US #1s of 1976

<3 Players & Miracles & Rhymin' Simon but gotta go Diana on this one

Diana for me too, but I like "Silly Love Songs" a lot, which goes for most if not all this list: I like a few of the songs a lot without loving them, even Paul Simon.

I like how disco creeps into the chart in the last half.

yeesh. lots of crappy big hits that year - disco duck is one of the worst novelty songs i can think of. voting "Boogie Fever" 'cuz a)i had the '45 when i was 9; and b)it doesn't suck

wow was expecting this year to be better (Silly Love Songs was #1?!)

went with 50 Ways. Can't fuck with that beat.

Theme from SWAT?!

"Silly Love Songs" is Wings' biggest hit.

btw when I said "Diana" I meant "Love Hangover," not my Catholic school Retreat Song of the Year.

http://www.tvdsb.on.ca/currcomptech/images/radio_button.jpg the four seasons - "december 1963 (oh what a night)"

There was lots of great stuff on the charts that year, it's just that none of it made #1...Diana Ross by default. A couple of other great ones--Ohio Players, Wild Cherry--that I'm sick of, blame for which intuitively goes out to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Theme from SWAT?!

I own this on lol 45.

Tough choices here, but I voted Wings.

Theme from SWAT T/S: LL Cool J, "I'm Bad" vs Three 6 Mafia "Tear the Club Up '97"

I heard "Let Your Love Flow" on oldies radio the other day, good lord does that thing suck poo. Most of these songs are only superficially catchy. I voted "50 ways".

If You Leave Me Now

"Silly Love Songs" is a miraculous song for sure, but the brightest star in this galaxy is without question "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart." Preceded in Elton's mid-70's hit parade by "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" and "Philadelphia Freedom," this song represented the zenith of Elton John's pop wonders. Please listen to its intro several times; it cannot be topped for swooning grace and lightness. My fantasy cover version has 66-year-old Mick Jagger taking the Elton John role, while Marianne Faithfull gets to be Kiki Dee. I want backing vocals by the New York City Gay Men's Chorus, and a better-than average high school marching band for accompaniment. Please, before I die.

I'm with Shakey. The drums on "50 Ways" give me shivers.

John Sebastian, "Welcome Back"

The first 45 I ever owned was "Disco Duck". We'd go to the ice cream parlor that had a jukebox with a window right at my eye-level where I could watch the records go down on the turntable and spin around. I had to stay with a babysitter one night and my prize when my parents came back was Rick Dees. I hear that song now, and I just remember watching that little RSO pig going round and round...

That said, I voted for Wings.

this is basically the year I became aware of pop music, and the number of songs on the list I know really well is kinda eerie to me. like, either I was completely invested, or it was just normal for everybody to be that invested, which amounts to the same thing in my head. Singles on this list which I owned, probably all bought either at Gemco (on Indian Hill) or Zody's (Indian Hill and Holt):

Convoy
Saturday Night
Boogie Fever
Silly Love Songs
Don't Go Breaking My Heart

Sure did love the Sylvers. Still voting for the Four Seasons though, I am kinda contractually obligated to vote for Frankie Valli whenever the opportunity arises.

Most of these are extremely "meh" to me. Went with Simon, but almost voted Ohio Players.

this list kinda feels like the beginning of the end of AM pop radio

Bay. City. Rollers.

A lot of the non-disco selections seem older than 1976-vintage, as if there was a retro trend. But "You Should Be Dancing" strikes me as the cream of this crop.

It's Steve Gadd playing the "50 Ways" drums, no?

yes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZZLLYEzKE8

(i'll take any excuse to post that clip)

petra haden did her a capella thing to "let your love flow". it's ok.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKHnpwAJ02E

i actually like that song...

Ohio Players "Love Rollercoaster"
Miracles "Love Machine"
Johnnie Taylor "Disco Lady"
Diana Ross "Love Hangover"
Elton & KiKi "Don't Go Breakin My Heart"

one of these. I graduated from high school in 76. radio songs that defined the "buy"-centenial summer: "the boys are back in town" & "don't fear the reaper" both #1 in my head.

There's a metric ass-load of great tunes on this list, the carpers are crazy. I don't think I can decide tbh. Wd vote for:

"Theme from Mahogany"
"Love Rollercoaster"
"50 Ways"
"Love Machine"
"Oh What a Night"
"Let Your Love Flow"
"Silly Love Songs"
"Love Hangover"
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart"
"You Should Be Dancing"
"Tonight's the Night"

There's another bunch I like well enough but couldn't vote for in this company. I think I'm going to vote "Love Machine" but srsly not voting would be more honest.

all bought either at Gemco (on Indian Hill)

whoah flashback

"Kiss and Say Goodbye," with "Let Your Love Flow" is a not-too-distant second.

"Superficially catchy" = nonsense phrase.

never seen that steve gadd clip that is sickkkk

"Love Rollercoaster" and "Theme from SWAT" are both great and groovy, but "Love Hangover" is a force of nature.

