My Top 20 Lists that I compiled as a kid 1973-1990

[Catfish]

June 1974 List

1. Black Sabbath(+1)
2. Alice Cooper (-1)
3. Led Zeppelin (No Change)
4. Deep Purple (No Change)
5. Chicago (+6)
6. Grand Funk (+1)
7. The Guess Who (-2)
8. Uriah Heep (-2)
9. Three Dog Night (No change)
10. Emerson Lake, and Palmer (+2)
11. Rare Earth (-1)
12. Black Oak Arkansas (-4)
13. Rolling Stones- (No change)
14. Elton John (No change)
15. Bachman Turner Overdrive (New)
16. The Who (No change)
17. Steve Miller Band (New)
18. Yes (-3)
19. J. Geils Band (-1)
20. T Rex (-1)

New Albums this month-

Chicago- Live Volume 4
Led Zeppelin- IV (to replace previous worn out copy)
Emerson Lake, and Palmer- Tarkus
Deep Purple- Fire Ball
Black Sabbath- Master of Reality
Grand Funk- E Pluribus Unum
Chicago - VI

 

[recgord27]

I agree. I would also add Little Feet as outstanding musicians. Even Elton John praises Bill Payne as the best pianist in music. Lowell George was a guitarist’s guitarist. Richard Hayward was the who’s who of drummers.

I remember first hearing ELP, Brain Salad Surgery, and was mesmerized by Keith Emerson.

View attachment 224733

Little Feat are way up there for me, especially the Lowell George albums. Musicians for musicians!

 

[dr wu]

Little Feat are way up there for me, especially the Lowell George albums. Musicians for musicians!

Also a big fan of Little Feat.....love all of the lps George is on . Jimmy Page around 1974 said Little Feat was his favorite US band.
From same lp with Spanish Moon....Feats Dont Fail Me Now....

 

[Catfish]

July 1974 List
---------------------

1. Black Sabbath (No change)
2. Alice Cooper (No change)
3. Led Zeppelin (No change)
4. Deep Purple (No change)
5. Grand Funk- (+1)
6. Uriah Heep (+2)
7. Emerson, Lake, and Palmer (+3)
8. Chicago- (-3)
9. Three Dog Night (No change)
10. The Guess Who (-3)
11. Black Oak Arkansas (+1)
12. Rare Earth- (-1)
13. Rolling Stones- (No change)
14. Elton John (No change)
15. The Who (+1)
16. Steve Miller Band (+1)
17. Bachman Turner Overdrive (+2)
18. Yes (No change)
19. ZZ Top (New)
20. J.Geils Band (-1)

First appearance of ZZ Top, legendary Texas band. In summer '74 they hadn't reached the full national success they would see later. The first Top concert I went to a few years later is its own discussion. For record, any Texan who hasn't seem the Top should hand over their Texas Card to the nearest Lone Star Beer Salesman

New albums/8-tracks/Cassettes
------------------------------------
Deep Purple- Made in Japan
Alice Cooper -School's Out

 

[Catfish]

August/September 1974 List
----------------------------------

1. Black Sabbath (No Change)
2. Alice Cooper (No change)
3. Deep Purple (+1)
4. Led Zeppelin (-1)
5. Uriah Heep (+1)
6. Grand Funk (-1)
7. Emerson, Lake, and Palmer (No Change)
8. Chicago (No Change)
9. Three Dog Night (No change)
10. The Guess Who (No change)
11. Black Oak Arkansas (No Change)
12. Rare Earth (No change)
13. Rolling Stones (No change)
14. Bachman Turner Overdrive (+3)
15. The Who (No change)
16. Elton John (-2)
17. Mott the Hoople (New)
18. Yes- (No change)
19. Steve Miller Band (-2)
20. ZZ Top (-1)

New Albums/8-Tracks/Cassettes for the month-
-------------------------------------------------
Grand Funk Railroad- Phoenix
Grand Funk Railroad- Closer to Home
Steppenwolf- Collection 1969-1972
Rare Earth- Get Ready
Black Oak Arkansas-Self Titled
Black Sabbath- Self Titled
Grand Funk Railroad- We are an American Band
Grand Funk Railroad- Shinin' On
Deep Purple- Machine Head

Relatively quiet chart movement, only new entry was Mott the Hoople on this entry. Also, note on the huge add on to the collection. There was a shop were my grandparents lived, that had a huge used music store, that I would frequent to get bargain basement albums, 8 Track, and Cassettes. When you see "large adds", that is probably what happened. Believe me $50 for music would be unheard of at the time for this 17 year old.

