Nothing beats 70s pop, especially because so many genres across rock, country, and more managed to make it to the pop charts that decade. It was a great time for forming a diverse and eclectic music taste. And if you’re a baby boomer, I bet you remember the following four pop songs that took over the charts in 1976. Let’s take a look!
“Dancing Queen” by ABBA from ‘Arrival’
There isn’t a baby boomer alive who doesn’t remember “Dancing Queen” by ABBA. Heck, just about every generation alive right now knows this song well. It’s easily one of the catchiest disco tunes of the 1970s, and listeners in 1976 definitely resonated with it. “Dancing Queen” peaked at No. 1 across the board globally, including charts in the US, UK, Canada, and much of Europe.
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“Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright)” by Rod Stewart from ‘A Night On The Town’
Rod Stewart had a good time in the mid-1970s, and one of his most successful songs from that era has to be “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright)”. This controversial yet massively commercially successful soft rock tune was a crossover hit on the pop charts. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a whopping eight weeks.
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by Elton John and Kiki Dee
Elton John and Kiki Dee were a match made in heaven. And their pop-disco duet “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” was a huge hit in 1976. This song reached No. 1 on many mainstream charts, including the Hot 100 and the UK Singles chart. Interestingly enough, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” is one of the very few singles released by John that never made it to an original album.
“Afternoon Delight” by Starland Vocal Band from ‘Starland Vocal Band’
How about a little country rock goodness? This folky pop song was a crossover hit, peaking at No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart. And like Rod Stewart’s entry on this list, “Afternoon Delight” by Starland Vocal Band was a bit controversial for its use of sexual innuendo. That didn’t bother many a baby boomer who was glued to pop radio in 1976, as the song ended up becoming the group’s most famous song to date.
Photo by Gus Stewart/Redferns
More The List
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Flying Burritos London 1975 -
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – JANUARY 11: Debbie Harry of Blondie performs on stage at Hammersmith Odeon, on January 11th, 1980 in London, England. (Photo by Pete Still/Redferns) -
The Judds, who released some of the best country songs of 1986. -
Australian singer and actress Olivia Newton-John and American actor John Travolta as they appear in the Paramount film 'Grease', 1978. (Photo by Paramount Pictures/Fotos International/Getty Images) -
UNITED KINGDOM – AUGUST 01: WEMBLEY STADIUM Photo of BONO and U2, Bono performing live onstage on PopMart tour, playing Gretsch 6119 Chet Atkins Tennessean guitar (Photo by Patrick Ford/Redferns) -
Siobhan Fahey, with band Shakespears Sister on stage, 1996. (Photo by Ian Dickson/Redferns/Getty Images) -
L-R) Guitarist Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek (1950 – 2011), of the British-American rock band America, perform on stage in London, England, January 5, 1972. (Photo by TPLP/Getty Images)
