1977 in music
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Template:Short description Template:More citations needed
Template:Use mdy dates Template:YYYY music Template:Year topic navigation This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1977. It marked the peak of vinyl record sales in the United States, which declined in the following decades before experiencing a resurgence in the 21st century.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Specific locations
Specific genres
Events
January–February
- January 1 – The Clash headline the opening night of London's only punk rock club, The Roxy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- January 6 – After releasing only one single for controversial English punk rock band the Sex Pistols, EMI terminates its contract with them in response to the band's disruptive behaviour on ITV's Today and later at London Heathrow Airport.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- January 22 – German cellist Maria Kliegel makes her London debut at the Wigmore Hall, with a programme of Bach, Kodály, and Franck
- January 26 – Patti Smith falls off the stage while opening for Bob Seger in Tampa, Florida, and is rushed to the hospital for 22 stitches to close head lacerations
- February 4
- Paul Desmond gives his last concert with Dave Brubeck, in New York
- American Bandstand celebrates its 25th anniversary on television with a special hosted by Dick Clark; an "all-star band", performing "Roll Over Beethoven", is made up of Chuck Berry, Seals & Crofts, Gregg Allman, Junior Walker, Johnny Rivers, the Pointer Sisters, Charlie Daniels, Doc Severinsen, Les McCann, Donald Byrd, Chuck Mangione and three members of Booker T and the MGs
- Fleetwood Mac's widely anticipated Rumours is released; it goes on to become one of the best-selling albums of all time
- February 14 – The B-52's give their first public performance at a party in Athens, Georgia
- February 15 – Sid Vicious replaces Glen Matlock as the bassist of the Sex Pistols.
- February 19 – The 19th Annual Grammy Awards are presented in Los Angeles, hosted for the final time by Andy Williams. Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life wins Album of the Year, George Benson's "This Masquerade" wins Record of the Year and Barry Manilow's "I Write the Songs" wins Song of the Year. Starland Vocal Band win Best New Artist.
March–May
- March 1 – Sara Lowndes Dylan files for divorce from her husband of 11 years, Bob Dylan
- March 4 & 5 – The Rolling Stones play two shows at the El Mocambo club in Toronto
- April – Van Morrison releases a new album, A Period of Transition, after a nearly three-year absence
- March 10 – A&M Records signs the Sex Pistols in a ceremony in front of Buckingham Palace; this contract is terminated on March 16 as a result of the band vandalizing property and verbally abusing employees during a visit to the record company's office
- April 21 – Jesse Winchester, who fled to Canada in January 1967 to avoid military service in Vietnam, performs a concert in Burlington, Vermont, his first on American soil in ten years having recently become free to return under the Presidential pardon given to all draft evaders
- April 22 – Pink Floyd open the North American leg of their "Animals" tour in Miami, Florida
- April 24 – Several artists, including Joan Baez and Santana, perform at a free concert for 653 inmates of California's Soledad Prison
- April 26 – New York's disco Studio 54 opens.
- April 30 – Led Zeppelin sets a new world record attendance for an indoor solo attraction at the Pontiac Silverdome when 76,229 people attend a concert here on the group's 1977 North American Tour.
- May 2 – Elton John performs the first of six consecutive nights at London's Rainbow Theatre, his first concert in eight months
- May 7 – Having been postponed from April 2 because of a BBC technicians' strike, the 22nd Eurovision Song Contest finally goes ahead in London's Wembley Conference Centre: the winner is Marie Myriam representing France with "L'oiseau et l'enfant"; the British entry, Lynsey de Paul and Michael Moran's "Rock Bottom", comes 2nd
- May 11 – Punk rock band The Stranglers and support London start a 10-week national UK tour
- May 12
- Instruments made by all five members of the 17th- and 18th-century Guarneri family of violin makers are auctioned at Sotheby's, with the top price of £105,000 paid for an instrument made in 1738 by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù
- Virgin Records announce that they have signed the Sex Pistols, the group having had contracts with two previous labels terminated in 4 months
- May 28 – Bruce Springsteen and Mike Appel reach an out-of-court settlement, ending the year-long legal battle that has blocked Springsteen's ability to record new music
- May 29 – Elvis Presley walks offstage in the middle of a concert in Baltimore, Maryland, the first time in his twenty-three year career he has done so; after receiving treatment from a physician, he reappears onstage thirty minutes later
- May 31 – The musical Beatlemania is premièred at the Winter Garden Theatre on Manhattan
June–August
- June 7
- The Nikikai Opera Foundation is founded in Japan<ref>About Tokyo Nikikai Opera Foundation. Accessed August 11, 2014.</ref>
- The Sex Pistols attempt to interrupt Silver Jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II by performing their version of "God Save the Queen" from a boat on the River Thames
- June 12
- Guitarist Michael Schenker vanishes after a UFO concert at The Roundhouse in London (he is replaced for several months by Paul Chapman)
- The Supremes perform for the last time together at Drury Lane Theatre in London before officially disbanding.
- June 15 – The Snape Maltings Training Orchestra makes its London debut at St John's, Smith Square
- June 18 – The first St Magnus Festival of the Arts, founded in Orkney by local resident, composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, opens with Davies's opera The Martyrdom of St Magnus.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- June 20 – Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart drives his Porsche over the edge of a canyon, suffering multiple broken bones but surviving as a tree breaks his fall.
- June 26 – Elvis Presley gives his final concert, at Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Earlier that day, he has received a plaque commemorating the two billionth pressing from RCA's record pressing plant in Camden, New Jersey.
- July 9 – Donna Summer's hit record "I Feel Love" is released in the UK; it is the first hit record to have an entirely synthesised backing track.
- July 13 – After a massive blackout hits New York City, NRBQ manages to play an all-acoustic set at The Bottom Line with flashlights taped to their microphone stands.
- July 22 – The first night of The Proms are broadcast in quadraphonic sound by BBC Radio 3 for the first time
- July 26 – Led Zeppelin cancels the last seven dates of their American tour after lead singer Robert Plant learns that his six-year-old son Karac has died of a respiratory virus<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (The show two days before in Oakland proves to be the band's last in the United States)
- August 16 – Bing Crosby gives his final concert, in Brighton, UK, accompanied by Johnny Smith.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- August 17 – Florists Transworld Delivery (FTD) reports that in one day the number of orders for flowers to be delivered to Graceland for the funeral of Elvis Presley has surpassed the number for any other event in the company's history.
- August 18 – The funeral of Elvis Presley takes place at Graceland.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- August 20 – NASA's uncrewed probe Voyager 2 is launched carrying a golden record containing sounds and images representing life and culture on Earth, including the first movements of J. S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto and Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Guan Pinghu's Liu Shui, played on the guqin, and Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
September–December
- September 1 – World première at the Royal Albert Hall in London of the expanded version of Luciano Berio's Coro
- September 3 – Nearly 110,000 fans pack Englishtown Raceway in Old Bridge, New Jersey, United States, for an 11-hour concert by Grateful Dead, Marshall Tucker Band and New Riders of the Purple Sage.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
- September 15 – The third – and final – annual Rock Music Awards aired on NBC (Fleetwood Mac dominates, winning five awards while Linda Ronstadt receives the Best Rock Female Vocalist trophy for the third time
- October 3 – Elvis in Concert, a TV concert special filmed during Elvis Presley's final tour and released posthumously, is aired on CBS; Canadian Channel CKND-DT simulcasts it.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- October 5 – The bicentennial season of La Scala opens in Milan with a production of Giuseppe Verdi's Don Carlo.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- October 9 – Aerosmith cancels several tour dates after Joe Perry and Steven Tyler are injured by an M-80 explosive thrown onstage at the Philadelphia Spectrum, burning Tyler's left cornea and cutting Perry's left hand
- October 20 – A plane carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd crashes in a forest in Mississippi, killing songwriter & vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, background vocalist Cassie Gaines and assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick and seriously injuring many of the remaining band members
- October 28
- British punk band Sex Pistols release Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols on the Virgin Records label. Despite refusal by major UK retailers to stock it, it debuts at number one on the UK Album Charts the week after its release. In a promotional stunt the group perform on a boat on the River Thames shortly afterwards, only for the police to wait for them and make several arrests, including that of Malcolm McLaren, the band's manager at this time.
- British rock band Queen release the album News of the World.
- October 31 – The original version of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Jahreslauf is premièred at the National Theatre of Japan in Chiyoda, Tokyo, by the Imperial Gagaku Ensemble
- November 12 – The 6th OTI Festival, held at the Centro Cultural de la Villa de Madrid auditorium, in Madrid, Spain, is won by the song "Template:Lang", written by Carlos Mejía Godoy, and performed by Guayo González representing Nicaragua.
