I Can’t Believe No One Remembers These 4 Hit Rock Songs From 1974

The mid-1970s were a good time for rock music. And sadly, despite being such successful tunes, the following rock songs from 1974 have been forgotten by many mainstream listeners. Let’s refresh your memory, shall we? These rock tunes are still absolute bops, decades after they were released.

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“Star Baby” by The Guess Who

This rock-meets-power-pop tune from February 1974 was quite the hit for The Guess Who. Written by Burton Cummings, this tune made it to No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 upon its release and did similarly well in Canada. This iconic song remained on the Hot 100 for longer than any other Guess Who hit at a whopping 19 weeks.

“Rock Me Gently” by Andy Kim

How about some pop-rock goodness? This June 1974 hit from Andy Kim is often considered one of the earliest examples of disco music. The Canadian crooner made it big with the comeback hit “Rock Me Gently”, which topped the chart and scored Jim a record deal from Capitol Records. I can certainly understand why. This is a delightful tune and one that just sounds like the mid-1970s.

“Magic” by Pilot

I certainly haven’t forgotten this tune, considering I’ve written about it so many times. However, the soft rock track “Magic” by Pilot might be forgotten by many mainstream listeners. A standout hit from the Scottish rock outfit, “Magic” hit No. 1 in Canada and No. 5 on the Hot 100. To many, this was the song of the summer in 1975. And you just gotta love that early use of synthesizers a la Billy Lyall.

“Spiders & Snakes” by Jim Stafford

Swamp rock was a pretty successful genre in the 1970s, but there were more artists than just Creedence Clearwater Revival that were contributing to it. “Spiders & Snakes” makes it to our list of killer rock songs from 1974. Written and recorded by Jim Stafford, this spoken-word swamp rock hit made it to No. 3 on the Hot 100 after its release in early 1974. It’s your standard storytelling song about two youngins’ in love, one of whom does not appreciate the creepy-crawly gifts from the other. Fun fact: David Bellamy of The Bellamy Brothers, of which Jim Stafford was also a part of, co-wrote this song.

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