The

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

is one of many music charts compiled by the

Official Charts Company The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...

that calculates the best-selling singles of the week in the United Kingdom. Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical singles. This list shows singles that peaked in the Top 10 of the

during

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...

, as well as singles which peaked in

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...

and

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

but were in the top 10 in 1974. The entry date is when the single appeared in the top 10 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced). One-hundred and thirty-nine singles were in the top ten in 1974. Ten singles from 1973 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "

My Boy "My Boy" is a popular song from the early 1970s. The music was composed by Jean-Pierre Bourtayre and Claude François, and the lyrics were translated from the original version "Parce que je t'aime, mon enfant" (Because I Love You My Child) into E ...

" by

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

, " Streets of London" by

Ralph McTell Ralph McTell (born Ralph May, 3 December 1944) is an English singer-songwriter and acoustic guitar player who has been an influential figure on the UK folk music scene since the 1960s. McTell is best known for his song " Streets of London" (19 ...

and "Wombling Merry Christmas"/ by The Wombles were all released in 1974 but did not reach their peak until 1975. "

The Show Must Go On "The show must go on" is a phrase in show business, meaning that regardless of what happens, whatever show has been planned still has to be staged for the waiting patrons. There is no evidence to suggest that it is the abbreviation of a longer phra ...

" by Leo Sayer and " You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me" by The New Seekers featuring

Lyn Paul Lyn Paul (born Lynda Susan Belcher; 16 February 1949) is an English pop singer and actress. She came to fame as a member of the international chart-topping pop group the New Seekers in the early 1970s. She has more recently found success and criti ...

were the singles from 1973 to reach their peak in 1974. Thirty-one artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1974.

ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's ...

, Barry White,

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

and

Showaddywaddy Showaddywaddy are a rock and roll group from Leicester, England. They specialise in revivals of hit songs from the 1950s and early 1960s, while also issuing original material. Showaddywaddy spent 209 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, and had 10 T ...

were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1974. The 1973

Christmas number-one In the United Kingdom, Christmas number ones are singles that top the UK Singles Chart in the week in which Christmas Day falls. The singles have often been novelty songs, charity songs or songs with a Christmas theme. Historically, the volume ...

, " Merry Xmas Everybody" by Slade, remained at number-one for the first two weeks of 1974. The first new number-one single of the year was "You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me" by The New Seekers featuring Lyn Paul. Overall, twenty-one different singles peaked at number-one in 1974, with

Mud A MUD (; originally multi-user dungeon, with later variants multi-user dimension and multi-user domain) is a Multiplayer video game, multiplayer Time-keeping systems in games#Real-time, real-time virtual world, usually Text-based game, text-bas ...

(2) having the most singles hit that position.

Background

Multiple entries

One-hundred and thirty-nine singles charted in the top 10 in 1974, with one-hundred and twenty-eight singles reaching their peak this year. Thirty-one artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1974. Six artists shared the record for most top 10 hits in 1974 with four hit singles each. This included two solo artists, three rock bands and a novelty group from a successful children's television series.

Gary Glitter Paul Francis Gadd (born 8 May 1944), best known by his stage name Gary Glitter, is an English former singer, songwriter, and record producer. He achieved success during the glam rock era of the 1970s and 1980s, and his career ended after he w ...

's four top 10 singles spent a total of eighteen combined weeks in the top section of the chart. Two of these went to number-one - "

I Love You Love Me Love "I Love You Love Me Love" is a song by English glam rock singer Gary Glitter. Written by Glitter with Mike Leander and produced by Leander (unusually in monophonic sound), "I Love You Love Me Love" was Glitter's second number-one single on the U ...

", which ascended to the top spot at the end of 1973, and "

Always Yours "Always Yours" is a song by English glam rock singer Gary Glitter, written by Glitter with Mike Leander and produced by Mike Leander. It was released as a standalone single in the UK in 1974, and was Glitter's third and final number-one single o ...

" in June. His other two entries were " Remember Me This Way", a number three peak in March, and "

Oh Yes! You're Beautiful "Oh Yes! You're Beautiful" is a song by English glam rock singer Gary Glitter, written by Glitter with Mike Leander and produced by Mike Leander. It was released as a standalone single in the UK in 1974, and peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Cha ...

