Although I didn't live through 1976, this was the year that BBC4 started their reruns of Top of the Pops from and I have seen every episode they have shown.
Before they started the rerun they showed a documentary about what music was like in 1976. The general consensus was that it wasn't a good time for music, there was lots of rubbish coming out and it wasn't going in any sort of direction.
From watching the actual episodes I could see they had a point. The number one record on the first episode they repeated was "Save Your Kisses For Me" by Brotherhood of Man which seemed to be number one for eternity (was just 6 weeks though). The charts were also flooded with Beatles songs, 6 of them to be exact, which were 5 rereleases plus "Yesterday" charting in this country for the first time. That's not to say there's anything wrong with the Beatles, but having a group that had been split up for 6 years take so many positions with records that had charted before doesn't say much for the music that was happening there and then.
Away from the top spot there was no shortage of records appearing that no doubt the 70s kids thought they'd never hear again. The ones which stick in my mind early on in the run for being awful were "S-S-S-Single Bed" by Fox, "Reggae Like It Used To Be" by Paul Nicholas and "Convoy GB" by Laurie Lingo & the Dipsticks which was a parody of "Convoy" by CW McCall done by Top of the Pops presenters DLT and Paul Burnett.
Brotherhood of Man were eventually knocked off number one by Abba with "Fernando" which was top for four weeks. So 10 weeks into the run, 2 number ones which I'd known and hated ever since I can remember, but week 11 saw a chart topper I'd not heard before. This was "No Charge" by JJ Barrie, a spoken country record which I'm not sure if it was supposed to be a novelty hit or not. The following number one most certainly was, "Combine Harvester" by the Wurzels.
It wasn't all doom and gloom though. The next number one was "You To Me Are Everything" by The Real Thing.
What I found great quite early on with these reruns is for example on one episode we heard "Don't Stop It Now" by Hot Chocolate and "I'm Mandy Fly Me" by 10CC. Both groups are known for more than one hit, but these were ones you don't normally hear today but both good records and I liked the fact it gave the opportunity to hear such records.
The most successful act of the year was Abba. They had the first number one of the year with "Mamma Mia" and also reached the top with "Fernando" and "Dancing Queen" whilst their other hit this year "Money Money Money" reached number 3.
Last years success story, Bay City Rollers, would have a solid year with two number 4s. After dominating 1974, this year would mark the end of Muds chart career with their final single being a cover of "Lean On Me". Likewise the band of 1973 Slades popularity was in decline managing just one hit reaching 11 appropriately titled "Lets Call It Quits". Although there popularity had already been in decline, this was the last year of T Rex in the charts with "I Like To Boogie" having had a hit every year of the 70s until that point.
This would be the last year of the 70s we would have an Osmond in the charts, the final hit being "I Can't Live a Dream" by the Osmonds which reached number 37.
Elvis kept his streak of hits of a hit every year since 1956 adding three more to his total bringing it to 94. Cliff Richard was back in the charts with four more singles bringing his total to 68. No change in third or fourth place with Frank Sinatra and Lonnie Donegan remaining in their respective positions.
The start of the year technically saw three chart debutants for Motown. Smokey Robinson had now left Smokey Robinson & the Miracles so the group known simply as The Miracles had a hit with "Love Machine". Then there was former Temptations singer David Ruffin who had a hit with "Walk Away From Love". Finally there was Yvonne Fair with "It Should Have Been Me". None of these would have further top 40 hits and there was just four more Motown hits this year, three from Diana Ross and one from Stevie Wonder. This meant Stevie Wonder kept his run of a hit every year since 1966 going, though he had been absent from the charts for almost 2 years as his 1975 hit "Boogie On Reggae Woman" came in January and his 1976 hit "I Wish" came in December. Diana Ross was also on a roll herself with a single every year since 1970.
Aside from Elvis, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and T Rex, there were two more acts who had a hit every year in the 70s so far. This was Hot Chocolate and the Carpenters who both made their chart debuts in 1970.
Having made his return to the charts the previous year after a long absence, Johnny Mathis had the Christmas number one this year with "When A Child Is Born".
There were two more acts returning after a lengthy absence this year. After a 16 year absence, Manuel & His Music Of The Mountains returned with his most successful hit "Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto De Aranjuez". After a 13 year absence came Mr Acker Bilk with "Aria". Neither act would return to the charts again. Also after returning to the charts 3 years prior, the Drifters would have their final hit with "You're More Than A Number In My Little Red Book".
Disco music was still very much at the height of its success and arguably the biggest act of them all made her debut this year. That was Donna Summer with "Love To Love You Baby". She followed this up with "Could It Be Magic" and then with "Winter Melody".
Other notable acts from the disco scene making their debuts this year included the Tavares with "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel" followed up by "Don't Take Away the Music", and Rose Royce with "Car Wash".
The Beatles weren't the only Liverpudlians that had success in the 60s to return to the charts this year. Former members of the Merseybeats formed a group called Liverpool Express who had hits this year with "You Are My Love" and "Every Man Must Have A Dream". They would only have one further hit after this year.
There was a new nationality in the charts this year. Romanian Georghe Zamfir had his only hit with "(Light Of Experience) Doina De Jale".
The end of the year saw two notable chart debuts from acts that would have a big presence the rest of the decade. Boney M made their debut with "Daddy Cool" and the Sex Pistols made their debut with "Anarchy In the UK".
Like 1975, this year also seemed like a year of transition. A lot of early 70s acts were clearly declining in popularity and few new acts were taking their places. There were many acts around who were short lived and long forgotten and arguably more novelty records around than there perhaps should be.
However, given the debut of the Sex Pistols in 1976 we can see what is coming in 1977.
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