The bicentennial. My Lord! The whole first seven months of the country bicentennial birthday was my first true experience with massive hype from the media. Red, white & blue was everywhere leading up to that Independence Day on July 4 that year. It was kind of cool that year because somethings were being done in creative ways.
For example, American Top 40 did a special countdown of the number one songs on July 4 running from 1937 to 1976. That was the first special edition of the show that I remember hearing. Additionally, I heard many songs on that countdown for the very first time, consummating with Casey ending the show with what was the current number one song on July 4, 1976, which was Wings’ “Silly Love Song.”
There were other special programs and such, but I don’t care how big a television screen is, fireworks just do not work on TV. In past years, most July Fourths were spent in the neighborhood as everyone pooled their fireworks together to produce a low quality explosives show. One father was a Vietnam veteran with what now call PTSD, so he would be sweating out the night in his home. I have developed so much more sympathy for what he went through those nights each year. Another father placed himself in charge of lighting the fireworks as he held a blowtorch in one hand and martini in the other. And his gem of a wife would continue to keep that martini shaker ready for his next drink. Little did we know that the martinis were an every night thing.
For me, the Fourth of July highlight of 1976 was the high school party that took place that year right next door to my bedroom window. Since it was summer, my two windows were open, most importantly, the window that faced the neighbor’s converted-garage-family room. In that magical space, the high school teens of the house of a blended family held many a party over the years while their parents worked second shift at the factories in town. When a thirteen-year-old me looked out the window, the wonders see did he. Let’s simply end this paragraph knowing that this writer has some serious images of the beautiful high school women from the neighborhood in various states of dress. I was like that little kid in the film Animal House thanking God when a Playboy bunny was thrown into his room.
1976 was also the year in which I discovered rock magazines. I began to devour the pages of Creem, Circus, Hit Parader, Billboard and, to a lesser extent for another three years, Rolling Stone. Truth be told, Creem was my go-to rock rag of the day. For the next three years, that magazine would guide me with the development of my musical tastes. Through the pages of that magazine, along with the writings of stalwart rock journalist such as Lester Bangs, Dave Marsh, Jaan Uhelzszki, Cameron Crowe, Lisa Robinson, among many other giants within the field of rock journalists and critics.
I cannot emphasize enough how important Creem was to the development of my musical tastes. Through that magazine, I learned about many album oriented rock artists, as well as heavy metal, funk and punk artists. Because of that magazine alone, I bought albums by the likes of Styx, Parliament, Ramones, Sex Pistols, The Clash, Cheap Trick, among so many others. That magazine opened a world of possibilities in music to me.
So, with all of that said, let’s get to the important part of this entry, the countdown.
50. Bootsy’s Rubber Band – Stretchin’ Out in Bootsy’s Rubber Band
49. ABBA – Arrival
48. Elton John – Blue Moves
47. Jeff Beck – Wired
46. Blue Öyster Cult – Agents of Fortune
45. Rose Royce – Car Wash
44. Wings – Wings at the Speed of Sound
43. The Rolling Stones – Black and Blue
42. Parliament – The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein
41. The Modern Lovers – The Modern Lovers
40. Rod Stewart – A Night on the Town
39. Graham Parker – Howlin’ Wind
38. Kansas – Leftoverture
37. Bee Gees – Children of the World
36. Warren Zevon – Warren Zevon
35. Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band – Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band
34. Kiss – Rock & Roll Over
33. Daryl Hall & John Oates – Bigger Than Both of Us
32. Bob Dylan – Desire
31. Alice Cooper – Alice Cooper Goes to Hell
30. Peter Tosh – Legalize It
29. Rainbow – Rising
28. Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes – I Don’t Wanna Go Home
27. Bob Marley & the Wailers – Rastaman Vibration
26. Blondie – Blondie
25. Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak
24. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band – Live Bullet
23. Aerosmith – Rocks
22. Electric Light Orchestra – A New World Record
21. KC & the Sunshine Band – Part Three
20. Eagles – Hotel California
19. Lynyrd Skynyrd – One More from the Road
18. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band – Night Moves
17. Eddie & the Hot Rods – Teenage Depression
16. Peter Frampton – Frampton Comes Alive
15. Jackson Browne – The Pretender
14. The Runaways – The Runaways
13. Steve Miller Band – Fly like an Eagle
12. AC/DC – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
11. The Flamin’ Groovies – Shake Some Action
10. Rush – 2112
9. David Bowie – Station to Station
8. Boz Scaggs – Silk Degrees
7. Heart – Dreamboat Annie
6. Ramones – Ramones
5. Kiss – Destroyer
4. Boston – Boston
3. Queen – A Day at the Races
2. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
1. Stevie Wonder – Songs in the Key of Life
If My Records Could Talk 