For this survey—as we at Best Classic Bands have traditionally done each year—we’ve turned back the clock 50 years and compiled a timeline of 1975’s top events (including album releases) in rock and related music. Then we’ve listed the bands that formed during that year, and those that called it quits. Finally, we’ve compiled a list of the year’s top singles. Looking at it all now, we have to admit that we were all very lucky to have this music in our lives—and we still are!

(Editor’s Note: We’ve previously written Album Rewinds for many of the listed titles. Click its name to go in-depth. Also, if you feel that we’ve missed something important that took place in 1975, please let us know what it was, what day it happened and your source, and we’ll be happy to add it.)

Jan. 2—A U.S. district judge rules that John Lennon and his lawyers can have access to Department of Immigration files pertaining to his deportation case

Jan. 5—The Wiz opens on Broadway

Jan. 6—Led Zeppelin fans seeking tickets for a Boston Garden concert by the band riot, causing $30,000 in damages. Mayor Kevin White cancels the concert. Two days later, the band sells out three concerts at New York’s Madison Square Garden

Jan. 8—Elvis Presley releases Promised Land

Jan. 16—Michael Jackson releases Forever Michael

Jan. 20—Bob Dylan releases Blood on the Tracks

Jan. 24—Jazz pianist Keith Jarrett performs what becomes known as the Köln Concert in Germany. The recording of the improvised piece (released later in the year) becomes the best-selling jazz album in history.

Also released in January:

Iron Butterfly’s Scorching Beauty; Steeleye Span’s Commoners Crown; Dr. Feelgood’s Down By the Jetty; Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson’s The First Minute of a New Day; the Guess Who’s Flavours; Bonnie Bramlett’s It’s Time; Melissa Manchester’s Melissa; Al Stewart’s Modern Times; John Mayall’s New Year, New Band, New Company; Mick Ronson’s Play Don’t Worry; John Martyn’s Sunday’s Child; Tower of Power’s Urban Renewal

Feb. 4—Jazz singer/musician Louis Jordan dies

Feb. 10—Bassist Dave Alexander of the Stooges dies

Feb. 12—Olivia Newton-John releases Have You Never Been Mellow

Feb. 14—Rush releases Fly By Night

Feb. 17—AC/DC releases High Voltage; John Lennon releases Rock ‘n’ Roll

Feb. 21—Status Quo releases On the Level

Feb. 24—Led Zeppelin releases Physical Graffiti

Feb. 27—Blue Öyster Cult releases On Your Feet or On Your Knees

Feb. 28—Alice Cooper releases Welcome to My Nightmare; the Yes compilation Yesterdays is released

Also released in February:

Humble Pie’s Street Rats; T. Rex’s Bolan’s Zip Gun; Ambrosia’s self-titled debut; Buffy Sainte-Marie’s Changing Woman; Gordon Lightfoot’s Cold on the Shoulder; Wet Willie’s Dixie Rock; John Denver’s An Evening With John Denver; Robin Trower’s For Earth Below; John Entwistle’s Mad Dog; Emmylou Harris’ Pieces of the Sky; Kansas’ Song for America; Dionne Warwick’s Then Came You; Loudon Wainwright III’s Unrequited; Mahavishnu Orchestra’s Visions of the Emerald Beyond

March 1—Winners at the 17th annual Grammys include Stevie Wonder, Olivia Newton-John and Barbra Streisand; Steely Dan’s Katy Lied released

March 2—Linda McCartney is arrested in Los Angeles for possession of marijuana

March 3—Earth, Wind and Fire releases That’s the Way of the World

March 7—David Bowie releases Young Americans

March 11—10cc releases The Original Soundtrack

March 13—Country stars George Jones and Tammy Wynette are divorced

March 14—Justin Hayward and John Lodge release Blue Jays

March 16—Blues musician T-Bone Walker dies

March 19—Kiss releases Dressed to Kill; America releases Hearts

March 21—Tangerine Dream releases Rubycon

March 23—Promoter Bill Graham presents a benefit concert in San Francisco called S.N.A.C.K. (Students Need Athletics, Culture and Kicks), featuring Bob Dylan, Neil Young, members of The Band, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Starship, the Doobie Brothers, Santana, Tower of Power, Joan Baez, Eddie Palmieri and others. Speakers include Marlon Brando and Willie Mays.

