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1977 in music
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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][clarification needed]
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2018) |
Specific locations
Specific genres
Events
January–February
- January 1 – The Clash headline the opening night of London's only punk rock club, The Roxy.[2][3]
- 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 the band's disruptive behaviour on ITV's Today and later at London Heathrow Airport.[4]
- 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.
- April 30 – Led Zeppelin sets a new world record attendance for an indoor solo attraction at the Pontiac Silverdome when 76,229 people attend a concert here on the group's 1977 North American Tour.
- 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[5]
- 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 18 – The first St Magnus Festival of the Arts, founded in Orkney by local resident, composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, opens with Davies's opera The Martyrdom of St Magnus.[6].
- 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 26 – Elvis Presley gives his final concert, at Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. 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[7] (The show two days before in Oakland proves to be the band's last in the United States)
- August 16 – Bing Crosby gives his final concert, in Brighton, UK, accompanied by Johnny Smith.[8]
- 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.[9]
- August 20 – NASA's uncrewed 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".[10]
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, United States, for an 11-hour concert by Grateful Dead, Marshall Tucker Band and New Riders of the Purple Sage.[11]
- 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
- October 3 – Elvis in Concert, a TV concert special filmed during Elvis Presley's final tour and released posthumously, is aired on CBS; Canadian Channel CKND-DT simulcasts it.[12]
- October 5 – The bicentennial season of La Scala opens in Milan with a production of Giuseppe Verdi's Don Carlo.[13]
- 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 28
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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Bands formed
Bands reformed
Bands disbanded
Albums released
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January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Release date unknown
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Billboard Top popular records of 1977
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Billboard's year-end Hot 100 for the year 1977, printed on December 24, 1977, was based on Hot 100 charts from the issue dates of November 6, 1976 through October 29, 1977. The decision to include the last two months of 1976 resulted in Rod Stewart's "Tonight's the Night" being listed as no. 1 record of 1977, despite seven of its eight weeks at #1 occurring in 1976 (keep reading).
The completed Billboard year-end list for 1977 is composed of records that entered the Billboard Hot 100 between November 1976 and December 1977. Records with chart runs that started in 1976 and ended in 1977, or started in 1977 and ended in 1978, made this chart if the majority of their chart weeks were in 1977. If not, they were ranked in the year-end charts for 1976 or 1978. If their weeks were equal, they were listed in the year they first entered. Appearing in multiple years is not permitted. Each week thirty points were awarded to the number one record, then nineteen points for number two, eighteen points for number three, and so on. The total points a record earned determined its year-end rank. The complete chart life of each record is represented, with number of points accrued. There are no ties, even when multiple records have the same number of points. The next ranking category is peak chart position, then weeks at peak chart position, weeks on Hot 100 chart, weeks in top forty, and finally weeks in top ten.
The chart presented here depicts the top 30 singles of 1977. In contrast with the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1977, this chart does not truncate or split chart runs between years. It does not add two months from 1976, delete two months from 1977 and then call itself the "Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1977", which it is obviously not. The true number one record of 1977 is Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life", which spent the last 18 weeks of the year accumulating 362 points. The seven additional weeks it scored from 1978 were not even needed for the top prize. Rod Stewart's "Tonight's the Night" scored only 73 points in 10 weeks during 1977, so based on its 223 points from 13 weeks in 1976, its 296 total points made it the number one record of that year, not 1977. All chart rankings represented below for the Top Soul Singles, Top Country Singles, Top Easy Listening Singles, and Top CashBox pop singles were all calculated in the same manner.
The chart can be sorted by Artist, Song title, Recording and Release dates, Cashbox year-end ranking (CB) or units sold (sales) by clicking on the column header. Additional details for each record can be accessed by clicking on the song title, and referring to the Infobox in the right column of the song page. Billboard also has chart summaries on its website. Sales information was derived from the RIAA's Gold and Platinum database, the BRIT Certified database and The Book of Golden Discs,[28] but numbers listed should be regarded as estimates. Grammy Hall of Fame and National Recording Registry information with sources can be found on Wikipedia. Archived issues of Billboard from November 1976 to March 1978 and Hot 100 Year-End formulas were used to complete the 1977 year-end chart.
