Top 33 Music Albums of 1974
by 
Romanelli 
- Chart updated: 11/22/2025 22:45
- (Created: 04/11/2012 18:42).
- Chart size: 33 albums.
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Produced by Al Kooper. How do you follow up "Free Bird"? Add a guitar player and don't try to make another "Free Bird". Skynyrd's second album is loaded with memorable songs and loads of guitar. "Sweet Home Alabama" is the obvious, but you also get the JJ Cale tune "Call Me The Breeze" and strong lesser known songs like "The Needle And The Spoon", "The Ballad Of Curtis Loew", and their stab at the music business "Workin' For MCA". A strong second effort from a legend of a band.
[First added to this chart: 04/12/2012]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,017
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1974 – ASYLUM
Produced By BOB DYLAN & THE BAND
1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine)
2. Lay Lady Lay
3. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
4. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
5. It Ain’t Me, Babe
6. Ballad Of A Thin Man
7. Up On Cripple Creek
8. I Shall Be Released
9. Endless Highway
10. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
11. Stage Fright
1. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
2. Just Like A Woman
3. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
4. The Shape I’m In
5. When You Awake
6. The Weight
7. All Along The Watchtower
8. Highway 61 Revisited
9. Like A Rolling Stone
10. Blowin’ In The Wind
A first glance at this, and the mind says that this must surely be the greatest live album ever recorded. It is, after all, two of the most legendary musical acts of all time together on stage playing their best material. But it just doesn’t work that way. Dylan and The Band were touring for the just-released Planet Waves album when this was recorded (mostly in Los Angeles), but they ended up playing almost nothing from that album on the tour. Instead, the setlists consisted of what amounted to a greatest hits show for both acts. Dylan and The Band play together on ten tracks, with Dylan playing solo on three and The Band taking the rest without Dylan. The results are puzzling…Dylan sounds in fine form, the song list is as amazing as you’d want it to be, but there’s just something missing and not right about the whole thing that makes it a disappointment.
Part of the problem is that you can easily find superior live performances by either act. Another issue is that while Dylan is in fine voice (as is The Band, as always), the two don’t seem to be enjoying playing with each other. They seem to be plowing through the songs like it’s a job to do…it’s almost mechanical. Even though it’s one great song after another, with each performance, you find yourself saying, “yeah…that was good, but I’ve heard them do it better”. The problem is that while everything here is good, it’s never their best performance of a song. It’s unpolished, and actually pretty uninspired stuff. Even when The Band plays alone, they sound hurried and maybe even a little bit bored. The most interesting track is “I Shall Be Released”, which shows that Richard Manuel could still bring it when he had to. But otherwise, Before The Flood is a good but never great live set. Should have been a lot better. [First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Produced By BOB DYLAN & THE BAND
1. Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine)
2. Lay Lady Lay
3. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
4. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
5. It Ain’t Me, Babe
6. Ballad Of A Thin Man
7. Up On Cripple Creek
8. I Shall Be Released
9. Endless Highway
10. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
11. Stage Fright
1. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
2. Just Like A Woman
3. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
4. The Shape I’m In
5. When You Awake
6. The Weight
7. All Along The Watchtower
8. Highway 61 Revisited
9. Like A Rolling Stone
10. Blowin’ In The Wind
A first glance at this, and the mind says that this must surely be the greatest live album ever recorded. It is, after all, two of the most legendary musical acts of all time together on stage playing their best material. But it just doesn’t work that way. Dylan and The Band were touring for the just-released Planet Waves album when this was recorded (mostly in Los Angeles), but they ended up playing almost nothing from that album on the tour. Instead, the setlists consisted of what amounted to a greatest hits show for both acts. Dylan and The Band play together on ten tracks, with Dylan playing solo on three and The Band taking the rest without Dylan. The results are puzzling…Dylan sounds in fine form, the song list is as amazing as you’d want it to be, but there’s just something missing and not right about the whole thing that makes it a disappointment.
