Events in 1974
- Pete Townshend joined Eric Clapton on stage in Greensboro, North Carolina; Keith Moon also performed.
- Jeff Baxter and Jim Hodder left Steely Dan, while Donald Fagen and Walter Becker decided to continue as a studio project.
- Bad Company’s debut album “Bad Company” reached No. 3 on the UK album chart and also reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart.
- Jeff “Skunk” Baxter left Steely Dan and joined The Doobie Brothers.
- Anne Murray headlined the Schaefer Music Festival in Central Park, New York City, while Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band and Brewer & Shipley appeared as supporting acts.
- “Feel Like Makin' Love” by Roberta Flack was at No. 1 on the U.S. R&B chart.
- Labelle released the single “Lady Marmalade.”
- KISS performed at the Morris Civic Auditorium in South Bend, Indiana.
- Grateful Dead performed at the Civic Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- ABBA scored their first U.S. Top 10 hit with “Waterloo,” which reached No. 6. The song also reached No. 1 in the UK, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany and Ireland.
- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young performed at Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Brian Harvey, singer with the British pop group East 17, was born. In 1994, the group had the U.K. No. 1 hit "Stay Another Day" along with a number of other successful singles and albums.
- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young performed at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, New Jersey. During the concert, they announced to the audience the news of President Richard Nixon's planned resignation and shared the news with the audience before performing the protest song "Ohio".
- Recording began on David Bowie's album "Young Americans" at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia.
- Eric Clapton received a gold record for the album "461 Ocean Boulevard", which contained his No. 1 hit "I Shot the Sheriff". The album was later certified platinum in the U.S. for sales of more than one million copies.
- Roberta Flack's song “Feel Like Makin' Love” received a gold certification.
- Gilbert O'Sullivan released “A Woman's Place/Too Bad” in the UK on MAM Records.
- Roberta Flack reached her third US No. 1 with “Feel Like Makin’ Love”. After her producer left while she was working on her fifth album, she mixed the song herself and was credited as producer under the name Rubina Flake. The song became the first track produced by a female solo artist to reach the top of the US chart.
- John Denver's eighth studio album “Back Home Again” spent one week at No. 1 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart. It included the hits “Annie's Song” (US #1, UK #1), “Back Home Again” (US #5), and “Thank God I'm A Country Boy” (US #1). The album was certified gold in England and triple platinum in America.
- The Allman Brothers Band performed at the August Jam festival at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina. The lineup also included Emerson Lake & Palmer, Foghat, Black Oak Arkansas and Marshall Tucker Band.
- Rory Gallagher performed at The Agora Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio, on August 12 and 13, 1974, in two consecutive concerts, with Status Quo.
- An American singer and television presenter was born. With Scissor Sisters, she had a UK number-one album in 2004.
- Neil Peart made his first appearance as a member of Rush, replacing drummer John Rutsey. The concert took place in Pittsburgh.
- Neil Peart made his first appearance with Rush at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as they opened for Manfred Mann and Uriah Heep.
- Drummer Max Weinberg made a mistake during a performance when, instead of watching Bruce Springsteen's cue, he focused on a girl in the audience; Ultimate Classic Rock compared the incident to a moment from the film This Is Spinal Tap.
- Aerosmith performed at the Civic Center in Charleston, West Virginia.
- Eric Clapton reached No. 1 on the US album chart for the first time as a solo artist with the album “461 Ocean Boulevard”, which began a four-week run at the top. The album also reached No. 3 in the United Kingdom, while the single “I Shot the Sheriff” reached the Top 10 in nine countries and became Clapton's only single to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Paper Lace reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with the song “The Night Chicago Died”, where it remained for one week. The song also reached No. 1 in Australia and New Zealand and reached the Top 3 in the United Kingdom and Canada. The band's manager subsequently contacted Chicago mayor Richard Daley seeking a ceremonial reception but received a very dismissive response.
- The Three Degrees began a two-week run at No. 1 on the UK singles chart with the song “When Will I See You Again”. The group initially did not particularly like the song, but changed their minds after its international success.
- Keyboardist Patrick Moraz was hired as a replacement for Rick Wakeman in Yes. He remained for three years and appeared only on the album Relayer before Wakeman returned for the album Going for the One.
- Aerosmith performed at Westboro Speedway in Westboro, Massachusetts.
- Patrick Moraz replaced Rick Wakeman in Yes.
- AC/DC performed at Festival Hall in Melbourne, Australia.
