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MIKE SMITH’S HOT HUNDRED UK HITS

1976

 

1976 was the year that Disco music became the dominant music genre in the UK.  However, there were also a number of Soft Rock acts from America who were making a mark in the USA, and some, but not all, had success in the UK as well.  The Swedish group, Abba, continued their success on the UK charts with three major hits, as did Elton John, who enjoyed his first Number One in the UK, albeit that it was a duet with Kiki Dee.  American smooth soul group the Stylistics had their final three Top 10 hits in this year.

Other British acts that had a successful 1976 were the Bay City Rollers, who had their last two Top 10 hits, Queen, Wings and 10cc.  Cliff Richard returned from a blank 1975 with three Top 20 hits, one of which reached the Top 10.  The UK won the Eurovision Song Contest for the second time with an offering from the group Brotherhood Of Man.  The recording went to Number One.

American performers the Four Seasons, Diana Ross and Elvis Presley all enjoyed a couple of major hits.  The year also saw the last hit single from Bread, and the last hit with new material from the UK-based American band the Drifters, and American-based, the Bee Gees had another Disco hit ("You Should Be Dancing") which went to Number One in the USA.

These are my personal favourite recordings from this particular year, listed in the order in which they entered the UK hit singles chart.  You may not agree with my choices, but these were UK chart hits* that had plenty of air play on the music radio stations of the day, such as BBC Radio 1, Capital Radio, and Radio Luxembourg.

*1 song not a hit in the UK.

 


1

Title: Love Machine
Artist: The Miracles
Writer(s): Billy Griffin & Warren Moore
Entered chart 10 Jan 1976; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart: 10.

The Miracles origins go back to the mid 1950s when Smokie Robinson and others formed a harmony group in Detroit.  They became the Miracles in 1958, and signed to Motown records in 1960, they were soon making hits.  They were known as Smokie Robinson & The Miracles from 1965 to 1972, but Robinson left in 1972 and lead vocal duties were taken over by Billy Griffin.  This new setup enjoyed further success in the USA, but more personnel charges were made in the 1980s, and most members of the band have now passed away, with the exception of Smokey Robinson.


2

Title: 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
Artist: Paul Simon
Writer(s): Paul Simon
Entered chart 10 Jan 1976; Highest Position 23; Weeks on chart: 6.

Paul Simon was one half of the famous duo Simon & Garfunkel, who enjoyed numerous hits in the latter half of the 1960s (see year 1966, song 27).  Paul Simon was born on 13 Oct 1941 in Newark, New Jersey, USA.  After his partnership with Art Garfunkel broke up in 1970, Simon launched a solo career.  His main success was in the sale of albums rather than singles, and he has enjoyed having many Top 10 albums in the UK album chart up to and including his latest in 2018.  He has won numerous awards for his songs including 12 Grammy Awards and two Brit Awards.
# This was Simon's fifth UK hit single and his first since the autumn of 1973.  Although this recording peaked at a mediocre number 23 in the UK, it was a Number One hit in the USA.  It is taken from his fourth studio album "Still Crazy After All These Years", which had entered the UK album chart in November 1975, eventually peaking at number six.


3

Title: We Do It
Artist: R & J Stone
Writer(s): Russell Stone
Entered chart 10 Jan 1976; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart: 9.

R & J Stone were a husband and wife duo who had this 1976 hit, their only entry on the UK charts.  Russell was British and his wife, Joanne was from New Jersey, USA.  They met in 1973 when they were both members of German orchestra leader James Last's touring choir.  Following this hit, Russell decided that he did not wish to perform any longer, preferring to concentrate on songwriting and production work.  Sadly, Joanne Stone died from a brain tumor in 1979.  Russell worked in Germany for some time and, returning to singing, he  released three solo albums in the 2010s.  Russell died on 21 August 2024 aged 77.


4

Title: Evil Woman
Artist: Electric Light Orchestra
Writer(s): Jeff Lynne
Entered chart 10 Jan 1976; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart: 8.

The Electric Light Orchestra (commonly known as ELO) was formed in 1970 by two members of the band The Move, Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood.  Wood left in 1972, and Lynne became the band's lead vocalist, songwriter and record producer.  Bev Bevan was the drummer, and he remained a fixture until 1986.  The band's sound is characterised by a full orchestral backing, often with classical overtones.  During ELO's original 13-year period of active recording and touring, they sold over 50 million records worldwide, and collected numerous awards.  From 1972 to 1986, ELO accumulated 27 top 40 hits on the UK Singles Chart, and fifteen top 20 hits on the American charts.  They also achieved seven Top 10 albums in the UK, including two that reached Number One on the album chart.  Lynne disbanded the group in 1986, following which, drummer Bevan created ELO Part II and a couple of small hits ensued for them.  That incarnation ceased in 1999.  Lynn finally reformed the band in 2014 as Jeff Lynne's ELO.  They toured frequently, and issued a new album in 2019.
# This was their third Top 10 hit, which started a consistent run of hits until 1981.


5

Title: Love To Love You Baby
Artist: Donna Summer
Writer(s): Giorgio Moroder, Pete Bellotte & Donna Summer
Entered chart 17 Jan 1976; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart: 9.

Donna Summer (31 Dec 1948 - 17 May 2012) was born in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.  She began singing from the age of ten, and in 1968 took a role in the German production of the Rock musical "Hair".  She remained in Germany for some years and appeared in several other German stage musicals.  During her time in Germany she met composer and synthesizer champion, Giorgio Moroder.  Along with producer Pete Bellotte, the three began recording in Munich, Germany in 1974.  Her first album became a hit in several European countries, but in 1975 she recorded the song "Love To Love You Baby" with a strong synthesised Disco beat.  It became a major hit in the UK, the USA, and many European countries.  She became known as the Queen of Disco, and numerous hits followed into the 1990s.  She had more Top 10 hits on the American charts than on the British charts.  She also had much success on the album charts, and worked with several different producers over the years, including Britain's Stock, Aitken & Waterman in 1989.  She remained active into the 2000s, but died from lung cancer in May 2012, at her home in Naples, Florida, aged 63.
# Her next major hit came in 1977 when "I Feel Love" reached Number One.


6

Title: Walk Away From Love
Artist: David Ruffin
Writer(s): Charles Kipps
Entered chart 17 Jan 1976; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart: 8.

David Ruffin (18 Jan 1941 - 1 Jun 1991) was born in the state of Mississippi, USA.  He was one of four children, and his elder brother was Jimmy Ruffin who enjoyed a number of hits in the 1960s and 1970s.  David moved to Detriot when he was just 16 and he met Berry Gordy who would found Tamla Motown records.  He was singing at this time, sometimes with a group, and eventually he met the Temptations vocal group which he joined in 1964.  He started as a background singer, but was allowed to take the lead on occasions during live performance.  He took the lead on their recording of "My Girl" which became a Number One hit in the USA during 1965 (number two in the UK during 1992).  Despite all this success he became addicted to drugs and was sacked by the group for his non-appearances at concerts, in 1968.  He then began a solo career and in 1970 recorded an album with his brother Jimmy.  His biggest hit was "Walk Away From Love" in 1976.  During the 1980s he started touring with Eddie Kendricks, who had also been fired by the Temptations.  However, Ruffin died in mid-1991 from an overdose of crack cocaine.


7

Title: It Should Have Been Me
Artist: Yvonne Fair
Writer(s): William "Mickey" Stevenson & Norman Whitfield
Entered chart 24 Jan 1976; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart: 11.

Yvonne Fair (21 Oct 1942 - 6 Mar 1994) was born in Richmond, Virginia, USA.  In the early 1960s she was singing with different groups and made a few recordings.  In the early 1970s she joined Motown records as a backing singer, and toured with several of the major Motown acts.  She recorded her only album in 1975, and a single taken from it, "It Should Have Been Me" was a minor hit in the USA but reached number five on the UK charts.  She had no further hits, and retired from mainstream music making in the early 1980s, although she did occasionally sing in some clubs and bars around Los Angeles for a few years.  She died from pancreatic cancer in Las Vegas in March 1994, at the age of 51.
# The song was written in 1963 for Motown singer Kim Weston, and was also recorded by Gladys Knight & The Pips.


8

Title: I Love Music
Artist: The O'Jays
Writer(s): Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff
Entered chart 31 Jan 1976; Highest Position 13; Weeks on chart: 9.

The O'Jays were an R&B vocal group from the USA state of Ohio, formed as far back as 1958.  They made an appearance in the USA charts in 1963, but found international fame in 1972 when they joined the Philadelphia International record company.  They became part of the 'Philadelphia Sound' along with other bands and artists such as the Three Degrees.  They enjoyed considerable success during the 1970s, as the Disco sound became dominant, reaching Number One in the USA (number nine in the UK) with their 1973 release "Love Train".  They remained a popular live act into the 2000s, and even featured in a film in 2003.
# This was their first hit in the UK charts for nearly three years (see year 1973, song 17), although they had several hits in the USA during that time.  This release reached number five in America.  They had five more Top 40 hits in the UK up to 1979, including a re-issue of "I Love Music".  They continued hitting the American R&B chart until the end of the 20th century.


9

Title: December '63 (Oh, What A Night)
Artist: The Four Seasons
Writer(s): Bob Gaudio & Judy Parker
Entered chart 31 Jan 1976; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 10.

The Four Seasons is a vocal group, characterised by the falsetto voice of Frankie Valli (born 3 May 1934 in Newark, New Jersey, USA).  In 1960, they they began working with record producer Bob Crewe, with Frankie Valli as the lead singer.  The rest of the band was Bob Gaudio on keyboards and tenor vocals (also their songwriter), Tommy DeVito on lead guitar and baritone vocals, and Nick Massi on electric bass and bass vocals.  Their first hit on both sides of the Atlantic was "Sherry", which was an American chart-topper.  Other similar recordings followed and they managed to hit the UK charts through to 1966 despite the prominence of the British beat groups, although many of the singles peaked at low positions.  They also had hits during the 1970s, including several solo recordings by Frankie Valli.  The band is still performing, but with Valli as the only original member.  A farewell concert took place London in December 2018.
# This was the band's only Number One in the UK, but was their fifth chart-topper in the USA.  Unusually, the recording features drummer Gerry Polci on lead vocals, with Frankie Valli, the group's normal lead vocalist, singing the bridge sections and backing vocals only, with bass player Don Ciccone singing the falsetto part.  They were back in the charts during April 1976 with "Silver Star" (song 35), when Gerry Polci took on the lead vocals again.
# Frankie Valli had stepped back from lead vocal duties in the mid-1970s as he was loosing his hearing.  An operation in the 1980s restored most of his hearing.


10

Title: Miss You Nights
Artist: Cliff Richard
Writer(s): Dave Townsend (British singer-songwriter)
Entered chart 7 Feb 1976; Highest Position 15; Weeks on chart: 10.

Cliff Richard was born on 14 Oct 1940 in Lucknow, India, whilst his parents were working in that country.  He returned to England with his family in 1948.  He formed a band in 1957 and a year later he was chosen as a singer for the TV Rock 'n' Roll show "Oh Boy!".  His first hit came in 1958, which started a career that continued into the 21st century, with more than 130 hit singles and over 50 original albums, spanning 60 years plus.  In the early 1960s he also starred in several musical films, notably "The Young Ones" and "Summer Holiday".  He also achieved a number one single in five different decades, and is the most successful British recording artist of all time.  He was honoured with a knighthood in 1995.  He continues in the 21st century and issued a new album in 2018 ("Rise Up"), which reached number four in the album chart, and another album in 2020, "Music.. The Air That I Breathe", which peaked at number three in the UK album chart.
# This hit marked a return to the charts for Cliff, after a blank year in 1975.  The track came from his 1976 album called "I'm Nearly Famous", which was produced by Shadows guitarist Bruce Welch, and reached number five on the UK album chart.  His next single "Devil Woman" (song 42) reached the UK Top 10 and it became his first Top 10 entry in the USA.


11

Title: Funky Weekend
Artist: The Stylistics
Writer(s): Hugo & Luigi and George David Weiss
Entered chart 14 Feb 1976; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart: 7.

The Stylistics was a smooth Soul five-piece vocal group that was formed in Philadelphia, USA in 1970.  The group was characterised by the falsetto voice of Russell Thompkins Jr (born on 21 Mar 1951 in Philadelphia, USA) and the smooth sound created by producer Thom Bell.  This combination resulted in a series of six UK hits until the summer of 1974.  Thom Bell stopped working with the group at that time, but production was taken over by record label owners Hugo & Luigi with arrangements by Van McCoy.  This resulted in another run of ten hits in the UK, with seven of those reaching the Top 10.  However, this second run of hits over the years 1974 to 1976, did not do well in the USA where the new Disco sound was becoming dominant.  In addition to the singles success in the UK, the group's "Best Of" album went to Number One on the British album chart, where it eventually stayed for 63 weeks.  The group continued for the next two decades, but Thompkins left in 2000.  He released a solo album in 2002, but in 2004 Thompkins formed a new group, Russell Thompkins Jr & The New Stylistics.  They are still performing (as a trio) at the present time.
# This was the first of three Top 10 UK hits for the band during 1976.  However, it was their final year of major hits in the UK and there were no further hits in the USA.  Their next hit came in April (song 33).


12

Title: Convoy
Artist: C W McCall
Writer(s): Bill Fries & Chip Davis
Entered chart 14 Feb 1976; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 10.

