1977 in music

Contents

1 Events

2 Albums released

3 Chronological Table of US and UK Number One Hit Singles

4 Other significant singles and major hits

5 Published popular music

12.1 Grammy Awards
12.2 Country Music Association Awards
12.3 Eurovision Song Contest

Events

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

Perhaps most important is 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, Richard Hell & the Voidoids' Blank Generation, Elvis Costello's My Aim Is True, the Sex Pistols' Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols, and Television's Marquee Moon are usually considered their respective masterpieces, and kickstarted punk music as the musical genre it eventually became.

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 Atitudes 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 included one of his most beloved songs today, "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.

January 1 - The Clash headline the gala opening of the London music club, The Roxy.
January 6 - After releasing only one single for the band, EMI terminates their contract with The Sex Pistols.
January 12 - Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards is fined 750 pounds for possession of cocaine which was found in his wrecked car on May 19, 1976. Richards was charged an additional 250 pounds for court costs and found "not guilty" of possession of LSD.
January 26 - Patti Smith falls off the stage while opening for Bob Seger in Tampa, Florida. Smith is rushed to the hospital for 22 stitches to close head lacerations. While recovering, Smith writes her fifth book of poetry, Babel.
January 26 - Fleetwood Mac's original lead guitarist, Peter Green, is committed to a mental hospital in England after firing a pistol at a delivery boy bringing him a royalties check
February 4 - American Bandstand celebrates its 25th anniversary on television with an special hosted by Dick Clark. An "all-star band" made up of Chuck Berry, Seals & Crofts, Gregg Allman, Junior Walker, Johnny Rivers, the Pointer Sisters, Charlie Daniels, Doc Severenson, Les McCann, Donald Byrd, Chuck Mangione and three members of Booker T and the MGs perform "Roll Over Beethoven."
February 14 - The B-52's make their debut at a party in Athens, Georgia
February 15 - Sid Vicious replaces Glen Matlock as the bassist for the Sex Pistols
February 27 - Royal Canadian Mounted Police raid Keith Richards' Toronto hotel suite while he is sleeping and seize 22 grams of heroin, 5 grams of cocaine and narcotics paraphernalia. Richards is arrested and charged with possession of heroin with intent to traffic, and possession of cocaine. He is released on $25,000 bail
March 1 - Sara Lowndes Dylan files for divorce from her husband of 11 years, Bob Dylan.
March 10 - A&M Records signs the Sex Pistols in a ceremony that takes places in front of Buckingham Palace
March 19 - A&M Records terminates its contract with the Sex Pistols
April 24 - Several artists including Joan Baez, Santana and others perform at a free concert for the inmates of California's Soledad Prison.
Saturday Night Fever appears in theaters, igniting a new popularity for Disco music.
April 25 - During a concert at the Saginaw, Michigan Civic Center, Elvis Presley makes what would turn out to be the last recordings he would ever make. Three songs recorded at the show would later appear (with overdubs), on the posthumously released album, Moody Blue.
April 26 - New York's legendary disco Studio 54 opens.
June - Founding of the Nikikai Opera Foundation.
August 16 - Elvis Presley is found dead at his home in Graceland.
August 17 - Florists Transworld Delivery (FTD) reported that in one day the number of orders for flowers to be delivered to Graceland for the funeral of Elvis Presley had surpassed the number for any other event in the company's history
Alice Cooper is hospitalized in a New York sanitarium for alcoholism.
Kenny Rogers releases his album "Ten Years Of Gold" less than 12 months after scoring his first solo hit, following the break up of his pop/country band, The First Edition. The album features the original versions of his recent solo hit's and re recordings of First Edition classics.
INXS forms in Sydney, Australia
Black Flag forms
The B-52's forms
Crass forms
Def Leppard forms in Sheffield, Yorkshire
The Feelies forms
Whitesnake forms
X (US) forms
The Fall forms in Manchester, England
The Meters break up
Dire Straits' career begins
Midnight Oil's career begins
The Cars sign a contract with Elektra Records
Devo signs a contract with Warner Bros.
Midnight Oil sign a contract with CBS Records
The Neville Brothers sign a contract with A&M Records
The Police sign a contract with A&M Records
Van Halen signs a contract with Warner Bros.

