ones.  The first of those came in March 1975 when their remake of "Bye Bye Baby" hit the top of the UK charts.


79

Title: (Hey There) Lonely Girl
Artist: Eddie Holman
Writer(s): Leon Carr & Earl Shuman
Entered chart 19 Oct 1974; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart: 13.

Eddie Holman was born on 3 Jun 1946 in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, but he was brought up in New York City.  He had an interest in music from a young age, and he moved to Philadelphia when he was a teenager.  After graduating from high school, he attended university where he graduated with a degree in music.  He began recording in the mid-1960s and began having a few hits on the American charts.  In 1970 he recorded the song "(Hey There) Lonely Girl", which reached number two on the USA charts that year.  It was not until 1974 that the recording reached the British charts.  That hit is is only entry on the UK charts, although he did have some smaller hits in the USA during 1977.  He continues to tour with the Eddie Holman Band, but also works as a volunteer for the underprivileged of Philadelphia.
# The song was originally recorded in 1963 by American Soul group Ruby & The Romantics, whose only hit in the UK was "Our Day Will Come" (see year 1963, song 28).  Titled "Hey There Lonely Boy", the Ruby version reached number 27 on the USA charts.


80

Title: Let's Put It All Together
Artist: The Stylistics
Writer(s): Hugo & Luigi and George David Weiss
Entered chart 19 Oct 1974; Highest Position 9; Weeks on chart: 9.

This was the group's follow-up to their number two hit of July, "You Make Me Feel Brand New" (song 54).  It was also their third Top 10 hit on the UK charts during 1974.  The track was taken from their album "Let's Put It All Together", which was produced by Hugo & Luigi in New York City, and was the group's first recording session away from Philadelphia.  As mentioned with song 3 above, this change of location did not blunt their success in the UK which continued into 1976, although in the USA, from mid-1974, the singles only reached minor positions.  The band's next UK hit came in January 1975, being "Star On A TV Show".


81

Title: Far Far Away
Artist: Slade
Writer(s): Noddy Holder & Jim Lea
Entered chart 19 Oct 1974; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 6.

This was the band's third Top 10 hit of 1974, and followed "The Bangin' Man" (song 51).  This was also the last in a run of twelve consecutive Top 10 hits, six of which reached Number One, since October 1971.  Their next hit in February got to number 15, but they had a Top 10 hit in May 1975, which was their last until 1981.  See song 27 above for more info.


82

Title: Magic
Artist: Pilot
Writer(s): David Paton
Entered chart 2 Nov 1974; Highest Position 11; Weeks on chart: 11.

Pilot was a Scottish rock group formed during 1973 in Edinburgh by David Paton and Billy Lyall.  Both Paton and Lyall had been in the the Bay City Rollers before that band reached the height of its fame.  In 1974 they recorded their debut album "From The Album Of The Same Name", which was not a hit, but featured the song "Magic".  The recording peaked at number eleven in the UK but it reached Number One in Canada and number five in the USA.  Even the afore-mentioned album reached number 82 on the American Top 200 album chart.  The band's next release, in January 1975, the aptly-named "January", went to Number One in the UK, but two further releases only made the Top 40.  The band broke up in 1978, and Paton with two other members of the band joined the Alan Parsons Project which had a few album hits in the second half of the 1970s and early 1980s.


83

Title: Too Good To Be Forgotten
Artist: The Chi-Lites
Writer(s): Barbara Acklin & Eugene Record
Entered chart 2 Nov 1974; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart: 11.

This was the band's second UK Top 10 hit of the year, but it was not a hit in their American homeland.  An intermediate summer release in the UK had stalled at number 35.  They had two further Top 10s in 1975, with a final entry in 1976.  For more info see song 24 above.
# In 1986 this song was recorded by British group Amazulu, whose version reached number five in the UK charts that year.


84

Title: You're The First, The Last, My Everything
Artist: Barry White
Writer(s): Peter Radcliffe, Tony Sepe & Barry White
Entered chart 2 Nov 1974; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 14.

This was White's follow-up to his August Top 10 hit "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe" (song 66).  The album from which this track came, "Can't Get Enough", also entered the UK album chart on 2 November, and reached number four, remaining on the chart for 34 weeks.  He was back in the UK Top 10 in March 1975.
# Co-writer, Peter Radcliffe originally wrote the track as a Country music song with the title "You're My First, You're My Last, My In-Between", which went unrecorded for 21 years.  White recorded it as a disco song, and rewrote most of the lyrics.


85

Title: How Long
Artist: Ace
Writer(s): Paul Carrack
Entered chart 9 Nov 1974; Highest Position 20; Weeks on chart: 10.

