17 | A Secret Place | Grover Washington, Jr. |
16 | Hasten Down the Wind | Linda Ronstadt |
15 | Bigger Than Both of Us | Daryl Hall & John Oates |
14 | Takin' It to the Streets | Doobie Brothers |
13 | Spirit | Earth, Wind & Fire |
12 | Song of Joy | Captain & Tennille |
11 | This One's for You | Barry Manilow |
10 | Frampton Comes Alive! | Peter Frampton |
9 | Hotel California | Eagles |
8 | Boston | Boston |
7 | Wings at the Speed of Sound | Wings |
6 | Fly Like an Eagle | Steve Miller Band |
U.S. Album Chart Peaks
Billboard | Cash Box |
5 | 10 |
U.S. charted singles (Billboard): | Pop | AC |
Livin' Thing | 13 | 36 |
Do Ya | 24 | |
Telephone Line | 7 |
Top 3 Tracks
"Livin' Thing"
"Do Ya"
"Mission (A World Record)"
U.S. Album Chart Peaks
Billboard | Cash Box |
1 | 5 |
Ratings:
Rolling Stone | ★★½ |
Allmusic | ★★★½ |
Christgau | C |
U.S. charted singles (Billboard): | Pop | R&B | AC |
Breezin' | 63 | 55 | 13 |
This Masquerade | 10 | 3 |
Top 3 Tracks
"Breezin'"
"Affirmation"
"This Masquerade"
U.S. Album Chart Peaks
Billboard | Cash Box |
122 | 92 |
Ratings:
Rolling Stone | ★★★½ |
Allmusic | ★★★★½ |
Christgau | C+ |
U.S. charted singles (Billboard): |
none |
Top 3 Tracks
"New York State of Mind"
"Prelude/Angry Young Man"
"Summer Highland Falls"
U.S. Album Chart Peaks
Billboard | Cash Box |
2 | 2 |
Ratings:
Rolling Stone | ★★★★ |
Allmusic | ★★★★★ |
Christgau | A- |
U.S. charted singles (Billboard): | Pop | R&B | AC | Dance |
It's Over | 38 | |||
Lowdown | 3 | 5 | 11 | 12 |
Lido Shuffle | 11 | |||
What Can I Say | 42 | 68 | 35 | 12 |
Top 3 Tracks
"Lido Shuffle"
"Lowdown"
"What Can I Say"
U.S. Album Chart Peaks
Billboard | Cash Box |
1 | 1 |
Ratings:
Rolling Stone | ★★★★★ |
Allmusic | ★★★★★ |
Christgau | A |
U.S. charted singles (Billboard): | Pop | R&B | AC | Dance |
I Wish | 1 | 1 | 23 | 2 |
Sir Duke | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
Another Star | 32 | 18 | 29 | 2 |
As | 36 | 36 | 24 | |
Isn't She Lovely | 23 | 2 |
Top 3 Tracks
"As"
"I Wish"
"Sir Duke"
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 (1999).
- The Robert Christgau ratings were taken from his comprehensive website.
Dirk sez: "Three cheers for the Soft Rock Kid™!!!" All right, all right... Enough of that! • Now three cheers for Dirk as he lists his Top 3 faves from each of your Top 5's!!!
ReplyDeleteA New World Record - Electric Light Orchestra
1) Livin' Thing (It's in "Boogie Nights"... What'd you expect?)
2) Do Ya
3) Telephone Line
Breezin' - George Benson (Dirk's #1 Album of '76)
1) This Masquerade
2) Breezin'
3) Affirmation
Turnstiles - Billy Joel
1) I've Loved These Days
2) New York State Of Mind
3) Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)
Silk Degrees - Boz Scaggs
1) Lowdown
2) What Can I Say
3) It's Over
Songs In The Key Of Life - Stevie Wonder
1) Isn't She Lovely
2) Knocks Me Off My Feet
3) Another Star
**Drop the mic**