1976. You’d think that people would have had enough of silly love songs.

Well, silly or not, the charts of this fascinating year were full of big, big hits. Crowdpleasers, I hear you cry? Well, whatever way you view 1976, and many so-called rock journos and hacks would do so rather disdainfully, the twelve months bookended by number ones by Queen and Johnny Mathis (!) were certainly colourful and (checks notes for suitable adjective) erm, eclectic. 

Whilst certain history threads (I’m looking at you again Channel 5) will tell you that everyone was embracing bondage trousers, safety pins and other overused punk stereotypes, the truth was that the cash registers at Woolworths were ringing to the sounds of everything from the Greek smock admirer Demis Roussos, Dutch fairground dwelling country swingers Pussycat and those loveable Rock and Roll revivalists and brothel creeper wearing funsters Showaddywaddy.

And the biggest selling single of the year - well that would be the Brotherhood of Man’s lip smacking shoe shuffler and Eurovision winning rocket.

Yes, punk would no doubt influence the coming years of popular culture, but not whilst The Wurzels were ploughing the pop fields of ’76.

The world of compilations was shifting up a gear too as the album charts saw TV advertising become a major factor in changing the landscape of big sellers with huge number one sellers from the kids favourites Slim Whitman, Bert Weedon, Glen Campbell and The Beach Boys, who remained at number one for ten consecutive weeks through that Hot, Hot, Hot summer of 1976. Good vibrations indeed!

And in the jet-pack future of the 21st Century, how much fun does 1976 look? Well, pop kids, let the Guardian's head rock and pop critic Alexis Petridis and author Ian Wade guide you through it courtesy of the spanking NOW Yearbook 1976.

• The emergence of the stadium rock, pop sound
• 10cc inventing Paranoid Android
• Guilty Pleasures (or not!)
• The wonderfully weird world of Fox
• Disco - hello!

And along the way, rediscover the shimmering sounds that kept us sane through the heatwave, explore how CB radio (and questionable radio 1 DJs, mate) became a real thing (but not by The Real Thing), consider what Cliff Richard and Lou Reed may have discussed in Studio 54, which single was Wadey’s first, which artist’s concert Alexis was joined by Johnny Trunk at, the story of Ruby Flipper and the Blue Peter garden, which acts not to get stuck in a lift with and why David Dundas is not struggling to find funds for his next pair of jeans.

Confused? Lost? Over-stimulated? You’re in great pop company then in 1976. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Whether you were there or are rediscovering this amazing pop year for the first time, grab a cool drink, and jump onboard.

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