1979 in music

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Events

Stevie Wonder uses digital audio recording technology in recording his album Journey through the Secret Life of Plants.

EMI's first digital recording - at Abbey Road Studios - of a non-classical music track is released - UK jazz-funk duo Morrissey-Mullen covered the Rose Royce hit Love Don't Live Here Anymore. Released as a limited edition vinyl EP.

Disco reigned supreme in 1979, with several #1 hits from The Bee Gees and Donna Summer that year. Several artists who were not regarded as dance/disco acts, scored major successes by releasing disco singles, including New Wave band Blondie with their first US number one single "Heart of Glass", Rod Stewart with "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" and rock band Electric Light Orchestra went disco this year with their UK #1 LP Discovery. Country star Kenny Rogers also issued a disco influenced album, entitled Kenny.

The backlash against disco among rock loyalists was also peaking. An anti-disco event in Chicago, Illinois ultimately forced the cancellation of a major league baseball game. When The Knack's song "My Sharona" hit Billboard's #1 for six weeks, many rock critics gushed that the band was "the next Beatles" and celebrated the beginning of the end for disco music. While 1979 may have marked the climax of disco, it was also the only popular year for The Knack, who quickly faded into obscurity.

Kate Bush embarked on her first, and to date, only tour in April. She became the first artist to use a wireless microphone, enabling her to sing and dance at the same time.

One event of 1979 which would have later significance was the success of the single "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang, which marked the commercial emergence of hip hop music.

Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers' Bustin' Loose was released; this is the first go go record.

Timeline

January 1
- Bill Graham closes San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom following a New Year's Eve performance by the Blues Brothers and the Grateful Dead
- During a New Year's Eve concert in Cleveland, Ohio, Bruce Springsteen is injured when a fire-cracker is thrown onstage from the audience
January 4 - The Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany, best known for its connections to the early days of the Beatles, reopens.
January 13 - Singer Donny Hathaway dies after falling 15 stories from his hotel room in New York City. According to Hathaway's record company, Atlantic, the singer had been having some psychological problems.
January 15 - MCA Records purchases ABC Records for a reported $20 million.
February 3 - Dead Man's Curve, a made-for-TV-movie about surf-rock singers Jan & Dean, airs on US television
The Strange Case Of Alice Cooper, featuring footage from the Mad House Rock Tour, is filmed.
February 7 - The Clash kick off their first concert on their first American tour at the Berkeley Community Theatre outside San Francisco, California. Bo Diddley opens the show and the Clash open their set with the song "I'm So Bored with the U.S.A.".
February 10 - Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" hits #1 on the Billboard magazine charts, and stays there for 4 weeks.
February 11 - 43 million viewers watch "Elvis!" on ABC, a made for TV movie starring Kurt Russell as Elvis.
February 15 Minnie Riperton appears on the Grammys as a presenter with Stephen Bishop. The Bee Gees collect 4 Grammys for Saturday Night Fever.
February 23 - Dire Straits begin their first U.S. tour in Boston.
February 24 - Friedrich Cerha's completion of Alban Berg's opera Lulu is premiered at the Opera Garnier in Paris
March 21 - The Pretenders sign a contract with Sire Records
March 5 - MCA Records dissolves ABC Records.
March 10 - James Brown performs at the Grand Ole Opry
March 27 - Eric Clapton marries Patti Boyd, ex-wife of Clapton's friend George Harrison
March 31 - The Eurovision Song Contest, the biggest music festival in the world, takes place for the first time in a country outside Europe - Israel. The show is broadcast live from Jerusalem to Europe and few countries in Asia. The big winner of this night is Israel for the second time after its first victory in 1978. The winning song is "Hallelujah" sang by Gali Atari and the backing group Milk and Honey. A few months after winning the song had been translated into more than 82 languages, and broke a new record by entering the Guinness Book of Records as the most translated song in the world.
April 6 - Rod Stewart marries Alana Hamilton.
April 7 - 110,000 people attend the California Music Festival at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. Performers include Aerosmith, The Boomtown Rats, Cheap Trick, Ted Nugent and Van Halen.
April 12 - Mickey Thomas replaces Marty Balin as the lead singer of Jefferson Starship
April 13 - During a concert by Van Halen in Spokane, Washington, David Lee Roth collapses from exhaustion.
April 22 - The New Barbarians and The Rolling Stones perform two concerts in Oshawa, Ontario to benefit the CNIB, as part of Keith Richards' 1978 sentence for heroin possession.
April 24 - The New Barbarians open their US tour at Ann Arbor, Michigan.
May 1 - Elton John becomes the first pop music artist to perform in Israel.
May 2 - The Who perform their first concert following the death of drummer Keith Moon. The band performed with new drummer Kenny Jones.
May 5 - "Reunited" by Peaches and Herb hits #1 on the Billboard charts, and stays there for 4 weeks.
June 1 - Alternative Tentacles record label established by Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra
June 28 - Bill Haley makes his final studio recordings at Muscle Shoals, Alabama. (He dies in 1981.)
July 7 - The Bee Gees play to a sold-out crowd at Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium as part of their Spirits Having Flown tour.
July 12
- Minnie Riperton, singer/songwriter best known for her 1975 #1 hit single "Lovin' You" dies of breast cancer in Los Angeles, she was 31.
- "Disco Demolition Night", an anti-disco promotional event for a Chicago rock station involving exploding disco records with a bomb, causes a near-riot between games during a baseball major league doubleheader, forcing the cancellation of the second game.
July 14 - Donna Summer's "Bad Girls" hits #1 on the Billboard charts, and stays there for five weeks
August 4 - 11- British rock band Led Zeppelin played what were to be their last British concerts at Knebworth in Hertfordshire. Total attendances for the two concerts approached 400,000.^{[citation needed]}
August 25 - "My Sharona" by The Knack hits #1 on the Billboard charts. This is the first time in over a year that a song hits #1 that is not either a disco song or a ballad. It remains at #1 for six weeks.
September 2 - U2 enters the studio for the first time to record a locally released single.
September – Patti Smith Group disband.
October 10 - Joe Perry officially departs Aerosmith.
November 26 - Bill Haley & His Comets perform at the Royal Drury Lane Theatre in London in a command performance for Queen Elizabeth. This was Haley's final recorded performance of "Rock Around the Clock".
December 3 - In Cincinnati, Ohio, a stampede for seats at Riverfront Coliseum during a Who concert kills 11 fans (band members were not made aware of the deaths until after the show).
The Welsh Philharmonia becomes the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera.
Diamond Head's career begins
INXS career begins
Michael Schenker leaves Scorpions during their tour in France and was replaced by Matthias Jabs.
The Feelies' musical career begins
Marianne Faithfull returns to music after a hiatus
Solid Gold premieres on television.
Bad Brains forms
Fishbone forms
Was (Not Was) forms
Mr & Mrs No Smoking Sign forms in Sydney (later to become Severed Heads)
The Runaways disband
Return to Forever disband
Bachman-Turner Overdrive disbands

