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.
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Kashmir
Led Zeppelin
Physical Graffiti
Swan Song
Notes
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Bohemian Rhapsody
Queen
A Night at the Opera
Elektra
Notes
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Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
Wish You Were Here
Columbia
Notes
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Speed of Sound
Chris Bell
I Am the Cosmos
Rykodisc
Recorded in 1975 and released in 2002
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Dream Weaver
Gary Wright
Dream Weaver
Warner Bros.
Notes
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After the Thrill Is Gone
Eagles
One of These Nights
Asylum
Notes
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Roll Um Easy
Linda Ronstadt
Prisoner in Disguise
Elektra
Notes
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Sugar Mama
Bonnie Raitt
Home Plate
Warner Bros.
Notes
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Wishing Well
Maggie Bell
Suicide Sal
Swan Song
Notes
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Come to Mama
Ann Peebles
Tellin’ It
Hi Records
Notes
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So in Love
Curtis Mayfield
There’s No Place Like America Today
Curtom
Notes
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Turning Point
Tyrone Davis
Turning Point!
Dakar
Notes
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I Only Have Love
Syl Johnson
Total Explosion
Hi Records
Notes
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Struttin’ My Stuff
Elvin Bishop
Struttin’ My Stuff
Capricorn
Notes
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Sneakin’ Up Behind You
The Brecker Brothers
The Brecker Bros
Arista
Notes
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King Kong
The Jimmy Castor Bunch
Supersound
Atlantic
Notes
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Get Down Tonight
KC & The Sunshine Band
KC & The Sunshine Band
T.K. Records
Notes
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Messin’ With My Mind
LaBelle
Phoenix
Epic
Notes
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Love Rollercoaster
Ohio Players
Honey
Mercury
Notes
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Love Machine
The Miracles
City of Angels
Tamla
Notes
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Shakey Ground
The Temptations
A Song for You
Gordy
Notes
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Slippery When Wet
Commodores
Caught in the Act
Motown
Notes
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Fight the Power (Part 1 & 2)
The Isley Brothers
The Heat Is On
T-Neck
Notes
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Don’t It Feel Good
Ramsey Lewis
Don’t It Feel Good
Columbia
Notes
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Expansions
Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes
Expansions
Flying Dutchman
Notes
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I Got the…
Labi Siffre
Remember My Song
EMI
UK-only release
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Darkest Light
Lafayette Afro Rock Band
Malik
Makossa International
Notes
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Water Get No Enemy
Fela Kuti
Expensive Shit
Editions Makossa
Notes
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Sissy Strut
Johnny Lewis Trio
Live Dance Set
self-released
Reissued on Wheedle’s Groove
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People Make the World Go Round
Freddie Hubbard
Polar AC
CTI
Notes
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Reasons
Earth, Wind & Fire
That’s the Way of the World
Columbia
Notes
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Sara Smile
Daryl Hall & John Oates
Daryl Hall & John Oates
RCA
Notes
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I’m Not in Love
10cc
The Original Soundtrack
Mercury
Notes
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Sleep
Crack the Sky
Crack the Sky
Lifesong
Notes
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Feel Like Makin’ Love
Bad Company
Straight Shooter
Swan Song
Notes
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Sweet Emotion
Aerosmith
Toys in the Attic
Columbia
Notes
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Ballroom Blitz
The Sweet
Desolation Boulevard
RCA
Notes
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Rock and Roll All Nite
KISS
Dressed to Kill
Island
Notes
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Rosalie
Thin Lizzy
Fighting
Vertigo
Notes
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Slow Ride
Foghat
Fool for the City
Bearsville
Notes
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Tush
ZZ Top
Fandango!
London
Notes
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Never Been Any Reason
Head East
Flat As a Pancake
A&M
Notes
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Evil Woman
Electric Light Orchestra
Face the Music
United Artists
Notes
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Let Yourself Go
Stealers Wheel
Right or Wrong
A&M
Notes
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Turn Back the Pages
Stephen Stills
Stills
Columbia
Notes
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Love Work Out
Crosby & Nash
Wind on the Water
ABC
Notes
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Come on Baby Let’s Go Downtown
Neil Young
Tonight’s the Night
Reprise
Notes
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Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way
Waylon Jennings
Dreaming My Dreams
RCA
Notes
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Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
Willie Nelson
Red Headed Stranger
Columbia
Notes
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Fire on the Mountain
The Marshall Tucker Band
Searchin’ for a Rainbow
Capricorn
Notes
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The Pill
Loretta Lynn
Back to the Country
MCA
Notes
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Rhinestone Cowboy
Glen Campbell
Rhinestone Cowboy
Capitol
Notes
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There Goes Another Love Song
The Outlaws
The Outlaws
Arista
Notes
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Almost Saturday Night
John Fogerty
John Fogerty
Asylum
Notes
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All That You Dream
Little Feat
The Last Record Album
Warner Bros.