Albums released

The Album - ABBA
Let There Be Rock - AC/DC
Draw the Line - Aerosmith
Breaking Through - A Foot in Cold Water
On Earth as It Is in Heaven - Angel
Live at the El Mocambo - April Wine
Visitors - Automatic Man
Plastic Letters - Blondie
Blondie - Blondie
Spectres - Blue Öyster Cult
Every Day of My Life - Michael Bolton
"Heroes" - David Bowie
Low - David Bowie
The Pretender - Jackson Browne
Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes - Jimmy Buffett
Come In From The Rain - Captain & Tennille
Passage - Carpenters
Chic - Chic
XI - Chicago
Slowhand - Eric Clapton
The Clash - The Clash
The Alice Cooper Show - Alice Cooper
Lace and Whiskey - Alice Cooper
My Aim Is True - Elvis Costello (debut)
Femme est la Nuit - Dalida
Olympia 77 - Dalida
Pour Toujours - Dalida (soundtrack)
Salma Ya Salama - Dalida
Damned, Damned, Damned - The Damned (debut)
Donovan - Donovan
Out of the Blue - Electric Light Orchestra
Works Volume I - Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Blue Lights in the Basement - Roberta Flack
Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel
Flowing Rivers - Andy Gibb
Perilous Journey - Gordon Giltrap
Amy Grant - Amy Grant
Blank Generation - Richard Hell & the Voidoids
In the City - The Jam
Ol' Waylon - Waylon Jennings
Songs From The Wood - Jethro Tull
Repeat --- The Best of Jethro Tull --- Vol II - Jethro Tull
The Stranger - Billy Joel
Next - Journey
Sin After Sin - Judas Priest
Leftoverture - Kansas
The Point of Know Return - Kansas
Love Gun and Alive II- Kiss
Street Survivors - Lynyrd Skynyrd
It Feels So Good - The Manhattans
Exodus - Bob Marley and the Wailers
Bat out of Hell - Meat Loaf
Book of Dreams - Steve Miller Band
Making a Good Thing Better - Olivia Newton-John
Cat Scratch Fever - Ted Nugent
Regeneration - Roy Orbison
Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome - Parliament
Animals - Pink Floyd
Lust for Life - Iggy Pop
Prism - Prism
News of the World - Queen
Rocket to Russia - Ramones
Ear Candy - Helen Reddy
Fingerprince - The Residents
Rocket to Russia - Ramones
Daytime Friends - Kenny Rogers
Ten Years Of Gold - Kenny Rogers
Black and Blue - The Rolling Stones
Queens of Noise and Waiting for the Night - The Runaways
All The World's a Stage - Rush
A Farewell to Kings - Rush
Moonflower - Santana
Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols - The Sex Pistols
All Skrewed Up - Skrewdriver
Aja - Steely Dan
Year of the Cat - Al Stewart
Foot Loose & Fancy Free - Rod Stewart
A Night on the Town - Rod Stewart
The Stranglers IV-Rattus Norvegicus - The Stranglers
The Grand Illusion - Styx
I Remember Yesterday - Donna Summer
Once Upon A Time . . . - Donna Summer
Talking Heads: 77 - Talking Heads
Marquee Moon - Television
George Thorogood - George Thorogood
Lights Out - UFO
The Deep (soundtrack) - Various Artists
Pink Flag - Wire
Going for the One - Yes
Decade - Neil Young
Saturday Night Fever - Soundtrack (mostly by The Bee Gees)
Best of ZZ Top - ZZ Top
Tejas - ZZ Top
Warren Zevon - Warren Zevon
Trans-Europe Express - Kraftwerk

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 McGregor (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" - 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) "God Save the Queen" - The Sex Pistols (0) "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" - Paul McCartney & Wings, (5 weeks in 1977 + 4 weeks in 1978), best selling single of the year