Part of the problem is that you can easily find superior live performances by either act. Another issue is that while Dylan is in fine voice (as is The Band, as always), the two don’t seem to be enjoying playing with each other. They seem to be plowing through the songs like it’s a job to do…it’s almost mechanical. Even though it’s one great song after another, with each performance, you find yourself saying, “yeah…that was good, but I’ve heard them do it better”. The problem is that while everything here is good, it’s never their best performance of a song. It’s unpolished, and actually pretty uninspired stuff. Even when The Band plays alone, they sound hurried and maybe even a little bit bored. The most interesting track is “I Shall Be Released”, which shows that Richard Manuel could still bring it when he had to. But otherwise, Before The Flood is a good but never great live set. Should have been a lot better. [First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
243
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 06/04/2013]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,517
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 04/20/2012]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
860
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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- #Sponsored
1974-JET
Produced By JEFF LYNNE
1. Eldorado Overture
2. Can't Get It Out Of My Head
3. Boy Blue
4. Laredo Tornado
5. Poor Boy (The Greenwood)
6. Mister Kingdom
7. Nobody's Child
8. Illusions In G Major
9. Eldorado
10. Eldorado Finale
Bonus Tracks
11. Eldorado Instrumental Medley
12. Dark City
The growth of Jeff Lynne as both a songwriter and producer changed from album to album...the place where both were in the perfect place was on 1974's Eldorado. Lynne was not yet the hit writing machine that he would become shortly after, and his producing skills had not yet reached the glossy perfection of his later work. Eldorado, as a result, is the best of the early ELO albums. "Can't Get It Out Of My Head" was the hit, but the highly underrated "Boy Blue", "Laredo Tornado", "Nobody's Child", and most of the rest make this a fine listen.
The next album, Face The Music, and it's hits "Evil Woman" and "Strange Magic", changed everything for ELO. It would have been interesting had they stayed along the track of Eldorado, the only concept album in ELO's catalog in the period where they actually employed strings and were trying to achieve the melding of orchestra and rock band. A long forgotten album, and a pretty good one. [First added to this chart: 04/12/2012]
Produced By JEFF LYNNE
1. Eldorado Overture
2. Can't Get It Out Of My Head
3. Boy Blue
4. Laredo Tornado
5. Poor Boy (The Greenwood)
6. Mister Kingdom
7. Nobody's Child
8. Illusions In G Major
9. Eldorado
10. Eldorado Finale
Bonus Tracks
11. Eldorado Instrumental Medley
12. Dark City
The growth of Jeff Lynne as both a songwriter and producer changed from album to album...the place where both were in the perfect place was on 1974's Eldorado. Lynne was not yet the hit writing machine that he would become shortly after, and his producing skills had not yet reached the glossy perfection of his later work. Eldorado, as a result, is the best of the early ELO albums. "Can't Get It Out Of My Head" was the hit, but the highly underrated "Boy Blue", "Laredo Tornado", "Nobody's Child", and most of the rest make this a fine listen.
The next album, Face The Music, and it's hits "Evil Woman" and "Strange Magic", changed everything for ELO. It would have been interesting had they stayed along the track of Eldorado, the only concept album in ELO's catalog in the period where they actually employed strings and were trying to achieve the melding of orchestra and rock band. A long forgotten album, and a pretty good one. [First added to this chart: 04/12/2012]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,349
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 01/15/2013]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,777
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 04/13/2012]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,231
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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1974-ASYLUM
Produced By BILL SZYMCZYK
1. Already Gone
2. You Never Cry Like A Lover
3. Midnight Flyer
4. My Man
5. On The Border
6. James Dean
7. Ol' 55
8. Is It True?
9. Good Day In Hell
10. The Best Of My Love
Two albums away from Hotel California, the Eagles released their most underrated and underappreciated album, On The Border. For their third album, the band wanted to move into a more rock sound, and they got it here. "Already Gone" is a great song, "The Best Of My Love" was a huge hit, but the songs in between speak volumes about what this band could really do. "Midnight Flyer" soars and shows that rockers really can pull off a bluegrass tune: "You Never Cry Like A Lover" is gorgeous, and the title track is easily the most overlooked song of their career...it's simply great. "Ol' 55" is a fine Tom Waits cover, and "My Man" is Bernie Leadon's tribute to Gram Parsons. On The Border is easily the very best of the pre-Hotel California albums. Criminally ignored.
