This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1977. This year was the peak of vinyl sales in the United States, with sales declining year on year since then.^{[1][clarification needed]}

This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2018)

• 1977 in British music
• 1977 in Norwegian music

• 1977 in country music
• 1977 in heavy metal music
• 1977 in jazz

• See Category:Musical groups established in 1977

• The Animals

• See Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1977

Billboard's year-end Hot 100 for the year 1977, printed on December 24, 1977, was based on Hot 100 charts from the issue dates of November 6, 1976 through October 29, 1977. The decision to include the last two months of 1976 resulted in Rod Stewart's "Tonight's the Night" being listed as no. 1 record of 1977, despite seven of its eight weeks at #1 occurring in 1976 (keep reading).

The completed Billboard year-end list for 1977 is composed of records that entered the Billboard Hot 100 between November 1976 and December 1977. Records with chart runs that started in 1976 and ended in 1977, or started in 1977 and ended in 1978, made this chart if the majority of their chart weeks were in 1977. If not, they were ranked in the year-end charts for 1976 or 1978. If their weeks were equal, they were listed in the year they first entered. Appearing in multiple years is not permitted. Each week thirty points were awarded to the number one record, then nineteen points for number two, eighteen points for number three, and so on. The total points a record earned determined its year-end rank. The complete chart life of each record is represented, with number of points accrued. There are no ties, even when multiple records have the same number of points. The next ranking category is peak chart position, then weeks at peak chart position, weeks on Hot 100 chart, weeks in top forty, and finally weeks in top ten.

The chart presented here depicts the top 30 singles of 1977. In contrast with the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1977, this chart does not truncate or split chart runs between years. It does not add two months from 1976, delete two months from 1977 and then call itself the "Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1977", which it is obviously not. The true number one record of 1977 is Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life", which spent the last 18 weeks of the year accumulating 362 points. The seven additional weeks it scored from 1978 were not even needed for the top prize. Rod Stewart's "Tonight's the Night" scored only 73 points in 10 weeks during 1977, so based on its 223 points from 13 weeks in 1976, its 296 total points made it the number one record of that year, not 1977. All chart rankings represented below for the Top Soul Singles, Top Country Singles, Top Easy Listening Singles, and Top CashBox pop singles were all calculated in the same manner.

The chart can be sorted by Artist, Song title, Recording and Release dates, Cashbox year-end ranking (CB) or units sold (sales) by clicking on the column header. Additional details for each record can be accessed by clicking on the song title, and referring to the Infobox in the right column of the song page. Billboard also has chart summaries on its website. Sales information was derived from the RIAA's Gold and Platinum database, the BRIT Certified database and The Book of Golden Discs,^[18] but numbers listed should be regarded as estimates. Grammy Hall of Fame and National Recording Registry information with sources can be found on Wikipedia. Archived issues of Billboard from November 1976 to March 1978 and Hot 100 Year-End formulas were used to complete the 1977 year-end chart.

