As we tumble into 2026, I’ve been thinking a lot about 1976 lately.

I turned 21 that year, my life was in flux, and I happened to be working radio—first in The Dalles, then in Salem. That meant I was opening boxes of brand-new records before almost anyone else in town heard them.

Some albums grabbed me instantly. Some confused me. Some took years to fully reveal themselves.

But they all stayed.

I just published a piece looking back at rock and reggae albums from 1976 that turn 50 in 2026—Boston, Bowie, the Ramones, Thin Lizzy, Marley, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, and more—woven together with what that year felt like from the inside.

If you were around then, I’d love to know: 👉 Which albums from ’76 still live in your head? 👉 Which ones took time to grow on you?

Here’s the piece: