1976 in music
See also: 1975 in music, other events of 1976, 1977 in music and the list of 'years in music'.
Events
- January 7 - Kenneth Moss, a former record company executive, is sentenced to 120 days in the Los Angeles County Jail and four years probation for involuntary manslaughter in the 1974 drug induced death of Average White Band drummer Robbie McIntosh.
- January 13 - A trial begins for seven Brunswick Records and Dakar Records employees. The record company employees are charged with stealing more than $184,000 in royalties from artists.
- February 15 - Bette Midler bails seven members of her entourage out of jail after they are arrested on charges of cocaine and marijuana possession
- January 19 - Concert promoter Bill Sargent makes an offer of $30 million to the Beatles if they would reunite for a concert
- February 19 - Former Tower of Power lead singer Rich Stevens is arrested and charged with the drug related murders of three men in San Jose, California.
- February 20 - Kiss gets their footprints added to the sidewalk outside Hollywood's Grauman's Chinese Theater.
- February 24 - The Eagles Their Greatest Hits compilation becomes the first album in history to be certified platinum by the RIAA. The new platinum certification represents sales of at least 1 million copies for albums and 2 million copies for singles.
- March 3 - Fleetwood Mac records Rumours, which will be a blockbuster album in 1977
- March 6 - EMI Records reissues all 22 previously released British Beatles singles, plus a new single of the classic "Yesterday". All 23 singles hit the UK charts at the same time
- March 7 - A wax likeness of Elton John is put on display in London's Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.
- March 9 - The Who's Keith Moon collapses onstage ten minutes into a performance at the Boston Garden.
- March 25 - Jackson Browne's wife Phyllis commits suicide.
- March 26 - In Paris, France, Wings guitarist Jimmy McCullough breaks one of his fingers when he slips in his hotel bathroom following the final performance on the band's European tour. The injury ended up delaying the band's United States tour by three weeks.
- April 14 - Stevie Wonder announces that he has signed a "$13 million-plus" contract with Motown Records
- April 24 - Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels makes on on-air offer to pay the Beatles $3000 to reunite on the show. Lennon and McCartney were apparently watching the show together in New York and considered walking down to the studio to accept the check. On May 22, he raises his offer from $3000 to $3,200.
- April 29 - When his tour stops in Memphis, Tennessee, Bruce Springsteen jumps the wall at Elvis Presley's mansion, "Graceland", in an attempt to see his idol. Security guards stop Springsteen and escourt him off the grounds.
- May 3 - Paul McCartney and Wings start their Wings over America tour in Fort Worth, Texas. This is the first time McCartney has performed in the US since The Beatles' last concert in 1966 at Candlestick Park.
- May 3 - Paul Simon puts together a benefit show at Madison Square Garden to raise money for the New York Public Library. Phoebe Snow, Jimmy Cliff and the Brecker Brothers also perform. The concert brings in over $30,000 for the Library.
- May 19 - Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards is involved in a car accident. Cocaine is found in his wrecked car. Richards is given a court date of January 12, 1977.
- June - Former Spring Canyon keyboardist Mark Cook joins Daniel Amos
- 100 Club Punk Festival, the first international punk festival is held in London
- Fall - Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr form a band called Feedback in Dublin. The band would later be renamed U2
- November - Former Tower of Power lead singer Rich Stevens, and another person, are found guilty on two counts of murder.
- The Flowers of Romance, a band that included many seminal individuals within the punk movement are formed in the summer.
- Sex Pistols cause media furor when they swear on prime time TV 1 to download.
- Joe Cocker performs a duet with himself (as portrayed by John Belushi) on Saturday Night Live .
- Evita is performed for the first time
- Peter Brown's solo career begins
- Cheap Trick's career begins
- Devo's career begins
- Leif Garrett's solo career begins
- .38 Special's musical career begins
- Black Flag form
- The Damned form
- Diamond Head form
- Dire Straits form
- Foreigner form
- Iron Maiden form
- Throbbing Gristle form
- Generation X form
- Cheap Trick makes contact to Epic Records
- The Clash makes contact to Epic Records
- Elvis Costello makes contact to Columbia Records
- The Sex Pistols makes contact to Warner Bros.
- Steve Martin makes contact to Warner Bros.