• "After the Lovin'" w. Richie Adams m. Alan Bernstein
• "Annie" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
• "Brazzle Dazzle Day" w.m. Al Kasha & Joel Hirschhorn, from the film Pete's Dragon
• "But the World Goes 'Round" w. Fred Ebb m. John Kander. Introduced by Liza Minnelli in the film New York City
• "Child In A Universe" w.m. Laura Nyro
• "Come In From The Rain"     w.m. Melissa Manchester & Carole Bayer Sager
• "Easy Street" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
• "The Greatest Love of All"     w. Linda Creed m. Michael Masser
• "Happy Endings" w. Fred Ebb m. John Kander. Introduced by Liza Minnelli, Larry Kert and chorus in the film New York, New York
• "Here You Come Again"     w.m. Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil
• "I Don't Need Anything But You" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
• "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
• "It's Not Easy" w.m. Al Kasha & Joel Hirschhorn, from the film Pete's Dragon
• "It's the Hard-Knock Life" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
• "Just the Way You Are" w.m. Billy Joel
• "Little Girls" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
• "The Love Boat theme song" w.m. Norman Gimbel & Paul Williams
• "Love Is in the Air"     w.m. George Young & Harry Vanda
• "Maybe" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
• "Maybe I'm Amazed" w.m. Paul McCartney
• "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" w.m. Billy Joel
• "N.Y.C." w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
• "A New Deal For Christmas" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
• "New York, New York"     w.m. Fred Ebb & John Kander. Introduced by Liza Minnelli in the film New York City
• "Nobody Does It Better"     w. Carole Bayer Sager m. Marvin Hamlisch
• "She's Always a Woman" w.m. Billy Joel
• "Someone's Waiting for You"      w. Carol Connors & Ayn Robbins m. Sammy Fain from the film The Rescuers
• "Something Was Missing" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
• "Star Wars-Main Theme" m. John Williams from the Star Wars films
• "Stayin' Alive"     w.m. Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb & Robin Gibb
• "Thank You for the Music"     w.m. Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus
• "There Goes the Ball Game" w. Fred Ebb m. John Kander. Introduced by Liza Minnelli in the film New York, New York
• "Tomorrow"     w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse, from the musical Annie
• "We'd Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
• "You Won't Be an Orphan for Long" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse from the musical Annie
• "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" w. Martin Charnin m. Charles Strouse, from the musical Annie

1977 marks the beginning of the punk rock movement.^[20] Several albums associated with the development of punk music were released, including Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols by the Sex Pistols, The Clash by The Clash, Damned Damned Damned by The Damned, the Dead Boys' Young, Loud and Snotty, Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers' L.A.M.F., the Ramones' Rocket to Russia, Richard Hell and the Voidoids' Blank Generation, and Wire's Pink Flag.

The year saw the release of debut albums by bands associated with punk rock, though also with other new music genres, such as the mod revival and new wave music, including In the City by The Jam,^[21][22] My Aim Is True by Elvis Costello, Suicide by Suicide, Marquee Moon by Television,^[23] and Talking Heads: 77 by Talking Heads. It also saw the release of Iggy Pop's Lust for Life, his second record as a solo artist.

