American Top 40 1976

Whatever you were doing in 1976 and whoever you were doing it with (or to), these are the songs you were doing it to, presented by the host who played the hits from coast to coast , Casey Kasem!

Music News from 1976

"Sit Around the House, get high and watch the tube" As America celebrated her 200th Birthday, Rock music fans celebrated 30 years of...television! Fueled by Mike Post's The Rockford Files in 1975, TV show themes lit up the charts in '76, with the Rhythm Heritage's Theme From S.W.A.T. and former Lovin' Spoonful's lead singer John Sebastian's Welcome Back (Theme to the popular show Welcome Back, Kotter) reaching number one. Other hit TV shows to have hit themes during the year in include Baretta (Baretta's Theme-Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow by Rhythm Heritage), the Theme to Laverne and Shirley, and the Theme to Happy Days. Arguably, other songs sported a sound similar to TV show themes, as this seemed to be the trend in 1976.

The 2-Million Selling Man: On April 22, Johnnie Taylor's Disco Lady became the first single ever to sell 2 million copies! On May 1, it was the first single to be certified Platinum, an award created on January 1, 1976. It turned out to be Taylor's only number one hit (for 4 weeks), but what a hit it was!

Frampton Comes Alive...Instantly: One of the most remarkable stories of '76 was the nearly instantaneous rise to fame of English star Peter Frampton with the release of his live album Frampton Comes Alive in the United States. Previously little known in the U.S., Frampton became an overnight sensation with his live album, as it quickly rose to the top of the album chart and went on to be the number one album of the year. Frampton sold out concert after concert and achieved a level of success in one year that most Rock artists never see!

This Year's the Year for Rod Stewart: Rod Stewart's mega-hit Tonight's the Night became the story of the decade following its run at number one. Its 8-week stay at the top of Billboard's Hot 100 made it the 1970's number one song up to that point. It was also the most weeks any single had spent at number one since the Beatles' Hey Jude lasted 9 weeks in 1968. Rod Stewart had the biggest hit of his career, and helped reverse the trend of more than 30 songs at number one during each of the two previous years.

Top 40 Hits in 1979: All of the songs that hit the weekly Top 40 pop charts in 1976, according to Billboard Magazine.