March 24—Lynyrd Skynyrd releases Nuthin’ Fancy; Chicago releases Chicago VIII

March 25—Barry White releases Just Another way to Say I Love You; John Cale releases Slow Dazzle

March 26—The film of The Who’s Tommy premieres in London; Smokey Robinson releases A Quiet Storm

March 27—Rick Wakeman releases The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

March 28—Bad Company releases Straight Shooter; Jeff Beck releases Blow By Blow

Also released in March:

Golden Earring’s Switch; Lou Reed’s Live; Peter Frampton’s Frampton; Kevin Ayers’ Sweet Deceiver; Eric Clapton’s There’s One in Every Crowd; Tommy film soundtrack; Keith Moon’s Two Sides of the Moon; Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel’s The Best Years of Our Lives; Janis Ian’s Between the Lines; Jesse Colin Young’s Songbird; Harry Nilsson’s Duit on Mon Dei; Barbara Streisand’s Funny Lady; Roberta Flack’s Feel Like Makin’ Love; the Dictators’ Go Girl Crazy!; Leslie West’s The Great Fatsby; Seals and Crofts’ I’ll Play for You; Judy Collins’ Judith; Orleans’ Let There Be Music; Rick Derringer’s Spring Fever; Dolly Parton’s The Bargain Store

Related: Radio hits of March 1975

April 1—Journey releases their self-titled debut album

April 2—Manhattan Transfer releases their second, self-titled album

April 7—Ritchie Blackmore performs with Deep Purple for the last time; Leon Russell releases Will O’ the Wisp

April 8—Aerosmith releases Toys in the Attic; Parliament releases Chocolate City

April 11—Steve Hillage releases Fish Rising

April 12—French singer-dancer-activist Josephine Baker dies

April 14—The Beach Boys’ compilation Spirit of America is released

April 18—Alice Cooper’s first television special, Welcome to My Nightmare: The Making of a Record Album airs; ZZ Top’s Fandango! is released

April 21—ABBA releases their third album, self-titled; Funkadelic releases Let’s Take It to the Stage

April 24—Badfinger’s Pete Ham commits suicide by hanging in London

April 25—The Doobie Brothers release Stampede

April 28—John Lennon appears on Tom Snyder’s Tomorrow Show

Also released in April:

Nazareth’s Hair of the Dog; King Crimson’s USA; Cher’s Stars; Black Oak Arkansas’ Ain’t Life Grand; the Beau Brummels’ self-titled sixth album; Bob Seger’s Beautiful Loser; Joan Baez’s Diamonds and Rust; Richard and Linda Thompson’s Hokey Pokey; Ian Hunter’s self-titled solo debut; Joe Cocker’s Jamaica Say You Will; Blood, Sweat and Tears’ New City; Carly Simon’s Playing Possum; Dave Edmunds’ Subtle As a Flying Mallet; the O’Jays’ Survival; the Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s Tomorrow Belongs to Me

Related: 1974 in music

May 1—The Rolling Stones announce their forthcoming North American tour—Ronnie Wood’s first tour with the  band—by performing “Brown Sugar” from a flatbed truck on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The tour will begin June 1 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Also: released on this day, James Taylor’s Gorilla

May 5: James Gang releases Newborn

May 7—Elvis Presley releases Today

May 9—Hawkwind releases Warrior on the Edge of Time

May 10—Stevie Wonder performs before 125,000 people at the Washington Monument as part of Human Kindness Day festivities

May 13—Western swing pioneer Bob Wills dies

May 15—Jackson 5 releases Moving Violation

May 16—The Kinks release Soap Opera

May 22—Minnie Riperton releases Adventures in Paradise

May 23—Elton John releases Captain Fantastic and the Dirt Cowboy; Todd Rundgren releases Initiation

May 30—Wings releases Venus and Mars

Also released in May:

