1976 in music

Events

January-February

January 7 - Kenneth Moss, a former record company executive, is sentenced to 120 days in the Los Angeles County Jail and four years probation for involuntary manslaughter in the 1974 drug induced death of Average White Band drummer Robbie McIntosh.
January 13 - A trial begins for seven Brunswick Records and Dakar Records employees. The record company employees are charged with stealing more than $184,000 in royalties from artists.
February 15 - Bette Midler bails seven members of her entourage out of jail after they are arrested on charges of cocaine and marijuana possession
January 19 - Concert promoter Bill Sargent makes an offer of $30 million to the Beatles if they would reunite for a concert
February 19 - Former Tower of Power lead singer Rich Stevens is arrested and charged with the drug related murders of three men in San Jose, California.
February 20 - Kiss gets their footprints added to the sidewalk outside Hollywood's Grauman's Chinese Theater.
February 24 - Having been released one week before, The Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) compilation becomes the first album in history to be certified platinum by the RIAA. The new platinum certification represents sales of at least 1 million copies for albums and 2 million copies for singles.

March-April

March 4 - ABBA arrive at Sydney airport for a promotional tour in Australia.
March 6 - EMI Records reissues all 22 previously released British Beatles singles, plus a new single of the classic "Yesterday". All 23 singles hit the UK charts at the same time
March 7 - A wax likeness of Elton John is put on display in London's Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.
March 9 - The Who's Keith Moon collapses onstage ten minutes into a performance at the Boston Garden.
March 15- Kiss releases Destroyer, their best-selling ever,

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-December

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.

unknown dates

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

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)

Other significant singles

A-L

"All By Myself" - Eric Carmen
"Both Ends Burning" - Roxy Music
"Candy Store Rock" - Led Zeppelin
"Dancing Queen" - ABBA
"Devil Woman"- Cliff Richard
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult
"Dream Weaver" - Gary Wright
"Fernando" - ABBA
"Fool to Cry" - The Rolling Stones
"Get Up And Boogie" - Silver Convention
"Hasten Down The Wind" - Warren Zevon
"Hot Stuff" - The Rolling Stones
"I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" - England Dan and John Ford Coley
"It's Over" - Boz Scaggs
"It Keeps You Running" - Carly Simon
"Killing of Georgie, Pt. 1-2" - Rod Stewart
"Landslide" - Fleetwood Mac
"Let 'Em In" - Paul McCartney & Wings
"Lost in France" - Bonnie Tyler
"Love Is Alive" - Gary Wright
"Love So Right" - Bee Gees
"Love To Love You Baby - Donna Summer
"Low Rider" - War

M-Z

"Misty Blue" - Dorothy Moore
"Mohammed's Radio" - Warren Zevon
"Money, Money, Money" - ABBA
"Moonlight Feels Right" - Starbuck
"More Than a Feeling" - Boston
"My First Night Alone Without You" - Bonnie Raitt
"Nadia's Theme (The Young & The Restless)" - Barry DeVorzon & Perry Botkin, Jr.
"New Rose" - The Damned (debut)
"The Perfect Drug" - Roxy Music
"Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win)" - Fleetwood Mac
"Right Back Where We Started From" - Maxine Nightingale
"The Rubberband Man" - The Spinners
"Sara Smile" - Hall & Oates
"Say You Love Me" - Fleetwood Mac
"Show Me The Way" - Peter Frampton
"Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word"- Elton John
"Still The One" - Orleans
"Sugar Mama" - Bonnie Raitt
"Take It To The Limit" - The Eagles
"Taking It To The Streets" - The Doobie Brothers
"That'll Be The Day" - Linda Ronstadt
"This Old Heart Of Mine" - Rod Stewart
"Why Can't We Be Friends" - War
"World Turning" - Fleetwood Mac
"Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald" - Gordon Lightfoot
"You Sexy Thing" - Hot Chocolate
"You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" - Lou Rawls

Published popular music

"Always And Forever" w.m. Rod Temperton
"Devil Woman" w.m. Terry Britten & Christine Authors
"Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" w. Tim Rice m. Andrew Lloyd Webber
"Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" w.m. Richard Leigh
"Empty Tables" w. Johnny Mercer m. Jimmy Van Heusen
"Evergreen" w. Paul Williams m. Barbra Streisand
"Fernando" w.m. Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson & Bjorn Ulvaeus
"Gonna Fly Now" (aka "Theme From Rocky") w. Carol Connors & Ayn Robbins m. Bill Conti
"Isn't She Lovely?" w.m. Stevie Wonder
"Knowing Me, Knowing You" w.m. Benny Andersson & Bjorn Ulvaeus
"Like A Sad Song" w.m. John Denver
"A Little Bit More" w.m. Bobby Gosh
"Making Our Dreams Come True" w.m. Norman Gimbel & Charles Fox, from the TV series Laverne and Shirley
"Money, Money, Money" w.m. Benny Andersson & Bjorn Ulvaeus
"Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" w.m.Elton John