These classic rock deep cuts from 1976 don’t get quite as much love as the biggest charting hits of that year, and that’s a little surprising to me. These songs are really incredible in their own right. You might just agree with me on a few of these gems.
“The Millionaire Waltz” by Queen from ‘A Day At The Races’
In a way, this song could be seen as a natural answer to “Bohemian Rhapsody”. It certainly matches the vibe of Queen’s most famous song. Written by Freddie Mercury, this song is allegedly about the band’s manager at the time, John Reid. It has a similar rock opera composition to “Bohemian Rhapsody”, and John Deacon’s killer bassline really carries the whole thing along. Somehow, “The Millionaire Waltz” didn’t get released as a single.
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“Los Endos” by Genesis from ‘A Trick Of The Tail’
This impressive instrumental prog-rock masterpiece is a fine example of what Genesis did after the departure of Peter Gabriel. And that climax toward the end? Transcendent! This is how you write a closing song, songwriters out there.
“Los Endos” was never released as a single off A Trick Of The Tail, but it did become a go-to for live performances for quite some time.
“Emerald” by Thin Lizzy from ‘Jailbreak’
“The Boys Are Back In Town” will always be the song that Irish rock band Thin Lizzy is known for. It’ll always be the standout track from Jailbreak, too. But it’s a shame, to me, that “Emerald” doesn’t get nearly as much love. “Emerald” wasn’t released as a single but remains a fan favorite to this very day.
“A Light In The Black” by Rainbow from ‘Rising’
Following something like “Stargazer” might as well be a guarantee that a song will be underrated. But “A Light In The Black” deserves some love, especially because it contains some of the finest musicianship on the whole of Rainbow’s Rising. Personally, I think this is one of the most fantastic classic rock deep cuts from 1976. “Stargazer” is incredible, and you really can’t enjoy “A Light In The Black” without listening to “Stargazer” first to get the whole epic wizard tale, but “A Light In The Black” stands well on its own. This song was allegedly so physically demanding that the band had to drop it from their 1976 tour setlist.
(Photo by Erica Echenberg/Redferns)