- Elvis Presley began his 11th season at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. The opening night featured a completely new program and the packed showroom gave him several standing ovations. Elvis performed in the Peacock suit and sang, among others, “Big Boss Man”, “Proud Mary”, “Down in the Alley”, “Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues”, “Never Been to Spain”, “It’s Midnight”, “If You Talk in Your Sleep”, “I’m Leavin’”, “Let Me Be There”, “Softly, as I Leave You”, “If You Love Me Let Me Know”, “Love Me Tender”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “Promised Land”, “My Baby Left Me”, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, “Fever”, “Hound Dog” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. The program also featured an appearance by Telly Savalas.
- Harry Nilsson asked John Lennon to produce the album Pussy Cats. During the recording, a drug-fuelled jam session took place that included the only known joint recording session by John Lennon and Paul McCartney after the Beatles split up.
- The Three Degrees reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart with “When Will I See You Again”. It was their only UK No. 1 single. The group was popular with Prince Charles in the 1970s and in 1978 performed the song at the celebration of his 30th birthday at Buckingham Palace after he said it was his favourite song.
- Elvis performed an evening and midnight show at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. The program included, among others, “Also Sprach Zarathustra”, “See See Rider”, “I Got A Woman/Amen”, “Love Me”, “It's Midnight”, “Proud Mary”, “Big Boss Man”, “Fever”, “Promised Land”, “Love Me Tender”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “If You Talk In Your Sleep”, “Why Me Lord”, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, “Hawaiian Wedding Song”, “Let Me Be There” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”. The evening show featured the Blue Swirl costume, while the midnight show featured Turquoise Phoenix.
- REO Speedwagon, Elvin Bishop and The Allman Brothers Band performed at Bosse Park in Evansville, Illinois.
- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young performed at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland.
- Elvis Presley performed at 8:30 p.m. and at midnight at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas before 2,200 spectators. The evening setlist included “Also Sprach Zarathustra”, “See See Rider”, “I Got A Woman/Amen Folsom Prison Blues” (excerpt), “Love Me”, “If You Love Me”, “It's Midnight”, “Big Boss Man”, “Fever”, “Love Me Tender”, “All Shook Up”, “I'm Leavin'”, “Softly, As I Leave You”, “Hound Dog”, “You Gave Me A Mountain”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “If You Talk In Your Sleep”, “Why Me Lord”, “Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel”, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, “Let Me Be There”, “Hawaiian Wedding Song” (2 false starts) and “Can't Help Falling In Love”. The midnight setlist included “Also Sprach Zarathustra”, “See See Rider”, “I Got A Woman/Amen”, “Love Me”, “If You Love Me”, “It's Midnight”, “Big Boss Man”, “Fever”, “Love Me Tender”, “All Shook Up”, “I'm Leavin'”, “Softly, As I Leave You”, “Hound Dog”, “You Gave Me A Mountain”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “If You Talk In Your Sleep”, “Why Me Lord”, “Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel”, “Hawaiian Wedding Song”, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, “Let Me Be There” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”.
- Carole King released the single “Jazzman”.
- During the recording of David Bowie’s album “Young Americans”, fans kept watch outside Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios and at 5 a.m. were invited into the studio to listen to a playback of the album while Bowie observed their reactions to the music.
- On August 22, 1974, Elvis Presley performed two shows at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas before 2,200 spectators. The evening show began at 8:30 p.m. and included Also Sprach Zarathustra, See See Rider, I Got A Woman/Amen, Love Me, If You Love Me, It's Midnight, Big Boss Man, Fever, Love Me Tender, All Shook Up, I'm Leavin', Softly, As I Leave You, Hound Dog, You Gave Me A Mountain, Polk Salad Annie, If You Talk In Your Sleep, Why Me Lord, Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel, Heartbreak Hotel, Hawaiian Wedding Song, Let Me Be There and Can't Help Falling In Love. Elvis wore the 1974 American Eagle suit. The midnight show included Also Sprach Zarathustra, See See Rider, I Got A Woman/Amen, Love Me, If You Love Me, It's Midnight, Big Boss Man with a reprise, Fever, Love Me Tender, All Shook Up, I'm Leavin', Softly, As I Leave You, Hound Dog, You Gave Me A Mountain, Polk Salad Annie, If You Talk In Your Sleep, Why Me Lord, Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel, Help Me, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Let Me Be There and Can't Help Falling In Love. Elvis wore a simple beige two-piece leather suit.
- Aerosmith performed at the Parthenon Theatre in Hammond, Indiana, a former 1920s cinema with a capacity of more than 2,500 people.