Camel’s The Snow Goose; Hot Tuna’ America’s Choice; Three Dog Night’s Coming Down Your Way; Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s Four Wheel Drive; Captain & Tennille’s Love Will Keep Us Together; Bay City Rollers’ Once Upon a Star; Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger; Robert Wyatt’s Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard; Spirit’s Spirit of ’76; Pointer Sisters’ Steppin’; Weather Report’s Tale Spinnin’; Curtis Mayfield’s There’s No Place Like America Today; Suzi Quatro’s Your Mamma Won’t Like Me

June 6—The Rolling Stones release two compilations, Metamorphosis and Made in the Shade

June 10—Eagles release One of These Nights

June 13—Jefferson Starship releases Red Octopus; Uriah Heep releases Return to Fantasy

June 16—War releases Why Can’t We Be Friends?

June 20—Talking Heads perform their first show at New York’s CBGB; Neil Young releases Tonight’s the Night; the Cat Stevens compilation Greatest Hits is released; Billy Preston releases It’s My Pleasure

June 23—Stephen Stills releases Stills

June 25—Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention release One Size Fits All

June 26—Bob Dylan and the Band’s The Basement Tapes is released

June 29—Singer-songwriter Tim Buckley dies

June 30—Cher and Gregg Allman are married; the Jackson 5 leave Motown and sign with CBS

Also released in June:

Average White Band’s Cut the Cake; April Wine’s Stand Back; Gary Wright’s The Dream Weaver; Waylon Jennings’ Dreaming My Dreams; The Isley Brothers’ The Heat Is On; Eddie Kendricks’ The Hit Man; The Carpenters’ Horizon; Roy Harper’s HQ; Edgar Winter’s Jasmine Nightdreams; Bee Gees’ Main Course; Michael Bolotin (later known as Michael Bolton)’s Michael Bolotin; Fairport Convention’s Rising for the Moon; The Tubes’ The Tubes

Related: The #1 albums of 1975

July 4—Roger Daltrey releases Ride a Rock Horse

July 11—Fleetwood Mac releases their self-titled 10th album; Ray Thomas releases From Mighty Oaks

July 19—Country singer Lefty Frizzell dies

July 28—Black Sabbath releases Sabotage; Gentle Giant releases Free Hand

Also released in July:

UFO’s Force It; KC and the Sunshine Band’s KC and the Sunshine Band; Ronnie Wood’s Now Look; the Meters’ Fire on the Bayou; Be-Bop Deluxe’s Futurama; the Chi-Lites’ Half a Love; Poco’s Head over Heels; David Cassidy’s The Higher They Climb; Tavares’ In the City; Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music; Outlaws’ Outlaws; the Guess Who’s Power in the Music; Glen Campbell’s Rhinestone Cowboy; Renaissance’s Scheherazade and Other Stories; Sha Na Na’s Sha Na Now; Eric Burdon Band’s Stop; REO Speedwagon’s This Time We Mean It

Aug. 8—Country singer Hank Williams Jr. falls more than 500 feet while mountain climbing; his recovery will take two years; jazz saxophonist Julian “Cannonball” Adderley dies

Aug. 9—The Bee Gees’ “Jive Talkin’” reaches #1

Aug. 15—Rod Stewart releases Atlantic Crossing

Aug. 18—Daryl Hall & John Oates, their fourth album, is released

Aug. 19—Labelle releases Phoenix

Aug. 22—Herbie Hancock releases Man-Child; Manfred Mann’s Earth Band releases Nightingales & Bombers

Aug. 23—Peter Gabriel leaves Genesis

Aug. 27—Donna Summer’s Love to Love You Baby is released

Also released in August:

Miles Davis’ Agharta; Tina Turner’s Acid Queen; Al Green’s Al Green Is Love; Grand Funk Railroad’s Caught in the Act; Eric Clapton’s E.C. Was Here; Ohio Players’ Honey; Quincy Jones’ Mellow Madness; the Spinners’ Pick of the Litter; the Marshall Tucker Band’s Searchin’ for a Rainbow; Loggins and Messina’s So Fine; Kool and the Gang’s Spirit of the Boogie; Climax Blues Band’s Stamp Album; the Allman Brothers Band’s Win, Lose or Draw