- November 25 – 10 Years of Rolling Stone, a television special commemorating the tenth anniversary of Rolling Stone magazine, airs on CBS in the United States; guests include Bette Midler, Art Garfunkel, Billy Preston, Melissa Manchester and Keith Moon
- November 30 – Bing Crosby's final Christmas television special, Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas, airs on CBS (containing the notable segment of Crosby joined by David Bowie for the duet "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy")
- December 14 – Saturday Night Fever appears in movie theaters, igniting a new popularity for disco music and pushing it to the forefront of American pop culture, with the soundtrack to the film by Bee Gees (who have composed most of the tracks)
- December 17 – Elvis Costello makes his American television début on Saturday Night Live as a last-minute replacement for the Sex Pistols, who were refused visas to enter America; Costello is banned after substituting the scheduled performance of "Less than Zero" with "Radio, Radio" instead
- December 31 – The sixth annual New Year's Rockin' Eve special airs on ABC and the United States, with performances by Ohio Players, Crystal Gayle, Kenny Rogers, KC and the Sunshine Band and Andy Gibb
Also in 1977
- "Bohemian Rhapsody" named "The Best Single Of The Last 25 Years" by BPI.
- The Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe begins its annual festival based on the music of George Frideric Handel.
- Luigi Sagrati becomes president of the Unione Musicisti di Roma.
- The IRCAM Center, a scientific institute for music and sound and avant-garde electro-acoustical art music, opens in Paris.
Bands formed
Bands reformed
Bands disbanded
Albums released
January
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Queens of Noise | The Runaways | - |
| Flight Log | Jefferson Airplane | Compilation | |
| 10 | Hard Again | Muddy Waters | - |
| Leave Home | Ramones | - | |
| 14 | Ahh... The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! | Bootsy's Rubber Band | - |
| Low | David Bowie | - | |
| 18 | Deep in My Soul | Smokey Robinson | - |
| An Evening with Diana Ross | Diana Ross | Live | |
| Playing the Fool | Gentle Giant | Live | |
| 20 | Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> | Jimmy Buffett | - |
| 21 | Animals | Pink Floyd | - |
| So So Satisfied | Ashford & Simpson | - | |
| 22 | Sleeping Gypsy | Michael Franks | - |
| 28 | Spiral Scratch | Buzzcocks | EP |
| - | Dreams, Dreams, Dreams | Chilliwack | - |
| Festival | Santana | - | |
| Forever for Now | April Wine | - | |
| Fountains of Light | Starcastle | - | |
| Joe Ely | Joe Ely | - | |
| Kenny Rogers | Kenny Rogers | - | |
| The Last Gunfighter Ballad | Johnny Cash | - | |
| The Light of Smiles | Gary Wright | - | |
| Lost Without Your Love | Bread | - | |
| Miracle Row | Janis Ian | - | |
| Novella | Renaissance | US | |
| Red Hot | Don Harrison Band | - | |
| Sammy Hagar | Sammy Hagar | - | |
| Cardiac Arrest | Cameo | Debut |
February
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Cheap Trick | Cheap Trick | Debut |
| Rumours | Fleetwood Mac | US | |
| Ra | Utopia | - | |
| The World Starts Tonight | Bonnie Tyler | Debut | |
| Rough Diamond | Rough Diamond | - | |
| Love at the Greek | Neil Diamond | Live | |
| 8 | Marquee Moon | Television | Debut |
| 11 | Bullinamingvase | Roy Harper | - |
| New Harvest – First Gathering | Dolly Parton | - | |
| Songs from the Wood | Jethro Tull | - | |
| 15 | Fingerprince | The Residents | - |
| 18 | Damned Damned Damned | The Damned | Debut |
| Don't Waste It | Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons | Debut | |
| Glorious | Gloria Gaynor | - | |
| 21 | (I'm) Stranded | The Saints | - |
| 22 | Unpredictable | Natalie Cole | - |
| 25 | Peter Gabriel | Peter Gabriel | Solo debut |
| Something Magic | Procol Harum | - | |
| Ultravox! | Ultravox | Debut | |
| - | In Your Mind | Bryan Ferry | - |
| Sleepwalker | The Kinks | - | |
| Stay in Love | Minnie Riperton | - | |
| Body Love | Klaus Schulze | Soundtrack | |
| Next | Journey | - | |
| On Earth as It Is in Heaven | Angel | - | |
| A Place in the Sun | Pablo Cruise | - | |
| Sunshine | Dragon | - | |
| Southern Nights | Glen Campbell | - | |
| Freeways | Bachman–Turner Overdrive | - | |
| Victim of Romance | Michelle Phillips | - |
March
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Live! | Status Quo | - |
| Malice in Wonderland | Paice Ashton Lord | - | |
| 8 | Foreigner | Foreigner | US |
| Go for Your Guns | The Isley Brothers | - | |
| 11 | Dandy in the Underworld | T.Rex | - |
| 15 | Islands | The Band | - |
| Live at the London Palladium | Marvin Gaye | Live | |
| 17 | Welcome to My World | Elvis Presley | Compilation |
| 18 | The Idiot | Iggy Pop | - |
| Every Face Tells a Story | Cliff Richard | - | |
| 21 | Let There Be Rock | AC/DC | Australia |
| Whatever Happened to Slade | Slade | - | |
| 25 | Works Volume 1 | Emerson, Lake & Palmer | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 30 | Commodores | Commodores | - |
| - | Live: You Get What You Play For | REO Speedwagon | - |
| Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live | Jeff Beck and the Jan Hammer Group | Live | |
| Saw Delight | Can | - | |
| Off the Record | Sweet | - | |
| Trans-Europe Express | Kraftwerk | - | |
| Heavy Weather | Weather Report | - | |
| Harbor | America | - | |
| I Came to Dance | Nils Lofgren | - | |
| Love Storm | Tavares | - | |
| Angel | Ohio Players | - | |
| Anytime...Anywhere | Rita Coolidge | - |
April
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Clear Air Turbulence | Ian Gillan Band | <ref>Template:Cite book</ref> |
| Ask Rufus | Rufus | - | |
| 8 | Even in the Quietest Moments | Supertramp | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| The Clash | The Clash | - | |
| Sin After Sin | Judas Priest | - | |
| 11 | Love You | The Beach Boys | - |
| 13 | Celebrate Me Home | Kenny Loggins | - |
| 15 | Rattus Norvegicus | The Stranglers | - |
| 29 | Lace and Whiskey | Alice Cooper | - |
| To You All | Krokus | - | |
| 30 | Caught Live + 5 | The Moody Blues | Live + unreleased material, 1969 |
| - | Come In from the Rain | Captain & Tennille | - |
| Detective | Detective | - | |
| Elegant Gypsy | Al Di Meola | - | |
| Future Games | Spirit | - | |
| Get It | Dave Edmunds | - | |
| Izitso | Cat Stevens | - | |
| Let It Flow | Dave Mason | - | |
| Magic Fly | Space | - | |
| Mirage | Klaus Schulze | - | |
| Moroccan Roll | Brand X | - | |
| Ol' Waylon | Waylon Jennings | - | |
| Over | Peter Hammill | - | |
| A Period of Transition | Van Morrison | - | |
| Phyllis Hyman | Phyllis Hyman | - | |
| Police and Thieves | Junior Murvin | - | |
| Sweet Forgiveness | Bonnie Raitt | - | |
| Taking Off | Neil Innes | - | |
| VSOP | Herbie Hancock | - | |
| Windy City Breakdown | Jonathan Cain | - |
May
June
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | I'm in You | Peter Frampton | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Exodus | Bob Marley & The Wailers | - | |
| 8 | Knock 'Em Dead Kid | Trooper | - |
| 9 | Monkey Island | The J. Geils Band | - |
| 13 | American Stars 'n Bars | Neil Young | - |
| 15 | In City Dreams | Robin Trower | - |
| Reencuentro | José José | - | |
| Suspiria | Goblin | Soundtrack | |
| You Light Up My Life | Debby Boone | Solo Debut | |
| 17 | CSN | Crosby, Stills & Nash | - |
| Quark, Strangeness and Charm | Hawkwind | - | |
| Love Gun | Kiss | - | |
| 20 | Ram Jam | Ram Jam | Debut |
| 22 | JT | James Taylor | - |
| 24 | We Must Believe in Magic | Crystal Gayle | - |
| 29 | Feel the Fire | Jermaine Jackson | - |
| - | Blowin' Away | Joan Baez | - |
| Full House | Frankie Miller | - | |
| Live at Last | Bette Midler | Live | |
| Making a Good Thing Better | Olivia Newton-John | - | |
| Photoplay | Sherbet | - | |
| Pure Mania | The Vibrators | - | |
| Season of Lights | Laura Nyro | Live | |
| Star Wars | John Williams | Soundtrack | |
| Steve Winwood | Steve Winwood | - | |
| Superman | Barbra Streisand | - | |
| To Lefty from Willie | Willie Nelson | - | |
| Tormé: A New Album | Mel Tormé | - | |
| Watercolors | Pat Metheny | - |
July
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Face to Face: A Live Recording | Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel | - |
| I Robot | The Alan Parsons Project | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 11 | Village People | Village People | mini-album debut |
| 15 | Going for the One | Yes | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| On Stage | Rainbow | Live<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |
