# Best of the Rest of the Top 40: 1976 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 6, 2015, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988 "2015-02-06T18:01:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/1 "2015-02-06T18:01:22Z")
Our poll takes us once again to 1976. The #1 spot was dominated by disco this year, but there’s a fair bit of rock & soul bubbling under the top spot in this pick of 25, which takes us to #46 on the year-end chart. What’s your favorite? Previous polls: [1956](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744629) [1957](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744819) [1958](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744978) [1959](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745151) [1960](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745331) [1961](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745525) [1962](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745733) [1963](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745956) [1964](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746118) [1965](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746342) [1966](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746498) [1967](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746735) [1968](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=746932) [1969](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=747152) [1970](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=747345) [1971](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=747517) [1972](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=747737) [1973](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=747976) [1974](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=748145) [1975](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=748360) Best #1 single polls: [1955-56](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=731649) [1957](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=731871) [1958](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732021) [1959](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732199)[1960](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732526) [1961](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732691) [1962](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732872) [1963](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733112) [1964](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733297) [1965](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733526) [1966](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733750) [1967](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733958) [1968](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734168) [1969](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734331) [1970](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734535) [1971](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734741) [1972](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735107) [1973](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735304) [1974](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735502) [1975](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735659) [1976](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735871) [1977](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736076) [1978](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736316) [1979](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736501) [1980](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736705) [1981](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736957) [1982](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737099) [1983](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737315) [1984](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737488) [1985](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737732) [1986](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737957) [1987](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738178) [1988](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738403) [1989](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738639) [1990](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738829) [1991](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739067) [1992](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739360) [1993](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739525) [1994](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739880) [1995](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740122) [1996](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740302) [1997](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740497) [1998](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740709) [1999](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740859) [2000](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741047) [2001](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741267) [2002](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741450) [2003](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741604) [2004](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741730) [2005](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741915) [2006](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742069) [2007](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742147) [2008](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742282) [2009](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742467) [2010](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742676) [2011](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742846) [2012](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=675664) [2013](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=710843) [2014](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743899) [1950s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743046) [1960s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743240) [1970s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743399) [1980s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743597) [1990s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743803) [2000s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743981) [2010s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744176) [All-time](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=744358) ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/2 "2015-02-06T18:14:39Z")
_Bohemian Rapsody_ is way out front for me. Everything else is tied for last. At least _BR_ has some complexity. Any year with Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show entered twice is is not a year for the memory book, but FWIW. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/3 "2015-02-06T18:22:21Z")