• John Adams
  • China Gates, for piano
  • Phrygian Gates, for piano
• Samuel Adler
  • Aeolus, God of the Winds, for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano
  • Concerto for Flute and Orchestra
  • A Falling of Saints, for tenor, bass, chorus, and orchestra
  • It is to God I shall Sing, for chorus and organ
• Kalevi Aho
  • Quintet, for 5 bassoons
  • Quintet, for flute, oboe, violin, viola, and cello
• Necil Kazım Akses
  • Concerto for Orchestra
  • Concerto for Viola and Orchestra
• Franghiz Ali-Zadeh – Zu den Kindertotenlieder (In Memoriam Gustav Mahler), for clarinet, violin, and percussion
• Birgitte Alsted – Strygekvartet i CD, for string quartet
• Javier Álvarez – Canciones de la Venta, for soprano, violin, viola, and baroque guitar
• William Alwyn
  • Invocations (song cycle), for mezzo-soprano and piano
  • A Leave-Taking (song cycle), for tenor and piano
• Charles Amirkhanian – Dutiful Ducks, for tape with optional live voices
• Gilbert Amy
  • Strophe, for soprano and orchestra (revised version)
  • Trois études, for flute
• Beth Anderson – Joan, for tape
• Laurie Anderson
  • Audio Talk, performance art
  • On Dit, performance art
  • Some Songs, performance art
  • Stereo Decoy, performance art
  • That's Not the Way I Heard It, performance art
• Ruth Anderson – Sound Portraits I–II, text pieces
• Hendrik Andriessen – Ricercare, version for wind orchestra
• Jurriaan Andriessen
  • Psalmen-trilogie, for baritone, chorus, and orchestra
  • Symphony no. 7, The Awakening Dream, for keyboard and electronics
  • Symphony no. 8, La celebrazione
• Louis Andriessen – Hoketus, for two groups of 6 players each
• Denis ApIvor
  • Chant Eolien, for oboe and piano, op. 65
  • Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, op. 64
• Violet Archer – Plainsongs, for mezzo-soprano and piano
• Malcolm Arnold
  • Sonata, for flute and piano, op. 121
  • Variations on a Theme of Ruth Gipps, for orchestra, op. 122
• Larry Austin – Quadrants: Event/Complex no. 11, for double bass and tape
• Luciano Berio
  • Coro, for 40 voices and 40 instruments (revised version)
  • Fantasia, for orchestra (after Giovanni Gabrieli)
  • Il ritorno degli snovidenia, for cello and 30 instruments
  • Sequenza VIII, for violin
  • Toccata, for orchestra (after Girolamo Frescobaldi)
• Harrison Birtwistle – Silbury Air
• Rob du Bois
  • Skarabee, for orchestra
  • Zodiak, for one or more instruments or instrumental groups
• John Buller – Proença for mezzo-soprano, electric guitar, and large orchestra
• Enrique Crespo – American Suite No. 1
• George Crumb – Star-Child (1977, revised 1979) for soprano, antiphonal children's voices, male speaking choir, bell ringers, and large orchestra
• Peter Maxwell Davies
  • A Mirror of Whitening Light, for chamber orchestra
  • Our Father Which in Heaven Art, for flute, clarinet, piano, percussion, violin, cello
  • Runes from a Holy Island, for flute, clarinet, piano, percussion, violin, cello
  • Westerlings, for SATB choir
• Franco Donatoni
  • Algo, for guitar
  • Ali, for viola
  • Diario ’76, for four trumpets and four trombones
  • Portrait, for harpsichord and orchestra
  • Spiri, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, celesta, vibraphone, 2 violins, viola, and cello
  • Toy, for 2 violins, viola, and harpsichord
• Morton Feldman
  • Instruments 3, for flute, oboe, and percussion
  • Spring of Chosroes, for violin and piano
• Brian Ferneyhough – Time and Motion Study I, for bass clarinet
• Lorenzo Ferrero
  • Arioso
  • Romanza seconda
• Frans Geysen –
  • Muziek voor toetsenbord, for piano
  • Omtrent sib, for three oboes
  • Orgelstuk, for organ
  • Pentakel, for oboe
  • Stadssteeg, for 6 oboes, 4 trumpets, 2 trombones
• Alberto Ginastera
  • Barabbas, opera (unfinished)
  • Concerto No. 1 for Cello and Orchestra, op. 36 (revised version)
  • Glosses sobre temes de Pau Casals, for orchestra, op. 48
• Alexander Goehr – Romanza on the Notes of Psalm IV, op. 38c
• Sembiin Gonchigsumlaa – Symphony No. 2
• Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen
  • Passacaglia for tabla, clarinet, violin, cello and piano
  • Symfoni, Antifoni for orchestra
• Rodolfo Halffter – Secuencia, op. 39, for piano
• Bengt Hambraeus – Antiphonie: Cathedral Music for Organ
• Alan Hovhaness
  • Ananda, piano sonata, op. 303
  • Celestial Canticle, for coloratura soprano and piano, op. 305
  • Dawn on a Mountain Lake, for double bass and piano, op. 393
  • Fred the Cat, piano sonata, op. 301
  • Glory Sings the Setting Sun, cantata for coloratura soprano, clarinet, and piano, op. 292
  • How I Love Thy Law, cantata for high soprano, clarinet, piano, op. 298
  • Mount Belknap, piano sonata, op. 299, no. 1 (revised version)
  • Mount Ossipee, piano sonata, op. 299, no. 2 (revised version)
  • Mount Shasta, piano sonata, op. 299, no. 3 (revised version)
  • A Presentiment, for coloratura soprano and piano, op. 304