| 22 | From Here to Eternity | Giorgio Moroder | - |
| Leif Garrett | Leif Garrett | - | |
| My Aim Is True | Elvis Costello | - | |
| 27 | Terrapin Station | Grateful Dead | - |
| 29 | Game, Dames and Guitar Thangs | Eddie Hazel | - |
| In Full Bloom | Rose Royce | - | |
| - | The Grand Illusion | Styx | - |
| Daytime Friends | Kenny Rogers | - | |
| It's a Game | Bay City Rollers | - | |
| Knnillssonn | Harry Nilsson | - | |
| Live! In the Air Age | Be-Bop Deluxe | Live | |
| Moody Blue | Elvis Presley | - | |
| Play Me Out | Glenn Hughes | - | |
| Radios Appear | Radio Birdman | - | |
| The Rambler | Johnny Cash | - | |
| Simple Things | Carole King | - | |
| The Whole Thing's Started | Air Supply | - |
August
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tasty | The Shadows | - |
| 5 | Dry & Heavy | Burning Spear | - |
| 12 | Motörhead | Motörhead | <ref name="BC">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Playmates | Small Faces | - | |
| 13 | Live in Japan | The Runaways | - |
| 16 | George Thorogood and the Destroyers | George Thorogood and the Destroyers | Debut |
| 19 | Foghat Live | Foghat | Live |
| Livin' on the Fault Line | The Doobie Brothers | - | |
| Patti LaBelle | Patti LaBelle | Solo Debut | |
| 22 | Pacific Ocean Blue | Dennis Wilson | - |
| 29 | A Farewell to Kings | Rush | - |
| Dizrythmia | Split Enz | - | |
| 30 | Barry White Sings for Someone You Love | Barry White | - |
| - | The Angels | The Angels | Australia |
| Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted | The Animals | - | |
| Boats Against the Current | Eric Carmen | - | |
| Brothers | Taj Mahal | Soundtrack | |
| Donald Clark Osmond | Donny Osmond | - | |
| Donovan | Donovan | - | |
| Firing on All Six | Lone Star | - | |
| Live | Golden Earring | Live | |
| Nothin' but the Blues | Johnny Winter | - | |
| Rock 'n' Roll with the Modern Lovers | Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers | - | |
| Showtime | Ry Cooder | - | |
| Radio Special | The Residents | Promo only, officially released 1983 |
September
October
November
December
| Day | Album | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | The Belle Album | Al Green | - |
| Running on Empty | Jackson Browne | - | |
| 9 | Draw the Line | Aerosmith | <ref name="Draw the Line">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Scouse the Mouse | Ringo Starr | Children's | |
| 12 | ABBA: The Album | ABBA | - |
| 13 | Blue Lights in the Basement | Roberta Flack | - |
| Don Juan's Reckless Daughter | Joni Mitchell | - | |
| 20 | Life on the Line | Eddie and the Hot Rods | - |
| - | The Alice Cooper Show | Alice Cooper | Live |
| Taken by Force | Scorpions | - | |
| Björk | Björk Guðmundsdóttir | - | |
| All in the Name of Love | John Hartford | - | |
| Before and After Science | Brian Eno | - | |
| The Best of Top of the Pops '77 | Top of the Poppers | Compilation | |
| Body Love Vol. 2 | Klaus Schulze | Soundtrack | |
| Eddie Money | Eddie Money | - | |
| Mr. Mean | Ohio Players | - | |
| Pink Flag | Wire | - | |
| Spiral | Vangelis | - | |
| Suicide | Suicide | - |
Release date unknown
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2
- 15 Years On – The Dubliners
- Alien Soundtracks – Chrome
- Aliens – Horslips
- American Roulette – Danny O'Keefe
- Be Seeing You – Dr. Feelgood
- Black Vinyl Shoes – Shoes
- Blue Hotel – Fox
- BTO Live – Japan Tour (live) – Bachman–Turner Overdrive
- Bundle of Joy – Freddie Hubbard
- Byablue – Keith Jarrett
- Cabretta – Mink DeVille
- Calling on Youth – The Outsiders
- Circles in the Stream – Bruce Cockburn – Live
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – John Williams
- Cluster & Eno – Cluster & Eno
- Come and Join Us – Petra
- Come to Me – Juice Newton and Silver Spur
- Coming Back for More – William Bell
- Dark Magus – Miles Davis – Live 1974
- The David Grisman Quintet - David Grisman
- Delilah's Power – Ike & Tina Turner
- Derringer Live – Derringer – Live
- The Diodes – The Diodes
- East of the River Nile – Augustus Pablo
- Encore – Tangerine Dream
- Equal Rights – Peter Tosh
- Evolution (The Most Recent) - Taj Mahal
- Fandango – Fandango
- Feelin' Bitchy – Millie Jackson
- The Giants – Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Ray Brown
- Gleanings – John Coltrane
- Glitter Grass from the Nashwood Hollyville Strings - John Hartford, Doug Dillard, Rodney Dillard
- Goddo – Goddo
- Graham Bonnet – Graham Bonnet
- The Guitar Syndicate – Hank Marvin
- Halloween – Pulsar
- Heart of the Congos – The Congos
- Home on the Range – Slim Whitman
- I'm a Man – Bo Diddley
- If Wishes Were Horses – Sweeney Todd
- It Feels So Good – The Manhattans
- Just a Stone's Throw Away – Valerie Carter
- Just a Story from America – Elliott Murphy
- A Little Street Music – Cambridge Buskers
- Live at the El Mocambo – April Wine
- Live at Montreux – The Dubliners
- A Maid in Bedlam – John Renbourn Group
- Majida El Roumi – Majida El Roumi
- Makin' Magic – Pat Travers
- Manifest Destiny – The Dictators
- Marin County Line – New Riders of the Purple Sage
- Mark Farner – Mark Farner
- Malcolm Rebenneck - Dr. John
- Marlena – Die Flippers
- Message Man – Eddy Grant
- Montreux '77 – Ella Fitzgerald
- Music Fuh Ya' (Musica Para Tu) - Taj Mahal
- Never Letting Go – Phoebe Snow
- The Night Tripper - Dr. John
- Nice to Be Around – Rosemary Clooney
- Off the Wall - Roger Miller
- The Original Disco Duck – Rick Dees
- 'A paggella – Mario Trevi
- Painted Poetry - Roger Miller
- Peter McCann – Peter McCann
- Playing to an Audience of One – David Soul
- Protest – Bunny Wailer
- Putting It Straight – Pat Travers
- Richard Clayderman – Richard Clayderman
- Rick Danko – Rick Danko
- Ridin' High – Moxy
- Sergio Franchi / Volare – Sergio Franchi (RCA 15th Anniv. Tribute to Franchi)
- Songs of Kristofferson – Kris Kristofferson
- Sweet Evil – Derringer
- Tanz Samba mit Mir – Tony Holiday
- Telling the Truth – Willie Wright
- Two Sevens Clash – Culture
- Unmistakably Lou – Lou Rawls
- Visitors – Automatic Man
- When You Hear Lou, You've Heard It All – Lou Rawls
- Young Men Gone West – City Boy
- You Think You Really Know Me - Gary Wilson
Billboard Top popular records of 1977
Billboard's year-end Hot 100 for the year 1977, printed on December 24, 1977, was based on Hot 100 charts from the issue dates of November 6, 1976 through October 29, 1977. The decision to include the last two months of 1976 resulted in Rod Stewart's "Tonight's the Night" being listed as no. 1 record of 1977, despite seven of its eight weeks at #1 occurring in 1976 (keep reading).
The completed Billboard year-end list for 1977 is composed of records that entered the Billboard Hot 100 between November 1976 and December 1977. Records with chart runs that started in 1976 and ended in 1977, or started in 1977 and ended in 1978, made this chart if the majority of their chart weeks were in 1977. If not, they were ranked in the year-end charts for 1976 or 1978. If their weeks were equal, they were listed in the year they first entered. Appearing in multiple years is not permitted. Each week thirty points were awarded to the number one record, then nineteen points for number two, eighteen points for number three, and so on. The total points a record earned determined its year-end rank. The complete chart life of each record is represented, with number of points accrued. There are no ties, even when multiple records have the same number of points. The next ranking category is peak chart position, then weeks at peak chart position, weeks on Hot 100 chart, weeks in top forty, and finally weeks in top ten.
The chart presented here depicts the top 30 singles of 1977. In contrast with the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1977, this chart does not truncate or split chart runs between years. It does not add two months from 1976, delete two months from 1977 and then call itself the "Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1977", which it is obviously not. The true number one record of 1977 is Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life", which spent the last 18 weeks of the year accumulating 362 points. The seven additional weeks it scored from 1978 were not even needed for the top prize. Rod Stewart's "Tonight's the Night" scored only 73 points in 10 weeks during 1977, so based on its 223 points from 13 weeks in 1976, its 296 total points made it the number one record of that year, not 1977. All chart rankings represented below for the Top Soul Singles, Top Country Singles, Top Easy Listening Singles, and Top CashBox pop singles were all calculated in the same manner.
