Although released in late 1977, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack would be impossible to ignore for much of 1978, with the Bee Gees’ “Night Fever” and “Stayin’ Alive,” as well as Yvonne Elliman’s “If I Can’t Have You,” all reaching #1. At several points during the first half of ‘78, the soundtrack album was selling over 1 million units a week.

Bee Gees – Stayin’ Alive
Bee Gees – Night Fever (w/ More Than a Woman)

On the country music side, Kenny Rogers released his career-defining album, The Gambler, which has gone on to sell over 35 million copies.

Kenny Rogers – The Gambler

JANUARY

Cheap Trick release their third album, Heaven Tonight, which, while only managing a #48 chart showing, is notable for containing the studio version of “Surrender” (itself peaking at #62) and becoming the first album for the band to be certified Gold.

Cheap Trick – Surrender (with Ted Nugent introduction)

Gerry Rafferty releases the album City to City, which has the distinction of knocking Saturday Night Fever out of the #1 spot in July. The album is best remembered for containing Rafferty’s smash hit, “Baker Street,” which hit #2 in the U.S. and #3 in the UK.

Baker Street (covered by Jars of Clay)

FEBRUARY

Van Halen release their self-titled debut album and, in a matter of weeks, reshape the way a generation of guitarists approach their instrument. Tracks like “Running With The Devil,” “Jamie’s Cryin’,” and “ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love” received heavy AOR radio airplay, but the band’s cover of the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me,” would actually break the Top 40, peaking at #36. The album has sold approximately fifteen million copies to date.

Van Halen – You Really Got Me

MARCH

Although released the previous year in the UK, Elvis Costello’s debut effort, My Aim Is True, is released in the U.S. to widespread critical acclaim and a peak chart position of #32. In hindsight, it reads like a virtual greatest hits, featuring some of Costello’s best work: “Welcome to the Working Week,” “Alison,” “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes,” “Less Than Zero,” and “Watching the Detectives” (which was not included on the UK version of the album).

Elvis Costello – Watching The Detectives
Elvis Costello – Alison/Suspicious Minds

The Patti Smith Group release Easter and enjoy top-20 success not only on the Top 200 Albums chart, but on the pop single charts as well with the Smith-Springsteen composition “Because the Night.”

Patti Smith Group-Because the Night

The Buzzcocks release their debut album, Another Music in a Different Kitchen, featuring such notable post-punk anthems as “Orgasm Addict,” “What Do I Get?,” and “Oh Shit.”

Buzzcocks – What Do I Get?

APRIL

Television release their second album, Adventure, which debuts at #7 on the UK charts, but fails to chart in the U.S. Tensions within the band would lead to their breakup by year’s end.

Television – Foxhole

Carly Simon releases Boys in the Trees, her fifth consecutive top-ten album, which features the top-ten single “You Belong to Me” as well as “Devoted to You,” a duet with then-husband James Taylor that reaches #36.

Carly Simon – You Belong to Me

MAY

Boston’s Cars release their self-titled debut album. “Just What I Needed” and “My Best Friend’s Girl” become Top 40 hits for the band, propelling the album into the top 20. The album has sold almost ten million copies in the U.S. to date.

The Cars – Good Times Roll
The Cars – My Best Friend’s Girl

Journey release their fourth studio album, Infinity. It is most notable for being new singer Steve Perry’s recorded debut with the group and for becoming their first commercially successful release. While neither of the three singles (”Anytime,” “Lights,” and “Wheel in the Sky”) would dent the Top 40, AOR radio play and solid touring would take the album to a peak position of #21.

Journey – Lights
Journey – Wheel in the Sky

Elvis Costello & the Attractions release This Year’s Model only two months after the U.S. release of My Aim Is True. The album would hit #30 on the U.S. albums chart, propelled by such underground favorites as “Radio Radio” and “Pump It Up.”

Elvis Costello – Radio Radio

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers release their second album, You’re Gonna Get It, and enjoy their first taste of Top 40 success. Despite no obvious hit single — although it did include standout tracks “I Need to Know” and “Listen to Her Heart” — the album peaks at #23 on the Top 200 albums chart.