C W McCall was a fictitious character invented by Bill Fries (15 Nov 1928 - 1 Apr 2022), who was born in Iowa, USA.  Fries was working for an advertising agency when he was asked to create a TV advertising campaign for a local baking company and their Old Home bread.  Fries created the story of truck driver C W McCall who always stopped at the Old Home Café.  Based on those commercials, Fries, using the name C W McCall, began recording songs he wrote about trucks and trucking.  The song "Convoy" came from his second album of songs and was a major success, reaching Number One in the USA, and just one position short of that in the UK.  He recorded more albums and toured the Country music venues of the USA, but had no more hits in the UK.  He retired from the music business in 1980, moving to Ouray, Colorado, USA, where he served as the town's mayor from 1986 to 1992.  Following his mayoral career, he fully retired, living in Ouray with his wife.  He died on 1st April 2022 from lung cancer at the age of 93.
# The song refers to a convoy of numerous trucks which is illegal in the USA, hence references to police and road blocks.  The lyrics use CB radio and trucker slang throughout.
# Later in 1976, a parody of this song recorded by Laurie Lingo & The Dipsticks titled "Convoy GB" reached number four on the UK singles chart.  The name "Laurie Lingo" is a pun; in the UK, a large truck is known as a "lorry", and thus "lorry lingo" would be "truck slang".  The act actually consisted of BBC Radio 1 DJs Dave Lee Travis and Paul Burnett.  The parody used the same tune, but altered the song's lyrics to take place in the UK.


13

Title: Love Really Hurts With You
Artist: Billy Ocean
Writer(s): Billy Ocean & Ben Findon
Entered chart 21 Feb 1976; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 10.

Billy Ocean was born on 21 Jan 1950 in Trinidad, West Indies.  He emigrated to the UK with his family when he was ten years old.  He began singing with local London bands in his teens, and after some unsuccessful recordings, his break-through came in 1976 as a solo artist.  His debut album contained the track "Love really Hurts Without You" which became a major success, reaching number 22 in the USA.  His career took off from there, and he enjoyed numerous hits to the end of the 1980s.  He continues to perform in the 21st century, and recorded a new album in 2019.  He was awarded an MBE in 2020.
# Ocean's next Top 10 hit came in spring 1977.


14

Title: Falling Apart At The Seams
Artist: Marmalade
Writer(s): Tony Macaulay
Entered chart 21 Feb 1976; Highest Position 9; Weeks on chart: 11.

Marmalade was a five-piece band formed in 1961 in Glasgow, Scotland originally called the Gaylords.  In the mid 1960s they went to London where they changed their name and signed with the same management as the Tremeloes.  A recording deal with CBS was arranged.  Their first releases failed to reach the charts but they became a popular act in the clubs of central London.  Finally in 1968 they broke through with "Lovin' Things".  This started a run of seven Top 10 hits until 1972, with a one-off number nine hit in 1976.  There was a large turnover of personnel throughout the years, although the original inspiration, Junior Campbell was with them from 1966 to 1971, and he enjoyed a solo Top 10 hit in 1972 (year 1972, song 83).  The band still performs, with the lead singer Sandy Newman who has been with the band since 1975.
# As indicated above, this was the band's first hit since 1972, but it was also their last.  Lead vocals on this recording were by Sandy Newman.


15

Title: I Wanna Stay With You
Artist: Gallagher & Lyle
Writer(s): Benny Gallagher & Graham Lyle
Entered chart 28 Feb 1976; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart: 9.

This Scottish duo comprised Benny Gallagher (born 10 Jun 1945) & Graham Lyle (born 11 March 1944).  They formed a songwriting partnership in 1959 when part of a group in Scotland.  In the late 1960s they wrote for Apple records and provided some songs for Mary Hopkin.  In 1970 they joined the band McGuinness Flint, and wrote several songs for the first album which included their first hit single "When I'm Dead And Gone" (see year 1970, song 92).  They left the band in 1972 to form the duo.  They began recording albums, but it was not until their fifth album "Breakaway" that they finally entered the album charts.  "Breakaway" reached number six during 1976, and the first single lifted from it, "I Wanna Stay With You" also reached number six.  They had a second Top 10 single later in 1976 (song 47), but a further album and two singles were only minor hits.  After more unsuccessful recordings the pair split in 1980.  They continued writing songs and worked as session musicians as well.  Finally in 2010 they reunited and began performing again, mostly in Scotland.  However they called it a day in 2018.


16

Title: Take It To The Limit
Artist: The Eagles
Writer(s): Randy Meisner, Don Henley & Glenn Frey
Entered chart 6 Mar 1976; Highest Position 12; Weeks on chart: 7.

The Eagles are an American Country Rock band formed in Los Angeles in September 1971. The founding members were Glenn Frey (6 Nov 1948 - 18 Jan 2016), Don Henley (born 22 Jul 1947), Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner.  Frey and Henley first played together when they joined Linda Ronstadt's backing band for her tour in 1971.  Leadon and Meisner were in the band as well, and the four decided to form their own band.  They released their first album ("The Eagles") in 1972.  None of the band's early American hits reached the UK charts.  In fact, the band's first British hit did not come until 1975, after they had enjoyed eight hit singles in the USA.  However, all of their American hits were included on the album "Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975" (released 1976) which reached number two on the UK album chart, where it remained for 77 weeks.  Guitarist and vocalist Joe Walsh joined the band in 1975, replacing Leadon.  The Eagles hit their commercial peak in late 1976 with the release of the album "Hotel California", which went on to sell more than 26 million copies in the USA alone and more than 42 million copies worldwide.  The Eagles broke up in July 1980, but reunited in 1994 for the album "Hell Freezes Over", a mix of live and new studio tracks.  They toured consistently and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.  In 2007, the Eagles released "Long Road Out of Eden", their first full studio album in 28 years and their sixth American Number One album.  The next year they launched the Long Road Out of Eden Tour in support of the album.  In 2013, they began the extended History of the Eagles Tour in conjunction with the band's documentary release, "History of the Eagles".  Glenn Frey died in January 2016, but they reformed in 2017, with Deacon Frey (Glen Frey's son) and Country singer Vince Gill sharing lead vocals for Frey's songs.
# This third UK hit for the band was taken from their album "One Of These Nights", which reached number eight on the UK album chart.  This was their only British single hit in 1976, although their "Greatest Hits 1971-1975" album, and later their classic "Hotel California" both hit the UK album charts in this year.  The band's next hit single came in January 1977.


17

Title: You See The Trouble With Me
Artist: Barry White
Writer(s): Barry White & Ray Parker Jr.
Entered chart 6 Mar 1976; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 10.

Barry White (12 Sep 1944 - 4 Jul 2003) was born in Galveston, Texas, USA, but he grew up in Los Angeles.  He began singing in the early 1960s, often with groups, sometimes solo, and he began producing recordings in the second half of the 1960s.  In the early 1970s he had success with girl group Love Unlimited and their hit "Walking In The Rain With The One I Love" (see year 1972, song 52), which White wrote, arranged and produced.  In 1973 White created the Love Unlimited Orchestra, which was used mainly to provide backing for for himself and the girl group.  However, the orchestra also recorded instrumental tracks, and they had the hit "Love's Theme" (see year 1974, song 8).  White had a couple of small hits before his first UK Top 10 in August 1974.  This kicked off his solo career in the USA and UK, where he had ten Top 20 hits by the end of the 1980s.  He continued recording and performing until the end of the 1990s.  In the early 2000s he suffered from kidney failure, and a stroke in 2003, which led to his death at the age of 58.
# Despite White's popularity, this was his final Top 10 hit in the UK, although he had a further nine Top 40 hits up to and including his duet with Tina Turner in 1996.  His much-loved version of "Just The Way You Are" came in December 1978, peaking at number 12.
# In 2000 "You See The Trouble With Me" was recorded by Italian production duo Black Legend, whose Eurodance version reached Number One in the UK during May that year.


18

Title: Save Your Kisses For Me
Artist: Brotherhood Of Man
Writer(s): Tony Hiller, Lee Sheriden & Martin Lee
Entered chart 13 Mar 1976; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 16.

The Brotherhood Of Man was the project of songwriter Tony Hiller, started in 1969.  Originally it was a vehicle for an ever-changing selection of session singers.  In 1970 they had a Top 10 hit with "United We Stand" (see year 1970, song 12) with vocalists Tony Burrows, Roger Greenaway, co-writer Johnny Goodison and two female singers.  In 1973 Hiller decided to stabilise the group, having two males and two females on a permanent basis.  This led to the group eventually recording the song "Save Your Kisses For Me" in 1976, which reached Number One in the UK charts and was the British entry in the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest, which the group won.  The singers on this recording were Martin Lee, Nicky Stevens, Sandra Stevens and Lee Sheriden.  Two more chart-toppers followed in 1977 and 1978 respectively.  Although the hits stopped at the end of the 1970s, the group continues on the cabaret and nostalgia circuits.
# "Save Your Kisses For Me" was a UK million-seller, and it reached the Top 30 in the USA as well.  Their follow up only reached number 30 in June this year, but they were in the Top 10 during early 1977 with a Number One following in that year.


19

Title: Hello Happiness
Artist: The Drifters
Writer(s): Roger Greenaway & Les Reed
Entered chart 13 Mar 1976; Highest Position 12; Weeks on chart: 8.

The Drifters are an American vocal group, formed in the early 1950s, and with a constant rotation of members.  A count has indicated that some 60 individuals have performed under the band name at one time or another.  The group enjoyed several hits in the 1960s, but in the 1970s, they signed a deal with Bell records and based themselves in the UK, with lead singer Johnny Moore (14 Dec 1934 - 30 Dec 1998).  This gave them a run of nine hit singles, six of which made the Top 10, until the end of 1976.  Members came and went (and returned again) several times during the next three decades.  Johnny Moore died in London at the end of 1998, having been in the group (with some breaks) since he was 21 years old in 1955.  Nevertheless, others continued with the group which has performed into the 21st century, but there have been numerous lawsuits over the use of the group name.  No members of the hits-making versions of the band are in the current lineup.
# This was the first of three hits that the group had in the UK during 1976.  Unfortunately, this was also their final year as hit makers.  Their next hit, which came in September, only reached number 29, but they were back in the Top 10 for their final fling in December (song 97).


20

Title: Music
Artist: John Miles
Writer(s): John Miles
Entered chart 20 Mar 1976; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart: 9.

John Miles (23 Apr 1949 - 5 Dec 2021) was born in Jarrow, north-east England.  He was part of a band in his teenage years, but opted for a solo career in 1971.  He signed a recording deal in 1975, and his first album, "Rebel", reached number nine in the UK album chart.  From that album came the song "Music" which was a Top 10 hit in the UK and other parts of Europe.  Further albums and singles only had modest success apart from "Slow Down" which reached the UK Top 10 in 1977.  Nevertheless he toured European countries extensively during the late 1970s and 1980s.  He also performed on the album recordings of several major acts including Tina Turner and Joe Cocker during the 1990s.  He toured in the 2000s as well, and had a concert planned in Belgium during 2022.  Sadly he died, after a short illness, in December 2021 at the age of 72.


21

Title: Pinball Wizard
Artist: Elton John
Writer(s): Pete Townsend
Entered chart 20 Mar 1976; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart: 7.

Elton John was born on 25 Mar 1947 in Pinner, Middlesex (north-west London).  He learned to play piano at an early age, and by 1962 had formed Bluesology, an R&B band with whom he played until 1967.  He met his longtime musical partner Bernie Taupin in 1967, after they both answered an advert for songwriters.  For two years, they wrote songs for artists including Lulu, and John worked as a session musician for artists including the Hollies and the Scaffold.  Elton John was also one of several singers in the late 1960s and early 1970s who recorded covers of hit songs for sale as budget-priced albums in shops like Woolworths.  In 1971, his first hit single, "Your Song", taken from his second album, "Elton John", reached the top ten in the UK and the USA.  From that point he gradually became a star and by the end of the 20th century he had achieved over seventy hit singles in the UK charts and some 36 albums in the album chart.  In the USA he has had more than 50 Top 40 hits and seven consecutive number-one albums.   His tribute single "Candle in the Wind 1997", rewritten in dedication to Diana, Princess of Wales, sold over 33 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling single in the history of the UK and USA singles charts.  He has also composed music for the musical film and stage presentation "The Lion King", as well as for several other musicals.  Elton John owned Watford Football Club from 1976 to 1987 and from 1997 to 2002, and is an honorary Life President of the club.  In 2019 a biographical film tilted "Rocket Man", about Elton John's life from childhood to the 1980s, was released.
# This song was first recorded by British band The Who.  That version was a number four hit for the band in 1969 (see year 1969, song 25).  Elton recorded the song for the soundtrack of the film "Tommy" which was released in 1975.
# Elton John had three further hits in 1976.  The next was his duet with Kiki Dee (song 57).


22

Title: I'm Mandy, Fly Me
Artist: 10cc
Writer(s): Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman & Kevin Godley
Entered chart 20 Mar 1976; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart: 9.

