1977 in music
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2018) |
| By location |
|---|
| By genre |
| By topic |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| +... |
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1977. This year was the peak of vinyl sales in the United States, with sales declining year on year since then.[1]
Specific locations
Specific genres
Events
January–February
- January 1 – The Clash headline the opening night of London's only punk rock club, The Roxy
- January 6 – After releasing only one single for controversial English punk rock band the Sex Pistols, EMI terminates its contract with them in response to its members' disruptive behaviour last month on ITV's Today and two days ago at London Heathrow Airport[2]
- January 20 – Jimmy Buffett's Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes is released, featuring the biggest single of his career, "Margaritaville"
- January 22 – German cellist Maria Kliegel makes her London debut at the Wigmore Hall, with a programme of Bach, Kodály, and Franck
- January 26 – Patti Smith falls off the stage while opening for Bob Seger in Tampa, Florida, and is rushed to the hospital for 22 stitches to close head lacerations
- February 4
- Paul Desmond gives his last concert with Dave Brubeck, in New York
- American Bandstand celebrates its 25th anniversary on television with a special hosted by Dick Clark; an "all-star band", performing "Roll Over Beethoven", is made up of Chuck Berry, Seals & Crofts, Gregg Allman, Junior Walker, Johnny Rivers, the Pointer Sisters, Charlie Daniels, Doc Severinsen, Les McCann, Donald Byrd, Chuck Mangione and three members of Booker T and the MGs
- Fleetwood Mac's widely anticipated Rumours is released; it goes on to become one of the best-selling albums of all time
- February 14 – The B-52's give their first public performance at a party in Athens, Georgia
- February 15 – Sid Vicious replaces Glen Matlock as the bassist of the Sex Pistols.
- February 19 – The 19th Annual Grammy Awards are presented in Los Angeles, hosted for the final time by Andy Williams. Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life wins Album of the Year, George Benson's "This Masquerade" wins Record of the Year and Barry Manilow's "I Write the Songs" wins Song of the Year. Starland Vocal Band win Best New Artist.
March–May
- March 1 – Sara Lowndes Dylan files for divorce from her husband of 11 years, Bob Dylan
- March 4 & 5 – The Rolling Stones play two shows at the El Mocambo club in Toronto
- April – Van Morrison releases a new album, A Period of Transition, after a nearly three-year absence
- March 10 – A&M Records signs the Sex Pistols in a ceremony in front of Buckingham Palace; this contract is terminated on March 16 as a result of the band vandalizing property and verbally abusing employees during a visit to the record company's office
- April 21 – Jesse Winchester, who fled to Canada in January 1967 to avoid military service in Vietnam, performs a concert in Burlington, Vermont, his first on American soil in ten years having recently become free to return under the Presidential pardon given to all draft evaders
- April 22 – Pink Floyd open the North American leg of their "Animals" tour in Miami, Florida
- April 24 – Several artists, including Joan Baez and Santana, perform at a free concert for 653 inmates of California's Soledad Prison
- April 26 – New York's disco Studio 54 opens
- May 2 – Elton John performs the first of six consecutive nights at London's Rainbow Theatre, his first concert in eight months
- May 7 – Having been postponed from April 2 because of a BBC technicians' strike, the 22nd Eurovision Song Contest finally goes ahead in London's Wembley Conference Centre: the winner is Marie Myriam representing France with "L'oiseau et l'enfant"; the British entry, Lynsey de Paul and Michael Moran's "Rock Bottom", comes 2nd
- May 11 – Punk rock band The Stranglers and support London start a 10-week national UK tour
- May 12
- Instruments made by all five members of the 17th- and 18th-century Guarneri family of violin makers are auctioned at Sotheby's, with the top price of £105,000 paid for an instrument made in 1738 by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù
- Virgin Records announce that they have signed the Sex Pistols, the group having had contracts with two previous labels terminated in 4 months
- May 28 – Bruce Springsteen and Mike Appel reach an out-of-court settlement, ending the year-long legal battle that has blocked Springsteen's ability to record new music
- May 29 – Elvis Presley walks offstage in the middle of a concert in Baltimore, Maryland, the first time in his twenty-three year career he has done so; after receiving treatment from a physician, he reappears onstage thirty minutes later
- May 31 – The musical Beatlemania is premièred at the Winter Garden Theatre on Manhattan
June–August
- June 7
- The Nikikai Opera Foundation is founded in Japan[3]
- The Sex Pistols attempt to interrupt Silver Jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II by performing their version of "God Save the Queen" from a boat on the River Thames
- June 12
- Guitarist Michael Schenker vanishes after a UFO concert at The Roundhouse in London (he is replaced for several months by Paul Chapman)
- The Supremes perform for the last time together at Drury Lane Theatre in London before officially disbanding
- June 15 – The Snape Maltings Training Orchestra makes its London debut at St John's, Smith Square
- June 20 – Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart drives his Porsche over the edge of a canyon, suffering multiple broken bones but surviving as a tree breaks his fall
- June 22 – Kiss are elected "most popular band in America" by a Gallup poll
- June 26 – Elvis Presley sings his final concert before his death, at Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana. Earlier that day, he has received a plaque commemorating the two billionth pressing from RCA's record pressing plant in Camden, New Jersey
- July 9 – Donna Summer's hit record "I Feel Love" is released in the UK; it is the first hit record to have an entirely synthesised backing track
- July 13 – After a massive blackout hits New York City, NRBQ manages to play an all-acoustic set at The Bottom Line with flashlights taped to their microphone stands
- July 22 – The first night of The Proms are broadcast in quadraphonic sound by BBC Radio 3 for the first time
- July 26 – Led Zeppelin cancels the last seven dates of their American tour after lead singer Robert Plant learns that his six-year-old son Karac has died of a respiratory virus[4] (The show two days before in Oakland proves to be the band's last in the United States)
- August 16 – Elvis Presley is found dead at his home Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. Also that same day, the final concert of Bing Crosby takes place in England, accompanied by Johnny Smith.
- August 17 – Florists Transworld Delivery (FTD) reports that in one day the number of orders for flowers to be delivered to Graceland for the funeral of Elvis Presley has surpassed the number for any other event in the company's history
- August 18 – The funeral of Elvis Presley takes place at Graceland.
- August 20 – NASA's unmanned probe Voyager 2 is launched carrying a golden record containing sounds and images representing life and culture on Earth, including the first movements of J. S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto and Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Guan Pinghu's Liu Shui, played on the guqin, and Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode"
September–December
- September 1 – World première at the Royal Albert Hall in London of the expanded version of Luciano Berio's Coro
- September 3 – Nearly 110,000 fans pack Englishtown Raceway in Old Bridge, New Jersey, for an 11-hour concert by Grateful Dead, Marshall Tucker Band and New Riders of the Purple Sage
- September 15 – The third – and final – annual Rock Music Awards aired on NBC (Fleetwood Mac dominates, winning five awards while Linda Ronstadt receives the Best Rock Female Vocalist trophy for the third time
- September 16 – T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan is killed as a passenger in an automobile accident in Barnes, London
- September 29 – Billy Joel's The Stranger is released containing "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)", "Just the Way You Are" and "Only the Good Die Young"
- October 3 – Elvis in Concert, a TV concert special filmed during Elvis Presley's final tour, is aired on CBS; Canadian Channel CKND-DT simulcasts it. It got bad reviews.
