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“What really matters is what you like, not what you are like… Books, records, films — these things matter.”
— High Fidelity

Etcetera

Best Songs of 1975

For these year-end lists, I like to undertake the seemingly impossibly task of creating an hours-long mix. The order you see below represents that effort, which you can listen to via Spotify and Apple Music. Sadly all 100 tracks aren't available, but you get the general idea. Track notes to come eventually or maybe never.

  1. Physical Graffiti

    Kashmir

    Led Zeppelin

    Physical Graffiti

    Swan Song

    Notes

  2. A Night at the Opera

    Bohemian Rhapsody

    Queen

    A Night at the Opera

    Elektra

    Notes

  3. Wish You Were Here

    Wish You Were Here

    Pink Floyd

    Wish You Were Here

    Columbia

    Notes

  4. I Am the Cosmos

    Speed of Sound

    Chris Bell

    I Am the Cosmos

    Rykodisc

    Recorded in 1975 and released in 2002

  5. Dream Weaver

    Dream Weaver

    Gary Wright

    Dream Weaver

    Warner Bros.

    Notes

  6. One of These Nights

    After the Thrill Is Gone

    Eagles

    One of These Nights

    Asylum

    Notes

  7. Prisoner in Disguise

    Roll Um Easy

    Linda Ronstadt

    Prisoner in Disguise

    Elektra

    Notes

  8. Home Plate

    Sugar Mama

    Bonnie Raitt

    Home Plate

    Warner Bros.

    Notes

  9. Suicide Sal

    Wishing Well

    Maggie Bell

    Suicide Sal

    Swan Song

    Notes

  10. Tellin' It

    Come to Mama

    Ann Peebles

    Tellin’ It

    Hi Records

    Notes

  11. There's No Place Like America Today

    So in Love

    Curtis Mayfield

    There’s No Place Like America Today

    Curtom

    Notes

  12. Turning Point

    Turning Point

    Tyrone Davis

    Turning Point!

    Dakar

    Notes

  13. Total Explosion

    I Only Have Love

    Syl Johnson

    Total Explosion

    Hi Records

    Notes

  14. Struttin' My Stuff

    Struttin’ My Stuff

    Elvin Bishop

    Struttin’ My Stuff

    Capricorn

    Notes

  15. The Brecker Bros

    Sneakin’ Up Behind You

    The Brecker Brothers

    The Brecker Bros

    Arista

    Notes

  16. Supersound

    King Kong

    The Jimmy Castor Bunch

    Supersound

    Atlantic

    Notes

  17. KC & The Sunshine Band

    Get Down Tonight

    KC & The Sunshine Band

    KC & The Sunshine Band

    T.K. Records

    Notes

  18. Phoenix

    Messin’ With My Mind

    LaBelle

    Phoenix

    Epic

    Notes

  19. Honey

    Love Rollercoaster

    Ohio Players

    Honey

    Mercury

    Notes

  20. City of Angels

    Love Machine

    The Miracles

    City of Angels

    Tamla

    Notes

  21. A Song for You

    Shakey Ground

    The Temptations

    A Song for You

    Gordy

    Notes

  22. Caught in the Act

    Slippery When Wet

    Commodores

    Caught in the Act

    Motown

    Notes

  23. The Heat Is On

    Fight the Power (Part 1 & 2)

