# Best #1 single of the year retrospective: 1974 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 26, 2014, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628 "2014-09-26T09:32:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/21 "2014-09-26T12:48:55Z")
None of those songs really stand out for me as superior, musically. So I picked “You’re Sixteen” mainly because my girlfriend at the time (now my wife) turned sixteen just as Ringo’s version of the song hit #1, and I serenaded her with that tune in the hallways of our high school that day. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/22 "2014-09-26T13:24:24Z")
Slim pickings. I went with Kung Fu Fighting because i like it almost as much as anything else on the list, and thought it could use some love. I almost went with Blue Swede for the same reason, but after seeing the early results they don’t seem to need any help (I didn’t watch Guardians.) And almost went with I Can Help. Same reason. Kung Fu Fighting is the perfect Cultural Trend Novelty Song. Better than The Streak or the song about CB radios or even Davy Crockett or Money For Nothing. It throws the basic catch phrases into the air like a handful of glitter. It doesn’t take the trend serious, but doesn’t mock it. “Funky Chinamen in funky Chinatown.” Wha…? ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/23 "2014-09-26T13:30:44Z")
Wow, all the advance warnings about 1974 sure proved to be true. The Lennon song is the weakest of his solo singles…nothing at all to recommend it. (Side note: someone once made the very good point that the entire style of the _Saturday Night Live_ band was derived from this song. Those blaring saxes…ugh!) “Band on the Run” was OK, but I was never enamored of it as so many seem to be. “Bennie and the Jets” was cool the first few times around, but it long ago wore out its welcome. Stevie’s song is also among his weaker ones. I’ll admit to liking “Feel Like Making Love” at the time it came out, but like most of the other at least tolerable songs on this list, I don’t have a great yen to hear it these days. I’m guessing “Time in a Bottle” will win. It’s a decent song, but a little too earnest for me. Most of the rest here don’t even merit a comment. My vote went to “Sundown,” one of the few songs on this list that would not cause me to reach frantically for another button on my car radio if it came on the Oldies station. ---
**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:** [September 26, 2014, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/24 "2014-09-26T13:32:48Z")
This list is pretty dire. That said, I have always had a deep, abiding, non-ironic love for “Annie’s Song” (and for John Denver’s material in general). Probably the only songs that provided any competition for “Annie’s Song” were “Whatever Gets You Through the Night”, “Band on the Run”, and “Bennie and the Jets”. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/25 "2014-09-26T13:40:38Z")
> [@Eddie\_F](#): > > That said, I have always had a deep, abiding, non-ironic love for “Annie’s Song” (and for John Denver’s material in general). He had a beautiful voice. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/26 "2014-09-26T14:36:11Z")
As I hold this list up by its corner, so as not to get any on me, I have to admit a soft spot for Blue Swede’s cover of the the B.J. Thomas song. They pumped it full of steroids and then rubbed your face in it. I used to laugh every time I heard the opening “OOGA-shucka!” ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/27 "2014-09-26T14:43:53Z")
Here’s another year with a hard choice for me. I enjoyed / still enjoy: Elton John - “Bennie and the Jets” (my vote) Jim Croce - “Time in a Bottle” Love Unlimited Orchestra - “Love’s Theme” Blue Swede - “Hooked On A Feeling” MFSB & the Three Degrees - “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)” Ray Stevens - “The Streak” Wings - “Band On the Run” Gordon Lightfoot - “Sundown” Billy Preston - “Nothing From Nothing” One test for me in these threads is whether or not I either have or would have added the song to my playlist on **Spotify**. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/28 "2014-09-26T14:49:52Z")
Geez, this was a really bad set of choices, overall. I liked several of the songs, but didn’t LOVE any. Iliked McCartney in those days, and I have a soft spot in my heart for folkie singer-songwriters. So it came down to “Band on the Run,” “Time in a Bottle,” "Annie’s Song and “Sundown.” Lightfoot won. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/29 "2014-09-26T15:00:27Z")
Any song that gets a rendition on _“That 70’s Show”_ automatically wins. In this group that’s _The Joker_ I really love your peaches. Want to shake your tree. Greatest pick-up line ever. :Fair Warning: I’m also voting for _Love Hurts_ whatever year it came out, whether it made No. 1 or not ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/30 "2014-09-26T15:31:08Z")
So far apparently nothing is winning. Which is as it should be. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/31 "2014-09-26T15:34:44Z")
_Annie’s Song_. Yeah, I know but yeeeeesh, what a list! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/32 "2014-09-26T15:36:43Z")
The Year of Dreck. I’ve gone through this list, trying to find \*anything \*that rises above mediocrity, and I’ve come up with nothing. No vote. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/33 "2014-09-26T15:39:55Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > I’m not voting for any of this crap because I’ll be damned if I’m going to encourage this sort of behaviour. I’m voting for QuickSilver! (One of my favorite and underrated bands, BTW.) Set aside the idiocy of most of these songs. The 50s were full of novelty songs and icky ballads, too. The real issue is that you can’t listen to these particular songs without thinking of how much better other songs by the same artists were. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/34 "2014-09-26T15:41:46Z")
I vote for the pompatus of love. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/35 "2014-09-26T15:42:00Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > We have reached a new nadir in suckiness. I was tempted to give _Guardians of the Galaxy_ a shout-out, but in the end Barry White prevailed. Disco’s ugly platform-shoed spectre is looming on the horizon. We ain’t seen nothin’ yet, indeed. I’ll probably won’t be voting anymore after another couple of years. Can I request a None of the Above option, **Smapti**? ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/36 "2014-09-26T15:56:30Z")
I think “Rock Your Baby” has a very nice sultry vibe to it. Nothing embarrassing about that one. ---
**Author:** ![dba\_Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dba\_Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dba_Fred)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/37 "2014-09-26T15:58:46Z")
_Show and Tell_ it to me, Al Wilson. 20+ of the songs are in my collection of 45s, albums, cassettes or iTunes. And if we combine _Rock the Boat_ & _Rock Your Baby_ & _Rock Me Gently_, we get _Rock Your Baby in the Boat, Gently_ or _Rock Me Gently in the Boat, Baby_ (could be a Barry White song). ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/38 "2014-09-26T16:12:01Z")
> [@dba\_Fred](#): > > And if we combine _Rock the Boat_ & _Rock Your Baby_ & _Rock Me Gently_, we get _Rock Your Baby in the Boat, Gently_ or _Rock Me Gently in the Boat, Baby_ (could be a Barry White song). “Rock” (as a verb), “Sun,” and “Nothing” seem to be the keywords this year (“Love” is disqualified; it’s \*always \*a keyword.) Too bad “Rock On” didn’t reach #1; it would have been one of the better things on this list. “Bennie and the Jets” narrowly beats out “Band on the Run” (Paulie did the _Abbey Road_-style medley-of-fragments thing much better three years earlier with “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey”) as the best of a bad lot. P.S.: HOOGAH-CHAKAH!!! ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/39 "2014-09-26T16:12:02Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Disco’s ugly platform-shoed spectre is looming on the horizon. We ain’t seen nothin’ yet, indeed. I’ll probably won’t be voting anymore after another couple of years. > > Can I request a None of the Above option, **Smapti**? You may not. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628/40 "2014-09-26T16:24:15Z")
This wasn’t so painful. Every year that there’s lots of dreck, there are at least some songs that are respectable to like. Billy Preston, BTO, Jim Croce… Still, to be honest to myself, although it’s embarrassing to admit, _Annie’s Song_ is the last song I would give up, if I were forced to live without all but one on this list. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1974/699628.md?page=3)