10cc was a British band, formed in 1972.  The members were Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme.  They were two pairs of songwriters - Gouldman and Stewart, as well as Godley and Creme.  Graham Gouldman in particular was a well-known songwriter, having composed hits for the Yardbirds and the Hollies amongst others during the 1960s.  The band became very successful, and from 1972 to 1978, 10cc had five consecutive UK Top 10 albums, plus twelve singles in the UK Top 40, three of which were the chart-toppers: "Rubber Bullets" (1973), "I'm Not in Love" (1975) and "Dreadlock Holiday" (1978).  "I'm Not in Love" was their breakthrough worldwide hit and is known for its innovative backing track.  Godley and Creme quit the band in 1976 due to artistic disagreements and became a duo act who had a couple of Top 10 hits in 1981.  They were replaced, and the band continued recording and performing until the end of 1978.  There were reunions of all four members from time to time, but Stewart left the band in 1995.  Since 1999, Gouldman has led a touring version of 10cc with four others.
# This was the band's follow-up to their Top 10 hit of November 1975, "Art For Arts Sake" (see year 1975, song 95).  Their next hit came at the end of 1976 (song 93).


23

Title: Fernando
Artist: Abba
Writer(s): Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson & Stig Anderson
Entered chart 27 Mar 1976; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 15.

Abba was a Swedish group who shot to fame when they won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Waterloo".  The members were: Agnetha Fältskog (born 5 Apr 1950 in Jönköping, Sweden), Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad (born 15 Nov 1945 in Ballangen, Norway), Björn Ulvaeus (born 25 Apr 1945 in Gothenburg, Sweden), and Benny Andersson (born 16 Dec 1946 in Stockholm, Sweden).  Following their "Waterloo" success, there was a slight gap in record sales until 1975 when they began a run of 18 UK Top 10 hits, lasting until 1981.  They were the most successful Scandinavian act, with success in the USA, Australia, most of Europe and other parts of the world.  They toured the world extensively during the second half of the 1970s.  In 1977 "ABBA: The Movie" a  drama-documentary about their Australian tour was released.  Three 'greatest hits' albums were issued between 1976 and 1982, but in 1992 their "Gold" compilation album was released, which reached Number One in the UK, eventually staying on the chart for 328 weeks.  The group split in 1982, and Benny and  Björn went on to write the musical "Chess" (with Tim Rice) which opened in London in 1986.  In 1999 a musical called "Mamma Mia!", which featured numerous Abba songs opened in London.  A film version of the musical was released in 2008.  Agnetha has issued several solo albums, the most recent in 2013.  Frida initially retired from the music business and moved to Switzerland.  However, in late 2021 it was announced that Abba had reunited to record a new album called "Voyage".
# This was their third Number One, and followed the chart-topper "Mamma Mia" (year 1975, song 99).  "Fernando" was originally written in 1975 for
group member Anni-Frid Lyngstad which she recorded in Swedish and included on her solo album "Frida ensam" (Frida Alone).  In 1976 it was recorded by the group and issued as a single, only appearing on the album "Greatest Hits" which went to Number One in the UK during the summer of 1976.  The band's next hit came in August (song 70).


24

Title: There's A Kind Of Hush
Artist: The Carpenters
Writer(s): Geoff Stephens & Les Reed
Entered chart 27 Mar 1976; Highest Position 22; Weeks on chart: 6.

The Carpenters were a brother and sister duo from Connecticut, USA.  The act comprised Richard Carpenter (born 15 Oct 1946) and Karen Carpenter (2 Mar 1950 - 4 Feb 1983).  Karen provided the vocals and sometimes drums, while Richard provided the arrangements,  instrumentation (mostly piano), and sometimes backing vocals.  During the 1970s they were an extremely popular easy-listening act with numerous hit singles and albums throughout the world.  Their compilation album "The Singles 1969-1973" reached Number One in the UK and remained on the album chart for well over two years, with seven other albums reaching the Top 10.  They toured the world extensively for a decade, but Karen began to suffer from the eating disorder anorexia nervosa, although she always denied the suggestion.  However, in early February 1983 she collapsed and died from a heart attack brought on by anorexia nervosa.  Richard Carpenter then began producing a new album of unreleased Carpenters recordings which was issued later in 1983.  Since then he has produced several compilation albums, and in 2018 an album of the duo's hits with orchestration from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was issued, reaching number eight in the UK album chart.
# This was the duo's first of two Top 40 UK hits in 1976.  The single reached number 12 in the USA, and comes from their 1976 album "A Kind Of Hush" which reached number three on the UK album chart.  There was a general falling-off in peak chart positions for the Carpenters in both the UK and USA at this time, although they did reach the British singles Top 10 for a final time in 1977.  Their final American Top 10 had come in 1975.
# The song was a hit in early 1967 for Herman's Hermits who reached number seven with their version (see year 1967, song 16).


25

Title: Girls Girls Girls
Artist: Sailor
Writer(s): Georg Kajanus
Entered chart 27 Mar 1976; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart: 8.

Sailor was a Norwegian/British band lead by Georg Kajanus who was born on 9 Feb 1946 in Trondheim, Norway.  Kajanus moved with his mother and sister to Paris at the age of twelve where he studied music and classical guitar. The family then relocated to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where Kajanus worked as a stained-glass window designer.  Eventually he moved to London, England, and after a spell with other groups, formed the band Sailor in 1973.  Their second album, "Trouble", provided two Top 10 hits, the first of which was "Glass Of Champagne".  With diminishing success, the group broke up in 1978, but reformed in 1989.  They toured throughout Europe in the first half of the 1990s, but Kajanus left the band in 1995.  He was replaced and the band continued in to the 21st century, and with further personnel changes they continue to tour Europe, particularly Germany.
# This was the band's follow-up to their hit of December 1975, "Glass Of Champagne" (year 1975, song 98).  Only one minor hit followed in early 1977, and then they disappeared from the UK charts.
# This is a different song to
"Girls Girls Girls" by American Heavy Metal band Mötley Crüe, which reached number 26 in the UK charts during 1987.


26

Title: Arms Of Mary
Artist: Sutherland Brothers & Quiver
Writer(s): Iain Sutherland
Entered chart 3 Apr 1976; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart: 12.

These were two different bands that came together to make a couple of albums, which provided this one-off Top 10 hit.  The Sutherland Brothers, Gavin Sutherland (born 6 Oct 1951) and Iain Sutherland (17 Nov 1948 - 25 Nov 2019) were a Scottish Folk and Soft Rock duo.  They made a couple of albums in the early 1970s, but decided to work with Quiver to expand their repertoire.  Quiver was an English rock band formed in 1970 by Tim Renwick and Cal Batchelor.  The two bands worked together from 1973 to 1976.  Two albums reached the UK Top 50 of the album chart, but the only major success was the single "Arms Of Mary" written by Iain Sutherland.  One more Top 40 hit came in 1976, but there was no more chart success for the collaboration.  Most members of Quiver left in 1976, and the two groups separated.  The Sutherland Brothers continued as a duo until 1979 when they had a small chart entry, but disbanded soon after.  Several members of Quiver later backed Scottish Folk-Rock musician Al Stewart in the late 1970s.
#
Gavin Southerland wrote the song "Sailing" and it was recorded by the duo in 1972.  Rod Stewart recorded the song for his album "Atlantic Crossing", which reached Number One on the UK album chart from the end of August 1975.  "Sailing" was issued as a single and reached Number One on the UK singles chart.  In 1976, the recording was used by the BBC for their TV documentary series about the British aircraft carrier "Ark Royal".  As as result, the recording charted again in October 1976, reaching number three.  See year 1975, song 66.


27

Title: Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)
Artist: Diana Ross
Writer(s): Michael Masser & Gerry Goffin
Entered chart 3 Apr 1976; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart: 8.

Diana Ross was born on 26 Mar 1944 in Detroit, Michigan, USA.  She first found fame as the lead singer with the group the Supremes, which was one of the most successful female groups of the second half of the 1960s (see year 1964, song 75).  Ross had decided to leave the group for a solo career early in 1970.  Her first UK solo release "Reach Out And Touch" (year 1970, song 61) performed disappointingly in the UK, but she was soon in the UK and USA Top 10, and she enjoyed her first British Number One in the summer of 1971 with "I'm Still Waiting" (see year 1971, song 58).  She went on to have a highly successful career with numerous hit singles and albums, and was recording into the 2000s.
# This song was first recorded by American vocalist Thelma Houston in 1973.  It was recorded by Diana Ross and used as the theme to the 1975 romantic drama film "Mahogany" in which Ross starred.  The recording reached Number One in the USA. 
# The recording was Ross' first UK Top 10 hit since 1974, but she was back in the British Top 10 later in April with the Disco-based "Love Hangover" (song 36).


28

Title: All By Myself
Artist: Eric Carmen
Writer(s): Eric Carmen & Sergei Rachmaninoff*
Entered chart 10 Apr 1976; Highest Position 12; Weeks on chart: 7.

Eric Carmen (11 Aug 1949 - 11 Mar 2024) was born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.  He began singing and taking piano lessons as a child.  Whilst at university he joined a group, and during the first half of the 1970s he was lead singer and songwriter with a band called the Raspberries.  The band broke up in 1975 and Carmen began performing solo.  His big breakthrough came in 1976 when his recording "All By Myself" was a major hit on both sides of the Atlantic.  Further releases were less successful in the USA, and none reached the UK charts.  However, several of his songs were hits for other artists in the following years.  He did, however have two Top 10 hits in the USA during the years 1987/1988.  In 2004 Carmen and other original members reformed the Raspberries and began making concert tours.  He died in his sleep in March 2024 at the age of 74.
# * The verse of the song is based on the second movement (Adagio sostenuto) of Sergei Rachmaninoff's circa 1900–1901 Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18, a piece famously used to underscore the 1945 British film "Brief Encounter".  The chorus was taken from the song "Let's Pretend", which Carmen wrote and recorded with the Raspberries in 1972.
# The song was recorded by Canadian vocalist Celine Dion in 1996 and her version reached number six in the UK and number four in the USA that year.


29

Title: Love Me Like I Love You
Artist: Bay City Rollers
Writer(s): Eric Faulkner & Stuart Wood
Entered chart 10 Apr 1976; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart: 9.

The Bay City Rollers was a Scottish band from Edinburgh, formed originally in the 1960s under different names.  Although the personnel changed a few times, the best-known line up comprised lead singer Les McKeown (12 Nov 1955 - 20 Apr 2021, born in Edinburgh),  guitarists Eric Faulkner and Stuart Wood, bassist Alan Longmuir (20 Jun 1948 - 2 Jul 2018), and drummer Derek Longmuir.  They signed a contract with Bell records and had their first hit in 1971, "Keep On Dancing", which reached the UK Top 10 (see year 1971, song 71).  They did not have another hit until 1974 when they began a run of Top 10 hits until 1976.  Fan adulation for the group during that time was dubbed 'Rollermania', echoing the 'Beatlemania' of the 1960s.  They also had some success in the USA in the mid-1970s, with three of their releases reaching the American Top 10.  After their popularity began to wane, there were several personnel changes, but they continued into the 1980s.  Various regroupings and reunions have taken place since then, with tours at home and abroad in the 2010s.
# This was the first of two final Top 10 hits for the band.  They had two smaller hits in 1977 and there were no more chart entries after that.  The next hit came in September (song 76).


30

Title: Let Your Love Flow
Artist: Bellamy Brothers
Writer(s): Larry E. Williams
Entered chart 17 Apr 1976; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart: 12.

The Bellamy Brothers are Howard Bellamy, born 2 Feb 1946 and David Bellamy, born 16 Sep 1950, both from from Darby, Florida, USA.  They are primarily Country music performers, but some of their hits crossed over to the pop charts.  They began performing locally in the late 1960s, but moved to Los Angeles and signed a record deal in 1975.  Their first major hit, "Let Your Love Flow", went to Number One in the USA, and entered the Top 10 in several countries worldwide.  The following hits were sparse until in 1979 when they reached the Top 10 again.  They continued to have hits on the American Country music charts during the next two decades.  They issued a couple of Gospel albums in the 2000s, but continued with their Country performances as well.  They issued an album of new material in 2019 recorded in a studio at their Florida ranch, where they both live with their families.


31

Title: Movie Star
Artist: Harpo
Writer(s): Harpo
Entered chart 17 Apr 1976; Highest Position 24; Weeks on chart: 6.

Harpo is Jan Svensson who was born 5 Apr 1950 in Stockholm, Sweden.  He began as a actor, touring Sweden in a children's theatre during the late 1960s.  He was also writing songs, and in 1972 he signed a record deal with Abba's record company.  That did not work out, so he signed with EMI in 1973.  His first two releases reached the Top 10 of the Swedish charts.  Early in 1975 he recorded the song "Movie Star", which included Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Frida) from Abba on backing vocals.  The recording was a great success, reaching Number One in Sweden, Norway, Austria, Switzerland and Germany.  Although follow-up singles did not chart in the UK they were hits in various other European countries.  He continued to record throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s.  He released an album of new material, "Jan Harpo Svensson 05", in April 2005, and he had an extensive tour of Germany in 2007.


32

Title: More More More
Artist: Andrea True Connection
Writer(s): Gregg Diamond
Entered chart 17 Apr 1976; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart: 10.

Andrea True (26 Jul 1943 – 7 Nov 2011) was born in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.  She learnt to play piano as a child, and studied music at university.  After a spell as an actress, she issued her first recordings in 1976 with her backing band named the Connection.  Her debut release, "More More More" became a Top five hit in the UK and USA, but success faded away after a couple of years.  She died from heart failure at the age of 68.


33

Title: Can't Help Falling In Love
Artist: The Stylistics
Writer(s): Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore & George David Weiss
Entered chart 24 Apr 1976; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart: 7.

