What are your favorite albums from 1976

Rainbow - Rising
Willie Nelson - the Troublemaker
Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
Aerosmith - Rocks
Boston
Led Zeppelin - Presence
Max Romeo - War Ina Babylon
Peter Tosh - Legalize It
Thin Lizzy - Johnny the Fox
Rush - 2112
Patti Smith - Radio Ethiopia

 

The Pretender – Jackson Browne
Desire – Bob Dylan
Amigo – Arlo Guthrie
Howlin’ Wind – Graham Parker and the Rumour
Heat Treatment – Graham Parker and the Rumour
Live Bullet – Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
Night Moves – Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
Warren Zevon

 

In this order:

Ramones

Blondie

Hasten Down the Wind – Linda Ronstadt

Love and Understanding – Kool and the Gang

Are You Ready for the Country – Waylon Jennings

Contradiction – Ohio Players

No Reason to Cry – Eric Clapton

Open Sesame – Kool and the Gang

Waylon Live – Waylon Jennings

Outlaws – Jennings, Nelson et al.

High Voltage – ACDC

Harvest for the World – Isley Brothers

ChangesoneBowie

Runnin with the Pack – Bad Company

Wired – Jeff Beck


Also:

Water Babies – Miles Davis (from 67-68, not released until 76 for some reason)

 

Off the top of my head:

• Poco--Rose of Cimarron
• Steve Miller Band--Fly Like an Eagle
• Boston--s/t
• Bee Gees--Children of the World
• Poco--Live

and I'm sure I'm missing quite a few lol.

 

Nothing beats the epic, cocaine-pumped decadence-mania of Bowie's Station to Station. Had I been around in '76, my year would have been effectively over upon first hearing the break into the glorious 'once there were mountains...' part of the title track. One of the best albums ever released!

 

I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but these would be in my top ten:

Stones - Black and Blue
Bowie - Station To Station
Bowie - Changesone
Lou Reed - Coney Island Baby
Modern Lovers
Wings Over America

Maybe even Bill Wyman's Stone Alone. And I gotta say my Leftoverture CD sure sounds pretty good.

 

Wow, what a year! So many fab records. Here's the ones I give 5 stars to:

KISS - Destroyer

Frogmorton - At Last

Billy Joel - Turnstiles

Loggins & Messina - Native Sons

The Outlaws - Ladies In Waiting

Poco - Rose Of Cimmaron

Styx - Crystal Ball

Al Stewart - Year Of The Cat

Barclay James Harvest - Octoberon

Gordon Lightfoot - Summertime Dream

Kansas - Leftoverture

REO Speedwagon - REO

Beggar's Hill - S/T

Lone Star S/T

Pablo Cruise - Lifeline

Firefall - S/T

Camel - Moonmadness

Cor, that's a lot more five star albums than any other year, for me. Who'd a thought it!

 

Black and blue...stones
Desire..dylan
Rocks...aerosmoth

 

I've given Desire 4 stars.

Haven't heard the other two.

 

What a GREAT Year.

AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Aerosmith - Rocks
Blue Öyster Cult - Agents of Fortune
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - Night Moves
Boston - Boston
Boz Scaggs - Silk Degrees
David Bowie - Station to Station
Deep Purple - Made in Europe
Eagles - Hotel California
ELO - A New World Record
Genesis- Wind And Wuthering
Heart - Dreamboat Annie
Jackson Browne - The Pretender
Jeff Beck - Wired
Johnny "Guitar" Watson - Ain't That a Bitch
Kansas - Leftoverture
Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains The Same
Little River Band - Diamantina Cocktail
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gimme Back My Bullets
Lynyrd Skynyrd - One More From The Road
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - The Roaring Silence
Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive!
Ramones- Ramones
Robin Trower - Live!
Rush - 2112
Rush - All The World's A Stage
Santana - Amigos
Steely Dan - The Royal Scam
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
The Rolling Stones - Black and Blue
Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
Wings- Wings at the Speed of Sound
Zappa - Zoot Allures