", which ranked a place higher in November. Fellow British singer

Alvin Stardust Bernard William Jewry (27 September 1942 – 23 October 2014), known professionally as Shane Fenton and later as Alvin Stardust, was an English rock singer and stage actor. Performing first as Shane Fenton in the 1960s, Jewry had a moderately s ...

counted February number one "

Jealous Mind "Jealous Mind" is a song recorded by Alvin Stardust in 1973, written and produced by Peter Shelley, and released in 1973. "Jealous Mind" was Stardust's only number-one single in the UK Singles Chart, spending a single week at the top of the char ...

" among his chart hits. "Red Dress" peaked at number seven in May, " You You You" at number six in September, while "

My Coo Ca Choo "My Coo Ca Choo" is the first successful release for Alvin Stardust, reaching number two in the UK Singles Chart in December 1973. The glam rock single fared even better in Australia, where it spent seven weeks at the top and was the best char ...

" reached number two late in 1973. Scottish band The Bay City Rollers had four top ten entries themselves, " Shang-a-Lang" the best performing single at number two, one place higher than "

Summerlove Sensation "Summerlove Sensation" is a song originally recorded by the Bay City Rollers. It was part of their 1974 album '' Rollin. In the same year it was also released as a single. The single peaked at no. 3 on the UK Singles Chart. Charts Sylvie ...

". " All of Me Loves All of You" made number four and "

Remember (Sha-La-La-La) "Remember (Sha-La-La-La)" is a song by the Bay City Rollers. It was first released as a single in early 1974 and then included on their debut album '' Rollin, which appeared several months later, in the autumn. The single peaked at no. 6 on t ...

" was a number six hit. The Wombles appeared in the chart for the first time in 1974 and had four hit singles: "Wombling Song" reached number four, "Remember You're a Womble" also ranked in the top five at number three, "Banana Rock" made number nine and "Wombling Merry Christmas" rounded off the year at number two in the Christmas chart.

and Slade also both counted a song with a Christmas feel in their total - the former had the Christmas number-one "

Lonely This Christmas "Lonely This Christmas" is a Christmas song by the English glam rock band Mud, that topped the UK Singles Chart in 1974, selling over 750,000 copies and reaching Christmas number one. Song Written and produced by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, ...

" while the latter charted with " Merry Xmas Everybody" at the finale of the previous year, both of which became festive staples in later years. Mud's other top 10 singles in 1974 were chart-topper and year-end best-selling single "

Tiger Feet Tiger Feet is a popular song by the English glam rock band Mud, released in January 1974. Written and produced by the songwriting team of Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, it was the first of three number No. 1 singles for the band, in the UK Singles ...

", "Rocket" (number six) and "

The Cat Crept In ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

" (number two). Slade for their part saw "

Everyday Everyday or Every Day may refer to: Books * ''Every Day'' (novel), by David Levithan, 2012 Film * ''Every Day'' (2010 film), an American comedy-drama starring Liev Schreiber and Helen Hunt * ''Everyday'' (film), a 2012 British drama direct ...

" and "

The Bangin' Man "The Bangin' Man" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1974 as a non-album single. It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler. It reached No. 3 in the UK, remaining in the cha ...

" rise to a high of number three, with " Far Far Away" going a spot higher.

The Glitter Band The Glitter Band are a glam rock band from England, who initially worked as Gary Glitter's backing band under that name from 1973, when they then began releasing records of their own. They were unofficially known as the Glittermen on the first f ...

, Leo Sayer and

The Stylistics The Stylistics are an American, Philadelphia soul group that achieved their greatest chart success in the 1970s. They formed in 1968, with a lineup of singers Russell Thompkins Jr., Herb Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith and James Dunn. All of ...

all had three top 10 singles in 1974. Sayer's number two single "

" reached its peak in January after first charting in 1973. His other two hit songs were "Long Tall Glasses" at number four and a cover of

Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is a co-founder and the lead singer of the Rock music, rock band The Who. Daltrey's hit songs with The Who include "My Generation", "Pinball Wizard", "Won't Ge ...