This was the group's follow-up to their February hit "Funky Weekend" (song 11).  This recording was a remake of the hit by Elvis Presley which reached Number One in 1962 (year 1962, song 9).  The Stylistics' final Top 10 came in August this year (song 67).
# The melody of the song is based on "Plaisir d'amour", a French romantic ballad written in 1784 by Jean Paul Egide Martini.
# In addition to the versions by Elvis Presley and the Stylistics, the song has been in the UK charts by Andy Williams (1970, number 3); UK band Lick The Tins (1986, number 42) and UB40 with a reggae version (1993, Number One).


34

Title: I'm Your Puppet
Artist: James & Bobby Purify
Writer(s): Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham
Entered chart 24 Apr 1976; Highest Position 12; Weeks on chart: 10.

This duo originally comprised James Lee Purify (12 May 1944 – 22 Jan 2021) and his cousin Robert Lee Dickey (2 Sep 1939 – 29 Dec 2011).  The pair came from Florida, USA, and the act was formed in 1965.  They had immediate success with their recording of "I'm Your Puppet", which was recorded at the FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and reached number six on the American charts in 1966.  That recording was not a hit in the UK.  They went on to have several more hits in the USA during the 1960s.  In 1971 Dickey decided to retire due to health reasons, and James Purify then worked solo.  However, in 1974 he met Ben Moore (born 1941) who had worked with other Soul artists and had made recordings as part of a group.  They reformed James & Bobby Purify, with Moore assuming the role of Bobby.  They re-recorded "I'm Your Puppet", and that version became a hit in the UK, although it did not chart in the USA.  They toured together through the 1980s, but Moore went blind in 1998 from severe glaucoma, and left the music business.  However, in the 2000s he joined Gospel group, the Blind Boys of Alabama.  James Purify died in January 2021 from Covid-19.


35

Title: Silver Star
Artist: The Four Seasons
Writer(s): Bob Gaudio & Judy Parker
Entered chart 24 Apr 1976; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart: 9.

This was the band's follow-up to their hit "December '63" (song 9), in January this year.  It was another Top 10 hit, but sadly it was their last in the UK, with "December '63" having been their final Top 10 hit in the USA.  Three smaller Top 40 hits charted until the end of 1977.  However, lead singer Frankie Valli had his big hit with the theme to the film "Grease" in 1978.
# Drummer Gerry Polci sang lead on this recording due to Valli's hearing problems.


36

Title: Love Hangover
Artist: Diana Ross
Writer(s): Marilyn McLeod & Pamela Sawyer
Entered chart 24 Apr 1976; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart: 10.

This recording entered the UK charts just three weeks after Ross' "Theme from Mahogany" charted (song 27).  "Love Hangover" was a full Disco sound, contrasting with the slow ballad film theme.  It reached Number One in the USA.  Strangely, it was 1980 before she had another Top 10 hit on either side of the Atlantic.  In the meantime, she had eight small UK hits, the highest reaching number 23.  See song 27 for more info.


37

Title: I'd Really Love To See You Tonight
Artist: England Dan & John Ford Coley
Writer(s): Parker McGee
Entered chart 1 May 1976; Highest Position 26; Weeks on chart: 7.

This American Soft Rock duo comprised Dan Seals (8 Feb 1948 - 25 Mar 2009) and John Ford Coley (born 13 Oct 1948).  The pair met at high school in Dallas, Texas, and began performing with local bands.  They moved to Los Angeles in the early 1970s and began recording but with little success.  In 1975 they recorded "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight", written by Country music singer-songwriter, Parker McGee.  Their Soft Rock style was popular with the American FM radio stations, and the recording went to number two in the USA.  They had several more hits in America until the end of the 1970s, but only one further minor hit entered the UK charts.  They split in 1980, and Seals became a solo artist singing Country music, scoring some eleven Number Ones on the American Country chart during the 1980s.  Coley turned to acting and record production, but began touring again in the 2000s.
# Dan Seals was the younger brother of Jim Seals who was one half of the Soft Rock duo Seals & Crofts who had considerable success during the 1970s in America, but none of their recordings reached the UK charts.


38

Title: Show Me The Way
Artist: Peter Frampton
Writer(s): Peter Frampton
Entered chart 1 May 1976; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart: 12.

Peter Frampton was born on 22 Apr 1950 in Beckenham, Kent, England.  He became interested in music as a child, and by the age of 14 he was playing with a local band.  In 1966, at the age of 16, he joined the Herd (see year 1967, song 75), and they went on to have a couple of Top 10 hits.  In 1969 he joined with Steve Marriott of the Small Faces to form the group Humble Pie.  After some modest success with four albums, the group was dissolved, and Frampton went solo from 1971.  His early efforts at recording and performing solo met with only moderate success until 1976 when his double live album "Frampton Comes Alive!" went to Number One in the USA and number six in the UK.  This Top 10 single comes from that album, as did two other tracks, although they were not as successful in Britain, whilst hitting the Top 10 in America.  He continued through the 1980s although commercial success was scant.  Nevertheless he had been recording and performing in the 21st century until 2019 when he announced his retirement due to health considerations. 
# "Show Me The Way" strongly features a talk box.  This is an effects unit that allows musicians to modify the sound of a musical instrument (in this case a guitar) by shaping the frequency content of the sound and to apply speech sounds (in the same way as singing) onto the sounds of the instrument.  Typically, a talk box directs sound from the instrument into the musician's mouth by means of a plastic tube adjacent to their vocal microphone.  The musician controls the modification of the instrument's sound by changing the shape of the mouth, "vocalizing" the instrument's output into a microphone.
(Info from Wikipedia)


39

Title: Fool To Cry
Artist: The Rolling Stones
Writer(s): Mick Jagger & Keith Richards
Entered chart 1 May 1976; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart: 10.

The Rolling Stones debuted on the British charts in 1963, and started a career which challenged the Beatles for the "top band" accolade during the 1960s.  The band comprised lead singer Mick Jagger (born 26 Jul 1943), guitarists Keith Richards (born 18 Dec 1943) and Brian Jones (28 Feb 1942 - 3 Jul 1969), bassist Bill Wyman (born 24 Oct 1936) and drummer Charlie Watts (2 Jun 1941 - 24 Aug 2021).  The Stones clocked up 15 hits during the 1960s, including eight number ones.  Hits continued in the singles and album charts through the following decades up to the present time.  They still embark on world tours in the 21st century, and toured the UK in 2018.  For more details see year 1968, song 47.
# This was the band's first UK Top 10 hit since 1974, and it was 1978 before they had another.  However, they were still one of the top bands in the world, and would perform to massive audiences from year to year.


40

Title: Soul City Walk
Artist: Archie Bell & The Drells
Writer(s): Victor Carstarphen, Gene McFadden & John Whitehead
Entered chart 8 May 1976; Highest Position 13; Weeks on chart: 10.

This band was formed in Houston, Texas, USA.  It was a quartet led by Archie Bell (born 1 Sep 1944).  They first recorded in 1967, and had their debut American hit, "Tighten Up", in 1968.  "Here I Go Again" was recorded in 1969 and was not a hit in the USA, but released in the UK during 1972, it only just missed out on a Top 10 placing.  The group continued through the 1970s, moving into Disco music for their next biggest hit "Soul City Walk" in 1976 which reached number 13 in the UK charts.  They continued recording and performing until 1981, but made occasional appearances until the turn of the century.  
# This recording was the group's first Top 20 hit since 1972 when "Here I Go Again" reached number eleven in the UK charts (see year 1972, song 81).  They had another couple of minor hits before disappearing from the UK charts.
# The songwriters McFadden and Whitehead went on to have their own hit in 1979 with "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now".


41

Title: Midnight Train To Georgia
Artist: Gladys Knight & The Pips
Writer(s): Jim Weatherly
Entered chart 8 May 1976; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart: 9.

Gladys Knight & The Pips was a Tamla Motown group initially, but their greatest success came with a move to Buddah records in 1973.  The group started as family group, the Pips, in 1952, when Gladys was just seven!  They changed the group name in 1961 to showcase their lead singer, Gladys Knight (born 28 May 1944 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA).  They had a few local hits in Georgia, but it was in 1966 when they signed with Motown that they began USA-wide and international success.  They did not reach the level of popularity as other Motown acts such as the Supremes and Four Tops, however.  Following contractual disagreements, the group left Motown for Buddah in 1973, and they enjoyed several hits including "Midnight Train To Georgia" which was an American Number One.  The group disbanded in 1989 when Gladys went solo.  In 1989 she recorded "License to Kill" for the James Bond movie of the same title, which was a Top 10 hit in the UK and Germany.  In the 2010s she is still making occasional concert appearances, and she performed at an outdoor festival in London during 2018.
# This recording was made in 1973 and was a Number One hit in the USA during that year.  The group's next UK Top 10 hit came in May 1977.


42

Title: Devil Woman
Artist: Cliff Richard
Writer(s): Terry Britten & Christine Holmes
Entered chart 8 May 1976; Highest Position 9; Weeks on chart: 8.

This was Cliff's follow-up to his hit of February, "Miss You Nights" (song 10).  It was hit first UK Top 10 entry for over three years.  Taken from his album "I'm Nearly Famous", it became his first American Top 10 chart entry, and reached the Top 10 of six other countries.  A series of smaller hits followed, until he reached Number One for the tenth time in 1979.


43

Title: Jolene
Artist: Dolly Parton
Writer(s): Dolly Parton
Entered chart 15 May 1976; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart: 10.

Dolly Parton was born on 19 Jan 1946 in Tennessee, USA.  She was the fourth in a family of twelve children of poor farming people.  She showed an interest in music from a young age and upon leaving high school she moved to Nashville, the home of American Country music.  She was spotted by seasoned Country star Porter Wagoner (1927 - 2007), and he began featuring her on his regular TV show.  She also began recording with Wagoner and soon became one of the top American female Country music performers.  She stopped working with Wagoner in 1974, and recording solo, she soon had hit songs on the USA Country music chart.  Her hits crossed over to the pop charts from the mid-1970s, and her first UK hit came in 1976 with the song "Jolene".  In the 1980s she appeared in several successful films such as "Nine To Five".  She has continued successfully on record, TV and film into the 21st century.  Parton always wanted to invest her wealth into the poor parts of east Tennessee, and in 1986 she opened Dollywood, a theme park centred on Appalachian traditions, in the Great Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee, which gave employment to numerous local people.  Two years later she created the Dollywood Foundation, an organization with the aim of providing inspiration and educational resources to children.  She was named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress in 2004 for her enrichment of the American cultural heritage.  In 2005 she received the U.S. government’s National Medal of Arts, and in 2006 she was recognized at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., for her lifetime artistic achievement.


44

Title: Fooled Around And Fell In Love
Artist: Elvin Bishop
Writer(s): Elvin Bishop
Entered chart 15 May 1976; Highest Position 34; Weeks on chart: 4.

Elvin Bishop was born on 21 Oct 1942 in Glendale, California, USA, but as a youngster he was living in Iowa, and at age ten he moved with his family to Tulsa, Oklahoma.  After high school he moved to Chicago to attend university, and joined a blues band there, remaining with them until 1968.  He formed his own band in that year, but also worked with the Rock band the Grateful Dead.  He also worked and toured with Blues artists and the Allman Brothers band.  He made a couple of albums in the first half of the 1970s, but it was the 1976 single "Fooled Around And Fell In Love" that brought him fame, the recording reaching number three on the American charts.  He continued recording and touring into the 21st century, and released his latest album in 2017.
# Bishop does not sing lead on this recording, as he thought his voice was not suited to the song.  Bishop invited his band's backing singer Mickey Thomas to take the lead vocal on the recording, who remained uncredited.  Later, Thomas was invited to join the Rock band Jefferson Starship (later just Starship), which he did from 1979 to 1984.


45

Title: Silly Love Songs
Artist: Wings (Paul McCartney)
Writer(s): Paul McCartney & Linda McCartney
Entered chart 15 May 1976; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 11.

Paul McCartney was born on 18 Jun 1942 in Liverpool, England, and found fame as a member of the Beatles group.  After the breakup of the band, McCartney pursued a solo career, as did the others.  His first solo hit was "Another Day" in 1971, which just missed reaching the top spot of the charts.  Despite this success, in 1972 he formed the band Wings, with his wife Linda on keyboards and former member of the Moody Blues, Denny Laine, on guitar.  This group enjoyed considerable success (sometimes billed as Paul McCartney & Wings) until the end of the 1970s.  In 1981 Denny Laine left the group, which McCartney then decided to dissolve, and all following hits and albums were credited to McCartney as a solo artist.  He also had much success on the album chart, with his most successful being "Band On The Run" which peaked at Number One, and remained on the UK album chart for 124 weeks.  He has been very successful too on the USA charts where he has scored seven Number One albums.  He has continued concert performances throughout the 21st century, and performed at the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games in 2012.  His most recent album was released in 2020.
# This recording, taken from the 1976 album "Wings At The Speed Of Sound", was credited to just Wings.  The album reached number two in the UK, whereas both the single and album reached Number One in the USA.
# The song was written as a rebuttal to music critics (and John Lennon) who had criticised McCartney, accusing him of predominantly writing silly love songs and sentimental slush.


46

Title: This Is It
Artist: Melba Moore
Writer(s): Van McCoy
Entered chart 15 May 1976; Highest Position 9; Weeks on chart: 8.

