As I mentioned in the latest thread in my ongoing #1 singles survey, I don’t think that a beginning-to-present series of polls for top-selling albums would be very interesting, since both in the early decades of the chart (Billboard started tracking album sales in 1945) and in recent decades, the albums that can objectively be judged as a single work by a single artist/group are largely crowded out by loads of compilations, soundtracks, and nostalgia acts that aren’t relevant to the music of the time.
However, since people have been commenting on how much better the album scene of the '70s was compared to the singles scene of the time, I figured I may as well throw up a few of these as companion pieces to the singles polls, for that brief period of time where the album scene was relevant; for this year at least, and a few years forwards and backwards as taste dictates.
That being said; these are the 23 albums that scored #1 on the Billboard 200 in 1974. Which do you like the most?
Fullfilingness’ First Finale is the easy choice, I think - Stevie Wonder near the height of his creative ability.
But I’ll admit a sneaking fondness for 461 Ocean Boulevard, not beloved by many Clapton fans. There are at least three tracks I like a fair bit and the rest is tolerable. By contrast It’s Only Rock 'n Roll is one of my less favorite Mick Taylor-era Rolling Stones albums.
I haven’t and wouldn’t really want to own any of the others as whole albums, though I like Jim Croce’s novelty songs.
One slight problem-a greatest hits collection might have a big edge over a normal studio album.
My two favorite artists at that moment in time would also be the two that I would be choosing between now-Chicago VII (their last decent one ever, with all that jazz over the 1st two sides), and Elton’s Greatest Hits. But as intimated gotta go with the latter.
I’ve loved Eric Clapton’s 461 Ocean Boulevard ever since the 80s HBO comedy skit show Not Necessarily the News used “Motherless Children” for its background music.
Well, being an inveterate John Lennon fan, I cast my vote for Walls and Bridges. I also like Planet Waves, but it isn’t one of the greatest—it’s just really good. I really wanted to vote for Relayer. I’d be inclined to vote for Stevie Wonder, except I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Fulfillingness’ First Finale, let alone heard it.
Note to the OP—In standard practice, album titles get italicized, not put in quote marks. Individual songs get the quote marks. Which allows a reader to tell at a glance if Bad Company, Bad Company, or “Bad Company” refers to the band, the album, or the song.
I do agree about greatest hits albums, and mostly included them in this poll as a demonstration. For future album polls (which will happen on an irregular basis when there’s a lull in the singles polls) I’ll leave them out.
BTO with Not Fragile for the win! I really liked the cover with the crate full of gears and sprockets, kind of poking fun at a certain pretentious prog rock group. The music was straight-ahead crunchy good-old-boy hard rock, and the album had the best truck-driving song from that era!
I disagree about album compilations and the decision to exclude them - if it hit #1, it hit #1. Period. Otherwise you’re skewing your poll to get desired results, which pretty much invalidates the entire concept. It’s like saying “I’m not going to have the Beatles represented in the 1964 #1 songs poll because we all know they’ll win.” And, hell, the compilations didn’t even finish in the top 3 of votes (as of this writing), so what’s the big worry?
That said, I voted for EJGH because I loved that album when it was released.
Like others, I would never vote for compilation or live albums. For me the best of the bunch is Jim Croce. Of course, the brilliant prog albums of the time did not stand a chance to reach #1.