's " One Man Band" which made number six in June. The Glitter Band's best-performing single in 1974 was "Angel Face", rising to a number four peak in April. "Just for You" (number ten) and "Let's Get Together Again" (number eight) both reached the lower region of the top 10. American group

were the final act with three top tens this year. "

You Make Me Feel Brand New "You Make Me Feel Brand New" is a 1974 single by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics. An R&B ballad, the song was written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed. Background Stylistics tenor Airrion Love starts out the song and then alternates with ...

" was the most successful at number two, followed by "Rockin' Roll Baby" at number six and "Let's Put It All Together" in ninth position. Barry White was one of a number of artists with two top-ten entries, including the number-one single " You're the First, the Last, My Everything".

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...

, The New Seekers, Sweet and Wings were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1974.

Chart debuts

Forty-nine artists achieved their first top 10 single in 1974, either as a lead or featured artist. Of these, nine went on to record another hit single that year: Barry White, Cockney Rebel,

Cozy Powell Cozy Powell (born Colin Trevor Flooks; 29 December 1947 – 5 April 1998) was an English rock drummer who made his name with major rock bands and artists such as The Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Gary Moore, Robert Plant, ...

George McCrae George Warren McCrae Jr. (born October 19, 1944) is an American soul music, soul and disco singing, singer who is most famous for his 1974 hit "Rock Your Baby". Biography and career McCrae was the second of nine children, born in West Palm Bea ...

, Paper Lace,

The Rubettes The Rubettes are an English pop/glam rock band put together in 1974 after the release of "Sugar Baby Love", a recording assembled of studio session musicians in 1973 by the songwriting team of Wayne Bickerton, the then head of A&R at Polydor R ...

Sparks Sparks may refer to: Places *Sparks, Georgia * Sparks, Kansas *Sparks, Kentucky *Sparks, Maryland * Sparks, Nebraska *Sparks, Nevada *Sparks, Oklahoma *Sparks, Texas * Sparks, Bell County, Texas * Sparks, West Virginia Books * ''Sparks'' (Raffi ...

and Terry Jacks.

peaked in the top ten with two more singles. The Wombles had three other entries in their breakthrough year. The following table (collapsed on desktop site) does not include acts who had previously charted as part of a group and secured their first top 10 solo single. ;Notes Roy Wood of Wizzard scored his first and only solo top 10 in 1974 with "

Forever Forever or 4ever may refer to: Film and television Films * ''Forever'' (1921 film), an American silent film by George Fitzmaurice * ''Forever'' (1978 film), an American made-for-television romantic drama * ''Forever'' (1992 film), an American ...

" which peaked at number eight. His band had debuted with the number six entry " Ball Park Incident" in January 1973, with their most famous song " I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" charting at number four in December 1973.

featured as uncredited backing singers for

early in his career (1972 to 1973), known under the name

Glittermen The Glittermen were a glam rock band from England, who backed Gary Glitter, un-credited, on his first four hit singles, from June 1972 until the summer of 1973, when they then officially became known as The Glitter Band. Continuing to back Ga ...

but they charted in their own right with "Angel Face" in 1974.

Alan Price Alan Price (born 19 April 1942) is an English musician. He was the original keyboardist for the British band the Animals before he left to form his own band the Alan Price Set. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 as a m ...

was a founding member of The Animals, best known for their song " House of the Rising Sun", and later formed the Alan Price Set. "Jarrow Song" became his sole top ten hit in his own right this year.

Donny Osmond Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond (born December 9, 1957) is an American singer, dancer, actor, television host, and former teen idol. He first gained fame performing with four of his elder brothers as the Osmonds, earning several top ten hits and gol ...

and sister

Marie Osmond Olive Marie Osmond (born October 13, 1959) is an American singer, actress, television host, and a member of the show business family the Osmonds. Although she was never part of her family's singing group, she gained success as a country and pop ...

charted as a duo for the first time but both had previously had top 10 hits - Donny with the group The Osmonds and his solo work (including signature number one "

Puppy Love Puppy love, also known as a crush, is an informal term for feelings of romantic love, often felt during childhood and early adolescence. It is an infatuation usually developed by someone's looks and attractiveness at first sight. Such feelings f ...

