Best Songs of 1974
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.
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Inspiration Information
Shuggie Otis
Inspiration Information
Epic
Notes
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I Shot the Sheriff
Eric Clapton
461 Ocean Boulevard
RSO
Notes
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Rebel Music
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Natty Dread
Tuff Gong
Notes
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Boogie on Reggae Woman
Stevie Wonder
Fulfillingness’ First Finale
Tamla
Notes
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I’m Goin’ Left
Syreeta
Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta
Motown
Notes
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The Same Love That Made Me Laugh
Bill Withers
+Justments
Columbia
Notes
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Live It Up
The Isley Brothers
Live It Up
T-Neck
Notes
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Tell Me Something Good
Rufus & Chaka Khan
Rags to Rufus
ABC
Notes
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Up for the Down Stroke
Parliament
Up for the Down Stroke
Casablanca
Notes
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Sexy Ways
Funkadelic
Standing on the Verge of Getting It On
Westbound
Notes
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Fire
Ohio Players
Fire
Mercury
Notes
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Pick Up the Pieces
Average White Band
AWB
Atlantic
Notes
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Loose Booty
Sly and the Family Stone
Small Talk
Epic
Notes
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Do It (’Til You’re Satisfied)
B.T. Express
Do It (’Til You’re Satisfied)
Scepter
Notes
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Look at You
George McCrae
Rock Your Baby
T.K.
Notes
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Actual Proof
Herbie Hancock
Thrust
Columbia
Notes
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Hot Dawgit
Ramsey Lewis
Sun Goddess
Columbia
Notes
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The Bottle
Gil Scott-Heron
Winter in America
Strata-East
Notes
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Funkier Than a Mosquito’s Tweeter
Nina Simone
It Is Finished
RCA
Notes
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I Can’t Stand the Rain
Ann Peebles
I Can’t Stand the Rain
Hi
Notes
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After Midnight
Maggie Bell
Queen of the Night
Atlantic
Notes
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Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley
Robert Palmer
Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley
Island
Notes
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Rock and Roll Doctor
Little Feat
Feats Don’t Fail Me Now
Warner Bros.
Notes
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It’s Only Rock ’n Roll
The Rolling Stones
It’s Only Rock ’n Roll
Virgin
Notes
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You Can Make Me Dance, Sing or Anything
Faces
You Can Make Me Dance, Sing or Anything 7"
Warner Bros.
Notes
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The Golden Age of Rock ’N’ Roll
Mott the Hoople
The Hoople
CBS
Notes
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(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace Love and Understanding
Brinsley Schwarz
The New Favorites of Brinsley Schwarz
United Artists
Not released in United States
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Magic
Pilot
From the Album of the Same Name
EMI
Notes
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You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Not Fragile
Mercury
Notes
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The Bitch Is Back
Elton John
Caribou
MCA
Notes
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I’ve Got the Music in Me
The Kiki Dee Band
I’ve Got the Music in Me
MCA
Notes
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Rock the Boat
The Hues Corporation
Rockin’ Soul
RCA
Notes
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Nothing From Nothing
Billy Preston
The Kids & Me
Arista
Notes
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Hooked on a Feeling
Blue Swede
Hooked on a Feeling
EMI
Notes
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I Hate Hate
Razzy and the Neighborhood Kids
I Hate Hate 7"
Aquarian
Notes
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Be Thankful for What You Got
William DeVaughn
Be Thankful for What You Got
Roxbury
Notes
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Feel Like Makin’ Love
Roberta Flack
Feel Like Makin’ Love
Atlantic
Notes
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Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)
Aretha Franklin
Let Me in Your Life
Atlantic
Notes
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Nightingale
Carole King
Wrap Around Joy
Ode
Notes
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Help Me
Joni Mitchell
Court and Spark
Asylum
Notes
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Wild Tales
Graham Nash
Wild Tales
Atlantic
Notes
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Whatever Gets You Thru the Night
John Lennon
Walls and Bridges
Apple
Notes
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Rebel Rebel
David Bowie
Diamond Dogs
RCA
Notes
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Burning Airlines Give You So Much More
Brian Eno
Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
Island
Notes
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Counting Out Time
Genesis
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Atco
Notes
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Look at the Fool
Tim Buckley
Look at the Fool
Discreet
Notes
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You Know More Than I Know
John Cale
Fear
Island
Notes
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Dark Horse
George Harrison
Dark Horse
Apple
Notes
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Star
Stealers Wheel
Ferguslie Park
A&M
Notes
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The Calvary Cross
Richard & Linda Thompson
I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
Island
Notes
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Don’t Be Cruel
Billy Swan
I Can Help
Monument
Notes
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Cajun Moon
J.J. Cale
Okie
Shelter
Notes
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What Comes Around (Goes Around)
Dr. John
Desitively Bonnaroo
Atco
Notes
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Rock Me Gently
Andy Kim
Andy Kim
Capitol
Notes
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Bloody Well Right
Supertramp
Crime of the Century
A&M
Notes
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Too Rolling Stoned
Robin Trower
Bridge of Sighs
Capitol
Notes
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Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo
Rick Derringer
All American Boy
Blue Sky
Notes
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Sweet Home Alabama
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Second Helping
MCA
Notes
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Black Water
The Doobie Brothers
What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits
Warner Bros.
