Girl power and the dawn of punk: these albums turn 50 this year

The year 2025 has now passed, so it’s time to welcome 2026. Now is also a good time to travel back in time to 1976 and get a feel for which albums will be turning 50 this year:

1. KISS – “Destroyer”:

There’s no better way to start a KISS album than with “Detroit Rock City.” Released in 1976, KISS‘s fourth LP, “Destroyer”, is packed with one classic song after another. This album includes Gene Simmons‘ “God Of Thunder,” “Shout Out Loud,” and “Do You Love Me“—not to mention drummer Peter Criss’ “Beth,” which was originally released on the B-side of the “Detroit Rock City” single. The album also features the song “We’re the Wild Ones,” which was later re-recorded for the 1984 album “Kiss the Girl from Detroit.”

2. Ramones – “Ramones”: 

One of the albums that personally made me fall in love with punk. The Ramones‘ debut album is often referred to as the first punk album. The album, named after the band, contains 14 tracks, none of which exceed three minutes in length. Simplicity is a virtue in both the music and the lyrics, as exemplified by “Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue.” On their very first album, The Ramones delivered punk classics such as “Blitzkrieg Bop,” “Judy Is a Punk,” and “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.“

3. Rainbow – “Rising”:

After the release of their debut album the previous year, Ritchie Blackmore showed the other members of Rainbow the door and continued the band’s journey with vocal virtuoso Ronnie James Dio. The musicians who were kicked out were replaced by legendary drummer Cozy Powell, bassist Jimmy Bain, and keyboardist Tony Carey. In hindsight, Blackmore made the right decision (this time), as this lineup released Rainbow‘s most legendary album, “Rising”, in 1976, which has earned the title of a classic album. This album features a string of incredible Rainbow classics, such as the magical “Stargazer“, the opening track “Tarot Woman“, and the fast-paced “A Light in the Black“.

4. AC/DC – “High Voltage”:

“High Voltage”, released in Australia the previous year, was released elsewhere in the world in the spring of 1976—albeit in a slightly modified version that included songs from the Australian version of “High Voltage” and the “T.N.T. “album, which was only released in Australia. “High Voltage” immediately defined AC/DC for the rest of the world, offering a slew of legendary songs such as “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll)” and “T.N.T.“. Later that fall, the band’s next studio album, “Dirty Deeds, Done Dirt Cheap”, saw the light of day.

5. Blue Öyster Cult – “Agents Of Fortune”:

“More cowbell!” – that iconic line from a Saturday Night Live sketch brought Blue Öyster Cult’s biggest hit, “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” back into the spotlight in the early 2000s. The song is from the band’s fourth studio album. The live album “On Your Feet Or On Your Knees,” released the previous year, paved the way for the band’s popularity, but it was ultimately “Agents Of Fortune” that catapulted Blue Öyster Cult to fame. In addition to “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” this album also features the incredible opening track “This Ain’t the Summer of Love” and “The Revenge of Vera Gemini,” which features Patti Smith lending her enchanting voice in the background.

6. Eagles – “Hotel California”:

Who wouldn’t recognize the iconic guitar riff from this album’s title track! Released in 1976, the Eagles‘ fifth album marked the peak of the band’s career – and then began their decline. Despite its title, the album’s title track, “Hotel California,” is not about a specific hotel, but rather a description of California’s materialism and the dark side of the American dream. In addition to the aforementioned classic song, this album also features “New Kid in Town” and “Life in the Fast Lane.“

7. Queen – “A Day at the Races”:

When Queen‘s previous album, “A Night at the Opera,” was named after the film by the British comedy group the Marx Brothers, the band continued in the same vein and also named their next album in honor of the aforementioned comedy group. The follow-up to the successful “A Night at the Opera,” “A Day at the Races” is the first album produced by Queen themselves. This fifth album by the band gave the world the hits “Somebody to Love” and “Tie Your Mother Down,” which served as the opening song for their concerts for a long time.

8. Rush – “2112”:

The record company wanted Rush to produce more commercial material, but the band stood their ground and released one of their most famous albums in 1976. Rush‘s fourth LP, “2112,” begins with a lighthearted title track lasting over 20 minutes, which tells the story of the year 2112, when creativity and music in particular are forbidden. The protagonist of the story finds a guitar and a spark of hope for a better life, which is ultimately destroyed by the ruling regime – leaving only despair. Despite its rather lighthearted story, the song flows beautifully, carried forward by progressive elements. The five songs on the B-side of the “2112” album shine as works in their own right: “Tears” offers a melancholic and sensitive side of Rush, while “Something for Nothing” takes a strong stand for individual freedom and responsibility.

9. Boston – “Boston”:

Boston‘s debut album immediately brought this American band to the attention of the general public and became the best-selling debut album in the United States—until Guns N’ Roses‘ “Appetite For Destruction” surpassed it in 1987. Tom Scholz was almost solely responsible for the composition and production of Boston. The magnificent-voiced singer Brad Delp participated in the composition of the song “Smokin’” and composed “Let Me Take You Home Tonight” entirely by himself. In addition to the aforementioned songs, the album, which combines lighter pop elements with hard rock, also includes “Peace of Mind,” “Foreplay/Long Time,” and perhaps Boston‘s biggest hit, “More Than A Feeling.”