The chart can be sorted by Artist, Song title, Recording and Release dates, Cashbox year-end ranking (CB) or units sold (sales) by clicking on the column header. Additional details for each record can be accessed by clicking on the song title, and referring to the Infobox in the right column of the song page. Billboard also has chart summaries on its website. Sales information was derived from the RIAA's Gold and Platinum database, the BRIT Certified database and The Book of Golden Discs,<ref name=goldendiscs>Template:Cite book</ref> but numbers listed should be regarded as estimates. Grammy Hall of Fame and National Recording Registry information with sources can be found on Wikipedia. Archived issues of Billboard from November 1976 to March 1978 and Hot 100 Year-End formulas were used to complete the 1977 year-end chart.
| Rank | Artist | Title | Label | Recorded | Release date | CB | Sales | Charts, Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Debby Boone | "You Light Up My Life" | Warner Bros. 8455 | Template:Date table sorting|July 1977 | Template:Date table sorting|August 16, 1977 | 1 | 4.00<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> | US Billboard 1977 #1, Hot 100 # #1 for 10 weeks, 25 total weeks, 387 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 1998, National Recording Registry 2012 |
| 2 | The Bee Gees | "How Deep Is Your Love" | RSO 882 | Template:Date table sorting|April 1977 | Template:Date table sorting|September 1977 | 2 | 2.00 | US Billboard 1977 #2, Hot 100 #1 for 2 weeks, 33 total weeks, 323 points, Top Easy Listening Singles 1977 #1, Easy Listening Singles #1 for 6 weeks, 26 total weeks, 371 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 2011 |
| 3 | Andy Gibb | "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" | RSO 872 | Template:Date table sorting|October 1976 | Template:Date table sorting|April 1977 | 3 | 3.00 | US Billboard 1977 #3, Hot 100 #1 for 4 weeks, 31 total weeks, 321 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 2000 |
| 4 | The Emotions | "Best Of My Love" | Columbia 10544 | Template:Date table sorting|May 1977 | Template:Date table sorting|June 9, 1977 | 15 | 5.00 | US Billboard 1977 #4, Hot 100 #1 for 5 weeks, 23 total weeks, 105 points, Top Soul Singles 1977 #3, Hot Soul Singles #1 for 4 weeks, 22 total weeks, 282 points |
| 5 | Barbra Streisand | "Love Theme From A Star Is Born (Evergreen)" | Columbia 10450 | Template:Date table sorting|1976 | Template:Date table sorting|December 1976 | 9 | 3.00 | US Billboard 1977 #5, Hot 100 #1 for 3 weeks, 25 total weeks, 256 points, Top Easy Listening Singles 1977 #2, Easy Listening Singles #1 for 6 weeks, 22 total weeks, 363 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 2004 |
| 6 | Player | "Baby Come Back" | RSO 879 | Template:Date table sorting|1977 | Template:Date table sorting|October 13, 1977 | 5 | 1.50 | US Billboard 1977 #6, Hot 100 #1 for 3 weeks, 32 total weeks, 219 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 2017 |
| 7 | Eagles | "Hotel California" | Asylum 45386 | Template:Date table sorting|March–October 1976 | Template:Date table sorting|February 22, 1977 | 23 | 1.50 | US Billboard 1977 #7, Hot 100 #1 for 1 weeks, 19 total weeks, 186 points |
| 8 | Stevie Wonder | "Sir Duke" | Tamla 54281 | Template:Date table sorting|1976 | Template:Date table sorting|March 22, 1977 | 33 | 3.00 | US Billboard 1977 #8, Hot 100 #1 for 3 weeks, 17 total weeks, 180 points |
| 9 | ABBA | "Dancing Queen" | Atlantic 3372 | Template:Date table sorting|August 4–5, 1975 | Template:Date table sorting|August 15, 1976 | 17 | 1.50 | US Billboard 1977 #9, Hot 100 #1 for 1 week, 22 total weeks, 178 points |
| 10 | Crystal Gayle | "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" | United Artists 1016 | Template:Date table sorting|1976 | Template:Date table sorting|August 1977 | 6 | 3.00 | US Billboard 1977 #10, Hot 100 #2 for 3 weeks, 26 total weeks, Grammy Hall of Fame 1999, 77 points, Top Country Singles 1977 #3, Country Singles #1 for 4 weeks, 18 total weeks, 177 points |
| 11 | Mary MacGregor | "Torn Between Two Lovers" | Ariola America 7638 | Template:Date table sorting|May 1976 | Template:Date table sorting|Nov 1, 1976 | 4 | 1.00 | US Billboard 1977 #11, Hot 100 #1 for 2 weeks, 22 total weeks, 175 points |
| 12 | Carly Simon | "Nobody Does It Better" | Elektra 45413 | Template:Date table sorting|April 1977 | Template:Date table sorting|July 1977 | 8 | 3.25 | US Billboard 1977 #12, Hot 100 #2 for 3 weeks, 25 total weeks, 168 points, Top Easy Listening Singles 1977 #3, Easy Listening Singles #1 for 7 weeks, 25 total weeks, 322 points |
| 13 | Marvin Gaye | "Got To Give It Up (Part 1)" | Tamla 54280 | Template:Date table sorting|March 18, 1977 | Template:Date table sorting|July 16, 1977 | 25 | 2.25 | US Billboard 1977 #13, Hot 100 #1 for 1 week, 18 total weeks, 167 points, Top Soul Singles 1977 #4, Hot Soul Singles #1 for 5 weeks, 21 total weeks, 288 points |
| 14 | Stevie Wonder | "I Wish" | Tamla 54274 | Template:Date table sorting|Summer 1976 | Template:Date table sorting|November 1976 | 20 | 3.00 | US Billboard 1977 #14, Hot 100 #1 for 1 week, 17 total weeks, 166 points, Top Soul Singles 1977 #7, Hot Soul Singles #1 for 5 weeks, 18 total weeks, 274 points |
| 15 | Eagles | "New Kid In Town" | Asylum 45373 | Template:Date table sorting|March–October 1976 | Template:Date table sorting| December 7, 1976 | 31 | 1.50 | US Billboard 1977 #15, Hot 100 #1 for 1 week, 15 total weeks, 165 points |
| 16 | Thelma Houston | "Don't Leave Me This Way" | Tamla 54278 | Template:Date table sorting|March 1976 | Template:Date table sorting|December 2, 1976 | 32 | 1.25 | US Billboard 1977 #16, Hot 100 #1 for 1 week, 24 total weeks, 164 points |
| 17 | Fleetwood Mac | "Dreams" | Warner Bros. 8332 | Template:Date table sorting|February–August 1976 | Template:Date table sorting|March 1977 | 29 | 1.25 | US Billboard 1977 #17, Hot 100 #1 for 1 week, 19 total weeks, 163 points |
| 18 | Linda Ronstadt | "Blue Bayou" | Asylum 45431 | Template:Date table sorting|June–July 1977 | Template:Date table sorting|August 23, 1977 | 27 | 2.00 | US Billboard 1977 #18, Hot 100 #3 for 3 weeks, 23 total weeks, 162 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 1998 |
| 19 | Glen Campbell | "Southern Nights" | Capitol 4376 | Template:Date table sorting|October 2, 1976 | Template:Date table sorting|January 17, 1977 | 14 | 1.50 | US Billboard 1977 #19, Hot 100 #1 for 1 week, 21 total weeks, 160 points |
| 20 | Alan O'Day | "Undercover Angel" | Pacific 001 | Template:Date table sorting|January 27, 1977 | Template:Date table sorting|February 6, 1977 | 7 | 2.00 | US Billboard 1977 #20, Hot 100 #1 for 1 week, 23 total weeks, 158 points |
| 21 | Heatwave | "Boogie Nights" | Epic 50370 | Template:Date table sorting|1976 | Template:Date table sorting|May 11, 1977 | 16 | 1.50 | US Billboard 1977 #21, Hot 100 #2 for 2 weeks, 27 total weeks, 158 points |
| 22 | Barry Manilow | "Looks Like We Made It" | Arista 0244 | Template:Date table sorting|1976 | Template:Date table sorting|April 20, 1977 | 39 | 2.00 | US Billboard 1977 #22, Hot 100 #1 for 1 week, 19 total weeks, 154 points, Top Easy Listening Singles 1977 #7, Easy Listening Singles #1 for 3 weeks, 20 total weeks, 291 points |
| 23 | Steve Miller Band | "Fly Like An Eagle" | Capitol 4372 | Template:Date table sorting|1976 | Template:Date table sorting|August 13, 1976 | 42 | 1.50 | US Billboard 1977 #23, Hot 100 #2 for 2 weeks, 20 total weeks, 154 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 1998 |
| 24 | Rita Coolidge | "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" | A&M 1922 | Template:Date table sorting|1968 | Template:Date table sorting|January 1977 | 11 | 2.00 | US Billboard 1977 #24, Hot 100 #2 for 1 week, 27 total weeks, 154 points |
| 25 | Bill Conti | "Gonna Fly Now (Theme From Rocky)" | United Artists 940 | Template:Date table sorting|June 13, 1977 | Template:Date table sorting|August 21, 1977 | 36 | 2.00 | US Billboard 1977 #25, Hot 100 #1 for 1 week, 20 total weeks, 152 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 1998 |
| 26 | Peter Frampton | "I'm In You" | A&M 1941 | Template:Date table sorting|April 1977 | Template:Date table sorting|June 3, 1977 | 35 | 1.25 | US Billboard 1977 #26, Hot 100 #2 for 3 weeks, 20 total weeks, 150 points |
