Various Artists - NOW - Yearbook 1976 Various Artists

NOW is going back to the 1970s to proudly present the next instalment in our ongoing ‘Yearbook’ series – featuring 84 stellar tracks celebrating a brilliant year of pop singles. NOW – Yearbook 1976.

Kicking off in magnificent style with signature songs from enduringly popular artists: A #2 in 1976, Queen’s ‘Somebody To Love’ is first up, followed by Electric Light Orchestra with ‘Livin’ Thing’, Fleetwood Mac with ‘Say You Love Me’, and 10cc with ‘I’m Mandy Fly Me’. Chicago hit #1 with their all-time classic ballad ‘If You Leave Me Now’, and Bonnie Tyler made her chart debut with ‘Lost In France’, whilst Leo Sayer reached #2 in the UK, and #1 in the US with ‘You Make Me Feel Like Dancing’. Next up, a trio of dance-floor favourites – and all #1s in ’76: Tina Charles with ‘I Love To Love’, The Real Thing with ‘You To Me Are Everything’, and 14 years after making their UK chart debut Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons enjoyed their first chart-topper with ‘December 1963 (Oh What a Night)’. The floor-fillers continue from Candi Staton, Barry White and Melba Moore ahead of a disco-flavoured single from former glam-pop stars, MUD. Brilliant and unforgettable pop gems from Smokie, Bryan Ferry, Sailor, and a cover of ‘Here Comes The Sun’ from Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel lead into Paul Simon’s ’50 Ways To Leave Your Lover’, and the first disc’s closing tracks – both timeless ballads: Joan Armatrading with ‘Love And Affection’, and Diana Ross with ‘Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)’

Disc 2 opens with a stellar run of pure-pop classics. Elton John celebrated his first UK #1 single, in a duet with Kiki Dee on ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’, Cliff Richard with ‘Devil Woman’, and ‘Forever And Ever’ gave Demis Roussos a ’76 chart topper. Guys N Dolls had a second Top 5 hit with their cover of ‘You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me’ – and the UK won at Eurovision, with the winner ‘Save Your Kisses For Me’ by Brotherhood Of Man not only hitting the #1 spot but also becoming 1976’s biggest seller. Showaddywaddy celebrated their biggest hit and their first #1 with ‘Under The Moon Of Love’, and Slik, featuring a pre-Ultravox Midge Ure reached the top with ‘Forever And Ever’ – a different song, with the same title as the aforementioned Demis Roussos #1.

1976 produced some classic rock smashes, and included here are singles from Status Quo, ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ from Thin Lizzy, ‘Squeeze Box’ from The Who, and the epic ‘Music’ from John Miles. More pop nuggets follow from Billy Ocean, Dana, David Dundas and Fox ahead of Disc 2’s comedic closers from the Kursaal Flyers and The Wurzels with the #1 ‘The Combine Harvester (Brand New Key)’.

Disc 3 celebrates ‘76’s dancefloor with a stunning collection of disco and soul gold: First up, Donna Summer with her debut smash ‘Love To Love You Baby’ before ‘More More More’ from Andrea True Connection and a second appearance on this Yearbook from Diana Ross with the genre-defining ‘Love Hangover’. ‘Turn The Beat Around’ from Vicki Sue Robinson is followed by a trio of bands who all released unforgettable disco singles in ’76: Tavares, The O’Jays and The Miracles. Soulful vocals from The Stylistics, and Lou Rawls lead into timeless tracks from The Isley Brothers with ‘Harvest For The World’, ‘I Want You’ from Marvin Gaye, and the sublime ‘Midnight Train To Georgia’ from Gladys Knight & The Pips. After more soul ballads from James & Bobby Purify, The Manhattans and Yvonne Fair, the disc closes with a run of fabulous funk hits from Archie Bell & The Drells, Wild Cherry, James Brown and Lalo Schifrin’s version of the theme from ‘Jaws’.

The biggest seller in ’76 in the US opens the final disc: ‘Silly Love Songs’ gave Wings a UK #2 and comes ahead of another peerless single from Elton John with ‘Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word’. Dr. Hook had a huge hit with ‘A Little Bit More’, and Dolly Parton made her UK singles chart debut with ‘Jolene’ three years after it was a hit in the US. Country music was also represented by Billie Jo Spears who had her biggest hit with ‘What I’ve Got In Mind’ – but it was a Dutch band, Pussycat, who hit the top with their country-pop track ‘Mississippi’. C.W. McCall capitalised on the craze for CB radio with ‘Convoy’, which leads to hits from Neil Diamond, Randy Edelman, Sutherland Brothers & Quiver and Liverpool Express. British group, the Climax Blues Band scored a Top 10 hit in the UK and a US Top 3 with ‘Couldn’t Get It Right’ and features alongside more great vocalists including Linda Ronstadt and Yvonne Elliman. Soul-influenced pop from R&J Stone and the re-released ‘She’s Gone’ from Daryl Hall & John Oates lead to a closing run of stunning ballads: The Walker Brothers returned to the Top 10 in 1976 with their excellent cover of  ‘No Regrets’, ‘Heart On My Sleeve’ from Gallagher And Lyle, Eric Carmen hit big with ‘All By Myself’ and Cliff Richard makes a second appearance on this collection with one of his defining ballads ‘Miss You Nights’ and to sign-off, the year’s Christmas #1 from Johnny Mathis with his seasonal favourite ‘When A Child Is Born’.