5 Awesome Albums Released 50 Years Ago This Month in 1975

What was dominating the pop culture conversation in August 1975? A little movie called Jaws was still rolling at theaters, giving everyone second thoughts about that ocean swim. First Lady Betty Ford gave a notable interview to 60 Minutes. And these five wonderful albums were released that very year in 1975. Check out what was happening at record stores 50 years ago this month!

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‘Atlantic Crossing’ by Rod Stewart

With The Faces on their last legs, Rod Stewart decided to record his latest album without any help from that band. Instead, he enlisted aces like The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and the Memphis Horns to give the material grit and soul. The album is split pretty much right down the middle. On the first side, Stewart indulges in some rocking fare, with tracks like “Three Time Loser” copping a Stones-y vibe. Then he hits the slow stuff on the second side, delivering heartfelt versions of excellent songs like Danny Whitten’s “I Don’t Want To Talk About It” and Gavin Sutherland’s “Sailing”.

‘Pick Of The Litter’ by The Spinners

This one’s one of the finest albums to come out in 1975. Although they’d enjoy their share of hits in the second half of the 70s and even into the early 80s, the finest work done by The Spinners came in a powerhouse stretch of about three years. Pick Of The Litter pretty much puts a bow on that era. You get all the quiet storm feels from “Sweet Love Of Mine” and “All That Glitters Is Not Gold”. Thom Bell’s productions on midtempo tracks like “Honest I Do” have an effortless glide to them that can sweep you right off the carpet. The big hit from this one was “Games People Play”, where Bobby Smith’s lilting lead is just one of the fantastic voices in the mix.

‘Daryl Hall & John Oates’ by Hall & Oates

Without this album, who knows if pop music’s most successful duo would have taken off like they did? “Sara Smile”, which rides high on Daryl Hall’s luscious vocal runs, gave the duo a much-needed breakthrough hit single. That song brought a lot of folks to this record, where they found a pair of guys testing out different styles to see what would stick. John Oates kicks off the record with the pop-soul sweep of “Camellia”. Matters get a little spicy on tracks like “Grounds For Separation” and “Gino (The Manager)”. And the pair close things out with a fun take on the reggae classic “Soldering”.

‘Acid Queen’ by Tina Turner

This one’s another standout classic among albums released in August 1975. Turner’s career was still being guided somewhat by Ike Turner at this point. The entire second side of this record is devoted to songs written by her then-husband, and there’s nothing there that’s too revelatory. (The bluesy “Bootsey Whitelaw” is the best of that bunch). On the first side, however, she tears into the classic rock songbook with abandon. It starts off with two blistering takes on the Stones, and then segues into standout versions of The Who’s title track and “I Can See For Miles”. Best of all is her reimagining of Led Zep’s “Whole Lotta Love”, as she revs up the temperature to sweltering levels with her performance.

‘Honey’ by Ohio Players

How about more of an underrated gem among albums released in August 1975? Ohio Players released music whose subject matter rarely deviated. They were all about the boudoir, with songs that either attempted to convince a significant other to join or simply detailed the exploits of two lovers. That focus allowed them to concentrate on making the music either thunderously funky or lusciously silky. On this album, the immortal “Love Rollercoaster” and “Fopp” do the uptempo lifting. When it comes to the slower jams, the title track and “Sweet Sticky Thing” are the standouts. Honey represents the apex of this group’s career, both commercially and artistically.

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