Albums released

5 - J. J. Cale
20 Hottest Hits - Hot Chocolate
154 - Wire
A Collection Of Their 20 Greatest Hits - The Three Degrees
A Curious Feeling - Tony Banks
A Different Kind of Tension - Buzzcocks
The Adventures of the Hersham Boys - Sham 69
Angel Station - Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Another Kind of Blues - UK Subs
Armed Forces - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Are You Ready - Atlanta Rhythm Section
Astaire - Peter Skellern
At Budokan - Cheap Trick (live)
The B-52s - The B-52s
Back to the Egg - Wings
Bad Girls - Donna Summer
Barbra Streisand Greatest Hits Volume 2 - Barbra Streisand
Bee Gees Greatest - Bee Gees
The Best Days Of My Life - Johnny Mathis
The Best of Chic - Chic
The Best of the Dooleys - The Dooleys
The Billie Jo Spears Singles Album - Billie Jo Spears
Black Rose: A Rock Legend - Thin Lizzy
Bob Dylan at Budokan - Bob Dylan (live)
Bomber - Motörhead
Bop Till You Drop - Ry Cooder
Breakfast in America - Supertramp
Bridges - John Williams
Bursting Out - Jethro Tull (live)
Buy - James Chance & the Contortions
Can - Can
Candy-O - The Cars
Chance Meeting on a Dissecting Table of a Sewing Machine and an Umbrella - Nurse With Wound
Classic Rock - The Second Movement - London Symphony Orchestra
Coming Up For Air - Penetration
Communiqué - Dire Straits
Cornerstone - Styx
The Crack - The Ruts
Crepes and Drapes - Showaddywaddy
Cut - The Slits
Dart Attack - Darts
David Essex Album - David Essex
Days in Europa - The Skids
Desolation Angels - Bad Company
Discovery - Electric Light Orchestra
Do It Yourself - Ian Dury & the Blockheads
Down to Earth - Rainbow
Dragnet - The Fall
Drums and Wires - XTC
Duty Now for the Future - Devo
Dynasty - Kiss
Eat to the Beat - Blondie
The Eddie Cochran Singles Album - Eddie Cochran
ELO's Greatest Hits - Electric Light Orchestra
End of the Century - The Ramones
Entertainment! - Gang Of Four
Euroman Cometh - Jean-Jacques Burnel
Even Serpents Shine - The Only Ones
Everyone Can Rock & Roll - Bill Haley & His Comets
Evolution - Journey
Exposed - Mike Oldfield (live)
Facades - Sad Café
Fate for Breakfast - Art Garfunkel
Fear of Music - Talking Heads
Feats Don't Fail Me Now - Herbie Hancock
Feel No Fret - The Average White Band
The Fine Art of Surfacing - The Boomtown Rats
Flex - Lene Lovich
Force Majeure - Tangerine Dream
French Skyline - Earthstar
Frenzy - Split Enz
George Harrison - George Harrison
Ghost Riders in the Sky - Slim Whitman
Gloryhallastoopid-Parliament
Go West - Village People
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle - Sex Pistols (OST)
Greatest Hits - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Greatest Hits 1972-1978 - 10cc
Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 - Rod Stewart
Greatest Hits Volume 2 - ABBA
Grosses Wasser - Cluster
Harder ... Faster - April Wine
Heimweh nach Tahiti - Die Flippers
Highway to Hell - AC/DC
Honest Lullaby - Joan Baez
Hydra - Toto
I'm the Man - Joe Jackson
I Am - Earth Wind & Fire
Imperial Wizard - David Essex
In the Skies - Peter Green
In Through the Out Door - Led Zeppelin
The Incredible Shrinking Dickies - The Dickies
Inflammable Material - Stiff Little Fingers
Into the Music - Van Morrison
It's Alive - Ramones (live)
Jardin Au Fou - Hans-Joachim Roedelius
Join Hands - Siouxsie & the Banshees
Journey through the Secret Life of Plants - Stevie Wonder
The Kenny Rogers Singles Album - Kenny Rogers
The Kids Are Alright - The Who (OST)
L.A. (Light Album) - The Beach Boys
Last the Whole Night Long - James Last
Lena's Music Album - Lena Martell
Life in a Day - Simple Minds
Lightning to the Nations - Diamond Head