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – I Need to Know
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – Listen to Her Heart

JUNE

Bruce Springsteen releases Darkness on the Edge of Town, his long-awaited follow-up to the multiplatinum Born to Run. Most notably, this album failed to generate a full-blown hit single, although “Prove It All Night” did manage a #40 position. Springsteen’s desire to maintain conceptual continuity throughout led him to scrap recordings of “Fire” (later a hit for the Pointer Sisters) and “Because the Night” (a top-20 hit for Patti Smith) during the sessions.

Bruce Springsteen – Prove It All Night

The Rolling Stones release Some Girls, an album that would hit #1 and become their best-selling album in the U.S. to that point. It features the notable singles “Miss You” (which marked a quite intentional foray into disco territory and would go to #1), “Beast of Burden” (#8), and “Shattered” (#31).

Rolling Stones – Miss You (extended dance mix)

JULY

Devo release their Brian Eno-produced debut effort, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo. While far from a commercial success, the album is critically adored and highly influential. It is perhaps best-known for including the band’s idiosyncratic reworking of the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction.”

Devo – Satisfaction
Devo – Come Back Jonee
Devo – Uncontrollable Urge
Devo – Mongoloid
Devo – Jocko Homo
Devo – Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy

Talking Heads release their second album, More Songs About Buildings and Food, which is also produced by Brian Eno (who, by now, was at work on the debut album by the B-52’s). Unlike their debut album, this hits the Top 40, as does the single “Take Me to the River.”

Talking Heads – Take Me to the River

AUGUST

Boston release their second album, Don’t Look Back. Whereas their debut had reached #3 and sold over ten million copies, the follow-up would peak at #4 and, though it would sell over four million copies in its first month of release, go on to sell only half as many copies as the band’s debut effort.

Boston – Don’t Look Back

Steve Martin releases A Wild and Crazy Guy, which reaches #2 on the Billboard Top 200 — the last comedy album to accomplish such a feat for decades — and spawns the top-20 single “King Tut.”

Steve Martin – King Tut

The Who release Who Are You, an album that originally met with critical disdain, all of which would quickly take a backseat to Keith Moon’s death the following month. The album would chart at #2 and the title track would become a top-20 hit in both the UK and U.S. before taking its rightful place as the theme song to the popular CBS drama, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

The Who – Who Are You

SEPTEMBER

All four members of Kiss release solo albums. While Ace Frehley’s album peaks at #26, driven by the success of the top-20 pop single “New York Groove,” Gene Simmons’s album is the highest-charting of the four, rising to #22 despite a cringe-inducing version of “When You Wish Upon a Star.” Paul Stanley’s album would reach a peak position of #40, while Peter Criss would see his effort plateau at #43.

Kiss – New York Groove

The Who’s drummer, Keith Moon, dies of an overdose of the medication Clomethiazole, which he’d been taking to combat the effects of alcohol withdrawal.

10cc release “Bloody Tourists” and score a #1 pop single in the UK with “Dreadlock Holiday.” Neither the album or single would hit the Top 40 in the U.S.

Graham Gouldman, Neil Finn, and Roddy Frame – Dreadlock Holiday

Blondie release their third album (and first with producer Mike Chapman), Parallel Lines, and score their first top-ten album. “Heart of Glass,” in addition to becoming a huge dancefloor hit, becomes the band’s first #1 pop single in the U.S. “One Way or Another” charts at #24.

Blondie – Heart of Glass (extended remix)

OCTOBER

Al Stewart releases Time Passages, the follow-up to the immensely popular Year of the Cat album from 1976. Like its predecessor, it was produced by Alan Parsons and enjoyed widespread critical and commercial success. Both it and the title track would break the top ten. Follow-up single “Song on the Radio” would reach #29.

Al Stewart – Year of the Cat

NOVEMBER

The Police release their debut album, Outlandos d’Amour. “Roxanne” would become the band’s first U.S. Top 40 single and the album would rise to #26. In the UK, “Roxanne” would break the top 20 and “Can’t Stand Losing You” would reach #2 on the singles chart.

The Police – Roxanne

Siouxsie & the Banshees release their debut album, The Scream, on Polydor Records. While not part of the UK version of the album, the band’s UK top-ten single “Hong Kong Garden” was added to U.S. pressings. When the band signed to Geffen years later, the album was re-released in the U.S. with the original UK track listing.

Siouxsie & the Banshees – Hong Kong Garden

The Jam release their third full-length album, All Mod Cons, which features the top-20 UK single “Down in the Tube Station at Midnight.”

