Was 1975/76 musically as bad as legend makes out?

Whilst making a favourite albums list of each year from 1960 to 1999* I did notice that 75 had shitloads of great albums but 1976 there was a noticeable decline. Now, of course that may just be for me, but it did get me thinking about the ye olde punk legend, which I always really meant "rock" was poor then but of course punks/music writers only considered rock music worthwhile ergo all music was in decline. (My funk list for one disproved the all music was crap line in 75 )

Now, this is only albums , and its a lot easier to judge as there is a recognisable canon of albums but not singles? but I have seen Mike T-Diva say that the singles chart was poor at the time and he was totally ready for punk. Think possibly Mark G too?

But what I want to ask was ; were people at the time actually saying music was crap and needed something new or did that whole thing come AFTER punk started?

*No, I'm not posting it.

I'm obsessed with mid-70s sociopolitical malaise and how that was mirrored or not in music. I tend to be suspicious of the narratives I grew up with (ie everything just before punk was terrible) but I do get the sense that there wasn't a great sense of momentum in rock. If I look at my own lists there's Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, Roxy, Eno, Bowie, Stevie, Dylan, Parliament/Funkadelic, Neu!, Fela, Kraftwerk plus the arrival of Blondie, Patti Smith and the Ramones and a ton of great soul and, especially, reggae but if you looked at the singles charts or the biggest selling albums of the year the picture wouldn't look so pretty. My list is very much retrospective and I don't know how many people at the time would have been into all of those artists at once.

I tend to be suspicious of the narratives I grew up with (ie everything just before punk was terrible)

Aye, I believed it at 18 suspicious within a few years when i discovered how awesome funk was and that a lotta prog was rather good.

I make Spotify playlists for various years and some are dominated by certain trends, whether it be punk, disco, hip hop, synth-pop or whatever. My 1975 one feels unusually incoherent, like there are lots of interesting conversations happening in different rooms.

http://open.spotify.com/user/dorianlynskey/playlist/2Un45vyXrph0NwCGLRxnkj

My list is very much retrospective and I don't know how many people at the time would have been into all of those artists at once.

that too, which is why I'm putting it out there for the ilxors who were around at the time.

but I do get the sense that there wasn't a great sense of momentum in rock

My point really. That only rock seemed to matter then. By the 80s that wasn't really true was it?

TOTP's was definitely shit in 76 judging by what I've seen.

I'm not denying that punk wasn't a much needed kick up the arse to music, I'm just not sure with the music was shit in the 2 immediate years before it (and im against the all music before was shit narrative) , even if my 1976 albums list sorta reflects it. But I dont really know what the singles charts were like then.
Plus what about underground music? What was the state of that?

I was 3 in 1976. The only records I had then was Queen - A Night At The Opera because apparently I loved Bohemian Rhapsody and kept asking my mum to get the radio to play it haha.
Funnily enough I do not actually remember any of that.

If you like disco 1975 and 1976 aren't bad, in fact one could argue they were its prime years.

You can certainly see why some people were listening to wall-to-wall reggae at that point - or disco, or funk.

Best-selling US singles of 1975 FYI:

1 Captain and Tennille Love Will Keep Us Together
2 Glen Campbell Rhinestone Cowboy
3 Elton John Philadelphia Freedom
4 Freddy Fender Before The Next Teardrop Falls
5 Frankie Valli My Eyes Adored You
6 Earth, Wind and Fire Shining Star
7 David Bowie Fame
8 Neil Sedaka Laughter In The Rain
9 Eagles One Of These Nights
10 John Denver Thank God I'm A Country Boy

And UK:

01 Bay City Rollers Bye Bye Baby
02 Rod Stewart Sailing
03 Windsor Davies & Don Estelle Whispering Grass
04 Queen Bohemian Rhapsody
05 Tammy Wynette Stand By Your Man
06 The Stylistics I Can't Give You Anything (But My Love)
07 David Essex Hold Me Close
08 Art Garfunkel I Only Have Eyes For You
09 Typically Tropical Barbados
10 Johnny Nash Tears On My Pillow

Yeah reggae was doing very well before punk, not just popular because punks dug it as some believe it. (lol paul nicholas tho)
1976
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-812KSlr-4
Plus there was always the rocker soul boys too like weller/costello.