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Chronological table of US and UK and Japan number one hit singles
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Japanese Oricon number one singles and artist
(weeks at number one)
- "Kita no Yadokara" – Harumi Miyako (3 weeks in 1976 + 2 weeks in 1977)
- "Seishun Jidai" – Koichi Morita & Top Gallants (4)
- "S.O.S." – Pink Lady (1)
- "Shitsuren Restaurant" – Kentaro Shimizu (5)
- "Carmen '77" – Pink Lady (5)
- "Kaeranai / Koibitoyo" – Kentaro Shimizu (2)
- "Yumesaki Annainin" – Momoe Yamaguchi (1)
- "Amayadori" – Masashi Sada (4)
- "Katte ni Shiyagare" – Kenji Sawada (5)
- "Nagisa no Sindbad" – Pink Lady (8)
- "Wanted (Shimei Tehai)" – Pink Lady (12)
- "Wakareuta" – Miyuki Nakajima (1)
- "UFO" – Pink Lady (2 weeks in 1977 + 8 weeks in 1978)
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Top 40 Chart hit singles
Other Chart hit singles
- "Alison" – Elvis Costello
- "American Girl" – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (# 40 UK)
- "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
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Notable singles
Other notable singles
- "Frozen Ones" b/w "Man Who Dies Every Day" - Ultravox
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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, new wave music, and mod revival
1977 marks the beginning of the punk rock movement.[30] Several albums associated with the development of punk music were released, including Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols by the Sex Pistols, The Clash by The Clash, Damned Damned Damned by The Damned, the Dead Boys' Young, Loud and Snotty, Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers' L.A.M.F., the Ramones' Rocket to Russia, Richard Hell and the Voidoids' Blank Generation, and Wire's Pink Flag.
The year saw the release of debut albums by bands associated with punk rock, though also with other new music genres, such as the mod revival and new wave music, including In the City by The Jam,[31][32] My Aim Is True by Elvis Costello, Suicide by Suicide, Marquee Moon by Television,[33] and Talking Heads: 77 by Talking Heads. 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 bassoon and string quartet[34]
- 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[35]
- 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. 33v[36]
- Summer Music for orchestra, Op. 34[36]
- Akinosuke-no-yume (安芸之助の夢; The Dream of Akinosuke) for piano, Op. 35[36]
- Jyūroku-zakura (十六ざくら) for piano, Op. 36[36]
- Jikininki (食人鬼) for piano, Op. 37[36]
- Häjyt (The Evil Braggarts), orchestral music for the television play, Op. 38[36]
- Butterflies for guitar solo, Op. 39[36]
- Tuolla mun heilani asuskeloo (Yonder Lives My Sweet Love) for string orchestra, Op. 40[37]
- Per Nørgård
- Einojuhani Rautavaara
- 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)[42]
- Julian Livingston – Twist of Treason
- Thea Musgrave – Mary, Queen of Scots
- Donald Sosin – Esther
- Karlheinz Stockhausen – Atmen gibt das Leben (May 22, 1977, Nice)[43]
- Michael Tippett – The Ice Break (July 7, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden)
- Morton Feldman – Neither (1977, Rome Opera)[44]
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
Births
- January 1
- Donna Ares, Bosnian singer (d. 2017)[46]
- Axel, Argentine singer and songwriter
- Jerry Yan, Taiwanese singer
- January 3 – Michelle Stephenson, British singer and TV presenter (Spice Girls)
- January 4 – Tim Wheeler, Irish rock singer (Ash)
- January 4 – Irán Castillo, Mexican actress and singer[47]
- January 5 – Roy Arad, Israeli singer (PingPong)
- January 11 – Nadia Turner, American singer
- January 18
- Richard Archer, British singer (Hard-Fi)
- Michael Tierney, Australian singer (Human Nature)
- January 20
- Melody, Belgian singer
- Sid Wilson, American musician