  • Suite, for flute and guitar, op. 300 (1977)
  • Sonata, for oboe and bassoon, op. 302
  • Sonata, for 2 clarinets, op. 297
  • Sonata No. 1, for harpsichord, Op. 306
  • Sonatina ("Meditation on Mt. Monadnock"), for piano, op. 288
  • The Spirit's Map, for voice and piano, op. 391
  • Srpouhi, duet for violin and piano, op. 398
  • Symphony No. 31, for strings, op. 294
  • Symphony No. 32 ("The Broken Wings"), op. 296
  • Symphony No. 33 ("Francis Bacon"), op. 307
  • Symphony No. 34, for bass trombone and strings, op. 310
• Maki Ishii
  • Black Intention, for recorder
  • Voices—Violet, for gidayū ensemble, shō, and percussion
• David C. Johnson – Ars Subtilior Electrica, electronic music
• Mauricio Kagel
  • An Tasten, étude for piano
  • MM51, film score
  • Présentation für zwei
  • Quatre degrés (Schlagzeugtrio für Holzinstrumente)
  • Variété (Concert-Spectacle für Artisten und Musiker)
• Jonathan Kramer
  • Renascence, for clarinet and tape (revised version)
  • Studies on Six Notes, for harpsichord
• György Kurtág
  • Hommage à Mihály András (Twelve Microludes for String Quartet), op. 13
  • [untitled pieces], op. 15, for guitar (unpublished, withdrawn)
• Helmut Lachenmann – Salut für Caudwell, music for two guitarists
• André Laporte
  • Icarus' Flight, for piano and twelve instruments
• Mario Lavista
  • Pieza para caja de música, for music box
  • Los inocentes, incidental music
• Luca Lombardi
  • Tui-Gesänge, for soprano, flute, clarinet, piano, violin, and cello
  • Variazioni su ‘Avanti popolo alla riscossa’, for piano
  • Variazioni, for orchestra
• John McGuire – Pulse Music II, for four pianos and small orchestra
• Tomás Marco
  • Herbania, for harpsichord
  • Hoquetus, for 1, 2, or 3 clarinets, live and/or recorded
  • Sicigia, for cello
  • Sonata de Vesperia, for piano
  • Tormer, for harpsichord, violin, viola, and cello
• Bo Nilsson – Madonna, for mezzo-soprano and instrumental ensemble
• Pehr Henrik Nordgren
  • Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 33
  • Summer Music for orchestra, Op. 34
  • Akinosuke-no-yume (安芸之助の夢; The Dream of Akinosuke) for piano, Op. 35
  • Jyūroku-zakura (十六ざくら) for piano, Op. 36
  • Jikininki (食人鬼) for piano, Op. 37
  • Häjyt (The Evil Braggarts), orchestral music for the television play, Op. 38
  • Butterflies for guitar solo, Op. 39
  • Tuolla mun heilani asuskeloo (Yonder Lives My Sweet Love) for string orchestra, Op. 40
• Per Nørgård
  • Cantica, for cello and piano
  • Den afbrudte sang (Orfeus og Euridike), for chorus, percussion, harp, and other instruments ad lib.
  • Freedom, for tenor and guitar
  • Kredsløb, for SATB choir
  • Mating Dance, for flute (+ alto flute) and guitar
  • Recall, for accordion and orchestra (revised version)
  • Towards Freedom?, for orchestra
  • Twilight, for orchestra
• Arvo Pärt
  • Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten
  • Fratres
  • Tabula Rasa
  • Variationen zur Gesundung von Arinuschka, for piano
• Henri Pousseur
  • Ballade berlinoise, for piano
  • Liège à Paris, electronic music
• Einojuhani Rautavaara
  • Suomalainen myytti (A Finnish Myth), for string orchestra
  • Serenades of the Unicorn, for guitar
• Aulis Sallinen
  • Simppeli Simme ja Hamppari, for mixed choir
  • Symphony No. 1
• Dieter Schnebel
  • Canon (‘Diapason’)
  • Handwerke-Blaswerke I (Arianna), for 1 wind instrument, 1 string instrument, and 1 percussionist
  • Orchestra, for orchestra
  • Quintet in B♭ major, for piano and strings
  • Rhythmen, for 2 guitars, organ, and percussion
• Kurt Schwertsik
  • Concerto for Violin No. 1, op. 31
  • Wiener Chronik 1848, ballet op. 28
• Gerald Shapiro
  • Dance Suite, for piano
  • For Nancy, wordless vocalise, for soprano and piano
  • Questions, for SATB choir
  • You are Your Own Energy Source, electroacoustic dance score
• Makoto Shinohara – Liberation, for orchestra
• Roger Smalley – Seven Modulator Pieces, for 4 flutes
• Karlheinz Stockhausen
  • Atmen gibt das Leben, for choir and orchestra, Nr. 39
  • In Freundschaft, Nr. 46
  • Jahreslauf, Nr. 47
  • Jubiläum, for orchestra, Nr. 45
  • Sirius, electronic music with trumpet, soprano, bass clarinet, and bass voice, Nr. 43
  • Tierkreis, for chamber orchestra, Nr. 41⁷/₈
• Tōru Takemitsu
  • A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden
  • Gitā no tame no jūni no uta, for guitar
  • Hanare goze Orin, film score
  • Ohan, incidental music for television
  • Quatrain II, for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano
  • Sabita honoo, film score
  • Saigō Takamori den, incidental music for television
  • Toono monogatari wo yuku: Yanagida Kunio no fūkei, incidental music for television
  • Water-ways for clarinet, violin, cello, piano, two harps, and two vibraphones
• Michael Tippett – Symphony No. 4
• Alexander Vustin – In Memory of Boris Klyuzner
• Iannis Xenakis – Jonchaies
• Isang Yun – Concerto for Flute and Small Orchestra

