Pick Your Top 15 Albums of 1977

[Dawn]

It's been really cool and interesting to compare our choices from the "Pick Your Top 10 of..." feature, so I thought I'd start a companion one on albums.

For the first installment, let's look at the albums released in 1977. This list is from Wikipedia, and seems pretty accurate and surprisingly complete. Also, if an album you especially love isn't included on this list, please feel free to add it.

A Farewell to Kings - Rush
A Period of Transition - Van Morrison
Ahh... The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! - Bootsy's Rubber Band
Aja - Steely Dan
The Alice Cooper Show - Alice Cooper
Alive II - Kiss
Animals - Pink Floyd
Bad Reputation - Thin Lizzy
Bat out of Hell - Meat Loaf
Blowin' Away - Joan Baez
Blue Lights in the Basement - Roberta Flack
Book of Dreams - Steve Miller Band
Cat Scratch Fever - Ted Nugent
Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes - Jimmy Buffett
Chic - Chic
Chicago XI - Chicago
The Clash - The Clash
Cluster & Eno - Cluster & Eno
Come in from the Rain - Captain & Tennille
Damned, Damned, Damned - The Damned
Don Juan's Reckless Daughter - Joni Mitchell
Draw the Line - Aerosmith
Eddie Money - Eddie Money
Even in the Quietest Moments - Supertramp
Every Day of My Life - Michael Bolton
Equal Rights - Peter Tosh
Exodus - Bob Marley and the Wailers
Focus con Proby - Focus
Foreigner - Foreigner
Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome - Parliament
The Grand Illusion - Styx
Going for the One - Yes
"Heroes" - David Bowie
I Robot - The Alan Parsons Project
I'm A Man - Bo Diddley
I'm Glad Your Here With Me Tonight - Neil Diamond
I'm In You - Peter Frampton
(I'm) Stranded - The Saints
The Idiot - Iggy Pop
It Feels So Good - The Manhattans
JT - James Taylor
Just A Stone's Throw Away - Valerie Carter
L.A.M.F. - Heartbreakers
Lace and Whiskey - Alice Cooper
Leave Home - The Ramones
Let There Be Rock - AC/DC
Lights Out - UFO
Little Criminals - Randy Newman
Little Queen - Heart
Live at the El Mocambo - April Wine
Love Gun- Kiss
Low - David Bowie
Lust for Life - Iggy Pop
Magida El Romi Vol. 1 - Magida El Roumi
Marlena - Die Flippers
Marquee Moon - Television
Message Man - Eddy Grant
Montreux '77 - Ella Fitzgerald
Motörhead - Motörhead
Moonflower - Santana
My Aim Is True - Elvis Costello
Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols - The Sex Pistols
New Boots and Panties! - Ian Dury
News of the World - Queen
Next - Journey
Nice to Be Around - Rosemary Clooney
Night Moves - Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
No More Heroes - The Stranglers
Now - The Tubes
On Earth as It Is in Heaven - Angel
Out of the Blue - Electric Light Orchestra
Pacific Ocean Blue - Dennis Wilson
Parliament Live: P-Funk Earth Tour-Parliament
Passage - Carpenters
Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel
Phyllis Hyman - Phyllis Hyman
Pink Flag - Wire
Plastic Letters - Blondie
Point of Know Return - Kansas
Prism - Prism
Rattus Norvegicus - The Stranglers
Regeneration - Roy Orbison
Rendezvous - Sandy Denny
Ringo The 4th - Ringo Starr
Rocket to Russia - The Ramones
Rockin' All Over the World - Status Quo
Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
Running On Empty - Jackson Browne
Saw Delight - Can
Simple Dreams - Linda Ronstadt
Sin After Sin - Judas Priest
Slowhand - Eric Clapton
Songs from the Wood - Jethro Tull
Spectres - Blue Öyster Cult
The Stranger - Billy Joel
Street Survivors - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Suicide - Suicide
Taken by Force - Scorpions
Talking Heads: 77 - Talking Heads
Tanz Samba mit Mir - Tony Holiday
Tejas - ZZ Top
Terrapin Station - Grateful Dead
Trans Europe Express - Kraftwerk
Victim of Romance - Michelle Phillips
Visitors - Automatic Man
Works Volume I - Emerson, Lake & Palmer