- January 23 – Kamal Heer, Punjabi singer and musician
- January 25 – Christian Ingebrigtsen, Norwegian singer (A1)
- January 26 – Nicholaus Arson, Swedish guitarist and songwriter
- January 28 – Joey Fatone, American singer (*NSYNC)
- February 2
- Shakira, Colombian singer, songwriter, dancer, businesswoman, and record producer[48]
- Jessica Wahls, German pop singer
- February 3 – Maitland Ward, American actress and model
- February 4 – Gavin DeGraw, American musician and singer-songwriter
- February 8 – Dave Farrell, American musician (Linkin Park)[49]
- February 10 – Rosanna Tavarez, American singer, Television presenter, dancer and teacher (Eden's Crush)
- February 11 – Mike Shinoda, American musician, songwriter, record producer and graphic designer[49]
- February 15 – Brooks Wackerman, American drummer (Bad Religion, Avenged Sevenfold)[50]
- February 18 – Sean Watkins, American guitarist and songwriter
- February 20 – Amal Hijazi, Lebanese singer and model
- February 21 – Cyrine Abdelnour, Lebanese singer, actress, and model
- March 2 – Chris Martin, English rock singer and pianist (Coldplay)[51]
- March 3 – Ronan Keating, Irish singer (Boyzone)
- March 4 – Jason Marsalis, American jazz drummer, vibraphonist and composer
- March 6 – Bubba Sparxxx, American rapper
- March 7 – Paul Cattermole, British singer (S Club 7) (died 2023)[52]
- March 10
- Robin Thicke, American-Canadian R&B singer-songwriter and actor[53]
- Bree Turner, American dancer and actress
- Colin Murray, British radio disc jockey
- Matt Rubano, American rock bassist (Taking Back Sunday)[citation needed]
- March 11 – Jason Greeley, Canadian singer
- March 15 – Joseph Hahn, American musician, DJ, director, and visual artist (Linkin Park)[49]
- March 16 – Ben Kenney, American rock bassist (Incubus)
- March 17 – Tamar Braxton, American singer, songwriter and actress (The Braxtons)
- March 18 – Devin Lima, American musician (LFO) (d. 2018)[54]
- March 19 – Jorma Taccone, American actor, comedian, director, writer, producer, record producer, and musician (The Lonely Island)
- March 22 – John Otto, American drummer (Limp Bizkit)
- March 24 – Natalie Hemby, American country music songwriter and singer
- April 9 – Gerard Way, American vocalist, visual artist, and songwriter (My Chemical Romance)[55]
- April 17 – Frederik Magle, Danish composer, concert organist, and pianist
- April 19 – Bryan Spears, American film and television producer sister of Britney Spears
- April 22
- Anna Eriksson, Finnish pop-rock singer
- Steven Price, British film composer
- April 23 – John Cena, American professional wrestler, actor and singer
- April 23 – Arash, Iranian-Swedish singer, entertainer and producer
- April 23 – Tony Sunshine, American R&B singer (Terror Squad)
- April 25
- Matthew West, American guitarist and singer
- Constantinos Christoforou, Greek-Cypriot singer (One)
- April 26 – Célena Cherry, British group (Honeyz)
- April 28 – Joanne Yeoh, Malaysian violinist[56]
- April 30 – Ole Jørn Myklebust, Norwegian jazz musician[57]
- May 1 – Dan Regan, American musician (Reel Big Fish)
- May 7 – Lisa Kelly, Irish singer
- May 8 – Joe Bonamassa, American musician
- May 11 – Nathalie Pâque, Belgian singer
- 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 17 – Aleksandra Gryka, Polish classical composer
- May 19 – Natalia Oreiro, Uruguayan actress and singer
- May 20 – Matt Czuchry, American actor
- May 22 – Nina Inhammar, Swedish singer (Friends)
- May 24 – Jeet Gannguli, Indian singer, music director and score composer
- May 28
- Leo the Lion, English singer, songwriter and actor (The Streets)
- Brian Friedman, American dancer and choreographer
- May 31
- Scott Klopfenstein, American musician and vocalist (Reel Big Fish)
- Joel Ross, British disc jockey
- June 3 – Yuri Ruley, American drummer and percussionist (MxPx)
- June 5 – Nourhanne, Lebanese singer