- Elvis Presley performed an evening and midnight show at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas, both with a capacity of 2,200. The evening performance began at 8:30 p.m.; the source mentions, among others, “Big Boss Man”, “Fever”, “The Wonder Of You”, “If You Talk In Your Sleep” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”. During the midnight performance, he wished Kathy Westmoreland a Happy Birthday.
- Eric Clapton remained at number one on the US album chart with “461 Ocean Boulevard”. John Denver was second with “Back Home Again”, Elton John third with “Caribou”, Stevie Wonder moved up to fourth with “Fulfillingness' First Finale”, and Bachman-Turner Overdrive II was fifth. Also in the Top 10 were Bad Company, Loggins & Messina, Robin Trower, Bob Dylan & The Band, and Paul McCartney & Wings.
- John Lennon claimed that he saw a UFO from the balcony of his New York apartment, which he shared with May Pang. He described it as a typical flying saucer surrounded by lights, with a red light on top. He later recorded the date and time of the alleged sighting, August 23, 1974 at 9 p.m., in the notes to the album “Walls and Bridges”.
- Seth Brooks Binzer, known as Shifty Shellshock, American rapper and singer and co-founder and frontman of rap-rock group Crazy Town, was born in Los Angeles, California. With the group, he had the 2001 US number-one single “Butterfly”.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas in the evening show at 8:30 p.m. and again at midnight, in both cases before approximately 2,200 people. The evening show included „See See Rider“, „Big Boss Man“, „The Wonder of You“, „If You Talk in Your Sleep“ and „Can't Help Falling in Love“, while the midnight show included „See See Rider“, „It's Midnight“, „Big Boss Man“, „Bridge Over Troubled Water“ and „Can't Help Falling in Love“.
- Eric Clapton topped the U.S. album chart with „461 Ocean Boulevard“. Also in the Top 10 were John Denver, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Bad Company, Loggins & Messina, Robin Trower, Bob Dylan & The Band and Paul McCartney & Wings.
- Chicago reached No. 1 on the U.S. Easy Listening chart with „Call On Me“.
- Paul Anka and Odia Coates began a three-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with „(You're) Having My Baby“. The song was Anka's 24th U.S. Top 40 hit, reached No. 6 in the U.K., also topped the Cashbox Best Sellers chart and later received a gold certification from the RIAA. Despite condemnation from feminist groups, it reached the top of the chart.
- Traffic played their final live performance at the annual Reading Festival in the U.K. Also performing that day were Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, Greenslade, Heavy Metal Kids, G.T. Moore, Thin Lizzy and Procol Harum.
- Elvis Presley performed an evening and a midnight concert at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas for approximately 2,200 spectators. The evening programme included “See See Rider”, “I Got A Woman/Amen”, “Big Boss Man”, “Fever”, “The Wonder Of You”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “If You Talk In Your Sleep” and “Why Me Lord”. The midnight programme was similar and also included “Bridge Over Troubled Water”.
- Both of Elvis Presley's scheduled concerts at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas were canceled because of his exhaustion.
- As part of Women's Equality Day, the National Organization of Women presented Paul Anka with the “Keep Her In Her Place” award for his song “(You're) Having My Baby”.
- Rush performed at The Agora in Cleveland, Ohio.
- Elvis Presley performed an evening concert and a subsequent midnight concert at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. Songs included “See See Rider”, “I Got A Woman/Amen”, “Love Me”, “Fever”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “If You Talk In Your Sleep”, “Why Me Lord” and “Can't Help Falling in Love”. After the previous concert, Elvis painted the decorative angels on the showroom wall black.
- Guitarist Andrew White of the English indie rock band Kaiser Chiefs was born. In 2005, the band reached No. 3 in the UK with the album “Employment”, which sold more than three million copies and won three Brit Awards, including Best British Group.
- Hawkwind performed at Home Park in Windsor, England.
- Peter Turner, founding member and bassist of the rock band Elbow, was born in Manchester, England. Elbow won the Mercury Music Prize for their 2008 album “The Seldom Seen Kid” and the Brit Award for Best British Group in 2009.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas before an audience of 2,200. During the evening, he gave an 8:30 p.m. concert as well as a midnight concert. During the evening performance, he gave an extensive karate demonstration with Red West; he put on a karate uniform over his stage costume and spoke at length about his knowledge of karate. He wore a two-piece Mermaid costume. The setlist included "Big Boss Man", "Fever", "An American Trilogy", "Suspicious Minds", "How Great Thou Art", "Let Me Be There", and "Can't Help Falling in Love". A recording of the evening performance was released under the title "Larger Than Life", while a recording of the midnight performance exists under the title "Las Vegas Show".