During the recording, the band discovered Don Felder, who was brought in to play on a couple of songs and became a permanent member. Buy this, play the title track and "Midnight Flyer" loud, and see what you've been missing. [First added to this chart: 08/04/2012]
Produced By BILL SZYMCZYK
1. Already Gone
2. You Never Cry Like A Lover
3. Midnight Flyer
4. My Man
5. On The Border
6. James Dean
7. Ol' 55
8. Is It True?
9. Good Day In Hell
10. The Best Of My Love
Two albums away from Hotel California, the Eagles released their most underrated and underappreciated album, On The Border. For their third album, the band wanted to move into a more rock sound, and they got it here. "Already Gone" is a great song, "The Best Of My Love" was a huge hit, but the songs in between speak volumes about what this band could really do. "Midnight Flyer" soars and shows that rockers really can pull off a bluegrass tune: "You Never Cry Like A Lover" is gorgeous, and the title track is easily the most overlooked song of their career...it's simply great. "Ol' 55" is a fine Tom Waits cover, and "My Man" is Bernie Leadon's tribute to Gram Parsons. On The Border is easily the very best of the pre-Hotel California albums. Criminally ignored.
During the recording, the band discovered Don Felder, who was brought in to play on a couple of songs and became a permanent member. Buy this, play the title track and "Midnight Flyer" loud, and see what you've been missing. [First added to this chart: 08/04/2012]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
288
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Various Artists
High Atmosphere
1975 – ROUNDER
Produced By JOHN COHEN & MARK WILSON
1. Remember And Do Pray For Me – Lloyd Chandler
2. The Silk Merchant’s Daughter – Dellie Norton
3. Rambling Hobo – Gaither Carlton
4. Apple Blossom – Gaither Carlton
5. Pretty Crowing Chicken – Frank Proffitt
6. Forkey Deer – Sidna Myers
7. Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down – Frank Proffitt
8. Cumberland Gap – George Landers
9. Rolling Mills Are Burning Down – George Landers
10. Half Shaved – Wade Ward
11. Shady Grove – Wade Ward
12. Old Joe Clark – Wade Ward
13. Nitches Over The Hill – Wade Ward
14. Twin Sisters – Sidna Myers
15. Fortune – Fred Cockerham
16. Little Satchel – Fred Cockerham
17. Barker’s Creek – George Landers
18. Young Emily – Dellie Norton
19. Early, Early In The Spring – Dellie Norton
20. Warfare – E.C. Ball
21. Pretty Polly – E.C. Ball
22. The Fox – E.C. Ball
23. A Conversation With Death – Lloyd Chandler
24. I Wish My Baby Was Born – Dillard Chandler
25. The Carolina Lady – Dillard Chandler
26. The Scotland Man – George Landers
27. Alabama Gals – Sidna Myers
28. No Place Like Home – George Landers
29. June Apple – Fred Cockerham
30. Frankie Baker – Fred Cockerham
31. Jennie Jenkins – E.C. & Orna Ball
32. Little Sadie – Gaither Carlton
33. Cumberland Gap – Frank Proffitt
There’s some history here. John Cohen was a founding member of the New Lost City Ramblers, and did some very important work as a musicologist. In 1965, he ventured into the hill country of rural Virginia and North Carolina to document some of the many interesting ways that Appalachain musicians tuned their banjos. This led Cohen to hear, and make incredible field recordings of, some of the most amazing American music ever played. Because, once your instrument is tuned…you have to play a song, right? High Atmosphere was released years later, was hailed as a masterpiece, then disappeared for many years. It was reissued with several added tracks (the tracklist above) in 1995 after the alt-country band Uncle Tupelo covered three songs from here on their 1992 album March 16-20, 1992.