Melba Moore was born on 29 Oct 1945 in New York City, USA.  Her mother was a professional singer, and her father, a band leader.  So Moore was surrounded by music from a young age.  She began recording in 1967, and in the same year joined the cast of the Rock musical "Hair" alongside Ronnie Dyson (see year 1971, song 94) and actress Diane Keaton.  In 1975 Moore signed with Buddah records, and had her first major hit with the Disco song "This Is It" in 1976.  Her output was not particularly appreciated in the USA, where singles and albums reached only low positions on the charts.  In the UK her next significant hit came in 1982 when she entered the Top 20 with "Love's Comin' At Ya".  In the 1990s she returned to the stage and had a role in the 1995 Broadway production of "Les Misérables".  She has continued into the 21st century performing on the stage and recording albums, the most recent being issued in 2019.
# Songwriter Van McCoy was also a record producer, and had an instrumental hit in 1975 (see year 1975, song 42).
# In 1993 Australian singer Dannii Minogue (sister of Kylie), recorded "This Is It", and her version reached number ten in the UK that year.


47

Title: Shake It Down
Artist: Mud
Writer(s): Ray Stiles & Rob Davis (band members)
Entered chart 15 May 1976; Highest Position 12; Weeks on chart: 8.

Mud was a Rock band formed in London during 1966 by Rob Davis (born 1 Oct 1947) and Les Gray (9 Apr 1946 - 21 Feb 2004).  They began recording in 1967 but without any commercial success for several years.  But in 1973 they signed with Mickie Most's RAK label, and with help of songwriters Chinn and Chapman (who had written several hits for the band Sweet), hits started coming the way of Mud.  They had three hits in 1973, but 1974 saw them have their first Number One with the catchy "Tiger Feet".  That started a run of Top 10 hits that extended into 1976.  In 1975 they achieved five Top 10 hits, and in 1974 they made Number One with their Christmas hit "Lonely This Christmas", which has enjoyed radio airplay every December until the present time.  As their popularity waned in the late 1970s, they decided to split up in 1979.  Following the break up, Gray formed a new band, Les Gray's Mud, and they continued to perform, with a changing series of musicians, until Gray's death in 2004.  Since then various musicians have continued performing under that band name. 
# This was the follow-up hit to their 1975 Top 10 entry "Show Me You're A Woman".  This track was something of a change in style for Mud, being a Disco/Funk production.  Although "Shake It Down" peaked at number twelve, they had a final Top 10 hit in November this year (song 91).


48

Title: Heart On My Sleeve
Artist: Gallagher & Lyle
Writer(s): Benny Gallagher & Graham Lyle
Entered chart 22 May 1976; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart: 10.

This was the follow-up to their hit of February, "I Wanna Stay With You" (song 15).  This was the second of just two Top 10 hits that the duo enjoyed.  Two smaller hits entered the charts until January 1977.  See song 15 for more details.


49

Title: Young Hearts Run Free
Artist: Candi Staton
Writer(s): David Crawford
Entered chart 29 May 1976; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 13.

Candi Staton was born 13 Mar 1940 in Alabama, USA.  As a teenager she formed a Gospel trio with her sister and a friend, and they toured the Gospel circuits during the late 1950s and early 1960s.  In 1968 she launched a solo career, singing Soul/R&B material, and had several hits on the USA R&B chart.  In 1976 she moved into Disco music, and her recording of "Young Hearts Run Free" was a big hit on both sides of the Atlantic.  In the UK her next major hit came in 1977 with "Nights On Broadway", whilst in the USA her output was only successful on the R&B chart.  She returned to Gospel singing in the 1980s, but went back to R&B from the 1990s.  She has continued to record and perform in the 21st century, her most recent album being released in 2014.


50

Title: Tonight's The Night
Artist: Rod Stewart
Writer(s): Rod Stewart
Entered chart 5 Jun 1976; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart: 9.

Rod Stewart was born 10 Jan 1945 in north London, England.  His father was Scottish, and Stewart has always celebrated his Scottish roots.  He came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the Jeff Beck Group, and then the Faces, but he recorded solo in addition to his group duties.  Stewart's 1971 solo album "Every Picture Tells a Story" made him a household name, reaching Number One in the UK and USA.  The album contained the Tim Harding song "Reason To Believe", which was issued as a single.  The B-side of that record was "Maggie May" which soon became the dominant side, reaching Number One on both sides of the Atlantic.  His fame grew to worldwide proportions, and he has sold over 120 million records throughout the world.  He has had nine Number One albums in the UK Album chart, and his tally of 62 UK hit singles includes 31 that reached the Top 10, six of which were chart toppers.  Stewart has had 16 Top 10 singles in the USA.  From 2002 to 2010 he issued five albums in his "Great American Songbook" series, which were all successful in the charts.  He was knighted in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to music and charity.  His most recent original album, "The Tears Of Hercules", was issued in 2021, which reached number five on the UK album chart.
# This was Stewart's follow-up to his hit recording "This Old Heart Of Mine" in November 1975 (year 1975, song 91).  "Tonight's The Night" is taken from his album "A Night On The Town" which reached Number One on the UK album chart during the summer of 1976.


51

Title: You To Me Are Everything
Artist: The Real Thing
Writer(s): Ken Gold & Michael Denne (British songwriters)
Entered chart 5 Jun 1976; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 11.

The Real Thing was a vocal quartet from Liverpool, England, comprising brothers Chris and Eddie Amoo, Ray Lake and Dave Smith.  They formed in 1970 and started recording soon afterwards, but none of their early output reached the charts.  They appeared on the TV talent show "Opportunity Knocks" in 1972, and began supporting David Essex on his tours.  Finally in the summer of 1976 they had their first hit, "You To Me Are Everything", which went all the way to Number One on the UK charts.  This was followed by another Top 10 hit in the early autumn.  Following hits peaked outside the Top 10 until 1979 when they reached number five with "Can You Feel The Force".  In the 1980s things became quieter for them and they resumed supporting and backing David Essex at his concerts.  In the second half of the 1980s, two of their biggest hits were remixed, and returned to the UK Top 10.  Although Eddie Amoo died in 2018, the band continues to perform in the UK and abroad.
# The band's next hit came in September (song 74).


52

Title: Let's Stick Together
Artist: Bryan Ferry
Writer(s): Wilbert Harrison
Entered chart 12 Jun 1976; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart: 10.

Bryan Ferry was born on 26 Sep 1945 in County Durham, England.  Ferry first came to prominence as the lead singer and main songwriter with the art Rock band Roxy Music, which had their debut Top 10 single in 1972.  In 1975 they had their biggest hit up to that time with "Love Is The Drug" (see year 1975, song 82).  Whilst still recording and performing with Roxy Music, Ferry began a solo career in 1973, reaching the Top 10 with his debut single.  His second Top 10 entry came in 1976 with the song "Let's Stick Together".  Ferry continued recording and performing with Roxy Music through the remainder of the 1970s, during the early 1980s and in the 2000s.  Solo, Ferry has continued performing and recording from the 1970s up to the present time, often with former Roxy Music musicians in his band.
# The song was written and recorded by Wilbert Harrison in 1962.  During 1969 Harrison re-worked the song with different lyrics and Title ("Let's Work Together").  In 1970 this revised version of the song was recorded by American band Canned Heat,  reaching number two in the UK charts.  Ferry's version uses the original lyrics and title.


53

Title: Misty Blue
Artist: Dorothy Moore
Writer(s): Bob Montgomery
Entered chart 19 Jun 1976; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart: 12.

Dorothy Moore was born on 13 Oct 1946, in Jackson, Mississippi, USA.  She began singing in the local church choir at a young age, and by the time she was in her teens she was in a group called the Poppies.  Some small hits were achieved, but she decided to sing solo in the early 1970s.  Her breakthrough hit was "Misty Blue" in 1976 which was a Top 10 hit in the USA and several other countries.  A couple of other hits followed, but after an extended break, she recorded a Gospel album in 1986, and up to the present time, has recorded and performed Gospel as well as Soul songs.  Her most recent album was released in 2020.
# The song was written in 1966 and recorded by a Country music singer called Wilma Burgess, whose version reached the Top 10 of the American Country chart in that year.  In 1967 the song was a Country hit again, this time for Eddy Arnold.  Moore's version is a Soul production, and was nominated for a Grammy Award.


54

Title: I Recall A Gypsy Woman
Artist: Don Williams
Writer(s): Bob McDill & Allen Reynolds
Entered chart 19 Jun 1976; Highest Position 13; Weeks on chart: 10.

Don Williams (27 May 1939 - 8 Sep 2017) was born in Texas, USA, and rose to be one of the top American Country music singers from the 1970s until his retirement in 2016.  During the 1960s he was part of a Folk/Country music group, but when it disbanded in 1970, he decided to go solo.  He began having hits on the USA Country chart from 1974, and reached Number One on that chart in the same year.  He had numerous Country hits over the years, and several entered the pop charts as well.  His first appearance on the UK charts came in 1976 with a song recorded in 1973, called "I Recall A Gypsy Woman".  He had only one more UK single hit, but enjoyed nine Top 40 albums on the UK album chart into the early 1980s.  He also appeared in several films during the 1970s.  In 2006 he announced a farewell tour of the world, but by 2010 he was touring again.  He finally retired in 2016, and died the following year.


55

Title: A Little Bit More
Artist: Dr. Hook
Writer(s): Bobby Gosh 
Entered chart 26 Jun 1976; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 14.

Dr. Hook was an American Country Rock band fronted by Dennis Locorriere (born 13 Jun 1949) and Ray Sawyer (1 Feb 1937 - 31 Dec 2018).  The band was formed in Union City, New Jersey, USA in the early 1970s.  The band's early output was mostly written by poet and songwriter Shel Silverstein.  Those early hits, such as "Sylvia's Mother", "Cover Of The Rolling Stone" and several others had a comic slant, and although they were major hits in the USA, only "Silvia's Mother" was a hit in the UK.  Things changed in 1976 when the band moved into a more mellow, love-song style of recordings.  The first of those hits was "A Little Bit More", followed by several others until the early 1980s.  Sawyer left in 1983.  Locorriere continued using the name Dr. Hook, and Sawyer was granted a license to tour separately as Ray Sawyer of Dr. Hook or Dr. Hook featuring Ray Sawyer.  Sawyer, who always performed wearing a cowboy hat and eye patch (he lost an eye in a car accident), continued until 2015 but died after a short illness at the age of 81.  Locorriere has continued performing as Dr. Hook until the present time, and has concerts planned in the UK and Ireland in 2022.
# The song was written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Bobby Gosh in 1973, but it was not a hit until recorded by Dr Hook.


56

Title: You're My Best Friend
Artist: Queen
Writer(s): John Deacon 
Entered chart 3 Jul 1976; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart: 8.

Queen are a British Rock band formed in London in 1970.  Their classic line-up was Freddie Mercury, lead vocals and piano (5 Sep 1946 - 24 Nov 1991); Brian May, guitar and vocals (born 19 Jul 1947); Roger Taylor, drums and vocals (born 26 Jul 1949); and John Deacon, bass (born 19 Aug 1951).  Before forming Queen, May and Taylor had played together in the band Smile.  Mercury was a fan of Smile and encouraged them to experiment with more elaborate stage and recording techniques.  He joined in 1970 and suggested the name "Queen".  Deacon was recruited in February 1971, before the band released their eponymous debut album in 1973.  Queen first charted in the UK with their second album, "Queen 2", in 1974.  "Sheer Heart Attack" later that year and "A Night at the Opera" in 1975 brought them international success.  The latter featured "Bohemian Rhapsody", which stayed at Number One in the UK for nine weeks and helped popularise the music video format.  By the early 1980s, Queen were one of the biggest stadium Rock bands in the world.  "Another One Bites the Dust" in 1980 became their best-selling single world-wide, while their 1981 compilation album "Greatest Hits" is the best-selling album in the UK and is certified nine times platinum in the USA.  Their performance at the 1985 Live Aid concert is ranked among the greatest in Rock history by various publications.  In August 1986, Mercury gave his last performance with Queen at Knebworth, England.  In 1991, he died of bronchopneumonia - a complication of AIDS.  Deacon, who had written several hit songs for them, retired in 1997.  Since 2004, May and Taylor have toured  with vocalists Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert.
# The band's next hit in this list, "Somebody To Love", came in November (song 90).


57

Title: Don't Go Breaking My Heart
Artist: Elton John & Kiki Dee
Writer(s): Elton John & Bernie Taupin 
Entered chart 3 Jul 1976; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 14.

This was Elton's follow-up to his hit of March, "Pinball Wizard", (song 21).  This was his first British Number One (his fifth in the USA), and was a duet with British singer Kiki Dee.  She was born on 6 Mar 1947 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, and had enjoyed three solo hits from 1973, the biggest of which was "Amoureuse" which reached number 13 in the UK charts.  Following the duet, she had a few smaller hits, and often provided backing vocals on other artists recordings.  In 1993 she reunited with Elton to record the old hit song "True Love" for John's "Duets" album.  The single reached number two in the UK charts during November of that year.
# Elton's next hit was "Bennie And The Jets" which peaked at a lowly number 37 in the UK, whilst reaching Number One in the USA.  His next hit in this list is "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" (song 88), which reached number eleven in late November this year.


58

Title: Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel
Artist: Tavares
Writer(s): Freddie Perren & Keni St Lewis
Entered chart 10 Jul 1976; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart: 11.