 

1. Steely Dan | The Royal Scam
2. Ramones
3. Guy Clark | Texas Cookin'
4. Joni Mitchell | Hejira
5. Bob Marley & The Wailers | Rastaman Vibration
6. The J. Geils Band | Blow Your Face Out!
7. Jackson Brown | The Pretender
8. Led Zeppelin | Presence
9. Warren Zevon
10. Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band | 'Live' Bullet

 

This

 

The Ramones - s/t
The Modern Lovers - s/t
The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action
Dr.Feelgood - Stupidity
Eddie And The Hot Rods - Teenage Depression
Kursaal Flyers - Golden Mile
Dwight Twilley Band - Sincerely
Maddy Prior And June Tabor - Silly Sisters

 

AC/DC - High Voltage
Chicago - Chicago X
David Bowie - Station To Station
Queen - A Day At The Races
The Rolling Stones - Black And Blue
Wings - Wings At The Speed Of Sound

 

Steely Dan | The Royal Scam
Joni Mitchell | Hejira
Led Zeppelin | Presence
Bowie| Station to Station
Rush | 2112
Pat Metheny| Bright Size Life

In real time, as a 13-year-old in '76, it was all about the fourth LZ album and Leftoverture. They were the very first albums I ever bought. I didn't know who Metheny was in '76.

 

Terrific selections. Almost automatically reached out for my rolling papers.

 

Hey, mind if I just borrow your list?

I don't think I could have compiled anything much better than that, and I'll add Station To Station, Blondie, and Bay City Rollers' Dedication.

Also, if we're throwing live albums out there, three of the finest were released in '76 by Seger, J. Geils, and Wings.

 

Most everything I enjoyed that year has been listed. One that I have not seen that kind of surprises me. "A Rock And Roll Alternative" by Atlanta Rhythm Section. I had it on 8-track, cassette, and vinyl but finally bought it on CD this year. Forgot how good it was. Had 3 big hits - So Into You, Georgian Rhythm and Neon Nights. I was never really a southern rock fan, but always enjoyed this.

 

Ah, very good! I missed that one. Bought the LP that year. Barry Bailey was an excellent guitarist and Ronnie Hammond a strong singer! "Sky High" and "Georgia Rhythm" are two of my favorites. I did like the solo on "So into You."

 

2112
Hotel California
Rocks
Jailbreak
Station to Station
Agents of Fortune
Ramones
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
The Pretender
Leftoverture
Rainbow Rising
Moonmadness
Boston
Zoot Allures

 

These were (and still are) my favorite albums from 1976:

Presence | Led Zeppelin
Free For All | Ted Nugent
Rocks | Aerosmith
Wired | Jeff Beck
Spitfire | Jefferson Starship
The Best Of The Doobie Brothers | The Doobie Brothers
StationToStation | David Bowie
Hotel California| (The) Eagles
The Royal Scam | Steely Dan
Night Moves | Bob Seger & His Silver Bullet Band
Boston | Boston
Black And Blue | The Rolling Stones
Run With The Pack | Bad Company
Alice Cooper Goes To Hell | Alice Cooper
Destroyer | KISS
Takin' It To The Streets | The Doobie Brothers
Fly Like An Eagle | Steve Miller
Silk Degrees | Boz Skaggs
Songs In The Key Of Life | Stevie Wonder

And what about all the great live albums?

Frampton Comes Alive | Peter Frampton
Robin Trower Live | Robin Trower
You Can't Argue With A Sick Mind | Joe Walsh
One More For/From The Road | Lynyrd Skynyrd
Live Bullet | Bob Seger & His Silver Bullet Band
Wings Over America | Paul McCartney & Wings

Honorable Mention: Linda Ronstadt's Hasten Down The Wind just for her and her pokies on album cover

 

I have a few in my colRhythm n I consider essential.