- Elton John released the single “The Bitch Is Back” in the UK on DJM Records. The B-side was “Cold Highway”.
- Singer, songwriter, rapper and co-founder of the pop and hip-hop group LFO Richard “Rich” Cronin was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Carole King released the album "Wrap Around Joy", which reached No. 1 on the U.S. albums chart.
- John Lennon testified in federal court that the Nixon administration had sought to deport him because of his participation in anti-war demonstrations during the Republican convention in Miami, Florida, in 1972. He also said he suspected that his phones had been tapped and that he had been followed by government agents. The federal appeals court overturned the deportation order on October 7, 1975.
- Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones was quoted as saying that he had stopped using drugs after a doctor told him he had six months to live.
- The Osmonds reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart with their cover of Johnny Bristol's song "Love Me for a Reason," beginning a three-week run at the top. Written by Johnny Bristol, it became the group's first and only career number-one hit in the United Kingdom.
- The final episode of The Partridge Family was broadcast on ABC. A total of 96 episodes were produced.
- The Rolling Stones released the album "Goat's Head Soup".
- Aerosmith performed at the Cape Cod Coliseum in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts.
- David Bowie performed at the Universal Amphitheatre in Universal City, California, as part of a series of concerts during the Diamond Dogs Tour, held from September 2 to 8, 1974.
- Elvis Presley performed his final evening and midnight shows in Las Vegas as part of his engagement at the Hilton Hotel. During the final evening, he delivered a long and personal monologue in which he spoke, among other things, about his relationship with Priscilla, who was in the audience with Lisa Marie.
- Elton John released the single “The Bitch Is Back” in the United States on MCA Records. The B-side was “Cold Highway”.
- Elvis Presley attended a Tom Jones concert at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas with Sheila Ryan and later also appeared on stage.
- American singer and dancer Carmit Bachar was born in Los Angeles, California. She became best known as a member of the girl group The Pussycat Dolls. In 2005, the group had the US number-two and UK number-one hit “Don't Cha” with Busta Rhymes and became only the fourth girl group to enter the UK chart at number one with its debut single.
- Elvis Presley and Sheila Ryan attended the opening night of Vikki Carr's engagement at the Tropicana.
- Elton John officially received an RIAA gold record for "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me", which had previously spent two weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, behind John Denver's "Annie's Song".
- Elvis Presley bought his third Stutz Blackhawk, a 1973 model. The car is now displayed at the automobile museum in Graceland.
- George Harrison founded his own record label, Dark Horse Records.
- Judas Priest released their debut album, "Rocka Rolla". The recording captured a period when the band was developing the distinctive sound that would establish them as a major force in heavy metal several years later.
- Nina Persson, founding member, songwriter and singer of Swedish rock band The Cardigans, was born. Sources give Jönköping and Örebro in Sweden as her birthplace. The group had the 1997 UK hit "Lovefool", which reached No. 2 and appeared on the soundtrack to "Romeo + Juliet". Persson also guested on the Manic Street Preachers song "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough", which reached No. 2 in the UK.
- The 101ers, featuring future The Clash singer Joe Strummer, made their debut at The Telegraph club on Brixton Hill in London. The band took its name from the squat where its members lived together at 101 Walterton Road in London's Maida Vale district.
- Aerosmith performed at the Wollman Skating Rink Theater in New York City.
- Barry White reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart with “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe.”
- Elton John reached No. 1 on the US chart with “Bennie and the Jets”.
- Elton John received a gold record for the single “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”, which spent four weeks at No. 2 on the Hot 100.
- Paul Anka spent his third week at No. 1 on the US singles chart with “(You're) Having My Baby”, before Eric Clapton was expected to replace him with “I Shot The Sheriff”.
- Rufus scored their biggest career hit with “Tell Me Something Good”, which reached No. 3.
- The 101ers made their first public appearance at the Telegraph pub in Brixton. The pub rock group featured singer and guitarist Joe Strummer, who later became a member of The Clash.
- Barry White reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe,” giving him his first No. 1 hit as a solo artist.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Notre Dame Athletic and Convention Center in South Bend, Indiana. The concert began at 8:30 p.m., attracted 12,301 people, and Presley performed in a Chinese Dragon costume.