This group was formed in Sheffield, England in 1972, with lead singer Paul Carrack.  Their debut album "Five-A-Side" contained the track "How Long" which was issued as a single, becoming a Top 20 hit in the UK.   The album did not chart in the UK.  However, in the USA, the single reached number three, and the album peaked at number eleven in the American album chart.  With this American success, the band moved to that country and recorded two more albums.  However, the success did not continue and the band broke up in mid 1977.  Carrick then worked with other bands, most successfully with Mike & The Mechanics, whose hit "The Living Years" reached number two in the UK and Number One in the USA during 1989.  Carrack has also recorded solo, and he remade "How Long" in 1996, which reached number 32 in the UK charts.


86

Title: You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet
Artist: Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Writer(s): Randy Bachman
Entered chart 16 Nov 1974; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 12.

Bachman-Turner Overdrive was a Canadian Rock band formed in Winnipeg, Canada during 1973 after group members had been in other bands.  This track was taken from their third album, "Not Fragile" which went to Number One in the USA (number 12 in the UK).  The personnel at the time of this release was Randy Bachman (vocals, guitars), Robbie Bachman (percussion, drums), Blair Thornton (guitars, backing vocals), and Fred Turner (vocals, bass guitar).  They remained very popular in the USA and Canada for a few years, although in the UK they had just one more hit single and no further hit albums.  Following disagreements over the band's direction, Randy left in 1976 and was replaced, but the band was dissolved in early 1980.  However, there were several reunions and break ups over the following years into the early 2000s.  In the 2010s, Randy Bachman and Fred Turner have recorded and performed as a duo, simply called Bachman & Turner.


87

Title: Juke Box Jive
Artist: Rubettes
Writer(s): Wayne Bickerton & Tony Waddington
Entered chart 16 Nov 1974; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart: 12.

This was the band's follow-up to their hit in July, "Tonight", which peaked at number 12.  This release brought them back into the UK Top 10, and it reached the Top 10 in Germany and the Netherlands too.  It was a track taken from their second album, "We Can Do It", which peaked at number 41 on the UK album chart.  The band's popularity continued into 1975, with another Top 10 hit in March.  For more info see song 36 above.


88

Title: Get Dancing 
Artist: Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes
Writer(s): Bob Crewe & Kenny Nolan
Entered chart 23 Nov 1974; Highest Position 8; Weeks on chart: 12.

This recording was another offering of the Disco sound that was gaining considerable popularity on both sides of the Atlantic.  Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes was a group featuring Monti Rock III (born Joseph Montanez Jr., 29 May 1942 in New York City).  Also in the band were the writers of this song Bob Crewe, who was well-known as a song writer for the Four Seasons during the 1960s, and Kenny Nolan.  The only female member was Cindy Bullens who was a backing singer for Elton John, Rod Stewart and many others.  The band had just two noteworthy hits and then pretty much disappeared.


89

Title: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds 
Artist: Elton John
Writer(s): John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Entered chart 23 Nov 1974; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart: 10.

This was Elton's first UK Top 10 hit since September 1973, although he had four hits in between, the highest getting to number eleven.  This recording of the Lennon & McCartney song featured John Lennon on backing vocals and guitar, and it reached Number One in the USA charts.  It was his follow-up to "The Bitch Is Back" which had reached number 15 in the British charts (number four in the USA) from September 1974.
# The song was a track on the Beatles' famous album "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", issued in 1967.  That recording was not released as a single, although it did receive airplay on some radio stations at the time.
# Elton's next hit came in March 1975, being the American Number One "Philadelphia Freedom".


90

Title: The Man With The Golden Gun 
Artist: Lulu
Writer(s): John Barry & Don Black
Entered chart: Not a hit in either UK or USA.

This was the theme to the James Bond film of the same title; the ninth in the series.  The Bond themes were and are sung by prominent singers of the day, and Lulu was chosen to perform this theme for the soundtrack.  This recording is the only James Bond theme not to reach the record charts of either the UK or USA.  No doubt this was a great disappointment for Lulu, who had been in the UK Top 10 in January this year (see song 6 above).
# The next Bond film, in 1977, "The Spy Who Loved Me" had the theme song, "Nobody Does It Better".  It was performed by Carly Simon, and reached number seven in the UK and number two in the USA charts.


91

Title: Never Can Say Goodbye 
Artist: Gloria Gaynor
Writer(s): Clifton Davis
Entered chart 7 Dec 1974; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 13.

Gloria Gaynor was born on 7 Sep 1943 in Newark, New Jersey, USA.  She came from a musical family, and her brothers formed a Gospel choir in the 1950s.  Gaynor joined an R&B band in the 1960s and made a record in 1965.  She did not enjoy any major success until her recording of the song "Never Can Say Goodbye" in 1974, which has become a Disco classic.  This was followed by several moderately successful singles in both the UK and USA until 1979 when she reached Number One in both countries with the classic hit "I Will Survive".  The hits tailed off after that but she has continued to perform and record, and more recently has moved into Gospel music.
# The song dates from 1971 and was originally recorded by the Jackson Five, whose version reached number two in the USA and number 33 in the UK.  In 1987 it was recorded by British duo The Communards, which featured the former Bronski Beat singer Jimmy Somerville.  The Communards version reached number four in the UK charts.


