The Knack release their debut album, “Get The Knack” (produced by Mike Chapman), and their debut single, “My Sharona,” spends six weeks at No. 1.
WLUP disc jockey Steve Dahl’s Disco Demolition Night takes place in Chicago’s Comiskey Park between games of a doubleheader between the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox. Dahl blows up a stack of pucks in center field, damaging the field of play in doing so. Thousands of fans storm the field, starting their own fires and causing a small riot that leads to the cancellation of the second game.
Stevie Wonder’s “Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants” is the first notable digitally recorded pop album. Despite being primarily instrumental and featuring no hit singles, the album peaked at number 4 on the Billboard album chart.
In February, The Clash will play their first US concert in Berkeley, CA. Opening the show is Bo Diddley.
In May, The Who perform their first concert since the death of original drummer Keith Moon.
Kiss releases “Dynasty”, which reaches the Top 10 thanks to the disco-tinged single “I Was Made For Loving You” (#11).
The Dead Kennedys release their first single, “California Über Alles,” in June.
After a near-fatal car accident the year before, Peter Frampton returns with the album “Where I Should Be,” which peaks at #19 and features the Top 20 single “I Can’t Stand It No More.”
Eric Clapton marries George Harrison’s ex-wife, Patti Boyd, in March.
After quickly selling out as a Japanese import, Cheap Trick’s “At Budokan” is released in the United States, selling over a million copies and featuring the Top 10 single, “I Want You To Want Me”.
Pat Benatar’s debut album, “In The Heat Of The Night” (produced by Mike Chapman), is released in September and hits the Top 20 thanks to the Top 40 singles “Heartbreaker” and “we Live For Love.” like his version of “I Need A Lover” by John Cougar.
In October, Joe Perry leaves Aerosmith to form the Joe Perry Project.
In June, The Cars follow up the platinum success of their debut album with the release of “Candy-O”, which peaks at #3 on the US Albums Chart.
PiL releases their second album, Metal Box, named for its unique packaging; a canister of 16mm film containing three 12″ vinyl records.
Supertramp reached No. 1 with their sixth album, “Breakfast In America,” which includes the Top 10 singles “The Logical Song” and “Take The Long Way Home.” To date, the album has sold over 18 million copies worldwide.
Rupert Holmes tops the pop singles chart with “Escape (The Piña Colada Song”), making it the last No. 1 single of the ’70s.
Rod Stewart enjoyed four weeks at No. 1 on the singles chart with the disco-flavoured track “Do you think I’m sexy?”.
In May, Donna Summer releases her third consecutive double album, “Bad Girls”, and enjoys the biggest commercial success of her career. The singles “Hot Stuff” and “Bad Girls” would spend a combined eight weeks at No. 1 on the Pop Singles chart.
After hitting No. 1 earlier in the year with “Heart Of Glass” (from the “Parallel Lines” album), Blondie enjoys their second consecutive Top 20 album with the release of “Eat To The Beat” (produced by Mike Chapman). . in October. The band shot a video for each song on the album and simultaneously released an audio (vinyl/cassette/8-track) and video (VHS) version of the album.
Peaches & Herb spend four weeks at No. 1 with the hit single “Reunited.”
Barry Manilow releases his eighth studio album, “One Voice,” scoring the last Top 10 album of his career…that is, until 2006’s hit “The Greatest Songs Of The Fifties.”
In July, AC/DC releases their sixth studio album “Highway To Hell”. It is her first Top 20 album in the US and includes the immensely popular title track which, despite being a popular radio hit, fails to make a dent on the Top 40 Pop singles chart.
The Eagles’ “final” studio album, “The Long Run,” is released in September. Includes three Top 10 hit singles; “Heartache Tonight”, “I Can’t Tell You Why” and the title track and spent eight weeks at number 1.
In May, David Bowie releases “Lodger”, the last of his “Berlin Trilogy” (three albums recorded in Berlin with Brian Eno). However, the album was not recorded in Berlin, but in New York and Switzerland. Although seemingly unsuccessful, the album would go on to make the US Top 20 while peaking at No. 4 in the UK.
In October, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers release their hit album, “Damn The Torpedoes”. It reaches No. 2 on the US album chart, held from the top spot by Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”.
November sees the release of Adam & The Ants’ debut album, “Dirk Wears White Sox”, on UK independent label Do It Records).
Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” is released in December and peaks at number 1, where it stayed for fifteen weeks. The double album includes the band’s only number 1 single, “Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2”.
In early ’79, Chic’s disco hit “Le Freak” spends four weeks at No. 1 on the pop charts. They then return to the number 1 spot later in the year with “Good Times” from the “Risqué” album.
The Village People achieve their latest Top 10 hit with “In The Navy”, which peaks at #3 on the US charts.
Gary Numan achieves a major radio hit (and one of the first “new wave” pop hits) in the US with “Cars” (#9), from the album “The Pleasure Principle”.
The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” is the first hip-hop single to break the Top 40.