The 25 best albums of 1976

5 April 2024, 17:00

Radio X looks back at the year of Oxygene, Station To Station, A Day At The Races, Hotel California and the debut from Blondie.

1. Bob Dylan - Desire: release date 5th January 1976

   Robert Zimmerman's seventeenth album saw him return to his protest roots with the song Hurricane - which concerned the conviction of former boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, who was imprisoned for murder in 1966.

   

2. David Bowie - Station To Station: release date 23rd January 1976

   A ground-breaking album from Bowie, which followed up his "plastic soul" masterpiece Young Americans. The mammoth title track was a live favourite, plus the LP included the singles Golden Years, TVC15 and Stay. The "Berlin" era was just around the corner.

   

3. Diana Ross – Diana Ross: release date 10th February 1976

   The Seventh solo album from the former Supreme included the hit song Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To) and the disco classic Love Hangover.

   

4. KISS - Destroyer: release date 25th March 1976

   The New York glam metal giants were at the height of their make-upped powers in '76, and this album was a huge seller, including the tracks Detroit Rock City and Beth.

   

5. Wings - Wings At The Speed Of Sound: release date 26th March 1976

   Paul McCartney's post-Beatles band issued their fifth album, which included the hits Silly Love Songs and Let 'Em In.

   

6. Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak: release date 26th March 1976

   The sixth album from Phil Lynott's hard rockers included the classic title track and the evergreen favourite The Boys Are Back In Town.

   

7. Led Zeppelin - Presence: release date 31st March 1976

   Not quite as big a seller as its predecessors Physical Graffiti and Led Zeppelin IV, the British rock band were still a huge live draw in the mid 1970s. Tracks on their seventh outing included Achilles' Last Stand and Nobody's Fault But Mine.

   

8. Rush – 2112: release date 1st April 1976

   The Canadian prog rock outfit saw a commercial breakthrough with this, their fourth album, which features the "2112 suite" as the whole of side 1. Two singles were issued: The Twilight Zone and The Temples Of Syrinx.

   

9. Ramones - Ramones: release date 23rd April 1976

   Here comes the new guard: the debut album from the New York "brothers" was one of the first signs of punk on vinyl from the USA and included the no-nonsense tunes Blitzkrieg Bop and I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.

   

10. The Rolling Stones - Black & Blue: release date 23rd April 1976

    Following the departure of guitarist Mick Taylor in 1974, this Stones album served as an audition for a replacement (a role eventually filled permanently by Ronnie Wood). Tracks included Fool To Cry and Hot Stuff.

    

11. Aerosmith - Rocks: release date 3rd May 1976

    Artists as diverse as Slash, Kurt Cobain, Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe and James Hetfield of Metallica have all cited this album as an influence on their own music. The follow-up to 1975's Toys In The Attic, tunes included Back In The Saddle, Nobody's Fault and Last Child.

    

12. Blue Öyster Cult - Agents Of Fortune: release date 21st May 1976

    The fourth album from the Long Island heavy rock outfit included their classic hit Don't Fear The Reaper.

    

13. Al Stewart - Year Of The Cat released July 1976

    The British singer-songwriter's seventh album spawned a hit in the eloquent title track, which spent six weeks on the chart at the beginning of 1977.

    

14. The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers: released August 1976

    Originally recorded as demos in 1972, Jonathan Richman's art rock escapades eventually found a release in the summer of '76, where they found an audience in the new wave of punk that was on the rise. Tracks included the hit Roadrunner and Pablo Picasso.

    

15. Boston - Boston: released 25th August 1976

    A classic rock debut, which includes Long Time, Peace Of Mind and the eternal favourite More Than A Feeling.

    

16. Rose Royce - Car Wash (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack): release date 13th September 1976

    Featuring the silky smooth vocals of Gwen Dickey, the LA funk band's debut album found itself turning into the soundtrack of one of 1976's hit movies, starring Richard Pryor. The title song was a huge hit in the blossoming disco market.

    

17. Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life: release date 28th September 1976

    Wonder's eighteenth album is one of his finest, including the songs I Wish, Isn't She Lovely and Sir Duke.

    

18. ABBA - Arrival: release date 11th October 1976

    The Swedish pop legends were at the height of their powers: their fourth album alone spawned the hits Dancing Queen, Knowing Me Knowing You, Money Money Money

    

19. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: released 9th November 1976

    The Florida musician's debut album with the Heartbreakers included the hits American Girl and Breakdown

    

20. AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap: release date 12th November 1976 (UK release)

    The third album from the Aussie rockers includes Jailbreak and title track, which while not a hit in the UK, remains one of the band's classic tunes.

    

21. Electric Light Orchestra - A New World Record: release date 19th November 1976

    The sixth album from Jeff Lynne's orchestral rock band includes the hit singles Livin' Thing, Rockaria! and Telephone Line.

    

22. Jean-Michel Jarre - Oxygene: release date 5th December 1976

    The son of French composer Maurice Jarre became an international superstar with his third album, which combined electronic sounds with ethereal production to become one of the first "new age" style albums. Oxygene Part 4 was issued as a single, which reached No 4 in the UK charts and became Jarre's most famous track. The album has sold an estimated 15 million copies around the world.

    

23. The Eagles – Hotel California: release date 8th December 1976

    The Californian rockers' fifth album gave the world their most famous hit in the title track. The album has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the biggest of all time.

    

24. Queen - A Day At The Races: release date 10th December 1976

    Faced with following up the album A Night At The Opera and its huge hit Bohemian Rhapsody, the British band came up trumps with their fifth outing, which included the singles Somebody To Love, Tie Your Mother Down and Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy.

    

25. Blondie - Blondie: release date December 1976

    Issued at the tail end of 1976, the New York new wave band fronted by Debbie Harry included the singles X Offender, Rip Her To Shreds and In The Flesh.