Just look at the last Billboard Top 100 for 1975, for example. The top 20 alone has "Let's Do It Again", "That's The Way (I Like It)", "Love Rollercoaster", "Fly Robin Fly", "I Love Music", "Love to Love You Baby", "Sing a Song", and "You Sexy Thing", which are all good or great! And further down in the top 100 you have "Part Time Love", "Wake Up Everybody", "I Want A Do Something Freaky To You", "Low Rider", "Let The Music Play", "We're On The Right Track", "We Gotta Get Our Thing Together", "Bad Luck", etc.

(xxpost)

from about 67-74/75 if you look at the amount of awesome albums released in that period I suppose by 75 there werent as many great (rock) albums released as there was in say 69/70/71 which was an incredible peak era , but hardly surprising as rock as we know it was very young then. But in hindsight Im not sure those were bad years at all despite ne finding that 76 wasn't as good as previous years, its not like there wasn't good albums or singles that year.

Every year has good records but not every year has a narrative, a sense of momentum, an undeniably strong genre or generation of musicians shaping the charts. I think that explains why 75/76 looks a lot better in retrospect than it did at the time, especially to rock fans who weren't following (or actively disliked) disco, funk or reggae.

a sense of momentum, an undeniably strong genre or generation of musicians shaping the charts

This was exactly what was happening with disco though! I doubt there were any more punk singles in the charts in 1977/78 than there were disco singles in 1975/76, but your typical music histories don't see the momentum in that, because they're typically written by White Rock Dudes who don't understand disco.

I hate White Rock Dudes!

a sense of momentum, an undeniably strong genre or generation of musicians shaping the charts

Have we had that in recent years?

xpost But yeah, loads of great stuff in '75 as mentioned, and not just Neil Young. Funk, reggae, disco and prog all at a considerable commercial and artistic peak. I guess it's more how music history's often talked about in terms of 'albums' which ignore single 7" and compilation-led music.

But yeah, I often wonder what albums (if any) coming out in the last couple of years will be well remembered further down the line. It's hard to imagine every-day people getting nostalgic about Kaputt or Let England Shake or even Random Access Memories in twenty years time.

I cant even get nostalgic for Random Access Memories now! Such a disappointment that album.

your typical music histories don't see the momentum in that, because they're typically written by White Rock Dudes who don't understand disco

Yes that was my point. So much emphasis back then on the fate of rock (and on albums over singles), whereas now we see it as just one genre among many. Although some people still talk about 1990 and 2000 as being lulls because they preceded grunge, Britpop or the Strokes, even though they were brilliant periods for dance music, hip hop, R&B, teen-pop etc.

I don't think that means people won't be nostalgic for individual albums though - not at all.

:)

http://rateyourmusic.com/charts/top/album/1976

Rate Your Music's prog love in full effect there.

too much Rush

Well, my list from the other thread ( 1976 vs 1986 vs 1996 vs 2006 ):

Third Reich'n'Roll, The Modern Lovers, 'Final Solution', 'Radioactivity', Selda, Sowiesoso, 'Don't Leave Me This Way', 'Anarchy in the UK', África Brasil, Üdü Wüdü...

― emil.y, Friday, February 14, 2014 5:06 PM (4 days ago)

And that list forgot my album of the year from '76 - LA DÜSSELDORF.

So from my perspective 1976 looks pretty good.