- October 5 – The bicentennial season of La Scala opens in Milan with a production of Giuseppe Verdi's Don Carlo
- October 9 – Aerosmith cancels several tour dates after Joe Perry and Steven Tyler are injured by an M-80 explosive thrown onstage at the Philadelphia Spectrum, burning Tyler's left cornea and cutting Perry's left hand
- October 20 – A plane carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd crashes in a forest in Mississippi, killing songwriter & vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, background vocalist Cassie Gaines and assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick and seriously injuring many of the remaining band members
- October 27 – British punk band Sex Pistols release Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols on the Virgin Records label. Despite refusal by major UK retailers to stock it, it debuts at number one on the UK Album Charts the week after its release. In a promotional stunt the group perform on a boat on the River Thames shortly afterwards, only for the police to wait for them and make several arrests, including that of Malcolm McLaren, the band's manager at this time
- October 28 – British rock band Queen release the album News of the World
- October 31 – The original version of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Jahreslauf is premièred at the National Theatre of Japan in Chiyoda, Tokyo, by the Imperial Gagaku Ensemble
- November 25 – 10 Years of Rolling Stone, a television special commemorating the tenth anniversary of Rolling Stone magazine, airs on CBS in the United States; guests include Bette Midler, Art Garfunkel, Billy Preston, Melissa Manchester and Keith Moon
- November 30 – Bing Crosby's final Christmas television special, Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas, airs on CBS (containing the notable segment of Crosby joined by David Bowie for the duet "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy")
- December 14 – Saturday Night Fever appears in movie theaters, igniting a new popularity for disco music and pushing it to the forefront of American pop culture, with the soundtrack to the film by Bee Gees (who have composed most of the tracks)
- December 17 – Elvis Costello makes his American television début on Saturday Night Live as a last-minute replacement for the Sex Pistols, who were refused visas to enter America; Costello is banned after substituting the scheduled performance of "Less than Zero" with "Radio, Radio" instead
- December 31 – The sixth annual New Year's Rockin' Eve special airs on ABC and the United States, with performances by Ohio Players, Crystal Gayle, Kenny Rogers, KC and the Sunshine Band and Andy Gibb
Also in 1977
- "Bohemian Rhapsody" named "The Best Single Of The Last 25 Years" by BPI
- St Magnus Festival of the Arts founded in Orkney by local resident, composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies
- The Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe begins its annual festival based on the music of George Frideric Handel
- Luigi Sagrati becomes president of the Unione Musicisti di Roma
- The IRCAM Center, a scientific institute for music and sound and avant-garde electro-acoustical art music, opens in Paris
- The Cars sign a contract with Elektra Records
- Devo signs a contract with Warner Bros
- Midnight Oil sign a contract with CBS Records
- The Neville Brothers sign a contract with A&M Records
- The Police sign a contract with A&M Records
- Van Halen signs a contract with Warner Bros
Bands formed
Bands reformed
Bands disbanded
Albums released
January
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiac Arrest | Cameo | Debut |
| 3 | Queens of Noise | The Runaways | - |
| 7 | Flight Log | Jefferson Airplane | Compilation |
| 10 | Hard Again | Muddy Waters | - |
| Leave Home | Ramones | - | |
| 14 | Ahh... The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! | Bootsy's Rubber Band | - |
| Low | David Bowie | - | |
| 18 | Deep in My Soul | Smokey Robinson | - |
| An Evening with Diana Ross | Diana Ross | Live | |
| Playing the Fool | Gentle Giant | Live | |
| 20 | Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes | Jimmy Buffett | - |
| 21 | So So Satisfied | Ashford & Simpson | - |
| 21 | Animals | Pink Floyd | - |
| 29 | Spiral Scratch | Buzzcocks | EP |
| - | Festival | Santana | - |
| Forever for Now | April Wine | - | |
| Fountains of Light | Starcastle | - | |
| The Last Gunfighter Ballad | Johnny Cash | - | |
| The Light of Smiles | Gary Wright | - | |
| Live: You Get What You Play For | REO Speedwagon | - | |
| Lost Without Your Love | Bread | - | |
| Miracle Row | Janis Ian | - | |
| Novella | Renaissance | - | |
| Red Hot | Don Harrison Band | - | |
| Sammy Hagar | Sammy Hagar | - |
February
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | In Your Mind | Bryan Ferry | - |
| 3 | Cheap Trick | Cheap Trick | - |
| 4 | Ra | Utopia | - |
| Rumours | Fleetwood Mac | - | |
| Love at the Greek | Neil Diamond | Live | |
| 5 | Stay in Love | Minnie Riperton | - |
| 8 | Marquee Moon | Television | - |
| 9 | White Snake | David Coverdale | - |
| 11 | New Harvest – First Gathering | Dolly Parton | - |
| Songs from the Wood | Jethro Tull | - | |
| 12 | Sleepwalker | The Kinks | - |
| 15 | Fingerprince | The Residents | - |
| Harbor | America | - | |
| 18 | Damned Damned Damned | The Damned | - |
| Glorious | Gloria Gaynor | - | |
| 21 | (I'm) Stranded | The Saints | - |
| 22 | Unpredictable | Natalie Cole | - |
| 25 | Peter Gabriel | Peter Gabriel | solo debut |
| Ultravox! | Ultravox | - | |
| - | Body Love | Klaus Schulze | Soundtrack |
| Southern Nights | Glen Campbell | - | |
| Freeways | Bachman–Turner Overdrive | - | |
| Next | Journey | - | |
| Victim of Romance | Michelle Phillips | - |
March
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Malice in Wonderland | Paice Ashton Lord | - |
| 8 | Foreigner | Foreigner | - |
| Go for Your Guns | The Isley Brothers | - | |
| 11 | Dandy in the Underworld | T.Rex | - |
| 15 | Islands | The Band | - |
| Live at the London Palladium | Marvin Gaye | Live | |
| 17 | Works Volume 1 | Emerson, Lake & Palmer | - |
| Welcome to My World | Elvis Presley | Compilation | |
| 18 | The Idiot | Iggy Pop | - |
