1976 in music

Events

January-February

*January 5 - Bob Dylan releases "Desire"
*January 6 - Peter Frampton releases "Frampton Comes Alive!"
*January 7 - Kenneth Moss, a former record company executive, is sentenced to 120 days in the Los Angeles County Jail and four years probation for involuntary manslaughter in the 1974 drug induced death of Average White Band drummer Robbie McIntosh.
*January 13 - A trial begins for seven Brunswick Records and Dakar Records employees. The record company employees are charged with stealing more than $184,000 in royalties from artists.
*February 15 - Bette Midler bails seven members of her entourage out of jail after they are arrested on charges of cocaine and marijuana possession.
*January 19 - Concert promoter Bill Sargent makes an offer of $30 million to the Beatles if they will reunite for a concert.
*February 19 - Former Tower of Power lead singer Rich Stevens is arrested and charged with the drug related murders of three men in San Jose, California.
*February 20 - Kiss have their footprints added to the sidewalk outside Hollywood's Grauman's Chinese Theater.
*February 24 - Having been released one week before, The Eagles' "Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)" compilation becomes the first album in history to be certified platinum by the RIAA. The new platinum certification represents sales of at least 1 million copies for albums and 2 million copies for singles.

March-April

*March 4 - ABBA arrive at Sydney airport for a promotional tour in Australia.
*March 6 - EMI Records reissues all 22 previously released British Beatles singles, plus a new single of the classic "Yesterday". All 23 singles hit the UK charts at the same time
*March 7 - A wax likeness of Elton John is put on display in London's Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.
*March 9 - The Who's Keith Moon collapses onstage ten minutes into a performance at the Boston Garden.
*Alice Cooper marries his two year girlfriend, Sheryl Goddard.
*March 15
**Kiss release "Destroyer", their best-selling album ever, continuing their popularity through the 1970s.
**Members of The Plastic People of the Universe are arrested in communist Czechoslovakia. They were sentenced from 8 to 18 months in jail.
*March 25 - Jackson Browne's wife Phyllis commits suicide.
*March 26 - In Paris, France, Wings guitarist Jimmy McCulloch breaks one of his fingers when he slips in his hotel bathroom following the final performance on the band's European tour. The injury ended up delaying the band's United States tour by three weeks.
* April 3 - British pop group Brotherhood of Man win Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Save Your Kisses For Me". It goes on to be the biggest selling Eurovision winner ever.
*April 14 - Stevie Wonder announces that he has signed a "$13 million-plus" contract with Motown Records
*April 23 - Ramones release their self-titled debut album which opens with the three classics Blitzkrieg Bop, Beat on the Brat, and Judy is a Punk.
*April 24 - "Saturday Night Live" producer Lorne Michaels makes an on-air offer to pay the Beatles $3000 to reunite on the show. Lennon and McCartney were apparently watching the show together in New York and considered walking down to the studio to accept the check. On May 22, he raises his offer from $3000 to $3,200.
*April 28 - The Rolling Stones open their European tour in Frankfurt, Germany.
*April 29 - When his tour stops in Memphis, Tennessee, Bruce Springsteen jumps the wall at Elvis Presley's mansion, "Graceland", in an attempt to see his idol. Security guards stop Springsteen and escort him off the grounds.