• William Alwyn – Miss Julie, opera in 2 acts, after Strindberg
• Dominick Argento – Miss Haversham's Fire
• Luciano Berio – Opera (revised version, 28 May, Teatro Comunale Florence)
• Peter Maxwell Davies – The Martyrdom of St Magnus (June 18, Kirkwall, St Magnus Cathedral)^[24]
• Julian Livingston – Twist of Treason
• Thea Musgrave – Mary, Queen of Scots
• Donald Sosin – Esther
• Karlheinz Stockhausen – Atmen gibt das Leben (May 22, 1977, Nice)^[25]
• Michael Tippett – The Ice Break (July 7, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden)
• Morton Feldman – Neither (1977, Rome Opera)^[26]

• The Act – Broadway production opened at the Majestic Theatre and ran for 233 performances
• Annie (Martin Charnin and Charles Strouse) – Broadway production opened at the Alvin Theatre on April 21, 1977, and ran for 2377 performances
• I Love My Wife – Broadway production opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on April 17 and ran for 857 performances
• I Love My Wife – London production opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre on October 6 and ran for 401 performances
• The King and I (Rodgers and Hammerstein) – Broadway revival
• Privates on Parade – London production opened at the Aldwych Theatre on February 17 and ran for 208 performances
• Side by Side by Sondheim – Broadway production opened at the Music Box Theatre and ran for 384 performances
• Oliver! (Lionel Bart) – London revival

• ABBA: The Movie^[27]
• A Little Night Music
• Amar Akbar Anthony
• The Hobbit (animation)
• New York, New York
• Pete's Dragon
• Saturday Night Fever

