We’ve slipped into a Tuesday release this week so we’ll dive straight into the tunes of May, 1974…
Songs of the month
- [new] “Band On The Run” – Paul Mccartney And Wings
- [new] “Be Thankful For What You Got” – William Devaughn
- “Bennie And The Jets” – Elton John
- [new] “Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me” – Gladys Knight & The Pips
- “Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me” – Gladys Knight And The Pips
- [new] “Billy Don’t Be A Hero” – Bo Donaldson And The Heywoods
- “Come And Get Your Love” – Redbone
- “Dancing Machine” – Jackson 5
- [new] “Don’t You Worry ’bout A Thing” – Stevie Wonder
- [new] “For The Love Of Money” – O’jays
- “Help Me” – Joni Mitchell
- [new] “Hollywood Swinging” – Kool And The Gang
- “Hooked On A Feeling” – Blue Swede
- [new] “I Won’t Last A Day Without You” – Carpenters
- “I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song” – Jim Croce
- [new] “I’m In Love” – Aretha Franklin
- [new] “If You Love Me” – Olivia Newton-John
- “Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely” – Main Ingredient
- “Keep On Singing” – Helen Reddy
- “Let It Ride” – Bachman-Turner Overdrive
- “Lookin’ For A Love” – Bobby Womack
- “Midnight At The Oasis” – Maria Muldaur
- [new] “Mighty Mighty” – “Earth Wind And Fire”
- [new] “My Girl Bill” – Jim Stafford
- “My Mistake” – Diana Ross And Marvin Gaye
- “Oh My My” – Ringo Starr
- “Oh Very Young” – Cat Stevens
- [new] “Searchin’ So Long” – Chicago
- “Seasons In The Sun” – Terry Jacks
- [new] “Sundown” – Gordon Lightfoot
- “Sunshine On My Shoulders” – John Denver
- “The Entertainer” – Marvin Hamlisch
- “The Locomotion” – Grand Funk
- “The Lord’s Prayer” – Sister Janet Mead
- [new] “The Payback” – James Brown
- “The Show Must Go On” – Three Dog Night
- “The Streak” – Ray Stevens
- “TSOP” – MFSB
- “Tubular Bells” – Mike Oldfield
- “You Make Me Feel Brand New” – Stylistics
[new] = New to the chart this week.
You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.
This month in history
On May 24, David Bowie officially shifted from the cosmic glam of Ziggy Stardust to the grit of a post-apocalyptic dystopia with the release of Diamond Dogs. Inspired by George Orwell’s 1984, the album introduced a “half-man, half-dog” hybrid on its controversial cover and featured the massive anthem “Rebel Rebel.” This release was a theatrical turning point, moving Bowie into a darker, more soul-influenced art-rock sound that would define his “Diamond Dogs Tour” later that year.
The same day Bowie released his new vision for rock, the music world lost one of its original architects. Duke Ellington passed away at the age of 75, marking the symbolic end of the “Big Band” jazz era. His funeral at New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine was a massive cultural event, attended by over 12,000 people and featuring tributes from jazz royalty like Ella Fitzgerald.
On the 17th the premiere of the documentary That’s Entertainment! ignited a massive 1974 craze for the “Golden Age” of MGM musicals. Featuring stars like Frank Sinatra and Elizabeth Taylor introducing classic clips, the film was a surprise box-office smash. It single-handedly legitimized the “nostalgia market,” proving that even in the midst of the 70s counterculture, audiences were hungry for the glamour and escapism of the past.
What’d Sadie think?
Two weeks at the top for “The Locomotion” by Grand Funk and then for Ray Stevens with “The Streak”.
Loved ’em
- “Be Thankful For What You Got” – William Devaughn
- “Don’t You Worry ’bout A Thing” – Stevie Wonder
- “Searchin’ So Long” – Chicago
- “Sundown” – Gordon Lightfoot
Liked ’em
- “Band On The Run” – Paul Mccartney And Wings
- “Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me” – Gladys Knight & The Pips
- “For The Love Of Money” – O’jays
- “Hollywood Swinging” – Kool And The Gang
- “I Won’t Last A Day Without You” – Carpenters
- “I’m In Love” – Aretha Franklin
- “If You Love Me” – Olivia Newton-John
- “Mighty Mighty” – “Earth Wind And Fire”
- “My Girl Bill” – Jim Stafford
- “The Payback” – James Brown
Leave ’em
- “Billy Don’t Be A Hero” – Bo Donaldson And The Heywoods
Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.