1974 in music
List of notable events in music that took place in the year 1974.
Specific locations
Specific genres
- 1974 in country music
- 1974 in heavy metal music
- 1974 in jazz
- 1974 in progressive rock
Events
January–April
- January 1 – English jazz musician John Dankworth is named CBE in the United Kingdom's New Year's Honours List. Other musicians honoured include Charles Mackerras and organist Gordon Archbold Slater
- January 3 – Bob Dylan and The Band begin their 40-date concert tour at Chicago Stadium. It is Dylan's first tour since 1966.
- January 17
- *Joni Mitchell releases her album Court and Spark, supported by the single "Help Me".
- *Dino Martin, singer and son of Dean Martin, is arrested on suspicion of possession and sale of two machine guns.
- February 12 – New York's rock club The Bottom Line opens in Greenwich Village. The first headlining act is Dr. John.
- February 16 – Two years of litigation between Grand Funk and former manager Terry Knight are finally resolved. The band gets the rights to its name but Knight wins a cash settlement.
- February 19 – The first American Music Awards are broadcast on ABC, two weeks before the Grammys. Helen Reddy and Jim Croce are among the winners.
- February 20 – Cher files for divorce from her husband of 10 years, Sonny Bono.
- February 22 – The English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Raymond Leppard performs the world premiere of Three Regions from Terrain by Douglas Young.
- February 27 – The Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn, conducted by Jörg Faerber, makes its English debut at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.
- March 2 – The 16th Annual Grammy Awards are presented in Los Angeles, hosted by Andy Williams. Stevie Wonder's Innervisions wins Album of the Year, while Roberta Flack's version of "Killing Me Softly With His Song" wins both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Bette Midler wins Best New Artist.
- March 3
- *Elvis Presley played two shows at the Houston Astrodome, breaking attendance records with 44,000 at the evening show.
- March 4
- *Ivan Stepanov and His Balalaikas make their London debut at the Wigmore Hall.
- *Baritone Hermann Prey cuts short a vocal recital in the Royal Festival Hall, London, due to vocal fatigue.
- March 10 – Hans Vonk makes his London debut in the Royal Festival Hall, conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in a programme of Berlioz and Schubert, as well as the Violin Concerto by Roberto Gerhard, with Erich Gruenberg as soloist.
- March 12 – John Lennon is involved in an altercation with a photographer outside The Troubadour in Los Angeles. Lennon and friend Harry Nilsson have been heckling comedian Tommy Smothers and are forced to leave the club.
- March 16 – Country music's Grand Ole Opry moves to a new location at the Opryland USA theme park in Nashville, Tennessee
- March 31 – Record producer Phil Spector is badly injured in a car accident in Hollywood, details of which are largely suppressed at the time.
- April 5 – Van Halen play their first show on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood at Gazzarri's.
- April 6
- *200,000 music fans attend The California Jam rock festival. Artists performing at the event include Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Black Oak Arkansas and the Eagles.
- *Swedish group ABBA wins the 19th Eurovision Song Contest in The Dome, Brighton, England, with the song "Waterloo", kickstarting their international career. The 1967 Eurovision winner, Sandie Shaw, attends.
- April 14 – Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones, a concert film made during the Rolling Stones' 1972 North American Tour, premieres at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York.
- April 16 – Queen play their first North American concert, opening for Mott the Hoople in Denver, Colorado.
- April 20 - "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" by MFSB reaches number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States for the first of two weeks. It is considered the first Disco song to reach number one. As it was commissioned, composed, and recorded specifically to be used as the theme for the syndicated television program Soul Train where it debuted in October 1973, it is also the first television theme song of the rock era to reach that position.
- April 24–25 – Music aired on the radio in Portugal acts as a secret signal to trigger the Carnation Revolution there: at 10:55 p.m. on April 24, Paulo de Carvalho's "E Depois do Adeus" on Emissores Associados de Lisboa alerts rebel captains and soldiers that the coup is beginning; at 12:20 a.m. on April 25, Rádio Renascença broadcasts "Grândola, Vila Morena", a song by José Afonso, an influential political folk singer-songwriter, signalling the Armed Forces Movement to begin the takeover of strategic points of power in the country from 3.00 a.m.