May-December

*May 3 - Paul McCartney and Wings start their Wings over America Tour in Fort Worth, Texas. This is the first time McCartney has performed in the US since The Beatles' last concert in 1966 at Candlestick Park.
*May 3 - Paul Simon puts together a benefit show at Madison Square Garden to raise money for the New York Public Library. Phoebe Snow, Jimmy Cliff and the Brecker Brothers also perform. The concert brings in over $30,000 for the Library.
*May 19 - Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards is involved in a car accident. Cocaine is found in his wrecked car. Richards is given a court date of January 12, 1977. :)
*May 19 - Rumour spread by German press: ABBA members killed in plane crash, only Anni-Frid survived.
*Alice Cooper collapses and is rushed to UCLA Hospital in Los Angelos, two days before the Goes To Hell tour would begin. The tour was cancelled.
*May 25 - Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour ends
*June - Former Spring Canyon keyboardist Mark Cook joins Daniel Amos
*July 4 Elton John performs BiCentennial concert at Shaffer Stadium Foxboro,Ma USA
*August - Cheap Trick receives a long term recording contract with Epic Records
*August 13 - The official ABBA logo with the reversed 'B' is born.
*September 20 & September 21 - 100 Club Punk Festival, the first international punk festival is held in London.
*September 25 - Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr form a band called Feedback in Dublin. The band would later be renamed U2.
*October 8 - The Sex Pistols sign a contract with EMI Records.
*October 10 - ABBA in New York on The Midnight Special performing 'Fernando', 'Dancing Queen', 'Mamma Mia' and 'S.O.S.' live.
*October 11 - Irish singer Joe Dolan is banned for life by Aer Lingus after an air rage incident en route to Corfu from Dublin.
*October 31 - George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic begin "The P-Funk/Rubber Band Earth Tour" in Houston, a national live series highlighting one of the biggest and revolutionary stage shows in the history of the music industry (the rock group Kiss would be the other group to do a similar act), relying on elaborate costumes, special lighting and effects, and extremely large props including "the Mothership", which would arrive and land on stage, all of what this band is generally known for. This live set would vary in length (on average of 3 to 5 hours long) and at high volume.
*November - Former Tower of Power lead singer Rich Stevens, and another person, are found guilty on two counts of murder.
*November 15- Kiss "Rock & Roll Over" is released.
*November 24 - The Band gives its last public performance; Martin Scorsese is on hand to film it.
*December 1 - The Sex Pistols cause media furor when they swear on prime time British TV.
*December 2 - The Bee Gees perform at Madison Square Garden and donate the proceeds to the Police Athletic League in New York. In January 1979, they will receive the Police Athletic League's Superstars Of The Year award.
*December 8 - The Carpenters air their "Very First Television Special" on ABC.The Eagles release "Hotel California".
*November 7 - The Apples(band)

unknown dates

*The Flowers of Romance, a band that included many seminal individuals within the punk movement, forms in the summer.
*Bonnie Raitt records "Sweet Forgiveness", which will be a blockbuster album in 1977
*War records "Galaxy", which will be a blockbuster album in 1977
*Joe Cocker performs a duet with himself (as portrayed by John Belushi) on "Saturday Night Live".
*"Evita" is released as an album.
*Cheryl Byron performs rapso in calypso tents for the first time, beginning the popularization of rapso
*Peter Brown's solo career begins
*Peter Tosh's solo career begins
*Bunny Wailer's solo career begins
*Leif Garrett's solo career begins
*.38 Special's musical career begins
*Y&T (Yesterday & Today)'s musical career begins
*Elvis Costello & the Attractions form
*The Jam forms
*Black Flag forms
*The Clash forms
*Culture forms
*The Cure forms
*The Damned form
*Diamond Head forms
*Foreigner forms
*Generation X forms
*Madness forms
*Rubber City Rebels form
*Throbbing Gristle forms
*UK Subs form
*Wire forms

*The Clash sign up to CBS
*Elvis Costello signs a contract with Columbia Records
*Steve Martin signs a contract with Warner Bros.
*Eddie Money signs a contract with CBS
*"Ten Percent" by Double Exposure, the first 12-inch single commercially available to the public (as opposed to DJ-only promotional copies).
*Grand Funk Railroad disband
*Ike & Tina Turner split up
*Roxy Music go on hiatus until 1980
*Soft Machine disband
*The Pretty Things disband
*Argent disbands
*Deep Purple disband (they reform in 1984)
*The Mahavishnu Orchestra disbands