Albums Released
- Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap - AC/DC
- High Voltage - AC/DC
- Rocks - Aerosmith
- Joan Armatrading - Joan Armatrading
- Children of the World - Bee Gees
- Technical Ecstasy - Black Sabbath
- We Sold Our Souls for Rock & Roll - Black Sabbath
- Self-Titled - Blondie
- Agents Of Fortune - Blue Oyster Cult
- Boston - Boston
- If I Were Britannia I'd Waive the Rules - Budgie
- Havana Daydreamin' - Jimmy Buffett
- A Kind of Hush - The Carpenters
- X - Chicago
- Desire - Bob Dylan
- Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band - Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band
- Hotel California - The Eagles
- Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac
- Foreigner - Foreigner (debut)
- Frampton Comes Alive! - Peter Frampton
- A Trick of the Tail - Genesis
- Wind and Wuthering - Genesis
- M.U. --- Best of - Jethro Tull
- Too Old to Rock And Roll, Too Young to Die - Jethro Tull
- Turnstiles - Billy Joel
- Blue Moves - Elton John
- Wanted! the Outlaws - Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson
- Look into the Future - Journey
- Sad Wings of Destiny - Judas Priest
- Summertime Dream - Gordon Lightfoot
- Leftoverture - Kansas
- Destroyer - Kiss
- Presence - Led Zeppelin
- One More from the Road - Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Live! - Bob Marley & the Wailers
- Wings at the Speed of Sound - Paul McCartney
- Wings over America - Paul McCartney & Wings
- Kate & Anna McGarrigle - Kate & Anna McGarrigle
- The Wild Tchoupitoulas - The Meters, George & Amos Landry, The Neville Brothers
- Fly Like an Eagle - Steve Miller Band
- Hejira - Joni Mitchell
- Modern Lovers - Modern Lovers
- Come on Over - Olivia Newton-John
- Clones of Dr. Funkenstein - Parliament
- Mothership Connection - Parliament
- Howlin' Wind - Graham Parker & the Rumour
- Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (debut)
- A Day at the Races - Queen
- Rising by Rainbow
- Self-Titled by The Ramones
- Home Plate by Bonnie Riatt
- Black and Blue by The Rolling Stones
- 2112 - Rush
- Another Passenger - Carly Simon
- Silk Desires - Boz Skaggs
- The Royal Scam - Steely Dan
- Crystal Ball - Styx
- Second Annual Report- Throbbing Gristle
- No Heavy Petting - UFO
- Liberation - Bunny Wailer
- Milky Shade - Kazumi Watanabe
- Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder
- Warren Zevon - Warren Zevon
- Tejas - ZZ Top
Top Hits
- "Saturday Night" - Bay City Rollers
- "Still the One" - Orleans
- "You Should Be Dancing" - The Bee Gees
- "Rock N' Me" - Steve Miller Band
- "More Than a Feeling" - Boston
- "Taking It To The Streets" - The Doobie Brothers
- "Landslide" - Fleetwood Mac
- "World Turning" - Fleetwood Mac
- "Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win)" - Fleetwood Mac
- "Say You Love Me" - Fleetwood Mac
- "Love Machine (Part 1)" - The Miracles
- "It's Over" - Boz Scaggs
- "Fool to Cry" - The Rolling Stones
- "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" - Paul Simon
- "December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" - Frankie Valli
- "Starbuck" - Moonlight Feels Right
- "Hot Stuff" - The Rolling Stones
- "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" - Elton John & Kiki Dee
- "Let Your Love Flow" - Bellamy Brothers
- "If You Leave Me Now" - Chicago
- "Silly Love Songs" - Paul McCartney & Wings
- "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" - England Dan and John Ford Coley
- "Afternoon Delight" - Starland Vocal Band
- "Disco Lady" - Johnnie Taylor
- "Show Me the Way" - Peter Frampton
- "Welcome Back" - John Sebastian
- "Nadia's Theme (The Young & The Restless)" - Barry DeVorzon & Perry Botkin, Jr.
Births
- February 4 - Cam'ron
- February 15 - Brandon Boyd, Incubus
- February 28 - Ja Rule
- March 20 - Chester Bennington, Linkin Park
- May 29 - Dave Buckner, Papa Roach
- May 31 - Scott Klopfenstein, Reel Big Fish
- June 15 - Dryden Mitchell, Alien Ant Farm
- June 21 - Mike Einziger, Incubus
- June 26 - Paul Phillips, Puddle Of Mudd
- June 27 - Leigh Nash, Sixpence None The Richer
- July 6 - 50 Cent
- July 11 - Lil' Kim
- August 8 - Drew Lachey, 98 Degrees
- August 8 - J.C. Chasez, *NSYNC
- August 18 - Dirk 'Alex' Lance, Incubus
- September 11 - Ludacris
- October 20 - Tom Wisniewski, MxPx
- November 12 - Tevin Campbell
- December 13 - Tom Delonge, Blink-182
- Blu Cantrell
- Mike Davenport, The Ataris
- Patrick Riley, The Ataris
Deaths
- January 30 - Mance Lipscomb
- February 22 - Florence Ballard, The Supremes
- April 8 - Phil Ochs, suicide
- December 4 - Benjamin Britten
- December 4 - Tommy Bolin