1976 is now 50 years ago. I was only beginning my love affair with radio and records at that young age, but as I reviewed a list of albums released during that Bicentennial year, I was amazed at how many of these albums remain in regular rotation on not only my own personal playlists, but within pop culture itself even five decades later. 

Consider that the multiplatinum hit “Chicago X” was released alongside “Takin’ it to the Streets” by the Doobie Brothers.  Linda Ronstadt put out “Hasten Down the Wind,” another fine collection of songs; Barry Manilow’s best-ever effort was “This One’s for You”; Bob Seger’s “Night Moves” and “Crystal Ball” by Styx are still heard constantly on radio and streaming; “Arrival” by ABBA was truly an arrival of the best things about that band, while ELO came into their own with “A New World Record.” Finally, John Denver’s clean-living songs on “Spirit” capture a time, place, and era.

Michael Bird is an assistant professor of music at Faulkner University.