Let’s make a quick rundown of these album titles: Get the Knack, Breakfast in America, The Wall, Damn the Torpedoes, Tusk, The Long Run, At Budokan, Armed Forces, Off the Wall, Prince, London Calling, Highway to Hell, Fear of Music, Bad Girls, Regatta de Blanc. All of these albums were released during 1979. I gotta tell you, 1979 represents the year when the possibilities were wide open, musically speaking. To all of us older Gen Xers, 1979 represents the year when the underground was finally bubbling into the mainstream.
The first big earthquake of the year happened when The Knack rocketed to #1 on the Album Chart. Then, in rapid succession came albums by AC/DC, Zep, Talking Heads, Pink Floyd and The Clash. And the singles by Joe Jackson, The Cure, KC & the Sunshine Band, Patrick Hernandez and M were blowing minds. In other words, it was a wonderful time to be a teen. Sure, there was drivel, like that damn disco duet by Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer or the seemingly endless stream of Kenny Rogers songs, but the quality of the music from 1979 was absolutely satisfying to me. Hell, one particular song that I loved, and swore to my mother that I would play it at her funeral (I did not, but she would have gotten a kick out of it if I had) was “Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)” by the Pat Travers Band, which did not make my Top 100. I only mentioned it because of the significance it had in our house in 1979 and beyond.
Maybe, 1979 is special because it coincides with me getting my driver’s license. Still, I don’t think so. I objectively believe 1979 was just a stellar year for music, much like 1983, 1984, 1987 and 1991 were. Look back at that initial list of albums released in 1979 and ask yourself how many of those listed were either the best album by that artist or that artist is now in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? All but two of the artists are in the Hall, while many of those titles listed are definitely among those artists’ best work. The Wall continues to be a big seller, while London Calling is considered one, if not THE, greatest album of all time.
Even here in Indiana, we were experiencing our own little scene of great artists breaking forth to some regional and national fame. First, there was Roadmaster breaking out in 1978. Then, at the end of 1978 and the beginning of 1979, Muncie’s Faith Band was also broke, though, for reasons I still don’t understand, radio played Nigel Olsson’s decent cover of Faith Band’s terrific single “Dancing Shoes.” Finally, a little regarded artist from Seymour finally kickstarted what ended up becoming a rock immortal career, John Cougar, still years away from regaining his Mellencamp surname.
So, let’s get this whole thing moving as I take you through my 100 favorite songs of 1979.
100. “Wonderful Christmastime” – Paul McCartney
99. “Bright Side of the Road” – Van Morrison
98. “Disco Nights” – GQ
97. “Rock with You” – Michael Jackson
96. “Ladies Night” – Kool & the Gang
95. “Sara” – Fleetwood Mac
94. “Are Friends Electric?” – The Tubeway Army
93. “Knock on Wood” – Amii Stewart
92. “I Need a Lover” – John Cougar
91. “I Do the Rock” – Tim Curry
90. “One Step Beyond” – Madness
89. “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” – Rupert Holmes
88. “Goodbye Stranger” – Supertramp
87. “Lady” – Little River Band
86. “Mama Can’t Buy Me Love” – Elton John
85. “Shake It” – Ian Matthews
84. “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” – Bauhaus
83. “Blow Away” – George Harrison
82. “Gotta Serve Somebody” – Bob Dylan
81. “Sail On” – The Commodores
80. “Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)” – Robert Palmer
79. “Take Me Home” – Cher
78. “Makin’ It” – David Naughton
77. “Stumblin’ In” – Suzi Quatro & Chris Norman
76. “Gold” – John Stewart
75. “Money” – The Flying Lizards
74. “Jane” – Jefferson Starship
73. “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy” – Bad Company
72. “Up the Junction” – Squeeze
71. “Dim All the Lights” – Donna Summer
70. “Babe” – Styx
69. “All My Life” – Led Zeppelin
68. “(Not Just) Knee Deep” – Funkadelic
67. “Dance the Night Away” – Van Halen
66. “Heartache Tonight” – Eagles
65. “Still” – The Commodores
64. “Heartbreaker” – Pat Benatar
63. “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” – Ramones
62. “Born to Be Alive” – Pat Hernandez
61. “Tragedy” – Bee Gees
60. “Making Plans for Nigel” – XTC
59. “Let’s Go” – The Cars
58. “Breakfast in America” – Supertramp
57. “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” – Charlie Daniels Band
56. “Video Killed the Radio Star” – The Buggles
55. “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” – KISS
54. “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” – McFadden & Whitehead
53. “We Are Family” – Sister Sledge
52. “Bad Girls” – Donna Summer
51. “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” – Michael Jackson
50. “Oliver’s Army” – Elvis Costello & the Attractions
49. “Refugee” – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
48. “Hey, St. Peter” – Flash & the Pan
47. “Dream Police” – Cheap Trick
46. “Transmission” – Joy Division
45. “New York Groove” – Ace Frehley
44. “Beautiful Girls” – Van Halen
43. “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin'” – Journey
42. “Run like Hell” – Pink Floyd
41. “Chuck E.’s in Love” – Rickie Lee Jones
40. “Dreaming” – Blondie
39. “Fool in the Rain” – Led Zeppelin
38. “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)” – Neil Young & Crazy Horse
37. “Cruel to Be Kind” – Nick Lowe
36. “Take the Long Way Home” – Supertramp
35. “Walking on the Moon” – The Police
34. “Don’t Do Me like That” – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
33. “Tusk” – Fleetwood Mac
32. “Pop Muzik” – M
31. “Don’t Bring Me Down” – Electric Light Orchestra
30. “I Don’t Like Mondays” – The Boomtown Rats
29. “After the Love Has Gone” – Earth, Wind & Fire
28. “Renegade” -Styx
27. “Driver’s Seat” – Sniff ‘n’ the Tears
26. “Hot Stuff” – Donna Summer
25. “Is She Really Going Out with It?” – Joe Jackson
24. “The Logical Song” – Supertramp
23. “Even the Losers” – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
22. “Dance Away” – Roxy Music
21. “Boys Don’t Cry” – The Cure
20. “Wait for Me” – Daryl Hall & John Oates
19. “Boogie Wonderland” – Earth, Wind & Fire with The Emotions
18. “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” – Queen
17. “Life During Wartime” – Talking Heads
16. “Message in a Bottle” – The Police
15. “Highway to Hell” – AC/DC
14. “Good Times” – Chic
13. “Starry Eyes” – The Records
12. “Please Don’t Go” – KC & the Sunshine Band
11. “Dancing Shoes” – Faith Band
10. “Comfortably Numb” – Pink Floyd
9. “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding)” – Elvis Costello & the Attractions
8. “Rock Lobster” – The B-52’s
7. “London Calling” – The Clash
6. “Rapper’s Delight” – Sugarhill Gang
5. “My Sharona” – The Knack
4. “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2” – Pink Floyd
3. “I Want You to Want Me (live)” – Cheap Trick
2. “Train in Vain (Stand by Me)” – The Clash
1. “I Wanna Be Your Lover” – Prince
If My Records Could Talk 