1975 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
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 & 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
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
The Sun Collection - Elvis Presley
Adventures in Paradise - Minnie Riperton
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

"Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" - Elton John (2)
"Mandy" - Barry Manilow (1)
"Please Mr Postman" - Carpenters (1)
"Laughter In The Rain" - Neil Sedaka (1)
"Fire" - Ohio Players (1)
"You're No Good" - Linda Ronstadt (1)
"Pick Up The Pieces" - Average White Band (1)
"Best Of My Love" - The Eagles (1)
"Have You Never Been Mellow" - Olivia Newton-John (1)
"Black Water" - Doobie Brothers (1)
"My Eyes Adored You" - Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons (1)
"Lady Marmalade" - LaBelle (1)
"Lovin' You" - Minnie Riperton (1)
"Philadelphia Freedom" - Elton John (2)
"(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song - B. J. Thomas (1)
"He Don't Love You (Like I Love You) - Tony Orlando & Dawn (3)
"Shining Star" - Earth, Wind & Fire (1)
"Before The Next Teardrop Falls" - Freddy Fender (1)
"Thank God I'm A Country Boy" - John Denver (1)
"Sister Golden Hair" - America (1)
"Love Will Keep Us Together" - The Captain & Tennille (4)
"Listen To What The Man Said" - Wings (1)
"The Hustle" - Van McCoy (1)
"One Of These Nights" - The Eagles (1)
"Jive Talkin'" - Bee Gees (2)
"Fallin' In Love" - Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds (1)
"Rhinestone Cowboy" - Glen Campbell (2)
"Fame" - David Bowie (2)
"I'm Sorry" - John Denver (1)
"Bad Blood" - Neil Sedaka (3)
"Island Girl" - Elton John (3)
"That's The Way (I Like It) - K.C. and the Sunshine Band (2)
"Fly, Robin, Fly" - Silver Convention (3)
"Let's Do It Again"- The Staple Singers (1) "Lonely This Christmas" - Mud (2 weeks 1974 + 2 weeks 1975)
"Down Down" - Status Quo (1)
"Ms Grace" - Tymes (1)
"January" - Pilot (3)
"Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) - Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel (2)
"If" - Telly Savalas (2)
"Bye Bye Baby" - Bay City Rollers (6)
"Oh Boy" - Mud (2)
"Stand By Your Man" - Tammy Wynette (3)
"Whispering Grass" - Windsor Davis & Don Estelle (3)
"I'm Not In Love" - 10cc (2)
"Tears On My Pillow (I Can't Take It)" - Johnny Nash (1)
"Give A Little Love" - Bay City Rollers (3)
"Barbados" - Typically Tropical (1)
"I Can't Give You Anything (But My Love)" - Stylistics (3)
"Sailing" - Rod Stewart (4)
"Hold Me Close" - David Essex (3)
"I Only Have Eyes For You" - Art Garfunkel (2)
"Space Oddity" - David Bowie (2)
"D.I.V.O.R.C.E" - Billy Connolly (1)
"Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen (5 weeks 1975 + 4 weeks 1976)

U.S. Number One Singles and Artist (Weeks at Number One)	UK Number One Singles and Artist (Weeks at Number One)

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
"Carpet Crawlers" - Genesis
"Curiosity Killed The Cat" - Little River Band
"Cut The Cake" - Average White Band
"Do It Again" - Steely Dan
"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

Classical music

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