    The Isley Brothers

    The Heat Is On

    T-Neck

    Notes

  24. Don't It Feel Good

    Don’t It Feel Good

    Ramsey Lewis

    Don’t It Feel Good

    Columbia

    Notes

  25. Expansions

    Expansions

    Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes

    Expansions

    Flying Dutchman

    Notes

  26. Remember My Song

    I Got the…

    Labi Siffre

    Remember My Song

    EMI

    UK-only release

  27. Malik

    Darkest Light

    Lafayette Afro Rock Band

    Malik

    Makossa International

    Notes

  28. Expensive Shit

    Water Get No Enemy

    Fela Kuti

    Expensive Shit

    Editions Makossa

    Notes

  29. Live Dance Set

    Sissy Strut

    Johnny Lewis Trio

    Live Dance Set

    self-released

    Reissued on Wheedle’s Groove

  30. Polar AC

    People Make the World Go Round

    Freddie Hubbard

    Polar AC

    CTI

    Notes

  31. That's the Way of the World

    Reasons

    Earth, Wind & Fire

    That’s the Way of the World

    Columbia

    Notes

  32. Daryl Hall & John Oates

    Sara Smile

    Daryl Hall & John Oates

    Daryl Hall & John Oates

    RCA

    Notes

  33. The Original Soundtrack

    I’m Not in Love

    10cc

    The Original Soundtrack

    Mercury

    Notes

  34. Crack the Sky

    Sleep

    Crack the Sky

    Crack the Sky

    Lifesong

    Notes

  35. Straight Shooter

    Feel Like Makin’ Love

    Bad Company

    Straight Shooter

    Swan Song

    Notes

  36. Toys in the Attic

    Sweet Emotion

    Aerosmith

    Toys in the Attic

    Columbia

    Notes

  37. Desolation Boulevard

    Ballroom Blitz

    The Sweet

    Desolation Boulevard

    RCA

    Notes

  38. Dressed to Kill

    Rock and Roll All Nite

    KISS

    Dressed to Kill

    Island

    Notes

  39. Fighting

    Rosalie

    Thin Lizzy

    Fighting

    Vertigo

    Notes

  40. Fool for the City

    Slow Ride

    Foghat

    Fool for the City

    Bearsville

    Notes

  41. For Everyman

    Tush

    ZZ Top

    Fandango!

    London

    Notes

  42. Flat As a Pancake

    Never Been Any Reason

    Head East

    Flat As a Pancake

    A&M

    Notes

  43. Face the Music

    Evil Woman

    Electric Light Orchestra

    Face the Music

    United Artists

    Notes

  44. Right or Wrong

    Let Yourself Go

    Stealers Wheel

    Right or Wrong

    A&M

    Notes

  45. Stills

    Turn Back the Pages

    Stephen Stills

    Stills

    Columbia

    Notes

  46. Wind on the Water

    Love Work Out

    Crosby & Nash

    Wind on the Water

    ABC

    Notes

  47. Tonight's the Night

    Come on Baby Let’s Go Downtown

    Neil Young

    Tonight’s the Night

    Reprise

    Notes

  48. Dreaming My Dreams

    Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way

    Waylon Jennings

    Dreaming My Dreams

    RCA

    Notes

  49. Red Headed Stranger

    Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain

    Willie Nelson

    Red Headed Stranger

    Columbia

    Notes

  50. Searchin' for a Rainbow

    Fire on the Mountain

    The Marshall Tucker Band

    Searchin’ for a Rainbow

    Capricorn

    Notes

  51. Back to the Country

    The Pill

    Loretta Lynn

    Back to the Country

    MCA

    Notes

  52. Rhinestone Cowboy

    Rhinestone Cowboy

    Glen Campbell

    Rhinestone Cowboy

    Capitol

    Notes

  53. The Outlaws

    There Goes Another Love Song

    The Outlaws

    The Outlaws

    Arista

    Notes

  54. John Fogerty

    Almost Saturday Night

    John Fogerty

    John Fogerty

    Asylum

    Notes

  55. The Last Record Album

    All That You Dream

    Little Feat

    The Last Record Album

    Warner Bros.

    Notes

  56. Northern Lights-Southern Cross

    It Makes No Difference

    The Band

    Northern Lights-Southern Cross

    Capitol

    Notes

  57. Blood on the Tracks

    Tangled Up in Blue

    Bob Dylan

    Blood on the Tracks

    Columbia

    Notes

  58. Frampton

    Show Me the Way

    Peter Frampton

    Frampton

    A&M

    Notes

  59. Venus and Mars

    Listen to What the Man Said

    Wings

    Venus and Mars

    Capitol

    Notes

  60. I Don't Know Why

    I Don’t Know Why

    The Rolling Stones

    I Don’t Know Why / Try a Little Harder 7"

    ABKCO

    Notes

  61. Playing Possum

    Look Me in the Eyes

    Carly Simon

    Playing Possum

    Elektra

    Notes

  62. Fleetwood Mac

    Landslide

    Fleetwood Mac

    Fleetwood Mac

    Warner Bros.

