A list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1976.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

January–February

March–April

May–June

July–August

September–October

November–December

Also in 1976

Bands formed

Bands reformed

Bands disbanded

Albums released

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Release date unknown

Billboard Top popular records of 1976

from Billboard December 27, 1975 "TOP RECORDS OF 1975 (from Billboard) The information compiled for the top records survey is based on the weekly chart positioning and length of time records were on the respective charts from the issue dates of November 8, 1975 through October 30, 1976. These recaps, as well as the weekly charts, do not reflect actual sales figures. The ratings take into account the number of weeks the disk was on the chart, plus the weekly positions it held during its chart life. Each disk was given points accordingly for its respective chart, and in addition, the number one disk each week was assigned bonus points equal to the total number of positions on its respective charts." Unfortunately, Billboard's late December print deadline prevented approximately 60 records from completing their full chart runs, and includes data of approximately 50 records from 1976, some of which have enough points to rank in the current years chart. In contrast with the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1976, the chart below does not truncate or split chart runs between years. It does not add two months from 1975, delete two months from 1976 and then call itself the "Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1976", which it is obviously not. Joel Whitburn's Records Research books, archived issues of Billboard for November-December 1975 and December 1976-March 1976, and Hot 100 Year-End formulas were used to complete the year-end chart reprinted here. The completed Billboard year-end list for 1976 is composed of records that entered the Billboard Hot 100 between November 1975 and December 1976. Records with chart runs that started in 1975 and ended in 1976, or started in 1976 and ended in 1976, made this chart if the majority of their chart weeks were in 1976. If not, they were ranked in the year-end charts for 1975 or 1976. If their weeks were equal, they were listed in the year they first entered. Appearing in multiple years is not permitted. Each week thirty points were awarded to the number one record, then nineteen points for number two, eighteen points for number three, and so on. The total points a record earned determined its year-end rank. The complete chart life of each record is represented, with number of points accrued. There are no ties, even when multiple records have the same number of points. The next ranking category is peak chart position, then weeks at peak chart position, weeks on Hot 100 chart, weeks in top forty, and finally weeks in top ten. All chart rankings represented below for the Top Soul Singles, Top Country Singles, Top Easy Listening Singles, and Top CashBox pop singles were all calculated in the same manner. The chart can be sorted by Artist, Song title, Recording and Release dates, Cashbox year-end ranking (CB) or units sold (sales) by clicking on the column header. Additional details for each record can be accessed by clicking on the song title, and referring to the Infobox in the right column of the song page. Billboard also has chart summaries on its website. Sales information was derived from the RIAA's Gold and Platinum database, the BRIT Certified database and The Book of Golden Discs, but numbers listed should be regarded as estimates. Grammy Hall of Fame and National Recording Registry information with sources can be found on Wikipedia.

Chronological table of US and UK and Japan number one hit singles

Japanese Oricon number one singles and artist   (weeks at number one)