Albums released

*"Agents of Fortune" - Blue Öyster Cult
*"Alice Cooper Goes to Hell - Alice Cooper
*"Another Passenger" - Carly Simon
*"Arrival" - ABBA
*"Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music" - Hawkwind
*"Automatic Man" - Automatic Man
*"Best of BTO (So Far)" - Bachman-Turner Overdrive
*"The Best of Top of the Pops '76" - Top of the Poppers
*"Bigger Than Both of Us" - Hall & Oates
*"Black and Blue" - The Rolling Stones
*"Blackheart Man" - Bunny Wailer
*"Blondie" - Blondie
*"Blue for You" - Status Quo
*"Blue Moves" - Elton John
*"Boston" - Boston
*"Both Sides of Ray Stevens" - Ray Stevens
*"Bright Size Life" - Pat Metheny
*"Chestnut Street Incident" - Johnny Cougar
*"Chicago X" - Chicago
*"Children of the World" - Bee Gees
*"Chronicle, Vol. 1" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
*"Clones of Dr. Funkenstein" - Parliament
*"Close Enough for Rock 'n' Roll" - Nazareth
*"Come on Over" - Olivia Newton-John
*"Coney Island Baby" - Lou Reed
*"Coup de chapeau au passé" - Dalida
*"Crystal Ball" - Styx
*"A Day at the Races" - Queen
*"Desire" - Bob Dylan
*"Destroyer" - Kiss
*"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" - AC/DC
*"Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band" - Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band
*"Dreamboat Annie" - Heart (in US; released in Canada in 1975. Debut)
*"" - Elvis Presley
*"Everybody Loves the Sunshine" - Roy Ayers
*"Everyday of My Life" - Michael Bolton
*"Faithful" - Todd Rundgren
*"15 Big Ones" - The Beach Boys
*"Fitzgerald and Pass... Again" - Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Pass
*"Flow Motion" - Can
*"Fly Like an Eagle" - Steve Miller Band
*"Four Seasons of Love" - Donna Summer
*"Frampton Comes Alive!" - Peter Frampton
*"Free-for-All" - Ted Nugent
*"From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee" - Elvis Presley
*"From Every Stage" - Joan Baez
*"Give Us a Wink" - Sweet
*"Greatest Hits" - ABBA
*"Greatest Hits" - James Taylor
*"Greatest Hits" - War
*"Gulf Winds" - Joan Baez
*"Hard Rain - Bob Dylan
*"Hardcore Jollies" - Funkadelic
*"Hasten Down the Wind" - Linda Ronstadt
*"Havana Daydreamin'" - Jimmy Buffett
*"Hejira" - Joni Mitchell
*"Helluva Band" - Angel
*"High Voltage" - AC/DC
*"Home Plate" by Bonnie Raitt
*"Hot Tracks" - Nazareth
*"Hotel California" - The Eagles
*"How Dare You!" - 10cc
*"Howlin' Wind" - Graham Parker & the Rumour
*"If I Were Britannia I'd Waive the Rules" - Budgie
*"In the Pocket" - James Taylor
*"The Jacksons" - The Jacksons
*"Jaco Pastorius" - Jaco Pastorius
*"Jailbreak" - Thin Lizzy
*"Jammy Smears" - Ivor Cutler
*"Joan Armatrading" - Joan Armatrading
*"Just for the Record" - Ray Stevens
*"Kate & Anna McGarrigle" - Kate & Anna McGarrigle
*"A Kind of Hush" - The Carpenters
*"Kites" - Jade Warrior
*"The Knife" - The O Band
*"La Düsseldorf" - La Düsseldorf
*"Late General Murtala Ramat Mohammed" - Salawa Abeni
*"Leftoverture" - Kansas
*"Legalize It" - Peter Tosh
*"Live Bullet" - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
*"Long May You Run" - The Stills-Young Band
*"Look into the Future" - Journey
*"Look My Way" - Rosemary Clooney
*"Love Is All Around" - Eric Burdon & War