[ ]--Original Date of Entry Into Top 40
( )--Peak Position on Chart

Saturday Night--Bay City Rollers [see 1975] (#1)
I Write The Songs--Barry Manilow [see 1975] (#1)
Theme From "Mahogany" (Do You Know Where You're Going To)--Diana Ross [see 1975] (#1)
Love Rollercoaster--Ohio Players [see 1975] (#1)
Let's Do It Again--Staple Singers [see 1975] (#1)
Convoy--C.W. McCall [see 1975] (#1)
Fox On The Run--Sweet [see 1975] (#5)
That's The Way (I Like It)--K.C. & The Sunshine Band [see 1975] (#1)
I Love Music (Part 1)--O' Jays [see 1975] (#5)
Fly, Robin, Fly--Silver Convention [see 1975] (#1)
Love To Love You Baby--Donna Summer [see 1975] (#2)
Times Of Your Life--Paul Anka [see 1975] (#7)
Walk Away From Love--David Ruffin [see 1975] (#9)
Country Boy (You Got Your Feet In L.A.)--Glen Campbell [see 1975] (#11)
Sing A Song--Earth, Wind, & Fire [see 1975] (#5)
You Sexy Thing--Hot Chocolate [see 1975] (#3)
Rock And Roll All Nite--Kiss [see 1975] (#12)
Fly Away--John Denver [see 1975] (#13)
Sky High--Jigsaw [see 1975] (#3)
Evil Woman--Electric Light Orchestra [see 1975] (#10)
Nights On Broadway--Bee Gees [see 1975] (#7)
Love Machine (Part 1)--Miracles [see 1975] (#1)
Over My Head--Fleetwood Mac [see 1975] (#20)
For The Love Of You (Part 1 & 2)--Isley Brothers [see 1975] (#22)
Love Hurts--Nazareth [see 1975] (#8)
Winners And Losers--Hamilton, Joe Frank, & Reynolds [see 1975] (#21)
Wake Up Everybody (Part 1)--Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes [see 1975] (#12)
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do--Neil Sedaka [see 1975] (#8)
Baby Face--Wing & A Prayer Fife And Drum Corps [see 1975] (#14)
Somewhere In The Night--Helen Reddy [see 1975] (#19)
Part Time Love--Gladys Knight & The Pips [see 1975] (#22)
Island Girl--Elton John [see 1975] (#1)
School Boy Crush--Average White Band [see 1975] (#33)
50 Ways To Leave Your Lover--Paul Simon [1/3] (#1)
Hurricane (Part 1)--Bob Dylan [1/3] (#33)
Let It Shine/He Ain't Heavy....He's My Brother--Olivia Newton·John [1/3] (#30)
Let's Live Together--Road Apples [see 1975] (#35)
Full Of Fire--Al Green [see 1975] (#28)
The Way That I Want To Touch You--Captain & Tennille [see 1975] (#4)
Squeeze Box--The Who [1/3] (#16)
Paloma Blanca--George Baker Selection [1/10] (#26)
Golden Years--David Bowie [1/10] (#10)
Slow Ride--Foghat [1/10] (#20)
Theme From S.W.A.T.--Rhythm Heritage [1/10] (#1)
Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)--Bee Gees [1/17] (#12)
All By Myself--Eric Carmen [1/17] (#2)
Take It To The Limit--The Eagles [1/17] (#4)
The White Knight--Cledus Maggard & The Citzen's Band [1/24] (#19)
Deep Purple--Donny & Marie Osmond [1/24] (#14)
The Tracks Of My Tears--Linda Ronstadt [1/24] (#25)
Love Or Leave--Spinners [1/24] (#36)
Let The Music Play--Barry White [1/24] (#32)
December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)--Four Seasons [1/31] (#1)
Break Away--Art Garfunkel [1/31] (#39)
Grow Some Funk Of Your Own/I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford)--Elton John [1/31] (#14)
Dream Weaver--Gary Wright [1/31] (#2)
Lonely Night (Angel Face)--Captain & Tennille [2/7] (#3)
Only Sixteen--Dr. Hook [2/7] (#6)
Junk Food Junkie--Larry Groce [2/7] (#9)
Bohemian Rhapsody--Queen [2/7] (#9)
Dream On--Aerosmith [2/14] (#6)
Money Honey--Bay City Rollers [2/14] (#9)
