1976, the year in music. Has there ever been a year like this before or since?

[littlemilo]

I'd rate 1970, 1972, 1973, or maybe even 1975 higher on the all-time greatest years scale. By 1976, many of my favorite artists had already broken up, were breaking up, or had peaked and started going downhill

 

 

 

1972 was my favorite for albums released.

 

 

But 1976 was a better year for me personally, last year of high school and first year of college.

 

But I did work retail that year, and the top 100 songs from '76 someone posted earlier are all mercilessly burned into my brain, I remember the entire {censored}pile of them just from the titles.

[The Tempest]

1990 is my "1976".

 

Good year, especially since we got this:

 

 

[Emory]

there were some good tunes etc in '76, but I don't recall it as being any sort of watershed year.... perhaps the choice had more to do with your coming of age than the music itself? I was 14 when Brit invasion hit (Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Yardbirds, Them, Zombies.... I could go on and on...) and to me THAT was a watershed year.

One other note: "I'm partial to 1973 myself (not just because that's when I was born). Dark Side of the Moon and Eat A Peach being highlights" was posted. To be pedantic, Eat a Peach came out in 72 (I think!) because I remember putting it on at 5 am as I came off one of my numerous trips that senior year at the U of O... and I graduated (believe it or not) in '72

[EADGBE]

More evidence...

 

Led Zeppelin not only had an album out.

 

 

They also released a movie too.

 

 

George Harrison also had an album out.

 

 

After Jailbreak Thin Lizzy also released a second album in 1976 called Johnny the fox.

 

[notcool]

I like Frampton's guitar playing. I don't like the songs.

 

Thin Lizzy is okay. Didn't mind that album.

 

Loved the Boston amp tone. Mid, mid, and more mid.

 

I always felt Ann Wilson's voice painful to listen to. I never did like Heart.

 

Never heard it.

 

One or two songs by him and I've had enough.

 

I like the Stones when Brian Jones was in the band.

 

Ah, yes... the king of twang. I was playing a Les Paul copy in late 1976, and hearing songs like 'Take The Money And Run' and "Rockin' Me' made me want a Strat.

 

For me, the best years of the 1970s were 1970-1974.

[Saint Frank]

1976 - some good stuff, and some not so good stuff IMO. Corny soft rock and bubble gum rock like Captain and Tenille, Bay City Roller, and Bread. Cool stuff like new albums released by Judas Priest, Motorhead, The Nuge, and Rush. Oh yeah and don't forget this one "Toys In The Attic" was released in 1975). IMO, it's one of the best albums Aerosmith released.

 

My favorite Aerosmith album, by far.

 

1976...I was 13 and well remember all of this stuff. A fun time.

 

As for someone saying that disco has grown on them over the years, I've come to the conclusion that even if we didn't like something when it came out, it's more familiar to us than the stuff coming out now days so we tend to gravitate to it.

 

I, for one, NEVER thought I would like Duran Duran...

[tele0507]

Rush 2112

 

Going for the one - my fav. YES LP, recorded in 76

[tele0507]

Another in 76

 

UFO - No Heavy Petting

[EADGBE]

"Blinded by the light,

revved up like a deuce,

another runner in the night"

 

 

Manfred Mann's Earth Band's The roaring silence.

 

Joni Mitchell's Hejira.

 

 

Elton John's Blue move.

 

[bdegrande]

 

I have to say that, for me, you don't have to look far to find a better year than 1976. Take a look at 1977: Television - Marquee Moon Elvis Costello - My aim is true Bowie - Heroes Ian Dury and the Blockheads - New boots & Panties Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks The Clash - The Clash Iggy Pop - Lust for life Talking heads - '77

 

 

Well, at least the first Ramones album was 1976. and wow did that sound good after the blandness of The Eagles and such.

[Surrealistic]

 

Well, at least the first Ramones album was 1976. and wow did that sound good after the blandness of The Eagles and such.

 

Yep - '76 was the start of the punk/new wave thing which came to full fruition in '77. I love that first Ramones album.

[EADGBE]

 

Patti Smith's Radio Ethiopia, released in October 1976.

[go cat go]

Nice thread. Definitely a good year to be a 19 year old! We were partying with Aerosmith, Foghat, BTO, Purple, and ZZ, just to name a few. As someone mentioned, most of us hated disco vehemently in those days, but ironically, I have come to tolerate, and even like some of those old travesties in my old age! Probably a nostalgia thing! I even like some country music now. Cheers!

 

 

Hahaha! If you were a rocker no way did you listen to disco. I had " Disco is the static between 2 rock stations" written on my binder in big block letters. It wasn't one of those plastic covered binders. It was one of the old blue clothe covered ones. THat thing was covered with band names. Of course we all used to write Black Sabbath like a cross.

 

S

BLACK

B

B

A

T

H

[MarvinDog]

Here's another one. In the fall of 1976, this album broadened my musical horizons in a huge way. Some of the best pop songwriting I've ever heard, to this day.

 

My younger sister played that record over, and over, and over, and over again whenever it was her turn on the record player. Man I grew to hate ABBA.

[Alex_SF]

 

As for someone saying that disco has grown on them over the years, I've come to the conclusion that even if we didn't like something when it came out, it's more familiar to us than the stuff coming out now days so we tend to gravitate to it. I, for one, NEVER thought I would like Duran Duran...

 

 

I saw a George Clinton interview once where he was asked about the disco phenomenon. He explained that disco songs could be pretty good and funky when taken one song at a time, but when every damn song had the same damn beat over and over, as it did in the disco era .... "Man, ain't nothing get on your nerves faster than the same beat over and over. It's like makin' love with one stroke."

 

When it got to about '78-79, and supersaturation had set in for a couple years, it was just unbearable. "Et vos, Stones? Et vos, KISS?"

 

But many individual "disco" songs are still very good songs on their own merits, minus the oversaturation factor. Even "Miss You."

 

As for Duran Duran, same here. JT was a monster bass player, and some of those songs actually were pretty good.

[Philo Beddoe]

What year did VH1 come out?

[Targ]

76, rough time in music for me.

 

We had a hour and a half long bus ride to and from school in Athens, and no real radio to speak of so kids would bring there tapes and we would play them over the microphone of the tour/school bus we were on. Some of it was ok, but most of it was the top 50 and a lot of bull{censored}, over and over and over again. it was either that or the driver cranked up his Greek bazooki music. gawd...

[Floritar]

"This thread is depressing It reminds me how much modern music blows , goat sacks" It is just getting harder and harder to roll new good stuff when all the good stuff is taken already. And that 75-76 stuff, was real good

[notcool]

As someone mentioned, most of us hated disco vehemently in those days, but ironically, I have come to tolerate, and even like some of those old travesties in my old age! Probably a nostalgia thing! I even like some country music now.

 

I never got over it. I still hate the songs I hated back then.

[PanaDP]

...and Rocky beat One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest for Best Picture. Yo Adrain.

 

Which is freakin' criminal.

[Emory]

regarding George Clinton, I also recall he said discos appeal was that even white people could find the beat, and dance to it.... Disco was, for the most part, awful. Didn't think there could be anything worse. Then techno came along...

[harold heckuba]

Another in 76 UFO - No Heavy Petting

Had this in a bright green 8 track. This is a great thread, 76 was a fantastic year for music.

[Metalrulez]

Love it or hate it the 70's were a great decade for music.