1975 in music
See also: 1974 in music, other events of 1975, 1976 in music, 1970s in music and the list of 'years in music'
Events
- January 2 - New York City U.S. District Court Judge Richard Owen rules that former Beatle John Lennon and his lawyers can have access to Department of Immigration files pertaining to his deportation case.
- January 5 - The Wiz, a new version of the classic The Wizard of Oz story, opens at Broadway's Majestic Theater in New York City.
- January 6 - Approximately 1000 Led Zeppelin fans cause an estimated $30,000 in damage to the lobby of the Boston Garden. The fans had been waiting for tickets to go on sale for Led Zeppelin's February 4 concert. The fans reportedly broke chairs and doors and caused other damage to the building. Boston Mayor Kevin White cancels the upcoming show.
- The Alice Cooper stage show for Welcome to My Nightmare becomes the largest stage spectacle of the decade.
- January 8 - Three Led Zeppelin concerts at Madison Square Garden sell out in a record four hours.
- January 12 - "The Warner Brothers Music Show" begins a nine city, 18 show tour of Europe. The tour included Warner Brothers acts Little Feat, Tower of Power, the Doobie Brothers, Bonaroo, Montrose, and Graham Central Station.
- February 15 - Soul Train makes it national television debut after 5 years as a local show in Chicago, Illinois. The shows first performance is by Gino Vannelli.
- February 21 - John Lennon releases his Rock 'n' Roll LP, featuring John singing his favorite early rock songs from the 50's. To promote the album he conducts a telephone interview with 20 rock radio stations simultaneously.
- March 2 - Los Angeles Police make a routine traffic stop that turns out to be Paul McCartney and his wife Linda. Linda McCartney is arrested for having six to eight ounces of marijuana in her pocketbook.
- March 26 - The film version of The Who's Tommy premieres in London.
- Welcome To My Nightmare, Alice cooper's first solo album is released.
- April 3 - Steve Miller is arrested and charged with setting fire to the clothes and personal effects of a friend, Benita DiOrio, and resisting arrest. DiOrio drops the charges the following day.
- April 4 - Minnie Riperton scores a #1 hit single with "Lovin' You".
- April 18 - Alice Cooper's first television special, Welcome To My Nightmare: The Making Of A Record Album airs.
- April 23 - Badfinger's Peter Ham hangs himself in his London garage.
- April 28 - Tom Snyder interviews John Lennon on the Tomorrow Show.
- May 10 - Stevie Wonder performs before 125,000 people at the Washington Monument as part of Human Kindness Day festivities.
- August 9 - Renato Carosone's comeback concert after 15-year retirement.
- November - The Ramones release their debut single, "Blitzkrieg Bop".
- November 6 - The Sex Pistols play their first concert at St. Martin's School of Art in London.
- November 21 - Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody goes to number one. (5 weeks 1975 + 4 weeks 1976)
Unknown dates
- Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour
- Firefall forms
- Ramones sign to Sire Records
- Pere Ubu forms in August
- .38 Special forms
- Motörhead forms
- Iron Maiden forms
- Wizzard disbands
- Ocean disbands
- John Rutter becomes Director of Music at Clare College, Cambridge
- Billy Davis, Jr. and Marilyn McCoo leave the Fifth Dimension and start solo careers
- Peter Gabriel leaves British progressive rock group Genesis.