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 McGregor (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" - 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)
"God Save the Queen" - The Sex Pistols (0)
"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" - Paul McCartney & Wings, (5 weeks in 1977 + 4 weeks in 1978), best selling single of the year

Other significant singles and major hits

"Alison" - Elvis Costello
"American Girl" - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
"Amoureuse de la vie" - Dalida
"Angel In Your Arms" - Hot
"Another Star" - Stevie Wonder
"April Sun In Cuba" - Dragon
"As" - Stevie Wonder
"Baby What A Big Surprise" - Chicago
"Barracuda" - Heart
"Black Betty" - Ram Jam
"Blue Bayou" - Linda Ronstadt
"Boogie Nights" - Heatwave
"California" - Manfred Mann's Earth Band
"Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft" - The Carpenters
"Captain Sky" - Dalida
"Carry On Wayward Son" - Kansas
"Cold As Ice" - Foreigner
"Come Sail Away" - Styx
"Complete Control" - The Clash
"Coyote" - Joni Mitchell
"Dancing In The Moonlight(It's Caught Me In The Spotlight)" - Thin Lizzy
"Dancing The Night Away" - The Motors
"Daytime Friends" - Kenny Rogers
"Disco Inferno" - The Trammps
"Do Anything You Wanna Do" - Eddie and the Hotrods
"Don't Believe A Word" - Thin Lizzy
"Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" - Crystal Gayle
"Don't Stop" - Fleetwood Mac
"Down To Zero" - Joan Armatrading
"Dr Love" - Tina Charles
"Dreamboat Annie" - Heart
"Fanfare For The Common Man" - Emerson Lake and Palmer
"Father Christmas" - The Kinks
"Feels Like The First Time" - Foreigner
"Femme est la Nuit" - Dalida
"Fly Like An Eagle" - Steve Miller Band
"(Get A)Grip(On Yourself)" - The Stranglers
"Give A Little Bit" - Supertramp
"Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac
"God Save The Queen" - The Sex Pistols
"Heard It In A Love Song" - Marshall Tucker
"Heartsong" - Gordon Giltrap
"Hello Stranger" - Yvonne Elliman
"Help Is On It's Way" - Little River Band
"Here Come Those Tears Again" - Jackson Browne
"Heroes" - David Bowie
"Holidays In The Sun" - The Sex Pistols
"I Need A Man" - Grace Jones
"I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" - Warren Zevon
"I'm In You" - Peter Frampton
"In The Flesh" - Blondie
"Jamming/Punky Reggae Party" - Bob Marley and the Wailers
"Jet Airliner" - Steve Miller Band
"Jungle Love" - Steve Miller Band
"Killing of Georgie, Pt. 1-2" - Rod Stewart
"Let There Be Rock" - AC/DC
"Lido Shuffle" - Boz Scaggs
"Life In The Fast Lane" - The Eagles
"Like A Huricane" - Neil Young
"Livin' Thing" - Electric Light Orchestra
"Living Next Door To Alice" - Smokie
"Lonely Boy" - Andrew Gold
"Love Is The Answer" - Utopia
"Ma Baker" - Boney M
"Magazine Madonna - Sherbet
"Mannequin" - Wire
"Margaritaville" - Jimmy Buffett
"Maybe I'm Amazed" (live) - Paul McCartney & Wings
"Memory Motel" - The Rolling Stones
"More Than A Feeling" - Boston
"Motorhead" - Motorhead
"No More Heroes" - The Stranglers
"Nobody Does It Better" - Carly Simon
"Peaches/Go Buddy Go" - The Stranglers
"Pearl's A Singer" - Elkie Brooks
"Portsmouth" - Mike Oldfield
"The Pretender" - Jackson Browne
"Pretty Vacant" - The Sex Pistols
"Really Free" - John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett
"Remember... C'était loin" - Dalida & Richard Chanfray as St-Germain
"Rip To Her Shreds" - Blondie
"Rockaria" - Electric Light Orchestra
"Rockin' All Over The World" - Status Quo
"Rose Of Cimarron(EP)" - Poco
"Salma Ya Salama" - Dalida
"Save It For A Rainy Day" - Stephen Bishop
"Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll" - Ian Dury and the Blockheads
"She's Not There" - Santana
"Sheena Is A Punk Rocker" - The Ramones
"Smoke On The Water" - Deep Purple
"Solsbury Hill" - Peter Gabriel
"Something Better Change/Straighten Out" - The Stranglers
"Sound And Vision" - David Bowie
"Things We Do For Love" - 10cc
"This Is Tomorrow" - Bryan Ferry
"Ti Amo (Je t'aime)" - Dalida
"Tie Your Mother Down" - Queen
"2-4-6-8 Motorway" - Tom Robinson Band
"Tumbling Dice" - Linda Ronstadt
"Walk This Way" - Aerosmith
"Watching The Detectives" - Elvis Costello
"We Are The Champions" - Queen
"We Will Rock You" - Queen
"We Just Disagree" - Dave Mason
"White Riot" - The Clash
"Whole Wide World" - Wreckless Eric
"Wild Side Of Life" - Status Quo
"Wonderous Stories" - Yes
"Year Of The Cat" - Al Stewart
"You And Me" - Alice Cooper
"You Yesyesyes" - The Residents
"You're In My Heart" - Rod Stewart
"You're Moving Out Today" - Carole Bayer Sager
"(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher And Higher" - Rita Coolidge
"Your Song" - Billy Paul