Sweet Love--Commodores [2/14] (#5)
Sweet Thing--Rufus featuring Chaka Khan [2/14] (#5)
Tangerine--Salsoul Orchestra [2/14] (#18)
Cupid--Dawn [2/21] (#22)
Renegade--Michael Murphey [2/21] (#39)
Love Is The Drug--Roxy Music [2/21] (#30)
Hold Back The Night--Trammps [2/21] (#25)
Take It Like a Man--Bachman-Turner Overdrive [2/28] (#33)
Inseparable--Natalie Cole [2/28] (#32)
Just You And I--Melissa Manchester [2/28] (#27)
Let Your Love Flow--Bellamy Brothers [3/6] (#1)
Only Love Is Real--Carole King [3/6] (#28)
Action--Sweet [3/6] (#20)
Disco Lady--Johnnie Taylor [3/6] (#1)
Good Hearted Woman--Waylon & Willie [3/6] (#25)
There's a Kind Of Hush--Carpenters [3/13] (#12)
Show Me The Way--Peter Frampton [3/13] (#6)
Love Fire--Jigsaw [3/13] (#30)
Right Back Where We Started From--Maxine Nightingale [3/13] (#2)
Boogie Fever--Sylvers [3/13] (#1)
Looking For A Space--John Denver [3/20] (#29)
You'll Lose A Good Thing--Freddie Fender [3/20] (#32)
He's A Friend--Eddie Kendricks [3/20] (#36)
I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do--ABBA [3/27] (#15)
Livin' For The Weekend--O' Jays [3/27] (#20)
Fopp--Ohio Players [3/27] (#30)
Lorelei--Styx [3/27] (#27)
Fooled Around and Fell In Love--Elvin Bishop [4/3] (#3)
Shannon--Henry Gross [4/3] (#6)
Sara Smile--Daryl Hall & John Oates [4/3] (#4)
We Can't Hide It Anymore--Larry Santos [4/3] (#36)
Hit The Road Jack--Stampeders [4/3] (#40)
Strange Magic--Electric Light Orchestra [4/10] (#14)
Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win)--Fleetwood Mac [4/10] (#11)
Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again--Barry Manilow [4/10] (#10)
Misty Blue--Dorothy Moore [4/10] (#3)
Welcome Back--John Sebastian [4/10] (#1)
Happy Music--Blackbyrds [4/17] (#19)
Don't Pull Your Love / Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye--Glen Campbell [4/17] (#27)
Union Man--Cate Bros. [4/17] (#24)
Shout It Out Loud--Kiss [4/17] (#31)
Silly Love Songs--Paul McCartney & Wings [4/17] (#1)
Come On Over--Olivia Newton·John [4/17] (#23)
Get Up And Boogie--Silver Convention [4/17] (#2)
Young Blood--Bad Company [4/24] (#20)
Can't Hide Love--Earth, Wind, & Fire [4/24] (#39)
Happy Days--Pratt & McClain [4/24] (#5)
Love Hangover--Diana Ross [4/24] (#1)
More, More, More (Pt, 1)--Andrea True Connection [4/24] (#4)
Anytime (I'll Be There)--Paul Anka [5/1] (#33)
Love Really Hurts Without You--Billy Ocean [5/1] (#22)
Hurt--Elvis Presley [5/1] (#28)
Love In The Shadows--Neil Sedaka [5/1] (#16)
I Got A Feeling (We'll Be Seeing Each Other Again)--Al Wilson [5/1] (#29)
Movin'--Brass Construction [5/8] (#14)
Shop Around--Captain & Tennille [5/8] (#4)
I Want You--Marvin Gaye [5/8] (#15)
Baretta's Theme ("Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow")--Rhythm Heritage [5/8] (#20)
Fool To Cry--Rolling Stones [5/8] (#10)
Fallen Angel--Frankie Valli [5/8] (#36)
One Piece at a Time--Johnny Cash [5/15] (#29)
Takin' It To The Streets--Doobie Brothers [5/15] (#13)
Love Is Alive--Gary Wright [5/15] (#2)
Rock and Roll Love Letter--Bay City Rollers [5/22] (#28)
I'll Be Good To You--Brothers Johnson [5/22] (#3)
Never Gonna Fall In Love Again--Eric Carmen [5/22] (#11)
I.O.U.--Jimmy Dean [5/22] (#35)
It's Over--Boz Scaggs [5/22] (#38)
Crazy On You--Heart [5/29] (#35)
Kiss And Say Goodbye--Manhattans [5/29] (#1)