| Every Face Tells a Story | Cliff Richard | - | |
| 21 | Let There Be Rock | AC/DC | Australia |
| Whatever Happened to Slade | Slade | - | |
| 30 | Commodores | Commodores | - |
| - | Angel | Ohio Players | - |
| Anytime...Anywhere | Rita Coolidge | - | |
| Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live | Jeff Beck and the Jan Hammer Group | Live | |
| Live! | Status Quo | Live | |
| Love Storm | Tavares | - | |
| Saw Delight | Can | - | |
| Something Magic | Procol Harum | - | |
| Trans-Europe Express | Kraftwerk | - | |
| Heavy Weather | Weather Report | - |
April
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Phyllis Hyman | Phyllis Hyman | - |
| 3 | Even in the Quietest Moments | Supertramp | - |
| 4 | Ask Rufus | Rufus | - |
| 8 | The Clash | The Clash | - |
| Sin After Sin | Judas Priest | - | |
| 11 | Love You | The Beach Boys | - |
| 13 | Celebrate Me Home | Kenny Loggins | - |
| 15 | Clear Air Turbulence | Ian Gillan Band | - |
| Rattus Norvegicus | The Stranglers | - | |
| 29 | Lace and Whiskey | Alice Cooper | - |
| 30 | Caught Live + 5 | The Moody Blues | Live + unreleased material, 1969 |
| - | Detective | Detective | - |
| Get It | Dave Edmunds | - | |
| Izitso | Cat Stevens | - | |
| Let it Flow | Dave Mason | - | |
| Mirage | Klaus Schulze | - | |
| Moroccan Roll | Brand X | - | |
| Off the Record | Sweet | - | |
| Ol' Waylon | Waylon Jennings | - | |
| Over | Peter Hammill | - | |
| A Period of Transition | Van Morrison | - | |
| VSOP | Herbie Hancock | - | |
| Windy City Breakdown | Jonathan Cain | - |
May
June
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I Robot | The Alan Parsons Project | - |
| 3 | Exodus | Bob Marley & The Wailers | - |
| 8 | Knock 'Em Dead Kid | Trooper | - |
| 9 | Monkey Island | The J. Geils Band | - |
| 13 | American Stars 'n Bars | Neil Young | - |
| 17 | CSN | Crosby, Stills & Nash | - |
| Quark, Strangeness and Charm | Hawkwind | - | |
| 29 | Feel the Fire | Jermaine Jackson | - |
| 30 | Love Gun | Kiss | - |
| - | Blowin' Away | Joan Baez | - |
| Full House | Frankie Miller | - | |
| JT | James Taylor | - | |
| Live at Last | Bette Midler | Live | |
| Pure Mania | The Vibrators | - | |
| Season of Lights | Laura Nyro | Live | |
| Steve Winwood | Steve Winwood | - | |
| Superman | Barbra Streisand | - | |
| To Lefty from Willie | Willie Nelson | - | |
| Tormé: A New Album | Mel Tormé | - |
July
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Going for the One | Yes | - |
| The Grand Illusion | Styx | - | |
| On Stage | Rainbow | Live | |
| 11 | Village People | Village People | mini-album debut |
| 22 | From Here to Eternity | Giorgio Moroder | - |
| Leif Garrett | Leif Garrett | - | |
| My Aim Is True | Elvis Costello | - | |
| 27 | Terrapin Station | Grateful Dead | - |
| - | Daytime Friends | Kenny Rogers | - |
| It's a Game | Bay City Rollers | - | |
| Knnillssonn | Harry Nilsson | - | |
| Live! In the Air Age | Be-Bop Deluxe | Live | |
| Moody Blue | Elvis Presley | - | |
| Radios Appear | Radio Birdman | - | |
| The Rambler | Johnny Cash | - | |
| Simple Things | Carole King | - | |
| The Whole Thing's Started | Air Supply | - |
August
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tasty | The Shadows | - |
| 5 | Dry & Heavy | Burning Spear | - |
| 19 | Foghat Live | Foghat | Live |
| Livin' on the Fault Line | The Doobie Brothers | - | |
| Patti LaBelle | Patti LaBelle | Solo Debut | |
| 21 | Motörhead | Motörhead | - |
| 22 | Pacific Ocean Blue | Dennis Wilson | - |
| 29 | Dizrythmia | Split Enz | - |
| 30 | Barry White Sings for Someone You Love | Barry White | - |
| - | The Angels | The Angels | Australia |
| Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted | The Animals | - | |
| Boats Against the Current | Eric Carmen | - | |
| Brothers | Taj Mahal | Soundtrack | |
| Donald Clark Osmond | Donny Osmond | - | |
| Donovan | Donovan | - | |
| Firing on All Six | Lone Star | - | |
| Nothin' but the Blues | Johnny Winter | - | |
| Showtime | Ry Cooder | - | |
| Radio Special | The Residents | Promo only, officially released 1983 |
September
October
November
December
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Alice Cooper Show | Alice Cooper | Live |
| Draw the Line | Aerosmith | - | |
| 4 | Taken by Force | Scorpions | - |
| 6 | The Belle Album | Al Green | - |
| Running on Empty | Jackson Browne | - | |
| 9 | Scouse the Mouse | Ringo Starr | Children's |
| 12 | ABBA: The Album | ABBA | - |
| 13 | Blue Lights in the Basement | Roberta Flack | - |
| Don Juan's Reckless Daughter | Joni Mitchell | - | |
| 18 | Björk | Björk Guðmundsdóttir | - |
| - | All in the Name of Love | John Hartford | - |
| Before and After Science | Brian Eno | - | |
| The Best of Top of the Pops '77 | Top of the Poppers | Compilation | |
| Body Love Vol. 2 | Klaus Schulze | Soundtrack | |
| Eddie Money | Eddie Money | - | |
| Mr. Mean | Ohio Players | - | |
| Pink Flag | Wire | - | |
| Suicide | Suicide | - |
Release date unknown
Biggest hit singles
The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1977.
| # | Artist | Title | Year | Country | Chart entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eagles | Hotel California | 1977 |  |
US BB 1 – Mar 1977, Canada 1 – Mar 1977, France 1 – Jun 1977, Grammy in 1977, Switzerland 2 – Jul 1977, OzNet 3, Norway 5 – May 1977, Europe 5 of the 1970s, US BB 6 of 1977, Germany 6 – Jun 1977, TheQ 6, POP 6 of 1977, UK 8 – Apr 1977, Netherlands 8 – May 1977, Austria 13 – Sep 1977, Belgium 18 of all time, RYM 18 of 1977, Scrobulate 28 of rock, US CashBox 35 of 1977, Poland 38 of all time, Acclaimed 43, Virgin 44, RIAA 46, Rolling Stone 49, 68 in 2FM list, WXPN 73, Party 87 of 2007, Italy 88 of 1977, Germany 317 of the 1970s |
| 2 | Donna Summer | I Feel Love | 1977 | |
UK 1 – Jul 1977, Netherlands 1 – Aug 1977, France 1 – Sep 1977, Austria 1 – Aug 1977, Australia 1 for 1 weeks May 1978, Switzerland 2 – Aug 1977, Germany 3 – Aug 1977, Sweden (alt) 5 – Jul 1977, Italy 5 of 1977, US BB 6 – Sep 1977, RYM 7 of 1977, Norway 8 – Nov 1977, Canada 9 – Oct 1977, Australia 17 of 1977, Scrobulate 32 of disco, US CashBox 57 of 1977, Acclaimed 181, Germany 271 of the 1970s, Rolling Stone 411 |
| 3 | Wings | Mull of Kintyre | 1977 |  |
