February 1974

February 1974...  40 years ago...  I was 13.5 years old, in 8th grade and living in Pittsburgh.  Patty Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army...  Blazing Saddles opened in theaters...  And the TV show "Good Times" (spinoff from "Maude") premiered on CBS TV.

What was happening in music?

Albums released in 1974 include:

• Doobie Brothers - What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits - The Doobies were my favorite band in the mid 70's, and this was the album on which I discovered them..    
• Lou Reed - Rock and Roll Animal.  This was my introduction to Lou Reed (and Velvet Underground music).  I don't think I actually discovered this until a couple of years later, though.

Meanwhile:

Only 2 songs made #1 on the Top 40 during 2/1974:

• The Way We Were - Barbara Streisand (2/2/74, 2/16/74 and 2/23/74)
• Love's Theme - Love Unlimited Orchestra (2/9/74)

But there were some great songs on the charts.  A sampling of what was in the Top-40 (with the month's peak position for the month in parenthesis):

• Rock On - David Essex (#8)
• Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) - Rolling Stones (#15)
• Midnight Rider - Gregg Allman (#19)
• Mockingbird - Carly Simon (#21)
• Jet - Paul McCartney (#27)