92

Title: Down Down 
Artist: Status Quo
Writer(s): Francis Rossi & Bob Young
Entered chart 7 Dec 1974; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 11.

This was the band's follow-up to their hit of May, "Break The Rules" (song 38).  "Down Down" was their first Number One in the UK charts, but it turned out to be their only chart-topper.  Their next hit came in May 1975, being "Roll Over Lay Down", which was part of a three track release of live recordings.  For more band info, see song 38.


93

Title: Streets Of London 
Artist: Ralph McTell
Writer(s): Ralph McTell
Entered chart 7 Dec 1974; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 12.

Ralph McTell was born on 3 Dec 1944 in Kent, England.  After leaving school he went to college and began to take and interest in all forms of music.  In the mid-1960s he began busking around London, and other parts Europe, especially Paris.  He met other musicians during this time and added to his skills, especially as a songwriter.  Professional gigs followed, and by 1967 he had a record deal, and was making his first album.  His second album, in 1968, included the song "Streets Of London".  He began playing in big venues, and appeared at the Isle of Wight music festival in 1970.  His recording of "Streets Of London" was finally issued as a single in late 1974 and became a world-wide million-seller.  During the 1980s he took to TV presentation and performance work on the children's TV show "Alphabet Zoo".  He has continued performing and recording, with a new album released in 2019.


94

Title: Morning Side Of The Mountain 
Artist: Donny & Marie Osmond
Writer(s): Larry Stock & Dick Manning
Entered chart 14 Dec 1974; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart: 12.

This was the duo's follow-up to their hit of August, "I'm Leaving It (All) Up To You" (song 63).  This also made the Top five in the UK, and the Top 10 in the USA.  The pair of siblings were in the UK charts again in June 1975 with a Top 20 hit.  All their British hits were remakes of old songs.  Donny was also in the UK Top 10 in May 1975 with his brothers, The Osmonds.
# "Morning Side of the Mountain" was first recorded in 1951 by American Soul singer Tommy Edwards (famous for "It's All In The Game" - see year 1958, song 90).


95

Title: Stardust 
Artist: David Essex
Writer(s): David Essex
Producer: Jeff Wayne
Entered chart 14 Dec 1974; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart: 10.

This was the follow-up to David Essex's hit of October, "Gonna Make You A Star" (song 76).  This was the theme to the film "Stardust", a musical drama which starred David Essex, Adam Faith and Larry Hagman.  The cast also featured a number of well-known pop/rock performers, including Keith Moon (The Who), Marty Wilde, Dave Edmunds, and Paul Nicholas.  The film was a box office hit.  Essex had two more Top 10 entries in 1975, one of which reached Number One ("Hold Me Close").


96

Title: Help Me Make It Through The Night 
Artist: John Holt
Writer(s): Kris Kristofferson (Country music singer-songwriter)
Entered chart 14 Dec 1974; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart: 14.

John Holt (11 Jul 1947 - 19 Oct 2014) was a Jamaican Reggae singer who was born in Kingston, Jamaica.  He began taking part in local talent contests from the age of twelve, and recorded his first single in 1963.  He was part of a Jamaican group in the second half of the 1960s, and they enjoyed a series of hits in that country, whilst Holt also recorded solo during that time.  One of his albums was picked up by Trojan records in the UK during 1974, and from it the single "Help Me Make It Through The Night" was released.  It was very successful, reaching the UK Top 10 and Holt toured in the UK over the following years, but remained based in Jamaica.  He had no other hits in the UK.  In 2004 he was awarded the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican government for his contribution to Jamaican music.  Sadly he died from colon cancer in 2014, and is buried in Jamaica's Dovecot Memorial Park.
# The song was written and recorded by Kris Kristofferson in 1970.  It was a hit that year in the USA for Country music performer Sammi Smith, reaching Number One on the Country chart and number eight on the pop chart.  In 1972 American group Gladys Knight & The Pips reached number eleven in the UK charts with their version of the song (see year 1972, song 91).


97

Title: I Can Help 
Artist: Billy Swan
Writer(s): Billy Swan
Entered chart 14 Dec 1974; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart: 9.

Billy Swan was born on 12 May 1942 in Missouri, USA.  He started to play instruments and write songs as a child.  In 1962 one of his songs, "Lover Please", was recorded by former Drifters vocalist Clyde McPhatter, which became a Top 10 hit in the USA.  Swan moved to Nashville in the mid-1960s, and began writing Country music songs for the many acts based in that city.  He recorded his first album in 1972, but his recording of "I Can Help" and the album of the same title were his only major hits.  He recorded albums up to 1981, but the final three failed to chart.  However, he had modest success on the American Country music singles chart until 1987.  He has continued as a session musician and songwriter.