Live and Learn - Elkie Brooks
Live at the Witch Trials - The Fall
Live Killers - Queen (live)
Live (X Cert) - The Stranglers (live)
Lodger - David Bowie
London Calling - The Clash (UK Release)
Look Sharp! - Joe Jackson
The Long Run - The Eagles
Lots Of Luv' - Luv'
Love Tracks - Gloria Gaynor
Lovedrive - Scorpions
Lovehunter - Whitesnake
Machine Gun Etiquette - The Damned
Made It Through the Rain - Gerard Kenny
The Magic Is You - Shirley Bassey
Manifesto - Roxy Music
Marathon - Santana
The Mark II Purple Singles - Deep Purple
Marty Robbins Collection - Marty Robbins
Metal Box - Public Image Ltd.
Mick Taylor - Mick Taylor
Midnight Magic - Commodores
Mingus - Joni Mitchell
Mission Accomplished But the Beat Goes On - The Rezillos
Morning Dance - Spyro Gyra
Mr. Universe - Gillan
My Father's Eyes - Amy Grant
New Dimensions - The Three Degrees
New Horizons - Don Williams
A Night at Studio 54 - Various artists
Night in the Ruts - Aerosmith
Night Owl - Gerry Rafferty
No Mean City - Nazareth
No. 1 In Heaven - Sparks
Not That I'm Biased - Max Boyce
Oceans of Fantasy - Boney M
Off the Wall - Michael Jackson
On the Radio - Greatest Hits Volume 1 & 2 - Donna Summer
One Step Beyond... - Madness
One Voice - Barry Manilow
Out of a Dream - Reba McEntire
Out of This World - The Moody Blues
Overkill - Motörhead
Platinum - Mike Oldfield
The Pleasure Principle - Gary Numan
Quadrophenia - The Who (OST)
The Raincoats - The Raincoats
The Raven - The Stranglers
Reality...What a Concept - Robin Williams
Reality Effect - The Tourists
Reflections - George Hamilton IV
Reggatta de Blanc - The Police
Remote Control - The Tubes
Repeat When Necessary - Dave Edmunds
Replicas - Tubeway Army
Rhapsodies - Rick Wakeman
Rickie Lee Jones - Rickie Lee Jones
Rise - Herb Alpert
Risqué - Chic
Rock 'N' Roll Juvenile - Cliff Richard
Rust Never Sleeps - Neil Young and Crazy Horse
Sabotage(live) - John Cale
Scared to Dance - The Skids
Secondhand Daylight - Magazine
Selbstportrait - Hans-Joachim Roedelius
Semi-Detached Suburban - Manfred Mann
Setting Sons - The Jam
Sheik Yerbouti - Frank Zappa
Shooting Stars - Dollar
Sid Sings - Sid Vicious
Singles Going Steady - Buzzcocks
Sky - Sky
Slim Whitman's 20 Greatest Love Songs - Slim Whitman
Slow Train Coming - Bob Dylan
Some Product: Carri on Sex Pistols - Sex Pistols
Sometimes You Win - Dr. Hook
Songs of the Seashore - James Galway
Sound on Sound - Bill Nelson's Red Noise
The Specials - The Specials
Spectral Mornings - Steve Hackett
Spirits Having Flown - Bee Gees
Stations of the Crass - Crass
Street Machine - Sammy Hagar
Strangers in the Night - UFO (live)
Squeezing Out Sparks - Graham Parker & the Rumour
Street Life - The Crusaders
String of Hits - The Shadows
Survival" - Bob Marley & The Wailers
Teenage Warning - Angelic Upstarts
Thank You Very Much - Reunion Concert At The London Palladium - Cliff Richard and The Shadows
That Summer - Original Soundtrack
Three Imaginary Boys - the Cure
Three on the Trail - Riders in the Sky
TRB TWO - Tom Robinson Band
Tusk - Fleetwood Mac
The Undertones - The Undertones
Tokyo Tapes (Live) - Scorpions
Uncle Jam Wants You!-Funkadelic
Underdog - Atlanta Rhythm Section
Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division
Unleashed in the East - Judas Priest
The Unrecorded Jasper Carrott - Jasper Carrott
Van Halen II - Van Halen
The Very Best of Leo Sayer - Leo Sayer
True Luv' - Luv'
Volcano - Jimmy Buffett
Voulez-Vous - ABBA
Walking on Sunshine - Eddy Grant
The Wall - Pink Floyd
Wave – Patti Smith Group
We Are Family - Sister Sledge
Wet - Barbra Streisand
Whatever You Want - Status Quo
You Don't Bring Me Flowers - Neil Diamond