- June 8 – Kanye West, American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, fashion designer, and entrepreneur[58]
- June 10
- Adam Darski, Polish musician
- Takako Matsu, Japanese singer-songwriter and actress
- June 12
- Kenny Wayne Shepherd, guitarist
- Ana Tijoux, French-Chilean musician
- June 23 – Jason Mraz, American singer-songwriter and musician
- June 24 – Francine Jordi, Swiss pop singer
- June 25 – Tim Anderson, 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
- Liv Tyler, American actress daughter of Steven Tyler
- July 5 – Royce da 5'9", American rapper
- July 7 – Dan Whitesides, American drummer (The Used and The New Transit Direction)
- July 8 – Barbara Tausia, Belgian choreographer and dancer (Eu4ya)
- 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, American musician and vocalist (My Chemical Romance)
- July 18 – Tony Fagenson, American musician, producer, and songwriter (Eve 6, Dead Posey)
- July 20 – Şebnem Paker, Turkish guitarist singer and music teacher
- July 28 – Jacoby Shaddix, American singer-songwriter, rapper, and TV presenter (Papa Roach)
- July 29
- Danger Mouse, American record producer (Gnarls Barkley)
- Rodney Jerkins, American record producer, songwriter, and rapper
- July 30
- Ian Watkins, Welsh singer (Lostprophets)
- Paw Lagermann, Danish singer, songwriter and record producer (Infernal)
- August 7
- Samantha Ronson, English DJ and singer-songwriter (Lindsay Lohan, Mark Ronson)
- Nicco, American recording artist
- August 8 – Marsha Ambrosius, English singer-songwriter
- August 10 – Aaron Kamin, American guitarist and vocalist (The Calling)
- August 12 – Park Yong-ha, South Korean actor and singer (d. 2010)
- August 16 – Tamer Hosny, Egyptian singer and actor
- August 17
- Claire Richards, British singer and dancer (Steps)[59]
- Tarja Turunen, Finnish operatic soprano singer-songwriter
- August 19 – Katrina Woolverton, American singer-songwriter
- August 30 – Jens Ludwig, German guitarist
- August 31
- Craig Nicholls, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Vines)
- Del Marquis, American musician (Scissor Sisters)
- September 1
- Chris Cain, American rock bassist (We Are Scientists)
- Kathleen de Leon Jones, Australian actress, singer and dancer
- September 2
- Elitsa Todorova, Bulgarian singer-songwriter
- Sam Rivers, American bassist (Limp Bizkit)
- September 3 – DJ Envy, American disc jockey, record producer and radio personality
- September 4
- Ian Grushka, American musician and songwriter (New Found Glory)
- Lucie Silvas, English singer
- September 6
- Kiyoshi Hikawa, Japanese enka singer
- N.O.R.E., American rapper (Capone-N-Noreaga)
- September 9 – Chae Jung-an, South Korean actress and singer
- September 11
- Jonny Buckland, English-born Welsh rock guitarist (Coldplay)
- Ludacris, American rapper and actor
- Jang Minho, South Korean singer (U-BeS)
- September 12
- 2 Chainz, American rapper and businessman
- James McCartney, English musician and singer son of Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney
- September 13 – Fiona Apple, American singer-songwriter[60]
- 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, Beyoncé)
- September 23
- Susan Tamim, Lebanese singer and actress (d. 2008)
- Piero Esteriore, Swiss singer
- September 29 – Trine Jepsen, Danish singer, actress and Television presenter (EyeQ)
- October 1 – Owen Biddle, rock bass guitarist (The Roots)
- October 4 – Ana Johnsson, Swedish singer
- October 5 – Wendy Vera, Ecuadorian musician and composer
- October 6 – Melinda Doolittle, American singer
- October 12 – Young Jeezy, American rapper
- October 13 – Justin Peroff, Canadian drummer and percussionist (Broken Social Scene)
- October 15 – Erin McKeown, American folk-rock singer-songwriter
- October 16
- John Mayer, American singer, songwriter, and guitarist
- Chris Knapp, American drummer (The Ataris)
