1977 in music

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Contents

[edit] Events

Bohemian Rhapsody is named 'The Best Single Of The Last 25 Years' by BPI.

In this year, the St. Magnus Festival was founded in Orkney by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

Perhaps most important is the beginning of what has become known as the "punk explosion". 1977 saw the release of several pivotal albums in the development of punk music. Widely-acknowledged as masterpieces and among the earliest first full-length purely punk albums, the Ramones' Rocket to Russia, the Jam's In the City, Iggy Pop's Lust for Life, the debut by the Clash, The Clash, The Damned's Damned, Damned, Damned, Wire's Pink Flag, Richard Hell & the Voidoids' Blank Generation, Elvis Costello's My Aim Is True, the Dead Boys' Young, Loud and Snotty, the Sex Pistols' Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, and Television's Marquee Moon are usually considered their respective masterpieces, and kick-started punk music as the musical genre it eventually became. The year also saw the release of debut albums by bands often associated with, if not defined as, punk, such as Talking Heads' Talking Heads: 77, Suicide's Suicide, and Motörhead's Motörhead. The year was also the year of formation for the B-52's, Black Flag, Crass, Discharge and X.

The soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever was an enormous hit that established the Bee Gees (who had composed most of the tracks) as the most popular artists in the world, and the best-selling artist since the Beatles. Saturday Night Fever also moved disco music into the mainstream, and it dominated the charts for the next few years.

Jimmy Buffett's Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes is also especially notable in its inclusion of "Margaritaville", the biggest single of his career. This album helped establish Buffett as a popular artist, and earned him much of the rabid fanbase ("Parrotheads") that he eventually became known for. Billy Joel's The Stranger was enormously popular, and includes his beloved medly, "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant". Lastly, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours is the most popular and critically acclaimed LP of the band's career; it is one of the best-selling albums of all time.

[edit] Albums released

[edit] Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1977.

# Artist Title Year Country Chart Entries
1 The Eagles Hotel California 1977 Flag of the United States US BB 1 - Mar 1977, Canada 1 - Mar 1977, France 1 - Jun 1977, Grammy in 1977, Switzerland 2 - Jul 1977, OzNet 3, Norway 5 - May 1977, Europe 5 of the 1970s, US BB 6 of 1977, Germany 6 - Jun 1977, TheQ 6, POP 6 of 1977, UK 8 - Apr 1977, Holland 8 - May 1977, Austria 13 - Sep 1977, Belgium 18 of all time, RYM 18 of 1977, Scrobulate 28 of rock, US CashBox 35 of 1977, Poland 38 of all time, Acclaimed 43, Virgin 44, RIAA 46, Rolling Stone 49, 68 in 2FM list, WXPN 73, Party 87 of 2007, Italy 88 of 1977, Germany 317 of the 1970s
2 Donna Summer I Feel Love 1977 Flag of the United States UK 1 - Jul 1977, Holland 1 - Aug 1977, France 1 - Sep 1977, Austria 1 - Aug 1977, Australia 1 for 1 weeks May 1978, Switzerland 2 - Aug 1977, Germany 3 - Aug 1977, Sweden (alt) 5 - Jul 1977, Italy 5 of 1977, US BB 6 - Sep 1977, RYM 7 of 1977, Norway 8 - Nov 1977, Canada 9 - Oct 1977, Australia 17 of 1977, Scrobulate 32 of disco, US CashBox 57 of 1977, Acclaimed 181, Germany 271 of the 1970s, Rolling Stone 411
3 Wings Mull of Kintyre 1977 Flag of the United Kingdom UK 1 - Nov 1977, Holland 1 - Dec 1977, Austria 1 - Feb 1978, Switzerland 1 - Jan 1978, Germany 1 - Jan 1978, Éire 1 - Dec 1977, Australia 1 for 11 weeks Jul 1978, Norway 2 - Dec 1977, Australia 2 of 1978, South Africa 5 of 1978, Sweden (alt) 14 - Dec 1977, Germany 21 of the 1970s, RYM 28 of 1977, Europe 76 of the 1970s, Italy 97 of 1978
4 Boney M Ma Baker 1977 Flag of Jamaica / Flag of Montserrat / Flag of Aruba Holland 1 - May 1977, Sweden (alt) 1 - May 1977, France 1 - Jun 1977, Austria 1 - Jun 1977, Switzerland 1 - May 1977, Norway 1 - Jun 1977, Germany 1 - May 1977, UK 2 - Jun 1977, Italy 16 of 1977, Australia 24 of 1977, Global 33 (5 M sold) - 1978, Germany 55 of the 1970s, Scrobulate 80 of disco, RYM 101 of 1977
5 Baccara Yes Sir, I Can Boogie 1977 Flag of Spain UK 1 - Sep 1977, Holland 1 - Jun 1977, Sweden (alt) 1 - Jul 1977, Switzerland 1 - Jun 1977, Norway 1 - Aug 1977, Germany 1 - Jun 1977, Éire 1 - Nov 1977, France 2 - Jun 1977, Austria 2 - Aug 1977, Germany 31 of the 1970s, Italy 81 of 1978, RYM 123 of 1977