- April 25
- *Sotheby's Galleries in London sell a violin made in 1733 by Cremonese master Giuseppe Guarneri, formerly belonging to violinist Elaine Weldon, for the equivalent of $140,000, the second-highest price ever paid for a violin.
- *Pam Morrison, Jim Morrison's widow, is found dead in her Hollywood apartment from an apparent heroin overdose.
May–December
- May 7 – Led Zeppelin announces their new record label, Swan Song Records, with a lavish party at The Four Seasons Hotel in New York.
- May 25 – Twenty years after it was recorded, "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and His Comets returns to the Billboard top 40, after it gains renewed popularity from its use in the film American Graffiti and the TV series Happy Days.
- May 28 – Experimental orchestra, the Portsmouth Sinfonia, plays a concert at the Royal Albert Hall, with its regular conductor John Farley. The performers included Michael Nyman and Brian Eno.
- June 1 – Kevin Ayers, John Cale, Brian Eno, Nico and other musicians perform at the Rainbow Theatre in London. The performances are later released as June 1, 1974.
- June 5
- *Sly Stone married model-actress Kathy Silva on June 5, 1974, during a sold-out performance at Madison Square Garden.
- *Patti Smith records "Hey Joe", her debut single, which was released in August.
- June 14 – David Bowie launches his Diamond Dogs tour at the Montreal Forum. One year previously he had announced that he was retiring from touring as Ziggy Stardust.
- July 4 – Barry White marries Love Unlimited lead singer Glodean James.
- July 19–21 – Ozark Music Festival is held in Sedalia, Missouri, with a crowd estimated between 100,000 and 350,000 people.
- July 20 – The first Knebworth Concert is held in England, headlined by The Allman Brothers Band.
- July 29
- *Having performed at two sold-out concerts at the London Palladium, "Mama" Cass Elliot dies in her sleep after suffering a heart attack in a Mayfair flat in London, aged 32.
- *Neil Peart officially joins Rush.
- August 7
- *During a performance of Carmina Burana, conducted by André Previn, at The Proms, soloist Thomas Allen collapses because of the heat and eventually has to be carried out by members of the orchestra. Prommer Patrick McCarthy, just embarking on his professional singing career, offers his services as a replacement and completes the performance.
- *Peter Wolf, lead singer of The J. Geils Band, marries actress Faye Dunaway.
- August 16 – Ramones' first appearance on NYC's venue CBGB. The venue would help establish their place at the forefront of punk rock.
- September 15 – Gary Thain of Uriah Heep is shocked on stage at the Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas, and is seriously injured.
- October 5
- *AC/DC performs at the Brighton Le-Sands Masonic Hall in Sydney, Australia its first official show with Bon Scott as its new lead singer.
- *The North Coast Band Invitational competition, sponsored by St. Ann's CYO Band of Neponset, is held for the first time, at Nickerson Field on the Boston University campus.
- October 18 – Al Green is attacked while bathing by a girlfriend of several weeks, Mrs. Mary Woodson, a 29-year-old mother of three. She scalds his body with a pan of boiling grits and commits suicide a few moments later, reportedly because he rejected her marriage proposal.
- November 2 – George Harrison launches his "George Harrison & Friends North American Tour" in Vancouver. It is the first North American tour by a former Beatle since the band's August 1966 tour.
- November 21 – Wilson Pickett is arrested in Andes, New York, after allegedly firing a bullet through the door of a hotel room where he was staying while on a hunting trip with The Isley Brothers.
- October 26 – The 3rd OTI Festival, held at the Teatro Juan Ruiz de Alarcón of the in Acapulco, Mexico, is won by the song "Hoy canto por cantar", written by and Nydia Caro, and performed by Caro herself representing Puerto Rico.
- November 28 – John Lennon joins Elton John on stage at Madison Square Garden for three songs.
- December 12 – Mick Taylor leaves The Rolling Stones after six years.
- December 31
- *Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks join Fleetwood Mac.
- *The third annual New Year's Rockin' Eve, moving this year from NBC to ABC, is aired with performances by Herbie Hancock, The Beach Boys, Chicago, Olivia Newton-John and The Doobie Brothers.
unknown date
- Lord Shorty's Endless Vibrations is the first soca LP and the first major soca hit worldwide.
