Episode 31: The Spirit of '76: Pop Music in America's Bicentennial
PLAYLIST
“Convoy” by C.W. McCall (1976)
“Afternoon Delight” by Starland Vocal Band (1976)
“Love Hangover” by Diana Ross (1976)
“December, 1963 (Oh What a Night)” by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons (1976)
“I Wish” by Stevie Wonder (1976)
“Silly Love Songs” by Paul McCartney and Wings (1976)
SHOW NOTES
This episode examines six #1 songs from the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. The collective mood as the U.S. approached its 200th birthday was a bit complicated. The first half of the decade brought political and social turmoil, not to mention a gas shortage, a shaky economy, and the chaotic end of the Vietnam War. The very idea of whether or not the country should celebrate its bicentennial and, if so, how, was up for debate. Ultimately, the federal government punted to the states and left states and towns and communities to plan their own celebrations.
What did the pop charts have to say about all of this? There was no one theme but these songs show us that music, as always can be an escape, such as in the growth of disco. There was a desire to escape into the mythical pre-Beatles 50s and 60s, which for some people seemed like a more simple time. We also hear from a former Beatle, Paul McCartney, on the value of silly love songs, no matter what John Lennon thought. Protest songs were not completely dead yet, either, although “Convoy” was not just a protest, but an ode to the fad that was the citizen’s band radio.
SOURCES
Aletti, Vince. “Songs in the Key of Life.” Rolling Stone. December 16, 1975.
Bronson, Fred. “Convoy,” “I Wish,” and “Silly Love Songs” in The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. New York: Billboard Publications. 1985.
Capozzola, Christopher. “It Makes You Want to Believe in the Country” in America in the Seventies. Lawrence, Kansas: University of Kansas Press. 2004.
Crumpler, David. “Jazz Group to Feature Special Guest at Upcoming Show.” The Florida Times-Union. October 20, 2013. https://www.jacksonville.com/article/20131020/ENTERTAINMENT/801244590
Du Lac, J. Freedom. “Afternoon Delight: From Clyde’s to Anchorman, an Oral History of Starland Vocal Band’s 1976 hit.” The Washington Post. July 10, 2018.https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/07/10/skyrockets-in-flight-afternoon-delight-the-story-behind-starland-vocal-bands-one-big-hit/
Fuchs, Jeremy. “Winter Olympics: Denver’s Disastrous Bid for Games in 1976.” Sports Illustrated. February 6, 2018. https://www.si.com/olympics/2018/02/06/winter-games-denver-olympics-bids-1976
Jackson, Andrew Grant. Still the Greatest: The Essential Songs of the Beatles’ Solo Careers. Plymouth, UK: Scarecrow Press. 2012.
Ochs, Meredith. “The Strange Story of ‘Convoy’: How a Trucker’s Protest Anthem Became a ‘70s hit.” NPR. June 6, 2017. https://www.npr.org/2017/06/06/531749486/the-legacy-of-convoy-how-a-trucker-s-protest-anthem-became-a-70s-hit
Runtagh, Jordan. “Inside Stevie Wonder’s Epic Magnum Opus, ‘Songs in the Key of Life.’” Rolling Stone. September 28, 2016. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/inside-stevie-wonders-epic-magnum-opus-songs-in-the-key-of-life-124478/
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Wilson, Jeff. “Comeback is a Dirty Word to Veteran Singer Valli.” News-Pilot. (San Pedro, CA). June 11, 1976.