The songs that Uncle Tupelo recorded were “Warfare”, “Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down”, and “I Wish My Baby Was Born”. The band’s high praise for High Atmosphere triggered new interest in the album, and spurred Rounder to reissue the set. The music here is simply amazing. It’s the ultimate in real American music. The players were mostly old when it was recorded, and all are long gone, but this album allows this beautiful definition of Americana to survive. These songs weren’t recorded in studios…they were recorded with a single microphone in locations down long dirt roads. The liner notes include an absolute heaven of details about the recordings and the songs and the long forgotten artists. There are even photos of the artists from the sixties. This is simply perfection, and of massive importance. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2022]
High Atmosphere
1975 – ROUNDER
Produced By JOHN COHEN & MARK WILSON
1. Remember And Do Pray For Me – Lloyd Chandler
2. The Silk Merchant’s Daughter – Dellie Norton
3. Rambling Hobo – Gaither Carlton
4. Apple Blossom – Gaither Carlton
5. Pretty Crowing Chicken – Frank Proffitt
6. Forkey Deer – Sidna Myers
7. Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down – Frank Proffitt
8. Cumberland Gap – George Landers
9. Rolling Mills Are Burning Down – George Landers
10. Half Shaved – Wade Ward
11. Shady Grove – Wade Ward
12. Old Joe Clark – Wade Ward
13. Nitches Over The Hill – Wade Ward
14. Twin Sisters – Sidna Myers
15. Fortune – Fred Cockerham
16. Little Satchel – Fred Cockerham
17. Barker’s Creek – George Landers
18. Young Emily – Dellie Norton
19. Early, Early In The Spring – Dellie Norton
20. Warfare – E.C. Ball
21. Pretty Polly – E.C. Ball
22. The Fox – E.C. Ball
23. A Conversation With Death – Lloyd Chandler
24. I Wish My Baby Was Born – Dillard Chandler
25. The Carolina Lady – Dillard Chandler
26. The Scotland Man – George Landers
27. Alabama Gals – Sidna Myers
28. No Place Like Home – George Landers
29. June Apple – Fred Cockerham
30. Frankie Baker – Fred Cockerham
31. Jennie Jenkins – E.C. & Orna Ball
32. Little Sadie – Gaither Carlton
33. Cumberland Gap – Frank Proffitt
There’s some history here. John Cohen was a founding member of the New Lost City Ramblers, and did some very important work as a musicologist. In 1965, he ventured into the hill country of rural Virginia and North Carolina to document some of the many interesting ways that Appalachain musicians tuned their banjos. This led Cohen to hear, and make incredible field recordings of, some of the most amazing American music ever played. Because, once your instrument is tuned…you have to play a song, right? High Atmosphere was released years later, was hailed as a masterpiece, then disappeared for many years. It was reissued with several added tracks (the tracklist above) in 1995 after the alt-country band Uncle Tupelo covered three songs from here on their 1992 album March 16-20, 1992.
The songs that Uncle Tupelo recorded were “Warfare”, “Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down”, and “I Wish My Baby Was Born”. The band’s high praise for High Atmosphere triggered new interest in the album, and spurred Rounder to reissue the set. The music here is simply amazing. It’s the ultimate in real American music. The players were mostly old when it was recorded, and all are long gone, but this album allows this beautiful definition of Americana to survive. These songs weren’t recorded in studios…they were recorded with a single microphone in locations down long dirt roads. The liner notes include an absolute heaven of details about the recordings and the songs and the long forgotten artists. There are even photos of the artists from the sixties. This is simply perfection, and of massive importance. [First added to this chart: 05/31/2022]
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[First added to this chart: 10/24/2017]
Total albums: 33. Page 1 of 4
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Top 33 Music Albums of 1974 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Santana | 2 | 6% | |
| Bad Company | 1 | 3% | |
| King Crimson | 1 | 3% | |
| Jackson Browne | 1 | 3% | |
| Electric Light Orchestra | 1 | 3% | |
| Richard & Linda Thompson | 1 | 3% | |
| Neil Young | 1 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
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| ! | 09/23/2019 20:54 | DJENNY | 4,365 | 100/100 |
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| ! | 03/12/2016 18:32 | beatlekid123 | 21 | 65/100 |
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| ! | 12/05/2012 12:36 | Johnnyo | 2,548 | 80/100 |
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From Johnnyo 12/05/2012 12:36 | #56816
Nice chart.
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