• January 1
  • Donna Ares, Bosnian singer (d. 2017)
  • Axel, Argentine singer and songwriter
  • Jerry Yan, Taiwanese singer
• January 3 – Michelle Stephenson, British singer and TV presenter (Spice Girls)
• January 11 – Nadia Turner, American singer
• January 18
  • Richard Archer, British singer (Hard-Fi)
  • Michael Tierney, Australian singer (Human Nature)
• January 20
  • Melody, Belgian singer
  • Sid Wilson, American musician
• January 25 – Christian Ingebrigtsen, Norwegian singer (A1)
• January 28 – Joey Fatone, American singer (*NSYNC)
• February 2
  • Shakira, Colombian singer, songwriter, dancer, businesswoman, and record producer
  • Jessica Wahls, German pop singer
• February 3 – Daddy Yankee, Puerto Rican musician
• February 4 – Gavin DeGraw, American musician and singer-songwriter
• February 8 – Dave Farrell, American musician (Linkin Park)
• February 11 – Mike Shinoda, American musician, songwriter, record producer and graphic designer (Linkin Park, Fort Minor)
• February 15 – Brooks Wackerman, American drummer (Bad Religion, Avenged Sevenfold)
• February 18 – Sean Watkins, American guitarist and songwriter
• February 20 – Amal Hijazi, Lebanese singer and model
• March 2 – Chris Martin, English rock singer and pianist (Coldplay)
• March 3 – Ronan Keating, Irish singer (Boyzone)
• March 4 – Jason Marsalis, American jazz drummer, vibraphonist and composer
• March 6 – Bubba Sparxxx, American rapper
• March 7 – Paul Cattermole, British singer (S Club 7)
• March 10
  • Bree Turner, American dancer and actress
  • Colin Murray, British radio disc jockey
  • Matt Rubano, American rock bassist (Taking Back Sunday)
• March 11 – Jason Greeley, Canadian singer
• March 15 – Joseph Hahn, American musician, DJ, director, and visual artist (Linkin Park)
• March 16 – Ben Kenney, American rock bassist (Incubus)
• March 18 – Devin Lima, American musician (LFO) (d. 2018)
• March 19 – Jorma Taccone, American actor, comedian, director, writer, producer, record producer, and musician (The Lonely Island)
• March 24 – Natalie Hemby, American country music songwriter and singer
• April 9 – Gerard Way, American vocalist, visual artist, and songwriter (My Chemical Romance)
• April 17 – Frederik Magle, Danish composer, concert organist, and pianist
• April 23 – John Cena, American professional wrestler, actor and singer
• April 25 – Matthew West, American guitarist and singer
• April 28 – Joanne Yeoh, Malaysian violinist^[28]
• May 1 – Dan Regan, American musician (Reel Big Fish)
• May 7 – Lisa Kelly, Irish singer
• May 8 – Joe Bonamassa, American musician
• May 12 – Wu Fei, Chinese musician and composer
• May 13 – Pusha T, American rapper and record executive
• May 16 – Emilíana Torrini, Icelandic singer and songwriter
• May 17 – Aleksandra Gryka, Polish classical composer
• May 31
  • Scott Klopfenstein, American musician and vocalist (Reel Big Fish)
  • Joel Ross, British disc jockey
• June 3 – Yuri Ruley, American drummer and percussionist (MxPx)
• June 5 – Nourhanne, Lebanese singer
• June 8 – Kanye West, American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, fashion designer, and entrepreneur
• June 10
  • Adam Darski, Polish musician
  • Takako Matsu, Japanese singer-songwriter and actress
• June 12 – Kenny Wayne Shepherd, guitarist
• June 23 – Jason Mraz, American singer-songwriter and musician
• June 25 – Tim Anderson, American songwriter and producer
• June 28
  • Mark Stoermer, American rock guitarist (The Killers)
  • Harun Tekin, Turkish rock vocalist and guitarist (Mor ve Ötesi)
• June 29 – DEALZ, American rapper
• July 1 – Tom Frager, French-born singer and surfer
• July 7 – Dan Whitesides, American drummer (The Used and The New Transit Direction)
• July 10 – Jesse Lacey, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Brand New and Taking Back Sunday)
• July 12 – Airin Older, American musician