Published popular music

"After The Lovin'" w. Richie Adams m. Alan Bernstein
"Annie" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
"Brazzle Dazzle Day" w.m. Al Kasha & Joel Hirschhorn, from the film Pete's Dragon
"But The World Goes 'Round" w. Fred Ebb m. John Kander. Introduced by Liza Minnelli in the film New York, New York
"Candle on the Water" w.m. Al Kasha & Joel Hirschhorn, from the film Pete's Dragon
"Child In A Universe" w.m. Laura Nyro
"Come In From The Rain" w.m. Melissa Manchester & Carole Bayer Sager
"Easy Street" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
"The Greatest Love Of All" w. Linda Creed m. Michael Masser
"Happy Endings" w. Fred Ebb m. John Kander. Introduced by Liza Minnelli, Larry Kert and chorus in the film New York, New York
"Here You Come Again" w.m. Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil
"I Don't Need Anything But You" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
"I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
"It's Not Easy" w.m. Al Kasha & Joel Hirschhorn, from the film Pete's Dragon
"It's The Hard-Knock Life" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
"Just The Way You Are" w.m. Billy Joel
"Little Girls" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
"The Love Boat theme song" w.m. Norman Gimbel & Paul Williams
"Love Is In The Air" w.m. George Young & Harry Vanda
"Maybe" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
"Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" w.m. Billy Joel
"N. Y. C." w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
"A New Deal For Christmas" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
"New York, New York" w.m. Fred Ebb & John Kander. Introduced by Liza Minnelli in the film New York, New York
"Nobody Does It Better" w. Carole Bayer Sager m. Marvin Hamlisch
"She's Always A Woman" w.m. Billy Joel
"Someone's Waiting For You" w. Carol Connors & Ayn Robbins m. Sammy Fain from the film The Rescuers
"Something Was Missing" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
"Star Wars" m. John Williams from the film Star Wars
"Stayin' Alive" w.m. Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb & Robin Gibb
"Thank You For The Music" w.m. Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus
"There Goes The Ball Game" w. Fred Ebb m. John Kander. Introduced by Liza Minnelli in the film New York, New York
"Tomorrow" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse, from the musical Annie
"We'd Like To Thank You, Herbert Hoover" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
"You Won't Be An Orphan For Long" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
"You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse, from the musical Annie

Classical music

Enrique Crespo - American Suite No. 1
Bengt Hambraeus - Antiphonie: Cathedral Music for Organ
Arvo Pärt - Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten
Tōru Takemitsu - A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden
Tōru Takemitsu - Water-ways for clarinet, violin, cello, piano, two harps and two vibraphones
Isang Yun - Concerto for Flute and Small Orchestra