And the ones I chose:
Aja - Steely Dan
Animals - Pink Floyd
Chic - Chic
Chicago XI - Chicago
Foreigner - Foreigner
I Robot - Alan Parsons Project
JT - James Taylor
Little Queen - Heart
Night Moves - Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
Out of the Blue - Electric Light Orchestra
Pacific Ocean Blue - Dennis Wilson
Passage - Carpenters
Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
The Stranger - Billy Joel

I'm adding George Benson's In Flight, a superb follow-up to his breakthrough album, Breezin'. Just barely missing the cut for me: Book of Dreams and The Grand Illusion.

Lots of great albums here. I hadn't realized Michelle Phillips had released a solo album in 1977; I'd be curious to hear it. Also had no idea that Michael Bolton was recording this early (assuming it is the same artist), but that one, I'd have to pass on! ;D

Which albums are your favorites from 1977?

[m c dornan]

well I'd have to say:

Aja- Steely Dan
Animals- Pink Floyd
Book of Dreams- Steve Miller
Clash
Even in the Quietest Moments- Supertramp
marquee Moon- Television
Moonflower- Santana
My Am is True- Elvis Costello
Out of the Blue- ELO
Peter Gabriel
Rumours- Fleetwood Mac
Slowhand- Clapton
Songs from the Wood- Jethro Tull
Talking Heads 77
Terrapin Station- Grateful Dead
Works v 1- ELP

Hmmm...
What is the Dennis Wilson LP like? Never heard of it.

Have heard of the group Can, but never heard of "Saw Delight".

Who or what is Magidi el Roumi?

[H2IZCOOL]

I/m not sure I even KNOW 15 albums from '77, Dawn. But let's see what I know and like.

The Alice Cooper Show - Alice Cooper
Animals - Pink Floyd
Bat out of Hell - Meat Loaf
Chicago XI - Chicago
Foreigner - Foreigner
JT - James Taylor
Lace and Whiskey - Alice Cooper
News of the World - Queen
Out of the Blue - Electric Light Orchestra
Regeneration - Roy Orbison
Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
Slowhand - Eric Clapton
The Stranger - Billy Joel

well ... that's 13.

[Ken]

Wow. there are so many choices

I would like to add The Dwight Twilley Band - Twilley Don't Mind to the list.

Here are my top 15 of 1977

1.Love Gun- Kiss (this should be no surprise)
2.Out of the Blue - Electric Light Orchestra
3.Alive II - Kiss
4.Foreigner - Foreigner
5.Prism - Prism - very cool to see this on the list!
6.Book of Dreams - Steve Miller Band
7.Little Queen - Heart
8.The Stranger - Billy Joel
9.Simple Dreams - Linda Ronstadt
10.Let There Be Rock - AC/DC
11.Bad Reputation - Thin Lizzy
12.Aja - Steely Dan
13.I Robot - The Alan Parsons Project
14.Bat out of Hell - Meat Loaf
15.Night Moves - Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band

[55dodger]

In no particular order:

1. Rumours - Fleetwod Mac
2. Aja - Steely Dan
3. Bat Out of Hell - Meatloaf
4. Running on Empty - Jackson Browne
5. Electric Light Orchesra - Out Of the Blue
6. Street Survivors - Lynyrd Skynyrd
7. Eric Clapton - Slow Hand
8. Book of Dreams - Steve Miller Band
9. Grand Illusion - Styx
10. Little Queen - Heart
11. News of the World - Queen
12. Night Moves - Bob Seger
13. Point of Know Return - Kansas
14. Tejas - ZZ Top
15. Even in the Quietest Moments - Supertramp

[Dawn]

mcdornan1 said:

well I'd have to say:

Aja- Steely Dan
Animals- Pink Floyd
Book of Dreams- Steve Miller
Clash
Even in the Quietest Moments- Supertramp
marquee Moon- Television
Moonflower- Santana
My Am is True- Elvis Costello
Out of the Blue- ELO
Peter Gabriel
Rumours- Fleetwood Mac
Slowhand- Clapton
Songs from the Wood- Jethro Tull
Talking Heads 77
Terrapin Station- Grateful Dead
Works v 1- ELP

Hmmm...
What is the Dennis Wilson LP like? Never heard of it.