UK 1 – Nov 1977, Netherlands 1 – Dec 1977, Austria 1 – Feb 1978, Switzerland 1 – Jan 1978, Germany 1 – Jan 1978, Republic of Ireland 1 – Dec 1977, Australia 1 for 11 weeks Jul 1978, Norway 2 – Dec 1977, Australia 2 of 1978, South Africa 5 of 1978, Sweden (alt) 14 – Dec 1977, Germany 21 of the 1970s, RYM 28 of 1977, Europe 76 of the 1970s, Italy 97 of 1978 |
| 4 | Boney M. | Ma Baker | 1977 |  |
Netherlands 1 – May 1977, Sweden (alt) 1 – May 1977, France 1 – Jun 1977, Austria 1 – Jun 1977, Switzerland 1 – May 1977, Norway 1 – Jun 1977, Germany 1 – May 1977, UK 2 – Jun 1977, Italy 16 of 1977, Australia 24 of 1977, Global 33 (5 M sold) – 1978, Germany 55 of the 1970s, Scrobulate 80 of disco, RYM 101 of 1977 |
| 5 | Baccara | Yes Sir, I Can Boogie | 1977 |  |
UK 1 – Sep 1977, Netherlands 1 – Jun 1977, Sweden (alt) 1 – Jul 1977, Switzerland 1 – Jun 1977, Norway 1 – Aug 1977, Germany 1 – Jun 1977, Republic of Ireland 1 – Nov 1977, France 2 – Jun 1977, Austria 2 – Aug 1977, Germany 31 of the 1970s, Italy 81 of 1978, RYM 123 of 1977 |
Chronological table of US and UK number one hit singles
Other significant hit singles
- "2-4-6-8 Motorway" – Tom Robinson Band
- "A Far L'amore Comincia Tu" – Raffaella Carrà
- "After the Lovin'" – Engelbert Humperdinck
- "Alison" – Elvis Costello
- "American Girl" – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- "Another Star" – Stevie Wonder
- "April Sun in Cuba" – Dragon
- "Ariel" – Dean Friedman
- "As" – Stevie Wonder
- "Baby, What a Big Surprise" – Chicago (#4 US)
- "Ballade pour Adeline" – Richard Clayderman
- "Barracuda" – Heart
- "Black Is Black" – La Belle Epoque
- "Black Betty" – Ram Jam
- "Blue Bayou" – Linda Ronstadt
- "Brick House" – Commodores
- "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" – The Carpenters
- "Carry On Wayward Son" – Kansas
- "The Chain" – Fleetwood Mac
- "Closer to the Heart" – Rush
- "Cold as Ice" – Foreigner
- "Come Sail Away" – Styx (#8 US)
- "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" – Chic
- "Dancing in the Moonlight (It's Caught Me in Its Spotlight)" – Thin Lizzy
- "Daybreak" – Barry Manilow
- "Disco Inferno" – The Trammps
- "Do Anything You Wanna Do" – Eddie and the Hot Rods
- "Do You Wanna Make Love" – Peter McCann
- "Don't Believe a Word" – Thin Lizzy
- "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" – Crystal Gayle
- "Don't Stop" – Fleetwood Mac
- "Dreams" – Fleetwood Mac (#1 US)
- "Easy" – Commodores
- "Egyptian Reggae" – Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers
- "Emotion"- Samantha Sang
- "(Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again" – L.T.D.
- "Exodus" – Bob Marley & The Wailers
- "Fanfare for the Common Man" – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
- "Feel the Need" – The Detroit Emeralds
- "Feels Like the First Time" – Foreigner (#4 US)
- "Fly At Night" – Chilliwack
- "Foreplay/Long Time" – Boston
- "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" – The Adverts
- "Give a Little Bit" – Supertramp
- "Go Your Own Way" – Fleetwood Mac
- "God Save the Queen" – Sex Pistols
- "Heard It in a Love Song" – The Marshall Tucker Band
- "Heaven on the Seventh Floor" – Paul Nicholas
- "Heroes" – David Bowie
- "Hey Deanie" – Shaun Cassidy
- "How Much Love" – Leo Sayer
- "I Go Crazy" – Paul Davis
- "I Like Dreamin'" – Kenny Nolan
- "I Want You to Want Me" – Cheap Trick
- "In the City" – The Jam
- "Isn't It Time – The Babys
- "Isn't She Lovely" – Stevie Wonder/David Parton
- "It's So Easy" – Linda Ronstadt
- "Jamming/Punky Reggae Party" – Bob Marley & The Wailers
- "Jet Airliner" – Steve Miller Band
- "Lay Down Sally" – Eric Clapton
- "Lido Shuffle" – Boz Scaggs
- "Life in the Fast Lane" – Eagles
- "Like a Hurricane" – Neil Young
- "Lonely Boy" – Andrew Gold
- "Lookin' After No. 1" – The Boomtown Rats
- "Love Is the Answer" – Utopia
- "(Love Is) Thicker Than Water" – Andy Gibb
- "Lovely Day" – Bill Withers
- "Magazine Madonna" – Sherbet
- "Magic Fly" – Space
- "Margaritaville" – Jimmy Buffett
- "Marquee Moon" – Television
- "Modern Love" – Peter Gabriel
- "Motorhead" – Motörhead
- "My Heart Belongs to Me" – Barbra Streisand
- "Native New Yorker" – Odyssey
- "No More Heroes" – The Stranglers
- "Nobody Does It Better" – Carly Simon (#2 US)
- "Oh Lori" – Alessi Brothers
- "On the Border" – Al Stewart
- "Peaches/Go Buddy Go" – The Stranglers
- "Peg" – Steely Dan
- "Pretty Vacant" – Sex Pistols
- "Psycho Killer" – Talking Heads
- "Right Time of the Night" – Jennifer Warnes
- "Road Runner" – Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers
- "Rock Bottom" – Lynsey De Paul and Mike Moran
- "Rockaria!" – Electric Light Orchestra
- "Rockin' All Over the World" – Status Quo
- "Runaway" – Bonnie Raitt
- "Sam" – Olivia Newton-John
- "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" – Ian Dury
- "She Did It" – Eric Carmen
- "She's Not There" – Santana
- "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" – Ramones
- "Short People" – Randy Newman
- "Silver Bird" – Tina Rainford
- "So in to You" – Atlanta Rhythm Section
- "Solsbury Hill" – Peter Gabriel
- "Something Better Change/Straighten Out" – The Stranglers
- "Sound and Vision" – David Bowie
- "Spanish Stroll" – Mink DeVille
- "Surfin' USA" – Leif Garrett
- "Swayin' to the Music (Slow Dancing)" – Johnny Rivers
- "Swingtown" – Steve Miller Band
- "Telephone Line" – Electric Light Orchestra
- "That's Rock and Roll" – Shaun Cassidy
- "The Things We Do for Love" – 10cc
- "This Is Tomorrow" – Bryan Ferry
- "Tie Your Mother Down" – Queen
- "Tryin' to Love Two" – William Bell
- "Tulane" – Steve Gibbons Band
- "Uptown Top Ranking" – Althea & Donna
- "Waiting in Vain" – Bob Marley & The Wailers
- "Walk This Way" – Aerosmith
- "Watching the Detectives" – Elvis Costello
- "We Are the Champions" – Queen
- "We Will Rock You" – Queen
- "We're All Alone" – Rita Coolidge
- "What Can I Say" – Boz Scaggs
- "What's Your Name" – Lynyrd Skynyrd
- "What's Your Name, What's Your Number" – Andrea True Connection
- "White Punks on Dope" – The Tubes
- "White Riot" – The Clash
- "Wonderous Stories" – Yes
- "Year of the Cat" – Al Stewart
- "You and Me" – Alice Cooper
- "You Made Me Believe in Magic" – Bay City Rollers
- "You Make Loving Fun" – Fleetwood Mac
- "Your Love" – Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.