[edit] Chronological table of US and UK Number One hit singles

US Number One Singles and Artist
(Weeks at Number One)		 UK Number One Singles and Artist
(Weeks at Number One)
"Tonight's the Night" - Rod Stewart (7 weeks in 1976 + 1 week in 1977)


"You Don't Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)"- Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr (1)
"You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" - Leo Sayer (1)
"I Wish" - Stevie Wonder (1)
"Car Wash" - Rose Royce (1)
"Torn Between Two Lovers" - Mary MacGregor (2)
"Blinded by the Light" - Manfred Mann's Earth Band (1)
"New Kid In Town" - The Eagles (1)
"Love Theme From A Star Is Born (Evergreen)" - Barbra Streisand (3)
"Rich Girl" - Hall & Oates (2)
"Dancing Queen" - ABBA (1)
"Don't Give Up On Us" - David Soul (1)
"Don't Leave Me This Way" - Thelma Houston (1)
"Southern Nights" - Glen Campbell (1)
"Hotel California" - The Eagles (1)
"When I Need You" - Leo Sayer (1)
"Sir Duke" - Stevie Wonder (3)
"I'm Your Boogie Man" - KC & The Sunshine Band (1)
"Dreams" - Fleetwood Mac (1)
"Got to Give It Up" - Marvin Gaye (1)
"Gonna Fly Now (Theme From Rocky) - Bill Conti (1)
"Undercover Angel" - Alan O'Day (1)
"Da Do Ron Ron" - Shaun Cassidy (1)
"Looks Like We Made It" - Barry Manilow (1)
"I Just Want To Be Your Everything" - Andy Gibb (4)
"Best Of My Love" - The Emotions (5)
"Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" - Meco (2)
"You Light Up My Life" - Debby Boone (10), best selling single of the year
"How Deep Is Your Love" - Bee Gees (2 weeks in 1977 + 1 week in 1978)


"When A Child Is Born" - Johnny Mathis (1 week in 1976 + 2 weeks in 1977)
"Don't Give Up On Us" - David Soul (4)
"Don't Cry for Me Argentina" - Julie Covington (1)
"When I Need You" - Leo Sayer (3)
"Chanson D'Amour" - The Manhattan Transfer (3)
"Knowing Me, Knowing You" - ABBA (5)
"Free" - Deniece Williams (2)
"I Don't Want to Talk About It/The First Cut Is the Deepest" - Rod Stewart (4)
"Lucille" - Kenny Rogers (1)
"Show You The Way To Go" - The Jacksons (1)
"So You Win Again" - Hot Chocolate (3)
"I Feel Love" - Donna Summer (4)
"Angelo" - Brotherhood of Man (1)
"Float On - Floaters (1)
"Way Down" - Elvis Presley (5)
"Silver Lady" - David Soul (3)
"Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" - Baccara (1)
"The Name Of The Game" - ABBA (4)
"Mull Of Kintyre/Girl's School" - Wings, (5 weeks in 1977 + 4 weeks in 1978), best selling single of the year

[edit] Other significant singles and major hits

[edit] Published popular music

[edit] Classical music

[edit] Opera

  • Julian Livingston - Twist of Treason
  • Thea Musgrave - Mary, Queen of Scots
  • Donald Sosin - Esther

[edit] Musical theatre

[edit] Musical films

[edit] Births

[edit] Deaths

[edit] Awards

[edit] Grammy Awards

[edit] Country Music Association Awards

[edit] Eurovision Song Contest