Have heard of the group Can, but never heard of "Saw Delight".

Who or what is Magidi el Roumi?

MC, I think you would enjoy Pacific Ocean Blue very much. It's been out of print for a long time, but is slated for re-release this May or June. Dennis was a great songwriter, and the album is consistently good throughout.

I've never heard of Magidi el Roumi either. I'm guessing it's a typo, as a Google search turned up a Lebanese singer named Majida El Roumi who was recording during that time.

[Dawn]

h2izcool said:

I/m not sure I even KNOW 15 albums from '77, Dawn. But let's see what I know and like.

The Alice Cooper Show - Alice Cooper
Animals - Pink Floyd
Bat out of Hell - Meat Loaf
Chicago XI - Chicago
Foreigner - Foreigner
JT - James Taylor
Lace and Whiskey - Alice Cooper
News of the World - Queen
Out of the Blue - Electric Light Orchestra
Regeneration - Roy Orbison
Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
Slowhand - Eric Clapton
The Stranger - Billy Joel

well ... that's 13.

I'm not familiar with much of Roy's '70s work, but I imagine it is quite good. He had a timeless sound.

[Dawn]

ken said:

Wow. there are so many choices

I would like to add The Dwight Twilley Band - Twilley Don't Mind to the list.

Here are my top 15 of 1977

1.Love Gun- Kiss (this should be no surprise)
2.Out of the Blue - Electric Light Orchestra
3.Alive II - Kiss
4.Foreigner - Foreigner
5.Prism - Prism - very cool to see this on the list!
6.Book of Dreams - Steve Miller Band
7.Little Queen - Heart
8.The Stranger - Billy Joel
9.Simple Dreams - Linda Ronstadt
10.Let There Be Rock - AC/DC
11.Bad Reputation - Thin Lizzy
12.Aja - Steely Dan
13.I Robot - The Alan Parsons Project
14.Bat out of Hell - Meat Loaf
15.Night Moves - Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band

Prism is a group I've been meaning to check into in more depth. I have a few mp3s of their music, and I like what I've heard so far.

[Dawn]

55dodger said:

In no particular order:

1. Rumours - Fleetwod Mac
2. Aja - Steely Dan
3. Bat Out of Hell - Meatloaf
4. Running on Empty - Jackson Browne
5. Electric Light Orchesra - Out Of the Blue
6. Street Survivors - Lynyrd Skynyrd
7. Eric Clapton - Slow Hand
8. Book of Dreams - Steve Miller Band
9. Grand Illusion - Styx
10. Little Queen - Heart
11. News of the World - Queen
12. Night Moves - Bob Seger
13. Point of Know Return - Kansas
14. Tejas - ZZ Top
15. Even in the Quietest Moments - Supertramp

You and I share quite a few favorites, Woody. I came close to including Point of Know Return on my list as well.

[55dodger]

admin said:

55dodger said:

In no particular order:

1. Rumours - Fleetwod Mac
2. Aja - Steely Dan
3. Bat Out of Hell - Meatloaf
4. Running on Empty - Jackson Browne
5. Electric Light Orchesra - Out Of the Blue
6. Street Survivors - Lynyrd Skynyrd
7. Eric Clapton - Slow Hand
8. Book of Dreams - Steve Miller Band
9. Grand Illusion - Styx
10. Little Queen - Heart
11. News of the World - Queen
12. Night Moves - Bob Seger
13. Point of Know Return - Kansas
14. Tejas - ZZ Top
15. Even in the Quietest Moments - Supertramp

You and I share quite a few favorites, Woody. I came close to including Point of Know Return on my list as well.

Point of Know Return got included because "Dust In the Wind" is my favorite song by Kansas.
I noticed that "Book of Dreams" & "Grand Illusion" just missed your cut. I included them as I think they are the best albums that Steve Miller & Styx ever did. Plus, I think the both have great album covers.

[Pete70s]

There's a track from the Michelle Phillips album on the two disc Mama's & Papa's collection "Creeque Alley". It's actually pretty good, kinda country-ish with a very slight disco vibe.


As for my album picks, here goes....

