Albums of 1976
The records from 1976 that made our lists.
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1ArrivalABBA
Arrival
A peak of immaculate Swedish pop craft, home to 'Dancing Queen'. Glossy and joyful. One of their finest.
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2RocksAerosmith
Rocks
A raw, swaggering hard-rock peak that influenced a generation. Tough and beloved. A genre cornerstone.
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3King Tubbys Meets Rockers UptownAugustus Pablo
King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown
A landmark dub record of melodica and Tubby's mixing-desk magic. Hypnotic and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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4BlondieBlondie
Blondie
A scrappy, tuneful new-wave debut. Fun and beloved. A strong start.
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5DesireBob Dylan
Desire
A loose, romantic mid-70s record co-written with Jacques Levy, anchored by the epic 'Hurricane'. Warm and narrative. A fan favourite.
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6Rastaman VibrationBob Marley and the Wailers
Rastaman Vibration
A warm, accessible roots peak that broke big in America. Tuneful and assured. A fan favourite.
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7Night MovesBob Seger
Night Moves
A warm, heartland-rock breakthrough, home to its title song. Tuneful and beloved. A high point.
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8Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber BandBootsy's Rubber Band
Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band
Bootsy Collins' cartoonish, deeply funky solo debut out of the P-Funk camp. Playful and beloved. A genre favourite.
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9BostonBoston
Boston
A pristine, layered arena-rock debut, home to 'More Than a Feeling'. Polished and huge. A 70s landmark.
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10Blackheart ManBunny Wailer
Blackheart Man
A deep, spiritual roots masterpiece from the third Wailer. Rich and acclaimed. A genre high point.
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11Man in the HillsBurning Spear
Man in the Hills
A warm, meditative roots peak of rural imagery. Deep and beloved. A high point.
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12Garvey's GhostBurning Spear
Garvey's Ghost
A hypnotic dub companion to Marcus Garvey. Deep and beloved. A genre highlight.
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13Station to StationDavid Bowie
Station to Station
A transitional masterpiece between funk and the Berlin era, anchored by the ten-minute title track and the Thin White Duke persona. Cold, propulsive and brilliant. A pivotal record.
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14Hotel CaliforniaEagles
Hotel California
The band's slick, ambitious peak, its title track a perfectly crafted six-minute allegory of California excess. Polished and enormous. A 70s soft-rock landmark.
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15A New World RecordElectric Light Orchestra
A New World Record
A tight, hook-laden symphonic-pop peak. Tuneful and beloved. A high point.
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16A Trick of the TailGenesis
A Trick of the Tail
A confident first album of the Collins-fronted era. Tuneful and acclaimed. A strong pivot.
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17OxygeneJean-Michel Jarre
Oxygene
A lush, melodic synthesizer landmark that brought electronic music to the masses. Atmospheric and beloved. A genre classic.
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18HejiraJoni Mitchell
Hejira
A restless, jazzy travelogue of long, literate songs and Jaco's bass. Reflective and singular. A late peak.
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19Sad Wings of DestinyJudas Priest
Sad Wings of Destiny
An early, ambitious landmark that helped define metal's template. Dramatic and influential. A cornerstone.
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20PresenceLed Zeppelin
Presence
A leaner, guitar-forward record made under duress, home to 'Achilles Last Stand'. Heavy and underrated. A fan favourite.
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21I Want YouMarvin Gaye
I Want You
A lush, sensual concept album of slow-burning soul. Smooth and beloved. A high point.
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22War ina BabylonMax Romeo and the Upsetters
War ina Babylon
A heavy, prophetic roots record produced by Lee Perry, militant and melodic. Deep and acclaimed. A 70s reggae cornerstone.
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23Legalize ItPeter Tosh
Legalize It
A defiant, deeply rootsy solo debut from the Wailers' firebrand, uncompromising and heavy. Militant and brilliant. Essential roots reggae.
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24A Day at the RacesQueen
A Day at the Races
A lush, varied companion to A Night at the Opera, home to 'Somebody to Love'. Tuneful and beloved. A strong record.
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25RisingRainbow
Rising
A bombastic, Dio-fronted hard-rock peak. Powerful and beloved. A genre highlight.
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26RamonesRamones
Ramones
Fourteen songs, under half an hour, year zero for punk: buzzsaw guitars, bubblegum hooks and no solos. Simple, joyful and revolutionary. The blueprint everyone copied.
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27Everybody Loves the SunshineRoy Ayers
Everybody Loves the Sunshine
A warm, mellow jazz-funk peak whose title track became eternal. Smooth and beloved. A genre highlight.
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282112Rush
2112
A bold concept record whose side-long title suite saved their career. Ambitious and heavy. A prog-rock landmark.
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29The Royal ScamSteely Dan
The Royal Scam
A darker, guitar-forward peak. Sophisticated and beloved. A high point.
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30Songs in the Key of LifeStevie Wonder
Songs in the Key of Life
A double album of staggering range and generosity, the centrepiece of Wonder's golden run. Funk, jazz, ballads and social commentary all sit comfortably together. Exhaustive, joyous and essential.
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31Satta MassaganaThe Abyssinians
Satta Massagana
A foundational roots-harmony landmark of spiritual depth. Beautiful and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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32Trenchtown Mix UpThe Gladiators
Trenchtown Mix Up
A harmony-rich roots peak of melodic warmth. Tuneful and beloved. A high point.
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33Right TimeThe Mighty Diamonds
Right Time
A harmony-rich roots landmark of sweet vocals and message. Warm and beloved. A genre classic.
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34Super ApeThe Upsetters
Super Ape
A landmark dub record produced by Lee Perry, hazy and inventive. Deep and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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35JailbreakThin Lizzy
Jailbreak
A twin-guitar hard-rock peak, home to 'The Boys Are Back in Town'. Tuneful and beloved. Their finest.
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36Small ChangeTom Waits
Small Change
A boozy, jazzy peak of late-night ballads and barroom poetry. Warm and acclaimed. A high point.
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37Reggae Got SoulToots and the Maytals
Reggae Got Soul
A warm, soul-infused reggae peak of Toots's gospel voice. Joyful and beloved. A high point.
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38Warren ZevonWarren Zevon
Warren Zevon
A sharp, literate singer-songwriter peak of dark wit. Clever and acclaimed. His breakthrough.