It's no Viva ;)

NME Albums 1975

1. Blood On The Tracks - Bob Dylan
2. Natty Dread - Bob Marley & The Wailers
3. Live - Bob Marley & The Wailers
4. The Last Record Album - Little Feat
5. Nils Lofgren - Nils Lofgren
6. The Basement Tapes - Bob Dylan
7. Young Americans - David Bowie
8. Pieces Of The Sky - Emmylou Harris
9. The Hissing Of Summer Lawns - Joni Mitchell
10. The Who By Numbers - The Who
11. Tonight's The Night - Neil Young
12. The Sun Collection - Elvis Presley
13. Horses - Patti Smith
14. John Fogerty - John Fogerty
15. Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin
16. Party Down - Little Beaver
17. Rock 'n' Roll - John Lennon
18. Marcus Garvey - Burning Spear
19. Still Crazy After All These Years - Paul Simon
20. There's No Place Like America Today - Curtis Mayfield

NME Singles 1975

1. No Woman No Cry - Bob Marley & The Wailers
2. I'm Not In Love - 10cc
3. Shame Shame Shame - Shirley & Co.
4. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
5. Third Rate Romance - Amazing Rhythm Aces
6. Fame - David Bowie
= Young Americans - David Bowie
8. King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown - Augustus Pablo
9. Lady Marmalade - Labelle
10. A Fool In Love - Frankie Miller
== Welding - I. Roy
12. Do It Again - Steely Dan
13. Shoorah Shoorah - Betty Wright
== Hurt So Good - Susan Cadogan
15. Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen
16. 18 With A Bullet - Pete Wingfield
17. Mendocino - Sir Douglas Quintet
== Love Hurts - Jim Capaldi
19. Swing Your Daddy - Jim Gilstrap
== Dance With Me - Orleans

NME Albums 1976

1. Desire - Bob Dylan
2. Station To Station - David Bowie
3. Stupidity - Dr. Feelgood
4. Heat Treatment - Graham Parker
5. The Ramones - The Ramones
6. Agents Of Fortune - Blue Oyster Cult
7. Kate & Anna McGarrigle - Kate & Anna McGarrigle
8. The Pretender - Jackson Browne
9. Joan Armatrading - Joan Armatrading
10. Cry Tough - Nils Lofgren
11. Elite Hotel - Emmylou Harris
12. Jailbreak - Thin Lizzy
13. The Royal Scam - Steely Dan
14. Fly Like An Eagle - Steve Miller
15. Chicken Skin Music - Ry Cooder
16. Rastaman Vibration - Bob Marley
17. Hejira - Joni Mitchell
18. Man In The Hills - Burning Spear
19. Stretchin' Out - Bootsy's Rubber Band
20. Hard Rain - Bob Dylan
21. Faithful - Todd Rundgren
22. Kaleidoscope Of Rainbows - Neil Ardley
23. War In A Babylon - Max Romeo
24. Old No. 1 - Guy Clark

Also Recommended:

Songs In The Key Of Life - Stevie Wonder
Home Of The Hits - The Modern Lovers
Johnny The Fox - Thin Lizzy
You Can't Argue With A Sick Mind - Joe Walsh
A New World Record - E.L.O.
Kingfish - Kingfish
Warren Zevon - Warren Zevon
Resolution - Andy Pratt
Howlin' Wind - Graham Parker
Those Southern Knights - The Crusaders

NME Singles - 1976

1. The Boys Are Back In Town - Thin Lizzy
2. Live At The Marquee (EP) - Eddie & The Hot Rods
3. Anarchy In The U.K. - Sex Pistols
4. Don't Fear The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
5. So It Goes - Nick Lowe
6. Police And Thieves - Junior Murvin
7. Young Hearts Run Free - Candi Staton
8. Love And Affection - Joan Armatrading
9. I'll Be Good To You - Brothers Johnson
10. Couldn't Get It Right - Climax Blues Band
11. War In A Babylon - Max Romeo
12. Take The Money And Run - Steve Miller
13. Hurricane - Bob Dylan
14. Lowdown - Boz Scaggs
15. Let's Stick Together - Bryan Ferry
16. Little Johnny Jewel - Television
17. I Want More - Can
18. Shake Some Action - Flamin' Groovies
19. Roast Fish And Corn Bread - Lee Perry
20. Boogie On The Street - Lew Lewis