- "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher" – Rita Coolidge
- "Your Song" – Billy Paul
- "You're in My Heart" – Rod Stewart
- "You're My World" – Helen Reddy
Published popular music
- "After the Lovin'" w. Richie Adams m. Alan Bernstein
- "Annie" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "Brazzle Dazzle Day" w.m. Al Kasha & Joel Hirschhorn, from the film Pete's Dragon
- "But the World Goes 'Round" w. Fred Ebb m. John Kander. Introduced by Liza Minnelli in the film New York City
- "Child In A Universe" w.m. Laura Nyro
- "Come In From The Rain" w.m. Melissa Manchester & Carole Bayer Sager
- "Easy Street" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "The Greatest Love of All" w. Linda Creed m. Michael Masser
- "Happy Endings" w. Fred Ebb m. John Kander. Introduced by Liza Minnelli, Larry Kert and chorus in the film New York, New York
- "Here You Come Again" w.m. Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil
- "I Don't Need Anything But You" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "It's Not Easy" w.m. Al Kasha & Joel Hirschhorn, from the film Pete's Dragon
- "It's the Hard-Knock Life" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "Just the Way You Are" w.m. Billy Joel
- "Little Girls" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "The Love Boat theme song" w.m. Norman Gimbel & Paul Williams
- "Love Is in the Air" w.m. George Young & Harry Vanda
- "Maybe" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "Maybe I'm Amazed" w.m. Paul McCartney
- "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" w.m. Billy Joel
- "N.Y.C." w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "A New Deal For Christmas" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "New York, New York" w.m. Fred Ebb & John Kander. Introduced by Liza Minnelli in the film New York City
- "Nobody Does It Better" w. Carole Bayer Sager m. Marvin Hamlisch
- "She's Always a Woman" w.m. Billy Joel
- "Someone's Waiting for You" w. Carol Connors & Ayn Robbins m. Sammy Fain from the film The Rescuers
- "Something Was Missing" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "Star Wars-Main Theme" m. John Williams from the Star Wars films
- "Stayin' Alive" w.m. Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb & Robin Gibb
- "Thank You for the Music" w.m. Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus
- "There Goes the Ball Game" w. Fred Ebb m. John Kander. Introduced by Liza Minnelli in the film New York, New York
- "Tomorrow" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse, from the musical Annie
- "We'd Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "You Won't Be an Orphan for Long" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse, from the musical Annie
Punk rock
Perhaps most important is the beginning of what has become known as the punk rock explosion. 1977 was the year of formation of The Avengers, Bad Brains, Black Flag, Crass, Discharge, Fear, the Flesh Eaters, the Germs, the Misfits, 999, The Pagans, The Plasmatics, VOM, The Weirdos, X, and X-Ray Spex.
1977 also saw the release of several pivotal albums in the development of punk music. widely acknowledged as masterpieces and among the earliest first full-length purely punk albums, The Clash by The Clash, The Damned's Damned, Damned, Damned, the Dead Boys' Young, Loud and Snotty, Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers' L.A.M.F., The Jam's In the City, the Ramones' Rocket to Russia, Richard Hell and the Voidoids' Blank Generation, the Sex Pistols' Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, Television's Marquee Moon, and Wire's Pink Flag are usually considered their respective masterpieces, and kick-started punk music as the musical genre it eventually became. The year also saw the release of debut albums by bands often associated with, if not defined as, punk, thought to be the beginnings of "New Wave" such as Elvis Costello's My Aim Is True, Suicide's Suicide, and Talking Heads' Talking Heads: 77. It also saw the release of Iggy Pop's Lust for Life, his second record as a solo artist.
Classical music
- John Adams
- China Gates, for piano
- Phrygian Gates, for piano
- Samuel Adler
- Aeolus, God of the Winds, for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano
- Concerto for Flute and Orchestra
- A Falling of Saints, for tenor, bass, chorus, and orchestra
- It is to God I shall Sing, for chorus and organ
- Kalevi Aho
- Quintet, for 5 bassoons
- Quintet, for flute, oboe, violin, viola, and cello
- Necil Kazım Akses
- Concerto for Orchestra
- Concerto for Viola and Orchestra
- Franghiz Ali-Zadeh – Zu den Kindertotenlieder (In Memoriam Gustav Mahler), for clarinet, violin, and percussion
- Birgitte Alsted – Strygekvartet i CD, for string quartet
- Javier Álvarez – Canciones de la Venta, for soprano, violin, viola, and baroque guitar
- William Alwyn
- Invocations (song cycle), for mezzo-soprano and piano
- A Leave-Taking (song cycle), for tenor and piano
- Charles Amirkhanian – Dutiful Ducks, for tape with optional live voices
- Gilbert Amy
- Strophe, for soprano and orchestra (revised version)
- Trois études, for flute
- Beth Anderson – Joan, for tape
- Laurie Anderson
- Audio Talk, performance art
- On Dit, performance art
- Some Songs, performance art
- Stereo Decoy, performance art
- That's Not the Way I Heard It, performance art
- Ruth Anderson – Sound Portraits I–II, text pieces
- Hendrik Andriessen – Ricercare, version for wind orchestra
- Jurriaan Andriessen
- Psalmen-trilogie, for baritone, chorus, and orchestra
- Symphony no. 7, The Awakening Dream, for keyboard and electronics
- Symphony no. 8, La celebrazione
- Louis Andriessen – Hoketus, for two groups of 6 players each
- Denis ApIvor
- Chant Eolien, for oboe and piano, op. 65
- Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, op. 64
- Violet Archer – Plainsongs, for mezzo-soprano and piano
- Malcolm Arnold
- Sonata, for flute and piano, op. 121
- Variations on a Theme of Ruth Gipps, for orchestra, op. 122
- Larry Austin – Quadrants: Event/Complex no. 11, for double bass and tape
- Luciano Berio
- Coro, for 40 voices and 40 instruments (revised version)
- Fantasia, for orchestra (after Giovanni Gabrieli)
- Il ritorno degli snovidenia, for cello and 30 instruments
- Sequenza VIII, for violin
- Toccata, for orchestra (after Girolamo Frescobaldi)
- Harrison Birtwistle – Silbury Air
- Rob du Bois
- Skarabee, for orchestra
