1979 in music


Free Web Hosting with Website Builder
List of years in music (Table)
… 1969 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 •   
1976 • 1977 • 1978 – 1979 – 1980 • 1981 • 1982 •
   1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 …
Related time period or subjects
… 1976 • 1977 • 1978 – 1979 – 1980 • 1981 • 1982 …
… 1940s • 1950s • 1960s – 1970s – 1980s • 1990s • 2000s …
… 19th century – 20th century – 21st century …
Art Archaeology Architecture Literature Music Science more

See also:

Contents

Events

  • 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. Hard Rock band KISS also had a disco hit this year with "I Was Made For Lovin You".
  • 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 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.

Timeline

Bands formed

Bands disbanded

Albums released

Biggest hit singles

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

# Artist Title Year Country Chart Entries
1 Blondie Heart of Glass 1979 Flag of the United States 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 Flag of the United States 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 Flag of the United Kingdom 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 Flag of the United States 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 Flag of the United Kingdom 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)
"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

Published popular music

Classical music