98

Title: Ms Grace 
Artist: The Tymes
Writer(s): John Hall & Johanna Hall
Entered chart 21 Dec 1974; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 11.

The Tymes was a Soul vocal group formed in Philadelphia, USA during the 1950s.  They enjoyed hits in the USA during the 1960s, two of which reached the Top 30 in the UK.  The bigger of those two was "People" which peaked at number 16 in early 1969.  The group's big hit in the UK, "Ms Grace", only reached number 91 in their American homeland.  It was the act's final major hit on either side of the Atlantic.


99

Title: Are You Ready To Rock 
Artist: Wizzard
Writer(s): Roy Wood
Entered chart 21 Dec 1974; Highest Position 8; Weeks on chart: 10.

This was the band's first Top 10 hit after "Rock 'N' Roll Winter" (song 32), which was in the charts in April.  An intermediate release in the summer stalled at number 34.  This was also the group's final Top 10 hit, and indeed the final hit with new material of any kind, although their perennial Christmas song "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday", originally a Top 10 hit in 1973, reached the Top 10 again in 2007.  Group leader, Roy Wood went on to record and perform solo with moderate success for the next three decades, but now appears to be semi-retired.  See song 32 above for more info.


100

Title: Best Of My Love 
Artist: The Eagles
Writer(s): Don Henley, Glenn Frey & J D Souther
Entered chart 21 Dec 1974; Highest Position 1 (USA chart data - not a UK hit)

The Eagles are an American Country Rock band formed in Los Angeles in September 1971. The founding members were Glenn Frey (6 Nov 1948 - 18 Jan 2016), Don Henley (born 22 Jul 1947), Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner.  Frey and Henley first played together when they joined Linda Ronstadt's backing band for her tour in 1971.  Leadon and Meisner were in the band as well, and the four decided to form their own band.  They released their first album ("The Eagles") in 1972.  None of the band's early American hits reached the UK charts.  In fact, the band's first British hit did not come until 1975, after they had enjoyed eight hit singles in the USA.  However, all of their American hits were included on the album "Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975" (released 1976) which reached number two on the UK album chart, where it remained for 77 weeks.  Guitarist and vocalist Joe Walsh joined the band in 1975, replacing Leadon.  The Eagles hit their commercial peak in late 1976 with the release of the album "Hotel California", which went on to sell more than 26 million copies in the USA alone and more than 42 million copies worldwide.  The Eagles broke up in July 1980, but reunited in 1994 for the album "Hell Freezes Over", a mix of live and new studio tracks.  They toured consistently and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.  In 2007, the Eagles released "Long Road Out of Eden", their first full studio album in 28 years and their sixth American Number One album.  The next year they launched the Long Road Out of Eden Tour in support of the album.  In 2013, they began the extended History of the Eagles Tour in conjunction with the band's documentary release, "History of the Eagles".  Glenn Frey died in January 2016, but they reformed in 2017, with Deacon Frey (Glen Frey's son) and Country singer Vince Gill sharing lead vocals for Frey's songs.
# This was the last year that the Eagles failed to have a UK hit single.  Their first hit single in Britain came in the summer of 1975.  It was the American Number One "One Of These Nights", which reached number 23 in the UK.  However, the band's album "On The Border" entered the UK album chart in April 1974, reaching number 28, and including the recording "Best Of My Love".



 

Acts with most appearances in this list:

Bay City Rollers: 4
Elton John: 3
Mud: 3

Donny Osmond: 3 (2 with sister Marie and 1 with group the Osmonds)
Diana Ross: 3 (2 with Marvin Gaye)
Rubettes: 3
Slade: 3
Stylistics: 3

Composers with most appearances in this list:

Nicky Chinn & Mike Chapman: 5 (3 for Mud; 2 for Sweet)
Thom Bell & Linda Creed: 4
Bill Martin & Phil Coulter: 4 (all for Bay City Rollers)
Wayne Bickerton & Tony Waddington: 3 (all for the Rubettes)
Roger Greenaway: 3 (1 with Roger Cook and Geoff Stevens; 1 with Roger Cook; 1 with Tony Macaulay)
Elton John & Bernie Taupin: 3 (all for Elton John)
Jim Lea & Noddy Holder: 3 (all for Slade)
Paul McCartney: 3 (2 with Linda McCartney; 1 with John Lennon)

New Names in 1974
To qualify, new acts must have gone on to have at least three entries in these lists.  One-hit Wonders do not qualify.

Abba
Doobie Brothers
Mud
Rubettes
Three Degrees
Barry White

 


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Comments and corrections to: mjs@onlineweb.com

Compiled January 2021
Updated 10/08/2022

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