*"Love Trilogy" - Donna Summer
*"The Mini-Album" - The Sex Pistols (live EP)
*"Misty" - Ray Stevens
*"Modern Lovers" - Modern Lovers
*"Mothership Connection" - Parliament
*"M.U. --- Best of" - Jethro Tull
*"Music from the Penguin Cafe Orchestra" -Penguin Cafe Orchestra
*"Music, Music" - Helen Reddy
*"A New World Record - Electric Light Orchestra
*"Night Moves" - Bob Seger
*"A Night on the Town" - Rod Stewart
*"No Heavy Petting" - UFO
*"One More from the Road" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
*"Oxygène" - Jean Michel Jarre
*"Part 3" - KC & The Sunshine Band
*"Play 'n' the Game" - Nazareth
*"Ports of the Heart" - Jimmie Spheeris
*"Presence" - Led Zeppelin
*"Private Eyes" - Tommy Bolin
*"Radio Ethiopia" - Patti Smith Group
*"Rainbow Rising" - Rainbow
*"The Ramones" - The Ramones
*"Rastaman Vibration" - Bob Marley & the Wailers
*"Ratcity in Blue" - Good Rats
*"Ripper '76" - Various Artists
*"R-O-C-K" - Bill Haley & His Comets
*"Rock and Roll Heart" - Lou Reed
*"Rock and Roll Over" - Kiss
*"Rocks" - Aerosmith
*"The Royal Scam" - Steely Dan
*"The Runaways"- The Runaways
*"Ringo's Rotogravure" - Ringo Starr
*"Third Reich & Roll - The Residents
*"2112 - Rush
*"Sad Wings of Destiny" - Judas Priest
*"Second Annual Report"- Throbbing Gristle
*"Ship of Memories - Focus
*"Silk Degrees" - Boz Scaggs
*"Slow Down World" - Donovan
*"Small Change" -Tom Waits
*"Song of Joy" - Captain & Tennille
*"The Song Remains the Same" - Led Zeppelin
*"Songs for the New Depression" - Bette Midler
*"Songs in the Key of Life" - Stevie Wonder
*"Southern Tracks & Fantasies" - Paul Davis
*"Sowiesoso" - Cluster
*"Station to Station" - David Bowie
*"Streetheart" - Dion
*"Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band" - Bootsy's Rubber Band
*"Summertime Dream" - Gordon Lightfoot
*"The Sun Sessions" - Elvis Presley
*"Take the Heat Off Me" - Boney M. (debut)
*"Tales of Kidd Funkadelic" - Funkadelic
*"Technical Ecstasy" - Black Sabbath
*"Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)" - Eagles
*"Thirty Three & 1/3" - George Harrison
*"This One's for You" - Barry Manilow
*"T.N.T." - AC/DC
*"Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (debut)
*"" - Jethro Tull
*"A Trick of the Tail" - Genesis
*"Turnstiles" - Billy Joel
*"20th Anniversary of Rock 'n' Roll" - Bo Diddley
*"2112" - Rush
*"UP" - Morrissey-Mullen
*"Von Herz zu Herz" - Die Flippers
*"Wanted! the Outlaws" - Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson
*"Warren Zevon" - Warren Zevon
*"Watashi no koe ga kikoemasuka" - Miyuki Nakajima
*"We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll" - Black Sabbath
*"The Whole World's Goin' Crazy" - April Wine
*"Why Can't We Be Friends" - War
*"The Wild Tchoupitoulas" - The Meters, George & Amos Landry, The Neville Brothers
*"Wind & Wuthering" - Genesis
*"Wings at the Speed of Sound" - Paul McCartney & Wings
*"Wings over America" - Paul McCartney & Wings
*"Works Volume I" - Emerson, Lake & Palmer
*"Year of the Cat" - Al Stewart
*"Yes We Have No Mañanas (So Get Your Mañanas Today)" - Kevin Ayers
*"Yesterday And Today" - Y&T (debut)
*"Young & Rich" -The Tubes
*"Zoot Allures" - Frank Zappa

