Highlights 1977
Punk rocks the country but disco rules the charts... Donna Summer has one of the most influential No. 1s ever... Elvis Presley is only the fifth act to have a posthumous No. 1... a 12” single makes the Top 50 for the first time... perennial hit-makers Hot Chocolate have their first and only No.1... ABBA are the biggest global superstars since The Beatles...
Biggest Chart Single
MULL OF KINTYRE
Wings
Paul McCartney's first No. 1 since The Beatles sold two million copies, the nation’s biggest selling single to date. It was also the fifth biggest chart-performing hit of the Golden Years (1977-85). See Biggest Chart Singles
Biggest Chart Act
DAVID SOUL
Based on chart performance, David Soul was the biggest artist of 1977. His three hits stayed in the official Top 10 for a total of 25 weeks, more than any other artist this year. See Biggest Chart Artists
NME Song of the Year
PRETTY VACANT
The Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols' brand of angry punk rock shook up the establishment this year. Yet punk's biggest chart hit - not only this year but of all time - was Peaches by The Strangers, which stayed in the Top 40 for 14 weeks
Ivor Novello for Best Pop Song
DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA
Julie Covington
Taken from the immensely successful musical Evita, the single was released 18 months before the show opened in the West End. Its original title (ditched at the last minute) was the uninspiring It’s Only Your Lover Returning
WOW's Top Single of 1977
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN
The Sex Pistols
The unofficial No. 1 single served as the year's unofficial anthem. The controversial song and cover brought punk into public consciousness and changed the record industry. See WOW's Top 20 Singles for 1977
Most Played Song on the Radio†
HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE
The Bee Gees
How Deep Is Your Love was the fourth biggest chart hit of the year, a remarkable feat for a single that peaked at No. 3 on the official chart
† The disc received the Ivor Novello award for most performed song of 1977