Records that have turned half a century. In this 2024 we have celebrated many and today, November 22nd, a fundamental one: “The Lamb Lies On Broadway” by Genesis. Perhaps because 1974 was “the most Seventies year of the Seventies”, as the American magazine Rolling Stone defines it, which took the opportunity to compile its ranking of… the 74 best albums of 1974. “A period in which the world of music was changing rapidly, and the same was true for the rest of culture”, recalls Rolling Stone citing some fetishes of the period such as streaking8-track cassettes, Scooby-Doo and kung-fu, while films like “High High Noon” and “The Godfather – Part II” went crazy at the cinema. A fertile year also because “a new generation of superstars was inventing the future: Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Neil Young, David Bowie. The most eccentric experimenters moved on the fringes, from George Clinton to Brian Eno to Betty Davis. Radio was a rollercoaster of emotions with disco, glam rock, prog, country, commercial pop, Philadelphia soul and soft California vibes.”
Here, then, is Rolling Stone's list of the 74 best albums of 1974, which brings together “timeless classics revered throughout the world”, but also “hidden treasures, cults, rarities”, with a minimum common denominator: they all still play fantastic in 2024 (full service here). Some of these titles can also be found in our ranking of the best records of the 70s.
74. Eagles – “On The Border”
73. George Jones – “The Grand Tour”
72. Supertramp – “Crime Of The Century”
71. Tom Waits – “The Heart Of Saturday Night”
70. Sparks – “Kimono My House”
69. Kiss – “Kiss”
68. Isaac Hayes – “Truck Turner”
67. Queen – “Sheer Heart Attack”
66. Celia Cruz And Johnny Pacheco – “Celia & Johnny”
65. ABBA – “Waterloo”
64. Sweet – “Desolation Boulevard”
63. Bonnie Raitt – “Streetlights”
62. Barry White – “Can't Get Enough”
61. Golden Earring – “Moontan”
60. Richard Pryor – “That N****R's Crazy”
59. BT Express – “Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)”
58. The Rolling Stones – “It's Only Rock 'N Roll”
57. Merle Haggard – “Presents His 30th Album”
56. The Grateful Dead – “From The Mars Hotel”
55. Ohio Players – “Skin Tight”
54. Bob Dylan – “Planet Waves”
53. Kraftwerk – “Autobahn”
52. Toots And The Maytals – “In The Dark”
51. Moe Bandy – “I Just Started Hatin' Cheatin' Songs Today”
50. Lou Reed – “Rock 'N' Roll Animal”
49. Harry Nilsson – “Pussy Cats”
48. Ronnie Wood – “I've Got My Own Album To Do”
47. Can – “Soon Over Babaluma”
46. James Brown – “Reality”
45. Van Morrison – “It's Too Late To Stop Now”
44. Aerosmith – “Get Your Wings”
43. Minnie Riperton – “Perfect Angel”
42. Parliament – “Up For The Down Stroke”
41. Elton John – “Caribou”
40. Gene Clark – “No Other”
39. Smokey Robinson – “Pure Smokey”
38. John Lennon – “Walls And Bridges”
37. Ann Peebles – “I Can't Stand The Rain”
36. Gram Parsons – “Grievous Angel”
35. Rufus – “Rags To Rufus”
34. Genesis – “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway”
33. The Meters – “Rejuvenation”
32. Miles Davis – “Get Up With It”
31. Jackson Browne – “Late For The Sky”
30. Blue Öyster Cult – “Secret Treaties”
29. Funkadelic – “Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On”
28. Willie Nelson – “Phases And Stages”
27. Al Green – “Al Green Explores Your Mind”
26. The J. Geils Band – “Nightmares And Other Tales From The Vinyl Jungle”
25. The Stylistics – “Let's Put It All Together”
24. Bryan Ferry – “These Foolish Things”
23. Millie Jackson – “Caught Up”
22. Leonard Cohen – “New Skin For The Old Ceremony”
21. Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Second Helping”
20. Randy Newman – “Good Old Boys”
19. Dolly Parton – “Jolene”
18. Steely Dan – “Pretzel Logic”
17. Linda Ronstadt – “Heart Like A Wheel”
16. Brian Eno – “Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy”
15. Betty Davis – “They Say I'm Different”
14. David Bowie – “Diamond Dogs”
13. King Crimson – “Red”
12. Richard & Linda Thompson – “I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight”
11. Labelle – “Nightbirds”
10. Roxy Music – “Country Life”
09. Van Morrison – “Veedon Fleece”
08. New York Dolls – “Too Much Too Soon”
07. The Spinners – “Mighty Love”
06. Big Star – “Radio City”
05. Brian Eno – “Here Come The Warm Jets”
04. Bob Marley – “Natty Dread”
03. Joni Mitchell – “Court And Spark”
02. Stevie Wonder – “Fulfillingness' First Finale”
01. Neil Young – “On The Beach”
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
