Key Takeaways
- Music Diversity: The late 1970s saw a mix of genres like pop, rock, and disco culminating in unique collaborations.
- Artist Evolution: Established artists like Eagles and Led Zeppelin continued to release relevant music while new voices emerged.
- Chart Impact: Many songs from 1979 became timeless hits, showcasing the era’s musical innovation.
- Lasting Legacy: The songs listed reflect significant cultural moments as the music landscape transitioned into the 1980s.
Popular music was splintering in about a dozen directions as the ’70s came to an end. The decade’s buildups of pop, rock, new wave, punk, disco, soul and any number of variations on those genres finally collided in a burst of new collaborations and spinoffs as the 1980s loomed.
As you’ll see in the list below of the Top 50 Songs of 1979 – voted on by the UCR staff – the year was marked by several key artists from the decade making their last stands while fresh voices from the outside came knocking more forcefully than ever. By the time the ’80s rolled around, the implications of the final years of the previous decade were clear.
You’ll find plenty of old favorites: Eagles, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd and Neil Young put out records in 1979 that were just as relevant and as good as the ones they released earlier in the decade. And rookies from just a year or two earlier – the Cars, Elvis Costello, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – made good on their initial promises. All in all, a pretty good year for music.
50. Lipps Inc., “Funkytown”
As their name winkingly implied, Lipps Inc. wasn’t a real band. The Minneapolis-based project was the brainchild of Steven Greenberg, who recruited a rotating group of singers and musicians to flesh out his songwriting and production compositions. “Funkytown” was their only Top 40 hit — No. 1 for four weeks — and was sung by Cynthia Johnson, one of Lipps Inc.’s few stable members during their brief career.
49. Joy Division, “She’s Lost Control”
There are probably good reasons why songs about people having epileptic seizures aren’t all that common. Joy Division singer Ian Curtis found inspiration for “She’s Lost Control” from a woman he knew who died after a seizure (Curtis himself also had epilepsy). The band recorded the song twice: first in 1979 on their debut album, Unknown Pleasures, and again in 1980 as a single. Curtis died two months later.
48. Donna Summer, “On the Radio”
Few artists were as big as Donna Summer at the end of the ’70s. Despite a growing “disco sucks” backlash, the Queen of Disco continued to chart during the last two years of the decade, including four No. 1 singles and three No. 1 albums. “On the Radio” was the one new song on 1979’s chart-topping On the Radio: Greatest Hits Volumes I & II, and also included as part of the soundtrack to the film Foxes, starring Jodie Foster.
47. Funkadelic, “(Not Just) Knee Deep”
The glory years of George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic collective were coming to an end as the ’70s closed out; Funkadelic’s 1979 album, Uncle Jam Wants You, featured a bona fide classic in “(Not Just) Knee Deep,” a 15-and-a-half-minute funk attack based on squiggly synths arranged by P-Funk member Walter “Junie” Morrison. The song took on new life as a heavily sampled favorite in the next decade.
46. Paul McCartney and Wings, “Goodnight Tonight”
Released in March 1979, three months before the final Wings album, Back to the Egg, but not included on it, “Goodnight Tonight” featured the disco sounds on pop radio at the time. Better and more memorable than anything on the album, the song continued Paul McCartney’s experimental streak from the Beatles and wove its way through his solo career.
45. Elvis Costello and the Attractions, “Oliver’s Army”
Elvis Costello had released three albums over 18 fast-moving months, starting in mid-1977. By the time that Armed Forces arrived in early 1979, he and returning producer Nick Lowe had smoothed out a working relationship with the now-permanent backing band the Attractions. “Oliver’s Army” was the first single and addressed some very British political issues that somehow became Costello’s only U.S. Top 10.
44. Chic, “Good Times”
The foundation of songs from “Rapper’s Delight” to “Another One Bites the Dust,” Chic’s “Good Times” boasts one of pop music’s all-time greatest bass lines. Bernard Edwards’ bottom end supplies the disco classic with its core; Nile Rodgers’ funk-inflected guitar, and the shimmering piano and vocals pulled together by Edwards and Rodgers made this an endless summer (and now timeless) hit in 1979.
43. Supertramp, “Take the Long Way Home”
Supertramp had already released two Top 15 singles from their sixth album, 1979’s No. 1 Breakfast in America, when “Take the Long Way Home” was issued in October. It shot to No. 10, putting a stamp on a breakthrough year for the English group. By the time they released a follow-up LP in 1982, the classic lineup was splintering, and the band never again reached the Top 10 in the States.
42. Michael Jackson, “Rock With You”
In the lead-up to Thriller, Michael Jackson was already showing what he was capable of as a hitmaking solo artist. The lead single from the first album of his adult era, “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” was a beat-driven dance track; its follow-up was a bit more grounded in the melodic soul music of his youth. Like its predecessor, “Rock With You” went to No. 1, as did Off the Wall, priming Jackson for the reign to come.
READ MORE: Top 50 Albums of 1984
41. Gary Numan, “Cars”
Gary Numan’s “Cars” sounded like the future in 1979. A synth-driven slice of robotic pop coupled with an eerily disengaged vocal about the comforting nature of automobiles, the song just missed the Top 10 in the U.S., a rarity at a time when synthesizers, new wave music and something as foreign-sounding as “Cars” weren’t exactly Top 40 staples. In a couple of years, MTV, which embraced Numan’s solo debut, would change all that.
