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.
There is 1 comment for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 33 Music Albums of 1974 has an average rating of 85 out of 100 (from 5 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
View the complete list of 57,000 charts on BestEverAlbums.com from The Charts page.
This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from United Kingdom. (Remove this filter)
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 04/20/2012]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
858
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #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:
1,348
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 01/15/2013]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,772
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 10/24/2017]
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 12/01/2012]
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 09/29/2012]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
591
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 07/07/2017]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,223
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 06/10/2019]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,598
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
1974-CHARISMA/ATCO
Produced By JOHN BURNS & GENESIS
1. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
2. Fly On A Windshield
3. Broadway Melody Of 1974
4. Cuckoo Cocoon
5. In The Cage
6. The Grand Parade Of Lifeless Packaging
7. Back In NYC
8. Hairless Heart
9. Counting Out Time
10. Carpet Crawlers
11. The Chamber Of 32 Doors
1. Lilywhite Lilith
2. The Waiting Room
3. Anyway
4. Here Comes The Supernatural Anaesthetist
5. The Lamia
6. Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats
7. The Colony Of Slippermen
8. Ravine
9. The Light Dies Down On Broadway
10. Riding The Scree
11. In The Rapids
12. It
Before Genesis was a three piece pop machine led by drummer Phil Collins, they were one of the leading lights in early 70’s progressive rock. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is their sixth album, and it’s the last Genesis album to feature Peter Gabriel on vocals. It’s a sprawling, hour and a half double concept album that tells the story of a Puerto Rican in New York City named Rael who is trying to rescue his brother John from a strange underground world. It was the writing of the album that caused the majority of the issues that led to Gabriel’s departure from the band. By the time the album was finished, he had already decided to leave, but he stayed on through the tour supporting the album before he left. The resulting tension adds a lot to the feel of the album, and makes it the major turning point in the bands career. It’s also the high point for the progressive phase of the bands career, even though many of the songs come in at under three minutes in length.
The album seems overly long in places, but the overall sound is effective and interesting enough to carry the listener’s interest throughout. The most accessible track is the first, and it’s been a staple of album radio for nearly forty years. The rest of the album serves more as a single piece rather than a collection of songs, bound together by the storyline. The lows of the album, marked by obscure sounding passages are offset by the albums highs, which at times are soaring and a lot of fun. Gabriel may have been the star, but it’s the musicianship of Steve Hackett, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Collins that really carries The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, and the fact that they were able to carry on after his departure without missing a beat speaks volumes. These guys were musically exceptional together. Not to take away from what Gabriel brought to Genesis, but on this album in particular they show what this incarnation was really capable of. Forty years later, this remains a stellar musical performance, flaws and all. Gabriel went on to a successful solo career, and the rest of Genesis carried on for many years of success. [First added to this chart: 01/06/2014]
Produced By JOHN BURNS & GENESIS
1. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
2. Fly On A Windshield
3. Broadway Melody Of 1974
4. Cuckoo Cocoon
5. In The Cage
6. The Grand Parade Of Lifeless Packaging
7. Back In NYC
8. Hairless Heart
9. Counting Out Time
10. Carpet Crawlers
11. The Chamber Of 32 Doors
1. Lilywhite Lilith
2. The Waiting Room
3. Anyway
4. Here Comes The Supernatural Anaesthetist
5. The Lamia
6. Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats
7. The Colony Of Slippermen
8. Ravine
9. The Light Dies Down On Broadway
10. Riding The Scree
11. In The Rapids
12. It
Before Genesis was a three piece pop machine led by drummer Phil Collins, they were one of the leading lights in early 70’s progressive rock. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is their sixth album, and it’s the last Genesis album to feature Peter Gabriel on vocals. It’s a sprawling, hour and a half double concept album that tells the story of a Puerto Rican in New York City named Rael who is trying to rescue his brother John from a strange underground world. It was the writing of the album that caused the majority of the issues that led to Gabriel’s departure from the band. By the time the album was finished, he had already decided to leave, but he stayed on through the tour supporting the album before he left. The resulting tension adds a lot to the feel of the album, and makes it the major turning point in the bands career. It’s also the high point for the progressive phase of the bands career, even though many of the songs come in at under three minutes in length.
The album seems overly long in places, but the overall sound is effective and interesting enough to carry the listener’s interest throughout. The most accessible track is the first, and it’s been a staple of album radio for nearly forty years. The rest of the album serves more as a single piece rather than a collection of songs, bound together by the storyline. The lows of the album, marked by obscure sounding passages are offset by the albums highs, which at times are soaring and a lot of fun. Gabriel may have been the star, but it’s the musicianship of Steve Hackett, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Collins that really carries The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, and the fact that they were able to carry on after his departure without missing a beat speaks volumes. These guys were musically exceptional together. Not to take away from what Gabriel brought to Genesis, but on this album in particular they show what this incarnation was really capable of. Forty years later, this remains a stellar musical performance, flaws and all. Gabriel went on to a successful solo career, and the rest of Genesis carried on for many years of success. [First added to this chart: 01/06/2014]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,460
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
1974 – DERAM
Produced By DAVID HITCHCOCK
1. Freefall
2. Supertwister
3. The White Rider
4. Earthrise
5. Lady Fantasy
BONUS TRACKS
6. Supertwister (Live)
7. Mystic Queen (Live)
8. Arubaluba (Live)
9. Lady Fantasy (Original Basing Street Studios Mix)
Camel has been called the unsung heroes of seventies progressive rock, and for good reason. This English band has been together, except for a brief hiatus in the 80’s, since 1971, although now with only one original member. They have always had a very loyal following, and have been able to survive as a worldwide touring act despite having never become a big commercial success. Unlike Yes or King Crimson or the other prog acts of the seventies, this band never had a hit like “Roundabout” or “21st Century Schizoid Man”, and they never had an album that burned up the charts. But as they show on their second album, Mirage, these guys can play. There’s a lot of jazzier influences at play here, with sparse vocals and even some flute played by guitarist Andrew Latimer.