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest [http://tsort.info/music/yr1976.htm chart positions] in the charts of 1976.

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)

"Saturday Night" - Bay City Rollers (1) "Convoy" - C.W. McCall (1) "I Write The Songs" - Barry Manilow (1) "Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" - Diana Ross (1) "Love Rollercoaster" - Ohio Players (1) "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" - Paul Simon (3) "Theme From S.W.A.T." - Rhythm Heritage (1) "Love Machine" - The Miracles (1) "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) - The Four Seasons (3) "Disco Lady" - Johnnie Taylor (4) "Let Your Love Flow" - Bellamy Brothers (1) "Welcome Back" - John Sebastian (1) "Boogie Fever" Sylvers (1) "Silly Love Songs" - Paul McCartney & Wings (5) "Love Hangover" - Diana Ross (2) "Afternoon Delight" - Starland Vocal Band (2) "Kiss And Say Goodbye" - The Manhattans (2) "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" - Elton John & Kiki Dee (4) "You Should Be Dancing" - Bee Gees (1) "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty" - KC & The Sunshine Band (1) "Play That Funky Music" - Wild Cherry (3) "A Fifth Of Beethoven" - Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band (1) "Disco Duck" - Rick Dees & His Cast Of Idiots (1) "If You Leave Me Now" - Chicago (2) "Rock'n Me" - Steve Miller Band (1) "Tonight's The Night" - Rod Stewart (7 weeks 1976 + 1 week 1977), best seller of the year

"Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen (5 weeks 1975 + 4 weeks 1976) "Mamma Mia" - ABBA (2) "Forever And Ever" - Slik (1) "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" - The Four Seasons (2) "I Love To Love (But My Baby Just Loves To Dance)" - Tina Charles (3) "Save Your Kisses for Me" - Brotherhood of Man (6), best seller of the year "Fernando" - ABBA (4) "No Charge" - J.J. Barrie (1) "The Combine Harvester (Brand New Key)" - The Wurzels (2) "You To Me Are Everything" - The Real Thing (group) (3) "Forever And Ever" - Demis Roussos (1) "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" - Elton John & Kiki Dee (6) "Dancing Queen" - ABBA (6) "Mississippi" - Pussycat (4) "If You Leave Me Now" - Chicago (3) "Under The Moon Of Love" - Showaddywaddy (3) "When A Child Is Born (Soleado)" - Johnny Mathis (1 week 1976 + 2 weeks 1977)

