70s teens likely remember what it was like to get their first car, crank up the volume, and listen to their favorite songs from 1974. The following three jams were all over the radio that year, and plenty of youths loved to jam out to them. Let’s get a little nostalgic, shall we?
“Bennie And The Jets” by Elton John from ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’
Was there an adult or teen alive in 1974 that didn’t love hootin’ and hollerin’ the lyrics to this song? I really don’t think so. “Bennie And The Jets” by Elton John was a smash hit on the charts and radio, and I can see why. This glam rock classic is unforgettable and boasts some of John’s catchiest career melodies. This tune peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and did similarly well in Canada, Australia, and beyond.
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“Come And Get Your Love” by Redbone from ‘Wovoka’
This classic from Redbone has such an infectious groove that adults and teens alike couldn’t get enough of it back in 1974. When I think of the mid-1970s, I admittedly think of this upbeat and delightful dance-rock tune. “Come And Get Your Love” by Redbone peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100. Just as well, it remains the group’s most famous and successful song. I can easily imagine scream-singing along to this hit while driving on the way to school in the morning.
“Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas from ‘Kung Fu Fighting And Other Great Love Songs’
Carl Douglas’ sole major hit was such a smash, it inspired everything from a dance craze to (in a small way) the martial arts movie boom. And plenty of teens in 1974 added this danceable jam to their go-to mixtape of songs.
“Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas was a No. 1 hit across the board. It topped charts in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and several other countries. Douglas never had as big a hit again and is often referred to as a one-hit wonder. But he doesn’t seem to mind. This song was a real career-maker.
Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images
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English rock band The Kinks at London Airport (later Heathrow), UK, 12th January 1965. They are flying to Marseille in France for two concert dates in the city. From left to right, Ray Davies, Dave Davies, Pete Quaife and Mick Avory. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) -
American singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman plays her Fender acoustic guitar at a recording studio in Los Angeles, California, circa 1988. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images) -
Posed portrait of Bill Withers, 1972. (Photo by Gilles Petard/Redferns) -
American rock group The Cyrkle (American drummer Marty Fried, American singer and guitarist Don Dannemann, American singer and guitarist Tom Dawes (1944-2007), and American keyboard player Michael Losekamp), pose with Dawes having an unspecified Okeh Records seven-inch record over his mouth, location unspecified, circa 1965. (Photo by Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
Canadian musician Neil Young of Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young performs on stage at Wembley Stadium, London on September 14th 1974. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images) -
American singer-songwriter Janis Joplin (1943-1970) performing live at the Generation Club in the Greenwich Village neighbourhood of New York City, New York, April 1968. Upon its closure, the Generation was bought by Jimi Hendrix and converted into Electric Lady Studios. (Photo by Tucker Ranson/Archive Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) -
ZZ Top Portrait Session, Dallas Texas, 1983(Photo by Aaron Rapoport/Corbis via Getty Images)
