I don’t listen to classic rock music 24/7. But when I do, I tend to go for a few tried and true favorites. The following classic songs released in 1976 still make it to my rotation today. And the same could be said for quite a few fans of these megafamous bands. Let’s take a look! A few of these might already be in your go-to 1970s rock playlist.
“You’re My Best Friend” by Queen
A lot of Queen’s music makes it to my rotation on occasion. “You’re My Best Friend”, released in 1976, is one such hit. This delightfully sweet little pop-rock tune was included on the album A Night At The Opera. It found quite a bit of success after being released as a single. It reached No. 7 in the UK and No. 16 in the US. Written by John Deacon as an ode to his wife, this song also features some of the Queen bassist’s finest bass guitar work.
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“Say You Love Me” by Fleetwood Mac
Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham usually captured most of Fleetwood Mac fans’ attention, and I think that few members of the band were as underrated as Christine McVie. “Say You Love Me” is just one of few songs written by McVie that earned some serious attention, and that attention was well-deserved. This soft rock classic dropped in 1976 and peaked at No. 40 in the UK and No. 11 in the US. There’s an easy-going vibe to this song, and that bridge is quite catchy.
“Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry
I don’t think there’s a classic rock song out there from 1976 that is more enduring than this one-hit wonder. Wild Cherry never enjoyed as much success on the charts after the fact, but “Play That Funky Music” still remains an absolute funk rock delight some 50 years later. Fun fact: Wild Cherry was more of a hard rock cover band than a funk outfit. But due to the advent of disco, they wanted to capitalize on trends and released this No. 1 hit as a divergence from their typical sound.
“Silly Love Songs” by Wings
I couldn’t avoid putting a Paul McCartney song on this list of classic rock jams from 1976. “Silly Love Songs” is another disco-funk-leaning classic from the year, and McCartney leans into this somewhat divergent sound like it’s natural. This Wings jam made it all the way to No. 1 in the US and No. 2 in the UK that year.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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These 1970s parody songs beat all the "real" music on the charts. They blurred the lines between fake song and true hit. -
AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 01: Photo of AC DC and Angus YOUNG and AC/DC and Mark EVANS and Bon SCOTT; Mark Evans, Angus Young (playing Gibson SG guitar), Bon Scott – performing live onstage, c.1975/1976 (Photo by Bob King/Redferns) -
UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1970: Photo of Don Gibson Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images -
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — Episode 2 — Pictured: Musical guest Boz Scaggs performs on September 25, 1976 — Photo by: NBCU Photo Bank -
Barry Manilow in concert at the Bottom Line, NYC during Barry Manilow Achive Images – 1975 in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Bobby Bank/WireImage) -
(Original Caption) Charlie Daniels (3rd from left), the entertainer who dedicated his last album to "gun-rotting whiskey and hellatious fights" says he will not play gentle music just to please "damn Yankees drinking martinis" 1/20 at Jimmy Carter's inaugural reception. Daniels said he plans to play the same brand of foot-stomping Southern music he and his band have always produced. They are (from left), Charlie Hayward, Tom Crain, Daniels, Joel Digregorio, Don Murray and Fred Edwards.
