It’s 1976, the United States’ bicentennial year, and the U.S. treasury issues the first $2 bill. Political outsider and peanut farmer Jimmy Carter wins the U.S. presidential election, defeating Gerald Ford, the first person ever to have been both Vice-President and then President without being elected to either position. Neither the $2 bill nor President Carter will meet with much success in the coming years—although it could certainly be claimed that Carter was possibly the most decent human being to ever hold the office of President.
In one of the defining moments of the anti-apartheid movement, over ten thousand middle- and high-school students in the township of Soweto, South Africa, march in protest of new language requirements in schools; the police open fire, and riots ensue. A military coup in Argentina ousts Isabel Peron, the first female president in the world, amid accusations of a multitude of political atrocities committed under her leadership. And Fidel Castro officially becomes the president of Cuba. (Formerly, he was merely Prime Minister.)
On the technological front, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak found Apple Computer, with the vision of home computers for the everyman that were small and easy to use. NASA rolls out the first space shuttle, Enterprise, to be used for test flights only. And the Concorde begins supersonic high-speed flights out of Paris and London.
The first ever recorded Ebola epidemic takes place in Sudan, and The Son of Sam begins his year-long grip of terror on New York.
Fourteen-year-old Romanian gymnast Nadia Comeneci wins five Olympic medals, with a record seven perfect scores.
Cinema-goers flock to theaters to see such film classics as Rocky, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Taxi Driver, Network, A Star is Born, and All the President’s Men. And in literature, Raymond Carver’s first story collection Will You Please Be Quiet Please? is published; it will later be seen as a milestone in the minimalist fiction literary style. Argentinian writer Manuel Puig publishes Kiss of the Spider Woman, a novel written in the form of a dialogue between two prison cellmates.
In music, arena rock still reigns supreme, but punk and new wave begin to worm their way into the collective musical consciousness.
My Top 6 Top 5 Albums of 1976
As always, you can jump to the playlist at the bottom of each post to listen while you read.
Within each tier (Top 6, Next 6, etc.), all albums are listed roughly chronologically (all release dates from Wikipedia, unless otherwise noted).
Michael Hurley /
The Unholy Modal Rounders /
Jeffrey Fredericks & The Clamtones
Have Moicy!
Michael Hurley /Released 1976/01/01
Have Moicy! has cultivated a small but dedicated following in the decades since its release, and for good reason. The collaboration between Peter Stampfel, Michael Hurley, Jeffrey Fredericks, and a host of other partners in musical crime, Have Moicy! Is perhaps the greatest modern folk album of its time.
Peter Stampfel—one half the core of the Holy Modal Rounders, here billed as Unholy to acknowledge the absence of Steve Weber—brings a mischievous energy to the proceedings. The Rounders played folk music New York City–style, with a snarky, subversive attitude and a manic glee; and his contributions here are cut from the same counter-culture quilt.
Stampfel opens the album with a rendition of “Midnight in Paris” that starts off slowly before kicking into high gear; I love his countrified mispronunciation of beret, among other gentle comic touches. I’m not quite sure if the “Country Bump” is a dance that involves a lot of skillful footwork, or if it’s rather one that is more often performed horizontally, but listening to the song fills me with joy all the same—as does the chronicle of the myriad of corporal and out-of-body experiences to be had at the “Hoodoo Bash.”
“Paris” and album-closer “Hoodoo Bash” bookend the album with humor and flair, and their infectious spirit spreads throughout all the performances. Hurley, who at times can be brilliantly depressive, here mostly plays it for laughs—case in point, the gastronomical and digestive delights of “The Slurf Song.” After an evening of feasting, Hurley quips, “Oh, I see the dishes over there / They fill me with despair.” And I don’t know Fredericks outside of this collaboration, but he more than holds his own alongside the others. He professes his love of “Robbin’ Banks” and other sundry illegal activities, and asks the eternal philosophical question, “What Made My Hamburger Disappear”?
This stuff is hardly my ordinary cup of moonshine, but the exuberance and humor of all involved make this album an undeniable keeper, no matter your tastes. Even my kids, who of course hate anything old—and “old” for them is anything prior to maybe 2018 or so—picked out some favorites after just a few listens in the car. The Stampfel songs won us all over almost immediately; the others filter into the consciousness bit by bit until they cement their place. Great stuff.
Notable Critical Mentions:
- Acclaimed Music top albums of the ’70s, No. 474
- SPIN: The Top 100 Alternative Albums (SPIN Alternative Record Guide, 1995), No. 81
David Bowie
Station to Station
David BowieReleased 1976/01/23
On Station to Station, Bowie adopts a new persona, The Thin White Duke, loosely based on the character Bowie played in the film The Man Who Fell to Earth. That’s him on the cover. He looks slicker and more traditionally classy than Ziggy Stardust ever would, and the music follows suit.
The glam-rock of Ziggy Stardust has slowly morphed into the funk and R&B influence that began to emerge for parts of Diamond Dogs, spent some time in the sun with Young Americans, and here begins to merge with Bowie’s growing interest in electronic music, which would reach fruition in the trio of albums he recorded in Berlin in the late ‘70s, most notably Low. Whew.