A British friend liked to tell me that he had been from Phoenix, Arizoner, all the way to Tacomer.

I have scientifically determined that the best part of "Love Rollercoaster" is those heavy hihat rolls right before the disco section.

first poll I've ever wanted to register a bunch of sockpuppets for just because I believe so strongly in the Four Seasons track & know it's gonna get punked

Just slip out the back, Jack.

Diana, baby.

this list is incredibly tacky and awesome

Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs, and what's wrong with that?

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

In 1976, the answer for me was without a doubt Saturday Night. Not even close.

Now it's probably Play That Funky Music. You Should Be Dancing and Rock'n Me provide the competition.

"Play That Funky Music" is a demon come to the mortal realm to take pleasure in our torture.

The sound of the keyboard solo in "December 1963" was my favorite sound in the world in 1976.

This just screams 1976.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj96QFzOL5Y

Elton John and Kiki Dee, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"

^^ <3<3

Bay City Rollers, "Saturday Night"

Because it informed The Ramones, particularly "Pinhead".

Man, that list encompasses most everything that famous rockcrits hated about mainstream '70s pop music. I think it's pretty fab all around. I've defended "Afternoon Delight" in the face of extreme hatred so often over the years, both here and elsewhere, so I don't feel the need to vote for it again to prove anything. Other worthies are the Bee Gees, "Love Hangover" and "Rock'n Me". But jeez, only one track has an actual real live-in-the-studio MURDER, how can I not vote for that one?

xpost I can hear more of "Saturday Night" in "Blitzkrieg Bop".
"S-A-T-U-R..." ----> "Hey ho, let's go..."

Although, hang on a minute...
"S-A-T-U-R..." ----> "D-U-M-B...."

Yes, I hear it now!

"Play That Funky Music" is a demon come to the mortal realm to take pleasure in our torture.

i think i've met the dude...seemed like a nice enough fella at the time.

radio songs that defined the "buy"-centenial summer: "the boys are back in town" & "don't fear the reaper" both #1 in my head.

uh and a little thing called MORE THAN A FEELING. Boston's debut single peaked at #5 on the pop singles chart, incredibly.

this list neatly illustrates great format divide between AM radio (pop/soul) and FM(rock) in the 70s.

maybe the reason I've always loved R&B/soul/disco etc was AM-only in my dad's VW bug during my teen years.

Yeah, I didn't live in close proximity to an FM station, and didn't get to hear those rockers too often. Also, the AM stations had to play 30% CanCon, so some of the R&B stuff tended to get short shrift in favour of mediocre Canadian stuff. I heard very little classic Philly soul until the '80s. For me, summer '76 was all about "Young Hearts Run Free" and "Moonlight Feels Right". Oh, and "Let 'em In", which I never did like.

Rollers' "Saturday Night" = intro of Ramones' "Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio"

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Yes, I hear it now!

― mike t-diva, Monday, 13 July 2009 10:34 (12 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

You got it!

Although, I was more about the:

S-A-T.U.R. = "Gabba Gabba Weacceptyou"

D.A.Y = "WeAcceptyou"

NIGHT! = "ONEOFUS!"

And here I'd thought the Manhattans wouldn't get any votes. (Though Rickey would have voted for it, probably.) My No. 2 choice, Rhythm Heritage, got shafted.

Sorry, third after Bellamys.

I listened to the Manhattans track (which I'd never heard before) on your rec and it did nothing for me tbh.

I love "SWAT" and "Fifth of Beethoven" too. That's a very strong bottom of the table.

And how about Barry "I Write the Songs That No One Much Cares For Anymore" Manilow? No respect!

Irony is, Bruce "Brian Wilson replacement in the Beach Boys" Johnston wrote it.

Now this #1 reminds me of ILM poll results of yore.

^ Why?

Damn, this thread is almost a decade old! I rank the top tens.

Huh, why did the Beatles chart in '76?

rereleased -- I remember hearing it in my childhood

But why that song? Why not more Beatles songs? Do you think any Beatles song could have re-charted in 1876?

Anyway, I think we're very close to the same age, but I don't recall that song having a particular presence above and beyond any other Beatles song.

Weird, here's why:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_%27n%27_Roll_Music_(album)

In both the United States and Britain, Rock 'n' Roll Music was accompanied by a single compiled from songs on the album. The US single (Capitol 4274), was originally planned as "Helter Skelter" on the A-side and "Got to Get You into My Life" on the reverse, but when the Helter Skelter TV movie was announced for April 1976, Capitol thought better of the connotations and flipped the sides. "Got to Get You Into My Life" hit number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The British single (Parlophone R 6016), which consisted of "Back in the U.S.S.R." backed by "Twist and Shout", hit number 19.

And it was a US top 10 hit all over again just two years later in the Earth, Wind & Fire version off the Sgt. Pepper’s movie soundtrack!

wiki also makes the interesting observation that it coasted in part, inexplicably, on a wave of 1950s nostalgia, right down to the anachronistic album cover, which the Beatles hated.

Yeah, the cover was ridiculous.