Sept. 1—Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run is released; Grateful Dead’s Blues for Allah is released

Sept. 5—Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow release their self-titled debut album; Jethro Tull releases Minstrel in the Gallery

Sept. 10—Kiss’ Alive is released

Sept. 12—Pink Floyd releases Wish You Were Here; Thin Lizzy’s Fighting is released; Danny Kirwan’s Second Chapter is released

Sept. 15—Foghat’s Fool for the City is released; Crosby and Nash’s Wind on the Water is released; Dolly Parton releases Dolly

Sept. 17—Scorpions’ In Trance is released

Sept. 22—George Harrison’s Extra Texture (Read All About It) is released

Sept. 24—Rush’s Caress of Steel is released

Sept. 26—Warner Bros. Presents Montrose!, the third album by the so-named band, is released

Sept. 27—Harry Chapin’s Portrait Gallery is released

Sept. 29—R&B singer Jackie Wilson suffers a heart attack while performing in New Jersey. He survives but never recovers enough to perform again

Sept. 30—Olivia Newton-John’s Clearly Love is released

Related: Our 2017 Olivia Newton-John concert review

Also released in September:

Ted Nugent’s self-titled debut solo album; Brian Eno’s Another Green World; Leo Sayer’s Another Year; Artful Dodger’s Artful Dodger; Budgie’s Bandolier; Bay City Rollers’ Bay City Rollers; Dan Fogelberg’s Captured Angel; the Ozark Mountain Daredevils’ The Car Over the Lake Album; Smokie’s Changing All the Time; Electric Light Orchestra’s Face the Music; the J. Geils Band’s Hotline; Tower of Power’s In the Slot; John Fogerty’s John Fogerty; Can’s Landed; Kansas’ Masque; Man’s Maximum Darkness; Linda Ronstadt’s Prisoner in Disguise; Procol Harum’s Procol’s Ninth; the Sunshine Band’s The Sound of Sunshine; Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Symphonion Dream; Blue Magic’s Thirteen Blue Magic Lane; Herbie Mann’s Waterbed; John Denver’s Windsong; Black Oak Arkansas’ X-Rated

Oct. 1—Barry Manilow’s Tryin’ to Get the Feeling is released; Booker T. and the MG’s drummer Al Jackson Jr. is murdered

Oct. 2—Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention with Captain Beefheart’s Bongo Fury is released

Oct. 3—The Who release The Who By Numbers

Oct. 7—John Lennon wins his legal battle to stay in the U.S.; two days later, he and his wife Yoko Ono give birth to a son, Sean Ono Lennon

Oct. 10—Van der Graaf Generator releases Godbluff

Oct. 14—Art Garfunkel releases Breakaway

Oct. 16—Aretha Franklin releases You

Oct. 17—Paul Simon releases Still Crazy After All These Years

Oct. 18—Simon and Garfunkel reunite to perform on the new TV program Saturday Night Live

Oct. 20—The John Lennon compilation Shaved Fish is released

Oct. 24—Roxy Music releases Siren; Elton John releases Rock of the Westies

Oct. 27—Bruce Springsteen appears on the cover of both Time and Newsweek magazines; Angel releases their self-titled debut

Oct. 28—Jazz saxophonist Oliver Nelson dies

Oct. 30—Bob Dylan launches the Rolling Thunder Revue tour in Plymouth, Mass.

Oct. 31—Mike Oldfield releases Ommadawn

Also released in October:

Iron Butterfly’s Sun and Steel; Van der Graaf Generator’s Godbluff; Rory Gallagher’s Against the Grain; Focus’ Mother Focus; Commodores’ Movin’ On; Steeleye Span’s All Around My Hat; the Flying Burrito Brothers’ Flying Again; Sparks’ Indiscreet; Barbra Streisand’s Lazy Afternoon; Dr. Feelgood’s Malpractice; Tom Waits’ Nighthawks at the Diner

