Another year of this challenge set up by 
1977 playground conversation:
They did what?!?
They dropped the Top of the Pops Theme tune!
Nooooooooooooo!!!
Apparently this was originally a well known track from a contemporary heavy blues ensemble, but for me it's the Top of The Pops theme. As recorded by Alexis Korner's CCS. Any other version is a pale imitation.
Fleetwood Mac - Songbird
From Rumours
In amongst the divorce-court madness of a classic album comes this piece of loveliness. Christine McVie was the final addition to Fleetwood Mac in it's transition from British blues workhorses to American stadium rockers. She offset Stevie Nicks floaty stage persona and Lindsey Buckingham's acerbic songwriting in a Spinal Tap-esque luke-warm water stylee.
Judas Priest - Diamonds and Rust
One for the old folkies (like me). I heard this years before I heard Joan Baez's original. Another pivotal album, this. Priest signed to CBS after the incredible Sad Wings of Destiny album and didn't look back. On ...Destiny the band had paid homage to Hendrix, so this song of lost love (about Bob Dylan) isn't totally out of place. The arrangement is wonderful and Halford's falsetto is as good as Joan's. Shame they've never duetted the song.
Grateful Dead - Terrappin Station
This was the start of the Dead's time with Arista, which lasted to their break-up and brought them to a new audience via a couple of hit singles in the 80s. This album is either the start of a new beginning or the beginning of the end. An orchestra?!?!?! I love this track and think the orchestra works really well.
Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell
I try to avoid obvious classics, but this is a slab of utter brilliance. That's Jim Steinman on the piano. The rest of the band are session guys, so this is not the freeze-dried perfection of the album. Produced by Todd Rundgren and featuring members of his band and Springsteen's E Street Band, Bat Out of Hell took years to sell and then took years to drop out of the album charts. Wish I could say I bought this at the time, but it was 'Dead Ringer For Love' that brought Meat to my attention.
ELO - Wild West Hero
This was the play-out video on Top of The Pops for a few weeks, and I loved the song and the video. That Wurlitzer Spaceship is a thing of beauty. The album is the definitive ELO testament, but there's a fair bit of filler. 'Wild West Hero' is cinematic in every sense of the world and closes side 4 in style.
Some cockwomble* flagged my ELO t-shirt post the other day, so I'm taking the opportunity to re-post the link and probably be flagged again.
All the videos were are on YouTube, mostly courtesy of people who don't hold the rights.
*For those who don't know what a cockwomble is this won't help, but it might make you laugh...
