10 Favorite Albums From 1976

[@kevtruth]

Tom Waits - Small Change Graham Parker & the Rumour - Howlin' Wind Steely Dan - The Royal Scam David Bowie - Station To Station Bob Dylan - Desire The Modern Lovers Joni Mitchell - Hejira Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Warren Zevon Aerosmith - Rocks Yeah, Bowie's Stay is a banger

[@danny1959]

The Modern Lovers also had future drummer for The Cars, David Robinson.

[@tomrobinson5776]

Interesting…never knew that.

[@patrick2420]

Royal Scam rules!!! I would pick: Parliament "Clones of Dr Funkenstein" Led Zeppelin "Prescence" Black Sabbath "Technical Ecstasy" Flamin' Groovies "shake Some Action"

[@charlesandrews2360]

Graduated high school that June. Saw Arrowsmith that summer.

[@TonyLorenzenUU]

Boston!!!

[@bacarandii]

1976 was the year that finally made punk imperative. A housecleaning -- or, rather, a "housetrashing" -- was needed to wipe out the overproduced slickness that was everywhere on AM and FM radio by then. BUT there was Joni Mitchell's "Hejira" (which I'd rank with "Blue" as her finest ever), and the debut from The Ramones -- two of my all-time favorite black-and-white album covers, and two contrasting signs that there might be a future for popular music after all. Also: Ry Cooder's "Chicken Skin Music," Graham Parker's "Howlin' Wind" and Zevon producer Jackson Browne's "The Pretender," best song ever about the soul-deadening routines of late-stage factory-tooled capitalism, renting a house in the shade of the freeway, packing lunch in the morning, and going to work each day like a zombie... Marley's Jamaican co-horts put out good records that year, as well: Bunny Wailer's "Blackheart Man'" and Peter Tosh's "Legalize It." (Glad you testified for early Petty -- I remember he and the Ramones touring together, but I don't recall who headlined -- along with the Stones' funky "Black and Blue" and Warren Zevon, too.) And, yes, the Bowie albums with covers taken from "The Man Who Fell to Earth" -- both "Low" and "Station to Station" -- are peak Bowie.)

[@christophercampbell1677]

Thin lizzy is the greatest irish rock band ever. Period. Great list. Love it. Bob at 1 yeah mon

[@jesuschambers]

I would go for Horslips.

[@christophercampbell1677]

@@jesuschambers I'll have to check them out

[@Fastnbulbous1969]

You may have a shorter list for '76, but the number of times you broke out singing (falsetto even!) betrays your passion for the era. That said, if you feel Rastaman Vibration is the best album of the year, I should think you'd like some other reggae albums, given it was the towering peak of Jamaican music. I love Marley, and I have ten other reggae albums I'd put just ahead of his album that year. Seven years ago I wrote a piece on Sylvan "My Operator" Morris, who engineered the Marley album, as well as the Heptones, Bob Andy, Toots & the Maytals, Cedric IM Brooks, The Abyssinians, Horace Andy and more. And my favorite: Justin Hinds & The Dominoes - Jezebel Having been a key player in Jamaican music since the early 60s ska days (remember “Carry Go Bring Home”?), Justin Hinds made an astounding comeback in Jezebel. His soft voice was more rich and soulful than ever, and despite the cheap and quick recording conditions most 70s reggae musicians who weren’t Bob Marley had to deal with, it sounded perfect. From the rousing “Fire,” the remake of “Carry Go Bring Home,” the rollicking “Dip and Fall Back” and the rootsy “Prophecy,” this is tremendously spiritual, uplifting music. The best track, “Spotlight,” is one of the most beautiful songs ever recorded. It’s ironic that this album was neglected by Island, who did not promote it and even misspelled Hinds’ name on the cover. While they were busy extending Marley’s world domination, Justin Hinds created an album that surpasses all of Marley’s. The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers Electric Light Orchestra - A New World Record Justin Hinds & The Dominoes - Jezebel Rico - Man From Wareika David Bowie - Station To Station Max Romeo & the Upsetters - War Ina Babylon The Abyssinians - Satta Massagana The Mighty Diamonds - Right Time Bunny Wailer - Blackheart Man Toots & the Maytals - Reggae Got Soul Bob Andy - The Music Inside Me Augustus Pablo - King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak Tom Zé - Estudando O Samba Lee Perry & The Upsetters - Super Ape Thin Lizzy - Johnny The Fox Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny Joni Mitchell - Hejira Ramones - Ramones Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life AC/DC - High Voltage Rainbow - Rising Bob Marley & the Wailers - Rastaman Vibration Be-Bop Deluxe - Sunburst Finish La Dusseldorf - La Dusseldorf The Meditations - Message From The Meditations Rush - 2112 Peter Tosh - Legalize It Scorpions - Virgin Killer Steely Dan - The Royal Scam