Nov. 6—The Sex Pistols play their first concert, in London

Nov. 7—Deep Purple releases Come Taste the Band

Nov. 10—Patti Smith releases her debut, Horses; Neil Young and Crazy Horse release Zuma

Nov. 11—Earth, Wind and Fire releases Gratitude

Nov. 17—The Kinks release Schoolboys in Disgrace; Tommy Bolin releases Teaser

Nov. 21—Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” goes to #1 in the U.K., where it remains for nine weeks; in the U.S., it peaks at #9; Chris Squire releases Fish Out of Water

Nov. 25—Charlie Daniels releases Nightrider; Supertramp releases Crisis? What Crisis?; Cat Stevens releases Numbers

Nov. 28—Queen releases A Night at the Opera

Also released in November:

Vangelis’ Heaven and Hell; Kraftwerk’s Radio-Activity; The Band’s Northern Lights–Southern Cross; Chris de Burgh’s Spanish Train and Other Stories; Brian Eno’s Discreet Music; The O’Jays’ Family Reunion; John Cale’s Helen of Troy; Joni Mitchell’s The Hissing of Summer Lawns; Hot Chocolate’s Hot Chocolate; Pure Prairie League’s If the Shoe Fits; Rita Coolidge’s It’s Only Love; Little Feat’s The Last Record Album; Rick Wakeman’s Lisztomania (Soundtrack); Roy Wood’s Mustard; Strawbs’ Nomadness; Richard and Linda Thompson’s Pour Down Like Silver; Robert Palmer’s Pressure Drop; Rufus’ Rufus featuring Chaka Khan; Sweet’s Strung Up; Anne Murray’s Together; Dionne Warwick’s Track of the Cat; Kris Kristofferson’s Who’s to Bless and Who’s to Blame

Dec. 1—AC/DC releases T.N.T.; Styx releases Equinox

Dec. 4—Stephen Stills releases Live

Dec. 5—Bob Marley releases Live!

Dec. 12—Burning Spear releases Marcus Garvey

Dec. 15—Parliament releases Mothership Connection

Dec. 17—Blues musician Hound Dog Taylor dies

Dec. 18—Faces announce that they are breaking up

Dec. 24—The first issue of Punk magazine is published

Dec. 25—Iron Maiden is formed

Dec. 29—Emmylou Harris releases Elite Hotel

Also released in December:

Fripp & Eno’s Evening Star; Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s Head On; Tangerine Dream’s Ricochet; Bay City Rollers’ Wouldn’t You Like It?  

These albums were also released in 1975, release dates unknown

Dion DiMucci’s Born to Be with You; Chuck Berry’s Chuck Berry; The Jaggerz’ Come Again; Fela Kuti’s Confusion and Expensive Shit; Crack the Sky’s Crack the Sky; Big Youth’s Dreadlocks Dread; Billy Cobham’s A Funky Thide of Sings; Bonnie Raitt’s Home Plate; Stanley Clarke’s Journey to Love; Keith Jarrett’s The Köln Concert; Magma’s Live/Hhaï; Ella Fitzgerald’s Montreux ’75; Taj Mahal’s Music Keeps Me Together; Betty Davis’ Nasty Gal; Nils Lofgren’s Nils Lofgren; Return to Forever’s No Mystery; Blackfoot’s No Reservations; Guy Clark’s Old No. 1; Various Artists (soundtrack) The Rocky Horror Picture Show; Murray Head’s Say It Ain’t So; If’s Tea Break Over–Back on Your ‘Eads!; Bloodstone’s Train Ride to Hollywood; Trapeze’s Trapeze; Patrick Sky’s Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Many of the year’s releases are available in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.