Other significant singles

*"All By Myself" - Eric Carmen
*"Anarchy in the U.K." - Sex Pistols
*"Arms Of Mary" - Sutherland Brothers and Quiver
*"Back in the Saddle" - Aerosmith
*"Beautiful Noise" - Neil Diamond
*"Bennie And The Jets" - Elton John
*"Beth" - Kiss
*"Better Use Your Head" - Little Anthony and the Imperials
*"Blinded by the Light" - Manfred Mann's Earth Band
*"Blue Jeans" - Skyhooks
*"Born to Be With You" - Dion
*"The Boston Tea Party" - The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
*"Both Ends Burning" - Roxy Music
*"The Boys Are Back in Town" - Thin Lizzy
*"Calling Dr. Love" - Kiss
*"Candy Store Rock" - Led Zeppelin
*"Cherry Bomb" - The Runaways
*"Child's Play" - Sherbet
*"Come On Over" - Olivia Newton-John
*"Couldn't Get It Right" - Climax Blues Band
*"Crazy on You" - Heart
*"Darktown Strutters Ball" - Ted Mulry Gang
*"Detroit Rock City" - Kiss
*"Devil Woman" - Cliff Richard
*"Disco Boy" - Frank Zappa
*"Do You Feel Like We Do" - Peter Frampton
*"Don't Cry for Me Argentina" - Julie Covington
*"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult
*"Don't Give Up On Us" - David Soul
*"Don't Make Me Wait Too Long" - Barry White
*"Don't Stop It Now" - Hot Chocolate
*"Don't Take Away The Music" - Tavares
*"Dream Weaver" - Gary Wright
*"Every Little Bit Hurts" - Shirley Strachan
*"Evil Woman" - Electric Light Orchestra
*"Extended Play (EP)" - Bryan Ferry
*"Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)" - Bee Gees
*"Fernando" - ABBA
*"Fly Like An Eagle" - Steve Miller Band
*"Foggy Notion-Inside Your Heart" - Velvet Underground
*"Fool to Cry" - The Rolling Stones
*"Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
*"From New York to L.A." - Patsy Gallant
*"Get Up And Boogie" - Silver Convention
*"Girls Girls Girls" - Sailor
*"Gloria" – Patti Smith Group
*"Hard Luck Woman" - Kiss
*"Harvest For The World" - The Isley Brothers
*"Hasten Down The Wind" - Warren Zevon
*"Heading In The Right Direction" - Renée Geyer
*"Heart On My Sleeve" - Gallagher and Lyle
*"Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel" - Tavares
*"Hello Old Friend" - Eric Clapton
*"Here Comes the Sun" - Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel
*"Here Comes The Weekend" - Dave Edmunds
*"Hey Baby" - J. J. Cale
*"Honey I" - George McCrae
*"Hot Line" - The Sylvers
*"Hot Stuff" - The Rolling Stones
*"Howzat" - Sherbet
*"Hurricane" - Bob Dylan
*"Hurt" - The Manhattans
*"I Love Music" - The O'Jays
*"I Love to Boogie " - T. Rex
*"I Need to Be In Love" - The Carpenters
*"I Want You" - Marvin Gaye
*"I Wish" - Stevie Wonder
*"I Never Cry" - Alice Cooper
*"I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" - England Dan and John Ford Coley
*"If You Know What I Mean" - Neil Diamond
*"I'm Mandy Fly Me" - 10cc
*"If Not You" - Dr. Hook
*"In Dulce Jubilo/On Horseback" - Mike Oldfield
*"It's Over" - Boz Scaggs
*"It Keeps You Running" - Carly Simon
*"Jailbreak" - Thin Lizzy
*"The Killing of Georgie, Pt. 1-2" - Rod Stewart
*"Last Child" - Aerosmith
*"Let 'Em In" - Paul McCartney & Wings
*"Let's Stick Together" - Bryan Ferry
*"A Little Bit More" - Dr. Hook
*"Livin' Thing" - Electric Light Orchestra
*"Lonely Night (Angel Face)" - Captain & Tennille
*"Lost in France" - Bonnie Tyler
*"Love And Affection" - Joan Armatrading
*"Love Is Alive" - Gary Wright
*"Love Me" - Yvonne Elliman
*"Love Really Hurts Without You" - Billy Ocean
*"Love So Right" - Bee Gees
*"Love To Love You Baby" - Donna Summer
*"Lowdown" - Boz Scaggs
*"Magic Man" - Heart
*"Man to Man" - Hot Chocolate
*"Misty Blue" - Dorothy Moore
*"Money, Money, Money" - ABBA
*"Moonlight Feels Right" - Starbuck
*"More, More, More" - Andrea True Connection
*"More Than a Feeling" - Boston
*"Movin'" - Brass Construction
*"Music" - John Miles
*"Muskrat Love" - Captain & Tennille
*"Mystery Song" - Status Quo
*"Nadia's Theme (The Young & The Restless)" - Barry DeVorzon & Perry Botkin, Jr.
*"Never Gonna Fall In Love Again" - Eric Carmen
*"New Rose" - The Damned (debut)
*"Pinball Wizard" - Elton John
*"Rain" - Status Quo
*"Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win)" - Fleetwood Mac
*"Right Back Where We Started From" - Maxine Nightingale
*"Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto (Concerto De Aranjuez)" - Manuel and His Music of the Mountains
*"Sara Smile" - Daryl Hall & John Oates
*"Say You Love Me" - Fleetwood Mac
*"Shannon" - Henry Gross
*"She's Gone" - Daryl Hall & John Oates
*"Shop Around" - Captain & Tennille
*"Shout It Out Loud" - Kiss
*"Show Me The Way" - Peter Frampton
*"Somebody to Love" - Queen
*"Something He Can Feel" - Aretha Franklin
*"Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" - Elton John
*"Still the One" - Orleans
*"Strange Magic" - Electric Light Orchestra
*"Stop Me (If You've Heard It All Before)" - Billy Ocean
*"Take It To The Limit" - Eagles
*"Take The Money And Run" - Steve Miller Band
*"Taking It To The Streets" - The Doobie Brothers
*"That'll Be The Day"; - Linda Ronstadt
*"The Rubberband Man" - The Detroit Spinners
*"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" - Gordon Lightfoot
*"There's a Kind of Hush (All Over the World)" - The Carpenters
*"Things We Do For Love" - 10cc
*"This Is It" - Melba Moore
*"This Old Heart Of Mine" - Rod Stewart
*"Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again" - Barry Manilow
*"Weekend In New England" - Barry Manilow
*"Year of the Cat" - Al Stewart
*"You Don't Have To Go" - The Chi-Lites
*"You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" - Leo Sayer
*"You See The Trouble With Me" - Barry White
*"You Sexy Thing" - Hot Chocolate
*"You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" - Lou Rawls
*"You're My Best Friend" - Queen
*"Young Hearts Run Free" - Candi Staton

