1976 in music Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
See also: 1975 in music, other events of 1976, 1977 in music, 1970s in music and the list of 'years in music'
Events
continuing their popularity through the 1970s.
- March 25 - Jackson Browne's wife Phyllis commits suicide.
- March 26 - In Paris, France, Wings guitarist Jimmy McCullough breaks one of his fingers when he slips in his hotel bathroom following the final performance on the band's European tour. The injury ended up delaying the band's United States tour by three weeks.
- April 14 - Stevie Wonder announces that he has signed a "$13 million-plus" contract with Motown Records
- April 24 - Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels makes on on-air offer to pay the Beatles $3000 to reunite on the show. Lennon and McCartney were apparently watching the show together in New York and considered walking down to the studio to accept the check. On May 22, he raises his offer from $3000 to $3,200.
- April 29 - When his tour stops in Memphis, Tennessee, Bruce Springsteen jumps the wall at Elvis Presley's mansion, "Graceland", in an attempt to see his idol. Security guards stop Springsteen and escourt him off the grounds.
- May 3 - Paul McCartney and Wings start their Wings over America tour in Fort Worth, Texas. This is the first time McCartney has performed in the US since The Beatles' last concert in 1966 at Candlestick Park.
- May 3 - Paul Simon puts together a benefit show at Madison Square Garden to raise money for the New York Public Library. Phoebe Snow, Jimmy Cliff and the Brecker Brothers also perform. The concert brings in over $30,000 for the Library.
- May 19 - Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards is involved in a car accident. Cocaine is found in his wrecked car. Richards is given a court date of January 12, 1977.
- May 19 - Rumour spread by German press: ABBA members killed in plane crash, only Ani-Fridh survived.
- June - Former Spring Canyon keyboardist Mark Cook joins Daniel Amos
- 100 Club Punk Festival, the first international punk festival is held in London
- Fall - Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr form a band called Feedback in Dublin. The band would later be renamed U2
- August 13 - The official ABBA logo with the reversed 'B' is born.
- October 9 - The Sex Pistols sign a contract with EMI Records
- October 10 - ABBA in New York on Midnight Special performing 'Fernando', 'Dancing Queen', 'Mamma Mia' and 'S.O.S.' live.
- November - Former Tower of Power lead singer Rich Stevens, and another person, are found guilty on two counts of murder.
- November 15- Kiss Rock & Roll Over; is released
- November 24 - The Band gives its last public performance; Martin Scorsese is on hand to film it.
- The Flowers of Romance, a band that included many seminal individuals within the punk movement, forms in the summer.
- Bonnie Riatt records Sweet Forgiveness, which will be a blockbuster album in 1977
- War records Galaxy, which will be a blockbuster album in 1977
- Sex Pistols cause media furor when they swear on prime time TV.
- Joe Cocker performs a duet with himself (as portrayed by John Belushi) on Saturday Night Live .
- Evita is performed for the first time
- Cheryl Byron performs rapso in calypso tents for the first time, beginning the popularization of rapso
- Peter Brown's solo career begins
- Cheap Trick's career begins
- Devo's career begins
- Leif Garrett's solo career begins
- .38 Special's musical career begins
- The Sex Pistols' career begins
- Y&T; (Yesterday & Today)'s musical career begins
- Elvis Costello & the Attractions; forms
- Black Flag form
- The Damned form
- Diamond Head form
- Foreigner form
- Iron Maiden form
- Throbbing Gristle form
- Generation X form
- Wire form
- U.K. Subs form
- Cheap Trick signs a contract with Epic Records
- The Clash sign up to CBS
- Elvis Costello signs a contract with Columbia Records
- Steve Martin signs a contract with Warner Bros
- Eddie Money signs a contract with CBS
- Culture form
Albums released
- Arrival - ABBA
- Greatest Hits --ABBA
- High Voltage - AC/DC
- Rocks - Aerosmith
- Helluva Band - Angel
- Forever for Now - April Wine
- The Whole World's Goin' Crazy - April Wine
- Joan Armatrading - Joan Armatrading
- Automatic Man - Automatic Man
- Children of the World - Bee Gees
- Technical Ecstasy - Black Sabbath
- We Sold Our Souls for Rock & Roll; - Black Sabbath
- Blondie - Blondie
- Agents Of Fortune - Blue Öyster Cult
- Private Eyes - Tommy Bolin
- Every Day of My Life - Michael Bolton
- Boston - Boston
- Station to Station - David Bowie
- If I Were Britannia I'd Waive the Rules - Budgie
- Havana Daydreamin' - Jimmy Buffett
- A Kind of Hush - Carpenters
- Chicago X - Chicago
- Come Taste the Band - Deep Purple
- Desire - Bob Dylan
- Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band - Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band
- Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) - The Eagles
- Hotel California - The Eagles
- Works Volume I - Emerson, Lake & Palmer;
- Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac
- Foreigner - Foreigner (debut)
- Frampton Comes Alive - Peter Frampton
- A Trick of the Tail - Genesis
- Wind and Wuthering - Genesis
- M.U. --- Best of - Jethro Tull
- Too Old to Rock And Roll, Too Young to Die - Jethro Tull
- Turnstiles - Billy Joel
- Blue Moves - Elton John
- Wanted! the Outlaws - Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson
- Look into the Future - Journey
- Sad Wings of Destiny - Judas Priest
- Summertime Dream - Gordon Lightfoot
- Leftoverture - Kansas
- Destroyer - Kiss
- Rock'n'Roll Over-Kiss
- Presence - Led Zeppelin
- The Song Remains the Same - Led Zeppelin
- One More from the Road - Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Rastaman Vibration - Bob Marley & the Wailers;
- Wings at the Speed of Sound - Paul McCartney
- Wings over America - Paul McCartney & Wings;
- Kate & Anna McGarrigle; - Kate & Anna McGarrigle;
- The Wild Tchoupitoulas - The Meters, George & Amos Landry;, The Neville Brothers
- The Mini-Album - The Sex Pistols (live EP)
- Fly Like an Eagle - Steve Miller Band
- Hejira - Joni Mitchell
- Modern Lovers - Modern Lovers
- Come on Over - Olivia Newton-John
- Free-for-All - Ted Nugent
- Clones of Dr. Funkenstein - Parliament
- Mothership Connection - Parliament
- Howlin' Wind - Graham Parker & the Rumour;
- Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers; - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers; (debut)
- A Day at the Races - Queen
- Rising - Rainbow
- The Ramones - The Ramones
- Home Plate by Bonnie Riatt
- Black and Blue by The Rolling Stones
- Hasten Down the Wind - Linda Ronstadt
- The Runaways- The Runaways
- 2112 - Rush
- Party Music/Partimusik - Röda Kapellet
- Another Passenger - Carly Simon
- Silk Degrees - Boz Skaggs
- The Royal Scam - Steely Dan
- Both Sides of Ray Stevens - Ray Stevens
- Just for the Record - Ray Stevens
- Misty - Ray Stevens
- Atlantic Crossing - Rod Stewart
- A Night on the Town - Rod Stewart
- Crystal Ball - Styx
- Give Us a Wink - Sweet
- Legalize It - Peter Tosh
- Second Annual Report- Throbbing Gristle
- No Heavy Petting - UFO
- Blackheart Man - Bunny Wailer
- Greatest Hits - War
- Love Is All Around - War
- Why Can't We Be Friends - War
- Milky Shade - Kazumi Watanabe
- Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder
- Yesterday And Today - Y&T; (debut)
- Warren Zevon - Warren Zevon
Chronological Table of US and UK Number One Hit Singles
| US Number One Singles and Artist (Weeks at Number One) | UK Number One Singles and Artist (Weeks at Number One) |
|---|---|
| "Saturday Night" - Bay City Rollers (1)
"Convoy" - C.W. McCall (1) "I Write The Songs" - Barry Manilow (1) "Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" - Diana Ross (1) "Love Rollercoaster" - Ohio Players (1) "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" - Paul Simon (3) "Theme From S.W.A.T." - Rhythm Heritage (1) "Love Machine" - The Miracles (1) "December 1963 (Oh What A Night) - The Four Seasons (3) "Disco Lady" - Johnnie Taylor (4) "Let Your Love Flow" - Bellamy Brothers (1) "Welcome Back" - John Sebastian (1) "Boogie Fever" Sylvers (1) "Silly Love Songs" - Paul McCartney & Wings; (5) "Love Hangover" - Diana Ross (2) "Afternoon Delight" - Starland Vocal Band (2) "Kiss And Say Goodbye" - The Manhattans (2) "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" - Elton John & Kiki Dee (4) "You Should Be Dancing" - Bee Gees (1) "(Shake,Shake,Shake) Shake Your Booty" - KC & The Sunshine Band; (1) "Play That Funky Music" - Wild Cherry (3) "A Fifth Of Beethoven" - Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band (1) "Disco Duck" - Rick Dees & His Cast Of Idiots (1) "If You Leave Me Now" - Chicago (2) "Rock'n Me" - Steve Miller Band (1) "Tonight's The Night" - Rod Stewart (7 weeks 1976 + 1 week 1977), best seller of the year |
"Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen (5 weeks 1975 + 4 weeks 1976) "Mamma Mia" - ABBA (2) "Forever And Ever" - Slik (1) "December 1963 (Oh What A Night)" - Four Seasons (2) "I Love To Love (But My Baby Just Loves To Dance)" - Tina Charles (3) "Save Your Kisses For Me" - Brotherhood of Man (6), best seller of the year "Fernando" - ABBA (4) "No Charge" - J.J. Barrie (1) "The Combine Harvester (Brand New Key)" - Wurzels (2) "You To Me Are Everything" - Real Thing (3) "Forever And Ever" - Demis Roussos (1) "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" - Elton John & Kiki Dee (6) "Dancing Queen" - ABBA (6) "Mississippi" - Pussycat (4) "If You Leave Me Now" - Chicago (3) "Under The Moon Of Love" - Showaddywaddy (3) "When A Child Is Born (Soleado)" - Johnny Mathis (1 week 1976 + 2 weeks 1977) |
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