- Zodiak, for one or more instruments or instrumental groups
- John Buller – Proença for mezzo-soprano, electric guitar, and large orchestra
- Enrique Crespo – American Suite No. 1
- George Crumb – Star-Child (1977, revised 1979) for soprano, antiphonal children's voices, male speaking choir, bell ringers, and large orchestra
- Peter Maxwell Davies
- A Mirror of Whitening Light, for chamber orchestra
- Our Father Which in Heaven Art, for flute, clarinet, piano, percussion, violin, cello
- Runes from a Holy Island, for flute, clarinet, piano, percussion, violin, cello
- Westerlings, for SATB choir
- Franco Donatoni
- Algo, for guitar
- Ali, for viola
- Diario ’76, for four trumpets and four trombones
- Portrait, for harpsichord and orchestra
- Spiri, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, celesta, vibraphone, 2 violins, viola, and cello
- Toy, for 2 violins, viola, and harpsichord
- Morton Feldman
- Instruments 3, for flute, oboe, and percussion
- Spring of Chosroes, for violin and piano
- Brian Ferneyhough – Time and Motion Study I, for bass clarinet
- Lorenzo Ferrero
- Arioso
- Romanza seconda
- Frans Geysen –
- Muziek voor toetsenbord, for piano
- Omtrent sib, for three oboes
- Orgelstuk, for organ
- Pentakel, for oboe
- Stadssteeg, for 6 oboes, 4 trumpets, 2 trombones
- Alberto Ginastera
- Barabbas, opera (unfinished)
- Concerto No. 1 for Cello and Orchestra, op. 36 (revised version)
- Glosses sobre temes de Pau Casals, for orchestra, op. 48
- Alexander Goehr – Romanza on the Notes of Psalm IV, op. 38c
- Sembiin Gonchigsumlaa – Symphony No. 2
- Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen
- Passacaglia for tabla, clarinet, violin, cello and piano
- Symfoni, Antifoni for orchestra
- Rodolfo Halffter – Secuencia, op. 39, for piano
- Bengt Hambraeus – Antiphonie: Cathedral Music for Organ
- Alan Hovhaness
- Ananda, piano sonata, op. 303
- Celestial Canticle, for coloratura soprano and piano, op. 305
- Dawn on a Mountain Lake, for double bass and piano, op. 393
- Fred the Cat, piano sonata, op. 301
- Glory Sings the Setting Sun, cantata for coloratura soprano, clarinet, and piano, op. 292
- How I Love Thy Law, cantata for high soprano, clarinet, piano, op. 298
- Mount Belknap, piano sonata, op. 299, no. 1 (revised version)
- Mount Ossipee, piano sonata, op. 299, no. 2 (revised version)
- Mount Shasta, piano sonata, op. 299, no. 3 (revised version)
- A Presentiment, for coloratura soprano and piano, op. 304
- Suite, for flute and guitar, op. 300 (1977)
- Sonata, for oboe and bassoon, op. 302
- Sonata, for 2 clarinets, op. 297
- Sonata No. 1, for harpsichord, Op. 306
- Sonatina ("Meditation on Mt. Monadnock"), for piano, op. 288
- The Spirit's Map, for voice and piano, op. 391
- Srpouhi, duet for violin and piano, op. 398
- Symphony No. 31, for strings, op. 294
- Symphony No. 32 ("The Broken Wings"), op. 296
- Symphony No. 33 ("Francis Bacon"), op. 307
- Symphony No. 34, for bass trombone and strings, op. 310
- Maki Ishii
- Black Intention, for recorder
- Voices—Violet, for gidayū ensemble, shō, and percussion
- David C. Johnson – Ars Subtilior Electrica, electronic music
- Mauricio Kagel
- An Tasten, étude for piano
- MM51, film score
- Présentation für zwei
- Quatre degrés (Schlagzeugtrio für Holzinstrumente)
- Variété (Concert-Spectacle für Artisten und Musiker)
- Jonathan Kramer
- Renascence, for clarinet and tape (revised version)
- Studies on Six Notes, for harpsichord
- György Kurtág
- Hommage à Mihály András (Twelve Microludes for String Quartet), op. 13
- [untitled pieces], op. 15, for guitar (unpublished, withdrawn)
- Helmut Lachenmann – Salut für Caudwell, music for two guitarists
- André Laporte
- Icarus' Flight, for piano and twelve instruments
- Mario Lavista
- Pieza para caja de música, for music box
- Los inocentes, incidental music
- Luca Lombardi
- Tui-Gesänge, for soprano, flute, clarinet, piano, violin, and cello
- Variazioni su ‘Avanti popolo alla riscossa’, for piano
- Variazioni, for orchestra
- John McGuire – Pulse Music II, for four pianos and small orchestra
- Tomás Marco
- Herbania, for harpsichord
- Hoquetus, for 1, 2, or 3 clarinets, live and/or recorded
- Sicigia, for cello
- Sonata de Vesperia, for piano
- Tormer, for harpsichord, violin, viola, and cello
- Bo Nilsson – Madonna, for mezzo-soprano and instrumental ensemble
- Pehr Henrik Nordgren
- Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 33
- Summer Music for orchestra, Op. 34
- Akinosuke-no-yume (安芸之助の夢; The Dream of Akinosuke) for piano, Op. 35
- Jyūroku-zakura (十六ざくら) for piano, Op. 36
- Jikininki (食人鬼) for piano, Op. 37
- Häjyt (The Evil Braggarts), orchestral music for the television play, Op. 38
- Butterflies for guitar solo, Op. 39
- Tuolla mun heilani asuskeloo (Yonder Lives My Sweet Love) for string orchestra, Op. 40
- Per Nørgård
- Cantica, for cello and piano
- Den afbrudte sang (Orfeus og Euridike), for chorus, percussion, harp, and other instruments ad lib.
- Freedom, for tenor and guitar
- Kredsløb, for SATB choir
- Mating Dance, for flute (+ alto flute) and guitar
- Recall, for accordion and orchestra (revised version)
- Towards Freedom?, for orchestra
- Twilight, for orchestra
- Arvo Pärt
- Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten
- Fratres
- Tabula Rasa
- Variationen zur Gesundung von Arinuschka, for piano
- Henri Pousseur
- Ballade berlinoise, for piano
- Liège à Paris, electronic music
- Einojuhani Rautavaara
- Suomalainen myytti (A Finnish Myth), for string orchestra
- Serenades of the Unicorn, for guitar
- Aulis Sallinen
- Simppeli Simme ja Hamppari, for mixed choir
- Symphony No. 1
- Dieter Schnebel
- Canon (‘Diapason’)
- Handwerke-Blaswerke I (Arianna), for 1 wind instrument, 1 string instrument, and 1 percussionist
- Orchestra, for orchestra
- Quintet in B♭ major, for piano and strings
- Rhythmen, for 2 guitars, organ, and percussion
- Kurt Schwertsik
- Concerto for Violin No. 1, op. 31
- Wiener Chronik 1848, ballet op. 28
- Gerald Shapiro
- Dance Suite, for piano
- For Nancy, wordless vocalise, for soprano and piano
- Questions, for SATB choir
- You are Your Own Energy Source, electroacoustic dance score
- Makoto Shinohara – Liberation, for orchestra
- Roger Smalley – Seven Modulator Pieces, for 4 flutes
- Karlheinz Stockhausen
- Atmen gibt das Leben, for choir and orchestra, Nr. 39
- In Freundschaft, Nr. 46
- Jahreslauf, Nr. 47
- Jubiläum, for orchestra, Nr. 45