10. Aerosmith – “Rocks”:

In 1975, after releasing the successful “Toys in the Attic”, Aerosmith decided to strike while the iron was hot. In 1976, the band released their fourth studio album, which was even more successful than its predecessor, reaching number 3 on the Billboard charts. Although Aerosmith was already using substances stronger than wheat flour at this stage of their career, the band still managed to create their heaviest album, proving that this group of misfits was not just a poor man’s Rolling Stones. “Rocks” gave the rock world a bunch of Aerosmith classics, like “Back in the Saddle,” “Last Child,” and “Home Tonight.“

11. Judas Priest – “Sad Wings of Destiny”:

Although Black Sabbath invented heavy metal, Judas Priest showed what the genre could be at its best with their second album. “Sad Wings of Destiny” has been called the cornerstone of heavy metal. The opening track, “Victim of Changes,” was created by combining Judas Priest‘s former singer Al Atkins’ early “Whiskey Woman” and Rob Halford’s previous band Hiroshima‘s “Red Light Lady.” The songs “Tyrant,” “The Ripper,” and “Deceiver” sound much more like the Judas Priest we know, compared to their debut album “Rocka Rolla”, released a couple of years earlier.

12. Thin Lizzy – “Jailbreak”:

Thin Lizzy‘s “Jailbreak” came out at a critical moment in the band’s career: the record company was thinking about dropping them if this sixth album didn’t do well. Thin Lizzy surprised everyone and released the most successful album of their career. “Jailbreak” includes one of the band’s biggest hits, “The Boys Are Back in Town.”

13. Kansas – “Leftoverture” 

Like Thin Lizzy, Kansas felt pressure from their record company, and this fourth studio album had to deliver a hit. The band delivered, and the last song on “Leftoverture” was Kansas‘ biggest hit, “Carry on Wayward Son“. There wasn’t much new material ready anyway, as the band spent most of their time on the road. Thus, for example, the epic closing track “Magnum Opus” was pieced together from parts developed during soundchecks and leftovers from the previous year’s “Masque” album. The song’s working title was originally “Leftoverture,” but Kansas liked the name so much that it ended up being the title of the entire album.

14. Black Sabbath – “Technical Ecstasy”:

Black Sabbath had come a long way from their dark debut album “Black Sabbath” when their seventh album, “Technical Ecstasy”, released in 1976, offered more experimental material. A special feature of this album is the song “It’s Alright,” in which the vocals are handled by drummer Bill Ward instead of Ozzy Osbourne. “Technical Ecstasy” was less successful than its predecessor, “Sabotage”, and few songs from the album survived except for the closing track, “Dirty Women“.

15. Led Zeppelin – “Presence”

Like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin also released their seventh album, which became their least-selling Led Zeppelin album. Working on “Presence” was not easy for Led Zeppelin: Robert Plant was recovering from a car accident in the fall of 1975, which forced them to cancel concerts. In addition, Musicland Studios in Munich had a tight schedule, with The Rolling Stones scheduled to record after Led Zeppelin. Despite these challenges, “Presence” was completed in just three weeks. Presence features a string of Led Zeppelin classics, such as “Achilles Last Stand“, “Nobody’s Fault But Mine“, and “For Your Life“.

16. The Runaways – “The Runaways”:

The Runaways showed old rockers that women can rock too! This lineup included some of the toughest women in rock, such as Joan Jett and Lita Ford, who have done brilliantly since The Runaways broke up. The Runaways‘ debut album includes the band’s most famous song, “Cherry Bomb.”

17. Blondie – “Blondie”:

Who doesn’t love Blondie? Debbie Harry’s magnificent voice captivated everyone on the band’s first album. Blondie‘s debut album is an outrageous mix of 60s girl band pop, punk, and new wave. Blondie includes the punk-inspired “Rip Her To Shreds“, the atmospheric “In The Flesh“, and the opening track “X Offender“, which was originally called “Sex Offender” but had to be toned down to “X Offender“.

18. UFO – “No Heavy Petting”:

After the success of “Phenomenon” and “Force It”, UFO‘s fifth studio album, “No Heavy Petting”, did not achieve quite the same popularity. For the first time, the band had a permanent keyboardist when Danny Peyronel, known from Heavy Metal Kids, joined the band. However, “No Heavy Petting” remained Peyronel’s only UFO album.

19. Genesis – “A Trick of the Tail”:

“A Trick of the Tail” is the first Genesis album without Peter Gabriel on vocals. After Gabriel’s departure, the band considered continuing as an instrumental group, but ultimately decided to search for a new singer through an anonymous advertisement. Drummer Phil Collins organized auditions, but in the end, it became clear that no one could perform the new songs as well as Collins himself. So Collins took on the role of singer.

20. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers”:

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers‘ debut album provided a slow but sure breakthrough for the band. The album was a success in the UK at the time of its release, mainly thanks to the song “Anything That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll.” When the success of the album on the other side of the Atlantic was noticed in the US, the album began to receive the attention it deserved there as well. The re-released “Breakdown” even made it onto the Billboard charts, and “American Girl” became one of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers‘ classics.