Song of the Year 1979

The Knack, My Sharona

The Knack had a world wide mega hit with My Sharona. Their basic rock and roll became receptive as the industry was sick of Disco and hadn't yet accepted punk, metal or new wave. Band members Doug Fieger, Berton Averre, Prescott Niles and Bruce Gary were briefly compared to the Fab Four and have broke up and reunited often over the years. The Knack.

Billboard Top 40 of 1979

1. My Sharona, The Knack
2. Bad Girls, Donna Summer
3. Le Freak, Chic
4. Da Ya Think I'm Sexy, Rod Stewart
5. Reunited, Peaches and Herb
6. I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor
7. Hot Stuff, Donna Summer
8. Y.M.C.A., Village People
9. Ring My Bell, Anita Ward
10. Sad Eyes, Robert John
11. Too Much Heaven, Bee Gees
12. MacArthur Park, Donna Summer
13. When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman, Dr. Hook
14. Makin' It, David Naughton
15. Fire, Pointer Sisters
16. Tragedy, Bee Gees
17. A Little More Love, Olivia Newton-John
18. Heart Of Glass, Blondie
19. What A Fool Believes, Doobie Brothers
20. Good Times, Chic
21. You Don't Bring Me Flowers, Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond
22. Knock On Wood, Amii Stewart
23. Stumblin' In, Suzi Quatro and Chris Norman
24. Lead Me On, Maxine Nightingale
25. Shake Your Body, Jacksons
26. Don't Cry Out Loud, Melissa Manchester
27. The Logical Song, Supertramp
28. My Life, Billy Joel
29. Just When I Needed You Most, Randy Vanwarmer
30. You Can't Change That, Raydio
31. Shake Your Groove Thing, Peaches and Herb
32. I'll Never Love This Way Again, Dionne Warwick
33. Love You Inside Out, Bee Gees
34. I Want You To Want Me, Cheap Trick
35. The Main Event (Fight), Barbra Streisand
36. Mama Can't Buy You Love, Elton John
37. I Was Made For Dancin', Leif Garrett
38. After The Love Has Gone, Earth, Wind and Fire
39. Heaven Knows, Donna Summer and Brooklyn Dreams
40. The Gambler, Kenny Rogers

Top Albums of 1979

Music News 1979

Steve Dahl Disco Demolition Night

Radio Disc Jockey Steve Dahl talked the Chicago White Sox into allowing him to blow up some records in the center field of Cominskey Park between games of a twilight double header. The explosion was excessive, it started a fire and the rock fans threw thousands of records from the upper decks and 20,000 rock fans broke into the stadium to flood the field. Game 2 was canceled and the Sox forfeited to the Detroit Tigers. Though it was a big mess it did help put an end to the shallow Disco craze. Disco Demolition Night

Who concert Stampede

Eleven fans were killed and 26 injured during a stampede for good seats before The Who concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was pretty much the end of general admission seating for concerts. The Cincinnati Who Stampede

Michael Jackson released Off the Wall considered his breakthrough album. It went platinum times seven just in the US. Michael Jackson Off the Wall Album.

Rock & Roll 1979

Cheap Trick I Want you to Want Me

Cheap Trick, like The Knack, also embodied a form of retro Rock in retaliation against Disco which had overwhelmed the music business for two years too long. Lead singer Robin Zander, the crazy guitar guy Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson on base and Bun E. Carlos on drums. Cheap Trick still at it.

New Wave 1979

Blondie, Heart of Glass

New Wave band Blondie with front lady Deborah Harry had a breakthrough hit with the song Heart of Glass. Through originally recorded in 1975 in a much slower tempo, the band re-produced it as a Disco song. Though it was very popular and sent the band to the top, they were accused of selling out to the dying disco dance craze. The band subsequently regained their gravitas and is till popular today. Blondie, new wave.

Pop (Disco) 1979

Donna Summers Bad Girls

Donna Summers, named The Queen of Disco sees the writing on the wall. Her Album Bad Girls includes new wave, funk and R&B as she moves away from her Disco brand. Donna Summers Website

Folk Rock 1979

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Refugee

Considered the breakthrough album from Tom Petty, Damn the Torpedoes contained the classic hit Refugee co written by Heartbreaker guitarist Mike Campell. The album went to the top and was only out sold by Pink Floydd's The Wall. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Damn the Torpedos.

Country & Western 1979

The Gambler, Kenny Rogers

Kenny Rogers reached super stardom with the song The Gambler. Written by Don Schlitz and preformed earlier by Bobby Bare, it was recorded by Rogers in 1978, won the Grammy in 1979 and became made for TV movie starring Kenny Rogers in 1980. Kenny Rogers Website

Country Rock 1979

Charlie Daniels Devil Went down to Georgia

The Charlie Daniels Band has its biggest hit with the song The Devil Went Down to Georgia which was on the album Million Mile Reflections. Daniels took the old Robert Johnson crossroads story (Eric Clapton) and re-arranged it for a country audience concerning a fiddle rather than a blues guitar. Charlie Daniels has gone on to become a very vocal - and would it be fair to say - highly obnoxious Right-wing Christian Fundamentalist? The Charlie Daniels Right-wing Swill Page.