• July 14 – Gordon Cree, composer
• July 15 – Ray Toro, American musician and vocalist (My Chemical Romance)
• July 18 – Tony Fagenson, American musician, producer, and songwriter (Eve 6, Dead Posey)
• July 28 – Jacoby Shaddix, American singer-songwriter, rapper, and TV presenter (Papa Roach)
• July 29
  • Danger Mouse, American record producer (Gnarls Barkley)
  • Rodney Jerkins, American record producer, songwriter, and rapper
• July 30 – Ian Watkins, Welsh singer (Lostprophets)
• August 7 – Samantha Ronson, English DJ and singer-songwriter (Lindsay Lohan, Mark Ronson)
• August 8 - Marsha Ambrosius, English singer-songwriter
• August 10 – Aaron Kamin, American guitarist and vocalist (The Calling)
• August 12 – Park Yong-ha, South Korean actor and singer (d. 2010)
• August 16 – Tamer Hosny, Egyptian singer and actor
• August 17
  • Claire Richards, British singer and dancer (Steps)
  • Tarja Turunen, Finnish operatic soprano singer-songwriter
• August 19 – Katrina Woolverton, American singer-songwriter
• August 30 – Jens Ludwig, German guitarist
• August 31 – Craig Nicholls, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Vines)
• September 1 – Chris Cain, American rock bassist (We Are Scientists)
• September 2 – Elitsa Todorova, Bulgarian singer-songwriter
• September 4
  • Ian Grushka, American musician and songwriter (New Found Glory)
  • Lucie Silvas, English singer
• September 6 – Kiyoshi Hikawa, Japanese enka singer
• September 11
  • Jonny Buckland, English-born Welsh rock guitarist (Coldplay)
  • Ludacris, American rapper and actor
• September 12 – 2 Chainz, American rapper and businessman
• September 13 – Fiona Apple, American singer-songwriter^[29]
• September 15 – Angela Aki, Japanese singer-songwriter
• September 19 – Ioana Maria Lupascu, Romanian pianist
• September 20
  • Namie Amuro, Japanese singer
  • The-Dream, American singer, songwriter and record producer (Christina Milian, Rihanna, Beyoncé)
• September 23 – Susan Tamim, Lebanese singer and actress (d. 2008)
• October 1 – Owen Biddle, rock bass guitarist (The Roots)
• October 5 – Wendy Vera, Ecuadorian musician and composer
• October 6 – Melinda Doolittle, American singer
• October 12 – Young Jeezy, American rapper
• October 13 – Justin Peroff, Canadian drummer and percussionist (Broken Social Scene)
• October 16
  • John Mayer, American singer, songwriter, and guitarist
  • Chris Knapp, American drummer (The Ataris)
• October 17 – Nicole Cabell, American operatic soprano
• October 25 – Yehonathan Gatro, Israeli singer and actor
• November 1 – Alistair Griffin, British singer and songwriter
• November 4 – Kavana, British singer
• November 7 – Wigor, Polish rapper and producer
• November 8
  • Khia, American rapper, songwriter and record producer
  • Bucky Covington, American singer
  • Tiffani Wood, Australian singer-songwriter (Bardot)
• November 10 – Brittany Murphy, American actress and singer (d. 2009)
• November 13
  • Chanel Cole, New Zealand-born singer
  • Huang Xiaoming, Chinese actor and singer
• November 14 – Obie Trice, African-American rapper
• November 15 – Logan Whitehurst, American one man band
• November 20 – Daniel Svensson, Swedish drummer
• November 21 – Annie, Norwegian singer-songwriter and DJ
• November 23 – Christopher Amott, Swedish guitarist
• November 27 – Ivar Bjørnson, Norwegian songwriter and guitarist (Enslaved)
• November 30 – Steve Aoki, American musician, record producer, DJ, and music executive
• December 1
  • Brad Delson, American guitarist (Linkin Park)
  • Akiva Schaffer, American actor, filmmaker, comedian, and musician (The Lonely Island)
• December 7 – Dominic Howard, drummer (Muse)
• December 9 – Imogen Heap, English singer, songwriter, record producer, and audio engineer
• December 21 – Toby Rand, Australian singer-songwriter (Juke Kartel)
• December 31 – Psy, South Korean singer-songwriter