| 27 | Daryl Hall & John Oates | "Rich Girl" | RCA 10860 | Template:Date table sorting|June 1976 | Template:Date table sorting|January 1977 | 12 | 1.25 | US Billboard 1977 #27, Hot 100 #1 for 2 weeks, 20 total weeks, 148 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 2017 |
| 28 | Leo Sayer | "When I Need You" | Warner Bros. 8332 | Template:Date table sorting|Nov 4, 1976 | Template:Date table sorting|February 6, 1977 | 13 | 6.00 | US Billboard 1977 #28, Hot 100 #1 for 1 week, 20 total weeks, 146 points |
| 29 | K.C. and the Sunshine Band | "I'm Your Boogie Man" | TK 1022 | Template:Date table sorting|January 26, 1977 | Template:Date table sorting|May 11, 1977 | 18 | 1.50 | US Billboard 1977 #29, Hot 100 #1 for 1 week, 23 total weeks, 145 points |
| 30 | Manfred Mann's Earth Band | "Blinded By The Light" | Warner Bros. 8252 | Template:Date table sorting|Nov 4, 1976 | Template:Date table sorting|August 16, 1977 | 38 | 6.00 | US Billboard 1977 #30, Hot 100 #1 for 1 week, 20 total weeks, 143 points |
| 31 | Dolly Parton | "Here You Come Again" | RCA 11123 | Template:Date table sorting|June 1977 | Template:Date table sorting|September 26, 1977 | 43 | 1.00 | US Billboard 1977 #31, Hot 100 #3 for 2 weeks, 19 total weeks, 141 points, Top Country Singles 1977 #2, Country Singles #1 for 5 weeks, 19 total weeks, 237 points |
| 32 | Fleetwood Mac | "Don't Stop" | Warner Bros. 8413 | Template:Date table sorting|February–August 1976 | Template:Date table sorting|April 1, 1977 | 24 | 1.25 | US Billboard 1977 #32, Hot 100 #3 for 2 weeks, 18 total weeks, 139 points |
| 65 | The Floaters | "Float On" | ABC 12284 | Template:Date table sorting|1977 | Template:Date table sorting|June 1977 | 37 | 1.00 | US Billboard 1977 #65, Hot 100 #2 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks, 92 points, Top Soul Singles 1977 #1, Hot Soul Singles #1 for 6 weeks, 20 total weeks, 305 points |
| 158 | Waylon Jennings | "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)" | RCA 10924 | Template:Date table sorting|January 1977 | Template:Date table sorting|April 11, 1977 | 161 | 1.00 | US Billboard 1977 #158, Hot 100 #25 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks, 92 points, Top Country Singles 1977 #1, Country Singles #1 for 6 weeks, 18 total weeks, 247 points |
Chronological table of US and UK and Japan number one hit singles
Japanese Oricon number one singles and artist
(weeks at number one)
Template:Main
Template:Div col
- "Kita no Yadokara" – Harumi Miyako (3 weeks in 1976 + 2 weeks in 1977)
- "Template:Ill" – Koichi Morita & Top Gallants (4)
- "S.O.S." – Pink Lady (1)
- "Template:Ill" – Kentaro Shimizu (5)
- "Carmen '77" – Pink Lady (5)
- "Template:Ill" – Kentaro Shimizu (2)
- "Template:Ill" – Momoe Yamaguchi (1)
- "Template:Ill" – Masashi Sada (4)
- "Template:Interlanguage link" – Kenji Sawada (5)
- "Nagisa no Sindbad" – Pink Lady (8)
- "Wanted (Shimei Tehai)" – Pink Lady (12)
- "Wakareuta" – Miyuki Nakajima (1)
- "UFO" – Pink Lady (2 weeks in 1977 + 8 weeks in 1978)
Top 40 Chart hit singles
| Song title | Artist(s) | Release date(s) | US | UK | Highest chart position | Other Chart performance(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "2-4-6-8 Motorway" | Tom Robinson Band | Template:Date table sorting|October 1977 | n/a | 5 | 5 (United Kingdom) | 13 (Australia) |
| "A Far L'amore Comincia Tu" | Raffaella Carrà | 1977 | n/a | n/a | 1 (Belgium) | 2 (Spain) - 3 (Netherlands [Single Top 100]), Switzerland) - 4 (West Germany) |
| "Another Star" | Stevie Wonder | Template:Date table sorting|August 1977 | 32 | 29 | 13 (Netherlands [Dutch] Single Top 100) | 18 (U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles) - 29 (U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary) - 34 (Canada) |
| "April Sun in Cuba" | Dragon | Template:Date table sorting|October 1977 | n/a | n/a | 2 (Australia) | 9 (New Zealand) |
| "Ariel" | Dean Friedman | Template:Date table sorting|April 1977 | 26 | n/a | 19 (Canada, New Zealand) | 17 (U.S. Cash Box Top 100) - 91 (Australia) |
| "As" | Stevie Wonder | Template:Date table sorting|October 1977 | 34 | n/a | 36 (United States) | 24 (U.S. Billboard Easy Listening) - 36 (U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles) |
Other Chart hit singles
Notable singles
| Song title | Artist(s) | Release date(s) | Other Chart performance(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" b/w "Bored Teenagers" | The Adverts | Template:Date table sorting|September 1977 | 18 (UK Singles Chart) |
| "This Perfect Day" | The Saints | Template:Date table sorting|July 1977 | 34 (UK Singles Chart) |
Other notable singles
Published popular music
- "After the Lovin'" w. Richie Adams m. Alan Bernstein
- "Annie" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "Brazzle Dazzle Day" w.m. Al Kasha & Joel Hirschhorn, from the film Pete's Dragon
- "But the World Goes 'Round" w. Fred Ebb m. John Kander. Introduced by Liza Minnelli in the film New York City
- "Child In A Universe" w.m. Laura Nyro
- "Come In From The Rain" w.m. Melissa Manchester & Carole Bayer Sager
- "Easy Street" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "The Greatest Love of All" w. Linda Creed m. Michael Masser
- "Happy Endings" w. Fred Ebb m. John Kander. Introduced by Liza Minnelli, Larry Kert and chorus in the film New York, New York
- "Here You Come Again" w.m. Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil
- "I Don't Need Anything But You" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "It's Not Easy" w.m. Al Kasha & Joel Hirschhorn, from the film Pete's Dragon
- "It's the Hard-Knock Life" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "Just the Way You Are" w.m. Billy Joel
- "Little Girls" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "The Love Boat theme song" w.m. Norman Gimbel & Paul Williams
- "Love Is in the Air" w.m. George Young & Harry Vanda
- "Maybe" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "Maybe I'm Amazed" w.m. Paul McCartney
- "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" w.m. Billy Joel
- "N.Y.C." w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "A New Deal For Christmas" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "New York, New York" w.m. Fred Ebb & John Kander. Introduced by Liza Minnelli in the film New York City
- "Nobody Does It Better" w. Carole Bayer Sager m. Marvin Hamlisch
- "She's Always a Woman" w.m. Billy Joel
- "Someone's Waiting for You" w. Carol Connors & Ayn Robbins m. Sammy Fain from the film The Rescuers
- "Something Was Missing" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "Star Wars-Main Theme" m. John Williams from the Star Wars films
- "Stayin' Alive" w.m. Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb & Robin Gibb
- "Thank You for the Music" w.m. Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus
- "There Goes the Ball Game" w. Fred Ebb m. John Kander. Introduced by Liza Minnelli in the film New York, New York
- "Tomorrow" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse, from the musical Annie
- "We'd Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "You Won't Be an Orphan for Long" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
- "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse, from the musical Annie
Punk rock, new wave music, and mod revival
1977 marks the beginning of the punk rock movement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Several albums associated with the development of punk music were released, including Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols by the Sex Pistols, The Clash by The Clash, Damned Damned Damned by The Damned, the Dead Boys' Young, Loud and Snotty, Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers' L.A.M.F., the Ramones' Rocket to Russia, Richard Hell and the Voidoids' Blank Generation, and Wire's Pink Flag.
The year saw the release of debut albums by bands associated with punk rock, though also with other new music genres, such as the mod revival and new wave music, including In the City by The Jam,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> My Aim Is True by Elvis Costello, Suicide by Suicide, Marquee Moon by Television,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Talking Heads: 77 by Talking Heads. It also saw the release of Iggy Pop's Lust for Life, his second record as a solo artist.