CREEM MAGAZINE 1975 READER POLL RESULTS

Top Albums

1. Led Zeppelin - Phyical Graffiti
2. Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run
3. Aerosmith - Toys In The Attic
4. David Bowie - Young Americans
5. Kiss - Alive
6. Elton John - Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy
7. The Who - By Numbers
8. Elton John - Rock Of The Westies
9. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
10. Black Sabbath - Sabotage
11. Rod Stewart - Atlantic Crossing
12. Jefferson Starship - Red Octopus
13. Alice Cooper - Welcome To My Nightmare
14. Jeff Beck - Blow By Blow
15. Paul McCartney & Wings - Venus and Mars
16. Rolling Stones - Made In The Shade
17. Peter Frampton - Frampton
18. Ian Hunter
19. The Tubes
20. Kiss - Dressed To Kill

Top Singles

1. David Bowie - Fame
2. Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run
3. Jefferson Starship - Miracles
4. Sweet - Ballroom Blitz
5. Eagles - One Of These Nights
6. Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion
7. David Bowie - Young Americans
8. 10cc - I'm Not In Love
9. Z.Z. Top - Tush
10. Kiss - Rock 'n' Roll All Night

Top R&B Album

1. David Bowie - Youg Americans
2. J. Geils Band - Hotline
3. Average White Band - Cut The cake
4. War - Why Can't We Be Friends?
5. Bob Marley & The Wailers - Natty Dread
6. Isley Brothers - The Heat Is On
7. Earth, Wind & Fire - That's The Way Of The World
8. Ohio Players - Honey
9. Labelle - Phoenix
10. Spinners - Pick Of The Litter

Top R&B Singles

1. David Bowie - Fame
2. KC & The Sunshine Band - Get Down Tonight
3. Shirley & Company - Shame, Shame, Shame
4. Labelle - Lady Marmalade
5. Spinners - Games People Play
6. Earth, Wind & Fire - Shinin' Star
7. Average White Band - Cut The cake
8. Van McCoy - The Hustle
9. KC & The Sunshine Band - That's The way (I Like It)
10. Bee Gees - Jive Talkin'

Best Reissue

1. Rolling Stones - Made In The Shade
2. Rolling Stones - Metamorphosis
3. Bob Dylan - Basement Tapes
4. John Lennon - Shaved Fish
5. Free - Best Of Free
6. Yes - Yesterdays
7. Elton John - Empty Sky
8. Jeff Beck & The Yardbirds
9. The Who - The Who Sell Out/A Quick One
10. Chicago - Chicago IX, Chicago's Greatest Hits

Best Jazz Album

1. Jeff Beck - Blow By Blow
2. Stanley Clarke - Journey To Love
3. Chicago - VIII
4. Chick Corea - Return To Forever
5. Weather Report - Tailspinnin'
6. Herbie Hancock - Manchild
7. Billy Cobham - Shabazz
8. Lou Reed - Metal Machine Music
9. Keith Jarrett - Koln Concert
10. John McLaughlin/Mahavishnu Orchestra - Visions Of Emerald Beyond

Top 10's or 20's were also published for the following, which I've
abbreviated to the top 3 or 4:

Top Group: 1) Rolling Stones 2) Led Zeppelin 3) The Who 4) Aerosmith
Top Live Group: 1) Rolling Stones 2) Kiss 3) Led Zeppelin 4) The Who
Best Male Singer: 1) David Bowie 2) Mick Jagger 3) Elton John
Best Female Singer: 1) Linda Ronstadt 2) Grace Slick 3) Patti Smith
Best R&B Singer: 1) Stevie Wonder 2) David Bowie 3) Mick Jagger
Best Guitarist: 1) Jimmy Page 2) Eric Clapton 3) Keith Richard
Best Keyboard: 1) Elton John 2) Keith Emerson 3)Rick Wakeman
Best Bassist: 1) John Entwhistle 2) Bill Wyman 3) Paul McCartney
Best Drummer: 1) Keith Moon 2) Charlie Watts 3) Nigel Olsson
Best Horn Man: 1) Andy Mackay 2) Clarence Clemons 3) Edgar Winter
Best Songwriter: 1) Elton John/Bernie Taupin 2) David Bowie 3) Mick Jagger/Keith Richards
Most Valuable Player: 1) Ron Wood 2) Keith Richard 3) Elton John
Best Producer: 1) Todd Rundgren 2) Gus Dudgeon 3) Jimmy Page
Best R&B Group: 1) Rolling Stones 2) J. Geils Band 3) Average White Band
Worst Group: 1) Bay City Rollers 2) Kiss 3) Elton John
Best New Group: 1) The Tubes 2) Bruce Springsteen 3) The Outlaws 4) Patti Smith
Best Instrumentalist: 1) Ian Anderson 2) Eno 3) Ray Cooper
Drug Of The Year: 1) Marijuana 2) Alcohol 3) Cocaine
Rip-off Of The Year: 1) Concert Prices 2) Album Prices 3) Metal Machine Music
Comeback Of The Year: 1) Neil Sedaka 2) Rolling Stones 3) Bob Dylan
Hero/ine Of The year: 1) Elton John 2) Bruce Springsteen 3) Ron Wood
Most Pathetic: 1) Elton John 2) David Bowie 3) President Ford
Biggest Disappointment: 1) Elton John 2) David Bowie 3) No Led Zeppelin Tour
Critic Of The Year: 1) Lester Bangs 2) Jaan Uhelski 3) Robert Christgau
Fad Of The Year: 1) Disco 2) Bruce Springsteen 3) Trying to kill the President
Album Cover Of The Year: 1) Elton John-Captain Fantastic 2) Rod Stewart - Atlantic Crossing
3) Roxy Music - Country Life 4) Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Fashion Plate Of Year: 1) Bryan Ferry 2) Cher 3) Elton John
Sex Object Of The Year: 1) David Bowie 2) Mick Jagger 3) Linda Ronstadt
Best Rock&Roll Movie: 1) Tommy 2) Stardust 3) Lisztomania
Punk Of The Year: 1) Lou Reed 2) Steven Tyler 3) Elton John

have a look at best jazz album #8 btw

Rip-off Of The Year: 1) Concert Prices 2) Album Prices 3) Metal Machine Music

I imagine mid-70s rock drift (and let's be real, it's rock music we're discussing here) as less about prog and more about the inability to shake off a increasingly complacent 60s elite? Those two Dylan albums are great but it says a lot that he topped the NME list two years running, even if he was making much better music than most of his contemporaries at that point.

Top R&B Album

1. David Bowie - Youg Americans

Lol.

http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/recordmirror.htm#1975
http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/christga.html#1975
http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/sounds.html#1975
http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/village7080.htm#1975
http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/dmarshal_p2.htm#75

http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/festive50lists.htm#1976

http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/dmarshal_p2.htm#76
http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/christga.html#1976
http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/sounds.html#1976
http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/village7080.htm#1976

(and let's be real, it's rock music we're discussing here)

My point though. Punk legend said all music but really it only meant rock music, but music critics then saw rock music as the only music back then.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71rqP13SVRL._SL1043_.jpg

Yes, well I'll have something to say about THAT record on Then Play Long in the fullness of time.

Read Lester Bangs' account of his trip to Jamaica in '76, including interviewing Marley, and I'm not sure how much of it was made up.

Marcello what did you think of 75/76 at the time? You would have been about 13 or so right?

12-13. I wrote about all the UK number one albums from those years; go to http://nobilliards.blogspot.com and have a browse. The most striking characteristic about the chart-toppers was how many of them owed their success to television, either being advertised or associated with TV programmes (in fact this continued into 1977 and early 1978). The ones that didn’t included Pink Floyd, Max Boyce and Dr Feelgood.

correction: 11-12.

