Have you been looking to add some songs to your 70s playlist and want to know some of the top tracks of 1979? Well, we’ve compiled a list of the 41 best songs from 1979, so keep reading to find out which artists made our list!
1. Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2) – Pink Floyd
First on our list is Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2) by Pink Floyd, which comes from their film The Wall. This is one of the most popular parts of the three-part composition, and it’s listed as one of the best songs of all time. It’s a track that is protesting corporal punishment and abusive behavior in school by teachers. More than four million copies were sold worldwide, and it went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles chart.
2. Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd also had a hit with Comfortably Numb, which comes from The Wall, and it’s one of their most well-known and popular songs since it has two famous guitar solos in it. This track is considered to be one of their best songs, and this was the last track that Roger Waters performed.
3. The Gambler – Kenny Rogers
Country star Kenny Rogers had a hit with The Gambler, which he covered, and his version was the most successful of them all, making it number one on the country charts while also pushing it to three on the Adult Contemporary charts. He won a Grammy Award for it in the Best Male Country Vocal Performance category. This song also hit number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
4. Hey You – Pink Floyd
Once again, Pink Floyd makes the list with their song Hey You, which is also from The Wall, and this track was originally in the film until it was edited out due to time constraints. This is one of their most well-known songs, and it’s still a track that receives a lot of radio play today.
5. The Devil Went Down To Georgia – Charlie Daniels Band
The Devil Went Down To Georgia by Charlie Daniels Band is one of the classic and iconic country songs that is known as their biggest hit and comes from their album Million Mile Reflections. This track hit number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number one on the Hot Country Songs chart. It is about a guy named Johnny who makes a deal with the Devil, but the Devil doesn’t get his soul because he won the contest of playing the fiddle better.
6. Reunited – Peaches & Herb
R&B group Peaches & Herb is on the list next with Reunited, which hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart as well as hit four on the Adult Contemporary chart. This track was one of the biggest songs of the year and comes from the album 2 Hot.
7. Refugee – Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are on the list with Refugee, which comes from the album Damn The Torpedoes. This song is thought to be one of their best of all time, and it hit number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
8. Highway To Hell – AC/DC
Rock band AC/DC had a hit with Highway To Hell, which comes from their album of the same name, and this song was released as a single for the album. The track is all about the touring schedule, and the title of the song is what lead singer Angus Young called the touring schedule for their previous albums. It hit 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and 56 on the UK Singles chart.
9. We Are Family – Sister Sledge
Next on our list is Sister Sledge with We Are Family, which comes from their album with the same name. The song would instantly become a hit and end up being their signature track. It went to number one on the Dance Club Songs chart and two on the Billboard Hot 100.
10. Lady – Little River Band
Little River Band is on the list with Lady, which comes from the album Sleeper Catcher. On the Billboard Hot 100 chart, this song landed at number 10 and was on the Kent Music Report chart in Australia at the number 46 position. A woman was the inspiration for the track when she started to dance near the Mississippi while at the Matthew Flinders Hotel.
11. Message In A Bottle – The Police
Next on our list is The Police with Message In A Bottle, which comes from the album Reggatta De Blanc. This song was a huge hit and went to number one on the UK Singles Chart and 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It’s about a guy who is on an island and puts a message in a bottle to try to find love, and he finds a ton of bottles on the shore and realizes he isn’t the only one who is looking for love.
12. What I Like About You – Romantics
The Romantics make our list with What I Like About You, which was one of the hottest songs of the year. You could find this music video all over MTV throughout the 80s, and it made it to 49 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
13. My Sharona – The Knack
My Sharona by The Knack was one of the hottest songs of 1979 and comes from the album Get The Knack, which was their debut album. It went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number one on the Top Pop Singles chart for the year.
14. Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen
Rock band Queen released Crazy Little Thing Called Love from their album The Game, and this song was written by lead singer Freddie Mercury. It went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming their first song to land at the top of the charts. It also hit number two on the UK Singles Chart, and it’s one of their most popular tracks that has become a fan favorite.
15. In The Navy – Village People
The Village People had a hit with In The Navy, which went to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and one in Japan and Canada. It landed at number two in countries such as the UK, Norway, and Ireland. This was the last song by the disco group to reach the Top 10 on the American charts.