Published popular music

* "Always and Forever" w.m. Rod Temperton
* "Devil Woman" w.m. Terry Britten & Christine Authors
* "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" w. Tim Rice m. Andrew Lloyd Webber
* "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" w.m. Richard Leigh
* "Empty Tables" w. Johnny Mercer m. Jimmy Van Heusen
* "Evergreen" w. Paul Williams m. Barbra Streisand
* "Fernando" w.m. Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson & Björn Ulvaeus
* "Gonna Fly Now" (aka "Theme From Rocky") w. Carol Connors & Ayn Robbins m. Bill Conti
* "I Never Do Anything Twice" aka "The Madam's Song" w.m. Stephen Sondheim. Introduced by Régine in the film "The Seven-Per-Cent Solution"
* "Isn't She Lovely?" w.m. Stevie Wonder
* "Knowing Me, Knowing You" w.m. Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus
* "Like A Sad Song" w.m. John Denver
* "A Little Bit More" w.m. Bobby Gosh
* "Making Our Dreams Come True" w.m. Norman Gimbel & Charles Fox, from the TV series "Laverne and Shirley"
* "Money, Money, Money" w.m. Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus
* "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" w.m.Elton John

Classical music

*Elliot Carter - "A Symphony of Three Orchestras"
*Brian Cherney - String Trio
*George Crumb - "Dream Sequence (Images II)" for violin, cello, piano, percussion (one player), and off-stage glass harmonica (two players)
*George Crumb - "Night Music I" (1963, revised 1976) for soprano, piano/celeste, and two percussionists
*Mario Davidovsky - String Quartet No. 3
*Henri Dutilleux - "Ainsi la nuit"
*Einar Englund - Symphony No. 4 "Nostalgic" (in memory of Shostakovich)
*Henryk Górecki - Symphony No. 3 "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs"
*Krzysztof Penderecki - Violin Concerto No. 1

Opera

*Peter Maxwell Davies - "The Martyrdom of St Magnus"
*Carlisle Floyd - "Bilby's Doll"

Musical theater

* "Bubbling Brown Sugar" Broadway production
* "The Club" Broadway production
* "Fiddler on the Roof" (Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick) - Broadway revival
* "Guys and Dolls" Broadway revival
* "Irene" London revival
* "My Fair Lady" (Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe) - Broadway revival
* "Oh Calcutta" Broadway revival
* "Pacific Overtures" (Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman) - Broadway production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on January 11 and ran for 193 performances
* "Porgy and Bess" Broadway revival
* "Salad Days" (Julian Slade) - London revival
* "Side by Side by Sondheim" London production
* "The Threepenny Opera" (Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill) - Broadway revival