Notes
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It Makes No Difference
The Band
Northern Lights-Southern Cross
Capitol
Notes
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Tangled Up in Blue
Bob Dylan
Blood on the Tracks
Columbia
Notes
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Show Me the Way
Peter Frampton
Frampton
A&M
Notes
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Listen to What the Man Said
Wings
Venus and Mars
Capitol
Notes
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I Don’t Know Why
The Rolling Stones
I Don’t Know Why / Try a Little Harder 7"
ABKCO
Notes
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Look Me in the Eyes
Carly Simon
Playing Possum
Elektra
Notes
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Landslide
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Warner Bros.
Notes
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Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
Loudon Wainwright III
Unrequited
Columbia
Notes
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Sunday’s Child
John Martyn
Sunday’s Child
Island
Notes
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Down By the River
Undisputed Truth
Cosmic Truth
Gordy
Notes
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It’s All Over Now
Bobby Womack
I Don’t Know What the World Is Coming To
Capitol
Notes
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I Wish You Well
Bill Withers
Making Music
Columbia
Notes
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This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)
Natalie Cole
Inseparable
Capitol
Notes
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Then Came You
Dionne Warwick
Then Came You
Warner Bros.
Notes
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How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
James Taylor
Gorilla
Warner Bros.
Notes
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You
George Harrison
Extra Texture
Apple
Notes
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Stand By Me
John Lennon
Rock ’N’ Roll
Apple
Notes
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Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
Eric Clapton
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door / Someone Like You 7"
RSO
Notes
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These Are the Good Old Days
Albert Hammond
99 Miles From L.A.
Epic
Notes
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Gloria
Patti Smith
Horses
Arista
Notes
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Born to Run
Bruce Springsteen
Born to Run
CBS
Notes
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Young Americans
David Bowie
Young Americans
RCA
Notes
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Love Is the Drug
Roxy Music
Siren
Island
Notes
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St. Elmo’s Fire
Brian Eno
Another Green World
Island
Notes
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Break Away
Art Garfunkel
Breakaway
Columbia
Notes
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Have a Good Time
Paul Simon
Still Crazy After All These Years
Columbia
Notes
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Franklin’s Tower
Grateful Dead
Blues for Allah
Grateful Dead
Notes
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Take Me in Your Arms
The Doobie Brothers
Stampede
Warner Bros.
Notes
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December, 1963 (Oh What a Night!)
The Four Seasons
Who Loves You
Warner Bros.
Notes
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Jive Talkin’
Bee Gees
Main Course
RSO
Notes
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Philadelphia Freedom
The Elton John Band
Philadelphia Freedom 7"
MCA
Notes
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Love Will Keep Us Together
Captain & Tennille
Love Will Keep Us Together
A&M
Notes
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Everyone’s Gone to the Movies
Steely Dan
Katy Lied
MCA
Notes
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Low Rider
War
Why Can’t We Be Friends?
United Artists
Notes
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Action Speaks Louder Than Words
Chocolate Milk
Action Speaks Louder Than Words
RCA
Notes
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You Sexy Thing
Hot Chocolate
Hot Chocolate
Big Tree
Notes
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Supernatural Thing, Pt. 1
Ben E. King
Supernatural
Atlantic
Notes
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Baby That’s Backatcha
Smokey Robinson
A Quiet Storm
Tamla
Notes
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The Hustle
Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony
The Hustle 7"
H&L
Notes
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Love to Love You Baby
Donna Summer
Love to Love You Baby
Oasis
Notes
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Sweet Thing
Rufus & Chaka Khan
Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan
MCA
Notes
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Must Be Dues
Melba Moore
Peach Melba
Buddah
Notes
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Is It Love We’re Missin’
Quincy Jones
Mellow Madness
A&M
Notes
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Destination You!
Shuggie Otis
Wings of Love
Epic
Recorded in 1975 and released in 2013
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Wake Up Everybody
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
Wake Up Everybody
Philadelphia International
Notes