- Sirius, electronic music with trumpet, soprano, bass clarinet, and bass voice, Nr. 43
- Tierkreis, for chamber orchestra, Nr. 417/8
- Tōru Takemitsu
- A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden
- Gitā no tame no jūni no uta, for guitar
- Hanare goze Orin, film score
- Ohan, incidental music for television
- Quatrain II, for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano
- Sabita honoo, film score
- Saigō Takamori den, incidental music for television
- Toono monogatari wo yuku: Yanagida Kunio no fūkei, incidental music for television
- Water-ways for clarinet, violin, cello, piano, two harps, and two vibraphones
- Michael Tippett – Symphony No. 4
- Alexander Vustin – In Memory of Boris Klyuzner
- Iannis Xenakis – Jonchaies
- Isang Yun – Concerto for Flute and Small Orchestra
Opera
- William Alwyn – Miss Julie, opera in 2 acts, after Strindberg
- Dominick Argento – Miss Haversham's Fire
- Luciano Berio – Opera (revised version, 28 May, Teatro Comunale Florence)
- Peter Maxwell Davies – The Martyrdom of St Magnus (June 18, Kirkwall, St Magnus Cathedral)[5]
- Julian Livingston – Twist of Treason
- Thea Musgrave – Mary, Queen of Scots
- Donald Sosin – Esther
- Karlheinz Stockhausen – Atmen gibt das Leben (May 22, 1977, Nice)[6]
- Michael Tippett – The Ice Break (July 7, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden)
- Morton Feldman – Neither (1977, Rome Opera)[7]
Jazz
Musical theatre
- The Act – Broadway production opened at the Majestic Theatre and ran for 233 performances
- Annie (Martin Charnin and Charles Strouse) – Broadway production opened at the Alvin Theatre on April 21, 1977, and ran for 2377 performances
- I Love My Wife – Broadway production opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on April 17 and ran for 857 performances
- I Love My Wife – London production opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre on October 6 and ran for 401 performances
- The King and I (Rodgers and Hammerstein) – Broadway revival
- Privates on Parade – London production opened at the Aldwych Theatre on February 17 and ran for 208 performances
- Side by Side by Sondheim – Broadway production opened at the Music Box Theatre and ran for 384 performances
- Oliver! (Lionel Bart) – London revival
Musical films
- ABBA: The Movie[8]
- A Little Night Music
- Amar Akbar Anthony
- The Hobbit (animation)
- New York, New York
- Pete's Dragon
- Saturday Night Fever
Births
- January 1
- Donna Ares, Bosnian singer (d. 2017)
- Axel, Argentine singer and songwriter
- Jerry Yan, Taiwanese singer
- January 3 – Michelle Stephenson, British singer and TV presenter (Spice Girls)
- January 18
- Richard Archer, British singer (Hard-Fi)
- Michael Tierney (musician), Australian singer (Human Nature)
- January 20 – Melody, Belgian singer
- January 25 – Christian Ingebrigtsen, Norwegian singer (A1)
- January 26 – Tye Tribbett, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player
- January 28 – Joey Fatone, American singer (*NSYNC)
- February 2
- Shakira, Colombian singer, songwriter, dancer, businesswoman and record producer
- Jessica Wahls, German pop singer
- February 3 – Daddy Yankee, Puerto Rican musician
- February 4 – Gavin DeGraw, American musician, singer-songwriter
- February 8 – Dave "Phoenix" Farrell (Linkin Park)
- February 11 – Mike Shinoda, American musician, songwriter, record producer and graphic designer (Linkin Park, Fort Minor)
- February 15 – Brooks Wackerman (Bad Religion)
- February 18 – Sean Watkins, American guitarist and songwriter
- February 20 – Amal Hijazi, Lebanese singer and model
- March 2 – Chris Martin, English singer, songwriter, musician, record producer and philanthropist (Coldplay)
- March 3 – Ronan Keating, Irish singer (Boyzone)
- March 4 – Jason Marsalis, American jazz musician
- March 6 – Bubba Sparxxx, American rapper
- March 7 – Paul Cattermole, British singer (S Club 7)
- March 10
- Bree Turner, American dancer and actress
- Colin Murray, British radio disc jockey
- Matt Rubano, American rock bassist (Taking Back Sunday)
- March 11 – Jason Greeley, Canadian singer
- March 15 – Joseph Hahn American musician, DJ, director and visual artist (Linkin Park)
- March 16 – Ben Kenney, American rock bassist (Incubus)
- March 18 – Devin Lima, LFO
- March 19 – Jorma Taccone, American actor, comedian, director, writer, producer, record producer and musician. (member of lonely island)
- March 24 – Natalie Hemby, American country music songwriter and singer.
- April 9 – Gerard Way, American vocalist, visual artist, songwriter (My Chemical Romance)
- April 17 – Frederik Magle, Danish composer, concert organist, and pianist
- April 23 – John Cena, American professional wrestler, actor and singer
- April 25 – Matthew West, American guitarist, singer, contemporary Christian (CCM)
- April 28 – Joanne Yeoh, Malaysian violinist[9]
- May 1 – Dan Regan (Reel Big Fish)
- May 7 – Lisa Kelly, Irish singer
- May 8 – Joe Bonamassa, American musician
- May 12 – Wu Fei, Chinese musician and composer
- May 13 – Pusha T, American rapper and record executive.
- May 16 – Emilíana Torrini, Icelandic singer and songwriter
- May 31
- Scott Klopfenstein (Reel Big Fish)
- Joel Ross, British disc jockey
- June 3 – Yuri Ruley (MxPx)
- June 5 – Nourhanne, Lebanese singer
- June 8 – Kanye West, American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, fashion designer, and entrepreneur.
- June 10
- Adam Darski, Polish musician (aka Nergal, Holocausto)
- Takako Matsu, Japanese singer-songwriter and actress
- June 12 – Kenny Wayne Shepherd, guitarist
- June 23 – Jason Mraz, American singer-songwriter, musician
- June 25 – Tim Anderson (musician), American songwriter and producer
- June 28
- Mark Stoermer, American rock guitarist (The Killers)
- Harun Tekin, Turkish rock vocalist and guitarist (Mor ve Ötesi)
- June 29 – DEALZ, American rapper
- July 1 – Tom Frager, French-born singer and surfer
- July 7 – Dan Whitesides, American drummer (The Used and The New Transit Direction)
- July 10 – Jesse Lacey, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Brand New and Taking Back Sunday)
- July 12 – Airin Older, American musician
- July 14 – Gordon Cree, composer
- July 15 – Ray Toro (My Chemical Romance)
- July 18 – Tony Fagenson (Eve 6)
- July 28 – Coby Dick (Papa Roach)
- July 29
- Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley)
- Rodney Jerkins, American record producer, songwriter and rapper.