The Jam – Down in the Tube Station at Midnight

The Clash release their second album, Give ‘Em Enough Rope, which actually precedes the release of their debut album in the U.S. The album, produced by Sandy Pearlman (best known for producing early Blue Oyster Cult releases), managed a peak U.S. chart position of #128 while reaching #2 in the UK. “Tommy Gun” would also become a top-20 UK pop single.

The Clash – Tommy Gun

Queen release their seventh album, Jazz, featuring such notable anthems as “Fat Bottomed Girls” and “Bicycle Race.” The double A-side single that contains both songs reaches #24 in the U.S.

Queen – Fat Bottomed Girls

DECEMBER

Inspired by a lengthy stay in a New York sanitarium for treatment of alcohol abuse, Alice Cooper releases From the Inside, which is comprised of songs co-written by Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin and produced by David Foster. While the album would fizzle out at #60 on the charts, the single “How You Gonna See Me Now” would reach #12.

Alice Cooper – How You Gonna See Me Now

Welcome to a series I began at He’s A Whore and am proud-as-punch to continue here at Popdose. While not able to mention everything that happened, I’ve touched upon some of the key events that made 1996 what it was, warts ‘n’ all.


Kiss announce plans to reunite with original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss as part of a “farewell” world tour.

In March, Phil Collins announces his decision to leave Genesis.

That same month, the Sex Pistols announce plans for a reunion tour marking the 20th anniversary of the band’s formation.

In May, Sublime’s Brad Nowell dies of a heroin overdose a mere two months before the band was to release Killin’ It, the first CD recorded after signing to MCA Records. In light of his death, the album was re-titled Sublime and, driven by the success of the single “What I Got,” would go on to sell over five million copies.

On June 20, Jim Ellison, singer/guitarist for Material Issue, is found dead of an apparent suicide.

On July 11, Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin and tour keyboardist Johnathan Melvoin overdose on heroin while on tour. Melvoin is found dead and Chamberlin is later arrested on charges of drug possession. He is fired from the band a few days later.

In August, The Ramones play their final live show as part of the Lollapalooza festival.

On October 30, Slash leaves Guns ‘n’ Roses.

Announcing their decision to call it quits, Crowded House play their final concert on the steps of the Syndey Opera House to an audience of over 100,000 fans.
Don’t Dream It’s Over

In March, The Beatles’ Anthology 2 is released, featuring a second “new” Beatles single, “Real Love,” a song re-worked from a John Lennon demo.
Real Love

In April, Hootie & the Blowfish release the follow-up to their smash hit album, Cracked Rear View. The new album, Fairweather Johnson, debuts at #1 on the Top 100 Albums chart and goes on to sell over three million copies. In light of Cracked Rear View selling over 15 million copies, Fairweather Johnson is considered a commercial failure.

That same month, Dave Matthews Band release Crash, the follow-up to their breakthrough 1994 album, Under the Table and Dreaming. The new album features the smash hit single “Crash Into Me” and climbs to #2 on the Top 100.
Crash Into Me

Def Leppard release Slang, their first album since 1981’s High &; Dry not to be produced by Robert John “Mutt” Lange. The album is noted for a drastic stylistic change that incorporates certain elements of grunge. With no obvious hit singles from the album, it would peak at #14 on the Top 100, but fade quickly.

In May, the Wallflowers, led by Bob Dylan’s son, Jakob, release their second album, Bringing Down the Horse. “6th Avenue Heartache” not only draws comparisons to Bruce Springsteen, but also reaches #25 on the Pop Singles chart. Subsequent singles “One Headlight” (#2), “Three Marlenas” (#35), and “The Difference” (#19) garner heavy modern rock airplay and propel the album to #4 on the charts.
One Headlight
The Difference

Soundgarden release their fifth album, Down on the Upside, which reaches a chart position of #2 on the strength of modern rock staples “Burden in My Hand” and “Pretty Noose.” Due to tensions within the band (mainly between singer Chris Cornell and guitarist Kim Thayil), it would be their last.
Pretty Noose

George Michael releases his third solo album, Older, arriving after a protracted lawsuit against his record company that Michael would ultimately lose. The album features two Top 10 singles in “Jesus to a Child” (#7) and “Fastlove” (#6) (both songs would go #1 in the UK).

