1974 was a weird, electric year for music. Glam rock was strutting in platform boots, singer-songwriters were baring their souls, and arena rock was starting to flex its influence. Out of everything released that year, just nine records made the cut for Pop Thruster’s Best 1,000 Albums Ever – which means they had to punch above decades of competition to land here.
From Queen’s Sheer Heart Attack lighting up the charts to Neil Young’s On the Beach staring into the abyss, from Linda Ronstadt’s Heart Like a Wheel to Sweet’s Desolation Boulevard, these are the albums that capture the grit, the glitter, and the greatness of 1974.
The 9 Best Albums of 1974
The Velvet Underground – 1969 Velvet Underground Live With Lou Reed (#72 of best 1,000 albums ever)
Well, I’m beginning to see the light.
Queen – Sheer Heart Attack (#269)
She’s a killer queen, gunpowder, gelatine, dynamite with a laser beam.
Sweet – Desolation Boulevard(#345)
And the man in the back said, “everyone attack!” And it turned into a ballroom blitz.
Diana Ross & The Supremes – Anthology(#406)
Stop! In the name of love, before you break my heart.
UFO – Phenomenon(#663)
Livin’, lovin’ on the run, so far away from you.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – So Far (#710)
This summer I hear the drumming, four dead in Ohio.
Linda Ronstadt – Heart Like A Wheel (#712)
You’re no good, baby you’re no good.
Buddy Holly – 20 Golden Greats: Buddy Holly Lives (#791)
You say you’re gonna leave, you know it’s a lie, ’cause that’ll be the day when I die.
Neil Young – On The Beach (#879)
See the sky is about to rain.