1977: Was it really that great of a year for music?

My favourite album of 1977 is Brian Eno's "Before and After Science" such a fascinating Janus-faced record.

Not yet mentioned:
Jacques Brel - Les Marquises
Joni Mitchell - Don Juan's Reckless Daughter
Weather Report - Heavy Weather
Leonard Cohen - Death of a Ladies' Man

Btw Pere Ubu's "The Modern Dance" just missed 1977, it was released in January 1978!

Favorites not yet mentioned: ELO Out of the Blue and Claude Bolling Suite for Violin and Jazz Piano Trio, but I suspect a strong case could be made just based on punk and new wave singles, as Gerald M suggested. Makes me want to dig out my copy of the No Thanks anthology.

Fave 1977 album not mentioned yet: Chrome's Alien Soundtracks

I was just about to mention Chrome, yeah, and Crime's 'Frustration / Murder By Guitar' 7 inch. First two Devo singles came out in 77.

"Not yet mentioned:
Jacques Brel - Les Marquises"

*ahem*

but yeah the joni mitchell is great. i just go by my tags, which are often wrong and incomplete!

johnny fever: how do you feel about '77's "natural progressions" by leadon-georgiades? might not be a million miles from leblanc and carr.

Gonna check into it, thanks!

Ooops. Completely forgot to add Heldon's Interface - probably my fave Pinhas release.

Peter Hammill's Over is a great choice – my favourite out of all his 40-odd solo albums. And I'd add Van der Graaf's The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome.

You know it really does not surprise me one bit that you all missed out on Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Willie Nelson. You also got Johnny Paycheck, Merle Haggard, and Billy Joe Shavar.

I suppose it doesn't amount to one hill of beans to all of you all. 1977 was the best year for country music.

A bit judgy, but ok. You missed Joe Ely's first album btw.

1977 was the best year for country music.

Which albums by the artists you named are you talking about? Cause I like Haggard's material from 65-71 or so MUCH better than his late 70s stuff. Same for Jennings, same for Nelson.

contender for peak year of disco

There was still some great prog coming out in 1977 ... Going for the One, Animals, Rain Dances ...

Uh, Songs from the Wood ... A Farewell to Kings ...

anthony braxton / richard teitelbaum - time zones.

Seems like half the time I listen to an album from 1977, its Heart of the Congos.

Can't believe no-one's mentioned Genesis Seconds Out yet. The performances are so great and it's effectively a greatest hits album played live, to the extent that it's pretty much my first choice whenever I want to listen to some Genesis.