 

[Magic]

4 months in a row, Black Sabbath as #1. You bought the Self Titled & Vol IV & Master of Reality. I am assuming those were your first 3 Sabbath albums. What are your picks off those albums?

Just for reference, I came to the enjoyment of Black Sabbath kind of late with the Heaven and Hell album. However, my favorite album is Paranoid. Iron Man

 

[Catfish]

4 months in a row, Black Sabbath as #1. You bought the Self Titled & Vol IV & Master of Reality. I am assuming those were your first 3 Sabbath albums. What are your picks off those albums?

Just for reference, I came to the enjoyment of Black Sabbath kind of late with the Heaven and Hell album. However, my favorite album is Paranoid. Iron Man

just my personal preferences, and I am probably unlike most early Sabbath fans, where my preferences were Vol4, Master of Reality, Paranoid, and then Self Titled. Of course these are my early tastes... Which changes drastically as the months and years pass.

 

[Catfish]

October 1974 List
-----------------------

1. Black Sabbath (No change)
2. Grand Funk Railroad (+4)
3. Alice Cooper (-1)
4. Deep Purple (-1)
5. Led Zeppelin (-1)
6. Uriah Heep (-1)
7. Emerson Lake and Palmer (No change)
8. Three Dog Night (+1)
9. Black Oak Arkansas (+2)
10. Chicago (-2)
11. The Guess Who (-1)
12. Bachman Turner Overdrive (+2)
13. Rare Earth (-1)
14. Mott the Hoople (+3)
15. Rolling Stones (-3)
16. The Who (-1)
17. Steve Miller Band (+2)
18. Bad Company (New)
19. Elton John (-3)
20. Yes (-2)

Vinyl/tape additions-
---------------------------
Pink Floyd- Dark Side of the Moon
Bachman Turner Overdrive- Not Fragile

Bad Company was an very good band that was a trendset, as Major rock bands, like LZ were able to wrestle control from the large record company. Bad Company is the first supergroup formed, but some might say one of the most successful

 

[Catfish]

November 1974 List
----------------------------

1. Black Sabbath (No change)
2. Bachman Turner Overdrive (+10)
3. Alice Cooper (No change)
4. Deep Purple (No change)
5. Grand Funk (-3)
6. Led Zeppelin (-1)
7. Uriah Heep (-1)
8. Black Oak Arkansas (+1)
9. Three Dog Night (-1)
10. Emerson Lake and Palmer (-3)
11. Mott the Hoople (+3)
12. The Guess Who (-1)
13. Chicago (-3)
14. Rare Earth (-1)
15. Bad Company (+3)
16. The Who (No change)
17. Steve Miller Band (No Change)
18. Edgar Winter Group (New)
19. Rolling Stones (-4)
20. Elton John (-1)

Vinyl/Tape additions
----------------------------
Black Oak Arkansas- High on the Hog
Led Zeppelin- II
Deep Purple- Best of
Elton John- Honky Chateau
John Denver- Greatest Hits
Black Oak Arkansas- Keep the Faith
The Who- Who's Next
Allman Brothers- Beginnings
Bloodrock- Whirlwind Tongus
The Beatles 62-66

I have always had a primal affinity, to heavy and fuzzed 3-chord Louie-Louie, Wildthing chordal patterns. A feat which was heaviy dominant in the 1960's. Not dead in the '70's, and set to heavy guitar like BTO.

 

[dr wu]

Not sure what Catfish is listing...lps that came out in 74 or bands that he liked during the year in general since most of the bands had lps out before 74....?
As far as 74 specifically a few of my favorites are :
Red- King Crimson
Court and Spark-Joni Mitchell
Pretzel Logic-Steely Dan
Country Life-Roxy Music
Late For the Sky-Jackson Browne
Yes-Relayer
Bridge of Sighs- Robin Trower

*Red is considered one of the best prog rock lps of all time by prog fans and second only to their first one Court of the Crimson King in the eys of prog heads.