# Best #1 album of the year retrospective: 1974 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 27, 2014, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-album-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699731 "2014-09-27T19:27:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2014, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-album-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699731/21 "2014-09-30T23:16:19Z")
Oh. Well, at any rate, why not just drop the quote marks? Reserve those for individual short pieces. ---
**Author:** ![Vashbul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Vashbul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vashbul)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2014, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-album-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699731/22 "2014-10-01T02:55:28Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > I disagree about album compilations and the decision to exclude them - if it hit #1, it hit #1. Period. Yes. Greatest Hits albums have their own personalities, and the best ones bear the stamp of the artist’s aspirations as much as anything else they put out. And they would be sad if you excluded them. ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-album-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699731/23 "2014-10-01T14:31:10Z")
_Planet Waves_ in a squeaker over _461…_“Tough Mama”\> “Mainline Florida” ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2014, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-album-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699731/24 "2014-10-01T15:02:50Z")
Another vote for **Fulfillingness’ First Finale** , purely on the strength of “Boogie On Reggae Woman” and, especially, “They Won’t Go When I Go”. It’s a very close second place ranking for **Band on the Run** , especially for the closing track. And third place goes to **Caribou** , because “The Bitch Is Back”. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2014, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-album-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699731/25 "2014-10-01T15:24:06Z")
_Planet Waves_ here. If it weren’t on the list, I’d probably flip a coin between the Stones and Stevie Wonder. There’s still a lot of crap on the album list, but there’s definitely more good stuff on the album list than the singles list. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-album-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699731/26 "2014-11-30T19:09:12Z")
Never voted in the album polls you had up so I went with Elton John. Only voted the Pazz and Jop polls. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-album-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699731/27 "2014-12-03T09:16:30Z")
**Elton John** - _Elton John’s Greatest Hits_ He had an amazing run in the early 70s. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-album-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699731.md?page=1)