Tavares was a Soul and R&B group from Massachusetts, USA.  The band comprised five brothers: Ralph, Arthur, Antone, Feliciano and Perry Tavares, who were born between December 1941 and October 1949.  They recorded and performed through the 1960s under different band names, but with no major successes.  By 1973 they were known as Tavares, and began having some modest hits.  In 1975, with the advent of Disco music, they hit the USA Top 10 with "It Only Takes A Minute" (a hit for Take That in 1992), and they finally reached the UK Top 10 in 1976 with "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel".  More hits followed until the end of the decade, including their recording of "More Than A Woman" in 1978 for the soundtrack of the film "Saturday Night Fever".  A couple of the brothers left in the 1980s and 1990s, but the others continued performing.  Antone recorded a solo album in in 2012, and all the brothers reunited in 2013 for a one-off performance at the National R&B Music Society Gala, where they received a lifetime achievement award.
# The group was next in the UK charts in October with the Disco hit "Don't Take Away The Music" (song 81).


59

Title: Harvest For The World
Artist: The Isley Brothers
Writer(s): The Isley Brothers & Chris Jasper
Entered chart 10 Jul 1976; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart: 8.

The Isley Brothers are a Soul and R&B group from Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.  They began by singing Gospel music, but moved to New York City in 1957 and began recording R&B tracks.  In 1959 they had a moderate hit with their song "Shout", which was later a hit for Lulu.  They first appeared in the UK charts in 1963 with "Twist And Shout", although it was only a minor hit for them.  At the time of this hit the Isley brothers were: Ronald, Rudolph, O'Kelly, Marvin and Ernie plus Chris Jasper.  During the 1970s and early 1980s they enjoyed enormous success in the USA and elsewhere.  In 1984, however,  Chris Jasper and Marvin left the band which was dissolved.  It was reformed in 1991, with Ronald, Ernie, and Marvin.  In 1996 Marvin left due to ill health, leaving Ronald and Ernie as a duo, and the pair have continued performing until the present time.
# This was the first UK hit for the band since 1974 when they were in the Top 20 with "Summer Breeze" (see year 1974, song 42).  This recording was also their last Top 10 hit in the UK, although they had three smaller hits until 1983.
# In 1988, British Soul group the Christians recorded the song, and their version reached number eight on the UK charts that year.


60

Title: What I've Got In Mind
Artist: Billie Jo Spears
Writer(s): Kenny O'Dell (American Country music singer-songwriter)
Entered chart 10 Jul 1976; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart: 8.

Billy Jo Spears (14 Jan 1937 - 14 Dec 2011) was an American Country music singer.  She was born in Texas, and made her professional debut at the age of 13.  She issued her first recordings whilst still a teenager, and moved to Nashville, the home of Country music in 1964.  It wasn't until 1969 that she had her first substantial hit, but from 1972 to 1974 she was without a recording contract.  A new deal in 1975 resulted in her big hit "Blanket On The Ground", which went to Number One on the American Country music chart, but did not cross over to the mainstream in the USA.  The song reached the UK charts, peaking at number six.  In just the following year she was back in the UK Top 10 with "What I've Got In Mind".  However, just two minor hits followed that.  Nevertheless, she remained popular in the UK and some albums she recorded in the 1980s and 1990s had a UK-only release.  She recovered from triple bypass surgery in 1993 and continued to tour for more than 16 years afterwards.  Sadly she died from cancer in her home state of Texas at the age of 74.
# This was the second of her two Top 10 hits in the UK.  Her next release, in December, only reached number 34, but her compilation "Billy Jo Spears Singles Album" reached number seven on the UK album chart in 1979.


61

Title: Jeans On
Artist: David Dundas
Writer(s): David Dundas & Roger Greenaway
Entered chart 24 Jul 1976; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart: 9.

David Dundas was born on 2 Jun 1945 in Oxford, England.  He is the second son of Lawrence Dundas, 3rd Marquess of Zetland, and his wife Penelope Pike.  As a younger son of a marquess, he is entitled to the courtesy title 'Lord'.  Dundas first came to public attention when he wrote a TV advertising jingle for Brutus jeans.  The jingle proved to be so popular, that it was adapted and recorded for commercial release.  The recording went to number three on the UK charts, and reached the Top 10 of several other European countries.  It even reached number 17 in the USA.  A follow-up single just scraped in to the UK Top 30, and there were no more hits.  Dundas went on to write jingles for British commercial radio stations.


62

Title: Here Comes The Sun
Artist: Steve Harley
Writer(s): George Harrison
Entered chart 31 Jul 1976; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart: 7.

Steve Harley (27 Feb 1951 - 17 Mar 2024) was born in Deptford, south London, England.  Steve's first guitar was a Christmas gift from his parents when he was ten-years-old.  He took classical violin lessons from the age of nine to fifteen and played in his Grammar school orchestra.  He had set his sights on a career in journalism, and got a job with the Daily Express in 1968.  He later took a job with a local newspaper group in Essex, and then worked on the East London Advertiser in the heart of London's East End.  However, his love of music had grown, and after a stint with a Folk music group, he formed Cockney Rebel in 1972, and signed a deal with EMI records.  The first single "Sebastian", did not chart in the UK, but went to Number One in the Netherlands and Belgium.  The group first charted in the UK during 1974 with "Judy Teen" which reached number five, followed by another Top 10 entry.  In February 1975 they hit Number One in the UK with "Make Me Smile", and they had two Top 10 albums during 1974-1975.  In the 1980s Harley turned to acting, and starred in the stage musical "Marlow".  More roles followed into the 2000s.  For nine years from 1999, Steve Harley presented BBC Radio Two's "Sounds of the Seventies", and he composed many songs for other performers over the years.  He died from cancer in March 2024 at the age of 73.
# This song, composed by George Harrison, was first recorded by the Beatles in 1969 for their album "Abbey Road".  


63

Title: Moonlight Feels Right
Artist: Starbuck
Writer(s): Bruce Blackman
Entered chart 31 Jul 1976; Highest Position 3 (USA chart data - not a UK hit).

Starbuck was a rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1974 by keyboardist and vocalist Bruce Blackman with marimba player Bo Wagner.  Both Blackman and Wagner, along with guitarist Johnny Walker, had previous success with Mississippi-based "sunshine pop" group Eternity's Children, scoring an American hit with "Mrs. Bluebird" in the summer of 1968.  Starbuck's debut single, "Moonlight Feels Right", reached number three on the USA and Canadian charts in 1976, but failed to enter the UK charts.  They went on to have a few small hits in North America, but never repeated the success of that debut release.  Nevertheless, from 1976 to 1980, the band toured the USA with popular groups of the era, including Electric Light Orchestra, KC and the Sunshine Band, Hall & Oates, England Dan & John Ford Coley and Boston.  The band reunited in 2013 and 2016 for one-off performances.  Bo Wagner died in 2017.
# The recording features a marimba in the instrumental break.  A marimba is a percussion instrument, struck with mallets, similar to a xylophone.


64

Title: You Don't Have To Go
Artist: Chi-Lites
Writer(s): Eugene Record & Barbara Acklin
Entered chart 31 Jul 1976; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart: 11.

The Chi-Lites were formed in Chicago, USA during 1964 with lead singer and songwriter Eugene Record and Marshall Thompson.  Their first UK hit came in 1971, but in 1972 their recording "Have You Seen Her" reached number three on both sides of the Atlantic.  This was followed by five Top 10 hits in the UK up to the summer of 1976.  In the mid-1970s, most of the group's personnel changed, even seeing the departure of Eugene Record, although Marshall Thompson has remained throughout.  The often-revised band has continued until the present time.  A new album was released in 2006.
# This was the group's only hit of 1976, and their last Top 40 hit in the UK.  A minor hit grazed the UK charts in 1983, and that was their final appearance.


65

Title: You'll Never Find Another Love like Mine
Artist: Lou Rawls
Writer(s): Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff
Entered chart 31 Jul 1976; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart: 10.

Lou Rawls (1 Dec 1933 - 6 Jan 2006) was born in Chicago, USA.  He began singing in a church choir as a youngster, and after leaving school, joined a Gospel group, later moving to Los Angeles.  For three years, from 1955 he was in the US army, and upon his return to civilian life, he turned to Soul and Jazz music.  In 1967 he had his first hit album and single.  In the mid-1970s he moved to Philadelphia International records.  This resulted in his major international hit "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" in 1976, and a year later he had the USA Top 30 single "Lady Love", which did not chart in the UK although it has always cropped up on British radio from time to time.  In the following decades he often recorded advertising jingles for American TV.  He died from cancer in 2006 at the age of 72.


66

Title: You Should Be Dancing
Artist: The Bee Gees
Writer(s): Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb
Entered chart 31 Jul 1976; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart: 10.

The Bee Gees were brothers Barry Gibb (born 1 Sep 1946, Isle of Man), and twins Robin Gibb (22 Dec 1949 - 20 May 2012) and Maurice Gibb (22 Dec 1949 - 12 Jan 2003), also born on the Isle of Man.  The three brothers grew up in Manchester, UK, but in the mid-1950s the family moved to Australia.  They began performing at a young age, and by 1960 they were appearing on TV.  After achieving their first chart success in Australia as the Bee Gees with "Spicks and Specks", they returned to the UK in January 1967, when producer Robert Stigwood began promoting them to a worldwide audience.  In 1967 they had their first UK hit, the somewhat morbid song "New York Mining Disaster 1941", which reached number twelve.  Hits continued through the remainder of the 1960s, when they enjoyed success in the USA as well.  Things went quiet in the early 1970s, but in the mid-1970s they jumped on the Disco bandwagon and became superstars.  They wrote several songs for the 1977 film "Saturday Night Fever" which starred John Travolta, and singles as well as the soundtrack album were worldwide hits.  Their success continued through the following decades, and they also wrote and produced many hits for other artists.  Their final new album came in 2001, but with the death of Maurice two years later, the other two embarked on solo projects apart from a couple of charity events where they performed together.  Robin died in 2012, and Barry has since performed and recorded solo.
# This recording came from the group's album "Children Of The World" which reached the Top 10 of the USA album chart in 1976, but failed to reach the charts in the UK.  The song reached Number One in the USA, and was used on the soundtrack of the film "Saturday Night Fever" in 1977.


67

Title: Sixteen Bars
Artist: The Stylistics
Writer(s): Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore & George David Weiss
Entered chart 7 Aug 1976; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart: 9.

This was the Soul group's follow-up to their hit of April, "Can't Help Falling In Love" (song 33).  This was their final Top 10 hit in the UK.  Since 1972 they had enjoyed 14 British hits, twelve of which reached the Top 20, including one Number One.  For more info see song 11.


68

Title: Afternoon Delight
Artist: The Starland Vocal Band
Writer(s): Bill Danoff
Entered chart 7 Aug 1976; Highest Position 18; Weeks on chart: 10.

The Starland Vocal Band was formed in the mid-1970s by husband and wife duo Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, joined by Jon Carroll and Margot Chapman.  The quartet's debut album contained the recording "Afternoon Delight", which issued as a single, raced to the Number One spot on the USA charts.  Subsequent singles and albums did not perform so well, and the band broke up in 1981.
# In the 1980s, the song was used as a theme tune for a programme called "Afternoon Delight" on London's Capital Radio, hosted by Duncan Johnson; and from 1980 on an afternoon show using the same title, broadcast every weekday at Mercia Sound in Coventry, presented by Stuart Linnell.


69

Title: Let 'Em In
Artist: Wings (Paul McCartney)
Writer(s): Paul McCartney
Entered chart 7 Aug 1976; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 10.

This was the follow-up to the hit of May, "Silly Love Songs" (song 45).  Like its predecessor, "Let 'Em In" was taken from the album "Wings At The Speed Of Sound".  From mid-1975 to autumn 1979, McCartney's singles were credited to simply Wings.  1977 saw the band have their biggest hit with "Mull Of Kintyre" which reached Number One in the UK and was a million-seller.


70

Title: I Can't Ask For Anything More Than You
Artist: Cliff Richard
Writer(s): Ken Gold & Michael Denne
Entered chart 21 Aug 1976; Highest Position 17; Weeks on chart: 8.

This was his follow-up to "Devil Woman" (song 42) which had reached number nine in the UK charts in May this year.  This release did not do so well, although after a blank 1975, Cliff was doubtless happy to have any sized hit.  This track was also taken from his album "I'm Nearly Famous" which peaked at number five in the UK album chart.  He had a further small hit later in 1976, but he was in the Top 20 again in 1977.
# This recording features Cliff singing falsetto for the first time on a single release.


71

Title: Dancing Queen
Artist: Abba
Writer(s): Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson & Stig Anderson
Entered chart 21 Aug 1976; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 15.

"Dancing Queen", the group's follow-up to their Number One hit of March (song 23), is perhaps their most famous song.  It went to Number One in at least 14 countries, including the USA.  In 2015, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.  Their next hit came in November (song 89), which only reached number three, but was followed by three Number One hits during 1977 and early 1978.  Later in 1976 they toured Europe and the USA.


72

Title: Blinded By The Light
Artist: Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Writer(s): Bruce Springsteen
Entered chart 28 Aug 1976; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart: 10.

Manfred Mann was born on 21 October 1940 in Johannesburg, South Africa.  He studied music at University in South Africa, and worked as a jazz pianist at a number of clubs in Johannesburg from 1959 to 1960.  In 1961 he moved to the UK and began work as a music journalist, as well as helping form a jazz band, in which he played keyboards.  This evolved into the pop music five-piece group called Manfred Mann.  The group enjoyed considerable success in the UK and USA during the 1960s, but was dissolved by Mann in 1969.  Mann formed his Earth Band in 1971, and although early releases failed to chart, they were in the UK Top 10 in 1973 with "Joybringer".  A few singles and albums entered the respective charts into the mid-1980s, but they continued performing into the 2010s.
# This was the band's first hit since 1973 when "Joybringer" reached the Top 10 (see year 1973, song 73).  They were in the Top 10 again in early summer 1978.
#
"Blinded By The Light" was written by American Rock singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, appearing on his debut album of 1973, "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.", which belatedly entered the UK album chart in 1985.  Springsteen's version of the song did not enter any charts, whereas Manfred Mann's version reached Number One on the USA and Canadian charts.


