Grammys Revisited: What Should Have Won Song of the Year at the 1977 Ceremonies?

We’re not here to tell you that the Grammy nominations for Song of the Year at the awards held in 1977 represent the best songs released that year. Instead, we’re here to judge which of the five nominees was most deserving of the award.

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It was certainly an interesting bunch, one that represented the dominance of soft rock in that era. First, the nominees, and then our choice for the winner. (“I Write The Songs”, performed by Barry Manilow and written by Bruce Johnston, took home the gold trophy that night.)

“This Masquerade” by George Benson

Leon Russell had a knack for writing songs that were later covered to great success by others. Which was strange, because his own voice had such incredible character to it. Think about how Donny Hathaway took “A Song For You” to the stratosphere. Benson managed to turn “This Masquerade”, an effective metaphor for a fading relationship, into an 8-minute-plus jazz/R&B workout. The edited single version yielded a Top 10 pop single.

“The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot

No, not everything that Lightfoot wrote about the SS Edmund Fitzgerald is completely accurate. Remember that he wrote it not long after the tragedy, which was very much in keeping with the folk tradition. What matters is how movingly he rendered the reaction of the doomed passengers. Note also how the song takes on the cadence of a sea shanty. It was a monumental task to undertake, and he nailed it in heartbreakingly resonant fashion.

“I Write The Songs’ by Barry Manilow

The grand irony here is that Barry Manilow didn’t actually write “I Write The Songs”. And the guy who did, Bruce Johnston, didn’t record it himself, even though he had a pretty good outlet to do so as a member of The Beach Boys, who weren’t exactly brimming with hit material in the mid-70s. Even though the lyrics indicate a higher power is the one doing the writing, most people miss that. That’s why Manilow’s inherent grandiosity was just the right fit for it.

“Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” by Neil Sedaka

One of the stranger nominations in Grammys history. Not that “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” isn’t a pristine piece of pop writing, if a bit slight. Neil Sedaka, who wrote it with collaborator Howard Greenfield, scored a No. 1 with it all the way back in 1962. The voters decided to reward it based on Sedaka’s slowed-down version of the original, which became a hit for him all over again in 1975. Did the song somehow improve just because it took a little bit more time?

“Afternoon Delight” by Starland Vocal Band

Bill Danoff had some interesting credits before hitting big as a member of The Starland Vocal Band. He penned John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and, with the artist, Emmylou Harris’ “From Boulder To Birmingham”. “Afternoon Delight” began with the title, which Danoff found on a menu at a Washington, D.C. He managed to write one of the all-time innuendo songs. Thanks to the band’s wholesome vocal blend, he made it all seem quite innocent.

Hey, let’s not kid ourselves. “I Write The Songs” holds up well as a fun sing-along song. But its sentiments skew to the sappy. “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” is well-crafted but not that deep. “This Masquerade” is sharp, but we can think of many other Leon Russell songs that cut deeper.

“Afternoon Delight” deserves credit for its cleverness, hinting at a ton without coming right out and saying it. But we’re going with “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald”, a massive writing feat courtesy of Gordon Lightfoot.

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