NOW is going back to the 1970s to proudly present the next instalment in our ongoing ‘Yearbook’ series – with 80 tracks across 4 CDs, celebrating a magnificently diverse year of Pop singles… NOW – Yearbook 1977.
Kicking off with a timeless anthem from Queen with ‘We Are The Champions’ and followed by the huge instrumental rock of ‘Fanfare For The Common Man’ by Emerson, Lake and Palmer. The song that would open ‘Live Aid’ years later is next up from Status Quo with their signature ‘Rockin’ All Over The World’, and 1977 saw ‘Way Down’ from Elvis Presley go to #1 in the wake of his death. Classic pop-rock from 10CC with ‘Good Morning Judge’ is followed by a trio of ballads from Electric Light Orchestra with ‘Telephone Line’, Leo Sayer with his trans-Atlantic chart topper ‘When I Need You’, and David Soul with another UK and US #1 ‘Don’t Give Up On Us’. Hot Chocolate enjoyed their first #1 with ‘So You Win Again’ and is followed by a superb run of dance-pop from Candi Staton, Patsy Gallant, Donna Summer, Boney M. and The Rah Band. More pop-rock from Suzi Quatro, Smokie and a hit from the soundtrack of the tv series ‘Rock Follies’ lead toward the emotionally charged closing tracks on the first disc – from Elkie Brooks with ‘Pearl’s A Singer’, Liverpool Express and ‘Every Man Must Have A Dream’, and the #1 ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ from the concept album for the upcoming musical ‘Evita’ by Julie Covington along with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
Disc Two opens with an amazing run of punk and new wave classics: The Stranglers with ‘No More Heroes’, Ramones with ‘Sheena Is A Punk Rocker’, The Clash with their debut ‘White Riot’, and The Jam with their first Top 20 hit ‘All Around The World’. The Boomtown Rats debuted with ‘Lookin’ After No.1’ and defining hits are featured from Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers, Mink DeVille and Elvis Costello with the peerless ‘Watching The Detectives’. A genre defying hit from the Tom Robinson Band leads into a sequence of hits that includes singer-songwriters Paul Simon, Boz Scaggs and Bryan Ferry, rock smashes from Boston and Santana, and to close the disc softer rock from Thin Lizzy and beautiful ballads from Racing Cars with ‘They Shoot Horses Don’t They’, and Yes with ‘Wonderous Stories’.
The charts in 1977 were fantastically diverse, and one of the biggest genres of hits was Disco. Arguably one of pop music’s defining moments came in 1977 with Donna Summer’s #1 ‘I Feel Love’ with it’s production showcasing the role of the synthesiser. European disco smashes found huge success: Baccara topped the charts with ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’, along-side massive tracks from Belle Epoque and the debut ‘Daddy Cool’ for Boney M. – who a year later would become the biggest selling singles act of 1978. Meco re-worked the ‘Star Wars’ theme into a US disco chart topper, and The Trammps, Heatwave, The Emotions, Rose Royce, Thelma Houston and chart newcomers Chic all feature here in a stellar run of floor-filling hits. Marvin Gaye had a massive track with ‘Got To Give It Up – Pt.1’ and Gladys Knight & The Pips continued their run of hits with ‘Baby, Don’t Change Your Mind’. The disc finishes with 3 of 1977’s greatest soul tracks: Deniece Williams took ‘Free’ to #1, and the Commodores released an all-time classic, with ‘Easy’, featuring Lionel Richie on vocals, whilst Detroit R&B vocal group The Floaters scored their only UK hit in style with ‘Float On’ reaching #1 in August.
The final disc opens with 1977’s biggest seller – the first single to sell over two million copies! – and the years’ Christmas #1, ‘Mull Of Kintyre’ from Paul McCartney & Wings. Two more #1s follow: Manhattan Transfer with ‘Chanson D’Amour’, and the second chart-topper in the year for David Soul with ‘Silver Lady’. Olivia Newton-John’s ‘Sam’ continues the run of ‘easy-listening’ pop that also includes #1 ‘Angelo’ from Brotherhood Of Man’, sublime tracks, ‘The Things We Do For Love’, from 10CC, ‘Oh Lori’ from Alessi Brothers, and the Boz Scaggs penned ‘We’re All Alone’ by Rita Coolidge, plus pop gems from Carole Bayer Sager and Meri Wilson all feature. Kenny Rogers hit #1 with ‘Lucille’, Billy Ocean enjoyed his second #2 smash with ‘Red Light Spells Danger’, while The Dooleys and Andrew Gold made their chart debuts.
Rock ‘n’ roll was enjoying a revival and two contemporary groups both enjoyed massive success - Showaddywaddy continued their run of hits with ‘Dancin’ Party’, and Darts arrived with a medley of ‘Daddy Cool’ and ‘The Girl Can’t Help It’….and the collection finishes with two instrumental hits, ‘Portsmouth’ from Mike Oldfield reached #3 in the first week of the year, whilst unexpectedly ‘The Floral Dance’ became a massive seller for the Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band, spending the last four weeks of 1977 at #2 behind ‘Mull Of Kintyre’.
NOW – Yearbook 1977 – a celebration of the diversity and wonderful creativity of a truly magnificent year in pop.