73

Title: Mississippi
Artist: Pussycat
Writer(s): Werner Theunissen
Entered chart 28 Aug 1976; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 22.

Pussycat was a Dutch group led by three Kowalczyk sisters: Toni, Betty and Marianne.  The other members of the band were guitarists Lou Willé (Toni's then-husband), Theo Wetzels, Theo Coumans, and John Theunissen.  The male members of the group had been in other bands, but the three female vocalists had not been in any groups prior to the formation of Pussycat.  The recording of "Mississippi" was their only major success in the UK, but in addition to the UK, it went to Number One in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa and Switzerland.  They had a Top 30 hit in the UK charts later in 1976, but there were no more after that.  By contrast, their career in central Europe spanned more than a decade and included some seventeen albums.  They made regular appearances on German TV in the late 1970s and early 1980s.


74

Title: Can't Get By Without You
Artist: The Real Thing
Writer(s): Ken Gold & Mickey Denne
Entered chart 4 Sep 1976; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 10.

This was the band's follow-up to their Number One hit of June, "You To Me Are Everything" (song 51).  This just missed the top spot, but was still a major hit.  Another five hits made the Top 40 until February 1979 when they were in the Top 10 again.  Forty-five years after their first hits, the Real Thing were touring the UK again during late 2021 and into 2022.
# This recording was remixed in 1986 and returned to the UK charts, peaking at number six that year.


75

Title: The Girl Of My Best Friend
Artist: Elvis Presley
Writer(s): Beverly Ross & Sam Bobrick
Entered chart 4 Sep 1976; Highest Position 9; Weeks on chart: 12.

The King of Rock 'n' Roll (8 Jan 1935 - 16 Aug 1977) was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, USA.  He and his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee when he was 13 years old.  Soon afterwards he acquired his first guitar and began playing and singing.  He started his recording career at Sun Records in Memphis, USA.  It took several attempts to get Sun owner Sam Phillips to let Presley record, but eventually a session was arranged with guitarist Scotty Moore and upright bass player Bill Black providing backing.  The resultant track "That's Alright" was soon on local radio in Memphis, and it became a local hit.  Public performances followed, including numerous appearances on the "Louisiana Hayride" radio show which was broadcast to half the USA.  Eventually he became famous enough for RCA records to buy out his Sun contract and take him to Nashville, in 1956.  He rose to be arguably the biggest music star of the 20th century, with world-wide record sales of over one billion.  Also in 1956 Elvis made his movie debut in the film "Love Me Tender".  By the end of 1969 he had completed 31 films.  He made no more movies after that, instead concentrating on live concert performances, including many in Las Vegas.  His home in Memphis, "Graceland", is now a museum and major tourist attraction, and his recordings continue to be heard throughout the world.
# The song was written in 1959 and recorded by Elvis in 1960 for his album "Elvis Is Back!" - his first recording after his military service.  It was not issued as a single in either the UK or USA at that time.
# His next hit came in December (song 100).


76

Title: I Only Wanna Be With You
Artist: Bay City Rollers
Writer(s): Mike Hawker & Ivor Raymonde
Entered chart 11 Sep 1976; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart: 9.

This was the group's follow-up to their hit of April, "Love Me Like I Love You" (song 29).  "I Only Wanna Be With You" was a remake of the hit by Dusty Springfield which had reached number four in 1963 (see year 1963, song 92).  This recording turned out to be the band's final Top 10 entry in the UK charts.  Two further hits charted in 1977, reaching numbers 16 and 34, and there were no more.  They had one more Top 10 entry in the USA during 1977.  For more info about the band see song 29 above.
# The Dusty Springfield version spells the title correctly as "I Only Want To Be With You".


77

Title: The Best Disco In Town
Artist: The Ritchie Family
Writer(s): Jacques Morali, Richie Rome, Henri Belolo & Phil Hurtt
Entered chart 18 Sep 1976; Highest Position 10; Weeks on chart: 9.

The Ritchie Family was a manufactured female trio brought together by record producer Jacques Morali who later formed the Village People.  The first recordings under the Ritchie Family name were made with session musicians, but in 1975 Morali invited Cassandra Ann Wooten, Gwendolyn Oliver and Cheryl Mason Jacks to become permanent members of the group.  In 1976 they recorded the album "Arabian Knights", from which the single "The Best Disco In Town" was taken.  The single was the only major success the group had in the UK, although in the USA, they had several successful recordings on the dance music chart.


78

Title: Uptown Uptempo Woman
Artist: Randy Edelman
Writer(s): Randy Edelman
Entered chart 18 Sep 1976; Highest Position 27; Weeks on chart: 7.

Randy Edelman was born on 10 Jun 1947 in New Jersey, USA.  He studied music at college and began working in New York as a musician in the late 1960s.  Within a couple of years he was a record producer and a composer of film scores working in Los Angeles.  Some of Edelman's best known films scores include "Twins", "Kindergarten Cop", "Beethoven", "Gettysburg" and "The Mask".  In the mid-1970s he recorded several solo albums, and three singles charted in the UK, despite failing in the USA.  In 1976 he married singer-songwriter Jackie DeShannon, and they have remained together ever since.


79

Title: Howzat
Artist: Sherbet
Writer(s): Garth Porter & Tony Mitchell (band members)
Entered chart 25 Sep 1976; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart: 10.

Sherbet was an Australian five-piece band formed in Sydney in 1969 and they performed in Australia for the next several years.  They first reached the Australian charts in 1972, and they rose to be one of the country's top bands.  In 1976 they gained international recognition when the single "Howzat" reached the Top 10 in the UK and a couple of other European countries.  They had no more hits in the UK, but continued to chart in their homeland until the end of the decade.  They finally broke up in 1984, but some reunion concerts occurred from 1998 to 2011.
# The expression 'Howzat' (short for how is that) is a cricketing cry from a bowler or fielder to the umpire, suggesting the the batter has been bowled or caught out.  The lyrics of the song allude to this in the line "you messed about, I caught you out".


80

Title: If You Leave Me Now
Artist: Chicago
Writer(s): Peter Cetera
Entered chart 9 Oct 1976; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 16.

Chicago is an American Rock band formed in Chicago, USA during 1967.  Led by singer-songwriter Peter Cetera (born 13 Sep 1944), they were original called the Chicago Transit Authority, but they shortened the name in 1970.  They enjoyed a series of Top 10 hits in the USA in the first half of the 1970s, two of which reached the British Top 10 in 1970.  However, it was not until 1976, when they began recording more mellow, Soft Rock songs, that they returned to the UK charts.  "If You Leave Me Now" went to Number One in both the UK and USA charts during 1976.  The song was taken from their tenth album, "Chicago X", which was also a modest hit on the UK album chart.  Two more Top 10 hits had reached the UK charts by 1984, but Cetera left in 1985 to follow a solo career, and he enjoyed more hits.  The band has continued to perform, albeit with a few personnel changes, but Peter Cetera announced his retirement from singing in 2019, and currently resides in Idaho in north-west USA.


81

Title: Don't Take Away The Music
Artist: Tavares
Writer(s): Freddie Perren & Keni St Lewis
Entered chart 9 Oct 1976; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart: 10.

This was the vocal group's follow-up to their hit of July, "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel", (song 58).  Their next release in February 1977 only made number 25 in the UK, but they were in the Top 10 again in April with "Whodunit".  In December this year they appeared at Madison Square Garden, New York, along with the Bee Gees.


82

Title: She's Gone
Artist: Daryl Hall & John Oates
Writer(s): Daryl Hall & John Oates
Entered chart 16 Oct 1976; Highest Position 42; Weeks on chart: 4.

This duo was Daryl Hall (born 11 Oct 1946 in Pennsylvania, USA) and John Oates (born 7 Apr 1948 in New York City).  The pair met at university in Philadelphia during 1967, although they did not start performing together until 1969, gaining their first recording contract in 1970.  Their first releases were not particularly successful, and it was not until 1976 that they had their first USA Top 10 hit single.  That initial release was not a hit in the UK, but "She's Gone" in the same year reached number seven in America, whilst peaking at a lowly number 42 in the UK.  Their popularity grew in the USA, but in Britain it was 1980 before they had another hit.  The early 1980s saw them at their zenith with four consecutive Number One hits in America, and a couple of Top 10 hits in the UK.  Their last British hit single came in 1991, and in the same year their 'Best of' compilation album reached the Top 10 of the UK album chart.  They have continued to perform in the 21st century, and were in concert in several European countries during the mid-2010s.  They toured South America for the first time in 2019.


83

Title: Beautiful Noise
Artist: Neil Diamond
Writer(s): Neil Diamond
Entered chart 23 Oct 1976; Highest Position 13; Weeks on chart: 9.

Singer-songwriter Neil Diamond was born on 24 Jan 1941 in New York City, USA.  He received a guitar for his 16th birthday and began writing songs.  Some of his songs were taken up by other acts, and his first big success came when the Monkees recorded two of his songs during 1967.  "I'm A Believer" and "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" were huge hits for the Monkees in the USA, UK and elsewhere.  Diamond also recorded some of his own songs which became American hits during the late 1960s.  His first success in the UK was "Cracklin' Rosie" (see year 1970, song 88) which reached number three in late 1970.  He enjoyed many hit singles and albums through to the 1990s, and it is estimated that he has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.  He has continued to record, and new albums were released in 2010 ("Dreams") and 2014 ("Melody Road").  However in January 2018, Diamond announced that he was retiring from touring as he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, but he would continue writing and recording.
# This was Diamond's first Top 20 hit since "Song Sung Blue" reached number 14 in 1972 (see year 1972, song 42).  The track is taken from his 1976 album, also called "Beautiful Noise".  That album reached number ten on the UK album chart, whilst peaking at number four in the USA and Number One in several countries around the world.  His next major hit came in 1978.


84

Title: Lost In France
Artist: Bonnie Tyler
Writer(s): Ronnie Scott & Steve Wolfe
Entered chart 30 Oct 1976; Highest Position 9; Weeks on chart: 10.

Bonnie Tyler was born on 8 Jun 1951 in south Wales.  She is known for her distinctive husky voice.  She began singing with a local band in Swansea, Wales, and gained a recording contract in 1975.  Her first album did not chart, but singles taken from the album, "Lost in France" and "More Than a Lover" became hits.  Her 1977 single "It's a Heartache" reached number four on the UK charts, and number three in the USA.  In the 1980s, Tyler ventured into Rock music with songwriter and producer Jim Steinman.  He wrote Tyler's biggest hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart", the lead single from her 1983 UK chart-topping album "Faster Than the Speed of Night".  Steinman also wrote Tyler's 1985 hit "Holding Out for a Hero".  In 2003, Tyler re-recorded "Total Eclipse of the Heart" with singer Kareen Antonn.  Their bilingual duet, titled "Si demain... (Turn Around)", topped the French charts.  A 2013 album, "Rocks and Honey" included the single "Believe in Me", which she performed representing the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö, Sweden.  She was not successful in the contest, and the single did not reach the charts.  Recent albums are "Between the Earth and the Stars" (2019) and "The Best Is Yet to Come" (2021).
# Her next major hit came in December 1977.


85

Title: You Make Me Feel Like Dancing
Artist: Leo Sayer
Writer(s): Leo Sayer & Vini Poncia
Entered chart 30 Oct 1976; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 12.

Leo Sayer was born on 21 May 1948 at Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, England.  Sayer began his music career co-writing songs with British singer-songwriter David Courtney (including "Giving It All Away", which gave Roger Daltrey of the Who his first solo hit in 1973).  Also in 1973, Sayer began his career as a recording artist under the management of Adam Faith, who arranged Sayer's record deal.  He went on to have a very successful career, enjoying seven consecutive Top 10 hits until 1977, with three more up to 1982.  Also in 1977 he had two consecutive Number One hits in the USA.  In Britain he also had six Top 10 albums in the album chart.  In the 1990s he had financial difficulties, but successfully sued his management and record company for unpaid royalties.  He moved to Australia in the early 2000s and became an Australian citizen in 2009.  Since that time he has recorded in Australia and mostly performed in that country.
# This was Sayer's first hit since August 1975, when "Moonlighting" was in the charts (see year 1975, song 69).  His next hit came sooner, in January 1977, when his recording of the ballad "When I Need You" became his only Number One in the UK.  "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" went on to become an American Number One in January 1977.


86

Title: Under The Moon Of Love
Artist: Showaddywaddy
Writer(s): Curtis Lee & Tommy Boyce
Entered chart 6 Nov 1976; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 15.

Showaddywaddy is a Rock 'n' Roll band specialising in revivals of songs from the late 1950s and early 1960s.  The band was formed in Leicester, England in 1973.  They came to prominence after appearing on the TV talent show "New Faces".  The group was fronted by Dave Bartram (born 23 Mar 1952), and he remained in the group until 2011 when he then became their manager.  They first reached the charts in 1974, and went on to have 23 hits, ten of which made the Top 10, until 1982.  They have continued to perform until the present, although there have been several personnel changes, especially in recent years.
# This recording marked the first in a run of seven Top 10 hits for the band, through to November 1978.  Their next hit came in March 1977, a remake of the Kalin Twins hit, "When".
# This song was written in 1961, and first recorded by co-writer Curtis Lee, whose version peaked at number 46 on the USA charts.


