I’ve been writing about music history for many years now, and one thing remains true: The best music tends not to make it high on the charts, if at all. Let’s take a quick dive into just three stellar rock songs from the year 1974 that never hit No. 1 on any chart, but still became retrospective classics despite it all.
“September Gurls” by Big Star
Someone needs to explain to me how this power pop and folk rock crossover jam never charted. It’s blasphemy! “September Gurls” by Big Star is a fantastic piece of work. It’s also a standout release from the band’s second album, Radio City. Despite being released as a single, “September Gurls” didn’t even touch the charts. And, somehow, bands that followed in Big Star’s footsteps still got hold of it. This song’s been covered by everyone from The Bangles to Superdrag to The Searchers. Even Katy Perry’s “California Gurls” was a low-key tribute to this underrated gem.
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“Jet” by Paul McCartney and Wings
Sometimes I forget that every single thing Paul McCartney produced didn’t immediately hit No. 1 on the charts. Though when it comes to the 1974 glam rock song “Jet”, McCartney and Wings definitely should have hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 or the UK Singles chart. This fun track from Band On The Run didn’t get as much love as the title track, and that’s a shame. This power pop-rock tune is one of the best songs on the album. Yet, it only reached No. 7 on the Hot 100 and UK Singles chart.
“Rebel Rebel” by David Bowie
Let’s look at another glam rock song, this time one with a proto-punk edge to it. David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs days yielded a few hits, namely the song “Rebel Rebel”. Anyone in the UK likely remembers it, but this example of solid rock songs from 1974 didn’t actually chart well in the US. “Rebel Rebel” peaked at No. 64 on the Hot 100 chart and also only made it to No. 5 on the UK Singles chart. This is such a good some and very representative of the sound of the mid-1970s, I’m surprised that it didn’t do better than it did.
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