Top songs of 1974

What was the number one song of 1974?

The number one song of 1974 was “The Way We Were” by Barbra Streisand, the top song on Billboard's year-end Hot 100 for 1974. It spent 3 weeks at number one on the weekly chart, starting with the chart dated February 2, 1974.

“The Way We Were” by Barbra Streisand, “Seasons in the Sun” by Terry Jacks, “The Streak” by Ray Stevens and “(You're) Having My Baby” by Paul Anka and Odia Coates were each number one for 3 weeks of 1974, the most of any song that year.

Born in 1974? The birthday number one finder shows the song at number one in the exact week of your birthday, and the number one on every birthday since.

Chart data: Billboard Hot 100, as compiled on Wikipedia (number ones of 1974, year-end Hot 100 of 1974).

How many songs reached number one in 1974?

35 songs reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time in 1974. Counting “Time in a Bottle”, which was already at number one when the year began, 36 songs held the top spot across the year's 52 weekly charts.

Of the songs that first reached number one in 1974, “The Way We Were” by Barbra Streisand stayed there longest: 3 weeks in total, from the chart dated February 2, 1974.

Weeks at No. 1 counts every week the song spent at the top, including weeks in other years; the number in brackets is the weeks on charts dated 1974. Dates are chart issue dates.

Which artists had more than one number one in 1974?

John Denver was the only act with more than one number one in 1974, counting lead and featured credits: “Sunshine on My Shoulders” and “Annie's Song”.

What were the biggest songs of 1974?

The five biggest songs of 1974 on Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 were “The Way We Were” by Barbra Streisand, “Seasons in the Sun” by Terry Jacks, “Love's Theme” by Love Unlimited Orchestra, “Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone and “Dancing Machine” by The Jackson 5.

The year-end chart ranks songs by how they performed on the weekly Hot 100 across Billboard’s chart year, so a song that peaked late in the year can rank lower than its weekly peak suggests, or count toward the next year’s list. The top 30 below show each song’s length.

Numbers 31 to 100

31. “You're Sixteen” Ringo Starr
32. “If You Love Me (Let Me Know)” Olivia Newton-John
33. “Dark Lady” Cher
34. “Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me” Gladys Knight & the Pips
35. “Feel Like Makin' Love” Roberta Flack
36. “Just Don't Want to Be Lonely” The Main Ingredient
37. “Nothing from Nothing” Billy Preston
38. “Rock Your Baby” George McCrae
39. “Top of the World” The Carpenters
40. “The Joker” Steve Miller Band
41. “I've Got to Use My Imagination” Gladys Knight & the Pips
42. “The Show Must Go On” Three Dog Night
43. “Rock the Boat” The Hues Corporation
44. “Smokin' in the Boys Room” Brownsville Station
45. “Living for the City” Stevie Wonder
46. “Then Came You” Dionne Warwick & The Spinners
47. “The Night Chicago Died” Paper Lace
48. “The Entertainer” Marvin Hamlisch
49. “Waterloo” ABBA
50. “The Air That I Breathe” The Hollies
51. “Rikki Don't Lose That Number” Steely Dan
52. “Mockingbird” Carly Simon & James Taylor
53. “Help Me” Joni Mitchell
54. “You Won't See Me” Anne Murray
55. “Never, Never Gonna Give You Up” Barry White
56. “Tell Me Something Good” Rufus & Chaka Khan
57. “You and Me Against the World” Helen Reddy
58. “Rock and Roll Heaven” The Righteous Brothers
59. “Hollywood Swinging” Kool & the Gang
60. “Be Thankful for What You Got” William DeVaughn
61. “Hang on in There Baby” Johnny Bristol
62. “Eres tú” Mocedades
63. “Takin' Care of Business” Bachman-Turner Overdrive
64. “Radar Love” Golden Earring
65. “Please Come to Boston” Dave Loggins
66. “Keep on Smilin'” Wet Willie
67. “Lookin' for a Love” Bobby Womack
68. “Put Your Hands Together” The O'Jays
69. “On and On” Gladys Knight & the Pips
70. “Oh Very Young” Cat Stevens
71. “Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)” Helen Reddy
72. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” Elton John
73. “(I've Been) Searchin' So Long” Chicago
74. “Oh My My” Ringo Starr
75. “For the Love of Money” The O'Jays
76. “I Shot the Sheriff” Eric Clapton
77. “Jet” Paul McCartney and Wings
78. “Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me” Elton John
79. “Tubular Bells” Mike Oldfield
80. “A Love Song” Anne Murray
81. “I'm Leaving It (All) Up to You” Donny and Marie Osmond
82. “Hello It's Me” Todd Rundgren
83. “I Love” Tom T. Hall
84. “Clap for the Wolfman” The Guess Who featuring Wolfman Jack
85. “I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song” Jim Croce
86. “The Lord's Prayer” Sister Janet Mead
87. “Trying to Hold on to My Woman” Lamont Dozier
88. “Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing” Stevie Wonder
89. “A Very Special Love Song” Charlie Rich
90. “My Girl Bill” Jim Stafford
91. “Helen Wheels” Paul McCartney and Wings
92. “My Mistake (Was to Love You)” Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye
93. “Wildwood Weed” Jim Stafford
94. “Beach Baby” The First Class
95. “Me and Baby Brother” War
96. “Rockin' Roll Baby” The Stylistics
97. “I Honestly Love You” Olivia Newton-John
98. “Call on Me” Chicago
99. “Wild Thing” Fancy
100. “Mighty Love” The Spinners

Chart data: Billboard Hot 100, as compiled on Wikipedia (number ones of 1974, year-end Hot 100 of 1974).

What songs should go on a 1974 mix CD?

A 1974 mix that fits one 80-minute CD holds 21 of the year's biggest songs, opening with “Show and Tell” by Al Wilson and closing with “Billy Don't Be a Hero” by Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods, for 76:21 of music.

We built it from the year-end top 30 and every number one of 1974, taking songs in year-end order until the disc was full, then sequenced it to follow the year: the number ones in the order they reached the top, with the year’s other big hits placed between them. With a 2-second gap before each track it runs 77:03, under the 79 minutes we fill a CD to.

Lengths are the recordings matched in Deezer’s catalog. Single edits, album versions and remasters can run a little longer or shorter, so check your own playlist before you burn it.

Turn 1974 into a CD. Send us this list, or your own 1974 songs, and we burn it to a real audio CD, test-play it and post it. It makes a good gift for a birth year, a graduation year or a wedding year.

To change the songs, paste the list into the playlist length calculator to keep it under 80 minutes, then print an insert with the CD case template. Our guide to making a mixtape covers sequencing, and nostalgic gift ideas has more ways to give a year as a present.

What was popular music like in the 1970s?

Popular music in the 1970s ran from singer-songwriters and soft rock to soul, funk and, by the end of the decade, disco. The Bee Gees, Donna Summer and Chic all reached number one with disco records in 1978 and 1979, while ballads and soft rock filled the charts between them.

From 1970 to 1979, 253 songs reached number one on the Hot 100, and 1 song stayed there for 10 weeks or more. Of those 253, “You Light Up My Life” by Debby Boone spent the most weeks at number one: 10 in total. Bee Gees had the most number ones that reached the top in these years, with 9. The typical number one of these years ran 3:40 (the median of the 229 with a known length).