The 25 best Classic Rock tracks of 1975

5 December 2025, 19:00

Radio X rolls back the years to the days of Rhiannon, I'm Not In Love, Fame, Evil Woman and Bohemian Rhapsody.

By Radio X Classic Rock

@xclassicrock

• The Best-Selling British Album of 1975: The Best Of The Stylistics
• The Best-Selling British Single of 1975: Bay City Roller - Bye Bye Baby

1. Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me): release date 31st January 1975

   Taken from the band's third studio album The Best Years Of Our Lives, this classic topped the charts for two weeks in February 1975, before being usurped by the inexplicable success of If by Telly "Kojak" Savalas.

   

   Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) (Official Music Video)

2. Led Zeppelin - Kashmir: release date 24th February 1975

   Not released as a single in the UK (Zeppelin didn't do singles, remember), this hugely influential piece of orchestral rock splendour was taken from the band's sixth album Physical Graffiti.

   

   Kashmir (Remaster)

3. The Elton John Band - Philadelphia Freedom: release date 28th February 1975

   Written for Elton's tennis champion friend Billie Jean King, this Philly soul tribute was a standalone single between the Caribou and Captain Fantastic albums. It topped the charts in the US and made Number 12 in the UK.

   

   Philadelphia Freedom

4. Sweet - Fox On The Run: release date 7th March 1975

   The British glam rockers incorporated a heavy synthesizer sound into their first single of '75, which peaked at Number 2 in the UK. The single would be the group's last Top 10 entry for three years and was later included on the soundtrack to Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 in 2017.

   

   Sweet - Fox On The Run - Promo Clip (OFFICIAL)

5. John Lennon - Stand By Me: release date 18th April 1975

   Due to legal issues dating back to the Beatles song Come Together in 1969, Lennon was contractually obliged to record a covers album and, after a few false starts, he issued the Rock 'N' Roll LP in February 1975. One of the standout tracks was this version of Ben E. King's 1961 classic, which stalled at Number 30 in the UK when released as a single. The ex-Beatle had a bigger hit in '75 when the four-year old song Imagine went Top 10 in November, following its release as a plug for the greatest hits collection Shaved Fish.

   

   STAND BY ME. (Ultimate Mix, 2020) - John Lennon (official music video HD)

6. Paul McCartney & Wings - Listen To What The Man Said: release date 16th May 1975

   Macca went to Number 6 with this amiable tune from the Venus And Mars albumm which was accompanied by the hugely-successful Wings Over The World tour.

   

   Sir Paul McCartney & Wings - Listen To What The Man Said [Remastered] [HD]

7. 10cc - I'm Not In Love: release date 23rd May 1975

   This masterpiece of soft rock used the studio impeccably, building up a wall of voices - and it was all recorded at the band's own Strawberry facility in Stockport. Written by Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman, the song remains their greatest, spending two weeks at Number 1 in the summer of 1975.

   

   10cc - I'm Not In Love

8. ZZ Top - Tush: released July 1975

   Risque boogie from the Texan trio, taken from their fourth album Fandango!

   

   Tush (2006 Remaster)

9. David Bowie - Fame: release date 18th July 1975

   Although John Lennon was on the verge of retiring from the music industry, he had a good enough relationship with the glam rock superstar to sit in on a session with Bowie and guitarist Carlos Alomar in January '75. The result gave Bowie his first US Number 1. It only made Number 17 in the UK, incredibly.

   

   Fame (2016 Remaster)

10. Bad Company - Feel Like Makin' Love: release date 15th August 1975

    Former Free singer Paul Rodgers co-wrote this hard rock classic with ex-Mott The Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs, which appeared on Bad Company's second album Straight Shooter. The single peaked at Number 20 in the UK in October 1975, and Number 10 in the US; it was the supergroup's second most successful track after the previous year's Can't Get Enough.

    

    Bad Company - Feel Like Makin' Love (Official Audio)

11. Aerosmith - Walk This Way: release date 28th August 1975 (US)

    1975's Toys In The Attic album remains Aerosmith's biggest-seller in the US, having been certified nine times Platinum. The album also spawned the band's evergreen classic Sweet Emotion. Despite making the Billboard Top 10 in '75, Walk This Way wouldn't make any impression on the UK charts until the famous Run DMC collaboration in 1986.