Albums released
- A Night at the Opera - Queen
- Toys in the Attic - Aerosmith
- Straight Shooter - Bad Company
- Diamonds & Rust - Joan Baez
- Afro-Filipino - Joe Bataan
- Dreadlocks Dread - Big Youth
- Sabotage - Black Sabbath
- Late For The Sky - Jackson Browne
- Marcus Garvey - Burning Spear
- Chicago VIII - Chicago
- Born To Be With You - Dion DiMucci + Produced by Phil Spector
- Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan
- The Basement Tapes - Bob Dylan & The Band
- Young Americans - David Bowie
- Welcome to My Nightmare - Alice Cooper
- Wind On The Water - David Crosby & Graham Nash
- One of These Nights - The Eagles
- Another Green World - Brian Eno
- Ella and Oscar - Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson
- Montreux '75 - Ella Fitzgerald
- Fool for the City - Foghat
- ABBA - ABBA
- Pieces Of The Sky - Emmylou Harris
- Between the Lines - Janis Ian
- The Koln Concert - Keith Jarrett
- Red Octopus - Jefferson Starship
- Minstrel in the Gallery - Jethro Tull
- Captain Fantastic & the Brown Dirt Cowboy - Elton John
- Dressed to Kill - KISS
- Alive! - KISS
- Autobahn - Kraftwerk
- Radioactivity - Kraftwerk
- Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance - Ronnie Lane and Slim Chance
- Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin
- Rock 'n' Roll - John Lennon
- Shaved Fish - John Lennon
- The Last Record Album - Little Feat
- Nuthin' Fancy - Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Live! - Bob Marley and the Wailers
- Natty Dread - Bob Marley and the Wailers
- Monster Planet - Steve Maxwell Von Braund
- Venus and Mars - Paul McCartney & Wings
- Red Headed Stranger - Willie Nelson
- Have You Never Been Mellow - Olivia Newton-John
- Ommadawn - Mike Oldfield
- The Outlaws - The Outlaws
- Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
- Rudy's Rock: The Sax That Changed the World - Rudy Pompilli and The Comets
- The Sun Collection - Elvis Presley
- Adventures in Paradise - Minnie Riperton
- Initiation - Todd Rundgren
- In Trance - The Scorpions
- Beautiful Loser - Bob Seger
- Stampede - The Doobie Brothers
- Still Crazy After All These Years - Paul Simon
- Siren - Roxy Music
- Another Year - Leo Sayer
- The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - Gil Scott-Heron
- Playing Possum - Carly Simon
- The Best of Carly Simon - Carly Simon
- Horses - Patti Smith
- Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
- Can't Buy A Thrill - Steely Dan
- Katy Lied - Steely Dan
- Atlantic Crossing - Rod Stewart
- Crisis?_What_Crisis? - Supertramp
- The Original Soundtrack - 10cc
- Hokey Pokey - Richard and Linda Thompson
- Pour Down Like Silver - Richard and Linda Thompson
- Ripper-Various Artists
- The Who By Numbers - The Who
- Tonight's the Night - Neil Young & Crazy Horse
- Zuma - Neil Young and Crazy Horse
- One Size Fits All - Frank Zappa and the Mothers Of Invention
- Fandango - ZZ Top
- Caress of Steel - Rush
Chronological Table of U.S. and UK Number One Hit Singles
U.S. Number One Singles and Artist (Weeks at Number One) |
UK Number One Singles and Artist (Weeks at Number One) |
---|---|
"Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" - Elton John (2)
|
"Lonely This Christmas" - Mud (2 weeks 1974 + 2 weeks 1975)
|
note: best sellers of the year are bold
Significant singles
- "All My Friends Are Getting Married - Skyhooks
- "At Seventeen" - Janis Ian
- "Autobahn" - Kraftwerk
- "Back In The Night" - Dr. Feelgood
- "Black Friday" - Steely Dan
