1976
The year in music, movies, TV, fads & memories
In 1976, “Silly Love Songs” by Wings topped the Billboard year-end Hot 100 and Hotel California by Eagles and Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder were on every turntable. Rocky, Taxi Driver and Carrie were in theaters, and Charlie's Angels, The Muppet Show and Laverne & Shirley were on TV.
The headlines: US Bicentennial. New that year: Apple I computer. Fads of the year: CB radio peak and Bicentennial fever. Gas was 59¢ a gallon and a stamp was 13¢. On the shelf: a Ho Ho, a glass of Tang and a set of Weebles, with Schoolhouse Rock! on Saturday morning.
🎂 What music raised you?
Drop your birthday and we'll rewind to your golden era — the years the songs imprinted for life.
🔙 Backtrack — 1976
The world around the music — what was on screen, and what was on the shelf.
🎬 Set the scene
1976 smelled like screen static, warm sidewalks, a Laffy Taffy, and a Fresca.
🎬 At the movies
📼 Saturday cartoons
- Scooby-Doo👕 tee →
- Super Friends👕 tee →
- Schoolhouse Rock!
- Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
- The Pink Panther Show
- Hong Kong Phooey
- The Jetsons
- The Flintstones
📰 Headlines
- US Bicentennial
- Carter elected president
- Legionnaires' disease outbreak
- Viking 1 lands on Mars
- Apple Computer founded
💡 Tech & Firsts
- Apple I computer
- VHS format launches
- Concorde begins service
- Cray-1 supercomputer
- JVC's VHS arrives
🏆 Sports
- Reds win the World Series
- Steelers win Super Bowl X
- Celtics win the NBA title
- Nadia Comaneci's perfect 10
- Montreal Summer Olympics
🤪 Crazes & fads
- CB radio peak
- Bicentennial fever
- Mood rings
- Disco dancing
- Pet rocks
👖 Clothes
- Disco fashion rising
- Leisure suits
- Wide collars
- Tube tops
- Wrap dresses
💵 What it cost
- Gas: 59¢/gal
- Stamp: 13¢
- New car avg: ~$5,400
- Median home: ~$44,200
- Gallon of milk: ~$1.65
🧸 Toy chest
🍬 On the shelf
Billboard Year-End Hot 100
📊 Full chart →- 1
Silly Love SongsWings - 2
Don't Go Breaking My HeartElton John & Kiki Dee - 4
December 1963 (Oh What a Night)The Four Seasons - 5
Play That Funky MusicWild Cherry - 6
Kiss and Say GoodbyeThe Manhattans - 7
Love Machine (feat. Billy Griffin)The Miracles - 8
50 Ways to Leave Your LoverPaul Simon - 9
Love Is AliveGary Wright - 10
A Fifth of BeethovenWalter Murphy - 11
Sara SmileDaryl Hall & John Oates - 12
Afternoon DelightStarland Vocal Band - 13
I Write the SongsBarry Manilow - 14
Fly Robin FlySilver Convention - 15
Love HangoverDiana Ross - 16
Get CloserSeals & Crofts - 17
More, More, MoreAndrea True Connection - 18
Bohemian RhapsodyQueen - 19
Misty BlueDorothy Moore - 20
Boogie FeverThe Sylvers - 21
I'd Really Love to See You TonightEngland Dan & John Ford Coley - 22
You Sexy ThingHot Chocolate - 23
Love HurtsNazareth - 24
Get Up and Boogie (That's Right)Silver Convention - 25
Take It to the LimitEagles - 26
(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your BootyKC and the Sunshine Band
More from 1976
🎤 Big in 1976
🎚️ 1976 genres
🎛️ Behind the boards & the pen — 1976
The hands behind 1976 — the producers and songwriters who actually shaped that year's records. Stevie Wonder was on 2 of them.
🎬 Movies of 1976
All soundtracks →The soundtracks that scored 1976 — every song and where it played.
🎚️ Related vibes
All themes →Themed rooms that lean on the sound of 1976.
🌀 Things 1976 remembers wrong
All Glitch Files →Mandela-effect cases that were on the shelf, the screen or the radio in 1976. Which do you remember?
What does 1976 remind you of?
The drive, the dance, the heartbreak, the summer. Add a memory of 1976.
Community Memories
How well do you remember 1976?
7 quick questions — the songs, the artists, the year. No cheating. 😏
📼 Take this 8-track with you
Build this in your own Spotify in two taps — free, no account needed here. (For Apple Music or YouTube, open songs one-by-one below.)
Then open the free helper
🎵 1976 albums on vinyl
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📻 70s gear
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