    

    Aerosmith - Walk This Way (Audio)

12. Eagles - One Of These Nights: release date 20th June 1975

    The title track of the Californian country rock giants' fourth studio album, which also included Lyin' Eyes and Take It To The Limit. One Of These Nights topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, but only made Number 23 in the same week that Rod Stewart was Number 1 with Sailing.

    

    Eagles - One Of These Nights (Official Audio)

13. Thin Lizzy - Rosalie: release date 27th June 1975

    From the Phil Lynott-led Irish rock band's fifth album Fighting, this cover of Bob Seger's 1973 hit didn't do much on its first release, but a reissue made the Top 20 in 1978.

    

    Rosalie

14. Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon: release date 11th July 1975 (album)

    Stevie Nicks' soft rock masterpiece was originally included on Fleetwood Mac's self-titled album from 1975, which saw the singer and her musical partner Lindsey Buckingham join the long-running band. The song became hugely popular in live shows, and was released as a single in the UK in April 1976. The single made Number 11, but incredibly, didn't chart in the UK and only made Number 46 after a reissued in 1978.

    

    Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon (Official Music Video) [HD]

15. Rod Stewart - Sailing: release date 8th August 1975

    Originally recorded by The Sutherland Brothers in 1972, Rod covered the song for his Alantic Crossing album in August 1975. It was a huge international hit, topping the charts in the UK for four weeks in September 1975.

    

    Rod Stewart - Sailing (Official Video) [HD]

16. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here: release date 12th September 1975 (album)

    The title track of Pink Floyd's ninth album relates to the band’s former singer Syd Barrett and his mental withdrawal from life. Roger Waters claimed that dropping out was not for him: “I wanna be in the trenches. I don’t want to be at headquarters; I don’t wanna be sitting in a hotel somewhere. I wanna be engaged.”

    

    Wish You Were Here

17. Smokie - Don't Play Your Rock 'N' Roll To Me: release date 12th September 1975

    Written by the team of Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, this single made Number 8 in the UK charts in October 1975.

    

    Smokie - Don't Play Your Rock 'n' Roll to Me (Official Video) (VOD)

18. Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run: release date 3rd October 1975

    The title track of The Boss's third studio album was his first Top 40 hit in the US, but failed to make the British charts. The parent album did better in the UK, nudging into the Top 40 at Number 36 in November, but it would take a full decade before the LP peaked at Number 17 in July 1985!

    

    Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run (Official Video)

19. Roxy Music - Love Is The Drug: release date 3rd October 1975

    Bryan Ferry's art rockers had their biggest hit to date with this slick production, taken from their fifth album, Siren.

    

    Roxy Music - Love Is The Drug

20. The Who - Squeeze Box: release date 3rd October 1975 (album)

    Originally issued on The Who By Numbers in October 1975, this tune made Number 10 when issued as a single in January 1976. According to Pete Townshend, Squeeze Box was "intended as a poorly aimed dirty joke. Amazingly recorded by The Who to my disbelief."

    

    The Who - Squeeze Box

21. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody: release date 31st October 1975

    Freddie Mercury brings opera to the masses in one of the most remarkable Number 1 singles ever. Hours of recording time, dozens of overdubs and the impressive vocal range of Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor made this epic six-minute single legendary, spending nine weeks at the top, thanks to one of the first “high-concept” music videos ever made. 

    

    Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody (Official Video Remastered)

22. Bob Dylan - Hurricane: released November 1975

    Later included on the album Desire, this song about the unsafe murder conviction of boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter was one of the musician's few protest songs of the 70s.

    

    Hurricane

23. Electric Light Orchestra - Evil Woman: release date 7th November 1975

    Impeccable symphonic rock from Jeff Lynne, written in "a matter of minutes" when they needed a single for ELO's fifth album Face The Music. It made Number 10 in the UK and achieved the same score in the USA.

    

    Electric Light Orchestra - Evil Woman (Official Video)

24. Patti Smith - Gloria: release date 10th November 1975 (album)

    Smith's cover of Them's r&b standard kicked off her hugely influential album Horses.

    

    Patti Smith - Gloria (Audio)

25. Greg Lake - I Believe In Father Christmas: release date 28th November 1975

    The former King Crimson member took time out from the supergroup Emerson Lake & Palmer to issue this rather barbed Christmas song, with lyrics by Peter Sinfield. It was memorably held of the festive Number 1 spot that year by Bohemian Rhapsody.

    

    Greg Lake - I Believe In Father Christmas (Official 4K Music Video)