- "Blue Guitar" - Justin Hayward and John Lodge
- "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen
- "Boogie On Reggae Woman" - Stevie Wonder
- "Born To Run" - Bruce Springsteen
- "Calvary" - Daryl Braithwaite
- "Only Women Bleed" - Alice Cooper
- "Carpet Crawlers" - Genesis
- "Curiosity Killed The Cat" - Little River Band
- "Cut The Cake" - Average White Band
- "Do It Again" - Steely Dan
- "Department Of Youth" - Alice Cooper
- "Dreamer" - Supertramp
- "Fame" - David Bowie
- "Feel Like Makin' Love" - Bad Company
- "Fox On The Run" - Sweet
- "Get Down Tonight" - KC and the Sunshine Band
- "Golden Years" - David Bowie
- "Good Lovin' Gone Bad" - Bad Company
- "Hold Back The Night" - Trammps
- "Horror Movie" - Skyhooks
- "How Does It Feel" - Slade
- "How Long" - Ace
- "The Hustle" - Van McCoy
- "I Believe In Father Christmas" - Greg Lake
- "I'm Not In Love" - 10cc
- "Imagine" - John Lennon
- "In Dulce Jubilo/On Horseback" - Mike Oldfield
- "January" - Pilot
- "Jive Talkin'" - Bee Gees
- "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" - Eric Clapton
- "Kometenmelodie 2" - Kraftwerk
- "Lady Marmalade" - LaBelle
- "Let The Music Play" - Barry White
- "Life...Is For Living" - Sherbet
- "Love Is The Drug" - Roxy Music
- "Love to Love You Baby" - Donna Summer
- "Lyin' Eyes" - The Eagles
- "Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)" - Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel
- "Mamma Mia" - ABBA
- "Matter Of Time" - Sherbet
- "Man On The Silver Mountain" - Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
- "Miracles" - Jefferson Starship
- "The Newcastle Song" - Bob Hudson
- "Mr. Raffles (Man It Was Mean)" - Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel
- "No Woman No Cry" - Bob Marley and the Wailers
- "Now I'm Here" - Queen
- "Number 9 Dream" - John Lennon
- "Once Bitten Twice Shy" - Ian Hunter
- "Only Women Bleed" - Alice Cooper
- "Out On The Floor" - Dobie Gray
- "Philadelphia Freedom" - Elton John Band
- "Piano Man" - Billy Joel
- "Pick Up The Pieces" - Average White Band
- "Please Mr. Postman" - Carpenters
- "Right Back Where We Started From" - Maxine Nightingale
- "Rock and Roll All Night" - Kiss
- "Rockin' All Over The World" - John Fogerty
- "Roll Over Lay Down" - Status Quo
- "Run Joey Run" - David Geddes
- "Saturday Night Special" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
- "School's Out (EP)" - Alice Cooper
- "Shame, Shame, Shame" - Shirley and Company
- "She Does It Right" - Dr. Feelgood
- "Sky High" - Jigsaw
- "The Snake" - Al Wilson
- "Stand By Me" - John Lennon
- "Summer Love" - Sherbet
- "Tangled Up In Blue" - Bob Dylan
- "That's The Way (I Like It)" - KC and the Sunshine Band
- "Too Much Rock 'N' Roll" - Rabbit
- "What Am I Gonna Do With You?" - Barry White
- "(What's The Word?)Johannesburg" - Gil Scott-Heron
- "When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease" - Roy Harper
- "You Sexy Thing" - Hot Chocolate
- "Young Americans" - David Bowie
Published popular music
- "Anytime (I'll Be There)" w.m. Paul Anka
- "Calypso" w.m. John Denver
- "I'm Not In Love" w.m. Graham Keith Gouldman & Eric Michael Stewart
- "I'm Sorry" w.m. John Denver
- "The Last Farewell" w.m. R. A. Webster & Roger Whittaker
- "Mamma Mia" w.m. Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson & Björn Ulvaeus
- "Love Will Keep Us Together" w.m. Neil Sedaka & Howard Greenfield
- "Movin' On Up" w.m. Jeff Barry and Ja'Net DuBois, theme from the TV series The Jeffersons
