Boston - Boston (40th anniversary)

Today (August 25th) marks the fortieth anniversary of the self-titled debut album from Boston. 1976's Boston spent an epic one hundred and thirty-two weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, and surprisingly it only peaked at number 3.

For my complete review of this rock classic, click here.

For more from Boston, click here.

Barry Manilow - This One's For You (40th anniversary)

This month marks the fortieth anniversary of This One's For You, the fourth studio album from Barry Manilow. Like his first three releases, this one from 1976 also went multi-Platinum in the US and rose to the number 6 position on the US Billboard Album chart (with a total chart run of sixty weeks).

For more on this album, click here.

For more from Barry Manilow, click here.

Hall & Oates - Bigger Than Both of Us (40th anniversary)

This month marks the fortieth anniversary of Bigger Than Both of Us, the fifth studio album from the hit-making duo of Daryl Hall and John Oates. This Gold selling record from 1976 was the highest charting of the eight albums the duo released during the 1970’s decade. It spent fifty-seven weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 13.

For more on this album, click here.

For more from Hall and Oates, click here.

Billy Joel - Turnstiles

Today (May 19th) marks the fortieth anniversary of Turnstiles, the fourth studio album from Billy Joel. This 1976 record spent only twelve weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 122. It also reached number 286 in Japan and number 12 in Australia.

The Singles of '76 (epilogue)

Last month, my blogging buddies and I presented our favorite songs from 1976. This is part of a month long celebration I did along with my blogging buddies Herc (of Herc's Hideaway) and Mark (of 1976-1985: My Favorite Decade). Herc was creative and came up with a little summary image which I am presenting below. Enjoy.

Donny and Marie - Featuring Songs From Their Television Show

Today (April 3rd) marks the fortieth anniversary of Donny and Marie - Featuring Songs From Their Television Show, the third studio album from the brother and sister act of Donny and Marie Osmond. This 1976 album spent thirty-eight weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 60. It also went to number 48 in Canada and the UK.

The Singles of '76 (part 5)

Last week (click here if you missed it), I presented numbers 50 to 26 in my countdown of the Billboard charting singles of 1976. This is part of a month long celebration of the songs from this year that I am doing with online blogging buddies Herc (of Herc's Hideaway) and Mark (of 1976-1985: My Favorite Decade).

Today, we will wrap up my favorites of the year with a countdown of numbers 25 to 1.

Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak

MM: Today we have another guest post from my online buddy Herc (of Herc's Hideaway). I will sprinkle my comments through out in italics, starting with an MM: marker. - Martin

Thin Lizzy's Jailbreak (click here to listen to on Spotify), the band's sixth album, was their American breakthrough. Released forty years ago today (March 26, 1976), the Irish rock band with a dual lead guitar attack featured Phil Lynott on bass and vocals.

The Singles of '76 (part 4)

Last week (click here if you missed it), I presented numbers 75 to 51in my countdown of the Billboard charting singles of 1976. This is part of a month long celebration of the songs from this year that I am doing with online blogging buddies Herc (of Herc's Hideaway) and Mark (of 1976-1985: My Favorite Decade).

Today, we will continue going through my favorites of the year with a countdown of numbers 50 to 26.

The Singles of '76 (part 3)

Last week (click here if you missed it), I presented numbers 100 to 76 in my countdown of the Billboard charting singles of 1976. This is part of a month long celebration of the songs from this year that I am doing with online blogging buddies Herc (of Herc's Hideaway) and Mark (of 1976-1985: My Favorite Decade).

Today, we will continue going through my favorites of the year with a countdown of numbers 75 to 51.

KISS - Destroyer

Today (March 15th) marks the fortieth anniversary of Destroyer, the fourth studio album from KISS. This 1976 multi-Platinum release spent seventy-eight weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 11. It also reached number 36 in Germany, number 25 in Norway, number 22 in the UK, number 17 in Japan, number 16 in New Zealand, number 13 in Switzerland, number 6 in Australia and Canada, and number 4 in Sweden.

The Singles of '76 (part 2)

Last week (click here if you missed it), I presented the runner-ups in my countdown of the Billboard charting singles of 1976. This is part of a month long celebration of the songs from this year that I am doing with online blogging buddies Herc (of Herc's Hideaway) and Mark (of 1976-1985: My Favorite Decade).

Today, we will start going through my favorites of the year with a countdown of numbers 100 to 76.

Donna Summer - A Love Trilogy

Today (March 5th) marks the fortieth anniversary of A Love Trilogy, the third studio album from Donna Summer. This 1976 release spent twenty-seven weeks on the US Billboard
Album chart, peaking at number 21. It also climbed to number 41 in the UK, number 24 in Germany, number 18 in Sweden, number 16 on the US Billboard R&B chart, number 14 in Norway, number 8 in Austria, and number 1 in both Italy and Spain. Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte served as both producers and co-writers of all but one of the tracks on the record.

The Singles of '76 (part 1)

1976 - it was the year of the American Bicentennial.

For me, I was eleven years old. Education-wise, I was closing one chapter by finishing up elementary school in 5th grade (Mr. Reardon's class) and moving on to the Dunkirk Middle School in 6th grade. This was the year I really got into buying super-hero comic books (DC and Marvel titles), and it was also the year I remember really listening to a lot more of the radio.

Olivia Newton-John - Come On Over

This month (February 29th) marks the fortieth anniversary of Come On Over, the sixth studio album from Olivia Newton-John. This 1976 release spent twenty-four weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 13. It also went to number 49 in the UK, number 30 in Canada, number 29 in Australia, number 12 in New Zealand, number 2 in Japan and on the US Billboard Country charts.

Heart - Dreamboat Annie

Today (February 14th) marks the fortieth anniversary of the world-wide release of Dreamboat Annie, the debut album from Heart. This followed the debut in the band's native Canada from late in the summer of 1975, where it went all the way to number 20. The Platinum selling 1976 release hit number 36 in the UK, number 9 in Australia and number 7 on the US Billboard Album chart (with a total chart run of one hundred weeks).

Henry Gross - Release

This month marks the fortieth anniversary of Release, the fourth studio album from Brooklyn born singer-songwriter Henry Gross. Originally a founding member of Sha Na Na, Gross went solo in the early 1970's. This album went to number 64 on the US Billboard album chart, spending a total of twenty-eight weeks on the chart.

David Bowie - Station To Station

A little less than two weeks ago (January 10th, 2016) all of us fans of music were saddened to hear of the passing of the legendary David Bowie. My Twitter feed was full of tributes to the 69 year old artist who had succumbed to cancer and moved on to the afterlife plane. Then again, he was always on another level entirely with his ever-changing, always-inspiring artistic talent. He will be greatly missed.

Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive! (40th anniversary)

Today (January 6th) marks the fortieth anniversary of Peter Frampton's double-disk live album Frampton Comes Alive!. This landmark record spent a total of ninety-seven weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, ten weeks of that were spent at the number 1 spot.

For my full album review, click here.

For more from Frampton, click here.

The Clash - London Calling (35th anniversary)

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Sunday.

Today (December 14th) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of London Calling, the third studio album from the Clash. This 1979 release debuted on the US Billboard Album chart in early February of 1980. It then spent thirty-three weeks on that chart and peaked at number 27.

Click here for my full review.