Classical music
- John Adams
- China Gates, for piano
- Phrygian Gates, for piano
- Samuel Adler
- Aeolus, God of the Winds, for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano
- Concerto for Flute and Orchestra
- A Falling of Saints, for tenor, bass, chorus, and orchestra
- It is to God I shall Sing, for chorus and organ
- Kalevi Aho – Quintet, for bassoon and string quartet<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Necil Kazım Akses
- Concerto for Orchestra
- Concerto for Viola and Orchestra
- Franghiz Ali-Zadeh – Zu den Kindertotenlieder (In Memoriam Gustav Mahler), for clarinet, violin, and percussion
- Birgitte Alsted – Strygekvartet i CD, for string quartet
- Javier Álvarez – Canciones de la Venta, for soprano, violin, viola, and baroque guitar
- William Alwyn
- Invocations (song cycle), for mezzo-soprano and piano
- A Leave-Taking (song cycle), for tenor and piano
- Charles Amirkhanian – Dutiful Ducks, for tape with optional live voices
- Gilbert Amy
- Strophe, for soprano and orchestra (revised version)
- Trois études, for flute
- Beth Anderson – Joan, for tape
- Laurie Anderson
- Audio Talk, performance art
- On Dit, performance art
- Some Songs, performance art
- Stereo Decoy, performance art
- That's Not the Way I Heard It, performance art
- Ruth Anderson – Sound Portraits I–II, text pieces
- Hendrik Andriessen – Ricercare, version for wind orchestra
- Jurriaan Andriessen
- Psalmen-trilogie, for baritone, chorus, and orchestra
- Symphony no. 7, The Awakening Dream, for keyboard and electronics
- Symphony no. 8, La celebrazione
- Louis Andriessen – Hoketus, for two groups of 6 players each
- Denis ApIvor
- Chant Eolien, for oboe and piano, op. 65
- Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, op. 64
- Violet Archer – Plainsongs, for mezzo-soprano and piano
- Malcolm Arnold
- Sonata, for flute and piano, op. 121
- Variations on a Theme of Ruth Gipps, for orchestra, op. 122
- Larry Austin – Quadrants: Event/Complex no. 11, for double bass and tape
- Luciano Berio
- Coro, for 40 voices and 40 instruments (revised version)
- Fantasia, for orchestra (after Giovanni Gabrieli)
- Il ritorno degli snovidenia, for cello and 30 instruments
- Sequenza VIII, for violin
- Toccata, for orchestra (after Girolamo Frescobaldi)
- Harrison Birtwistle – Silbury Air
- Rob du Bois
- Skarabee, for orchestra
- Zodiak, for one or more instruments or instrumental groups
- John Buller – Proença for mezzo-soprano, electric guitar, and large orchestra
- Enrique Crespo – American Suite No. 1
- George Crumb – Star-Child (1977, revised 1979) for soprano, antiphonal children's voices, male speaking choir, bell ringers, and large orchestra
- Peter Maxwell Davies
- A Mirror of Whitening Light, for chamber orchestra
- Our Father Which in Heaven Art, for flute, clarinet, piano, percussion, violin, cello
- Runes from a Holy Island, for flute, clarinet, piano, percussion, violin, cello
- Westerlings, for SATB choir
- Franco Donatoni
- Algo, for guitar
- Ali, for viola
- Diario ’76, for four trumpets and four trombones
- Portrait, for harpsichord and orchestra
- Spiri, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, celesta, vibraphone, 2 violins, viola, and cello
- Toy, for 2 violins, viola, and harpsichord
- Morton Feldman
- Instruments 3, for flute, oboe, and percussion
- Spring of Chosroes, for violin and piano
- Brian Ferneyhough – Time and Motion Study I, for bass clarinet
- Lorenzo Ferrero
- Arioso
- Romanza seconda
- Frans Geysen –
- Muziek voor toetsenbord, for piano
- Omtrent sib, for three oboes
- Orgelstuk, for organ
- Pentakel, for oboe
- Stadssteeg, for 6 oboes, 4 trumpets, 2 trombones
- Alberto Ginastera
- Barabbas, opera (unfinished)
- Concerto No. 1 for Cello and Orchestra, op. 36 (revised version)
- Glosses sobre temes de Pau Casals, for orchestra, op. 48
- Alexander Goehr – Romanza on the Notes of Psalm IV, op. 38c
- Sembiin Gonchigsumlaa – Symphony No. 2
- Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen
- Passacaglia for tabla, clarinet, violin, cello and piano
- Symfoni, Antifoni for orchestra
- Rodolfo Halffter – Secuencia, op. 39, for piano
- Bengt Hambraeus – Antiphonie: Cathedral Music for Organ<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Alan Hovhaness
- Ananda, piano sonata, op. 303
- Celestial Canticle, for coloratura soprano and piano, op. 305
- Dawn on a Mountain Lake, for double bass and piano, op. 393
- Fred the Cat, piano sonata, op. 301
- Glory Sings the Setting Sun, cantata for coloratura soprano, clarinet, and piano, op. 292
- How I Love Thy Law, cantata for high soprano, clarinet, piano, op. 298
- Mount Belknap, piano sonata, op. 299, no. 1 (revised version)
- Mount Ossipee, piano sonata, op. 299, no. 2 (revised version)
- Mount Shasta, piano sonata, op. 299, no. 3 (revised version)
- A Presentiment, for coloratura soprano and piano, op. 304
- Suite, for flute and guitar, op. 300 (1977)
- Sonata, for oboe and bassoon, op. 302
- Sonata, for 2 clarinets, op. 297
- Sonata No. 1, for harpsichord, Op. 306
- Sonatina ("Meditation on Mt. Monadnock"), for piano, op. 288
- The Spirit's Map, for voice and piano, op. 391
- Srpouhi, duet for violin and piano, op. 398
- Symphony No. 31, for strings, op. 294
- Symphony No. 32 ("The Broken Wings"), op. 296
- Symphony No. 33 ("Francis Bacon"), op. 307
- Symphony No. 34, for bass trombone and strings, op. 310
- Maki Ishii
- Black Intention, for recorder
- Voices—Violet, for gidayū ensemble, shō, and percussion
- David C. Johnson – Ars Subtilior Electrica, electronic music
- Mauricio Kagel
- An Tasten, étude for piano
- MM51, film score
- Présentation für zwei
- Quatre degrés (Schlagzeugtrio für Holzinstrumente)
- Variété (Concert-Spectacle für Artisten und Musiker)
- Jonathan Kramer
- Renascence, for clarinet and tape (revised version)
- Studies on Six Notes, for harpsichord
- György Kurtág
- Hommage à Mihály András (Twelve Microludes for String Quartet), op. 13
- [untitled pieces], op. 15, for guitar (unpublished, withdrawn)
- Helmut Lachenmann – Salut für Caudwell, music for two guitarists
- André Laporte
- Icarus' Flight, for piano and twelve instruments
- Mario Lavista
- Pieza para caja de música, for music box
- Los Template:Not a typo, incidental music
- Luca Lombardi
- Tui-Gesänge, for soprano, flute, clarinet, piano, violin, and cello
- Variazioni su ‘Avanti popolo alla riscossa’, for piano
- Variazioni, for orchestra
- John McGuire – Pulse Music II, for four pianos and small orchestra
- Tomás Marco
- Herbania, for harpsichord
- Hoquetus, for 1, 2, or 3 clarinets, live and/or recorded
- Sicigia, for cello
- Sonata de Vesperia, for piano
- Tormer, for harpsichord, violin, viola, and cello
- Bo Nilsson – Madonna, for mezzo-soprano and instrumental ensemble
- Pehr Henrik Nordgren
- Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 33v<ref name="Nordgren">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Summer Music for orchestra, Op. 34<ref name="Nordgren"/>
- Akinosuke-no-yume (安芸之助の夢; The Dream of Akinosuke) for piano, Op. 35<ref name="Nordgren"/>
- Jyūroku-zakura (十六ざくら) for piano, Op. 36<ref name="Nordgren"/>
- Jikininki (食人鬼) for piano, Op. 37<ref name="Nordgren"/>
- Häjyt (The Evil Braggarts), orchestral music for the television play, Op. 38<ref name="Nordgren"/>
- Butterflies for guitar solo, Op. 39<ref name="Nordgren"/>
- Template:Lang (Yonder Lives My Sweet Love) for string orchestra, Op. 40<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Per Nørgård
- Kredsløb, for SATB choir<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Mating Dance, for flute (+ alto flute) and guitar<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Twilight, for orchestra<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Einojuhani Rautavaara
- Suomalainen myytti (A Finnish Myth), for string orchestra<ref name="Hong">Template:Cite book</ref>
- Serenades of the Unicorn, for guitar<ref name="Hong"/>
- Arvo Pärt
- Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten
- Fratres
- Tabula Rasa
- Variationen zur Gesundung von Arinuschka, for piano
- Henri Pousseur
- Ballade berlinoise, for piano
- Liège à Paris, electronic music
- Einojuhani Rautavaara
- Suomalainen myytti (A Finnish Myth), for string orchestra
- Serenades of the Unicorn, for guitar
- Aulis Sallinen
- Simppeli Simme ja Hamppari, for mixed choir<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Symphony No. 1
- Dieter Schnebel
- Canon (‘Diapason’)
- Handwerke-Blaswerke I (Arianna), for 1 wind instrument, 1 string instrument, and 1 percussionist
- Orchestra, for orchestra
- Quintet in BTemplate:Music major, for piano and strings
- Rhythmen, for 2 guitars, organ, and percussion
- Kurt Schwertsik
- Concerto for Violin No. 1, op. 31
- Wiener Chronik 1848, ballet op. 28
- Gerald Shapiro
- Dance Suite, for piano
- For Nancy, wordless vocalise, for soprano and piano
- Questions, for SATB choir
- You are Your Own Energy Source, electroacoustic dance score
- Makoto Shinohara – Liberation, for orchestra
- Roger Smalley – Seven Modulator Pieces, for 4 flutes
- Karlheinz Stockhausen
- Atmen gibt das Leben, for choir and orchestra, Nr. 39
- In Freundschaft, Nr. 46
- Jahreslauf, Nr. 47
- Jubiläum, for orchestra, Nr. 45
- Sirius, electronic music with trumpet, soprano, bass clarinet, and bass voice, Nr. 43
- Tierkreis, for chamber orchestra, Nr. 417/8
- Tōru Takemitsu
- A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden
- Gitā no tame no jūni no uta, for guitar
- Hanare goze Orin, film score
- Ohan, incidental music for television
- Quatrain II, for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano
- Sabita honoo, film score
- Saigō Takamori den, incidental music for television
- Toono monogatari wo yuku: Yanagida Kunio no fūkei, incidental music for television
- Water-ways for clarinet, violin, cello, piano, two harps, and two vibraphones
- Michael Tippett – Symphony No. 4
- Alexander Vustin – In Memory of Boris Klyuzner
- Iannis Xenakis – Jonchaies
- Isang Yun – Concerto for Flute and Small Orchestra
Opera
- William Alwyn – Miss Julie, opera in 2 acts, after Strindberg
- Dominick Argento – Miss Haversham's Fire
- Luciano Berio – Opera (revised version, 28 May, Teatro Comunale Florence)
- Peter Maxwell Davies – The Martyrdom of St Magnus (June 18, Kirkwall, St Magnus Cathedral)<ref>Holden, Amanda (Ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. Template:ISBN</ref>
- Julian Livingston – Twist of Treason
- Thea Musgrave – Mary, Queen of Scots
- Donald Sosin – Esther
- Karlheinz Stockhausen – Atmen gibt das Leben (May 22, 1977, Nice)<ref>Template:Wikicite</ref>
- Michael Tippett – The Ice Break (July 7, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden)
- Morton Feldman – Neither (1977, Rome Opera)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Jazz
Musical theatre
- The Act – Broadway production opened at the Majestic Theatre and ran for 233 performances
- Annie (Martin Charnin and Charles Strouse) – Broadway production opened at the Alvin Theatre on April 21, 1977, and ran for 2377 performances
- I Love My Wife – Broadway production opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on April 17 and ran for 857 performances
- I Love My Wife – London production opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre on October 6 and ran for 401 performances
- The King and I (Rodgers and Hammerstein) – Broadway revival
- Privates on Parade – London production opened at the Aldwych Theatre on February 17 and ran for 208 performances
- Side by Side by Sondheim – Broadway production opened at the Music Box Theatre and ran for 384 performances
- Oliver! (Lionel Bart) – London revival
Musical films
- ABBA: The Movie<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- A Little Night Music
- Amar Akbar Anthony
- The Hobbit (animation)
- New York, New York
- Pete's Dragon
- Saturday Night Fever
Births
- January 1
- Donna Ares, Bosnian singer (d. 2017)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Axel, Argentine singer and songwriter
- Jerry Yan, Taiwanese singer
- January 3 – Michelle Stephenson, British singer and TV presenter (Spice Girls)
- January 4 – Tim Wheeler, Irish rock singer (Ash)
- January 4 – Irán Castillo, Mexican actress and singer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- January 5 – Roy Arad, Israeli singer (PingPong)
- January 11 – Nadia Turner, American singer
- January 18
- Richard Archer, British singer (Hard-Fi)
- Michael Tierney, Australian singer (Human Nature)
- January 20
- Melody, Belgian singer
- Sid Wilson, American musician
- January 23 – Kamal Heer, Punjabi singer and musician
- January 25 – Christian Ingebrigtsen, Norwegian singer (A1)
- January 26 – Nicholaus Arson, Swedish guitarist and songwriter
- January 28 – Joey Fatone, American singer (*NSYNC)
- February 2
- Shakira, Colombian singer, songwriter, dancer, businesswoman, and record producer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Jessica Wahls, German pop singer
- February 3 – Maitland Ward, American actress and model
- February 4 – Gavin DeGraw, American musician and singer-songwriter
- February 8 – Dave Farrell, American musician (Linkin Park)<ref name="CBY"/>
- February 10 – Rosanna Tavarez, American singer, Television presenter, dancer and teacher (Eden's Crush)
- February 11 – Mike Shinoda, American musician, songwriter, record producer and graphic designer<ref name="CBY" />
- February 15 – Brooks Wackerman, American drummer (Bad Religion, Avenged Sevenfold)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- February 18 – Sean Watkins, American guitarist and songwriter
- February 20 – Amal Hijazi, Lebanese singer and model
- February 21 – Cyrine Abdelnour, Lebanese singer, actress, and model
- March 2 – Chris Martin, English rock singer and pianist (Coldplay)<ref>Template:Who's Who</ref>
- March 3 – Ronan Keating, Irish singer (Boyzone)
- March 4 – Jason Marsalis, American jazz drummer, vibraphonist and composer
- March 6 – Bubba Sparxxx, American rapper
- March 7 – Paul Cattermole, British singer (S Club 7) (died 2023)
- March 8 – Thành Thảo, Vietnamese singer and actress
- March 10
- Robin Thicke, American-Canadian R&B singer-songwriter and actor<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Bree Turner, American dancer and actress
- Colin Murray, British radio disc jockey
- Matt Rubano, American rock bassist (Taking Back Sunday)Template:Citation needed
- March 11 – Jason Greeley, Canadian singer
- March 15 – Joseph Hahn, American musician, DJ, director, and visual artist (Linkin Park)<ref name="CBY"/>
- March 16 – Ben Kenney, American rock bassist (Incubus)
- March 17 – Tamar Braxton, American singer, songwriter and actress (The Braxtons)
- March 18 – Devin Lima, American musician (LFO) (d. 2018)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- March 19 – Jorma Taccone, American actor, comedian, director, writer, producer, record producer, and musician (The Lonely Island)
- March 22 – John Otto, American drummer (Limp Bizkit)
- March 24 – Natalie Hemby, American country music songwriter and singer
- April 9 – Gerard Way, American vocalist, visual artist, and songwriter (My Chemical Romance)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- April 17 – Frederik Magle, Danish composer, concert organist, and pianist
- April 19 – Bryan Spears, American film and television producer sister of Britney Spears
- April 22
- Anna Eriksson, Finnish pop-rock singer
- Steven Price, British film composer
- April 23 – John Cena, American professional wrestler, actor and singer
- April 23 – Arash, Iranian-Swedish singer, entertainer and producer
- April 23 – Tony Sunshine, American R&B singer (Terror Squad)
- April 25
- Matthew West, American guitarist and singer
- Constantinos Christoforou, Greek-Cypriot singer (One)
- April 26 – Célena Cherry, British group (Honeyz)
- April 28 – Joanne Yeoh, Malaysian violinist<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- April 30 – Ole Jørn Myklebust, Norwegian jazz musician<ref>Template:Cite web in Store Norske Leksikon</ref>
- May 1 – Dan Regan, American musician (Reel Big Fish)
- May 7 – Lisa Kelly, Irish singer
- May 8 – Joe Bonamassa, American musician
- May 11 – Nathalie Pâque, Belgian singer
- May 12 – Wu Fei, Chinese musician and composer
- May 13 – Pusha T, American rapper and record executive
- May 16 – Emilíana Torrini, Icelandic singer and songwriter
- May 17 – Aleksandra Gryka, Polish classical composer
- May 19 – Natalia Oreiro, Uruguayan actress and singer
- May 20 – Matt Czuchry, American actor
- May 22 – Nina Inhammar, Swedish singer (Friends)
- May 24 – Jeet Gannguli, Indian singer, music director and score composer
- May 28
- Leo the Lion, English singer, songwriter and actor (The Streets)
- Brian Friedman, American dancer and choreographer
- May 31
- Scott Klopfenstein, American musician and vocalist (Reel Big Fish)
- Joel Ross, British disc jockey
- Chris Pennie, American musician (Coheed and Cambria)
- June 3 – Yuri Ruley, American drummer and percussionist (MxPx)
- June 5 – Nourhanne, Lebanese singer
- June 8 – Kanye West, American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, fashion designer, and entrepreneur<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- June 10
- Adam Darski, Polish musician
- Takako Matsu, Japanese singer-songwriter and actress
- June 12
- Kenny Wayne Shepherd, guitarist
- Ana Tijoux, French-Chilean musician
- June 23 – Jason Mraz, American singer-songwriter and musician
- June 24 – Francine Jordi, Swiss pop singer
- June 25 – Tim Anderson, American songwriter and producer
- June 27 – Dan Andriano, American bassist (Alkaline Trio)
- June 28
- Mark Stoermer, American rock guitarist (The Killers)
- Harun Tekin, Turkish rock vocalist and guitarist (Mor ve Ötesi)
- June 29 – DEALZ, American rapper
- July 1
- Tom Frager, French-born singer and surfer
- Liv Tyler, American actress daughter of Steven Tyler
- July 5 – Royce da 5'9", American rapper
- July 7 – Dan Whitesides, American drummer (The Used and The New Transit Direction)
- July 8 – Barbara Tausia, Belgian choreographer and dancer (Eu4ya)
- July 10 – Jesse Lacey, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Brand New and Taking Back Sunday)
- July 12 – Airin Older, American musician
- July 14 – Gordon Cree, composer
- July 15 – Ray Toro, American musician and vocalist (My Chemical Romance)
- July 18 – Tony Fagenson, American musician, producer, and songwriter (Eve 6, Dead Posey)
- July 20 – Şebnem Paker, Turkish guitarist singer and music teacher
- July 28 – Jacoby Shaddix, American singer-songwriter, rapper, and TV presenter (Papa Roach)
- July 29
- Danger Mouse, American record producer (Gnarls Barkley)
- Rodney Jerkins, American record producer, songwriter, and rapper
- July 30
- Ian Watkins, Welsh singer (Lostprophets)
- Paw Lagermann, Danish singer, songwriter and record producer (Infernal)
