The first year I bought an album. Much of the influence on this mix is music I enjoyed listening to in 1976 on the radio.
20. Silly Love Songs by Wings
Always liked this song.
19. I'd Really Love to See You Tonight by England Dan & John Ford Coley
I was always a romantic.
18. Afternoon Delight by Starland Vocal Band
My brother and I both really liked this song.
17. It Doesn't Matter by Firefall
This is off of the first album I ever bought. I still like this album, still listen to it.
16. Welcome Back by John Sebastian
Everyone was watching Welcome Back Kotter.
15. More Than a Feeling by Boston
There was a time when this was probably my number 1 song of all time.
14. Lowdown by Boz Scaggs
A fun song.
13. Rich Girl by Daryl Hall & John Oates
A classic that I still like, my wife likes, our kids like.
12. I Wish by Stevie Wonder
Another classic from Stevie Wonder.
11. You Are the Woman by Firefall
OK this is the song that got me to buy my first album.
10. You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine by Lou Rawls
Come on this is such a great song.
9. Telephone Line by ELO
I was a big ELO fan and this song has held up well.
8. Theme From Mahogany by Diana Ross
I'm not sure I knew what a big Diana Ross fan I was until I started this list making process.
7. Somebody to Love by Queen
I think this song as aged very well compared to some other Queen songs.
6. Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word by Elton John
It's amazing to me how Elton John ends up with a song every year here in the 70's it seems.
5. Carry on Wayward Son by Kansas
Such a classic rock song. For me this has aged so much better than say "More Than a Feeling" by Boston.
4. I'll Be Good to You by The Brothers Johnson
This is a group I did not get into until I was in college. Really love this song.
3. Dancing Queen by Abba
My favorite song in 1976 when I was living in 1976 easily.
2. Year of the Cat by Al Stewart
This song took on special meaning for us in the 1977-78 NCAA basketball season.
1. (Don't Fear) The Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult
There is a part of me that is uncomfortable with the lyrics of this song. That being said the lyrics are excellent, though I do worry about some young teenage boy taking it too much to heart.
I also have always liked "Silly Love Songs." I tend to be more likely to stick with a Wings song to the end than a Beatles song, though that's a lot because the Wings songs that I hear I've heard less than the Beatles songs I've hear.
ReplyDelete1977 me is just totally thrilled that you have finally gotten to some modern songs. "I Really Want to See You Tonight" was a big hit of my early 2024.
ReplyDeleteBill Danoff and Taffy Nivert of Starland Vocal Band also wrote, eventually with John Denver, "Take Me Home, Country Roads." They told the neat story on the opening episode of the pretty cute Starland Vocal Band Show this summer 1977.
ReplyDeleteNo joke, I had a 15-year-old at youth group Wednesday night ask me if I was familiar with a band called Boston.
ReplyDeleteLove the Christmas tree in the Boz Scaggs video.
ReplyDeleteI think of Hall and Oates as existing strictly in the 1980s, but they were huge in the 1970s. It's odd for me to think how, for example, the cast of Rhoda might've been listening to Hall and Oates at breaks in filming.
ReplyDelete"I Wish" is phenomenal.
ReplyDelete"As," from the same record, is at least as good as anything ever written:
As around the sun the earth knows she's revolving
And the rosebuds know to bloom in early may
Just as hate knows love's the cure
You can rest your mind assure
That I'll be loving you always
As now can't reveal the mystery of tomorrow
But in passing will grow older every day
Just as all that's born is new
You know what I say is true
That I'll be loving you always
always
(Until the ocean covers every mountain high) always
(Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea) always
(Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream)
Did you know that true love asks for nothing
Her acceptance is the way we pay
Did you know that life has given love a guarantee
To last through forever and another day
Just as time knew to move on since the beginning
And the seasons know exactly when to change
Just as kindness knows no shame
Know through all your joy and pain
That I'll be loving you always
As today I know I'm living but tomorrow
Could make me the past but that I mustn't fear
For I'll know deep in my mind
The love of me I've left behind
'Cause I'll be loving you always
always
(Until the trees and seas just up and fly away) always
(Until the day that eight times eight times eight is four) always
(Until the day that is the day that are no more)
Did you know you're loved by somebody?