• January 1 – Michael Mann, violinist, son of Thomas Mann, 57 (suicide)
• January 2 – Erroll Garner, jazz pianist, 53 (heart attack)
• January 16 – Tom Archia, jazz saxophonist, 57
• January 23 – Dick Burnett, folk songwriter, 94
• February 8 – Eivind Groven, microtonal composer and music theorist, 75
• February 10 – Grace Williams, composer, 70
• February 12 – Ernst Mehlich, German-Brazilian conductor and composer, 89
• February 23 – Margaret Daum, operatic soprano, 70
• February 26 – Bukka White, blues guitarist and singer, 67
• February 28 – Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, comic actor and singer, 71
• March 10 – E. Power Biggs, organist, 70
• May 6 – Joseph Hislop, operatic and concert tenor, 93
• May 9 – Harold Spivacke, music librarian and administrator, 72
• May 22 – Hampton Hawes, jazz pianist, 48 (brain haemorrhage)
• May 26 – William Powell (The O'Jays), 35 (cancer)
• May 30 – Paul Desmond, jazz saxophonist, 52 (lung cancer)
• June 5 – Sleepy John Estes, blues guitarist and singer, 78
• June 13 – Matthew Garber, former child star of Mary Poppins, 21 (pancreatitis)
• June 22 – Peter Laughner, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Rocket From the Tombs and Pere Ubu), 24
• June 30 – Ernst Oster, pianist, musicologist, and music theorist, 69 (stroke)
• July 2 – Gert Potgieter, South African operatic tenor and actor, 47 (car accident)
• July 20 – Gary Kellgren, American record producer, co-founded Record Plant, 38 (drowned)
• July 26 – Gena Branscombe, composer and conductor, 95
• August 16 – Elvis Presley, singer, 42 (heart attack)^[30]
• August 19 – Groucho Marx, comedian, actor, singer and performer, 86 (pneumonia)^[31]
• September 1 – Ethel Waters, American blues, jazz and gospel singer, 80
• September 5 – George Barnes, swing jazz guitarist, 56
• September 13 – Leopold Stokowski, conductor, 95^[32]
• September 16
  • Marc Bolan, singer-songwriter, 29 (car crash)^[33]
  • Maria Callas, operatic soprano, 53 (heart attack)^[34]
• September 29 – Alexander Tcherepnin, composer, 78
• September 30 – Mary Ford, guitarist and vocalist, 53 (diabetes-related)
• October 13 – Shirley Brickley, the Orlons, 32 (shot)
• October 14 – Bing Crosby, singer and actor, 74
• October 19 – Marino Capicchioni, musical instrument maker, 82
• October 20 – Ronnie Van Zant, 29, Steve Gaines, 28, and Cassie Gaines, 29, members of Lynyrd Skynyrd (plane crash)
• November 5 – Guy Lombardo, violinist and bandleader, 75
• November 14 – Richard Addinsell, Warsaw Concerto composer, 73
• December 5 – Rahsaan Roland Kirk, jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer, 42 (stroke)
• December 24 – Salvatore Papaccio, Canzone Napoletana tenor, 87
• December 25 – Charlie Chaplin, actor and composer, 88
• December 28 – Sam Brown, jazz guitarist, 38
• December 30 – St. Louis Jimmy Oden, blues singer, 74
• date unknown – Jimmy Cooper, hammered dulcimer player, 70

• Grammy Awards of 1977
• Country Music Association Awards
• Eurovision Song Contest 1977