"I Honestly Love You" is a song recorded by Olivia Newton-John released in 1974 on the album Long Live Love in United Kingdom and If You Love Me, Let Me Know in the United States. The song became a worldwide pop hit, her first number-one single in the United States and Canada. The single was first released in Australia as "I Love You, I Honestly Love You", as per its chorus. The song was written by Jeff Barry and Australian singer and composer Peter Allen. The latter recorded it around the same time for his album Continental American.
"Cat's in the Cradle" is a 1974 folk rock song by Harry Chapin from the album Verities & Balderdash. The single topped the US Billboard Hot 100 in December 1974. As Chapin's only number-one song, it became the best known of his work and a staple for folk rock music. Chapin's recording of the song was nominated for the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011.
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1974.
"I Can't Stop Loving You" is a popular song written and composed by country singer, songwriter, and musician Don Gibson, who first recorded it on December 3, 1957, for RCA Victor Records. It was released in 1958 as the B-side of "Oh, Lonesome Me", becoming a double-sided country hit single. At the time of Gibson's death in 2003, the song had been recorded by more than 700 artists, most notably by Ray Charles, whose recording reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart.
Calvin Grant Shofner, known professionally as Cal Smith, was an American country musician, most famous for his 1974 hits "Country Bumpkin" and "It's Time to Pay the Fiddler".
"Here You Come Again" is a song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, and recorded by American entertainer Dolly Parton. It was released as a single in September 1977 as the title track from Parton's album of the same name, topped the U.S. country singles chart for five weeks, and won the 1978 Grammy award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance; it also reached number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, representing Parton's first significant pop crossover hit.
"Ready, Set, Don't Go" is a country song performed by American singers Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus. It was released as the lead single from Home at Last, Billy Ray Cyrus' tenth studio album on August 13, 2007. The song has received different interpretations, although, in actuality, Cyrus wrote the song several years before its release when his middle daughter, Miley, moved to Los Angeles in order to pursue an acting career with an audition for the Disney Channel Original Series Hannah Montana. "Ready, Set, Don't Go" received critical praise, with reviewers complimenting its lyrical content. It also reached positive commercial responses for Cyrus, compared to his downfall in previous years. Peaking at number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100, it became Cyrus' first entry on the chart since "You Won't Be Lonely Now" (2000).
"The Closer You Get" is a song written by J.P. Pennington and Mark Gray and recorded by American band Exile in 1981. The song was most notably covered by American country music band Alabama and released in April 1983 as the title track and second single from the album The Closer You Get....
"Before the Next Teardrop Falls" is an American country and pop song written by Vivian Keith and Ben Peters, and most famously recorded by Freddy Fender. His version was a major crossover success in 1975, reaching number one on the Billboard pop and country charts.
"Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' " is a country music song, made famous by singer Loretta Lynn in early 1967. The song was Loretta Lynn's first number-one country hit. It is one of her best known songs and is included in all of her live shows. It was only the seventh solo female vocalist record to hit that position up to that time as well as the first written by the woman herself. The background vocalists on the recording are the Jordanaires.
"You Don't Even Know Who I Am" is a song written by Gretchen Peters and recorded by American country music artist Patty Loveless. It was released in March 1995 as the third single from Loveless's album When Fallen Angels Fly.
"My Boy" is a popular song from the early 1970s. The music was composed by Jean-Pierre Bourtayre and Claude François, and the lyrics were translated from the original version "Parce que je t'aime, mon enfant" into English by Phil Coulter and Bill Martin.
"Put Your Hand in Mine" is a song written by Skip Ewing and Jimmy Wayne, and recorded by American country music singer Tracy Byrd. It was released in September 1999 as the first single from his album It's About Time. It peaked at number 11 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
"A Very Special Love Song" is the title of a 1974 song by country music singer Charlie Rich. The song was written by Billy Sherrill and Norro Wilson, songwriters who had also written Rich's 1973 hit, "The Most Beautiful Girl". The song is included on Rich's 1974 album, Very Special Love Songs.
"Behind Closed Doors" is a country song written by Kenny O'Dell. It was first recorded by Charlie Rich for his 1973 album Behind Closed Doors. The single was Rich's first No.1 hit on the country charts, spent 20 weeks on this chart, and was also a crossover hit on the pop charts. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA for U. S. sales in excess of two million copies. Background vocals were provided by The Nashville Edition.
"For the Good Times" is a song written by Kris Kristofferson, first recorded by singer Bill Nash in 1968 before appearing on Kristofferson's own debut album in April 1970. After a recording by Ray Price became a #1 hit single in June of that year, the song established Kristofferson as one of country and popular music's top songwriters while giving Price his first chart-topping country and western song in 11 years.
"Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone)" is a song written by David Allan Coe and recorded by American country music artist Tanya Tucker. It was released in December 1973 as the first single and title track from the album Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone). It topped the U.S. country chart on March 30, 1974, for one week and was Tucker's third number-one song on the chart. On the Billboard Hot 100, the song peaked at number 46. Only her 1975 number-one country hit, "Lizzie and the Rainman", performed better on the pop chart.
""It's Time to Pay the Fiddler" is a song written by Don Wayne and Walter Haynes, and performed by American country music artist Cal Smith. It was released in November 1974 as the first single and title track from the album It's Time to Pay the Fiddler. The song was Smith's third and final number one on the country chart. The single stayed at number one for a single week and spent a total of twelve weeks on the country chart.
"Leave Me Alone " is a 1973 song written and first recorded by American singer-songwriter Linda Laurie. It was famously covered by Australian-American singer Helen Reddy several months later; Reddy's cover was a million-selling, Gold-certified hit single.
Donald William Choate, who wrote and recorded as Don Wayne, was an American country music songwriter.