[@carltwidle9046]

Hello 👋 I was 16 years young that year. I recorded and made up mix tapes then. Listened to the radio alot. I remember Starbuck's song Moonlight feels Right. I also like David Dundas and his song Jean's On which was a one hit wonder in the day. Thin Lizzy were a cool band then. One of my favorite singers then was JJ Cale. I had his album Troubadour , and the single lifted off it Travlin' Light is excellent I love David Bowie , and saw him in 1978 in concert here in New Zealand. It was his Stage titled tour. British Punk took off with the Damned's song New Rose in October 76. Good choices .

[@tomrobinson5776]

That’s so cool you saw Bowie during that period. Thanks for watching. 😉

[@carltwidle9046]

@@tomrobinson5776 Yes , he was fantastic . Is your name Tom Robinson because there was a British singer with that name in the 1970s. He had a hit titled 2 , 4 , 6 Motorway.

[@rft2001]

I loved Moonlight Feels Right. It is probably my favorite song from 76 still. I saw Bowie that year when I was 13 on the Station To Station tour. It was my first real concert without any parental supervision. I loved the show so much that I went back to see him again on the next tour, a year or two later.

[@patriceleformal3047]

Excellent choice Tom, and good singer on Steely Dan...... I've got all these records at home except Thin Lizzy ; may i add three more ? - Joni Mitchell : Hejira - The Flamin' Groovies : Shake some action - Al Stewart : Year of the Cat. .....and my real (and not so guilty) pleasures are : - Silly love song , Dancing Queen and Tonight's the night (gonna be alright).

[@tomrobinson5776]

I need to pick up that Flamin’ Groovies album. Nice guilty pleasures. 😉

[@dominicpardo4783]

Old Aerosmith rules!

[@tomrobinson5776]

Indeed!

[@lupcokotevski2907]

AC/DC, Splitz Enz, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Abba, Queen, Rod Stewart Atlantic Crossing, Barney Kessel Soaring. Gordon Lightfoot.

[@gerardocarroll1158]

Love Black and Blue, a lot of people will laugh at this, but it runs rings around Some Girls, it’s a shame Worried about You didn’t make it onto the record. Love the fat production, the bass and drums sound great, also some fantastic guitar work by the try out guitarists.

[@chrisboerger465]

That's funny. You open by mentioning the dearth of choices for this year, and yet our lists are vastly different! :) Love what you said about Station to Station, my clearcut number one, also your comments on Stay. Contenders for my favorite album and favorite song of all time. Glad Black and Blue made the cut, and of course The Royal Scam is high on my list, but from there we diverge. I love the first two Graham Parker albums, Howlin' Wind and Heat Treatment, and would include them both near the very top. Presence by Led Zeppelin is a vastly underrated record, so heavy and raw. What a fantastic debut album by Blondie. Was anybody else doing anything like that at the time? Such B movie bliss. Ian Hunter's second solo outing All American Alien Boy isn't quite as good as the self-titled from the year before, but it's definitely one of his more eccentric creations, the result of moving back to NYC for inspiration. I love A New World Record by ELO. And of course Coney Island Baby gets a nod. Can't argue with your list though. Always enjoy waking up and seeing one of your year in rock rankings on my KZbin menu.

[@tomrobinson5776]

Thanks Chris 😉

[@luciosette8307]

STATIONTOSTATIONDAVIDBOWIE ♥️

[@glendepietro1521]

Bob Dylan Desire or Queen Day at the races.. thanks for all you man love it... great shows..