16. Ring My Bell – Anita Ward
Next up on our list is Ring My Bell by Anita Ward, which is about how teenagers and young people enjoyed talking to each other on the telephone. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and UK Singles chart, and this disco song also led to her being nominated for a Grammy Award.
17. Double Vision – Foreigner
Rock band Foreigner had a hit with Double Vision, which hit number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and managed to hit the top 10 list in Canada. It was one of their signature songs and has routinely been a part of their live shows ever since it was released.
18. Just When I Needed You Most – Randy VanWarmer
One of the biggest songs on our list is Just When I Needed You Most by Randy VanWarmer, and this track went to number one on the Adult Contemporary chart and made it to four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. There were two inspirations for this song, with one being how he had a bad breakup with his then-girlfriend and the other being how he loved his old car that eventually broke down. Empathy over feeling heartbroken over something that happened is what made the track a huge hit.
19. Hot Stuff – Donna Summer
Donna Summer makes our list with Hot Stuff, which comes from her album Bad Girls. This track is different from the disco songs she had been releasing up until that point, and it led her to win a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, and it’s known as one of the best tracks of all time. It also landed on the Billboard Hot 100 charts at the number one position.
20. Sad Eyes – Robert John
Robert John had a hit with Sad Eyes, which hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and overthrew My Sharona for the top spot. This was one of the biggest hits of the year since it wasn’t a disco song, and there were a lot of anti-disco feelings happening during this time. The track is all about a guy who had a fling with a woman while his girlfriend was not around, but he had to end it to go back to his life with his girlfriend.
21. Heart Of Glass – Blondie
Next up is Heart Of Glass by Blondie, which was released on the album Parallel Lines. This song went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and also went to number one in other countries including New Zealand and Canada. This track is thought of as one of the best songs of the 70s and one of the best dance tracks of all time.
22. Somewhere In The Night – Barry Manilow
On our list next is Barry Manilow who had a hit track when he released Somewhere In The Night, which comes from the album Even Now. This song hit nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it’s thought of as one of his best tracks to date. The song went to 42 on the UK Singles chart and helped him become a household name internationally.
23. My Life – Billy Joel
Coming from the album 52nd Street, Billy Joel had a hit in 1979 with My Life, which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at the third position and went to number two on the Adult Contemporary chart. This was one of the many hits that he had throughout the 70s, and it’s one of his most popular songs.
24. Rock With You – Michael Jackson
Pop star Michael Jackson makes the list with Rock With You from the album Off The Wall. The song went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and Hot Soul Singles chart while making it to 21 on the Adult Contemporary chart. This was right before he became the biggest name in music and throughout the next several years would have multiple hits reaching number one on the charts.
25. Renegade – Styx
Attention all fans of the show Supernatural, you might know the next group on our list because Renegade by Styx is found in season two of the show. This song made it to 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and this track is known for its amazing drum solo by John Panozzo. You can also find it in the movie Billy Madison.
26. Don’t Cry Out Loud – Melissa Manchester
Next on our list is Melissa Manchester with the track Don’t Cry Out Loud, which was a cover. She didn’t like this song but recorded it because her record producer didn’t think her album had a top 40 hit on it. This track went to number nine on the Adult Contemporary chart and landed at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
27. Good Times – Chic
The R&B group Chic is next with Good Times, which comes from their album Risque, and it’s thought to be one of the best songs of all time by Rolling Stone. The track would go on to become one of the hottest songs to sample and became one of their biggest hits.
28. What A Fool Believes – The Doobie Brothers
Winning a Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, The Doobie Brothers make the list with What A Fool Believes. The track hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became one of the few non-disco songs to top the charts during the early part of 1979. It’s all about a guy who tries to start back up a fling with an old fling but then realizes there was never anything there to begin with.
29. After The Love Has Gone – Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire released After The Love Has Gone, which became one of their biggest hits and placed two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and Hot R&B Singles chart. It also landed on the Adult Contemporary chart at number four and UK Pop Singles chart. This is one of their most well-known songs and a fan favorite.
