A Secret Place
Grover Washington, Jr.
Kudu KU-32
Produced by: Creed Taylor
U.S. Album Chart Peaks
| Billboard 200 | Billboard R&B | Billboard Jazz | Cash Box |
| 31 | 7 | 1 | 48 |
Ratings:
| Rolling Stone | ★★ |
| Allmusic | ★★★★ |
| Christgau | - |
| U.S. charted singles (Billboard): |
| none |
Top 3 Tracks
"A Secret Place"
"Love Makes it Better"
"Not Yet"
Hasten Down the Wind
Linda Ronstadt
Asylum 7E-1072
Produced by: Peter Asher
U.S. Album Chart Peaks
| Billboard 200 | Cash Box |
| 3 | 3 |
Ratings:
| Rolling Stone | ★★★ |
| Allmusic | ★★★ |
| Christgau | B- |
| U.S. charted singles (Billboard): | Pop | AC | Country |
| That'll Be The Day | 11 | 16 | 27 |
| Someone To Lay Down Beside Me | 42 | 38 | |
| Lose Again | 76 | 43 | |
| Crazy | 6 |
Top 3 Tracks
"That'll Be the Day"
"Crazy"
"Someone to Lay Down Beside Me"
Bigger Than Both of Us
Daryl Hall & John Oates
RCA APL1-1467
Produced by: Christopher Bond
U.S. Album Chart Peaks
| Billboard 200 | Billboard R&B | Cash Box |
| 13 | 33 | 20 |
Ratings:
| Rolling Stone | ★★½ |
| Allmusic | ★★½ |
| Christgau | C+ |
| U.S. charted singles (Billboard): | Pop | R&B |
| Do What You Want, Be What You Are | 39 | 29 |
| Rich Girl | 1 | 64 |
| Back Together | 28 | 70 |
Top 3 Tracks
"Rich Girl"
"Do What You Want, Be What You Are"
"Back Together"
Takin' It to the Streets
The Doobie Brothers
Warner Bros. BS 2899
Produced by: Ted Templeman
U.S. Album Chart Peaks
| Billboard 200 | Cash Box |
| 8 | 9 |
Ratings:
| Rolling Stone | ★★★ |
| Allmusic | ★★★★½ |
| Christgau | C+ |
| U.S. charted singles (Billboard): | Pop |
| Takin' It to the Streets | 13 |
| Wheels of Fortune | 87 |
| It Keeps You Runnin' | 37 |
Top 3 Tracks
"Takin' It to the Streets"
"It Keeps You Runnin'"
"Turn It Loose"
Spirit
Earth, Wind & Fire
Columbia PC 34241
Produced by: Maurice White & Charles Stepney
U.S. Album Chart Peaks
| Billboard 200 | Billboard R&B | Cash Box |
| 2 | 2 | 2 |
Ratings:
| Rolling Stone | ★★★½ |
| Allmusic | ★★★★½ |
| Christgau | B |
| U.S. charted singles (Billboard): | Pop | R&B | Dance |
| Getaway | 12 | 1 | 9 |
| Saturday Nite | 21 | 4 | 9 |
| On Your Face | 26 |
Top 3 Tracks
"Getaway"
"Saturday Nite"
"Imagination"
Song of Joy
Captain & Tennille
A&M SP-4570
Produced by: Captain & Tennille
U.S. Album Chart Peaks
| Billboard 200 | Cash Box |
| 9 | 7 |
Ratings:
| Rolling Stone | ★ |
| Allmusic | ★★★ |
| Christgau | - |
| U.S. charted singles (Billboard): | Pop | AC |
| Lonely Night (Angel Face) | 3 | 1 |
| Shop Around | 4 | 1 |
| Muskrat Love | 4 | 1 |
Top 3 Tracks
"Lonely Night (Angle Face)"
"Lonely Night (Angle Face)"
"Song of Joy"
"Shop Around"
These are my personal top 17 albums released in 1976. The following criteria was used on a very slippery sliding scale:
- How often I enjoyed the album at the time of release
- How often I've enjoyed the album over the past 40 years
- Overall quality of the album
References:
- Billboard magazine chart information is available from the Billboard website, the American Radio History archives, Google Books, or any of the wonderful Record Research books.
- The Cash Box chart information was taken from The Cash Box Album Charts, 1976-1985 (1987).
- The Rolling Stone ratings were taken from either the Rolling Stone Album Guide or the Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide.
- The Robert Christgau ratings were taken from his comprehensive website.
This is an informative look at the beginning of YFD; the albums that paved the way for the glorious decade that followed.
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