- October 17 – Nicole Cabell, American operatic soprano
- October 22 - The Blessed Madonna, American DJ, musician and producer
- October 25 – Yehonathan Gatro, Israeli singer and actor
- November 1 – Alistair Griffin, British singer and songwriter
- November 4 – Kavana, British singer
- November 7 – Wigor, Polish rapper and producer[citation needed]
- November 8
- Khia, American rapper, songwriter and record producer
- Bucky Covington, American singer
- Tiffani Wood, Australian singer-songwriter (Bardot)
- November 10 – Brittany Murphy, American actress and singer (d. 2009)
- November 13 – Huang Xiaoming, Chinese actor and singer
- November 14 – Obie Trice, African-American rapper
- November 15 – Logan Whitehurst, American one man band (died 2006)
- November 18 – Fabolous, American rapper
- November 20 – Daniel Svensson, Swedish drummer
- November 21 – Annie, Norwegian singer-songwriter and DJ
- November 23 – Christopher Amott, Swedish guitarist
- November 27 – Ivar Bjørnson, Norwegian songwriter and guitarist (Enslaved)
- November 28 - Katrina Parker, American idendependant artist and featured on The Voice
- November 30 – Steve Aoki, American musician, record producer, DJ, and music executive
- December 1
- Brad Delson, American guitarist (Linkin Park)[49]
- Akiva Schaffer, American actor, filmmaker, comedian, and musician (The Lonely Island)
- Bryan-Michael Cox, American record producer and songwriter (Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige and Toni Braxton)
- December 7 – Dominic Howard, drummer (Muse)
- December 9 – Imogen Heap, English singer, songwriter, record producer, and audio engineer
- December 18 – Axwell, Swedish DJ, record producer and remixer
- December 21
- Toby Rand, Australian singer-songwriter (Juke Kartel)
- Regína Ósk, Icelandic singer (Eurobandið)
- December 23 – Nitty, American rapper
- December 24 – Gil Seong-joon, South Korean hip hop duo (Leessang)
- December 25 – Mariama Goodman, British group (Honeyz)
- 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)[61]
- January 16 – Tom Archia, jazz saxophonist, 57[62]
- January 23 – Dick Burnett, folk songwriter, 94
- January 29 – Johnny Franz, English record producer, 54[63]
- February 8 – Eivind Groven, microtonal composer and music theorist, 75[64]
- February 10 – Grace Williams, composer, 70[65]
- 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[66]
- 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)[67]
- 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)[68]
- August 19 – Groucho Marx, comedian, actor, singer and performer, 86 (pneumonia)[69]
- 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[70]
- September 16
- Marc Bolan, singer-songwriter, 29 (car crash)[71]
- Maria Callas, operatic soprano, 53 (heart attack)[72]
- September 29 – Alexander Tcherepnin, composer, 78
- September 30 – Mary Ford, guitarist and vocalist, 53 (diabetes-related)
- October 8 – Giorgos Papasideris, Greek singer, composer, and lyricist, 75
- October 13 – Shirley Brickley, the Orlons, 32 (shot)[73]
- October 14 – Bing Crosby, American singer and actor, 74[74]
- October 19 – Marino Capicchioni, Italian musical instrument maker, 82[75]
- October 20 – Ronnie Van Zant, 29, Steve Gaines, 28, and Cassie Gaines, 29, American members of Lynyrd Skynyrd (plane crash)[76]
- November 5 – Guy Lombardo, violinist and bandleader, 75[77]
- November 14 – Richard Addinsell, Warsaw Concerto composer, 73[78]
- December 5 – Rahsaan Roland Kirk, jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer, 42 (stroke)
- December 24 – Salvatore Papaccio, Canzone Napoletana tenor, 87[79]
- December 25 – Charlie Chaplin, actor and composer, 88[80]
- December 28 – Sam Brown, jazz guitarist, 38
- December 30 – St. Louis Jimmy Oden, blues singer, 74[81]
- date unknown – Jimmy Cooper, hammered dulcimer player, 70
Awards
References
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