- Irish singer and actor Keith Duffy was born in Dublin. He became famous as a member of the boy band Boyzone.
- Olivia Newton-John reached No. 1 on the US Billboard chart with the song “I Honestly Love You”.
- Roxy Music performed at De Montfort Hall in Leicester, England.
- The Who released the album “Odds and Sods”, compiled from previously unreleased recordings and rarities. The selection was prepared by John Entwistle, while the liner notes were written by Pete Townshend.
- Elvis Presley performed on October 2 at the Civic Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. The concert began at 8:30 p.m., was attended by 17,163 people, and Elvis performed in the Peacock jumpsuit. The setlist began with the “2001” theme, followed by “C. C. Rider,” “I Got a Woman,” “Love Me,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Hound Dog,” “Hawaiian Wedding Song,” and the unfinished “Can't Help Falling in Love.”
- Eric Clapton performed at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario.
- Canadian rock singer and songwriter Sam Roberts was born. His debut EP The Inhuman Condition entered the Canadian chart in 2002. With his band, he was nominated for 15 Juno Awards and won six, including two Artist of the Year awards and one Album of the Year award.
- Rush performed at the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.
- John Lennon released the album Walls And Bridges in the UK. The album was created during his separation from Yoko Ono and became his US number-one album, reaching the top of the Billboard chart several weeks later.
- Rod Stewart released his final solo album for Mercury Records, Smiler. His former Faces bandmates also participated in the recording.
- Thin Lizzy played their first concert with the new two-guitar lineup of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson in Wales; the concert took place at Aberystwyth University. Gorham and Robertson developed the band's distinctive twin-guitar style.
- AC/DC played their first concert with Bon Scott as lead singer. The concert took place at Masonic Hall in Rockdale, Australia.
- Elvis Presley performed two concerts at the Expo Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. The first began at 2:30 p.m. and the second at 8:30 p.m.; both were attended by 14,000 people. For the first performance he wore the Mad Tiger suit, and for the second the Peacock suit.
- R&B and soul singer Heather Headley was born in Trinidad.
- Mike Oldfield's album Tubular Bells reached No. 1 on the UK album chart for the first time, 15 months after its release. Interest surged after the album was used in the film The Exorcist. Tubular Bells was the first album released by Virgin Records and sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. After spending three weeks at No. 1 with Hergest Ridge, Mike Oldfield remained at the top with Tubular Bells.
- Olivia Newton-John achieved the first No. 1 hit of her career on the Billboard Hot 100 with “I Honestly Love You.” The song appeared on the album If You Love Me, Let Me Know, and its success helped the album reach No. 1 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape a week later. The song began a two-week run at the top and was her first of five US No. 1 hits.
- Randy Newman performed at Atlanta Symphony Hall with an 87-piece orchestra conducted by his uncle Emil Newman.
- The Beach Boys reached No. 1 on the US Billboard album chart for the second time in their career with Endless Summer. The compilation of original recordings from the 1960s spent 155 weeks on the chart and received triple-platinum certification for sales of more than three million copies.
- The Guess Who's song “Clap for the Wolfman” reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and featured the unmistakable voice of radio host Wolfman Jack. He liked the song so much that he left his lucrative job at WNBC and went on tour with the Canadian band.
- Elvis Presley performed twice at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio, on October 6, 1974, before an audience of 13,500: in the afternoon at 2:30 p.m. wearing the Blue Rainbow jumpsuit and in the evening at 8:30 p.m. wearing the Chinese Dragon jumpsuit.
- Eric Clapton performed at The Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- King Crimson released the album Red, their seventh studio album and the group's final studio album with this lineup; it featured, among others, John Wetton and Bill Bruford.
- While promoting the album Nightbirds and the song “Lady Marmalade,” R&B trio Labelle became the first Black vocal group to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.
- Barry Manilow released the first single of his career, “Mandy.”
- Elvis Presley performed at 8:30 p.m. at Levitt Arena at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas, before an audience of 10,000. He wore the Mad Tiger Suit and performed an extensive repertoire ranging from “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” “See See Rider,” “I Got A Woman/Amen,” “Love Me,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “The Wonder Of You,” “Big Boss Man,” “Fever,” “If You Love Me,” “Love Me Tender,” “Hound Dog,” “Lawdy Miss Clawdy,” “All Shook Up,” “Teddy Bear/Don’t Be Cruel,” “Why Me Lord,” “Let Me Be There,” “When It’s My Time,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “Hawaiian Wedding Song,” and “Polk Salad Annie” to “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”
- Neil Sedaka released the single “Laughter in the Rain.” The song later became a major hit for him and reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1975.
