{"id":214312,"date":"2026-03-31T11:08:58","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T10:08:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siteproxy.ruqli.workers.dev:443\/https\/recordcollectormag.com\/?p=214312"},"modified":"2026-03-31T14:23:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T13:23:06","slug":"greatest-rb-albums-of-1976-soul-funk-disco-at-their-peak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siteproxy.ruqli.workers.dev:443\/https\/recordcollectormag.com\/articles\/greatest-rb-albums-of-1976-soul-funk-disco-at-their-peak","title":{"rendered":"Greatest R&B Albums of 1976: Soul, Funk & Disco at Their Peak"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

1976 was an exciting year for R&B. Stevie Wonder<\/strong><\/a> and Marvin Gaye<\/strong><\/a> crafted albums that sit among their greatest works; the former pushed for social change through a no-borders musical approach on Songs In The Key Of Life; the latter explored sexual politics in a way no one had done before on I Want You.<\/p>

Others were rejoicing in the social and cultural freedoms that disco afforded, from Stax veterans like Johnnie Taylor<\/strong>, who spent the entirety of April 76 at the US No 1 spot with Disco Lady, to the queens of Motown, Thelma Houston<\/strong> <\/a>and Diana Ross<\/strong><\/a>, who filled dancefloors with Don\u2019t Leave Me This Way and Love Hangover respectively.<\/p>

Then there were Earth, Wind & Fire<\/strong><\/a>, who were not only making albums under their own name but putting their magic touch on music by Deniece Williams<\/strong> and The Emotions<\/strong>, while Candi Staton<\/strong><\/a>, the first lady of southern soul, was now making glitterball anthems. As for James Brown<\/strong><\/a> and Parliament-Funkadelic<\/strong><\/a>, they were keeping old school funk alive while groups such as KC<\/strong> & The Sunshine Band<\/strong>, BT Express<\/strong>, Brass Construction<\/strong> and Brick<\/strong> were taking it to new commercial heights.<\/p>

Half a century ago, while punk and reggae were revolutionising music, soul, funk and disco were evolving at a similarly exhilarating pace. In Record Collector<\/em> #582<\/strong><\/a>, Lois Wilson<\/strong> picks 76 (well, of course) albums that best reflect that pivotal year for R&B.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Greatest\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Thelma Houston <\/strong><\/h4>

Any Way You Like It<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>

Tamla T6-345S1, LP, US, 19765 | Current Market Value*: \u00a35<\/p><\/div>

The Mississippi-born former gospel singer\u2019s fourth album, a judicious mix of driving dancers and sumptuous ballads, is best known for its cover of Don\u2019t Leave Me This Way, which, penned by Gamble, Huff and Gilbert, had been first issued the year before by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. At Motown, Berry Gordy had initially assigned the track to Diana Ross to cover as the follow up to Love Hangover, but it somehow ended up in Thelma\u2019s hands instead, who sang the hell out of it over a pounding four-on-the-floor disco beat for a US No 1 hit. The rest of the tracks on the album are ace, too; Houston\u2019s powerhouse vocals bringing churchy fervour to the infectious six-minute title groove and five-minute cover of Stevie Wonder\u2019s Don\u2019t Know Why I Love You, replete with rafter-raising call-and-response and restorative synth, guitar and horn break.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t