The delightful smooth-funk of “Golden Years” would have fit nicely on Young Americans—and would have been the album’s best song. Even better, the slick, semi-funk groove of “Stay” pricks your ears, and the ultra-catchy, propulsive chorus picks you up and transports you. “TVC15” starts with R&B swing but gradually morphs into something that functions more on the level of repetition and drone.
Bowie tones the funk down a notch for the brooding, sultry “Wild is the Wind”—one of the rare crooning love songs that genuinely captivates me. Bowie’s cool yet passionate interpretation was inspired by Nin Simone’s version, which is more harrowing than seductive. I prefer Bowie’s version, but both should be heard.
Bowie was never one to sit still or become comfortable. Such insatiability for change naturally leads to inconsistencies—but some brilliant peaks, as well. And Station to Station is one of the great Bowie albums. If you only own a handful of Bowie releases (that would make five, for most of us), Ziggy, Station, and Low are musts, as far as I’m concerned. So is Hunky Dory, for that matter, even though I don’t rank it quite as highly as many of his fans do. (In truth, I can see that Hunky Dory is better than Station, but something about Station keeps me coming back to it nonetheless.) The last slot is up for debate—Blackstar, maybe? Pick your other favorite.
Notable Critical Mentions:
- Albums Ever Acclaimed Music top albums of the ’70s, No. 98
- Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2003), No. 323
- NME Writers All-Time 100 Albums (1985), No. 65
- MOJO: The 100 Greatest Made (1995), No. 21
- Uncut: 200 Greatest Albums of All Time (2016), No. 30
Ramones
Ramones
RamonesReleased 1976/04/23
Punk wouldn’t truly “break” until 1977, in England. But the first genuine punk band and punk album, both called Ramones, emergied from the New York City music scene a year earlier—and with hair substantially longer.
The Ramones form one of the three pillars of punk, along with the Sex Pistols and the Clash, and the debut albums from these three bands lie at the heart of any punk rock collection. The Ramones cranked out a melodic and catchy brand of bubblegum punk, reinterpreting surf-rock and sunny ‘60s pop in lively, amusing, and inherently irreverent two-minute bursts of punk-pop bliss. They are an essential listen, just loads of twisted fun.
“Blitzkrieg Bop” cleverly describes the punks’ dance aesthetic in military terms. “Judy is a Punk” (not to be confused with the later “Sheena is a Punk Rocker” or “Suzy Is A Headbanger”) is as catchy as punk songs come, with a singalong chorus that references “There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly.” On many a good punk album, a catchy and witty song like “Havana Affair” might stand out as one of the best tracks. Here, I don’t believe I’ve ever heard anyone even mention it—it just blends in with all the other classics.
Elsewhere, the band encourages us to “Beat on the brat with a baseball bat” and sniffs glue to avoid boredom. “I Wanna be Your Boyfriend,” “Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue,” and “I Don’t Wanna Walk Around with You” begin the long string of Ramones classics that start with “I Wanna” or “I Don’t Wanna.”
On the surface, at least, these guys were not about ambiguity. They come across like simple dumb teenage punks, the forefathers of such other great dumbasses as Beavis and Butthead and more. But it’s at least partly a guise; the irony and intelligence poke out from the seams in their leather jackets and between the strands of their shaggy hairdos.
Notable Critical Mentions:
- Acclaimed Music top albums of the ’70s, No. 13
- SPIN: The Top 100 Alternative Albums (SPIN Alternative Record Guide, 1995), No. 1
- Pitchfork: The 100 Best Albums of the 1970s, No. 23
- Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2003), No. 33
- Rolling Stone: 100 Best Albums of the Past 20 Years (1987), No. 69
- Rolling Stone 200: The Essential Rock Collection
- MOJO: The 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made (1995), No. 43
- Paste: The 70 Best Albums of the 1970s, No. 8
- Uncut: 200 Greatest Albums of All Time (2016), No. 136
The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
The Modern LoversReleased 1976/08; recorded 1971/09, 1972/04
The Modern Lovers, in one short album—recorded over a series of sessions for different labels, not compiled and released until four years after the recording was finished and two years after the original band had called it quits—created an unexpected masterpiece.
Founded and fronted by vocalist and guitarist Jonathan Richman, with future Talking Head Jerry Harrison on keyboards, future Car David Robinson on drums, and some guy named Ernie Brooks on bass, the original Modern Lovers cranked out a stripped-down, ragged form of rock that seems a blueprint for much of the new wave and punk that would dominate the US underground scene throughout the latter half of the decade.
The most significant recording session took place in April 1972 with John Cale at the helm, and the Velvet Underground influence is apparent, especially in extended passages in which the riffs repeat trancelike, in the piercing organ grind that adds a buoyant edge to the sound, and the touches of dissonance that creep in at times. Old-timey touches like handclaps and ragtag vocal accompaniment add to the charm.