87

Title: Livin' Thing
Artist: Electric Light Orchestra
Writer(s): Jeff Lynne
Entered chart 13 Nov 1976; Highest Position 4; Weeks on chart: 12.

This was the band's second Top 10 hit of the year (see song 4).  An intervening release ("Strange Magic") had stalled at number 38 on the UK charts although it reached number 14 in the USA.  This track, taken from the album "A New World Record" which reached number six on the UK album chart, started a run of three Top 10 hits until summer 1977.  The band had been touring the USA almost constantly from November 1975 to September 1976 with their "Face The Music" concert.  Their next hit single came in February 1977. 


88

Title: Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
Artist: Elton John
Writer(s): Elton John & Bernie Taupin
Entered chart 13 Nov 1976; Highest Position 11; Weeks on chart: 10.

This was Elton John's fourth UK hit during 1976 (see songs 21 and 57 above).  It was taken from his album "Blue Moves" which reached number three in the UK album chart from November 1976.  The single reached number six in the USA.  1977 turned out to be a quieter year in the charts for Elton with just two hits that barely scraped into the Top 30, but things improved in 1978.  For more info, see song 21 above.
# In 2002 the song was recorded by British boy band Blue, with Elton John playing piano and adding some vocals as well.  The recording went to Number One in the UK charts at the end of 2002.


89

Title: Money Money Money
Artist: Abba
Writer(s): Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus
Entered chart 20 Nov 1976; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart: 12.

This was the group's follow-up to their Number One hit of August, "Dancing Queen" (song 71).  Although this just fell short of the top spot, they were back at Number One in February 1977.  Frida took the lead vocals on this track which was from their 1976 album "Arrival", and which reached Number One on the UK album chart.


90

Title: Somebody To Love
Artist: Queen
Writer(s): Freddie Mercury
Entered chart 27 Nov 1976; Highest Position 2; Weeks on chart: 9.

This was the band's follow-up to their July hit, "You're My Best Friend" (song 56).  This release is featured on their late 1976 album "A Day At The Races", which entered the UK album chart on Christmas Day 1976, and reached Number One in early 1977.  Their next single Top 10 hit came in October 1977.
# In April 1992, George Michael performed the song with Queen's remaining members at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium in London.  An EP recording of five songs, including "Somebody To Love", was issued subsequently which went to Number One on the UK charts in May 1993.


91

Title: Lean On Me
Artist: Mud
Writer(s): Bill Withers
Entered chart 27 Nov 1976; Highest Position 7; Weeks on chart: 9.

This recording was a remake of the Bill Withers song.  It followed their May hit, "Shake It Down" (song 47), and proved to be the band's final UK chart entry.  Since their debut hit in 1973 they had 15 hits in the UK charts, including eight Top 10 hits plus three Number Ones.  As mentioned above, the band continues, but with no original members.  For more band info see song 47 above.
# The song was written and recorded by American performer Bill Withers in 1972, and his version reached number 18 on the UK charts in that year (see year 1972, song 64).


92

Title: Side Show
Artist: Barry Biggs
Writer(s): Bobby Eli & Vinnie Barrett
Entered chart 4 Dec 1976; Highest Position 3; Weeks on chart: 16.

Barry Biggs was born during 1947 on the island of Jamaica in the Caribbean.  He first became a sound engineer and camera operator for Jamaican Broadcasting, but began also working as a musician with local bands.  Eventually he made his first solo recordings in the early 1970s, and in 1976 gained international fame when his records began reaching the UK charts.  His biggest success was "Sideshow" which reached number three in the UK, although he also had five lesser hits until 1981.  He continued to perform into the 21st century.
# The song was first recorded by USA Philly Soul group Blue Magic, whose version reached number eight in the American charts during 1974.


93

Title: Things We Do For Love
Artist: 10cc
Writer(s): Eric Stewart & Graham Gouldman
Entered chart 11 Dec 1976; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart: 11.

This was the band's follow-up to their hit of March, "I'm Mandy, Fly Me" (song 22).  This track is taken from their album "Deceptive Bends", their first recording since the departure of Godley & Creme earlier in the year (see song 22 above).  The album, released in 1977, reached number three in the UK charts that year.  Their next hit single (also taken from "Deceptive Bends") came in April 1977.


94

Title: Haitian Divorce
Artist: Steely Dan
Writer(s): Walter Becker & Donald Fagen
Entered chart 11 Dec 1976; Highest Position 17; Weeks on chart: 9.

Steely Dan was a duo comprising Donald Fagen (born 10 Jan 1948, New Jersey, USA) and Walter Becker (20 Feb 1950 - 3 Sep 2017, born New York City).  The pair met in New York in 1968, and began songwriting together with moderate success.  They formed the band Steely Dan in 1971.  Their style, a blend of Rock, Jazz and Latin, soon attracted attention, and they were in the USA singles and album charts from 1973.  Their first American hit, "Do It Again", finally reached the UK charts in 1975, although it only just scraped into the Top 40 (number six in the USA).  They were far more popular in America than in the UK, although they did score a Top 10 album ("Aja") in 1977 in the British album chart.  Initially the band had a fixed lineup, but in 1974, Becker and Fagen retired the band from live performances to become a studio-only band, opting to record with a revolving cast of session musicians.  They disbanded in 1981, but reunited in 1993 and resumed live performance, as well as recording new material.  Becker died in 2017, but Fagin continued to tour under the band name, the latest performances being in 2019.
# Only two minor hit singles followed this, in 1978 and 1979 respectively, but they have had several albums in the UK album chart from 1974 to 2003.
# In the early 1970s, the country of Haiti made divorce easy, allowing foreigners to divorce with hardly any restriction; the big sell was that only one member of the married party had to be present and request it.  For Haiti, this was a tourism ploy, as travel agents would send Americans looking for a quick and easy divorce to the island, where they would often spend some time on a resort.  In many cases, these divorces were requested so that the person could immediately get remarried - a service Haiti also provided.  So it was not uncommon for a married man to show up in Haiti with his mistress, get a divorce, and marry the new girl all in the course of a weekend.
Info from Songfacts.


95

Title: I Wish
Artist: Stevie Wonder
Writer(s): Stevie Wonder
Entered chart 18 Dec 1976; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart: 10.

Stevie Wonder was born on 13 May 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan, USA, but he grew up in Detroit, Michigan, USA.  He was blind almost from birth, but began singing in a church choir as a child.  He was signed to Tamla Motown records at the age of eleven, and made several records.  In 1963, when he was 12, he had his first hit, "Fingertips", which went to Number One on the USA charts.  His next few releases, however, did not reach the charts, and there was a danger that Motown might drop him.  However, he was given one last chance to produce a hit, and with his musical mentors, Sylvia Moy and Henry Cosby, he wrote "Uptight (Everything's Alright)".  The single reached number 3 in the USA, peaking at number 14 in the UK - his debut hit there.  His career grew from there with a series of hit singles and albums over the following years.  By the end of the 20th century, he had scored 54 hit singles and 17 Top 30 hit albums in the UK.  He has continued to record and perform until the present time, although at greater intervals than in the earlier decades.  His most recent original album release was in 2005.
# This recording was taken from his 1976 album "Songs In The Key Of Life".  The album was a great success, reaching number two on the UK album chart, and eventually remaining there for 54 weeks.  In the USA, the single and album both reached Number One in their respective charts.  Wonder's next hit single came in April 1977 ("Sir Duke"), also from the same album.


96

Title: Daddy Cool
Artist: Boney M
Writer(s): Frank Farian & George Reyam
Entered chart 18 Dec 1976; Highest Position 6; Weeks on chart: 13.

Boney M was a Euro-Caribbean vocal group created in 1976 by German record producer Frank Farian, who was the group's primary songwriter.  Originally based in Germany, the four original members were Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett from Jamaica, Maizie Williams from Montserrat and Bobby Farrell, a dancer from Aruba.  In reality, only the two female vocalists Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett sang on the recordings, and any male voice was that of producer Frank Farian, not Bobby Farrell, backed up by session singers as necessary.  However, all four performed on live presentations of Bonny M recordings.  They became extremely popular throughout Europe during the Disco era, and they had scored ten Top 10 hits on the UK charts by the end of the decade.  Their albums "Night Flight To Venus" and "Oceans Of Fantasy" both went to Number One on the British album chart in the years 1978 and 1979 respectively.  In 1980 their "20 Golden Greats" compilation album also topped the album chart.  After 1985, the members had gone their separate ways, although some continued performing Boney M songs with the addition of different singers well into the 21st century.
# 1977 saw the group enjoy three UK Top 10 hits.
# After the break up of Boney M, Frank Farian went on to create the duo Milli Vanilli in 1988, which eventually became controversial, as neither of the performers who promoted the recordings actually sang on the records.


97

Title: You're More Than A Number In My Little Red Book
Artist: The Drifters
Writer(s): Roger Greenaway & Tony Macaulay
Entered chart 18 Dec 1976; Highest Position 5; Weeks on chart: 12.

This was the American group's final UK hit.  Their first had been in 1960, and in that time they had scored twenty hits, nine of which made the UK Top 10.  For more info about the group, see song 19 above.


98

Title: Don't Give Up On Us
Artist: David Soul
Writer(s): Tony Macaulay
Entered chart 18 Dec 1976; Highest Position 1; Weeks on chart: 16.

David Soul (28 Aug 1943 - 4 Jan 2024) was an American actor and singer, born in Chicago, USA.  He rose to fame playing the part of detective Hutchinson in the TV police drama "Starsky & Hutch" from 1975 to 1979.  He began performing as an actor in 1960, but always had a passion for music.  Based on his fame, in 1976 he came to the UK and began recording.  His first single release went to Number One, followed by a further three Top 10 hits and one Top 20 entry.  He also had two Top 10 albums in 1976-1977.  He returned to the USA after that and resumed his TV acting career, appearing in numerous dramas.  In the mid 1990s he moved to the UK and began appearing on the West End stage, as well as in British TV dramas, into the 2000s.  In 2004 he became a British citizen.
# His next hit came in March 1977, "Going In With My Eyes Open", which reached number two.


99

Title: Lost Without Your Love
Artist: Bread
Writer(s): David Gates
Entered chart 25 Dec 1976; Highest Position 27; Weeks on chart: 7.

Bread was an American easy-listening Soft Rock band, led by David Gates (born 11 Dec 1940 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA).  The band was formed in Los Angeles, California, and included Jimmy Griffin and Rob Royer who together wrote many of the band's hits along with Gates.  Their first album was not a great success, but the second reached number twelve on the American album chart, and featured the single "Make It With You" (see year 1970, song 64), which was a Number One in the USA.  Several more hit singles and albums followed, but after internal disagreements, the band split in 1973.  Their record company released the album "The Best Of Bread" which remained on the USA album chart for over two years, and almost two years (100 weeks) on the UK album chart, where it peaked at number seven.  In 1976 the group reunited for another album and concert tour, but broke up again in 1977.  They all followed separate careers until 1996 when another reunion tour was arranged to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the band, but the members did not perform together again.  In 2002 Gates issued an album called "The David Gates Songbook" which combined old Bread hits and some new solo recordings.  It reached number eleven on the UK album chart.  Gates is now retired and living in Washington state in north west USA.
# As mentioned above, the band briefly reunited in 1976 to record a new album titled "Lost Without Your Love".  This was the single taken from that album, and was their final entry in the UK singles chart.  The album reached number 17 in the UK album chart.  However, in 1977, the hits compilation album "The Sound Of Bread" reached Number One in the UK, and in 1997 another compilation titled "Essentials" peaked at number nine on the UK album chart.


100

Title: Suspicion
Artist: Elvis Presley
Writer(s): Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman
Entered chart 25 Dec 1976; Highest Position 9; Weeks on chart: 12.

This release followed Presley's hit of September, "The Girl Of My Best Friend" (song 75).  Like its predecessor, "Suspicion" was an old recording, made in 1962 for his "Pot Luck" album, which was a Number One hit on the UK album chart that year.  The recording of "Suspicion" was issued as a single in some European countries, where it charted in 1962, but it was not released in the UK.  Fourteen years later it finally reached the UK Top 10.  More hits followed in 1977, the year that Presley died.



 

Acts with most appearances in this list:

Abba: 3
Elton John: 3
Cliff Richard: 3
Stylistics: 3


Composers with most appearances in this list:

Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson: 3 (all for Abba)
Hugo & Luigi and George David Weiss: 3 (all for the Stylistics)
Roger Greenaway: 3 (1 with Les Reed, 1 with David Dundas, 1 with Tony Macaulay)
Tony Macaulay: 3 (1 with Roger Greenaway)

New Names in 1976
To qualify, new acts must have gone on to have at least three entries in these lists.  One-hit Wonders do not qualify.

Boney M
Brotherhood of Man (had two Top 30 hits in 1970 with a different lineup)
Chicago (had two Top 10 hits in 1970)
Dr. Hook
Electric Light Orchestra (had some hits 1972-1974)
Brian Ferry
Daryl Hall & John Oates
Billy Ocean
Dolly Parton
Real Thing
Donna Summer
Tavares
Bonnie Tyler

 


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Comments and corrections to: mjs@onlineweb.com

Compiled August 2021
Updated 06/10/2024

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