Notes
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Thank God I’m a Country Boy
John Denver
Back Home Again
RCA
Notes
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Rednecks
Randy Newman
Good Old Boys
Reprise
Notes
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Lucas Was a Redneck
Mac Davis
Stop and Smell the Roses
Columbia
Notes
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Forever Young
Bob Dylan
Planet Waves
Columbia
Notes
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I’m a Train
Albert Hammond
Albert Hammond
Mums
Notes
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Life’s Greatest Fool
Gene Clark
No Other
Asylum
Notes
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Sundown
Gordon Lightfoot
Sundown
Reprise
Notes
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Cat’s in the Cradle
Harry Chapin
Verities & Balderdash
Elektra
Notes
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Any Major Dude Will Tell You
Steely Dan
Pretzel Logic
MCA
Notes
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For the Turnstiles
Neil Young
On the Beach
Reprise
Notes
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Angel From Montgomery
Bonnie Raitt
Streetlights
Warner Bros.
Notes
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Love Hurts
Gram Parson & Emmylou Harris
Grievous Angel
Reprise
Notes
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Comfort You
Van Morrison
Veedon Fleece
Warner Bros.
Notes
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Streetlife Serenader
Billy Joel
Streetlife Serenade
Columbia
Notes
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The Heart of Saturday Night
Tom Waits
The Heart of Saturday Night
Asylum
Notes
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Chelsea Hotel #2
Leonard Cohen
New Skin for the Old Ceremony
Columbia
Notes
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Black Eyed Dog
Nick Drake
Time of No Reply
Island
unreleased 1974 track; released in 1986
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I’m in Love With a Girl
Big Star
Radio City
Ardent
Notes
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Depot Street
Mudcrutch
Depot Street 7"
Shelter
Notes
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Late Again (Gettin’ Over You)
Kris Kristofferson
Spooky Lady’s Sideshow
Monument
Notes
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This Time
Waylon Jennings
This Time
RCA
Notes
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Jolene
Dolly Parton
Jolene
RCA
Notes
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Bring Back Your Love to Me
Don Gibson
Bring Back Your Love to Me
Hickory
Notes
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Another Cruel Love
The Marshall Tucker Band
A New Life
AKJ
Notes
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Scarlet Begonias
Grateful Dead
From the Mars Hotel
Grateful Dead
Notes
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Fountain of Sorrow
Jacksone Browne
Late for the Sky
Asylum
Notes
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Already Gone
Eagles
On the Border
Asylum
Notes
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You’re No Good
Linda Ronstadt
Heart Like a Wheel
Capitol
Notes
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Tonight’s the Night
Betty Wright
Danger High Voltage
Alston
Notes
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Never Can Say Goodbye
Goria Gaynor
Never Can Say Goodbye
MGM
Notes
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Dancing Machine
The Jackson 5
Dancing Machine
Motown
Notes
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Lady Marmalade
LaBelle
Nightbirds
Epic
Notes
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On and On
Gladys Knight & The Pips
Claudine
Buddah
Notes
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Take Me to the River
Al Green
Explores Your Mind
Right Stuff
Notes
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Let My People Go
Darondo
Legs / Let My People Go 7"
Af-Fa World
Notes
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Living in the Past
WITCH
In the Past
Zambia Music Parlour
Zambia-only release. U.S. reissue in 2013 on Now-Again.
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Hung Up on My Baby
Isaac Hayes
Tough Guys
Stax
Notes
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Summer Madness
Kool & The Gang
Light of Worlds
De-Lite
Notes
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How Long
ACE
Five-A-Side
Anchor
Notes
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Bad Company
Bad Company
Bad Company
Swan Song
Notes
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The Air That I Breathe
The Hollies
Hollies
Epic
Notes