Related: 50 classic albums from 1975

Bands Formed in 1975
Air Supply
Angel
Any Trouble
The Babys
Back Street Crawler
Boney M
Boomtown Rats
Boston
Brand X
Brothers Johnson
Crack the Sky
Eddie and the Hot Rods
Fabulous Poodles
The Heartbreakers (Johnny Thunders)
Ian Gillan Band
Iron Maiden
Krokus
Little River Band
Kate and Anna McGarrigle
The Members
Miami Sound Machine
Molly Hatchet
Motörhead (as Bastard)
Pere Ubu
Quiet Riot
Rainbow
The Runaways
Saxon
Sex Pistols
Shakti
Shalamar
Sham 69
The Shirts
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes
Talking Heads
Teenage Head
Starz
Triumph
Zebra

Bands That Disbanded in 1975
Alice Cooper (band)
Amboy Dukes
Atomic Rooster
Badfinger
Batdorf and Rodney
Beau Brummels
Bloodrock
Brinsley Schwarz
Butts Band
Ducks Deluxe
Faces
Fanny
Five Man Electrical Band
The Guess Who
Humble Pie
Ian and Sylvia
The Ivy League
McGuinness Flint
The Mothers of Invention
Mudcrutch
The Raspberries
The Shaggs
Stealers Wheel
Wizzard

U.S. Number One Singles of 1975 (arranged chronologically)

“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” – Elton John
“Mandy” – Barry Manilow
“Please Mr. Postman” – The Carpenters
“Laughter in the Rain” – Neil Sedaka
“Fire” – Ohio Players
“You’re No Good” – Linda Ronstadt
“Pick Up the Pieces” – Average White Band

“Best of My Love” – Eagles
“Have You Never Been Mellow” – Olivia Newton-John
“Black Water” – The Doobie Brothers
“My Eyes Adored You” – Frankie Valli
“Lady Marmalade” – Labelle

“Lovin’ You” – Minnie Riperton
“Lyin’ Eyes” – Eagles
“Philadelphia Freedom” – Elton John
“(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song” – B. J. Thomas
“He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You)” – Tony Orlando and Dawn
“Shining Star” – Earth, Wind & Fire
“Before the Next Teardrop Falls” – Freddy Fender
“Thank God I’m a Country Boy” – John Denver
“Sister Golden Hair” – America

“Love Will Keep Us Together” – Captain & Tennille
“Listen to What the Man Said” – Paul McCartney & Wings
“The Hustle” – Van McCoy
“One of These Nights” – Eagles
“Jive Talkin'” – Bee Gees

“Fallin’ in Love” – Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds
“Get Down Tonight” – KC and the Sunshine Band
“Rhinestone Cowboy” – Glen Campbell
“Fame” – David Bowie
“I’m Sorry” – John Denver
“Bad Blood” – Neil Sedaka
“Island Girl” – Elton John
“That’s the Way (I Like It)” – KC and the Sunshine Band
“Fly, Robin, Fly” – Silver Convention
“Let’s Do It Again” – The Staple Singers

And finally, a selection of other hit singles of 1975 (alphabetical by song title)…

“At Seventeen – Janis Ian
“Ballroom Blitz” – The Sweet
“Born to Run” – Bruce Springsteen
“Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” – Neil Sedaka
“Chevy Van” – Sammy Johns
“Could It Be Magic” – Barry Manilow
“Cut the Cake” – Average White Band
“Do It in the Name of Love” – Ben E. King
“Feelings” – Morris Albert
“Games People Play” – Spinners
“Happy Days” – Pratt & McClain
“Heat Wave” – Linda Ronstadt
“Holdin’ on to Yesterday” – Ambrosia
“How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)” – James Taylor
“I Write the Songs” – Barry Manilow
“It Only Takes A Minute” – Tavares
“I’m Not In Love” – 10CC
“Killer Queen” – Queen
“Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance)” – Leo Sayer
“Love Machine” – The Miracles
“Love Rollercoaster” – Ohio Players
“Lover Please” – Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge
“Magic” – Pilot
“Miracles – Jefferson Starship
“Mr. Jaws” – Dickie Goodman
“My Little Town” – Simon & Garfunkel
“Never Can Say Goodbye” – Gloria Gaynor
“Old Days” – Chicago
“Please Mr. Please – Olivia Newton-John
“The Rockford Files” – Mike Post
“Roll On Down the Highway” – Bachman-Turner Overdrive
“S.O.S.” – ABBA
“Take Me in Your Arms” – Doobie Brothers
“Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)” – Diana Ross
“Who Loves You” – Four Seasons
“Why Can’t We Be Friends” – War