3 Classic Soul Hits From 1974 You Can’t Stop Singing No Matter How Old You Are

Even if you weren’t born yet in 1974, the impact of mid-70s classic soul remains regardless of age. Timeless music is called timeless for a reason. An enduring tune may feature the sound and production of its era, but the words and melody exist beyond it. Soul music continued to evolve in the 1970s with groundbreaking experiments in funk and eventually disco. But regardless of how much the genre transformed, what didn’t change were the eternal hooks you can’t stop singing, no matter how old you are.

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“For The Love Of Money” by The O’Jays

I don’t think the only reason we continue to sing this song is our never-ending pursuit of “that mean, mean, mean, mean, mean green.” But it’s the perfect theme for both the hustle and the corruption money inspires. The O’Jays formed in Canton, Ohio, but found stardom with their Philly soul classics, including “Love Train” in 1972. “For The Love Of Money” begins with one of the most recognizable bass lines in pop, phased and drenched in a hazy reverb like the short-lived high from buying something with all the sweet cash you’ve just accumulated. And to sing along to this hook, one only needs to know one word: Money!

“Fire” by Ohio Players

Ohio Players were in Los Angeles performing when Stevie Wonder dropped in to hear what the group had been working on in the studio. The track Wonder heard didn’t have lyrics yet, but he was convinced it was a hit. He said they could call it anything they liked and it would still be a hit. The song was indeed fire. And the Ohio Players needed no further search for their title. Wonder’s prediction was correct: “Fire” topped both the pop and soul charts and remains one of the group’s defining songs.

“Then Came You” by Dionne Warwick And The Spinners

Dionne Warwick’s career stalled in the 1970s following her iconic collaborations with Burt Bacharach and Hal David in the previous decade. However, in 1974 Warwick recorded “Then Came You” with The Spinners, and the Thom Bell-produced single became her first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The hopeful romance anthem features Warwick dueting with The Spinners’ vocalist Bobby Smith. A comeback banger with a hook so infectious I can already see your shoulders moving up and down. “I’m so darned proud of you.”

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