- Eric Bogle's "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" comes to prominence when he enters it in a National Folk Festival songwriting competition in Brisbane, Australia.
- Rover Thomas claims to have been visited in a dream by a deceased friend near Warmun, Australia, and receives the Krill Krill song cycle.
- The original Alice Cooper group breaks up. The band's leader, Vincent Furnier, changes his name to Alice Cooper and goes on to a solo career.
- Journey signs to Columbia Records.
- Roland RE-201 and 101 Space Echo tape-based audio delay effects units introduced.
Bands formed
- ''See :Category:Musical groups established in 1974''
Bands disbanded
Albums released
August
Release date unknown
- +'Justments – Bill Withers
- Alvorecer – Clara Nunes
- Andy Kim – Andy Kim
- Baker Gurvitz Army – Baker Gurvitz Army
- Banquet – Lucifer's Friend
- Blackdance – Klaus Schulze
- Breakin' Bread – Fred & the New J.B.'s
- Cassidy Live! – David Cassidy
- Caught Up – Millie Jackson
- Child of the Novelty – Mahogany Rush
- Come a Little Closer – Etta James
- Contrappunti – Le Orme
- Damn Right I Am Somebody – Fred Wesley The J.B.'s
- Dandruff – Ivor Cutler
- Dialogue of the Drums – Andrew Cyrille and Milford Graves
- Elis & Tom – Elis Regina & Tom Jobim
- Ella in London – Ella Fitzgerald
- Five-A-Side – Ace
- Floating World – Jade Warrior
- Hijack – Amon Düül II
- Having Fun with Elvis on Stage – Elvis Presley
- I Can't Stand the Rain – Ann Peebles
- It Is Finished - Nina Simone
- Illusions on a Double Dimple – Triumvirat
- Introducing Eddy and the Falcons – Wizzard
- Invisible – Invisible
- Isis - Isis
- I Wanna Get Funky – Albert King
- Journey – Colin Blunstone
- The Link Wray Rumble – Link Wray
- Live! – April Wine
- Live – The Dubliners
- The Main Event – Live – Frank Sinatra
- Manifiesto – Víctor Jara
- Manuel – Dalida
- Mo' Roots - Taj Mahal
- Olympia 74 – Dalida
- Orleans II – OrleansPetra – PetraPick a Dub – Keith Hudson
- Rocking Time - Burning Spear
- Rub It In – Billy "Crash" Craddock
- Something to Say – Buster Brown
- Tasty – Good Rats
- Teasin – Cornell Dupree
- They Say I'm Different – Betty Davis
- The Way We Were – Andy Williams
- Touchy – Luie Luie
- Trace – Trace
- What the....You Mean I Can't Sing?! – Melvin van Peebles
- The Whole Thing Started with Rock & Roll Now It's Out of Control – Ray Manzarek
- Wally – Wally
- Way Down Yonder - Charlie Daniels
- Zarthus – Robbie Basho
- Zuckerzeit – Cluster
Biggest hit singles
The following songs achieved the highestin the charts of 1974.
| # | Artist | Title | Year | Country | Chart entries |
| 1 | Carl Douglas | Kung Fu Fighting | 1974 |  Notable singlesOther Notable singles
Published popular music
Classical music">European classical music">Classical music
Opera
[Musical theater]Candide – Broadway revivalCole London production opened at the Mermaid Theatre on July 2. Cast included Julia McKenzie, Bill Kerr, Una Stubbs and Rod McLennanGypsy – Broadway revivalHans Christian Andersen – London productionLorelei – Broadway production opened at the Palace Theatre and ran for 321 performancesMack and Mabel – Broadway production opened at the Majestic Theatre and ran for 66 performancesThe Magic Show – Off-Broadway productionOver Here! – Broadway production opened at the Schubert Theatre and ran for 341 performancesWest Side Story – London revival[Musical film]sHuckleberry FinnMamePhantom of the ParadiseThat's Entertainment!
Births
Deaths
Awards[Grammy] Awards[Eurovision Song Contest] |