The UK music charts were at a crossroads in 1975 as Glam Rock was in its death throes with Slade, The Sweet and Mud in the twilight of their careers. One exception to that trend were Glam Rockers Queen, who came into the rock mainstream with a song that was anything but mainstream – the rock operatic Bohemian Rhapsody, which was the biggest hit of the year spending nine weeks at No1.

As Glam Rock withered on the musical vine, Disco although still in its infancy started to fill the void left by the Glam Rockers. Artists like George McCrae, Gloria Gaynor, KC & The Sunshine Band and Maxine Nightingale got us onto the dance floor in the “discotheque” in 1975. Meanwhile the other legendary all night dancers of the 1970s, the Northern Soul fraternity, were spinning and cavorting to artists like Dobie Gray, Frankie Valli and Al Wilson. Reggae was well represented in the UK music charts in 1975 by artists such as Bob Marley and Johnny Nash, whilst Soul was brought to us by artists such as the Stylistics, Chi-Lites and Hot Chocolate.

Even the genre of Country & Western was popular in UK music charts in 1975 with artists such as Tammy Wynette, Glen Campbell and Billy Jo Spears making a big impact. All in all, 1975 was a superb year for music with an eclectic range of songs in the UK music charts and as Record Press author it is my great pleasure to introduce this Record Press Top 50 Best Singles of 1975 –

Record Press Top 50 Best Singles of 1975

1)      John Lennon – Imagine ( No5 )

2)      10cc  – I’m Not In Love ( No1 )

3)      Greg Lake – I Believe in Father Xmas ( No2 )

4)      Glen Campbell – Rhinestone Cowboy ( No4 )

5)      Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody ( No1 )

6)      George McCrae – It’s Been So Long ( No4 )

7)      ABBA – SOS ( No6 )

8)      Johnny Nash – Tears on my Pillow ( No1 )

9)      Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel – Make Me Smile

(Come Up & See Me) ( No1 )

10)   Frankie Valli – The Night ( No7 )

11)   Love Unlimited – It May Be Winter Outside ( No11 )

12)   Gladys Knight & the Pips – Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me ( No7 )

13)   Chi-Lites – It’s Time For Love ( No5 )

14)   Procol Harum – Pandora’s Box ( No16 )

15)   Jigsaw – Sky High ( No9 )

16)   Tymes – Ms Grace ( No1 )

17)   Small Faces – Itchycoo Park ( No9 ) 

18)   Slade – How Does It Feel? ( No15 )

19)   John Lennon – No9 Dream ( No23 )

20)   Sweet – Fox on the Run ( No2 )

21)   Esther Phillips – What a difference a day makes ( No6 )

22)   George McCrae – You Can Have It All ( No23  )

23)   Al Wilson – The Snake ( No41 )

24)   Faces – You Can Make Me Dance, Sing Or Anything ( No12 )

25)   Maxine Nightingale – Right back where we started ( No8 )

26)   Dana – Please Tell Him I Said Hello ( No8 )

27)   Helen Reddy – Angie Baby ( No5 )

28)   Frankie Valli – My Eyes Adored You ( No5 )

29)   ABBA – I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do ( No38 )

30)   Elton John – Philadelphia Freedom ( No12 )

31)   Carpenters – Only Yesterday ( No7 )

32)   KC & Sunshine Band – Get Down Tonight ( No21 )

33)   Gloria Gaynor – Reach Out I’ll Be There ( No14 )

34)   Peter Shelley – Love Me Love My Dog ( No3 )

35)   David Bowie – Space Oddity ( No1 )

36)   George McCrae – I Ain’t Lyin’ ( No12 )

37)   10CC – Life is a Minestrone ( No7 )

38)   David Essex – Stardust ( No7 )

39)   Hot Chocolate – Disco Queen ( No11 )

40)   Bob Marley – No Woman No Cry ( No8 )

41)   Roy Wood – Oh What A Shame ( No13 )

42)   Elton John – Someone saved my life tonight ( No22 )

43)   Hot Chocolate – You Sexy Thing ( No2 )

44)   KC & Sunshine Band – That’s The Way I Like It  ( No4 )

45)   Rod Stewart – Sailing ( No1 )

46)   Mud – Secrets that you keep ( No3 )

47)   Reparata – Shoes ( No43 )

48)   Supertramp – Lady ( Non Hit )

49)   Jim Gilstrap – Swing Your Daddy ( No4 )

50)   Teach In – Ding A Dong ( No13 )

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