- Rick Wakeman performed at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.
- Veronique Sanson played her first concert in Paris.
- After a long absence, Dionne Warwicke returned to the U.S. Top 10 with “Then Came You,” which she recorded with The Spinners. Because of a superstition related to astrology, she added an “e” to her name for good luck, later returning to the original spelling.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas, before approximately 10,500 spectators. The concert began at 8:30 p.m., and Elvis performed in the Peacock costume. The program included “See See Rider,” “Love Me,” “Hound Dog,” “Fever,” “Suspicious Minds,” “An American Trilogy,” and “Can't Help Falling in Love,” among others.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Exposition Center in Abilene, Texas, at 8:30 PM before 8,604 ticket holders. He wore the Blue Rainbow suit. The set included "Also Sprach Zarathustra," "See See Rider," "I Got A Woman/Amen," "Love Me," "Trying To Get To You," "All Shook Up," "Love Me Tender," "Hound Dog," "Fever," "Polk Salad Annie," "Why Me, Lord," "Suspicious Minds," "I Can't Stop Loving You," "Help Me," "An American Trilogy," "Let Me Be There," "Funny How Time Slips Away," "Big Boss Man," "Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel" and "Can't Help Falling In Love." The tour's 15th day left Elvis and the Colonel with $960,000 to divide.
- Quincy Jones accepted his first gold record for the album "Body Heat."
- Rush appeared on the TV show "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert."
- Billy Joel released his fourth studio album, Streetlife Serenade. At the time, he was touring and trying to build on his first major career success. His demanding concert schedule left him with less time to prepare the album than he would have liked.
- Elvis Presley gave two performances in the High Sierra Room at the Sahara Tahoe hotel in Stateline, Nevada, at 8:30 p.m. and midnight. The concerts were part of a four-day engagement consisting of eight shows, arranged to replace concerts cancelled in May. He wore the Mexican Sundial jumpsuit at both performances.
- John Denver's "Annie's Song" reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart. The song was dedicated to his wife, and Denver reportedly wrote it in about ten minutes while riding a ski lift.
- Montrose released the album Paper Money. The record marked a significant moment in the band's history because its original singer, Sammy Hagar, left after only two albums.
- The debut album Rollin’ by Scottish pop-rock band Bay City Rollers reaches No. 1 on the UK albums chart and helps fuel the wave of fan popularity known as “Rollermania.” The album includes “Remember,” “Shang-a-Lang,” “Summerlove Sensation,” and “Saturday Night.”
- Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Fred Smith, and Billy O’Connor perform under the name Blondie for the first time at New York’s CBGB club. The group had previously performed as Angel and the Snake. The name Blondie comes from the phrase “Hey, Blondie,” which truck drivers shouted at singer Debbie Harry.
- Elvis Presley gives two performances at the Sahara Tahoe hotel in Stateline, Nevada: an evening show and a midnight performance. He wears a different costume for each.
- John Denver’s “Annie’s Song” reaches No. 1 on the UK singles chart. In the same year, it also tops the charts in the United States, Canada, and Ireland.
- Olivia Newton-John’s album If You Love Me, Let Me Know reaches No. 1 on the U.S. albums chart for one week. The title track reaches No. 5, while “I Honestly Love You” becomes her first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 and later wins the Grammy for Record of the Year.
- The Who’s album Odds and Sods is released in the United States. Rolling Stone critic Jim Miller describes it as imperfect but interesting.
- Nothing from Nothing reached number one on the US Billboard pop chart.
- David Bowie performed at the MECCA Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- Television host Ed Sullivan died of esophageal cancer at the age of 73. His program The Ed Sullivan Show aired on CBS from June 20, 1948, to June 6, 1971, introducing major artists including Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Supremes, and the Jackson 5 to North American audiences over 23 years. He also supported the inclusion of Black performers in television entertainment. An estimated 73 million viewers watched The Beatles' appearance on February 9, 1964, making it a major moment in American pop culture and the British Invasion. Sullivan won an Emmy and Golden Globes and was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1985.
- Elvis Presley gave evening and midnight performances at the Sahara Tahoe hotel in Stateline, Nevada. He wore the Mexican Sundial jumpsuit, and his set list included "See See Rider", "Love Me Tender", "Hound Dog", "Big Boss Man", "Johnny B. Goode", and "Can't Help Falling in Love".
- Roxy Music performed at the Winter Gardens in Bournemouth, England.