Top 40 Chart hit singles

Other Chart hit singles

• "Anarchy in the U.K." – Sex Pistols (# 38 UK) • "Baby, I Love Your Way" – Peter Frampton • "The Best Disco in Town" – Ritchie Family (medley) • "Beth" – Kiss • "Blinded by the Light" – Manfred Mann's Earth Band • "The Boys Are Back in Town" – Thin Lizzy • "Come On Over" – Olivia Newton-John • "Couldn't Get It Right" – Climax Blues Band • "Crazy on You" – Heart • "Daddy Cool – Boney M. • "Dazz" – Brick • "Devil Woman" – Cliff Richard • "Do You Feel Like We Do" – Peter Frampton • "Doctor Kiss Kiss" – 5000 Volts • "Doina de Jale (The Light of Experience)" – Gheorghe Zamfir • "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" – Blue Öyster Cult • "A Dose of Rock 'n' Roll" – Ringo Starr • "Dream Weaver" – Gary Wright • "Dreamboat Annie" – Heart • "Evil Woman" – Electric Light Orchestra • "Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)" – Bee Gees • "Fly Away" – John Denver (with backing vocals by Olivia Newton-John) • "Fooled Around and Fell in Love – The Elvin Bishop Group • "Fopp" – Ohio Players • "Fox on the Run" – Sweet • "Fool to Cry" – The Rolling Stones • "Get Closer" – Seals and Crofts • "Get the Funk Out of My Face" – Brothers Johnson • "Getaway" – Earth, Wind and Fire • "Golden Years" – David Bowie • "(Giving Him) Something He Can Feel" – Aretha Franklin • "Get Up and Boogie" – Silver Convention • "Got to Get You Into My Life" – The Beatles • "Grow Some Funk of Your Own" – Elton John • "Happy Days" – Pratt and McLain with Brotherlove • "Happy Music" – Blackbyrds • "Heart On My Sleeve" – Gallagher and Lyle • "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel" – Tavares • "Hot Line" – The Sylvers • "Howzat" – Sherbet • "Hurricane" – Bob Dylan • "I Love Music" – The O'Jays • "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" – ABBA • "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)" – Elton John • "I Love to Boogie" – T. Rex • "I Need to Be in Love" – The Carpenters • "I Never Cry" – Alice Cooper • "I Only Want to Be with You" – The Bay City Rollers • "I Want You" – Marvin Gaye • "I Wish" – Stevie Wonder • "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" – England Dan and John Ford Coley • "I'll Be Good to You" – Brothers Johnson • "I'm Mandy Fly Me" – 10cc • "If You Know What I Mean" – Neil Diamond • "In Dulci Jubilo / On Horseback" – Mike Oldfield • "In Zaire" – Johnny Wakelin • "Junk Food Junkie" – Larry Groce • "Just to Be Close to You" – The Commodores • "The Killing of Georgie (Part I and II)" – Rod Stewart • "Let 'Em In" – Paul McCartney & Wings • "Let Her In" – John Travolta • "Let's Call It Quits" – Slade • "Let's Do It Again" – The Staple Singers • "Let's Stick Together" – Bryan Ferry • "Like A Sad Song" – John Denver • "A Little Bit More" – Dr. Hook • "Livin' for the Weekend" – The O'Jays • "Livin' Thing" – Electric Light Orchestra • "Lonely Night (Angel Face)" – The Captain and Tennille • "Love And Affection" – Joan Armatrading • "Love Ballad" – L.T.D. • "Love Hurts" – Nazareth • "Love in the Shadows" – Neil Sedaka • "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 • "Miss You Nights" – Cliff Richard • "Misty Blue" – Dorothy Moore • "Money Honey" – The Bay City Rollers • "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" – The Captain & Tennille • "Nadia's Theme (The Young & The Restless)" – Barry DeVorzon & Perry Botkin, Jr. • "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" – Eric Carmen • "Nice 'n' Nasty" – Salsoul Orchestra • "Nights Are Forever Without You" – England Dan & John Ford Coley • "One Love in My Lifetime" – Diana Ross • "Only Sixteen" – Dr. Hook • "Over My Head" – Fleetwood Mac • "Pinball Wizard" – Elton John • "Rain" – Status Quo • "Rhiannon" – Fleetwood Mac • "Right Back Where We Started From" – Maxine Nightingale • "Rock and Roll All Nite" – Kiss (live version) • "Rock and Roll Music" – The Beach Boys • "Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto (Concerto De Aranjuez)" – Manuel and His Music of the Mountains (erroneously listed at UK#1 briefly Feb. 21) • "Roxy Roller" – Sweeney Todd • "The Rubberband Man" – The Detroit Spinners • "Sara Smile" – Daryl Hall & John Oates • "Say You Love Me" – Fleetwood Mac • "Shannon" – Henry Gross • "She's Gone" – Daryl Hall & John Oates • "Shop Around" – The Captain & Tennille • "Shout It Out Loud" – Kiss • "Show Me the Way" – Peter Frampton • "Silly Love Songs" – Paul McCartney & Wings • "Silver Star" – The Four Seasons • "Sing a Song" – Earth, Wind and Fire • "Somebody to Love" – Queen • "Somewhere in the Night" – Helen Reddy • "Sophisticated Lady (She's a Different Lady)" – Natalie Cole • "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" – Elton John • "Squeeze Box" – The Who • "Still the One" – Orleans • "Strange Magic" – Electric Light Orchestra • "Summer" – War • "Sunrise" – Eric Carmen • "Sweet Thing" – Rufus featuring Chaka Khan • "Take It To The Limit" – Eagles • "Take the Money and Run" – Steve Miller Band • "Takin' It to the Streets" – The Doobie Brothers • "Tangerine" – Salsoul Orchestra • "Tear The Roof Off The Sucker" – Parliament • "That'll Be the Day" – Linda Ronstadt • "There's a Kind of Hush (All Over the World)" – The Carpenters • "This Masquerade" – George Benson • "This Old Heart of Mine" – Rod Stewart • "Times of Your Life" – Paul Anka • "Today's the Day" – America • "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again" – Barry Manilow • "Turn the Beat Around" – Vickie Sue Robinson • "Wake Up Everybody" – Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes • "Walk Away from Love" – David Ruffin • "Weekend In New England" – Barry Manilow • "Wham Bam" – Silver • "Who'd She Coo" – Ohio Players • "With Your Love" – Jefferson Starship • "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" – Gordon Lightfoot • "Year of the Cat" – Al Stewart • "You Are My Starship" – Norman Connors • "You Are the Woman" – Firefall • "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

Notable singles

Other Notable singles

• "Final Solution" b/w "Cloud 149" - Pere Ubu • "X Offender" b/w "In the Sun" - Blondie

Published popular music

Other notable songs

Classical music

Opera

Jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Births

Deaths

Awards

Grammy Awards

Country Music Association Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

Japan Record Awards