Every Baby Boomer Alive Remembers These 4 Classic Pop Jams From 1974

The 1970s pop charts featured an infectious blend of rock ‘n’ roll, disco, and folk rock, and the mid-1970s were particularly good. From yacht rock to Americana pop and lots in between, every baby boomer alive remembers these four classic pop jams from 1974.

“Nothing From Nothing” by Billy Preston

Billy Preston released “Nothing From Nothing” in August 1974. Two months later, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts, helping cement the song’s place as a defining track of 1970s pop. The 1974 pop jam spent nearly five months on the chart. Decades later, the song is no less catchy or memorable—thanks in no small part to the many television shows, films, and commercials in which it has been featured since its release as a single and track from The Kids & Me.

“Bennie And The Jets” by Elton John

Elton John released Goodbye Yellow Brick Road in October 1973, after which he released individual singles like “Bennie And The Jets” in February of the following year. This track has become one of John’s most iconic songs and a quintessential entry in the piano-led pop-rock canon. “Bennie And The Jets” topped the Billboard Hot 100 and the RPM pop chart in Canada. It also broke into the Top 20 in Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.

“Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” by Steely Dan

Long before yacht rock was a thing, Steely Dan was helping define the genre with infectious hits like “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”. The song, which opens the band’s third album, Pretzel Logic, was a massive commercial success for the pop rock group, peaking at No. 4 on the Hot 100. The Brazilian-inspired tune is just as grooving as it was when it first came out in the late spring of 1974.

“Sundown” by Gordon Lightfoot

Finally, no song about an affair has ever been quite as earwormy as “Sundown” by Gordon Lightfoot. The laidback rhythm of the verses giving way to the harmony-rich chorus makes this a superb listen decades after its March 1974 release. As tough as it might have been to write the song about his real-life relationship troubles, the song became Lightfoot’s biggest hit.

Photo by George Wilkes/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

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