The punk scene really has some characters. Aside from that, and new wave starting to get much bigger the main highlight of 1977 is Pink Floyd’s Animals. Here’s the list:
80. The Heathen – Bob Marley (Reggae) – 1977
De Heathen Back Dey Pon De Wall! It’s like Pootie Tang wrote a spiritual reggae song.
79. Deacon Blues – Steely Dan (Smooth Rock) – 1977
Wow, I just found out Dan isn’t some guy.
78. Changes In Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes – Jimmy Buffett (Country) – 1977
77. Kings and Queens – Aerosmith (Hard Rock) – 1977
This is about the time when Aerosmith should’ve had a group meeting and said, “Let’s take a break for 10 years. We’ll be fine then. Trust me.”
76. Swingtown – Steve Miller Band (Rock) – 1977
75. Dancing in the Streets – Grateful Dead (Pop Rock) – 1977
There’s a really great live version of this on one of the Dick’s Picks so I love THAT version. Problem is THIS version on Shakedown Street is over-produced horse plop. I almost don’t even want to include it.
74. Submission – The Sex Pistols (Punk) – 1977
73. All Around the World – The Jam (Punk) – 1977
72. Jamming – Bob Marley (Reggae) – 1977
71. Rockaway Beach – Ramones (Punk) – 1977
70. Fat Bottomed Girls – Queen (Glam Rock) – 1977
69. Elevation – Television (New Age) – 1977
68. Sailing Away – Styx (Progressive Rock) – 1977
Does a Styx fan react the same way as a Rush fan would when hearing their favorite band? Or is Styx fan and Rush fan the same guy anyway?
67. Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton (Slow Rock) – 1977
I suppose if I wasn’t told how good this song is my whole life, I wouldn’ t think it’s one of the most overrated songs ever.
66. New Feeling – Talking Heads (New Wave) – 1977
65. Three Girl Rumba – The Wire (Punk) – 1977
64. Movin’ Out – Billy Joel (Rock) – 1977
63. Jet Airliner – Steve Miller Band (Rock) – 1977
62. In the City – The Jam (Punk) – 1977
61. Blank Generation – The Voidroids (Punk) – 1977
Richard Hell is almost as cool of a name as Sid Vicious and Johnny Rotten. Why did people take these bands so seriously?
60. Wholewide World – Wreckless Eric (Punk) – 1977
… and add the name “Wreckless Eric” to the wicked awesome cool punk names that show how “dangerous” they are. Now I see where Avril Lavigne gets it from. Maybe she really is punk and I think way too highly of the genre.
59. Sound and Vision – David Bowie (Pop Rock) – 1977
58. Breakdown – The Buzzcocks (Punk) – 1977
Aside from all punk sounding the same, a good quality it has is the short song length. It does make me feel like a skinhead sometimes though.
57. That Smell – Lynyrd Skynyrd (Rock) – 1977
Though this song is a little stale for its time, I’m sure whatever dank they’re smoking while they wrote it was quite good.
56. Who Is it? – The Talking Heads (New Wave) – 1977
It’s too bad it’s so short. This could’ve been one of their best songs on the album.
55. The Passenger – Iggy Pop (Rock) – 1977
54. Trans Europe Express – Kraftwerk (Synthpop) – 1977
I’ve ignored these Germans thus far because as ingenuitive as they are, they haven’t done much for me. This does a little bit, and more importantly, it’s not 20 minutes of people playing with synthesizers.
53. Paradise Through the Dashboard Light – Meatloaf (Rock ‘n Roll) – 1977
This is probably the most progressive rock ‘n roll song I’ve ever heard. Sure it’s silly at times, but any song with Phil Rizzuto is a winner.
52. Venus – Television (New Wave) – 1977
Absent from my list with be the actual song “Marquee Moon.” I’ve tried listening to it several times and can never make it all the way though.
51. We’re All the Way – Eric Clapton (Slow Rock) – 1977
Because “Wonderful Tonight” gets so overplayed, people miss out on nice songs like this.
50. Samson & Delilah – Grateful Dead (Rock) – 1977
49. Peaches – The Stranglers (Punk) – 1977
These late 70’s bands were the first to become fascinated with serial killers.
48. Natural Mystic – Bob Marley (Reggae) – 1977
47. Denis – Blondie (New Wave) – 1977
46. Pigs (Three Different Ones) – 1977
It’s way too long, but when it finally changes, it’s worth it.
45. Lust For Life – Iggy Pop (Rock) – 1977
Unfortunately, no matter how great this song could be, I always feel like I’m about to listen to the Jim Rome show when it comes on, and if Jim Rome likes it, there has to be something wrong with it.
44. First Week/Last Week – Talking Heads (New Wave) – 1977
43. One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer – George Thorogood (Blues) – 1977
It takes George a really long time to explain his rent situation.
42. One Love – Bob Marley (Reggae) – 1977
If you had 1977 as the year Bob Marley sells out, you win the prize. Okay, maybe he didn’t sell out until he died when his popularity sky-rocketed.
41. See No Evil – Television (New Wave) – 1977
I’ve been a Talking Heads fan for nearly 15 years now, and I haven’t listened to Television too much during that time. It’s still hard for me to compare their debut albums that each came out this year, but Television definitely has more texture and better guitar playing.
40. The Lonely Shepherd – Gheorghe Zamfir (Instrumental) – 1977
The pan flute fuckin masta! (Okay, I only know this song because it was in Kill Bill.)
