The 25 best Classic Rock tracks of 1977
26 August 2025, 15:50 | Updated: 28 August 2025, 18:37
Radio X Classic Rock looks back at the year of We Are The Champions, Rockin' All Over The World, Sound & Vision and Bat Out Of Hell.
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- The Best-Selling British Album of 1977: ABBA - Arrival
- The Best-Selling British Single of 1975: Wings - Mull Of Kintyre/Girls' School
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David Bowie - Sound & Vision: release date 11th February 1977
The lead single from Bowie's eleventh studio album was a substantial hit in the UK, peaking at Number 3 in March 1977. The superstar's pioneering mix of rock, electronica and ambient textures didn't do as well in the USA, as Sound & Vision stalled at Number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Sound and Vision (2017 Remaster)
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Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill: 21st March 1977
After leaving Genesis in the summer of 1975, Gabriel began working on his first, self-titled solo album. Lead single Solsbury Hill peaked at Number 13 in May 1977, while the parent album went to Number 7.
Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill
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10cc - Good Morning Judge: release date 1st April 1977
Original members Kevin Godley and Lol Creme had quit 10cc in mid-1976, leaving Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman to continue with a new line-up. Their first album under the new arrangement was Deceptive Bends, issued in May 1977, which spawned a hit single in The Things We Do For Love - this was the follow-up, which made Number 5.
10cc - Good Morning Judge
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Eagles - Hotel California: release date 8th April 1977
The classic Eagles album was released at the tail end of 1976, with the title track issued as a single in the UK in Spring of 1977. It peaked at Number 8 in the charts.
Eagles - Hotel California (Live 1977) (Official Video) [HD]
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Supertramp - Give A Little Bit: release date 27th May 1977
This classic ballad opened the British prog rockers' fifth album Even In The Quietest Moments, peaking at Number 29 in the UK charts and making Number 15 in the USA.
Supertramp - Give A Little Bit (Official 4K Video)
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Emerson Lake & Palmer - Fanfare For The Common Man: release date 27th May 1977
ELP's solitary entry on the singles chart peaked at Number 2 and was accompanied by a promo film depicting the trio performing Aaron Copland's classical piece in the snow-laden Olympic Stadium in Montreal.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Fanfare For The Common Man (Live at Olympic Stadium, Montreal, 1977)
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Fleetwood Mac - Dreams: release date 17th June 1977
Alongside Go Your Own Way, Don't Stop and You Make Loving Fun, Dreams was one of the singles culled from the multi-million selling Rumours album, which gave Fleetwood Mac their first Number 1 LP in the UK. Written by Stevie Nicks, Dreams only peaked at Number 24 on the British singles chart, but topped the Billboard Hot 100.
Fleetwood Mac - Dreams (Official Music Video) [4K]
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Heart - Barracuda: release date 24th June 1977
Taken from the Wilson sisters' third album Little Queen, Barracuda was a hit in the USA, making Number 11, but failed to chart in Britain - they wouldn't break the Top 40 until These Dreams in 1986.
Heart - "Barracuda" (1977)
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Foreigner - Cold As Ice: release date 29th July 1977
Taken from the British-American rock band's self-titled debut album, this tune peaked at Number 6 on the Billbaord Hot 100, but only made Number 24 in the UK when reissued in June of 1978.
Foreigner - Cold As Ice (Official Music Video)
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Thin Lizzy - Dancing In The Moonlight (It's Caught Me In Its Spotlight): release date 29th July 1977
Recorded during a period of change for the Irish rockers - guitarist Brian Robertson doesn't appear on the front cover and would leave Lizzy the following year - their eighth album Bad Reputation was released in September 1977. This was the only single, which peaked at Number 14 in the summer of'77.
Thin lizzy - Dancing in the moonlight
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Ram Jam - Black Betty: release date 19th August 1977
The New York rockers took the old blues number, made famous by Lead Belly, and made it into an international successl it peaked at Number 7 in Britain and Number 18 in the USA.