- July 30 – Ian Watkins, (Lostprophets)
- August 2 – Dave Farrel, American musician
- August 7 – Samantha Ronson, English DJ and singer-songwriter (Lindsay Lohan, Mark Ronson)
- August 10 – Aaron Kamin (The Calling)
- August 12 – Park Yong-ha, South Korean actor and singer (d. 2010)
- August 16 – Tamer Hosny, Egyptian singer/actor
- August 17
- Claire Richards, British singer and dancer (Steps)
- Tarja Turunen, Finnish operatic soprano singer-songwriter
- August 19 – Katrina Woolverton, American singer-songwriter
- August 30 – Jens Ludwig, German guitarist
- August 31 – Craig Nicholls (The Vines)
- September 1 – Chris Cain, American rock bassist (We Are Scientists)
- September 2 – Elitsa Todorova, Bulgarian singer-songwriter
- September 4
- Ian Grushka (New Found Glory)
- Lucie Silvas, English singer
- September 6 – Kiyoshi Hikawa, Japanese enka singer
- September 11
- Jonny Buckland, British guitarist (Coldplay)
- Ludacris, American rapper and actor
- September 12 – 2 Chainz, American rapper and businessman
- September 13 – Fiona Apple, American singer-songwriter[10]
- September 15 – Angela Aki, Japanese singer-songwriter
- September 19 – Ioana Maria Lupascu, Romanian pianist
- September 20
- Namie Amuro, Japanese singer
- The-Dream, American singer, songwriter and record producer (Christina Milian, Rihanna, Beyonce)
- September 23 – Susan Tamim, Lebanese singer and actress (murdered) (d. 2008)
- October 1 – Owen Biddle, rock bass guitarist (The Roots)
- October 5 – Wendy Vera, Ecuadorian musician and composer
- October 12 – Young Jeezy, American rapper
- October 13 – Justin Peroff (Broken Social Scene)
- October 16
- John Mayer, American musician (Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Jessica Simpson)
- Chris Knapp, The Ataris
- October 17 – Nicole Cabell, American operatic soprano
- October 25 – Yehonathan Gatro, Israeli singer and actor
- November 1 – Alistair Griffin, British singer and songwriter
- November 4 – Kavana, British singer
- November 7 – Wigor (Michał Dobrzański), Polish rapper and producer
- November 8
- Khia, American rapper, songwriter and record producer
- Tiffani Wood, Australian singer-songwriter (Bite Your Tongue, Bardot)
- November 10 – Brittany Murphy, American actress and singer (D. 2009)
- November 13
- Chanel Cole, New Zealand-born singer
- Huang Xiaoming, Chinese actor and singer
- November 14 – Obie Trice, African-American rapper
- November 15 – Logan Whitehurst, American one man band
- November 20 – Daniel Svensson, Swedish drummer
- November 21 – Annie (singer), Norwegian singer-songwriter and DJ
- November 23 – Christopher Amott, Swedish guitarist
- November 30 – Steve Aoki, American electro house musician, record producer, DJ, and music executive
- December 1
- Brad Delson (Linkin Park)
- Akiva Schaffer – member of The Lonely Island
- December 7 – Dominic Howard, drummer (Muse)
- December 9 – Imogen Heap, English singer, songwriter, record producer and audio engineer.
- December 21 – Toby Rand, Australian singer-songwriter (Juke Kartel)
- December 31 – Psy, South Korean singer-songwriter
Deaths
- January 1 – Michael Mann, violinist, son of Thomas Mann, 57 (suicide)
- January 2 – Erroll Garner, jazz pianist, 53 (heart attack)
- January 16 – Tom Archia, jazz saxophonist, 57
- January 23 – Dick Burnett, folk songwriter, 94
- February 8 – Eivind Groven, microtonal composer and music theorist, 75
- February 10 – Grace Williams, composer, 70
- February 12 – Ernst Mehlich, German-Brazilian conductor and composer, 89
- February 23 – Margaret Daum, operatic soprano, 70
- February 26 – Bukka White, blues guitarist and singer, 67
- February 28 – Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, comic actor and singer, 71
- March 10 – E. Power Biggs, organist, 70
- May 6 – Joseph Hislop, operatic and concert tenor, 93
- May 9 – Harold Spivacke, music librarian and administrator, 72
- May 22 – Hampton Hawes, jazz pianist, 48 (brain haemorrhage)
- May 26 – William Powell (The O'Jays), 35 (cancer)
- May 30 – Paul Desmond, jazz saxophonist, 52 (lung cancer)
- June 5 – Sleepy John Estes, blues guitarist and singer, 78
- June 13 – Matthew Garber, former child star of Mary Poppins, 21 (pancreatitis)
- June 22 – Peter Laughner, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Rocket From the Tombs and Pere Ubu), 24
- June 30 – Ernst Oster, pianist, musicologist, and music theorist, 69 (stroke)
- July 2 – Gert Potgieter, South African operatic tenor and actor, 47 (car accident)
- July 20 – Gary Kellgren, American record producer, co-founded Record Plant, 38 (drowned)
- July 26 – Gena Branscombe, composer and conductor, 95
- August 16 – Elvis Presley, singer, 42 (heart attack)[11]
- August 19 – Groucho Marx, comedian, actor, singer and performer, 86 (pneumonia)[12]
- September 1 – Ethel Waters, American blues, jazz and gospel singer, 80
- September 5 – George Barnes, swing jazz guitarist, 56
- September 13 – Leopold Stokowski, conductor, 95[13]
- September 16
- Marc Bolan, singer-songwriter, 29 (car crash)[14]
- Maria Callas, operatic soprano, 53 (heart attack)[15]
- September 29 – Alexander Tcherepnin, composer, 78
- September 30 – Mary Ford, guitarist and vocalist, 53 (diabetes-related)
- October 13 – Shirley Brickley, the Orlons, 32 (shot)
- October 14 – Bing Crosby, singer and actor, 74
- October 20 – Ronnie Van Zant, 29, Steve Gaines, 28, and Cassie Gaines, 29, members of Lynyrd Skynyrd (plane crash)
- November 5 – Guy Lombardo, violinist and bandleader, 75
- November 14 – Richard Addinsell, Warsaw Concerto composer, 73
- December 5 – Rahsaan Roland Kirk, jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer, 42 (stroke)
- December 24 – Salvatore Papaccio, Canzone Napoletana tenor, 87
- December 25 – Charlie Chaplin, actor and composer, 88
- December 28 – Sam Brown, jazz guitarist, 38
- December 30 – St. Louis Jimmy Oden, blues singer, 74
- date unknown – Jimmy Cooper, hammered dulcimer player, 70
Awards
References
- ^ "U.S. Sales Database".
- ^ "1977: EMI fires Sex Pistols". On This Day. BBC. February 6, 1977. Archived from the original on March 7, 2008. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
- ^ About Tokyo Nikikai Opera Foundation. Accessed August 11, 2014.
- ^ "The Tragic Loss That Changed Led Zeppelin Forever". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
- ^ Holden, Amanda (Ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. ISBN 0-14-029312-4
- ^ Frisius, Rudolf. 2008. Karlheinz Stockhausen II: Die Werke 1950–1977; Gespräch mit Karlheinz Stockhausen, "Es geht aufwärts". Mainz, London, Berlin, Madrid, New York, Paris, Prague, Tokyo, Toronto: Schott Musik International. ISBN 978-3-7957-0249-6.
- ^ "Morton Feldman: Neither". Universal Edition. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
- ^ Kehr, Dave (March 22, 2002). "At the Movies". The New York Times. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
- ^ "Alumni Profile – Joanne Yeoh". Heriot Watt University. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
- ^ Ehrlich, Dimitri (January 5, 1997). "A Message Far Less Pretty Than the Face". The New York Times.
- ^ Guralnick, Peter (1999). Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley. Back Bay Books. pp. 645–648. ISBN 978-0-316-33297-2.
- ^ "Groucho Marx, Comedian, Dead. Movie Star and TV Host Was 86. Master of the Insult. Groucho Marx, Film Comedian and Host of 'You Bet Your Life,' Dies". The New York Times. August 20, 2007. p. 1.
- ^ Allen Hughes, "Leopold Stokowski Is Dead of a Heart Attack at 95", The New York Times, 14 September 1977.
- ^ Bignell, Paul (September 16, 2012). "Mystery of Marc Bolan's death solved". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on May 1, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "Maria Callas, 53, Is Dead of Heart Attack in Paris". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Music in 1977.
Wikiquote has quotations related to 1977 in music.