Overall the feeling in the music press of the time was guarded optimism backed up by an increasing frustration for something to happen. Charts were full of TV novelties and records which can’t be played anymore. Also a lot of good disco but Paul Nicholas had a hit and Junior Murvin didn’t (until 1980) because “Police And Thieves” “sold in the wrong shops.”

Cheers for he link will look
The most striking characteristic about the chart-toppers was how many of them owed their success to television, either being advertised or associated with TV programmes (in fact this continued into.. 2013?

I was 8-9 in 1975-76 and just getting into music for the first time. Looking at the list of UK No.1s for those years my interest must really have kicked off in 1975 as I can remember Pilot's "January" very well (early 1975) but nothing before that. As far as the singles charts were concerned I don't think there was any falling off of quality between 1975 and 1976, it was more or less the same old scene. To me as an 8 year old kid there was plenty of magical stuff in the charts to keep me entertained, stuff like Sailing and Boh Rhap and I'm Not In Love all seemed like passports to an adult world full of mystery and glamour. Of course there was a fair amount of dross as well (Typically Tropical, the Wurzels) but on the whole those years were peachy. And Abba were the rulers of pop music, their every note rightly revered.

Abba is pretty much all I remember from being very young. My parents and my gran and my Aunt (and 2 cousins the same age roughly) all loved them. It really did seem to me the young and the old all loved Abba.

Debate last week with Danny baker on the 70s. He was 14; Viv Albertine was 18 or so and she recalled how there was such a blank in music then. It wasn't about what records were being released or not, more of a feeling of nothing to look forward to - standing still waiting for a bus and...just nothing - and she felt more excited by films.

Danny was 14, there were records about and things were fine for him, so there is a change in perception due to age there.

Going out versus staying in.

so the old farts were wrong? :)

it's surely been said upthread already but in 76, stevie's "songs in the key", bowie's "station to station", gainsbourg's "l'homme à tête de chou" were released as well as the pistols' "anarchy in the uk", abba's "dancing queen" and marvin gaye's "I want you"... how can this be considered a bad year ???

There's a much stronger case to be made for 75 as a lull - in 76 punk was already kicking off, among other things.

It's no Viva ;)

Yes, it's better.

I think there was a feeling of stasis in 1975/1976, like it was really hard for new artists to get a start in (rock) music. There were "new" bands that were actually the bass player from X with the drummer from Y and the guitarist from Z, and these were generally musicians who'd started in the 60s. the doors definitely needed kicking in (not The Doors).

but music critics then saw rock music as the only music back then.

This is utter bollocks, btw.

that programme was odd - I felt like with the immediately pre-punk stuff baker was trying out challops that were meant to mess with the journalistic consensus/narrative of his generation (which isn't really how people take the mid-70s now, I think, as this thread testifies, so it felt to me like he was kicking against a void) - but Albertine (and Hook) both attested to that thing that comes up again and again - punk as transformative i-can-do-this moment. That seems like a true cliche; 75-6 a wasteland far less so.

There's lots of music articles/books about how 75/76 was a void but are there any arguing against that? (and if not, why not? (DL maybe you can do it!)

Rock music, not music

yes, I think we established that (and was sorta my point of doing the thread)

but anyway the punk legend still says all music and I think it needs deconstructed.

No it doesn't

I mean, where does it say "all music"? That's absurd.

Anyone I've ever spoken to irl says it!

I don't who you're speaking to then, what year of promary school are they in?