Progressive rock from this era tended to be overblown and in your face artsy, but Camel manages to keep that to a minimum here. Sure, there are a pair of longer tracks (“The White Rider” and “Lady Fantasy”, each with three separate “movements”), and there is a lot what makes prog so tedious (or great, depending on your tastes). And yes, one of the longer tracks is based on The Lord Of The Rings. But ultimately, Mirage is a well played and very well constructed album, and despite its lack of commercial success, it’s one of the finest 70’s prog records…which is saying a lot. The four bonus tracks add about a half an hour to the original album, which makes sitting through the 2002 remaster a bit more laborious than it should be. But check out Mirage…it’s a forgotten gem from the 70’s. [First added to this chart: 09/01/2019]
Produced By DAVID HITCHCOCK
1. Freefall
2. Supertwister
3. The White Rider
4. Earthrise
5. Lady Fantasy
BONUS TRACKS
6. Supertwister (Live)
7. Mystic Queen (Live)
8. Arubaluba (Live)
9. Lady Fantasy (Original Basing Street Studios Mix)
Camel has been called the unsung heroes of seventies progressive rock, and for good reason. This English band has been together, except for a brief hiatus in the 80’s, since 1971, although now with only one original member. They have always had a very loyal following, and have been able to survive as a worldwide touring act despite having never become a big commercial success. Unlike Yes or King Crimson or the other prog acts of the seventies, this band never had a hit like “Roundabout” or “21st Century Schizoid Man”, and they never had an album that burned up the charts. But as they show on their second album, Mirage, these guys can play. There’s a lot of jazzier influences at play here, with sparse vocals and even some flute played by guitarist Andrew Latimer.
Progressive rock from this era tended to be overblown and in your face artsy, but Camel manages to keep that to a minimum here. Sure, there are a pair of longer tracks (“The White Rider” and “Lady Fantasy”, each with three separate “movements”), and there is a lot what makes prog so tedious (or great, depending on your tastes). And yes, one of the longer tracks is based on The Lord Of The Rings. But ultimately, Mirage is a well played and very well constructed album, and despite its lack of commercial success, it’s one of the finest 70’s prog records…which is saying a lot. The four bonus tracks add about a half an hour to the original album, which makes sitting through the 2002 remaster a bit more laborious than it should be. But check out Mirage…it’s a forgotten gem from the 70’s. [First added to this chart: 09/01/2019]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,529
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 12. Page 1 of 2
Don't agree with this chart? Create your own from the My Charts page!
Top 33 Music Albums of 1974 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Santana | 2 | 6% | |
| Eagles | 1 | 3% | |
| Harry Chapin | 1 | 3% | |
| Gordon Lightfoot | 1 | 3% | |
| Various Artists | 1 | 3% | |
| Camel | 1 | 3% | |
| Billy Joel | 1 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 33 Music Albums of 1974 chart changes
There have been no changes to this chart.Top 33 Music Albums of 1974 similarity to your chart(s)
Not a member? Registering is quick, easy and FREE!
Why register?
- Join a passionate community of over 50,000 music fans.
- Create & share your own charts.
- Have your say in the overall rankings.
- Post comments in the forums and vote on polls.
- Comment on or rate any album, artist, track or chart.
- Discover new music & improve your music collection.
- Customise the overall chart using a variety of different filters & metrics.
- Create a wishlist of albums.
- Help maintain the BEA database.
- Earn member points and gain access to increasing levels of functionality!
- ... And lots more!
Register now - it only takes a moment!
Romanelli has created 71 other 1974 year charts - click here to explore them all.
Top 33 Music Albums of 1974 ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
N.B. The average rating for this chart will not be reliable as it has been rated very few times.
Showing all 5 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 09/23/2019 20:54 | DJENNY | 4,365 | 100/100 |
| ! | 05/06/2018 17:58 | TrekkiELO | 75 | 88/100 |
| ! | 03/12/2016 18:32 | beatlekid123 | 21 | 65/100 |
| ! | 09/15/2014 10:12 |  sssvnnn | 2,865 | 83/100 |
| ! | 12/05/2012 12:36 | Johnnyo | 2,551 | 80/100 |
Top 33 Music Albums of 1974 favourites
Showing all 1 members who have added this chart as a favourite
Top 33 Music Albums of 1974 comments
Showing all 1 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First |
Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)
From Johnnyo 12/05/2012 12:36 | #56816
Nice chart.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Your feedback for Top 33 Music Albums of 1974
Let us know what you think of this chart by adding a comment or assigning a rating below!
If you enjoy our site, please consider supporting us by sparing a few seconds to disable your ad blocker.
A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.
A lot of hard work happens in the background to keep BEA running, and it's especially difficult to do this when we can't pay our hosting fees :(
We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.
