This was the first UK punk single. It came out on 22 October 1976. Four days later I saw The Damned for the first time.

(more…)

For me, punk rock was born on the Fourth of July in 1976, on a sweltering summer Sunday night at The Roundhouse. That’s when The Ramones came to London. (more…)

(more…)

Here’s another infectious party in your ears. There’s not much to it but there doesn’t need to be, beyond that fat beat, the funky bass, the jagged guitars and the constant exhortations to Get Down. Apart from that soaring soprano sax that keeps on taking it higher. (more…)

There was so much more to Bunny Wailer than being a founding member of the band that bears his name. (more…)

Here’s another funky slice of disco from the vaults by the splendidly named Juggy Murray Jones. It sneaked into the Top 40 and was a dancefloor staple across Britain in 1976. (more…)

Here’s another stone cold disco classic from 1975, written and produced by the legendary Sylvia Robinson. (more…)

Now this is a CHOON! I’d say it’s a banger but that word was limited to small noisy fireworks back in 1976. And this is bigger and noisier than that. (more…)

I know I shouldn’t but I love this cheesy country music pastiche by Pussycat – perhaps the only country-and-western chart topper by a Dutch group.

(more…)

By 1976 I was losing interest in the singles chart, beyond getting my weekly fix of Top of the Pops. So I missed this at the time. (more…)