Ram Jam - Black Betty
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Rush - Closer To The Heart: release date 29th August 1977
The lead single from the Canadian prog giants' fifth album A Farewell To Kings made Number 36 in the UK.
Rush - Closer To The Heart (Official Music Video)
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Yes - Wonderous Stories: release date 9th September 1977
Written by vocalist Jon Anderson, this was the highest charting Yes single in the UK, peaking at Number 7. It was taken from the band's eigth album, GoinG For The One.
Yes - Wonderous Stories (Official Music Video)
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Neil Young - Like A Hurricane: release date 16th September 1977
One of the Godfather of Grunge's best-known tracks, this track was taken from the album American Stars 'N' Bars and has been covered by everyone from Roxy Music to The Mission.
Like a Hurricane (2003 Remaster)
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Santana - She's Not There: release date 16th September 1977
Carlos Santana's cover of the 1964 hit by The Zombies peaked at Number 11 in the UK. Taken from the album Moonflower, the vocalist is Greg Walker.
Santana - She's Not There (Audio)
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AC/DC - Let There Be Rock: release date 30th September 1977
The Aussie hard rockers also released the tracks Dog Eat Dog and Whole Lotta Rosie from their Let There Be Rock album.
AC/DC - Let There Be Rock (Official Video)
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Status Quo - Rockin' All Over The World: release date 30th September 1977
Originally recorded by John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1975, the Quo's reworking gave its name to their tenth studio album and saw them assured of a place in rock history when it opened the Wembley Stadium leg of Live Aid in July 1985.
Status Quo - Rockin All Over The World
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Tom Robinson Band - 2-4-6-8 Motorway: release date 7th October 1977
Robinson's ode to life on the road was the first single from his eponymous band and made an impressive Number 5 in the UK in November 1977.
Tom Robinson Band - 2-4-6-8 Motorway
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Rod Stewart - You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim): release date 7th October 1977
Taken from Rod's Foot Loose And Fancy Free album, this anthem peaked at Number 3 in the UK.
Rod Stewart - You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim) (Official HD Remastered Video)
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Queen - We Are The Champions: release date 14th October 1977
Backed with the equally anthemic We Will Rock You, both sides of this single were written by Queen as a reponse to the incredible audience participation the band were experiencing at live shows. The video was shot at the New London Theatre in Covent Garden with members of the Queen fan club in attendance.
Queen - We Are The Champions (Official Video)
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Electric Light Orchestra - Turn To Stone: release date 14th October 1977
The opening track and lead single from ELO's masterpiece album Out Of The Blue, which was released at the end of October 1977. Turn To Stone made Number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Number 13 on the UK singles charts.
Electric Light Orchestra - Turn To Stone (Official Video)
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Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell: release date 21st October 1977
The title track of the singer's landmark album with composer Jim Steinman quickly became a rock anthem. The track wasn't released as a single in the UK until February 1979, when it peaked at Number 15.
Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell (PCM Stereo)
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Bonnie Tyler - It's A Heartache: release date 4th November 1977
Recorded after the Welsh singer had undergone surgery on her vocal cords, Bonnie's now-trademark husky voice made this a folk rock hit, peaking at Number 4 in the UK.
Bonnie Tyler - It's A Heartache (Official HD Video)
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Wings - Mull Of Kintyre: release date 11th November 1977
Backed with Girls' School, this was Paul McCartney's biggest solo hit and written about his farm in Scotland. Mull Of Kintyre remains one of the biggest-selling singles of all time, topping the charts at Christmas 1977 and certified double-Platinum by the BPI.
Wings - Mull Of Kintyre
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Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight: release date 25th November 1977 (album)
Clapton's classic ballad was written about his partner Patti Boyd and was included on the guitarist's album Slowhand, which also spawned the hits Cocaine and Lay Down Sally.
Eric Clapton- Wonderful Tonight (HQ)