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1979.

#	Artist	Title	Year	Chart Entries
1	Blondie	Heart of Glass	1979	UK 1 - Jan 1979, US BB 1 - Mar 1979, Canada 1 - Mar 1979, Austria 1 - Mar 1979, Switzerland 1 - Feb 1979, Germany 1 - Feb 1979, Australia 1 for 5 weeks Jan 1980, Sweden (alt) 3 - Mar 1979, France 3 - Feb 1979, Australia 3 of 1979, Holland 5 - Feb 1979, Norway 5 - Mar 1979, RYM 8 of 1979, US CashBox 11 of 1979, US BB 13 of 1979, POP 13 of 1979, South Africa 15 of 1979, Italy 29 of 1979, Virgin 29, OzNet 30, Scrobulate 46 of 80s, Germany 54 of the 1970s, RIAA 217, Acclaimed 241, Rolling Stone 255
2	Gloria Gaynor	I Will Survive	1979	UK 1 - Feb 1979, US BB 1 - Jan 1979, US BB 1 of 1979, Canada 1 - Mar 1979, Éire 1 - Mar 1979, POP 2 of 1979, Sweden (alt) 3 - Apr 1979, Holland 4 - Mar 1979, Norway 4 - May 1979, Switzerland 7 - Apr 1979, Scrobulate 8 of disco, Germany 9 - Mar 1979, US CashBox 10 of 1979, France 10 - Mar 1979, South Africa 16 of 1979, Austria 17 - May 1979, Party 24 of 1999, Australia 25 of 1979, Italy 38 of 1979, Europe 66 of the 1970s, RYM 67 of 1978, RIAA 89, OzNet 155, Acclaimed 416, Rolling Stone 489
3	M	Pop Muzik	1979	US BB 1 - Aug 1979, Sweden (alt) 1 - Jun 1979, Switzerland 1 - Jun 1979, Germany 1 - May 1979, Australia 1 for 3 weeks May 1980, UK 2 - Apr 1979, Austria 2 - Jul 1979, Holland 3 - May 1979, France 3 - Nov 1979, Norway 5 - Jun 1979, South Africa 5 of 1979, Canada 8 - Sep 1979, Australia 10 of 1979, US CashBox 15 of 1979, Italy 18 of 1979, US BB 40 of 1979, POP 40 of 1979, RYM 50 of 1979, Germany 59 of the 1970s, OzNet 888, Acclaimed 1691
4	Donna Summer	Hot Stuff	1979	US BB 1 - Apr 1979, Switzerland 1 - May 1979, Australia 1 for 1 weeks May 1980, Canada 2 - Apr 1979, Sweden (alt) 2 - May 1979, Norway 2 - Jun 1979, France 3 - May 1979, Austria 3 - Jun 1979, US BB 4 of 1979, Scrobulate 5 of disco, Germany 6 - May 1979, POP 6 of 1979, UK 11 - May 1979, US CashBox 14 of 1979, Holland 14 - May 1979, Australia 17 of 1979, Italy 24 of 1979, RYM 88 of 1979, Rolling Stone 103, OzNet 124, Party 210 of 1999, Germany 246 of the 1970s, Acclaimed 717
5	Buggles	Video Killed the Radio Star	1979	UK 1 - Sep 1979, Sweden (alt) 1 - Nov 1979, Austria 1 - Jan 1980, Switzerland 1 - Nov 1979, Italy 1 of 1980, Éire 1 - Oct 1979, Australia 1 for 7 weeks Oct 1980, France 2 - Nov 1979, Germany 2 - Jan 1980, Holland 17 - Oct 1979, Australia 18 of 1979, RYM 31 of 1979, US BB 39 of 1979, POP 39 of 1979, US BB 40 - Dec 1979, Scrobulate 81 of 80s, Germany 339 of the 1970s, OzNet 344, Acclaimed 1229

