re: 1974 was a musical wasteland.

"A Pirate Looks at 40" was released in 1974. That alone makes it a solid year.

Early to mid 70's AM radio was awful. Kung Fu fighting, Basketball Jones, Loving You, Muskrat Love, Having My Baby... Endless crap.

But it was also the strongest era for bands and album rock. And FM radio was doing some cool experimental stuff.

So it really was the best and worst of times. For anybody paying attention then it really was the best.

I'd put this list in another thread a while ago but I'll go with 1973 as the high water mark for music:

Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
Houses of the Holy - Led Zepelin
Quadrophenia - The Who
Brothers and Sisters - Allman Brothers Band
Innervisions - Stevie Wonder
Overnight Sensation - Frank Zappa
Countdown to Ecstasy - Steely Dan
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John
Brain Salad Surgery - ELP
Tres Hombres - ZZ Top
A Passion Play - Jethro Tull
Burnin - Bob Marley and the Wailers
Greetings from Asbury Park - Bruce Springsteen
Chicago VI - Chicago
Selling England by the Pound - Genesis
Billion Dollar Babies - Alice Cooper
The Captain and Me - The Doobie Brothers
Yessongs - Yes
Greetings from Asbury Park - Bruce Springsteen
Lark's Tongue in Aspic - King Crimson
Lynyrd Skynrd - Lynrd Skynyrd
Don't Shoot Me, I'm only the Piano Player - Elton John
Raw Power - Iggy and the Stooges
Tranny and Mutation - Blue Oyster Cult
Catch a Fire - Bob Marley and the Wailers
Paris 1919 - John Cale
There Goes Rhymin Simon - Paul Simon
Head Hunters - Herbie Hancock

I agree that 1973 was the peak year in rock. There was a lot of great music released in '74. And the radio stations were still playing great music from '73 and prior along with it. We weren't hurting at all for great music and great variety.