30. Heaven Must Have Sent You – Bonnie Pointer
Up Next is Bonnie Pointer with Heaven Must Have Sent You, which comes from her self-titled debut solo album. This song made it to eight on the Billboard Dance Chart and 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track was a cover, and she turned it into a disco-like song with a beat similar to YMCA by Village People.
31. Knock On Wood – Amii Stewart
Calling all fans of Mr. Magoo, on our list next is Amii Stewart with Knock On Wood, which was a cover version of the track by Eddie Floyd. She turned it into a disco song, and it hit number one on the charts. This track ended up becoming one of the biggest anthems for the LGBTQ community during 1979 and the 80s. While disco didn’t last too much beyond 1979, this song still managed to get a ton of radio play and became one of her biggest hits.
32. Got To Be Real – Cheryl Lynn
Cheryl Lynn makes the list with Got To Be Real, which went to number one on the Hot Soul Singles chart and peaked at 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was the lead single from her self-titled debut album. This was one of her most well-known tracks that became a fan favorite.
33. Shake It – Iain Matthews
Calling all fans of Little Darlings, Iain Matthews had a major hit with Shake It, which was a cover of the Terence Boylan song from a couple of years prior. It made it to 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and 21 on the Easy Listening chart. This is one of the most well-known tracks from the album and had a ton of radio play for the next few years.
34. Boys Don’t Cry – The Cure
Next is the rock band The Cure with the song Boys Don’t Cry, which is all about a guy who loses hope of being with the love interest he lost, and he is trying to hide his real feelings about it. This song was never a hit in America but landed at number 99 on the Australian Kent Music Report chart.
35. On The Radio – Donna Summer
Calling all fans of the movie Foxes, Donna Summer had a hit with On The Radio, which was released on her international album On The Radio: Greatest Hits Volumes I And II. This track was a major success and made it to five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and eight on the Dance Club Songs chart.
36. And The Beat Goes On – The Whispers
Hitting 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart is And The Beat Goes On by The Whispers, and this song hit number one on the Dance chart, becoming their only track to do so. It also hit two on the UK Singles chart and would become their most popular song in the UK. When you listen to this song, you are reminded of the late 70s and early 80s, and it’s a track with a fun beat and a catchy chorus.
37. I Just Fall In Love Again – Anne Murray
Up next on our list is Anne Murray with I Just Fall In Love Again, and she didn’t know at the time that Dusty Springfield had recorded the track earlier in the year, which ended up overshadowing her version of the song. She still managed to top the charts with her version, and it reached one on the Adult Contemporary and Country charts while also hitting 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
38. Dance The Night Away – Van Halen
Next is Van Halen with Dance The Night Away, which comes from Van Halen II, and this song wasn’t even written until they were recording the album. It went to 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it was the first track that they had that reached the top 20 on the charts. This song also became one of the biggest tracks of the year according to Billboard.
39. I Was Made For Lovin’ You – Kiss
Rock band Kiss makes our list with I Was Made For Lovin’ You, which comes from their album Dynasty. This song hit 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and 37 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. While it might not be their most well-known track, it was still one of their most popular songs of 1979.
40. I Wanna Be Your Lover – Prince
Prince makes the list with I Wanna Be Your Lover, which comes from his self-titled album. In the US, this became his first big hit and made it to number one on the Hot Soul Singles chart and 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
41. Video Killed The Radio Star – The Buggles
Last on our list is The Buggles with Video Killed The Radio Star, which comes from their debut album The Age Of Plastic. This song hit 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became an instant success for the band.
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From the time she was little, Florence loved listening to music and quickly learned how music can make you happy and feel fulfilled. One of her favorite memories is being in the garage with her dad working on classic cars with the local rock station blaring in the background. Ever since Florence was 3, she loved grunge music and spent hours listening to bands such as Alice in Chains, Mad Season, Soul Asylum, and Soundgarden.
She also enjoys classic rock, modern rock, nu metal, alternative rock, and old 90’s R&B. Her love of music grew as she got older, and used music to help her get through tough times in her life. More often than not, you’ll see Florence with earbuds in while she’s writing, cooking, cleaning, and doing other tasks. She also loves to debate music with her friends such as which lead singer is the best vocalist, the most iconic guitar solos in music, and what songs are really the best of the decade.