Chronological table of US and UK Number One hit singles

US Number One Singles and Artist
(Weeks at Number One)

UK Number One Singles and Artist
(Weeks at Number One)

"Le Freak" - Chic (2 weeks in 1978 + 4 weeks in 1979)
"Too Much Heaven" - Bee Gees (2)
"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" - Rod Stewart (4)
"I Will Survive" - Gloria Gaynor (3)
"Tragedy" - Bee Gees (2)
"What a Fool Believes" - Doobie Brothers (1)
"Knock on Wood" - Amii Stewart (1)
"Heart of Glass" - Blondie (1)
"Reunited" - Peaches & Herb (4)
"Hot Stuff" - Donna Summer (3)
"Love You Inside Out" - Bee Gees (1)
"Ring My Bell" - Anita Ward (2)
"Bad Girls" - Donna Summer (5)
"Good Times" - Chic (1)
"My Sharona" - The Knack (6) best selling 7" single of the year
"Sad Eyes" - Robert John (1)
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" - Michael Jackson (1)
"Rise" - Herb Alpert (2)
"Pop Muzik" - M (1)
"Heartache Tonight" - The Eagles (1)
"Still" - Commodores (1)
"No More Tears (Enough is Enough)" - Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer (2)
"Babe" - Styx (2)
"Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" - Rupert Holmes (2 weeks in 1979 + 1 week in 1980)
Also see: Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1979

"Y.M.C.A." - Village People (3) best selling single of the year
"Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" - Ian Dury & The Blockheads (1)
"Heart of Glass" - Blondie (4)
"Tragedy" - Bee Gees (2)
"I Will Survive" - Gloria Gaynor (4)
"Bright Eyes" - Art Garfunkel (6)
"Sunday Girl" - Blondie (3)
"Ring My Bell" - Anita Ward (2)
Are 'Friends' Electric?- Tubeway Army (4)
"I Don't Like Mondays" - Boomtown Rats (4)
"We Don't Talk Anymore" - Cliff Richard (4)
Cars - Gary Numan (1)
"Message in a Bottle" - The Police (3)
"Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles (1)
"One Day At A Time" - Lena Martell (3)
"When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" - Dr. Hook (3)
"Walking on the Moon" - The Police (1)
"Another Brick in the Wall, Part II" - Pink Floyd (3 weeks in 1979 + 2 weeks in 1980)

