1. “Alison,” Elvis Costello. Declan MacManus delivered a debut album that couldn’t be ignored; pairing pub rock licks with punk rock attitude and the wordplay/songwriting skills of a learned veteran, not a rookie that had just quit his day job. On “Alison,” he stumbles across an old flame that is drowning in unsalvageable sorrow. Feel free to add the Clash inspired “Watching the Detectives” to your ’77 A+ list.
2. “American Girl,” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Petty wasn’t on the fast track to fame – before getting his record deal, he worked as a ghostwriter for, of all people, Leon Russell. His debut album had two minor hits, “American Girl” and “Breakdown,” that have become signature tunes in the Petty catalogue. “American Girl” is an ace tribute to Petty’s beloved Byrds and was used in most memorable fashion in The Silence of the Lambs.
3. “Blank Generation,” Richard Hell and the Voidoids. Proving, as Nick Tosches would say, that there is nothing new under the sun, this punk rock anthem was based on a 1959 beatnik comedy record from Rod McKuen called “The Beat Generation.” While Hell bemoaned his fate as “God’s consolation prize,” guitarist Robert Quine’s angular, jazz inspired guitar work was separating the band from their punk rock peers. Speaking of…
4. “Chinese Rocks,” The Heartbreakers. Dee Dee Ramone and Richard Hell penned this heroin chic number, but it fit Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan like a clean syringe. Proving their street credentials, 75% of the names mentioned in the previous sentence are now dead.
5. “Do Ya,” Electric Light Orchestra. Originally released by The Move as a b-side to “California Man,” Jeff Lynne re-recorded his composition with additional sonic punch and clarity for a 1977 hit. ELO were the CCR of the late ‘70s – they had a string of Top 40 hits, including seven Top Ten singles, with nothing hitting the #1 slot.
6. “Downed,” Cheap Trick. Cheap Trick released two albums in ’77; their Jack Douglas produced debut record was aggressive, raw, and melodic at the same time. For In Color, Tom Werman went for pure pop with a cotton candy sheen. On “Downed,” Robin Zander tries to decide whether ‘tis nobler to commit suicide or move to Australia.
7. “Fly Like An Eagle,” Steve Miller Band. Tick tock, doo doo doo doo. Miller scored three major hits with his 1976 Fly Like an Eagle album – “Take the Money and Run,” “Rockin’ Me,” (which went to #1), and “Fly Like an Eagle,” which stalled at #2 in March of ’77. Think of “Eagle” as the spiritual/community activist version of “Free Bird.”
8. “Go Your Own Way,” Fleetwood Mac. The late ‘60s version of Fleetwood Mac had major hits in the U.K. with “Albatross,” “Man of the World,” and “Oh Well,” but it was the Buckingham/Nicks version of FM that broke the group in the U.S. On “Go Your Own Way” Lindsey spits out his frustration with lover/band mate Stevie, “Packing up/Shacking up’s all you want to do.”
8. “Got to Give It Up,” Marvin Gaye. This innovative funk/disco/party song was a comeback hit for Marvin, who hadn’t reached the Top Ten since 1973’s “Let’s Get it On.” The percussion heavy track would later influence hits by the Jacksons (the band effort “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” and the Michael solo hit “Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough”). Thirty six years after its release, “Got to Give It Up” was the one of the biggest hits of 2013 when Robin Thicke recorded it as “Blurred Lines.”
9. “I Feel Love,” Donna Summer. On this international smash, Italian producer Giorgio Moroder gave electronic dance music a beating heart while Donna Summer continued the serial orgasm she started on “Love to Love You Baby.” The synthesized sound would become a staple in disco, techno, and new wave music. Rock critic Peter Shapiro, ““It’s basically the blueprint for all electronic music that came after it.”
10. “In the City,” The Jam. A major commercial band in the U.K., the Jam’s chart success didn’t cross the pond. They combined influences from The Who, Motown, and pub rock, giving them an updated/punk rock edge and image. This celebration of youth culture hit the U.K. Top 40 charts in 1977, 1980, and again in 2002.
11. “Jamming,” Bob Marley & the Wailers. An assassination attempt in late ’76 didn’t kill Marley’s buzz – “jamming” was Jamaican slang for “celebrating.” “No bullet can stop us now, we neither beg nor we won’t bow.” Stevie Wonder’s 1980 hit “Master Blaster (Jammin’)” was a Marley tribute based on this rhythm heavy groove.
12. “Lido Shuffle,” Boz Scaggs. Scaggs had been on the music scene since the mid-60s, recording solo albums and occasionally working with The Steve Miller Band. His 1976 Silk Degrees album, heavily influenced by the future members of Toto, was his commercial breakthrough with the #3 hit “Lowdown,” and this ode to a hustler trying to stay one step ahead of the law that reached #11 in ’77. Everybody sing along, “LIDO. WHOA-OH-OH-OH-OH-OH…”.
13. “Marquee Moon,” Television. Television were CBGB stalwarts, but certainly not one chord wonders. On this guitar tour de force, Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd mixed elements of blues, jazz, and punk to create a dreamlike journey to an alternate musical universe. And the cryptic lyrics give your brain something to chew on while you are coming down from the dizzying guitar exploits.
14. “Night Moves,” Bob Seger. Prior to the success of “Night Moves,” Seger was viewed as a one-hit wonder/regional artist. (“Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” went to #17 on the pop charts in 1968). He escaped terminal beautiful loser territory with this tender coming of age reminiscence about the joys of having a friend with benefits.
15. “The Passenger,” Iggy Pop. David Bowie was in the driver’s seat for Iggy’s career in ’77, producing his albums The Idiot and Lust for Life. If you are in a mellow mood, spin this one for Iggy’s aimless stargazing. If you need to crank your engine, turn “Lust for Life” up to eleven.
16. “Psycho Killer,” Talking Heads. It took some time for music fans to warm up to the Talking Heads; with his twitchy movements and cloaked in paranoia persona, David Byrne looked more like a Bellevue escapee than a pop star. Byrne may have updated the murder ballad tradition with “Psycho Killer,” but it’s Tina Weymouth’s relentless bass line that grabs you and holds you hostage.
17. “Rockaway Beach,” The Ramones. The Ramones were too ugly for radio even before video stars existed. Here they toss out a perfectly crafted pop rocker and only get to #66 on the pop charts. Joey is chewin’ out a rhythm on his bubblegum and, like Brian Wilson, is thrilled to have some r&r time at the beach. Has there ever been a more underappreciated songwriter than Dee Dee Ramone?
18. “Smoke from a Distant Fire,” The Sanford-Townsend Band. This Alabama blue eyed soul group gave the world one superb hit and then quietly walked away, never to bother pop fans again. Imagine a world where KISS breaks up right after releasing the live version “Rock and Roll All Nite” or U2’s label dumps them when Bono finished the last note in “I Will Follow.” Pretty nice world.
19. “Stick to Me,” Graham Parker & The Rumour. Parker was matching hard edged music with withering lyrics before Elvis Costello hit the scene, including instructing the Lord that He didn’t have any moral authority to ask Geep any questions. The Rumour had no problems matching Parker in the fury department.
20. “Walk This Way,” Aerosmith. “Walk This Way” bombed when it was released as the follow up single to “Sweet Emotion” in 1975, but hit Top Ten in early ’77 after being re-released. Steven Tyler’s pre-hip hop lascivious rap paired up with Joe Perry’s catchiest riff revived the band’s career in 1986 when the duo performed the song with Run-D.M.C. Which kinda means we can blame Rick Rubin for “Angel” and “Rag Dog.” Thanks a LOT, vegan boy.
