1974
The year in music, movies, TV, fads & memories
In 1974, “The Way We Were” by Barbra Streisand topped the Billboard year-end Hot 100 and Pretzel Logic by Steely Dan and 461 Ocean Boulevard by Eric Clapton were on every turntable. The Godfather Part II, Chinatown and Blazing Saddles were in theaters, and Happy Days, Little House on the Prairie and Good Times were on TV.
The headlines: Nixon resigns. New that year: Intel 8080 microprocessor. Fads of the year: Streaking peaks and CB radio craze. Gas was 53¢ a gallon and a stamp was 10¢. On the shelf: a MoonPie, a glass of Tang and a Lite-Brite, with The Pink Panther on Saturday morning.
🎂 What music raised you?
Drop your birthday and we'll rewind to your golden era — the years the songs imprinted for life.
🔙 Backtrack — 1974
The world around the music — what was on screen, and what was on the shelf.
🎬 Set the scene
1974. A sunburned summer evening. You had a MoonPie, a Slush Puppie, and just enough of the day left to ride in the way-back of the station wagon.
📼 Saturday cartoons
- Scooby-Doo👕 tee →
- Super Friends👕 tee →
- Schoolhouse Rock!
- Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
- The Pink Panther Show
- Hong Kong Phooey
- The Jetsons
- The Flintstones
📰 Headlines
- Nixon resigns
- Patty Hearst kidnapped
- Ford pardons Nixon
- Hank Aaron breaks HR record
- Inflation and recession bite
💡 Tech & Firsts
- Intel 8080 microprocessor
- UPC barcode scanned in store
- Rubik's Cube invented
- TI handheld calculators boom
- First programmable pocket calculator
🏆 Sports
- A's win the World Series
- Dolphins win Super Bowl VIII
- Celtics win the NBA title
- Rumble in the Jungle (Ali def. Foreman)
- Hank Aaron's 715th home run
🤪 Crazes & fads
- Streaking peaks
- CB radio craze
- Pet rocks dawning
- Sea-Monkeys
- Mood rings
👖 Clothes
- Leisure suits peak
- Platform shoes
- Wide bell-bottoms
- Polyester everything
- Toe socks
💵 What it cost
- Gas: 53¢/gal
- Stamp: 10¢
- New car avg: ~$4,400
- Median home: ~$35,900
- Gallon of milk: ~$1.39
🧸 Toy chest
🍬 On the shelf
Billboard Year-End Hot 100
📊 Full chart →- 1
The Way We WereBarbra Streisand - 2
Seasons in the SunTerry Jacks - 3
Love's ThemeThe Love Unlimited Orchestra - 4
Come and Get Your LoveRedbone - 5
Dancing MachineJackson 5 - 6
The Loco-MotionGrand Funk Railroad - 7
![TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) [feat. The Three Degrees] by MFSB — cover art](https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music3/v4/86/9a/74/869a745b-0883-ff87-4513-27dff932586a/886444835244.jpg/176x176bb.jpg)
TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) [feat. The Three Degrees]MFSB - 8
The StreakRay Stevens - 9
Bennie and the JetsElton John - 10
One Hell of a WomanMac Davis - 11
Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)Aretha Franklin - 12
Jungle BoogieKool & the Gang - 13
Midnight At the OasisMaria Muldaur - 14
You Make Me Feel Brand NewThe Stylistics - 15
Show and TellAl Wilson - 16
Spiders & SnakesJim Stafford - 17
Rock OnDavid Essex - 18
Sunshine On My ShouldersJohn Denver - 19
SideshowBlue Magic - 20
Hooked On a FeelingBlue Swede - 21
Billy, Don't Be a HeroBo Donaldson & The Heywoods - 22
Band On The RunPaul McCartney & Wings - 23
The Most Beautiful GirlCharlie Rich - 24
Time in a BottleJim Croce - 25
Annie's SongJohn Denver
More from 1974
![TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) [feat. The Three Degrees] by MFSB — cover art](https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music3/v4/86/9a/74/869a745b-0883-ff87-4513-27dff932586a/886444835244.jpg/600x600bb.jpg)
🎤 Big in 1974
🎚️ 1974 genres
🎛️ Behind the boards & the pen — 1974
The hands behind 1974 — the producers and songwriters who actually shaped that year's records. Chris Thomas was on 2 of them.
🎚️ Related vibes
All themes →Themed rooms that lean on the sound of 1974.
🌀 Things 1974 remembers wrong
All Glitch Files →Mandela-effect cases that were on the shelf, the screen or the radio in 1974. Which do you remember?
What does 1974 remind you of?
The drive, the dance, the heartbreak, the summer. Add a memory of 1974.
Community Memories
How well do you remember 1974?
7 quick questions — the songs, the artists, the year. No cheating. 😏
📼 Take this 8-track with you
Build this in your own Spotify in two taps — free, no account needed here. (For Apple Music or YouTube, open songs one-by-one below.)
Then open the free helper
🎵 1974 albums on vinyl
Affiliate links: as an Amazon Associate and an 80sTees affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Details
📻 70s gear
Affiliate links: as an Amazon Associate and an 80sTees affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Details