Other significant singles

"Accidents Will Happen" - Elvis Costello and the Attractions
"After the Love Has Gone" - Earth, Wind & Fire
"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" - McFadden & Whitehead
"Ambition" - Vic Godard and Subway Sect
"Angel Eyes" - Roxy Music
"Angeleyes" - ABBA
"Baby, I Love You" - The Ramones
"Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor Doctor)" - Robert Palmer
"The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan" - Marianne Faithfull
"Bang Bang" - B. A. Robertson
"Bat Out of Hell" - Meat Loaf
"Big Shot" - Billy Joel
"Boogie Wonderland" - Earth Wind and Fire with the Emotions
"(Boogie Woogie) Dancin' Shoes" - Claudja Barry
"Born to Be Alive" - Patrick Hernandez
"Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure
"Boys Keep Swinging" - David Bowie
"Breakfast at Sweethearts" - Cold Chisel
"Breakfast in America" - Supertramp
"Bright Side of the Road" - Van Morrison
"Broken Hearted Me" - Anne Murray
"California Über Alles" - The Dead Kennedys
"Can You Feel The Force" - The Real Thing
"Can You Read My Mind" - Maureen McGovern
"Can't Stand Losing You" - The Police
"Casanova" - Luv'
"Chiquitita" - ABBA
"Come to Me" - France Joli
"Comme disait Mistinguett" - Dalida
"Computer Games" - Mi-Sex
"Contact" - Edwin Starr
"Cool for Cats" - Squeeze
"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" - Queen
"Cruel To Be Kind" - Nick Lowe
"Dance Away" - Roxy Music
"Dancing Barefoot" – Patti Smith Group
"Death Disco" - Public Image Ltd.
"Deeper Than the Night" - Olivia Newton-John
"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" - Charlie Daniels Band
"Dim All the Lights" - Donna Summer
"Disco Nights" - GQ
"Do Anything You Wanna Do" - Thin Lizzy
"Do You Think I'm Disco?" - Steve Dahl & Teenage Radiation
"Does Your Mother Know" - ABBA
"Don't Bring Me Down" - Electric Light Orchestra
"Don't Cry Out Loud" - Melissa Manchester
"Don't Do Me Like That" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
"Don't Throw Stones" - The Sports
"Dreaming" - Blondie
"Driver's Seat" - Sniff 'n' the Tears
"Dschinghis Khan" - Dschinghis Khan
"Duchess" - The Stranglers
"Electricity" - OMD
"The Eton Rifles" - The Jam
"Even the Losers" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
"Every Day Hurts" - Sad Café
"Everybody's Happy Nowadays" - Buzzcocks
"Freedom's Prisoner" - Steve Harley
"The Gambler" - Kenny Rogers
"Gangsters" - The Specials AKA
"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" - ABBA
"Girls Talk" - Dave Edmunds
"Go West" - Village People
"Good Times Roll" - The Cars
"Gonna Get Along Without You Now" - Viola Wills
"Good Girls Don't" - The Knack
"Goodbye Girl" - Squeeze
"Goodbye Stranger" - Supertramp
"Half The Way" - Crystal Gayle
"H.A.P.P.Y. Radio" - Edwin Starr
"He Must Have Been Eighteen" - Dalida
"He's the Greatest Dancer" - Sister Sledge
"Heart Of The Night" - Poco
"Heaven Knows" - Donna Summer w/Brooklyn Dreams
"Helwa Ya Baladi" - Dalida
"Here Comes the Summer" - The Undertones
"Highway to Hell" - AC/DC
"Hold the Line" - Toto
"Honesty" - Billy Joel
"I Just Fall in Love Again" - Anne Murray (the #1 US Country hit of the year)
"I Wanna Be Sedated" - The Ramones
"I Want You To Want Me (live)" - Cheap Trick
"I Want Your Love" - Chic
"I Was Made For Lovin' You" - Kiss
"If I Didn't Love You" - Squeeze
"(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" - Barbara Mandrell
"If You Remember Me" - Chris Thompson
"Il faut danser reggae" - Dalida
"I'll Never Love This Way Again" - Dionne Warwick