Even with the edge to the music, the tone here remains remarkably light-hearted. Borrowing the primitive chord progression and discordant organ of the Velvets’ “Sister Ray,” “Roadrunner” is a propulsive, buoyantly infectious tribute to driving on lonely highways in the late-night hours. In “Old World,” Richman confirms that it’s still okay to dig your mom and dad. The album’s most famous song, “Pablo Picasso” satirically details why the artist was such a hit with the ladies—unlike other guys, such as Richman himself, or you.
Richman’s awkward, boyish confessions give the proceedings a sense of innocent naiveté. Richman doesn’t fit in with all those cool hippies and rebels—he seeks the stability of tradition and healthy living over the thrill of the new and dangerous. But he seems attracted to the type, especially to the hippie girls who constantly let him down. In “She Cracked”—a clear highlight—Richman explains why he and his girl can’t stay together: “Well, she cracked, I won’t / She did things that I don’t / She’d eat garbage, eat shit, get stoned / I stay alone, eat health food at home.” It cracks me up, and it’s kind of pathetic, too. In his fumbling but honest attempts at self-assertion, Richman comes across like the Charlie Brown of proto-alt-rock.
The old versus new conflict reaches a tenuous stalemate for album closer “Modern World,” in which Richman implores someone (some touch hippie chick, I suspect) to “Put down your cigarette and drop out of high school.” Richman’s idea of a pure modern love?—“Well, out in the afternoon / Out in the arid plane / We’ll share a modern love / Under suburban rain.” And then, I suppose, after a late-night drive through Massachusetts, they ride off into the early morning sunrise.
Notable Critical Mentions:
- Acclaimed Music top albums of the ’70s, No. 65
- SPIN: The Top 100 Alternative Albums (SPIN Alternative Record Guide, 1995), No. 18
- Pitchfork: The 100 Best Albums of the 1970s, No. 40
- Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2003), No. 381
- Rolling Stone: 100 Best Albums of the Past 20 Years (1987), No. 52
- Paste: The 70 Best Albums of the 1970s, No. 58
- The Wire: 100 Records That Set the World on Fire (When No One was Listening)
Stevie Wonder
Songs in the Key of Life
Stevie WonderReleased 1976/09/28 (2LP)
While Innervisions (1973) remains the most essential Stevie Wonder album, Songs in the Key of Life is many a Wonder fan’s favorite, and for good reason. The album boasts some of the catchiest hit songs of the decade, I’d say—including the tribute to Duke Ellington “Sir Duke”; “Isn’t She Lovely” a celebration of the birth of his daughter, Aisha; and “I Wish,” which harkens back to the innocence and occasional minor mischief of childhood.
Album opener “Love’s in Need of Love Today” opens with a stirring choral arrangement before settling into a passionate plea for peace and love. The similarly themed “Ngiculela – Es Una Historia – I Am Singing” rides a delicious springy synth groove and a typically excellent vocal performance by Wonder (in three languages) . Masterful choogling synth groves also feed “Have a Talk with God.”
“Pastime Paradise” will be instantly recognizable for even the most casual rap fan for its use in Coolio’s classic cut “Gangsta’s Paradise.” And “Black Man delivers a lesson about the contributions of non-whites to our science and history.
Songs in the Key of Life was written and recorded after Wonder had seriously considered retirement, disillusioned with the recording industry and his fame. Lucky for us he changed his mind.
Notable Critical Mentions:
- Acclaimed Music top albums of the ’70s, No. 14
- Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2003), No. 56
- MOJO: The 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made (1995), No. 80
- Paste: The 70 Best Albums of the 1970s, No. 24
- Uncut: 200 Greatest Albums of All Time (2016), No. 49
Why only a Top 5?
I tend to think of musical rankings in tiers—absolute essentials, minor masterpieces, solid contributions, and whatnot. Strictly numerical rankings always seemed a little artificial to me, even though I’ve always loved scouring those lists for new music to devour.
So based on this idea, for my years in review commentary, I normally stick to a Top 6, Top 12, Top 20, Top 30. Sometimes, though, I have a difficult time filling out a tier, or limiting one. I selected five albums pretty easily for this post, each of which seemed to stand head and shoulders above the other releases of 1976. No other album, despite its worth, seemed to belong. I tried more than a few out and none seemed to fit. So I’ll make it up to you with seven albums next post.
Here’s the 1976: The Year in Review playlist for you—three tracks per album.
I’ll be building the playlist as I go, adding to it as I complete different tiers of commentary. By the time I finish all Year in Review posts for 1976, the playlist will be complete! Enjoy!
More 1976, The Year in Review
More Years in Review of the 1970s…
Art Citations:
- Have Moicy!: Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12930254
- Station to Station: By The cover art can be obtained from RCA Records., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2524644
- Ramones: By https://open.spotify.com/album/3ToX9inehiXTv17hpaOyie, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1938206
- The Modern Lovers: By The cover art can be obtained from Beserkley Records., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49324030
- Songs in the Key of Life: By The cover art can be obtained from Motown., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12980652
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