Album Release
Jan 14 RCA releases David Bowie's 11th studio album, "Low"
Music Awards
Jan 31 4th American Music Awards: Olivia Newton-John & Elton John win
- Feb 4 "Rumours" 11th studio album by Fleetwood Mac is released (Grammy Album of the Year)
- Feb 4 Wings release their single "Maybe I'm Amazed"
- Feb 5 "CB Savage" by Rod Hart peaks at #67
- Feb 5 "Dis-Gorilla (part 1)" by Rick Dees peaks at #56
- Feb 5 "In The Mood" by Henhouse 5 Plus Too (Ray Stevens) peaks at #40
- Feb 5 "Turn Loose On My Leg" by Jim Stafford peaks at #98
- Feb 5 Comedy album "Up Your Nose" by Gabriel Kaplan peaks at #91
- Feb 10 "Party with Comden & Green" opens at Morosco Theater NYC for 92 performances
- Feb 13 Revival of Frank Loesser's musical "Guys & Dolls" closes at Broadway Theater, NYC, after 239 performances
- Feb 13 "Ipi Tombi" closes at Harkness Theater NYC after 39 performances
- Feb 13 "Robber Bridegroom" closes at Biltmore Theater NYC after 145 performances
- Feb 17 Kalakuta Republic, commune of Nigerian musician and activist Fela Kuti, burnt to the ground by soldiers in Lagos
Music Single
Feb 18 George Harrison releases music single "True Love", from his "33-1/3" album
#1 in the Charts
Feb 19 Manfred Mann's Earth Band's cover of Bruce Springsteen's song "Blinded By The Light" goes to #1
Music History
Feb 27 Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards gets suspended sentence for heroin possession in Canada
- Mar 4 Roger Sessions' 6th Symphony premieres (in fully completed form) in New York City with José Serebrier conducting the Juilliard Orchestra
Film and TV Awards
Mar 5 3rd People's Choice Awards: John Wayne & Barbra Streisand win (Motion Picture) and Telly Savalas & Mary Tyler Moore win (TV)
- Mar 18 The Clash release their first recording "White Riot"
Music Concert
Mar 23 Elvis Presley begins his final concert tour
Tony Awards
Mar 24 Lily Tomlin is the first woman to appear solo in a Broadway show in "Appearing Nitely" (special Tony award 1977)
Music History
Mar 26 Elvis Costello releases his 1st record "Less Than Zero"
- Apr 2 Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" album goes to No. 1 & stays atop charts for 31 weeks
- Apr 6 Judge rules Beatles 1962 Hamburg album can be released
- Apr 11 "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)" single released by Waylon Jennings (Billboard Song of the Year, 1977)
- Apr 17 "I Love My Wife" opens at Barrymore Theater NYC for 864 performances
Music Premiere
May 2 Revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical "The King & I"', with Yul Brynner reprising the role he created in 1951, opens at Uris Theater, NYC; runs for 695 performances
- May 6 "Beatles at Hollywood Bowl" released in UK
- May 7 "Happy End" opens at Martin Beck Theater, NYC; runs for 75 performances
- May 7 22nd Eurovision Song Contest: Marie Myriam for France wins singing "L'oiseau et l'enfant" in London
- May 21 "Fiddler on the Roof" closes at Winter Garden NYC after 167 performances
- May 21 Electric Light Orchestra releases "Telephone Line" in the UK; it would peak in the Top 10 in the UK and US
#1 in the Charts
May 21 Stevie Wonder's single "Sir Duke", a tribute to Duke Ellington and other musical influences of Wonder's, begins a 3-week run at #1
- May 25 "Beatles Live! At Star-Club in Hamburg Germany" released
Film Release
May 25 Original "Star Wars" movie (Episode IV – A New Hope), directed by George Lucas and starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford, first released
Music History
May 27 The Sex Pistols release "God Save the Queen", sparking major controversy and leading to a ban on the song by the BBC
Music History
Jun 7 During the Queen's Jubilee, the Sex Pistols attempt to perform on a boat on the River Thames, but are forced to stop by the police
Music History
Jun 18 Sex Pistols johnny rotten & Paul Cook, beaten by a group of rabble-rousers outside of a London pub
- Jun 26 Elvis Presley sings in Indianapolis, the last performance of his career
Music History
Jul 27 John Lennon is granted a green card for permanent residence in US
Album Release
Aug 29 Iggy Pop releases his second album "Lust for Life", a collaboration with David Bowie
Music Single
Sep 16 Ringo Starr releases single "Drowning in Sea of Love" in the UK
- Sep 17 Fleetwood Mac's "Rumors" is #1 for 19th straight week
- Sep 20 "Estrada" opens at Majestic Theater NYC for 7 performances
- Sep 23 "I Just Fall in Love Again" single released by The Carpenters
- Sep 24 "Estrada" closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 7 performances
- Sep 29 "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" by Meco hits #1
Music History
Sep 29 James Brown's band walks out claiming they were underpaid & overworked
- Sep 29 Peter Schats circus opera "Houdini" premieres in Amsterdam
Music History
Sep 29 Columbia Records releases "The Stranger", singer-songwriter Billy Joel's fifth studio album; it becomes the label's all-time best selling non-compilation record
- Sep 30 Ringo Starr releases album "Ringo the 4th"
Hall of Fame
Oct 1 Elton John honored by Madison Square Garden's MSG Hall of Fame
Music History
Oct 3 "Comedy with Music (Victor Borge)" opens at Imperial Theater, NYC; runs for 66 performances
- Oct 5 "Hair" opens at Biltmore Theater NYC for 43 performances
- Oct 10 11th Country Music Association Award: Ronnie Milsap wins
Sports History
Oct 14 Linda Ronstadt sings national anthem prior to World Series Game 3 at Dodger Stadium; criticised for casual attire but ranked by Washington Examiner as second-best rendition ever at a sporting event
- Oct 14 Rock band Kiss release their 2nd live album "Alive II"
- Oct 15 Debbie Boone's "You Light Up My Life" goes #1 & stays #1 for 10 weeks
- Oct 15 "Serpentine Fire" single released by Earth, Wind & Fire (Billboard Song of the Year 1978)
- Oct 20 Plane chartered by rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd runs out of fuel and crashes in a wooded area near Gillsburg, Mississippi. Six people are killed, including band members Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gains, and Cassie Gaines, and road manager Dean Kilpatrick
Music Premiere
Oct 29 John Kander and Fred Ebb's musical "The Act", starring Liza Minnelli, opens at Majestic Theater, NYC; runs for 233 performances and wins a Tony Award
- Nov 27 "Comedy with Music (Victor Borge)" closes at Imperial NY after 66 performances
Album Release
Dec 13 Asylum Records releases "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter", Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell's 9th studio album;
- Dec 17 Elvis Costello & The Attractions 1st US TV appearance on "Saturday Night Live"
Music History
Dec 23 British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens formally converts to Islam, taking the name Yusuf Islam