The Top 10 Soul Songs of 1974

Here are the top 10 soul songs of 1974, according to Billboard magazine.

Introduction

There’s no question that 1974 was a remarkable year for soul music. It was a time when the genre was in transition, with artists like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Al Green forging a new musical path that would eventually lead to the rise of disco. But despite the changes happening in the world of soul, there were still plenty of great songs being released in 1974. Here are 10 of the best.

“Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers

“Ain’t No Sunshine” is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album Still Bill. The song was produced by Booker T. Jones and features Stephen Stills on guitar. It was released as a single in September 1971, reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song has been covered by many artists, including Michael Bolton, Eva Cassidy, Wayne Brady, Lisa Fischer and Luther Vandross.

“The Payback” by James Brown

“The Payback” is a song by James Brown, released as a double A-sided single with “Spinning Wheel” in 1973. The song appeared on the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Hell Up in Harlem and is considered one of Brown’s defining funk recordings. Rolling Stone ranked it # 294 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and #98 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time. In 2003, “The Payback” was ranked #21 on Rolling Stone’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

“I’ll Be There” by The Jackson 5

“I’ll Be There” is a song by The Jackson 5, released on July 5, 1970, as the lead single from the group’s third studio album, Third Album. The song became the group’s fourth number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 and their third number-one on the Cash Box Top 100 Singles chart. “I’ll Be There” was written by Berry Gordy, Hal Davis, Willie Hutch, and Bob West. The Jackson 5 recorded “I’ll Be There” under the direction of soul music producer Bobby Taylor.

The song features Michael Jackson singing lead vocals with his brothers Marlon and Jermaine doing backup. Tito Jackson plays congas on the record. Michael’s ad-libbed “just look over your shoulder, honey” near the end of the song became one of his signature phrases. “I’ll Be There” was ranked number 20 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

“Killing Me Softly with His Song” by Roberta Flack

“Killing Me Softly with His Song” is a song composed by Charles Fox with lyrics by Norman Gimbel. The song was written in collaboration with Lori Lieberman, who recorded the song in late 1971.

The song’s success came as a surprise to Flack, Gimbel and Fox, who did not expect it to be a hit. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks in February 1973 and won Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female. The song has since been covered by many artists, including Frank Sinatra, John Legend and Fugees.

“Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” was released in June 1973 as the title track of his album of the same name. The song was written by Gaye and produced by him with Ed Townsend. It became one of Gaye’s biggest hits and signature songs, spending two weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in October 1973 and becoming a massive hit worldwide. The song has been ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as the second greatest song of all time, and it has been covered by numerous artists including Michael Jackson, George Michael, Prince, Elvis Presley, Ricky Martin, and Usher.

“Rock Me Gently” by Andy Kim

Andy Kim’s “Rock Me Gently” was the first hit single for the Canadian singer-songwriter, reaching number one on both the Cash Box chart and Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. The song was written by Kim and produced by Jerry Goldstein. It is a mid-tempo ballad with a chorus that features the repeating hook, “Rock me gently, rock me slowly.” The lyrics tell the story of a young man who is asking his lover to rock him gently, because he is feeling fragile and sensitive.

“Rock Me Gently” was released as a single in May 1974 and quickly rose to the top of the charts, becoming a summer anthem. The song has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, and George Clinton. It has also been featured in movies and TV shows such as The Sopranos and American Beauty.

“You Are the Sunshine of My Life” by Stevie Wonder

“You Are the Sunshine of My Life” is a song written and performed by Stevie Wonder. It was released on his fourteenth studio album, Talking Book, in October 1972. The song became Wonder’s second number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and won him a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

The song was ranked at number 91 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 1999, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2004, it was ranked at number 72 on Pitchfork Media’s Top 200 Tracks of the 1970s list. In 2011, “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” was ranked at number 6 on Soul Tracks’ list of the 100 Greatest Soul Songs of All Time.

“You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin

“You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman” is a song written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, with input from Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler. The song was recorded by American singer Aretha Franklin for her thirty-sixth studio album, With Everything I Feel in Me (1974) and released as the lead single from the album on August 16, 1974 through Atlantic Records.

The song peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Franklin’s eleventh top-ten hit in the United States. It also reached number one on the Hot Soul Singles chart, making it Franklin’s sixth number-one single on that chart. The recording features backgrounds vocals from singers Tasha Thomas and Cissy Houston and instrumentation from King’s band involving King herself on piano along with David Spinozza on guitar and Charles Collins on drums. Upon its release, “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman” received acclaim from music critics who praised Franklin’s vocals and called it one of her strongest releases. These critics also named it one of the best songs of 1974 and praised King’s composition which they called timeless. The song has been recorded by numerous other artists including Bonnie Raitt who had a major hit with her version in 1989. Raitt’s cover won her the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Female Artist at the 32nd Grammy Awards in 1990.

“Midnight Train to Georgia” by Gladys Knight & the Pips

“Midnight Train to Georgia” is a song written by Jim Weatherly and recorded by American singer-songwriter Gladys Knight. It was released in October 1973 as the lead single from Knight’s album Imagination and peaked at number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B Singles charts. The song became Knight’s signature hit and one of the most popular soul tracks of the 1970s.

In 2004, “Midnight Train to Georgia” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2013, thesong was ranked at number 500 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.