1976

It was 1976.  The first year I realized that there was life outside of American Top 40.  Sure, my sister had albums, but I didn't listen to them.  I was a singles guy.  1976 was the year that I got deep into music, period.  AT 40 was a must hear every week.  I'd get depressed if I missed it.  There was no way to hear it again.  Billboard magazine?  None where I lived.
One day on the weekend I heard a different countdown show.   This one was playing album cuts.  Album cuts from the week's best selling albums.  You'd hear non-singles and singles, but here was the catch:  you'd also hear the album versions of songs.  I'd wonder why "Carry On Wayward Son" sounded different then what I heard on my AM station.  Now I knew.
From there I started buying albums when I could get enough money, and when I went to my record store, paid more attention to the week's Top albums section.
But my passion for music bloomed in 1976.