Musical films

* "Bugsy Malone"
* "The Slipper and the Rose"
* "The Song Remains the Same" - Led Zeppelin
* "A Star Is Born"
* "That's Entertainment, Part II"

Births

*January 8 - Jenny Lewis, Rilo Kiley
*January 16 - Stuart Fletcher, The Seahorses
*January 18 - Damien Leith, singer/songwriter
*January 20 - Sid Wilson, Slipknot
*January 21 - Emma Bunton, Spice Girls
*February 4 - Cam'ron, rapper
*February 13 - Leslie Feist, Broken Social Scene
*February 15
**Brandon Boyd, Incubus
**Ronnie Vannucci Jr., The Killers
*February 28 - Ja Rule, rapper
*March 8 - Gareth Coombes, Supergrass
*March 17 - Stephen Gately, Boyzone
*March 20 - Chester Bennington, Linkin Park
*March 26 - David Keuning, The Killers
*May 8 - Ian Watkins, Steps
*May 14 - Hunter Burgan, AFI
*May 17 - Kandi Burruss, Xscape
*May 29 - Dave Buckner, Papa Roach
*June 2 - Tim Rice-Oxley, Keane
*June 2 - Adrian Carlos Olivares, Menudo
*June 15 - Dryden Mitchell, Alien Ant Farm
*June 21 - Mike Einziger, Incubus
*June 22 - Gordon Moakes, Bloc Party
*June 26 - Paul Phillips, Puddle of Mudd
*June 27 - Leigh Nash, Sixpence None the Richer
*July 3 - Shane Lynch, Boyzone
*July 10 - Philip Howard, pianist and composer
*August 8
**JC Chasez, *NSYNC
**Drew Lachey, 98 Degrees
*August 16 - Tina Barrett, S Club 7
*August 18 - Dirk 'Alex' Lance, Incubus
*October 1 - Blu Cantrell, singer
*October 20 - Tom Wisniewski, MxPx
*November 11 - Jesse F. Keeler, Death from Above 1979
*November 12 - Tevin Campbell
*13 november - Shagrath, Dimmu Borgir
*December 13 - Tom Delonge, blink-182
*John Collura, The Ataris
*Mike Davenport, The Ataris
*Patrick Riley, The Ataris

Deaths

*January 8 - George Baker, singer
*January 10 - Howlin' Wolf, blues musician
*January 23 - Paul Robeson
*January 30 - Mance Lipscomb
*January 31 - Evert Taube, composer and singer
*February 5 - Rudy Pompilli, saxophone player and 20-year member of Bill Haley & His Comets
*February 9 - Percy Faith
*February 12 - Sal Mineo, actor and singer, murdered
*February 13 - Lily Pons, coloratura soprano
*February 22 - Florence Ballard, The Supremes
*March 14 - Busby Berkeley
*March 19 - Paul Kossoff, Free, Back Street Crawler, cerebral and pulmonary oedema
*March 26 - Duster Bennett, car accident
*March 28 - Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup
*April 8 - Phil Ochs, suicide
*May 12 - Rudolf Kempe, conductor
*May 14 - Keith Relf, The Yardbirds, Renaissance, Medicine Head, Armageddon, cardiac arrest due to electrocution
*May 15 - David Munrow, early music performer, suicide
*June 25 - Johnny Mercer
*June 28 - Yakov Zak, pianist and music teacher
*August 26 - Lotte Lehmann, opera singer
*August 27 - Mukesh, Indian singer
*October 3 - Victoria Spivey, US singer, pianist and composer
*October 11
**Connee Boswell, US singer, member of the Boswell Sisters
**Alfredo Bracchi, Italian lyricist
*November 12 - Walter Piston, composer
*December 4
**Benjamin Britten, composer
**Tommy Bolin
*December 28 - Freddie King, blues musician

Awards

Grammy Awards

*Grammy Awards of 1976

Country Music Association Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

*Eurovision Song Contest 1976