The Great 70s Project: 1976

The mention of 1976 for most people over a certain age in the UK will invariably invoke remembrances of one of the hottest summers on record. There’s more to the year than just drought, though. There’s disco, classic rock and pop.

It was also the year that punk broke into the mainstream.  A whole new world of music was born.

It was the year we checked into ‘Hotel California’ for the first time…and with it becoming a radio staple, true as the song’s tale, we never really left. Queen followed their ambitious ‘Night At The Opera’ with the equally grand ‘A Day At The Races’ and Jeff Beck continued his voyage into fusion with ‘Wired’.  As Real Gone’s Great 70s project reaches 1976, we take a dip into those classic albums and far more besides.

Warren Zevon’s self-titled comeback album is highlighted with a few classic cuts while Phil Collins indulges some jazzy chops with Brand X. You want something harder? There are deep album cuts from Scorpions and Rainbow. You want something thoughtful? It’s time to remind yourselves how good Joan Armatrading’s breakthrough long player still sounds, while Robert Palmer entertains with some funky brilliance that could have only been spawned in the mid 70s.

Also waiting to be explored are the solo debut from Sammy Hagar, an underground classic from Lake – the muchly overlooked Anglo-German Doobie Brothers obsessives – and a genuine AM radio classic from Andrew Gold. There’s far more to 1976 than the disco of the day…but we’ve thrown in a few floor-fillers in too! It’s time to “get down with the genie!”

It’s a mixed bag, for sure, but our 1976 playlist marks the beginning of a genuine gold run up until the end of the decade.

As always, dive in and enjoy! …And wherever you are, have a great weekend.

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