40. The Cars, “Let’s Go”
The Cars wasted little time striking after the runaway success of their self-titled debut in 1978. Released almost a year to the day after The Cars, “Let’s Go” was the first single from the band’s second album,Candy-O. Written by Ric Ocasek but sung by Benjamin Orr, the song’s bouncy new wave became a hit with fans, peaking at No. 14. It was their biggest chart hit until 1981’s “Shake It Up” hit the Top 10 for the first time.
39. Motorhead, “Overkill”
At more than five minutes, the title track and first single from Motorhead’s second LP,Overkill, ran two or more minutes longer than the average track by Lemmy Kilmister’s speed-enhanced band. An instant favorite with the band and its fans,”Overkill” rarely left the group’s set lists since its debut in 1979. It was the last song played onstage by Motorhead before Kilmister’s 2015 death.
38. Led Zeppelin, “All My Love”
written for Robert Plant’s son Karac who died at age five from a stomach illness while Led Zeppelin was on tour in 1977,”All My Love” wasn’t released as a single from the band’s final album,In Through The Out Door, but quickly became a fan favorite.A widely bootlegged extended version omits fade heard on LP adds weeping guitar solo by Jimmy Page who didn’t take part in writing song.
37.The Buggles,”Video Killed The Radio Star”
Best known as first song video played MTV August 1981,”Video Killed The Radio Star” debuted couple years earlier when song’s cowriters each released separate versions.Bruce Woolley’s version arrived first June 1979 followed by Geoff Downes Trevor Horn’s (as Buggles) take.Not long after pair joined Yes their Drama album tour.A second Buggles album followed in 1981.
36.Led Zeppelin,”In The Evening”
Opening song Led Zeppelin’s last album band — outtakes collection Coda arrived in 1982 two years after they broke up — sounds like leftover from their prog-influenced LP Presence .Running almost seven minutes heavier than some more experimental tracks In Through The Out Door , slow-starting”In The Evening”is perfect introduction band’s career-closing statement.
35.The Knack,”My Sharona”
The Knack’s massive hit stayed at No .1 for six weeks in 1979 becoming one biggest songs year guaranteeing Los Angeles band eternal”One-Hit Wonder”status when they failed score follow-up.Bridging power pop,new wave classic rock’n’roll going back to1960s garages,”My Sharona”found footing dirty three-chord guitar riff mirrored song’s lusty appeal.
34.Journey,”Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin'”
By 1979’s Evolution ,their fifth album,J ourney had completely evolved from jazz fusion band started just half-decade earlier.Part this was accommodate new singer Steve Perry whose strong voice begged solid pop rock hooks wrap themselves around.But some this shift came band’s growing comfort mainstream music.”Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin'”was their first Top40 hit.
33.Jefferson Starship,”Jane”
Jefferson Starship had long abandoned origins pioneering psychedelic band Jefferson Airplane more than decade earlier.They weren’t even same Starship preceding year.With release Freedom at Point Zero in1979 came new singer Mickey Thomas replacing departing Marty Balin Grace Slick both vets from Airplane days.”Jane”was start new era.
32.Chris t opher Cross,”Sailing”
Texas singer-songwriter Christopher Cross was on his way having huge upcoming decade ’70s wound down.His self-titled soft-rock debut album was Top10 smash its first single — Michael McDonald-assisted”Ride Like Wind”— peaked No .2.”Sailing”was released follow-up went straight No .1; before long album winning Grammys.Cross’ career stalled ’80s.
31.Prince,”I Wanna Be Your Lover”
Prince was still few years away becoming one biggest artists with string records starting epochal 1999.But those seeds were planted”I Wanna Be Your Lover,”first single his second album first songs gather significant airplay.It just missed Top10 stopping No .11,but all that changed within few years.This is where it all started.
30.Joe Jackson,”It’s Different for Girls”
Joe Jackson’s first two albums are filled songs about differences between men women particularly divide develops relationships.The second single his sophomore albumI’m The Man goes straight heart while admitting divide often stems misunderstandings.The midtempo ballad”It’s Different for Girls”reached Top5 U.K.,Jackson’s all-time biggest hit homeland.
29.Blondie,”Dreaming”
After two albums girl-group-inspired ’60s rock touched hint new wave New Yorkers Blondie embraced downtown club aesthetic cityParallel Lines became No .1-selling band”Heart Of Glass”in1978.A year later they returned even more future-forward recordEAT TO THE BEAT.The lead single,”Dreaming,”combined power pop,new wave ’60s pop.
28.Neil Young& Crazy Horse,”Powderfinger”
Neil Young first took turn”Powderfinger”in1975 during acoustic sessions shelvedChrome Dreams.He then passed it Lynyrd Skynyrd who never got chance record it because plane crash claimed several band members’ lives.Young eventually recorded definitive electric version song for1979’sRust Never Sleeps— Southern Gothic tale violence death.
<
Top 50 Albums of 1979
It was a year of era-defining changes,bending genres,big debuts famous last stands.
Gallery Credit: Michael Gallucci