Still Crazy After All These Years--Paul Simon [5/29] (#40)
Moonlight Feels Right--Starbuck [5/29] (#3)
Take The Money And Run--Steve Miller Band [6/5] (#11)
Get Closer--Seals & Crofts [6/5] (#6)
Afternoon Delight--Starland Vocal Band [6/5] (#1)
The Boys Are Back In Town--Thin Lizzy [6/5] (#12)
That's Where The Happy People Go--Trammps [6/5] (#27)
Today's the Day--America [6/12] (#23)
I'm Easy--Keith Carradine [6/12] (#17)
Making Our Dreams Come True--Cyndi Grecco [6/12] (#25)
Tear The Roof Off The Sucker (Give Up The Funk)--Parliament [6/12] (#15)
You're My Best Friend--Queen [6/12] (#16)
Dance Wit Me--Rufus featuring Chaka Khan [6/12] (#39)
Let Her In--John Travolta [6/12] (#10)
Mamma Mia--ABBA [6/19] (#32)
Rock and Roll Music--Beach Boys [6/19] (#5)
Got To Get You Into My Life--Beatles [6/19] (#7)
Turn The Beat Around--Vicki Sue Robinson [6/19] (#10)
Last Child--Aerosmith [6/26] (#21)
Sophisticated Lady (She's A Different Lady)--Natalie Cole [6/26] (#25)
If You Know What I Mean--Neil Diamond [6/26] (#11)
Good Vibrations--Todd Rundgren [6/26] (#34)
Young Hearts Run Free--Candi Staton [6/26] (#20)
Somebody's Getting It--Johnnie Taylor [6/26] (#33)Fourth of July Fireworks
I Need To Be In Love--Carpenters [7/3] (#25)
Silver Star--Four Seasons [7/3] (#38)
A Fifth Of Beethoven--Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band [7/3] (#1)
I'd Really Love To See You Tonight--England Dan & John Ford Coley [7/10] (#2)
Something He Can Feel--Aretha Franklin [7/10] (#28)
You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine--Lou Rauls [7/10] (#2)
Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel--Tavares [7/10] (#15)
You Should Be Dancing--Bee Gees [7/17] (#1)
This Masquerade--George Benson [7/17] (#10)
Another Rainy Day in New York City--Chicago [7/17] (#32)
Baby, I Love Your Way--Peter Frampton [7/17] (#12)
Don't Go Breaking My Heart--Elton John & Kiki Dee [7/17] (#1)
Let 'Em In--Paul McCartney & Wings [7/17] (#3)
C'mon Marianne--Donny Osmond [7/24] (#38)
Steppin' Out--Neil Sedaka [7/24] (#36)
A Little Bit More--Dr. Hook [7/31] (#11)
Say You Love Me--Fleetwood Mac [7/31] (#11)
(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty--K.C. & The Sunshine Band [7/31] (#1)
Who'd She Coo?--Ohio Players [7/31] (#18)
Summer--War [7/31] (#7)
Play That Funky Music--Wild Cherry [7/31] (#1)
Lowdown--Boz Scaggs [8/7] (#3)
Wham Bam (Shang-A-Lang)--Silver [8/7] (#16)
I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do The Talking--The Supremes [8/7] (#40)
Shower The People--James Taylor [8/7] (#22)
Getaway--Earth, Wind, & Fire [8/14] (#12)
She's Gone--Daryl Hall & John Oates [8/14] (#7)
With Your Love--Jefferson Starship [8/14] (#12)
Street Singin'--Lady Flash [8/14] (#27)
Still The One--Orleans [8/14] (#5)
Devil Woman--Cliff Richard [8/14] (#6)
If You Leave Me Now--Chicago [8/21] (#1)
Springtime Mama--Henry Gross [8/21] (#37)
I Can't Hear You No More--Helen Reddy [8/21] (#29)
One Love In My Lifetime--Diana Ross [8/21] (#25)
Teddy Bear--Red Sovine [8/28] (#40)
(Don't Fear) The Reaper--Blue Oyster Cult [9/4] (#12)Disco Ball
Disco Duck (Part 1)--Rick Dees And His Cast Of Idiots [9/4] (#1)
Magic Man--Heart [9/4] (#9)
Rock 'n Me--Steve Miller Band [9/4] (#1)
Don’t Stop Believin'--Olivia Newton·John [9/4] (#33)
That'll Be The Day--Linda Ronstadt [9/4] (#11)
Superstar--Paul Davis [9/11] (#35)
(The System Of) Doctor Tarr And Professor Fether--Alan Parsons Project [9/11] (#37)
I Only Want to Be With You--Bay City Rollers [9/18] (#12)
It's O.K.--Beach Boys [9/18] (#29)
Get The Funk Out Ma Face--Brothers Johnson [9/18] (#30)
Sunrise--Eric Carmen [9/18] (#34)
Fernando--ABBA [9/25] (#13)
You Are The Woman--Firefall [9/25] (#9)
Beth--Kiss [9/25] (#7)
Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald--Gordon Lightfoot [9/25] (#2)
Love So Right--Bee Gees [10/2] (#3)
You Are My Starship--Norman Connors [10/2] (#27)
Like A Sad Song--John Denver [10/2] (#36)
Nadia's Theme (The Young & The Restless)--Barry DeVorzon & Perry Botkin Jr. [10/2] (#8)
Did You Boogie (With Your Baby)--Flash Cadillac & The Continental Kids [10/2] (#29)
The Best Disco In Town--Ritchie Family [10/2] (#17)
The Rubberband Man--Spinners [10/2] (#2)
Muskrat Love--Captain & Tennille [10/9] (#4)
Just To Be Close To You--Commodores [10/9] (#7)
Do You Feel Like We Do--Peter Frampton [10/9] (#10)
This One's For You--Barry Manilow [10/9] (#29)
Queen Of My Soul--Average White Band [10/16] (#40)
More Than a Feeling--Boston [10/16] (#5)
A Dose Of Rock 'N Roll--Ringo Starr [10/16] (#26)
You Don't Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)--Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. [10/23] (#1)
Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright)--Rod Stewart [10/23] (#1)
I Never Cry--Alice Cooper [10/30] (#12)
Give It Up (Turn It Loose)--Tyrone Davis [10/30] (#38)
Nights Are Forever Without You--England Dan & John Ford Coley [10/30] (#10)
Nice 'N' Nasty--Salsoul Orchestra [10/30] (#30)
Anything You Want--John Valenti [10/30] (#37)
Stand Tall--Burton Cummings [11/6] (#10)
Love Me--Yvonne Elliman [11/6] (#14)
Love Ballad--L.T.D. [11/6] (#20)
It's A Long Way There--Little River Band [11/6] (#28)
You Make Me Feel Like Dancing--Leo Sayer [11/6] (#1)
Hello Old Friend--Eric Clapton [11/13] (#24)
Livin' Thing--Electric Light Orchestra [11/13] (#13)
Hot Line--Sylvers [11/13] (#5)
Dazz--Brick [11/20] (#3)
After the Lovin'--Engelbert Humperdinck [11/20] (#8)
Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word--Elton John [11/20] (#6)
Jeans On--David Dundas [11/27] (#17)
Whenever I'm Away From You--John Travolta [11/27] (#38)
Shake Your Rump to the Funk--Bar-Kays [12/4] (#23)
Lost Without Your Love--Bread [12/4] (#9)
Somebody To Love--Queen [12/4] (#13)
I Wish--Stevie Wonder [12/4] (#1)
Whispering/Cherchez La Femme/Se Si Bon--Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band [12/11] (#27)
Saturday Nite--Earth, Wind, & Fire [12/11] (#21)
This Song--George Harrison [12/11] (#25)
Enjoy Yourself--Jacksons [12/11] (#6)
I Like Dreamin'--Kenny Nolan [12/11] (#3)
Car Wash--Rose Royce [12/11] (#1)
Don't Take Away The Music--Tavares [12/11] (#34)
Walk This Way--Aerosmith [12/18] (#10)
Blinded By The Light--Manfred Mann's Earth Band [12/18] (#1)
Mademoiselle--Styx [12/18] (#36)
Keep Me Cryin'--Al Green [12/18] (#37)
New Kid In Town--The Eagles [12/25] (#1)
Drivin' Wheel--Foghat [12/25] (#34)
Do What You Want, Be What Your Are--Daryl Hall & John Oates [12/25] (#39)
Torn Between Two Lovers--Mary MacGregor [12/25] (#1)
Weekend In New England--Barry Manilow [12/25] (#10)
Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing--Donny & Marie Osmond [12/25] (#21)