- August 7
- Samantha Ronson, English DJ and singer-songwriter (Lindsay Lohan, Mark Ronson)
- Nicco, American recording artist
- August 8 – Marsha Ambrosius, English singer-songwriter
- August 10 – Aaron Kamin, American guitarist and vocalist (The Calling)
- August 12 – Park Yong-ha, South Korean actor and singer (d. 2010)
- August 16 – Tamer Hosny, Egyptian singer and actor
- August 17
- Claire Richards, British singer and dancer (Steps)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Tarja Turunen, Finnish operatic soprano singer-songwriter
- August 19 – Katrina Woolverton, American singer-songwriter
- August 30 – Jens Ludwig, German guitarist
- August 31
- Craig Nicholls, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Vines)
- Del Marquis, American musician (Scissor Sisters)
- September 1
- Chris Cain, American rock bassist (We Are Scientists)
- Kathleen de Leon Jones, Australian actress, singer and dancer
- September 2
- Elitsa Todorova, Bulgarian singer-songwriter
- Sam Rivers, American bassist (Limp Bizkit) (d. 2025)
- September 3 – DJ Envy, American disc jockey, record producer and radio personality
- September 4
- Ian Grushka, American musician and songwriter (New Found Glory)
- Lucie Silvas, English singer
- September 6
- Kiyoshi Hikawa, Japanese enka singer
- N.O.R.E., American rapper (Capone-N-Noreaga)
- September 9 – Chae Jung-an, South Korean actress and singer
- September 11
- Jonny Buckland, English-born Welsh rock guitarist (Coldplay)
- Ludacris, American rapper and actor
- Jang Minho, South Korean singer (U-BeS)
- September 12
- 2 Chainz, American rapper and businessman
- James McCartney, English musician and singer son of Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney
- September 13 – Fiona Apple, American singer-songwriter<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- September 15 – Angela Aki, Japanese singer-songwriter
- September 19 – Ioana Maria Lupascu, Romanian pianist
- September 20
- Namie Amuro, Japanese singer
- The-Dream, American singer, songwriter and record producer (Christina Milian, Rihanna, Beyoncé)
- September 23
- Susan Tamim, Lebanese singer and actress (d. 2008)
- Piero Esteriore, Swiss singer
- September 29 – Trine Jepsen, Danish singer, actress and Television presenter (EyeQ)
- October 1 – Owen Biddle, rock bass guitarist (The Roots)
- October 4 – Ana Johnsson, Swedish singer
- October 5 – Wendy Vera, Ecuadorian musician and composer
- October 6 – Melinda Doolittle, American singer
- October 12 – Young Jeezy, American rapper
- October 13 – Justin Peroff, Canadian drummer and percussionist (Broken Social Scene)
- October 15 – Erin McKeown, American folk-rock singer-songwriter
- October 16
- John Mayer, American singer, songwriter, and guitarist
- Chris Knapp, American drummer (The Ataris)
- October 17 – Nicole Cabell, American operatic soprano
- October 22 - The Blessed Madonna, American DJ, musician and producer
- October 25 – Yehonathan Gatro, Israeli singer and actor
- November 1 – Alistair Griffin, British singer and songwriter
- November 4 – Kavana, British singer
- November 7 – Wigor, Polish rapper and producerTemplate:Citation needed
- November 8
- Khia, American rapper, songwriter and record producer
- Bucky Covington, American singer
- Tiffani Wood, Australian singer-songwriter (Bardot)
- November 10 – Brittany Murphy, American actress and singer (d. 2009)
- November 13 – Huang Xiaoming, Chinese actor and singer
- November 14 – Obie Trice, African-American rapper
- November 15 – Logan Whitehurst, American one man band (died 2006)
- November 18 – Fabolous, American rapper
- November 20 – Daniel Svensson, Swedish drummer
- November 21 – Annie, Norwegian singer-songwriter and DJ
- November 23 – Christopher Amott, Swedish guitarist
- November 27 – Ivar Bjørnson, Norwegian songwriter and guitarist (Enslaved)
- November 28 - Katrina Parker, American idendependant artist and featured on The Voice
- November 30 – Steve Aoki, American musician, record producer, DJ, and music executive
- December 1
- Brad Delson, American guitarist (Linkin Park)<ref name="CBY">Template:Cite book</ref>
- Akiva Schaffer, American actor, filmmaker, comedian, and musician (The Lonely Island)
- Bryan-Michael Cox, American record producer and songwriter (Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige and Toni Braxton)
- December 7 – Dominic Howard, drummer (Muse)
- December 9 – Imogen Heap, English singer, songwriter, record producer, and audio engineer
- December 18 – Axwell, Swedish DJ, record producer and remixer
- December 21
- Toby Rand, Australian singer-songwriter (Juke Kartel)
- Regína Ósk, Icelandic singer (Eurobandið)
- December 23 – Nitty, American rapper
- December 24 – Gil Seong-joon, South Korean hip hop duo (Leessang)
- December 25 – Mariama Goodman, British group (Honeyz)
- December 31 – Psy, South Korean singer-songwriter
Deaths
- January 1 – Michael Mann, violinist, son of Thomas Mann, 57 (suicide)
- January 2 – Erroll Garner, jazz pianist, 53 (heart attack)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- January 16 – Tom Archia, jazz saxophonist, 57<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- January 23 – Dick Burnett, folk songwriter, 94
- January 29 – Johnny Franz, English record producer, 54<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- February 8 – Eivind Groven, microtonal composer and music theorist, 75<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- February 10 – Grace Williams, composer, 70<ref>Template:Cite DWB</ref>
- February 12 – Ernst Mehlich, German-Brazilian conductor and composer, 89
- February 23 – Margaret Daum, operatic soprano, 70
- February 26 – Bukka White, blues guitarist and singer, 67
- February 28 – Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, comic actor and singer, 71<ref>Template:Cite news (subscription required)</ref>
- March 10 – E. Power Biggs, organist, 70
- May 6 – Joseph Hislop, operatic and concert tenor, 93
- May 9 – Harold Spivacke, music librarian and administrator, 72
- May 22 – Hampton Hawes, jazz pianist, 48 (brain haemorrhage)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- May 26 – William Powell (The O'Jays), 35 (cancer)
- May 30 – Paul Desmond, jazz saxophonist, 52 (lung cancer)
- June 5 – Sleepy John Estes, blues guitarist and singer, 78
- June 13 – Matthew Garber, former child star of Mary Poppins, 21 (pancreatitis)
- June 22 – Peter Laughner, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Rocket From the Tombs and Pere Ubu), 24
- June 30 – Ernst Oster, pianist, musicologist, and music theorist, 69 (stroke)
- July 2 – Gert Potgieter, South African operatic tenor and actor, 47 (car accident)
- July 20 – Gary Kellgren, American record producer, co-founded Record Plant, 38 (drowned)
- July 26 – Gena Branscombe, composer and conductor, 95
- August 16 – Elvis Presley, singer, 42 (heart attack)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- August 19 – Groucho Marx, comedian, actor, singer and performer, 86 (pneumonia)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- September 1 – Ethel Waters, American blues, jazz and gospel singer, 80
- September 5 – George Barnes, swing jazz guitarist, 56
- September 13 – Leopold Stokowski, conductor, 95<ref>Allen Hughes, "Leopold Stokowski Is Dead of a Heart Attack at 95", The New York Times, 14 September 1977.</ref>
- September 16
- Marc Bolan, singer-songwriter, 29 (car crash)<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
- Maria Callas, operatic soprano, 53 (heart attack)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- September 29 – Alexander Tcherepnin, composer, 78
- September 30 – Mary Ford, guitarist and vocalist, 53 (diabetes-related)
- October 8 – Giorgos Papasideris, Greek singer, composer, and lyricist, 75
- October 13 – Shirley Brickley, the Orlons, 32 (shot)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- October 14 – Bing Crosby, American singer and actor, 74<ref>Template:Cite news!--headline gives incorrect age--></ref>
- October 18 – Kristian Hauger, Norwegian pianist, orchestra leader and composer of popular music (born 1905)<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
- October 19 – Marino Capicchioni, Italian musical instrument maker, 82<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- October 20 – Ronnie Van Zant, 29, Steve Gaines, 28, and Cassie Gaines, 29, American members of Lynyrd Skynyrd (plane crash)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- November 5 – Guy Lombardo, violinist and bandleader, 75<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- November 14 – Richard Addinsell, Warsaw Concerto composer, 73<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- December 5 – Rahsaan Roland Kirk, jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer, 42 (stroke)
- December 24 – Salvatore Papaccio, Canzone Napoletana tenor, 87<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- December 25 – Charlie Chaplin, actor and composer, 88<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- December 28 – Sam Brown, jazz guitarist, 38
- December 30 – St. Louis Jimmy Oden, blues singer, 74<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- date unknown – Jimmy Cooper, hammered dulcimer player, 70
Awards
- Grammy Awards of 1977
- Country Music Association Awards
- Eurovision Song Contest 1977
- 19th Japan Record Awards
References
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