"In the Navy" - Village People
"Into the Valley" - The Skids
"Is It Love You're After?" - Rose Royce
"Is She Really Going Out With Him?" - Joe Jackson
"Japanese Girls" - Riff Regan
"Jimmy Jimmy" - The Undertones
"Just the Way You Are" - Barry White
"Just What I Needed" - The Cars
"Just When I Needed You Most" - Randy VanWarmer
"Kid" - The Pretenders
"Lady Writer" - Dire Straits
"Lady" - Little River Band
"Lay Your Love On Me" - Racey
"Lead Me On" - Maxine Nightingale
"Let Me Dance Tonight" - Dalida
"Let's Go" - The Cars
"A Little Lovin' (Keeps the Doctor Away)" - The Raes
"Living On The Front Line" - Eddy Grant
"The Logical Song" - Supertramp
"London Calling" - The Clash
"Lonesome Loser" - Little River Band
"The Long Run" - The Eagles
"Love don't live here anymore" - Morrissey-Mullen
"Love Drive" - The Scorpions
"Lucky Number" - Lene Lovich
"The Main Event/Fight" - Barbra Streisand
"Making Plans for Nigel" - XTC
"Memory Lane" - Minnie Riperton w. Riperton Rudolph St. Lewis Dozier
"A Message to You Rudy/Nite Klub" - The Specials
"Milk and Alcohol" - Dr. Feelgood
"Monday, Tuesday... Laissez-moi danser" - Dalida
"Morning Dance" - Spyro Gyra
"Moskau" - Dschinghis Khan
"My Forbidden Lover" - Chic
"My Girl" - Madness
"Nervous System" - Killing Joke
"Oliver's Army" - Elvis Costello and the Attractions
"On My Radio" - The Selecter
"One Step Beyond" - Madness
"One Way or Another" - Blondie
"One Way Ticket" - Eruption
"On the Inside" - Lynn Hamilton
"Ooh, Yes I Do" - Luv'
"Parisienne Walkways" - Gary Moore
"The Prince" - Madness
"Queen of Hearts" - Dave Edmunds
"Rapper's Delight" - The Sugarhill Gang
"Reasons to Be Cheerful (Part 3)" - Ian Dury & the Blockheads
"Roll Over Beethoven (EP)" - Chuck Berry
"Roxanne" - The Police
"Sarah" - Thin Lizzy
"Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" - The Jacksons
"Shake Your Groove Thing" - Peaches & Herb
"Shape I'm In" - Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons
"She Believes In Me" - Kenny Rogers
"Shine a Little Love - Electric Light Orchestra
"Ships" - Barry Manilow
"Shooting Star" - Dollar
"Since You Been Gone" - Rainbow
"Slap and Tickle" - Squeeze
"Smash It Up" - The Damned
"Some Girls" - Racey
"Somethin' Else"/"Friggin' in the Riggin'" - Sex Pistols
"Somewhere In the Night" - Barry Manilow
"Song on the Radio" - Al Stewart
"Spiral Scratch(EP)" - Buzzcocks
"Stop Your Sobbing" - Pretenders
"Strange Town" - The Jam
"Street Life" - The Crusaders w/Randy Crawford
"Sultans of Swing" - Dire Straits (released in 1978)
"Take Me to the River" - Talking Heads
"Take On the World" - Judas Priest
"Talking In Your Sleep" - Crystal Gayle
"Tears of a Clown"/"Ranking Full Stop" - The Beat
"The Diary of Horace Wimp" - Electric Light Orchestra
"The Sound of the Suburbs" - The Members
"This Night Won't Last Forever" - Michael Johnson
"Time for Action" - Secret Affair
"Time Passages" - Al Stewart
"Train in Vain" - The Clash
"Transmission" - Joy Division
"Turn to Red" - Killing Joke
"Union City Blue" - Blondie
"Up There Cazaly" - Two Man Band
"Up the Junction" - Squeeze
"Vedrai Vedrai" - Dalida
"Voulez-Vous" - ABBA
"Waiting for an Alibi" - Thin Lizzy
"We Are Family" - Sister Sledge
"We Don't Talk Anymore" - Cliff Richard
"Whatever You Want" - Status Quo
"Who Were You With in the Moonlight" - Dollar
"Wonderful Christmastime" - Paul McCartney
"You Decorated My Life" - Kenny Rogers
"You Needed Me" - Anne Murray (in the UK; hit #1 in the US in 1978)
"You're Only Lonely" - J.D. Souther