- "New York State Of Mind" w.m. Billy Joel
- "One" w. Edward Kleban m. Marvin Hamlisch
- "Rockin' All Over The World" w.m. John C. Fogerty
- "Wasted Days Wasted Nights" w.m. Freddy Fender & Wayne Duncan
- "The Way I Want To Touch You" w.m. Toni Tennille
- "What I Did For Love" w. Edward Kleban m. Marvin Hamlisch
- "You" w.m. Tom Snow
- Samuel Adler - Symphony No. 5, "We are the Echoes"
- Claude Bolling and Jean Pierre Rampal - Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano
- Lou Reed - "Metal Machine Music"
- Mario Davidovsky - Scenes from Shir ha-Shirim for soprano, two tenors, bass soli and chamber ensemble
- Theo Loevendie - Concerto for Bass Clarinet and Orchestra, "Incantations"
- Witold Lutosławski - Les Espaces du Sommeil
- Alexander Vustin - The Word
- Chicago - Broadway production
- A Chorus Line (Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban) - Broadway production
- A Little Night Music(Stephen Sondheim) - London production
- The Wiz - Broadway production
- Pacific Overtures - Broadway Production
Births
- January 2 - Doug Robb (Hoobastank)
- January 3 - Thomas Bangalter (Daft Punk)
- January 13 - Jason King
- January 12 - Melanie Chisholm (Sporty Spice) (Spice Girls)
- February 4 - Natalie Imbruglia
- February 5 - Adam Carson (AFI)
- February 6 - Tomoko Kawase
- February 7 - Wes Borland (Limp Bizkit)
- February 17 - Wish Bone
- February 20 - Brian Littrell (The Backstreet Boys)
- February 23 - Robert Lopez
- March 10 - Jerry Horton (Papa Roach)
- March 17 - Justin Hawkins (The Darkness)
- March 25 - Melanie Blatt (All Saints)
- March 25 - Stacy Ferguson (Black Eyed Peas)
- April 26 - Jose Pasillas (Incubus)
- April 26 - Joey Jordison (Slipknot)
- May 3 - Maksim Mrvica
- May 8 - Enrique Iglesias
- May 14 - Hunter Burgan (AFI)
- May 18 - Jack Johnson
- May 25 - Lauryn Hill (The Fugees)
- May 27 - André 3000 (OutKast)
- May 29 - Melanie Brown (Scary Spice) (Spice Girls)
- June 8 - Emm Gryner
- July 2 - Erik Ohlsson, (Millencolin)
- July 6 - 50 Cent
- July 11 - Lil' Kim
- July 18 - Daron Malakian (System of a Down)
- September 9 - Michael Bublé
- September 11 - Brad Fischetti (LFO)
- September 16 - Shannon Noll
- September 17 - Constantine Maroulis (Pray For The Soul Of Betty)
- September 22 - Mystikal
- October 9 - Sean Ono Lennon, son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono
- November 1 - Bo Bice
- November 6 - Mike Herrera (MxPx)
- November 14 - Travis Barker (blink-182)
- November 20 - Dierks Bentley
- November 20 - Davey Havok, (AFI)
- December 13 - Tom Delonge (blink-182)
- December 14 - Justin Furstenfeld (Blue October)
Deaths
- February 4 - Louis Jordan, jazz musician
- February 19 - Luigi Dallapiccola, composer
- February 22 - Lionel Tertis, viola player
- March 27 - Sir Arthur Bliss, Master of the Queen's Musick
- April 14 - Michael Flanders, lyricist, actor, partner of Donald Swann
- April 23 - Peter Ham, Badfinger, suicide
- May 18 - Leroy Anderson, U.S. composer and conductor
- June 29 - Tim Buckley, drug overdose
- July 14 - Zutty Singleton, U.S. jazz drummer
- July 19 – Lefty Frizzell, Country Music Hall of Fame singer
- August 9 - Dmitri Shostakovich, heart attack
- September 5 - Bill Sprouse Jr. The Road Home, heart attack
- October 1 - Al Jackson, drummer and songwriter
- October 30 - John Scott Trotter, U.S. arranger and conductor
- December 17 - Noble Sissle, U.S. bandleader and singer
- December 17 - Hound Dog Taylor, blues musician
- December 24 - Bernard Herrmann, composer