1. Bruce Springsteen, "Born to Run"
Columbia 10209 (20 July 1975) b/w "Meeting Across The River"recorded May-July 1974, New York, NY
Orbison's vocals, Spector's production, Dylan's lyrics -- Bruce's masterpiece doesn't really have any of the things he wanted, exactly (although the production comes close). What he does wind up with is one of the most unique epics in rock, a desperate plea for escape that moves with the energy of a thousand troubled-teen movies. It made being your own person seem possible. Still a rare concept.
2. Lynyrd Skynyrd, "Free Bird"
MCA 40328 (November 1974) b/w "Down South Jukin'"recorded July 1973, Doraville, GA
Speaking of epics. A red herring of a loner's ballad that explodes into fists of triple-guitar fury, this Southern-rock mini-opera was written as a tribute to deceased giant of the genre Duane Allman, but its universality is the key to its ongoing popularity: it perfectly captures the sadness of total freedom. A pop culture in-joke by now, but one that passed into legend for a reason. And it still holds up.
3. Jefferson Starship, "Miracles"
Grunt 10367 (June 1975) b/w "Ai Garimasu"recorded February 1975, San Francisco, CA
No one could have pictured the Jefferson Airplane reforming as a soft-rock act, but that's just what happened in the mid-Seventies, and when they were good -- as on this lengthy bolero -- they were the best in their field. Many soft-rockers celebrated the give and take of carnality, often with icky results, but Grace Slick and Marty Balin made it seem not only natural but noble... "a taste of the real world."
4. Labelle, "Lady Marmalade"
Epic 50048 (December 1974) b/w "Space Children"recorded August 1974, New Orleans, LA
Voulez-vous couchez avec moi, ce soir? That phrase, translating roughly as "Do you want to sleep with me tonight?" is all you need to know to identify this tale of Creole prostitution. Oddly feminist in tone, this Crescent City barn-burner, topped off by Labelle's natural wonder of a voice, manages to make whoring seem empowering, while acknowledging the exquisitely painful thrill of the wrongness.
5. Linda Ronstadt, "You're No Good"
Capitol 3990 (December 1974) b/w "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)"recorded August 1974, Los Angeles, CA
Betty Everett, best known for the 1963 hit "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)," recorded the original version, but Ronstadt, heretofore known as a sundressed country-pop crooner, knocked everyone out with her interpretation -- ssisted heavily by the sinister yet sleek arrangement, emblematic of 70s Cali-pop at its finest. Simmers, then explodes, then simmers again.
6. KC and the Sunshine Band, "Get Down Tonight"
TK 1009 (February 1975) b/w "You Don't Know"recorded November 1974, Miami, FL
The foundation of the "Miami Sound" that would come to dominate dance floors for half a decade, and disco's first real unqualified smash, this single captured the excitement of a packed disco (or any party, really) perfectly. The production and the groove are what count here: when Harry (KC) Casey heard the final playback, with his doubletracked voice and that insane sped-up guitar, he knew he had an instant classic.
7. Willie Nelson, "Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain"
Columbia 10176 (May 1975) b/w "Remember Me"recorded 10 February 1975, Garland, TX
It's not often that a single song redefines a genre, specifically one as simple, stark, and unadorned as this one (and it was a cover version, at that). But those are precisely the qualities that made it so stunning when the most country thing on pop radio was Olivia Newton-John. Proving that he's one of the great interpretive vocalists of all time, Willie became an instant superstar with this devastating ballad.
8. David Bowie, "Young Americans"
RCA PB 10152 (February 1975) b/w "Knock On Wood (Live)"recorded 11-23 August 1974, Philadelphia, PA
Bowie was well-known in the 70s for trying on new personas with each album (a trick Madonna picked up on), but this was in some ways his wildest left-turn yet, leaving Anthony Newley and glam rock behind for Philly soul. What's great about the experiment -- and this is one of the era's best character sketches -- is not that he sounds so authentic, but that still manages to sound so, well, Bowie.
9. Earth, Wind & Fire, "That's The Way Of The World"
Columbia 10172 (July 1975) b/w "Africano"recorded 16 September - 2 October 1974, Nederland, CO
They'd already struck gold with "Shining Star," but this gorgeous ballad, the title soundtrack to a forgotten Harvey Keitel movie (!), does the best job ever of molding their utopian ideals of love and brotherhood into a ethereal R&B sheen. Seldom has consciousness-raising seemed so sexy; Maurice White and Philip Bailey trade off on the low and the high end, and the result is thrilling.
10. Elton John, "Someone Saved My Life Tonight"
MCA 40421 (June 1975) b/w "House Of Cards"recorded June-July 1974, Nederland, CO
Elton often hid behind Bernie Taupin's lyrical personas the way he hid behind his crazier and crazier sets of eyeglasses, but this long, somber, yet majestically cathedral ballad was written about his own life, and you can tell: for once, Elton sings like he's reliving a moment, not just telling a story. His glory years ended not long after this (lengthy) single, but that was from overexposure, not lack of heart.
