3 Chart-Topping Classic Rock Albums From 1974 That We Still Stan

In the mid-1970s, rock music ruled the airwaves. You couldn’t turn on the radio or walk into a department store without hearing a few major chords running through a buzzing amplifier. What a world, what a time to be alive! Take us back!

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Today, if you look at the Billboard Top 200 charts in the mid-70s, you’ll see many of your favorite classic rock acts. And that’s just what we wanted to dive into here today. Indeed, these are three classic rock albums that hit No. 1 on the Top 200 in 1974 that we still adore now.

‘Planet Waves’ by Bob Dylan (1974)

While Bob Dylan is often associated with the creative revolution of the 1960s, his career has obviously spanned many decades. And in the 1970s, backed by The Band, he released some of his most important albums. In 1974, Planet Waves hit No. 1 on the Top 200. That album featured iconic tracks like “On a Night Like This” and “Forever Young”. Just another great LP from The Bard—no big deal!

‘So Far’ by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1974)

For some reason, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young aren’t considered a traditional supergroup, but when you really think about it, the moniker certainly applies. The quartet comprised four of the biggest names in music in the 1970s, and for their efforts, they earned a No. 1 LP with the release of So Far. That record included the tracks “Déjà Vu”, “Wooden Ships”, “Our House”, and the war protest song, “Ohio”. It’s a veritable greatest hits album!

‘Endless Summer’ by The Beach Boys (1974)

When The Beach Boys drop an album called Endless Summer, their audience listens up. Indeed, the entire sonic ethos of the group seemed to be to create a feeling of endless summer, so to put that intention into an album in the mid-70s, you knew you were getting something amazing. Indeed, the greatest hits compilation was a success and featured a number of the group’s best songs, including “Fun, Fun, Fun” and “Little Deuce Coupe”.

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