"), Marie in 1973 with her solo single "

Paper Roses "Paper Roses" is a popular song written and composed by Fred Spielman and Janice Torre. It first was a top five hit in 1960 for Anita Bryant. Marie Osmond recorded it in 1973 and took her version to number one on the US country chart. Anita B ...

". Andy Fairweather Low performed as a member of Amen Corner and

Fair Weather Fairweather or Fair Weather may refer to:. Music * Fairweather (band), an American indie rock band * Fair Weather (band), a British pop group from 1970 to 1971 * ''Fair Weather'' (album), a 2000 album by Alison Brown * "Fair Weather", a track ...

before landing a top 10 entry, "Reggae Tune" reaching number ten.

Songs from films

You're Sixteen "You're Sixteen" is a song written by the Sherman Brothers (Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman). It was first performed by American rockabilly singer Johnny Burnette, whose version peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100, ''Bill ...

" was a cover version of the Johnny Burnette song featured in '' American Graffiti'' in 1960. " I Get a Kick Out of You" was famously on the soundtrack to " Anything Goes" in 1934, performed by

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

Best-selling singles

had the best-selling single of the year with "

". The song spent seven weeks in the top 10 (including four weeks at number one) and was certified gold by the BPI. " Seasons in the Sun (Le moribond)" by Terry Jacks came in second place. Paper Lace's " Billy Don't Be a Hero", " When Will I See You Again" from

The Three Degrees The Three Degrees is an American female vocal group formed circa 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although 16 women have been members over the years, the group has always been a trio. The current line-up consists of Helen Scott, Valerie Holi ...

and " Rock Your Baby" by

made up the top five. Singles by David Essex, Charles Aznavour, Carl Douglas,

Ken Boothe Kenneth George Boothe OD (born 22 March 1948) is a Jamaican vocalist known for his distinctive vibrato and timbre. Boothe achieved an international reputation as one of Jamaica's finest vocalists through a series of crossover hits that appeal ...

and

were also in the top ten best-selling singles of the year.

Top-ten singles

;Key

Entries by artist

The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1974, including singles that reached their peak in 1973 or 1975. The figures include both main artists and featured artists, while appearances on ensemble charity records are also counted for each artist. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 1974 is also shown.

Notes

* "Wombling Merry Christmas" reached its peak of number two on 4 January 1975 (week ending). * "Streets of London" reached its peak of number two on 11 January 1975 (week ending). * "Paper Roses" re-entered the top 10 at number 8 on 19 January 1974 (week ending). * "I Get a Little Sentimental Over You" and "You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me" were both credited to ''The New Seekers featuring

'' by the Official Charts Company because she was singing lead vocals for the first time. * "Waterloo" was

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

's winning entry at the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...

. * "Break the Rules" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 8 June 1974 (week ending). * "Go (Before You Break My Heart)" was

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974. * "I See a Star" was

the Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

' entry at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974. * "She" was the theme song to the television series ''Seven Faces of Woman''. * "Young Girl" originally peaked at number 1 on its initial release in 1968. In 1974, the song was re-released as part of a CBS Records series entitled "Hall of Fame Hits". * "If You Go Away" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 3 August 1974 (week ending). * "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" originally peaked at number 8 on its initial release in 1966. * "No, Honestly" was the theme song to the

LWT London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 unt ...

television comedy series ''

No, Honestly ''No, Honestly'' is a British television sitcom that starred real-life married couple John Alderton and Pauline Collins as Charles ("C.D.") Danbee and Claira Burrell. It depicted their meeting and courtship up to their first wedding anniversar ...

''. * Figure includes single that peaked in 1973. * Figure includes single that peaked in 1975. * Figure includes single that first charted in 1973 but peaked in 1974. * Figure includes a top 10 hit with the group The Osmonds. * Figure includes appearance on The New Seekers' "I Get a Little Sentimental Over You" and "You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me".

References

General * Specific

External links

1974 singles chart archive
at the

(click on relevant week) {{UK Music Charts Top 10 singles

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...