Bryan Adams releases 18 Til I Die. Highlighted by songs such as “(I Wanna Be) Your Underwear” and “The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You,” his string of platinum-selling Top 10 albums in the US would come to a screeching halt as the album peaked at a paltry #31.
(I Wanna Be) Your Underwear

In June, Beck releases Odelay, a collaboration with producers The Dust Brothers that proves Mellow Gold (which featured the smash hit “Loser”) was no fluke. Driven by the success of modern rock singles “Where It’s At,” “Devil’s Haircut,” and “The New Pollution,” the album peaks at #16 on the US Top 100 Albums chart. [Check out these live cuts, “Jack-Ass” and “Where It’s At” performed by Beck and Flaming Lips.
Jack-Ass
Where It’s At (Beck with Flaming lips)

Primitive Radio Gods’ album Rocket is released by Columbia Records. Originally released in limited form six years earlier, the album is the work of sole member Chris O’Connor, who gave up music to become an air traffic controller. Happening upon a stash of the demo tapes he’d placed in storage, O’Connor mailed copies to a handful of labels. Jonathan Daniel, then of Fiction Records, signed O’Connor to a publishing contract on the strength of a song called “Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand” and was instrumental in orchestrating a deal with Columbia Records. The song, which heavily sampled B.B. King’s “How Blue Can You Get?,” would go on to become a Top 10 single. The album itself would reach #36.

Fiona Apple releases her debut album, Tidal, which includes the singles “Shadowboxer” (#32) and “Criminal” (#21), and has gone on to sell over three million copies.
Criminal

Following the Top 40 success of their debut album (Deluxe), Better Than Ezra release Friction, Baby in August. Leadoff single “Desperately Wanting” breaks the Top 40 , but the follow-up single “King of New Orleans” fails to chart and the album manages only a brief peak position of #64.
King Of New Orleans

Pearl Jam releases their fourth album, No Code, which spends two weeks at #1 and has the year’s biggest opening week of sales (366,000 copies). It includes the Top 40 single “Who You Are.”
Who You Are

In September, R.E.M. release their tenth album, New Adventures in Hi-Fi. Despite a peak chart position of #2 in the US (and #1 in the UK), the album lacks a breakout single, with only “Bittersweet Me” breaking the Top 40. It would be the last album to feature drummer Bill Berry.
E-Bow The Letter (R.E.M. with Thom Yorke)

Cake score a Top 40 hit with their second album, Fashion Nugget, which includes their signature single “The Distance.”
The Distance

Sheryl Crow releases her second album, entitled simply Sheryl Crow. Hit singles “If It Makes You Happy” (#10) and “Everyday Is a Winding Road” (#11) enjoy widespread radio airplay and propel the album to a peak position of #6, selling over four million copies.
If It Makes You Happy
Everyday Is a Winding Road

After the platinum success of their self-titled debut album two years prior, Weezer return with the moody and distorted album, Pinkerton. Fueled by painkillers, as a result of Rivers Cuomo’s leg surgery, and delayed by his enrollment at Harvard, songs such as “El Scorcho” and “Pink Triangle” are bleaker than anything on their debut. Despite debuting in the Top 20, the album would be heavily criticized and barely surpass gold status. None of the album’s three singles would crack the Top 40 (unlike the debut album’s three Top 40 hits). Bassist Matt Sharp would later leave the band to work primarily with his own band, The Rentals.
El Scorcho
Pink Triangle

In October, Fountains of Wayne release their debut self-titled album, which features college rock favorites “Radiation Vibe,” “Leave the Biker,” and “Sink to the Bottom.”
Radiation Vibe

Matchbox 20 release their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You, in October. It would go on to sell over 12 million copies on the strength of hit singles “3AM,” “Push,” “Real World,” and “Back 2 Good.”
Push
Back 2 Good

Marilyn Manson releases their second album, Antichrist Superstar, on October 8. The album hits #3 on the Top 100 Albums chart and would go on to sell over a million copies. The single “The Beautiful People” enjoys heavy Modern Rock airplay.

On October 15, Korn release their second album, Life Is Peachy. It would reach a peak position of #3 and sell over three million copies while almost singlehandedly defining the nu-metal movement.
Wicked
A.D.I.D.A.S.

In November, Blind Melon release Nico, a collection of rare recordings, a year after the death of singer Shannon Hoon. Included on the album is an alternate version of the band’s breakthrough hit, “No Rain.”
No Rain (Ripped Away Version)