Published popular music

"Don't Cry Out Loud" w. Carole Bayer Sager m. Peter Allen
"The Facts of Life" w.m. Alan Thicke, Gloria Loring, and Al Burton, from the TV series of the same name
"I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love" w.m. Carole Bayer Sager & Peter Allen
"Knots Landing theme" m. Jerrold Immel
"New York State of Mind" w.m. Billy Joel
"The Rainbow Connection" w.m. Kenny Ascher & Paul Williams, from the film The Muppet Movie
Sultans of Swing w.m. Mark Knopfler

Classical music

Arno Babadjanian - Third String Quartet
Osvaldas Balakauskas - Symphony no 2
George Crumb - Apparition for soprano and amplified piano
George Crumb - Celestial Mechanics (Makrokosmos IV) for amplified piano (four hands)
George Crumb - Star-Child (1977, revised 1979) for soprano, antiphonal children's voices, male speaking choir, bell ringers, and large orchestra
Mario Davidovsky - Pennplay for sixteen players
Hugh Flynn - Birds
Jacques Hétu - Bassoon Concerto
Miloslav Kabelac - Metamorphoses II, for piano and orchestra, op. 58
Allan Pettersson - Viola Concerto

Opera

Dominick Argento - Miss Havisham's Wedding Night
Libby Larsen - The Silver Fox

Musical theater

Ain't Misbehavin' (Music: Fats Waller, Lyrics: Various Book: Murray Horwitz & Richard Maltby, Jr.). London production opened at Her Majesty's Theatre on March 22.
Evita (Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lyrics and Book: Tim Rice). Broadway production opened at the Broadway Theatre on September 25 and ran for 1567 performances
The King and I London revival opened at the Palladium on June 12 and ran for 538 performances
My Old Friends (Music, Lyrics and Book: Mel Mandel and Norman Sachs). Off-Broadway production opened at the Orpheum Theatre on January 12 and transferred to the 22 Steps Theatre on Broadway on April 12 for a total run of 154 performances.
Oklahoma! (Music: Richard Rodgers, Lyrics and Book: Oscar Hammerstein II) - Broadway revival opened at the Palace Theatre on December 13 and ran for 310 performances
Peter Pan (Music: Mark Charlap, Lyrics and Book: Carolyn Leigh with additional songs, Music: Jule Styne and Lyrics: Betty Comden & Adolph Green)). Broadway revival opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on September 6 and ran for 551 performances.
Saravà (Music: Mitch Leigh, Lyrics and Book: N. Richard Nash). Broadway production opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on February 23 and ran for 140 performances
Sugar Babies Broadway revue opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on October 8 and ran for 1208 performances.
Sweeney Todd (Music and Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim, Book: Hugh Wheeler) - Broadway production opened at the Uris Theatre on March 1 and ran for 557 performances
They're Playing Our Song (Music: Marvin Hamlisch, Lyrics: Carole Bayer Sager, Book: Neil Simon). Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre on February 11 and ran for 1082 performances
Tommy London production opened at Queen's Theatre on February 6 and ran for 118 performances
The Venetian Twins (Music: Terence Clarke, Lyrics and Book: Nick Enright). Opened at the Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre on October 26.
Whoopee (Music: Walter Donaldson, Lyrics: Gus Kahn, Book: William Anthony McGuire). Broadway revival opened at the ANTA Theatre on February 14 and ran for 212 performances.

Musical films

Births

January 5 - Kathleen Edwards, singer
January 10 - Kris Kross
January 16 - Aaliyah Haughton (d. 2001)
January 20 - Rob Bourdon, Linkin Park, Will Young
February 11 - Brandy Norwood
February 21 - Jennifer Love Hewitt
March 8 - Tom Chaplin, British singer (Keane)
March 11 - Benji Madden,Joel Madden Good Charlotte
March 14 - Jacques Brautbar, Phantom Planet
March 30 - Norah Jones, American singer-songwriter
April 10 - Sophie Ellis-Bextor, British singer
April 11
- Chris Gaylor, The All-American Rejects
- Sebastien Grainger, Death from Above 1979
April 22 - Daniel Johns, Silverchair
April 29
- Jo O'Meara, S Club 7
- Matt Tong, Bloc Party
June 8 - Derek Trucks, guitarist, songwriter
July 25 - Amy Adams, singer
July 26 - Tamyra Gray, singer
August 20 - Jamie Cullum
August 27 - Jon Siebels, Eve 6
September 3 - Jason McCaslin, Sum 41
September 6 - Foxy Brown, rapper
September 8 - Pink
October 3 - Shannyn Sossamon, actress and musician
October 9 - Alex Greenwald, Phantom Planet
October 12 - Jordan Pundik, New Found Glory
October 15 - Jaci Velasquez
October 17 - Nick Cannon
October 24 - Ben Gillies, Silverchair
November 5 - Nick Giggler, Mest
November 10 - Chris Joannou, Silverchair
December 26 - Chris Daughtry
December 31 - Bob Bryar, My Chemical Romance

Deaths

January 5 - Charles Mingus
January 13 - Donny Hathaway, singer
January 14 - Marjorie Lawrence, soprano
February 2 - Sid Vicious, punk rocker, 21
March 22 - Walter Legge, record producer
April 10 - Nino Rota, composer
April 29 - Julia A. Perry, composer and conductor
June 5 - Jack Haley, Wizard of Oz star
June 29 - Lowell George, singer, songwriter and guitarist. Founder of the band Little Feat.
July - Pedro Flores, composer
July 3 - Louis Durey, composer
July 6 - Van McCoy, singer, 35
July 12 - Minnie Riperton, singer, 31
July 16 - Alfred Deller, countertenor
August 19 - Dorsey Burnette
August 25 - Stan Kenton, bandleader
September 6 - Guy Bolton, English librettist
September 27 - Gracie Fields, actress and singer
October 1 - Roy Harris, composer
October 13 - Rebecca Helferich Clarke, viola player and composer
October 22 - Nadia Boulanger
November 11 - Dimitri Tiomkin, film composer and conductor
November 30 - Joyce Grenfell, actress and singer-songwriter
December 30 - Richard Rodgers, composer and songwriter
date unknown - Nansi Richards, harpist

Awards

Grammy Awards

Grammy Awards of 1979

Country Music Association Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

Eurovision Song Contest 1979