(Until the day the earth starts turnin' right to left) always
(Until the earth just for the sun denies itself) I'll be lovin' you forever
(Until dear mother nature says her work is through) always
(Until the day that you are me and I am you) always
(Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky)
Until the ocean severs every mountain high) always
We all know sometimes life hates and troubles
Can make you wish you were born in another time and space
But you can bet your lifetimes that and twice it's double
That God knew exactly where he wanted you to be placed
So make sure when you say you're in it, but not of it
You're not helpin' to make this earth
A place sometimes called hell
Change your words into truths
And then change that truth into love
And maybe our children's grandchildren
And their great grandchildren will tell
I'll be loving you ...
Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky
DeleteLoving you
Until the ocean covers every mountain high
Loving you
Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea
Loving you
Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream
Be loving you
Until the day is night and night becomes the day
Loving you
Until the trees and seas up, up and fly away
Loving you
Until the day that eight times eight times eight is four
Loving you
Until the day that is the day that are no more
Loving you
Until the day the earth starts turning right to left
Be loving you
Until the earth just for the sun denies itself
Loving you
Until dear mother nature says her work is through
Loving you
Until the day that you are me and I am you
Now ain't that loving you
(Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky) Ain't that loving you
(Until the ocean covers every mountain high) and I've got to say always
(Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea) always
(Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream)
(Until the day is night and night becomes the day) always
(Until the trees and seas just up and fly away) always
(Until the day that eight times eight times eight is four)
(Until the day that is the day that are no more) always
(Until the day the earth starts turning right to left)
(Until the earth just for the sun denies itself) always
(Until dear mother nature says her work is through)
(Until the day that you are me and I am you)
(Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky)
(Until the ocean covers every mountain high)
(Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea)
(Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream)
(Until the day is night and night becomes the day)
(Until the trees and seas just up and fly away)
(Until the day that eight times eight times eight is four)
(Until the day that is the day that are no more)
(Until the day the earth starts turning right to left)
(Until the earth just for the sun denies itself)
(Until dear mother nature says her work is through)
(Until the day that you are me and I am you)
Lou Rawls is the soundtrack of so many happy memories in my head.
ReplyDeleteMy mother actually was not watching Welcome Back, Kotter at the time, but she came around to it on TVLand in the early 2000s and loved it. She turned in to a much, much bigger Kotter fan than certainly I was.
ReplyDeleteThere are some great songs about telephone experiences, and certainly "Telephone Line" is not far from the top of the list. Jim Croce's "Operator," Glenn Miller's "Pennsylvania 6-5000" and Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" are up there, too.
ReplyDeleteI refer to the "Theme from Mahogony" lyrics so often in various conversations with my wife and daughter, and I'm not sure either one of them has a clue what I'm talking about.
ReplyDeleteWeird ... Elton John's second greatest-hits collection (the one where he's playing cricket on the corner) comes out today in 1977, so it's in my queue to work to later today. So it appears I'll be listening to "Sorry Always Seems" at least twice today.
ReplyDeleteI went on a big Al Stewart jag several years ago and got into listening various live versions of "Year of the Cat" over the years. Best I could tell, he never varies from the tempo or his vocal in the original, but he does let different band members do different things with their instruments. That's a neat way to keep it fresh. Check out the lead guitarist on this version from last spring.
ReplyDeleteSuch a terrific song.
Oh, my word! Though I'd always loved "Don't Fear the Reaper" and became an even bigger fan of it after the Gin Blossoms did "Found Out About You," I'd never paid a lick of attention to its lyrics. I had zero clue what it was about.
ReplyDelete