    Notes

  63. Unrequited

    Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

    Loudon Wainwright III

    Unrequited

    Columbia

    Notes

  64. Sunday's Child

    Sunday’s Child

    John Martyn

    Sunday’s Child

    Island

    Notes

  65. Cosmic Truth

    Down By the River

    Undisputed Truth

    Cosmic Truth

    Gordy

    Notes

  66. I Don't Know What the World Is Coming To

    It’s All Over Now

    Bobby Womack

    I Don’t Know What the World Is Coming To

    Capitol

    Notes

  67. Making Music

    I Wish You Well

    Bill Withers

    Making Music

    Columbia

    Notes

  68. Inseparable

    This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)

    Natalie Cole

    Inseparable

    Capitol

    Notes

  69. Then Came You

    Then Came You

    Dionne Warwick

    Then Came You

    Warner Bros.

    Notes

  70. Gorilla

    How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)

    James Taylor

    Gorilla

    Warner Bros.

    Notes

  71. Extra Texture

    You

    George Harrison

    Extra Texture

    Apple

    Notes

  72. Rock 'N' Roll

    Stand By Me

    John Lennon

    Rock ’N’ Roll

    Apple

    Notes

  73. Knockin' on Heaven's Door

    Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

    Eric Clapton

    Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door / Someone Like You 7"

    RSO

    Notes

  74. 99 Miles From L.A.

    These Are the Good Old Days

    Albert Hammond

    99 Miles From L.A.

    Epic

    Notes

  75. Horses

    Gloria

    Patti Smith

    Horses

    Arista

    Notes

  76. Born to Run

    Born to Run

    Bruce Springsteen

    Born to Run

    CBS

    Notes

  77. Young Americans

    Young Americans

    David Bowie

    Young Americans

    RCA

    Notes

  78. Siren

    Love Is the Drug

    Roxy Music

    Siren

    Island

    Notes

  79. Another Green World

    St. Elmo’s Fire

    Brian Eno

    Another Green World

    Island

    Notes

  80. Breakaway

    Break Away

    Art Garfunkel

    Breakaway

    Columbia

    Notes

  81. Still Crazy After All These Years

    Have a Good Time

    Paul Simon

    Still Crazy After All These Years

    Columbia

    Notes

  82. Blues for Allah

    Franklin’s Tower

    Grateful Dead

    Blues for Allah

    Grateful Dead

    Notes

  83. Stampede

    Take Me in Your Arms

    The Doobie Brothers

    Stampede

    Warner Bros.

    Notes

  84. Who Loves You

    December, 1963 (Oh What a Night!)

    The Four Seasons

    Who Loves You

    Warner Bros.

    Notes

  85. Main Course

    Jive Talkin’

    Bee Gees

    Main Course

    RSO

    Notes

  86. Philadelphia Freedom

    Philadelphia Freedom

    The Elton John Band

    Philadelphia Freedom 7"

    MCA

    Notes

  87. Love Will Keep Us Together

    Love Will Keep Us Together

    Captain & Tennille

    Love Will Keep Us Together

    A&M

    Notes

  88. Katy Lied

    Everyone’s Gone to the Movies

    Steely Dan

    Katy Lied

    MCA

    Notes

  89. Why Can't We Be Friends?

    Low Rider

    War

    Why Can’t We Be Friends?

    United Artists

    Notes

  90. Action Speaks Louder Than Words

    Action Speaks Louder Than Words

    Chocolate Milk

    Action Speaks Louder Than Words

    RCA

    Notes

  91. Hot Chocolate

    You Sexy Thing

    Hot Chocolate

    Hot Chocolate

    Big Tree

    Notes

  92. Supernatural

    Supernatural Thing, Pt. 1

    Ben E. King

    Supernatural

    Atlantic

    Notes

  93. A Quiet Storm

    Baby That’s Backatcha

    Smokey Robinson

    A Quiet Storm

    Tamla

    Notes

  94. The Hustle

    The Hustle

    Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony

    The Hustle 7"

    H&L

    Notes

  95. Love to Love You Baby

    Love to Love You Baby

    Donna Summer

    Love to Love You Baby

    Oasis

    Notes

  96. Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan

    Sweet Thing

    Rufus & Chaka Khan

    Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan

    MCA

    Notes

  97. Peach Melba

    Must Be Dues

    Melba Moore

    Peach Melba

    Buddah

    Notes

  98. Mellow Madness

    Is It Love We’re Missin’

    Quincy Jones

    Mellow Madness

    A&M

    Notes

  99. Wings of Love

    Destination You!

    Shuggie Otis

    Wings of Love

    Epic

    Recorded in 1975 and released in 2013

  100. Wake Up Everybody

    Wake Up Everybody

    Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes

    Wake Up Everybody

    Philadelphia International

    Notes