John Lydon, playlist, Tommy Vance Show, Capital Radio, July 16th 1977:

Tim Buckley - Sweet Surrender (taken from: Greetings From LA, 1972)
The Creation - Life Is Just Beginning (single, 1967)
David Bowie - Rebel Rebel (single, also featured on: Diamond Dogs, 1974)
Unknown Artist - Drowsy Maggie
Augustus Pablo - King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown (single, also featured on: King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown, 1976)
Gary Glitter - Doing Alright With The Boys (single, 1975)
Fred Locks - Walls (taken from: Black Star Liner, 1976)
Vivian Jackson and the Prophets - Fire in a Kingston (single, 1976)
Culture - I'm Not Ashamed (single, also featured on: Two Sevens Clash, 1977)
Dr Alimantado & The Rebels - Born For A Purpose (single, 1977)
Bobby Byrd - Back From The Dead (single, 1974)
Neil Young - Revolution Blues (taken from: On the Beach, 1974)
Lou Reed - Men Of Good Fortune (taken from: Berlin, 1973)
Kevin Coyne - Eastbourne Ladies (taken from: Marjory Razorblade, 1973)
Peter Hammill - The Institute Of Mental Health, Burning (taken from: Nadir's Big Chance, 1975)
Peter Hammill - Nobody's Business (taken from: Nadir's Big Chance, 1975)
Makka Bees - Nation Fiddler / Fire! (single, 1977)
Captain Beefheart - The Blimp (taken from: Trout Mask Replica, 1969)
Nico - Janitor Of Lunacy (taken from: Desertshore, 1970)
Ken Boothe - Is It Because I'm Black (taken from: Let's Get It On, 1973)
John Cale - Legs Larry At Television Centre (taken from: Academy in Peril, 1972)
Third Ear Band - Fleance (taken from: Music from Macbeth, 1972 )
Can - Halleluhwah (taken from: Tago Mago, 1971)
Peter Tosh - Legalise It (taken from: Legalise It, 1976)

I tend to be suspicious of the narratives I grew up with (ie everything just before punk was terrible) but I do get the sense that there wasn't a great sense of momentum in rock.

bingo. punk was a useful corrective to -- not a legitimate indictment of -- the big things happening in rock at the time.

۩, out of curiosity, where are you hearing that 1976 was bad for music? 1976 has a lot of terrific albums. it was also, of course, the heyday of roots-reggae and dub, which were inventive and amazing genres.

As John Lydon's playlist (from 1977, i.e. not on a internet forum 30-odd years later) rather usefully illustrates!

You can certainly see why some people were listening to wall-to-wall reggae at that point - or disco, or funk.

Best-selling US singles of 1975 FYI:

1 Captain and Tennille Love Will Keep Us Together
2 Glen Campbell Rhinestone Cowboy
3 Elton John Philadelphia Freedom
4 Freddy Fender Before The Next Teardrop Falls
5 Frankie Valli My Eyes Adored You
6 Earth, Wind and Fire Shining Star
7 David Bowie Fame
8 Neil Sedaka Laughter In The Rain
9 Eagles One Of These Nights
10 John Denver Thank God I'm A Country Boy

And UK:

01 Bay City Rollers Bye Bye Baby
02 Rod Stewart Sailing
03 Windsor Davies & Don Estelle Whispering Grass
04 Queen Bohemian Rhapsody
05 Tammy Wynette Stand By Your Man
06 The Stylistics I Can't Give You Anything (But My Love)
07 David Essex Hold Me Close
08 Art Garfunkel I Only Have Eyes For You
09 Typically Tropical Barbados
10 Johnny Nash Tears On My Pillow

There are at least four classics in that US top ten. I'll grant you the British chart is mostly awful.

Lost to history is how much of a commercial dud both reggae and punk were in the US. Never Mind the Bollocks only got to 106, Catch a Fire to 171, Natty Dread to 92, the Ramones’ debut to 111, Leave Home to 148, and the Clash’s debut wasn’t even released in the US at all. Don’t let the modern narratives fool you: nobody in the US gave a fuck about punk or reggae in the 1970s! Too busy listening to Journey and Aerosmith I guess.

I've not heard any modern narratives about US giving a fuck about punk or reggae in the 1970s tbh!

1991: The Year Punk Broke

Punk Of The Year: 1) Lou Reed 2) Steven Tyler 3) Elton John