Jon Savage's 1976 Something Was Going To Happen

A vinyl-only two-album set of the revered pop culture pundit’s favourite singles from 1976, the year that ended with the first punk 45s. Sequenced roughly by UK release date, it moves from pre-punk friction and outsider funk to dub reggae, strange disco and the rush of the new.

Jon frames 1976 as a year split in two: before and after Ramones. Alongside records he lived with at the time, he folds in later discoveries including Shack Up. Mainstream flashes from Abba, Candi Staton, Blue Öyster Cult and 10cc sit beside sermons from Junior Murvin, Burning Spear and Max Romeo.

Slight liberties are taken with Roxy Music and Buzzcocks, both active in real form during 1976. This vinyl rework expands on Ace’s 1972-1976 CD, adds many new songs and avoids leaning entirely on pre-punk. Fold-out cover artwork by Philip Diggle.