A Farewell to Kings - Rush
Aja - Steely Dan
Alive II - Kiss
Animals - Pink Floyd
Let There Be Rock - AC/DC
Love Gun- Kiss
News of the World - Queen
Out of the Blue - Electric Light Orchestra
Pacific Ocean Blue - Dennis Wilson
Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
Sin After Sin - Judas Priest
Talking Heads: 77 - Talking Heads
Trans Europe Express - Kraftwerk


I tried to go with albums I own and know all the way through. There are several listed that I only know one or two songs off (some of which I OWN, but never listened to all the way through), so I did not include these:

Bad Reputation - Thin Lizzy
Bat out of Hell - Meat Loaf
Book of Dreams - Steve Miller Band
Cat Scratch Fever - Ted Nugent
Chicago XI - Chicago
Draw the Line - Aerosmith
Even in the Quietest Moments - Supertramp
Foreigner - Foreigner
The Grand Illusion - Styx
Going for the One - Yes
"Heroes" - David Bowie
I'm In You - Peter Frampton
JT - James Taylor
Lace and Whiskey - Alice Cooper
Leave Home - The Ramones
Lights Out - UFO
Little Queen - Heart
Low - David Bowie
Lust for Life - Iggy Pop
Motörhead - Motörhead
News of the World - Queen
Next - Journey
Night Moves - Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
No More Heroes - The Stranglers
Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel
Point of Know Return - Kansas
Rattus Norvegicus - The Stranglers
Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
Running On Empty - Jackson Browne
Slowhand - Eric Clapton
The Stranger - Billy Joel
Street Survivors - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Tejas - ZZ Top
Victim of Romance - Michelle Phillips

I own the Sex Pistols and Television albums, but they don't do much for me these days.

Also, wasn't Led Zeppelin "Presence" released in 77? If so, I'd like to add that.

[jbd]

SLOWHAND
NIGHT MOVES
EDDIE MONEY
BAT OUT OF HELL
RUMOURS
STREET SURVIVORS
OUT OF THE BLUE
AJA
ROCKET TO RUSSIA
THE STRANGER
MY AIM IS TRUE
LET THERE BE ROCK
TEJAS
NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS
SPECTRES

[m c dornan]

admin said:

mcdornan1 said:

well I'd have to say:

Aja- Steely Dan
Animals- Pink Floyd
Book of Dreams- Steve Miller
Clash
Even in the Quietest Moments- Supertramp
marquee Moon- Television
Moonflower- Santana
My Am is True- Elvis Costello
Out of the Blue- ELO
Peter Gabriel
Rumours- Fleetwood Mac
Slowhand- Clapton
Songs from the Wood- Jethro Tull
Talking Heads 77
Terrapin Station- Grateful Dead
Works v 1- ELP

Hmmm...
What is the Dennis Wilson LP like? Never heard of it.

Have heard of the group Can, but never heard of "Saw Delight".

Who or what is Magidi el Roumi?

MC, I think you would enjoy Pacific Ocean Blue very much. It's been out of print for a long time, but is slated for re-release this May or June. Dennis was a great songwriter, and the album is consistently good throughout.

I've never heard of Magidi el Roumi either. I'm guessing it's a typo, as a Google search turned up a Lebanese singer named Majida El Roumi who was recording during that time.

Howdy Dawn!

Re: Dennis. Does it sound like a Beach Boys effort, or is he trying for a sound of his own

[Dawn]

mcdornan1 said:

admin said:

MC, I think you would enjoy Pacific Ocean Blue very much. It's been out of print for a long time, but is slated for re-release this May or June. Dennis was a great songwriter, and the album is consistently good throughout.

I've never heard of Magidi el Roumi either. I'm guessing it's a typo, as a Google search turned up a Lebanese singer named Majida El Roumi who was recording during that time.

Howdy Dawn!

Re: Dennis. Does it sound like a Beach Boys effort, or is he trying for a sound of his own

Pacific Ocean Blue is more mainstream rock, although there are some pop and blues elements there, and even a bit of jazz. It's kind of a continuation of the Beach Boys' sound during the early '70s - Carl and the Passions/Holland era, except that the vocal arrangements are more streamlined. Definitely check it out when it's released, as it's one of the most underrated albums of the late '70s.