This is maybe the strongest year for the 1970’s polls so far, in my view. The classic great is obviously “Bohemian Rhapsody”, which will most likely lead this poll. I think Queen is truly one of the greatest rock bands that ever existed, they had so much great songs. Now I know and love a handful of these songs: Andrea True Connection, Donna Summer(maybe her best), Starbuck, Silver Convention, Lou Rawls, Hot Chocolate, and few I already know and so need listening. I’ll reserve my vote for later. Tough year. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/4 "2015-02-06T18:22:53Z")
I went with Nazareth on this one, because; 1. Bohemian Rhapsody is probably going to win 2. Even if it doesn’t, it recurs on the year-end chart in 1992 so I’d have another chance to vote for it ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/5 "2015-02-06T19:00:32Z")
This is my only chance to vote for a song about calculus. 😃 So I went with that, passing up the opportunity to vote for someone named Rufus. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/6 "2015-02-06T19:46:41Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > This is my only chance to vote for a song about calculus. 😃 You mean I’m not the only one who used to sing along, substituting “…one more time” with “…as x approaches infinity”? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/7 "2015-02-06T21:05:13Z")
In retrospect, I chose Bohemian Rhapsody, even though I wasn’t aware of the song at the time. Barring that, and going with what I liked back then, I’d take Hot Chocolate’s entry. ---
**Author:** ![TheInimitableMaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@TheInimitableMaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheInimitableMaven)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/8 "2015-02-06T21:13:57Z")
Had to go with Bowie…_Station To Station_ is a damn great album (and one of my top three Bowie faves), and “Golden Years” was a fine ambassador of it. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/9 "2015-02-06T22:24:58Z")
I went for Hot Chocolate. I think Erroll Brown was a fantastic soul singer and very underrated. _Bohemian Rhapsody_ is classic, but think of it as more a 1975 song. Again some tunes I don’t know or don’t remember, but plenty of good ones that I do… ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2015, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/10 "2015-02-07T02:10:26Z")
I voted for “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine.” I also considered “My Love is Alive,” “More More More,” “Love Hurts,” and “Love to Love You Baby.” “Bohemian Rhapsody” is good but was never one of my favorite Queen songs. “Moonlight Feels Right” is dead-ass last. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2015, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/11 "2015-02-07T02:15:15Z")
I would like to take this opportunity to announce that I have never liked “Bohemian Rhapsody” and do not understand all the love it gets. I’m going with Hot Chocolate. I mean, come on: it was used for a monkey striptease on The Simpsons! ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2015, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/12 "2015-02-07T02:22:21Z")
The Lou Rawls song takes me back. I can see the Tall Ships sailing under the GW Bridge… ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2015, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/13 "2015-02-07T14:20:53Z")
Well, praise Og, a year with a rich and varied selection of worthwhile choices. It may take me a while to make a final decision, though I know Queen is likely to totally run away with it. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/14 "2015-02-07T15:00:42Z")
“A Night at the Opera” was the first LP I ever bought, all because of Bohemian Rhapsody. The whole album was good. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2015, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/15 "2015-02-07T23:14:15Z")
Where to begin? First a slight nitpick, but it is Silver Convention, not Connection. Not that it matters, understandable since there is Andrea True Connection on the list, both disco. Rufus is Rufus and Chaka Khan. How about some trivia? Did you know that Andrea True was actually a adult film actress? She starred in over 50 porn movies in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, even after recording the #4 hit “More More More”, which was sampled by Len for their 1999 song “Steal My Sunshine”. Andrea True died in 2011 at the age of 68. England Dan’s real name was Danny Wayland Seals, and he was the younger brother of Jim Seals, of Seals and Croft! Both duos appear on this list. England Dan went on to a successful country music career; died in March 2009. Seals and Croft’s three biggest hits, “Summer Breeze”, “Diamond Girl”, and “Get Closer” all hit #6 on the charts. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2015, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/16 "2015-02-07T23:19:26Z")
This is tough, for I could vote for Donna Summer England Dan and John Ford Coley(glad two voted for it) Andrea True Connection Hot Chocolate Maxine Nightingale Starbuck Silver Convention Queen I also do not mind Lou Rawls, Vicki Sue Ronbinson and few others but not enough to vote. Last on this list is the Eric Carmen song, hate it and also hate the Celine Dion cover. So it is either Queen(I like a lot of their songs better than this one) or Andrea True Connection. For 1976 I voted with the crowd-Queen it is. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2015, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/17 "2015-02-07T23:28:55Z")
What !? No love for Donnie and Marie? If we have all these “worthwhile” (rolleyes raised to the 10th) tunes, there MUST be some sould to throw the children a bone… (I _like_ the metaphor) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/18 "2015-02-08T08:28:14Z")
Only one song can contest “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and that song is “Love to Love You, Baby.” I voted for Donna, knowing full well Queen would walk away handily with this year’s win. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/19 "2015-02-08T11:11:44Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I went with Nazareth on this one, because; > > 1. Bohemian Rhapsody is probably going to win Me, too except: 1. _Love Hurts_ is really one of the great power ballads from the 70s. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988/20 "2015-02-08T22:54:25Z")
There are 5 songs on this list I would consider, if BoRap wasn’t on the list, easy choice. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-rest-of-the-top-40-1976/711988.md?page=2)