1.ELVIS The Sun Sessions(the orig 10 sides E cut at Sun compiled on a LP for the very first time.)
2.Fairport Convention Fairport Chronicles is a 2LP document of the first 5 LPs with a few rarities thrown in.Exellent anotation&compilation.
3.ZZTOP Tejas is my fav Top LP and their most diverse.Frank Rube Beard steals the show IMO.The original tri-fold cover was/is beyond cool.
4.The Impressions The Vintage Years is a 2LP compilation of the group through Curtis Mayfield "Super Fly" soundtrack years.
5.Warren Zevon his major debut where junkies,outlaws,dope dealers,S&M,suicidal thoughts,guns etc are the norm.Blew all the other East Coast rockers off the map IMO.Heavy stuff in the era of Eagles,F.Mac&Jackson Browne.
6&7.Graham Parker Howlin Wind & Heat Treatment a magnificent return to the hard soul of Van Morrison's best work.3 five star albums in 4 years. He could have been a major player in the game.Sadly he would decline after 1979s LP Squeezing Out Sparks.Major loss.
8.Ike Turner&Kings of Rhythm "I'm Tore Up" a flat out smoking compilation of Ike's best 1950s RocknRoll sides.This album cooks!You need this!
9.Blondie the debut album proves that not only did Debbie Harry ooze sex she could sing as well but to add fuel to the fire the band could rock just as well as her.Nice 60s flavor.
10.Of course no 1976 list would be complete without the monster debut of Boston.I don't give a damn if it is pure AOR its still a damn fine LP&More Than A Feeling is one of rocks greatest singles.Incapsulates a era in time perfectly.Frankly on a whole I like Don't Look Back even more.
11.Robin Trower Live and the title says it all.The guitarist in his element live and well ripping into his major 70s hits.

Well those are my picks for the best of 1976.

Honorable mention:UFO No Heavy Petting just because I can.

 

01 David Bowie Station To Station

02 The Eagles Hotel California

03 The Rolling Stones Black And Blue

04 Steely Dan -The Royal Scam

05 Led Zeppelin Presence

06 Jackson Browne- The Pretender

07. Joni Mitchell- Hejira.

08 Queen -A Day At The Races

09 Tom Waits - Small Change

10 Lou Reed- Coney Island Baby’s

 

Sweet - Give Us A Wink
Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny
Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
Slade - Nobody's Fool
Rainbow - Rainbow Rising
The Rolling Stones -Black And Blue
Thin Lizzy - Johnny The Fox
Queen - A Day At The Race's
Abba -Arrival

 

Apologies for the giant size; I did this up for the back cover of a program for a show set in 1976, which I was putting on back in 2012; It's a bunch of albums came out that year; I had taken photos of the spines but I cannot find them. I just ransacked my shelves and this is what I went with. These were laid out on a table and I loomed over them trying to get a horizontal shot; I was fairly happy with it though I think the Hall & Oates and Steely Dan in the bottom left kinds bleed into each other a bit, you'd miss one or the other.
The albums are;

Stevie Wonder Songs In The Key Of Life
Elton John Blue Moves
Wings At The Speed Of Sound
Billy Joel Turnstiles
Blondie
Todd Rundgren Faithful
Genesis A Trick Of The Tail
Jackson Browne The Pretender
Rush 2112
David Bowie Station To Station
Eagles Hotel California
Queen A Day At The Races
Joni Mitchell Hejira
Warren Zevon
Peter Frampton Frampton Comes Alive!
Abba Arrival
James Taylor Greatest Hits
Led Zeppelin Presence
Al Stewart Year Of The Cat
Kiss Destroyer
Linda Ronstadt Hasten Down The Wind
Tom Waits Small Change
Bugsy Malone Film Soundtrack
Ramones
Heart Dreamboat Annie
Steely Dan The Royal Scam
Hall & Oates Bigger Than Both Of Us

Four more which are primarily covered up are
Sparks Big Beat
Boston
Carole King Thoroughbred
Andrew Gold What's Wrong With This Picture?