[@jesuschambers]

A great year for me so I'm going to pick 20 favourite albums as 10 are not enough. 20. Bob Seger - Night Moves 19. Rainbow - Rising 18. Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life 17. Be Bop Deluxe - Sunburst Finish 16. Aerosmith - Rocks 15. Led Zeppelin - Presence 14. Nils Lofgren - Cry Tough 13. Graham Parker And The Rumour - Heat Treatment 12. Wishbone Ash - New England 11. Boston - Boston 10. Sparks - Big Beat 9. Warren Zevon - Warren Zevon 8. Horslips - The Book Of Invasions 7. Boz Scaggs - Silk Degrees 6. Al Stewart - Year Of The Cat 5. Blue Oyster Cult - Agents Of Fortune 4. Rory Gallagher - Calling Card 3. Bob Dylan - Desire 2. Steely Dan - The Royal Scam 1. ELO - A NEW WORLD RECORD

[@mattrobbins2268]

Guilty pleasure from 1976? It's gotta be Frampton Comes Alive! Forget about guilt. Once l matured out of my Insufferable Rock Snob phase l had no choice but to admit it's a pretty great album. I'm with you on the Andrea True Connection. That tune tweaks all kinds of nostalgia chords for my memories of my 12 year old self.

[@tomrobinson5776]

I hear ya! Check out the Andrea True video on You Tube. Takes you right back. 😉

[@DodgeDartSongs]

I got that original Modern Lovers album (on Beserkeley Records--"Home of the Hits") in 1979. Fantastic record. The original issue did not include "I'm Straight," "Hippy Johnny," "Government Center," etc. that were on the later reissue. They're great songs, too, but the original did not suffer from their absence.

[@chrisevans9476]

Yes, Black & Blue. I think Richards said that was their guitarist auditioning album - several different musicians featured (Wayne Perkins’s superb Hand of Fate solo) after Mick Taylor left the group. That’s one I still often listen to. Shout out to a local (Champaign, ILL) band, The Ship released their first album “Tornado.” Didn’t go as far as REO Speedwagon, but, as it goes, 1976.

[@rft2001]

Tales Of Mystery and Imagination - Alan Parsons Project Heart - Dreamboat Annie Royal Scam - Steely Dan Blue Moves - Elton John Long Misty Days - Robin Trower Trick Of The Tail - Genesis Rising - Rainbow Fly Like An Eagle - Steve Miller Year Of The Cat - Al Stewart Station To Station - Bowie

[@williamquigley5836]

Okay, I get it, everybody has their own tastes. But seriously, no Boston debut? True, AOR radio has played the shit out of it for some 48 years, but we're talking a virtually perfect album. How about Blue Oyster Cult's "Agents Of Fortune"? No? I've grown to like "The Royal Scam" quite a bit in recent years, not as much as the '76 debut of Starz but quite a bit.

[@wtcwtc9861]

Jeff Beck - Wired, Wishbone Ash - New England

[@jackwezesa1081]

Zoot Allures ! Moving Targets! Illegal Stills ! Songs in the Keys of Life !

[@shanecahill4381]

Only thing I’d find room “Somewhere” is….. I’m Standed(The Saints) But again Cooooool

[@DaveGoldShow]

Aerosmith cashed in big time with those hits in the late 80's! It was a re-invention, a renaissance for them!

[@1967PONTIACGTO]

Interesting list... for me Ramones Ramones is number one all day long... this album saved people's souls and changed the entire culture, and not just musically.... runway models are still wearing ripped jeans and black leather jackets and have no clue they are trying to look like Joey Ramone.

[@tomrobinson5776]

Pretty wild indeed…

[@SH-ud8wd]

Black and Blue is well crafted, but their first completely irrelevant record, as Lester Bangs put it.

[@tomrobinson5776]

I agree with that statement.

[@neurophile]

Favorite 1976 albums, in alphabetical order : Ambrosia - Somewhere I've Never Traveled Anderson, Jon - Olias Of Sunhillow Clannad - Dulaman Electric Light Orch. - A New World Record Genesis - Wind And Wuthering et A Trick Of The Tail Gentle Giant - Interview McCartney, Paul - At The Speed Of Sound Spinners - Happiness Is Being With The Spinners Ten CC - How Dare You

[@davidatkinson-lifematters4826]

I'd put Thin Lizzy in the same bracket as Wishbone Ash. Elements of hard rock, but both offer great songs, and double lead guitar attack based on melody and NO SHREDDING. 😁

[@tomrobinson5776]

Well put 😉

[@EmbryonicRobot]

I approve of all of these! Many would make my list, if I ever do a video for this year.

[@tomrobinson5776]

Nice 😉

[@lupcokotevski2907]

Forgot Genesis, Trick of the Tale. Szobel by Hermann Szobel, teenage genius, nephew of promoter Bill Graham. Jazz fusion.

[@tomrobinson5776]

Trick Of The Tail is great.