39. Prove It – Television (New Wave) – 1977
38. Sheena Is a Punk Rocker – Ramones (Punk) – 1977
37. Pulled Up – Talking Heads (New Wave) – 1977
36. God Save the Queen – Sex Pistols (Punk) – 1977
35. Strange – Wire (Punk) – 1977
It doesn’t do too much, but the texture is decent. I don’t understand why one would like moderate punk songs when you can have all the flash of Angus Young in 1977. Is there some kind of relation between aspiring guitar players who can’t play well and punk music because it’s the easiest to play?
34. Whole Lotta Rosie – AC/DC (Hard Rock) – 1977
Angus Young really tears it up for these guys.
33. Bicycle Race – Queen (Glam Rock) – 1977
32. Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood – Santa Esmerelda (Latin) – 1977
Obviously this Latin disco song doesn’t need to be 10 plus minutes long, but it’s a great tune, and it doesn’t hurt that it gets you hyped for the final showdown between The Bride and Lucy Liu.
31. Heroes – David Bowie (Glam Rock) – 1977
30. Jocko Homo – Devo (New Wave) – 1977
Let the 80s begin!
29. Staying Alive – The Bee Gees (Disco) – 1977
28. Complete Control – The Clash (Punk) – 1977
27. Pretty Vacant – The Sex Pistols (Punk) – 1977
26. The Book I Read – Talking Heads (New Wave) – 1977
25. Friction – Television (New Wave) – 1977
24. Like a Hurricane – Neil Young (Jam Rock) – 1977
Young earns this song length with his incredibly passionate guitar solo.
23. Don’t Worry About the Government – Talking Heads (New Wave) – 1977
On their first album, this is the song that shows how powerful Byrne’s lyrics can be.
22. We Will Rock You – Queen (Glam Rock) – 1977
It’s really hard to look at this as a song as it’s probably the song we’ve heard more than any other song in our lives, mostly at times we didn’t even think we were listening to music.
21. Lay Down Sally – Eric Clapton (Rock) – 1977
Clapton is a good “Greatest Hits” guy. I’m sure if I look at his entire catalog there are about 10-20 songs I absolutely adore, but he’s also an “AC/DC” factor guy, meaning he gets boring after about 10-15 minutes, no matter what.
20. Neat Neat Neat – The Damned (Punk) – 1977
This so is much more show than tell like many of the punk songs of 1977.
19. Watching the Detectives – Elvis Costello (Reggae) – 1977
You have to love someone who comes out when punk and new age are exploding and still does his own thing. He combines the elements of the times, but does what only a good Elvis could do.
18. Three Little Birds – Bob Marley (Reggae) – 1977
It’s great when you see “Acoustic Guitar Guy” playing at a bar and he says “ting” instead of “thing.” Even Mr. Marley himself says “thing” so it’s almost like they’re making fun of Caribbean Island culture.
17. Flashlight – Parliament (Funk) – 1977
This song is pretty fucking dope. It’s got a great texture to it, almost like it was made from hemp.
16. White Riot – The Clash (Punk) – 1977
Some punk songs embody everything the genre is about perfectly, and this is one.
15. Alison – Elvis Costello (Slow Rock) – 1977
14. Dogs – Pink Floyd (Progressive Rock) – 1977
13. Uh Oh, Love Comes to Town – Talking Heads – 1977
’77 may not be the best Talking Heads album, but it’s a great start.
12. Black Betty – Ram Jam (Hard Rock) – 1977
What’s not to like about this rocker? Even the band’s name is awesome.
11. Estimated Prophet – The Grateful Dead (Reggae) – 1977
The Dead’s brand of reggae obviously isn’t as pure as the drugs they were doing, but it’s very well done.
10. I’m So Bored With the USA – The Clash (Punk Rock) – 1977
It’s almost unfair to call the Clash a punk rock band because they’re far too talented and a helluva lot more than a punk band.
9. Sheep – Pink Floyd (Progressive Rock) – 1977
Obviously the three meaty songs in the middle of Animals are awesomely outrageous like a Chili’s entrée, but they’re just so long. This is my cream of the crop.
8. Suzi is a Headbanger – Ramones (Punk) – 1977
It’s nice to have the new wave bands start to come out of the woodworks, but still none touch the Ramones.
7. Psycho Killer – Talking Heads (New Wave) – 1977
Here’s one of the pinnacles of the new wave movement. The only other songs that top it are most likely other Talking Head’s songs … read: “Once in a Lifetime.”
6. Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffett (Country) – 1977
I understand we’re all sick of this song, most likely permanently, but it became what it is for a reason.
5. Teenage Lobotomy – Ramones (Punk) – 1977
Their songs are just so perfectly crafted. It’s hard not to love.
4. Terrapin Station – Grateful Dead (Jam Rock) – 1977
Here’s the dank of this album. The Dead should never try to studioize their beautiful live sound, but this song needed to be put on record, and it’s great … well, aside from the synthesized ending part. Note Ipod users, you can arrange it so your Ipod stops it around the 9 minute 9 second part. (That’s the best time I found to stop it).
3. I Feel Love – Donna Summer (Disco) – 1977
This song is so way ahead of its time that it has to be a classic. The production on this compared to everything else you hear in 1977 isn’t even close. Songwriting, all that crap, sure what this song leads to isn’t so great, but this moment is, and that’s all that matters.
2. Barracuda – Heart (Hard Rock) – 1977
Heart should’ve just quit after this song. There aren’t many songs that reach the “Rock Perfection” level, but this is one of them.
1. Holiday in the Sun – Sex Pistols (Punk) – 1977
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