What are your favorite albums from 1976

One of my all time favorite albums- ever.

 

Things were starting to get a bit drossy. 1976 was sort of the last gasp of classic rock.

 

Wow, great memories reading this thread....

 

A Day at the Races, Queen
Frampton Comes Alive
Hejira, Joni Mitchell
Wanted! The Outlaws, Waylon Jennings and company
Let's Stick Together, Bryan Ferry
Another Passenger, Carly Simon
Bobby Bland and B. B. King Together Again

 

Such an amazing year for music. My faves:

The Modern Lovers - s/t
The Ramones - s/t
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - s/t
Joan Armatrading - s/t
Be Bop Deluxe - Sunburst Finish
David Bowie - Station To Station
Frank Zappa - Zoot Allures
Funkadelic - Hardcore Jollies
Lou Reed - Coney Island Baby
Marvin Gaye - I Want You
Bob Dylan - Desire
Frampton Comes Alive!
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gimme Back My Bullets, One More From The Road
Ry Cooder - Chicken Skin Music
Led Zeppelin - Presence, The Song Remains The Same
Rolling Stones - Black And Blue
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Rastaman Vibration
Aerosmith - Rocks
Jeff Beck - Wired
Bunny Wailer - Blackheart Man
Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life
Earth Wind & Fire - Spirit
Steely Dan - The Royal Scam
JJ Cale - Troubadour
ZZ Top - Tejas
The Allman Brothers Band - Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas
Oldies:
Elvis Presley - The Sun Sessions
The Beatles - Rock 'n' Roll Music
The Beach Boys - 20 Golden Greats

 

Blue Oyster Cult - Agents of Fortune
Eagles - Hotel California
Boston
Electric Light Orchestra - A New World Record
Kansas - Leftoverture
Jackson Browne - The Pretender
Santana - Amigos
Boz Scaggs - Silk Degrees
Steely Dan – The Royal Scam
Alan Parsons - Tales of Mystery and Imagination

 

This thread is giving me such an urge to go on a Legends of Rock Caribbean cruise.

 

I've just ordered my SuperDuper Guaranteed to Work or Your Money Back If You Can't Return Time Machine.

 

I had the money to buy three records...

1. Heart - Dreamboat Annie
2. BOC - Agents of Fortune
3. Deep Purple - Made in Europe

I played them on my parents turntable never knowing how good they could have sounded. Foutunately a canadian friend, B. Young at the University of Washington, from Grande Cache, Alberta enlighted me. He played them as well as Mannheim Steamroler - Fresh Aire and Jean Miche Jarrre - Oxygen for me on his McIntosh Amp and Klipsch La Scalas speakers. I was stunned. Just out and out stunned, a life changing moment.

While at a listening session one evening, I remember us running out of beer and needing to walk to the store for more. No issue, B. Young placed the speakers in the window and we listened to the music on the way to the store and back (a few blocks). I've lost touch with my former friend, but I always have him to thank for my passion regarding music. He was an audiophile back then, I'm still working up to it.

I still, of course, have the three records I purched in 1976 and have greatly increased my music catalog and volume. I continue to refine my equipment selection.

It's funny how a chance friendship and three record purchases for 1976 have shaped a lifelong interest. Thank you B. Young wherever you are.

 

1. Boston--Boston
2. Royal Scam--Steely Dan
3. From Elvis Presley Blvd. Nashville Tennessee--Elvis Presley
4. Fly Like An Eagle--the Steve Miller Band
5. Songs In The Key Of Life--Stevie Wonder
6. A Day At The Races--Queen
7. A Night On The Town--Rod Stewart
8. Desire--Bob Dylan
9. A New World Record--ELO
9. Black N Blue--The Rolling Stones
10. Sad Wings Of Destiny--Judas Priest
11. Wings At The Speed Of Sound--Wings

Yes and of course the dark horse of this lot of albums was actually a good album besides the #1 hit song Afternoon Delight in July 1976. At # 12.



Dug this vinyl out this morning and gave it a listen. A smooth fine listen.

 

Aerosmith - Rocks
Angel - Helluva Band
Bad Company - Burnin' Sky
Boston - Boston
Climax Blues Band - Gold Plated
Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive
Heart - Dreamboat Annie
Kansas - Leftoverture
Klaatu - 3:47 EST
Nazareth - Close Enough For Rock 'N' Roll
Queen - A Day At The Races
Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak

 

Going thru the list of albums, not a very good year, probably my least favorites of the '70s. Some of my favorite groups didn't even release an album that year, or released a sub-par one.

I guess Trick of the Tail would be my favorite though I wasn't a Genesis fan until much later.

 

The Modern Lovers
Shake Some Action
Ramones
Tom Petty & The Heartbeakers
Rastaman Vibration

 

ABBA: Arrival
Jackson Browne: The Pretender
Chicago: Chicago X
Electric Light Orchestra: A New World Record
Genesis: A Trick of the Tail
Horslips: The Book of Invasions
Billy Joel: Turnstiles
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Queen: A Day at the Races
Sparks: Big Beat
Tom Waits: Small Change
Warren Zevon: Warren Zevon

 

Modern Lovers
Flaming Groovies Shake
801 Live
Chris Spedding
Gong Shamal
City Boy
Grateful Dead Steal Your Face
Roy Buchanan A Street called Straight
Miles Davis Pangaea
Tangerine Dream Stratosphere
Manuel Gottsching / Ash Ra Tempel New Age of Earth
Klaus Schultz Moondawn
Triumvirat Old Loves Die Hard


Loving the Krautrock at the time and just waiting for Punk & New Wave to happen...

 

"Long May You Run"
Stills-Young Band

I always liked this Neil Young and Stephen Stills collaboration.

 

Don't forget Bunny Wailer's superb Blackheart Man.

 

Oops, I meant All The World's A Stage

 

I love that album too! Forgot it was from 1976. One of the best and a better album than Bob's fine Rastaman Vibration. Which says a lot.

In a completely different style, I also forgot ZZ Top - Tejas.

There were some seriously great albums that year.

Kraftwerk - Radioactivity too,
and The Modern Lovers.

1976 easily matches other years for quality albums. I like Presence by Zep, Desire by Dylan and even Black and Blue by The Rolling Stones a lot but haven't included them as I think all made much stronger albums in other years. I've never taken to Songs In The Key Of Life, but many love it.

 

Nowhere near the end of topic. Station to Station is magnificent but other 1976 albums equal it, though in different ways.

 

There are a couple I haven't seen listed (or might have missed):

George Harrison: Thirty Three and 1/3
Wings Over America

 

Andy Pratt Resolution
Melanie Photograph
Wings At The Speed Of Sound
Heart Dreamboat Annie
The Supremes High Energy
Joni Mitchell Hejira
Steve Miller Band Fly Like An Eagle
Bee Gees Children Of The World
Diana Ross
Boz Scaggs Silk Degrees
Todd Rundgren Faithful (side two)
Steely Dan Royal Scam
Carly Simon Another Passenger
Bette Midler Songs For The New Depression
Jefferson Starship Spitfire
David Bowie Station To Station
Donna Summer A Love Trilogy
Wings Over America

 

Donna Summer - Superb!

 

David Bowie - Station to Station
Genesis - A trick of the tail/Wind and Wuthering
Thin Lizzy - Jailbreal
Rainbow - Rising
Deep Purple - Come taste the band
Peter Frampton - Frampton comes alive
Bob Dylan - Desire
Rush - 2112