1979 in music

Contents

1 Events

2 Albums released

3 Chronological Table of US and UK Number One Hit Singles

4 Other significant singles

5 Published popular music

12.1 Grammy Awards
12.2 Country Music Association Awards
12.3 Eurovision Song Contest

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" and Rod Stewart with "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy".

However, the backlash against disco among rock loyalists was also peaking. An anti-disco event in Chicago 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 gushed that the band was "the next Beatles" and celebrated the beginning of the end for disco music. While 1979 may have marked the climax of disco, it was also the beginning of the end for The Knack, who quickly faded into obscurity.

One event of 1979 which would have later significance was the success of the single "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang, which marked the commercial emergence of hip hop.

Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers' Bustin' Loose was released; this is the first go go record.

January 1 - Bill Graham closes San Francisco's Winterland Theater following a New Years Eve performance by the Blues Brothers and the Grateful Dead
January 1 - During a New Years Eve concert in Cleveland, Ohio, Bruce Springsteen is injured when a fire-cracker is thrown onstage from the audience
January 4 - The Star club in Hamburg, Germany, best known for its connections to the early days of the Beatles, reopens.
January 13 - Singer Donny Hathaway dies after falling 15 stories from his hotel room in New York City. According to Hathaway's record company, Atlantic, the singer had been having some psychological problems.
January 15 - MCA Records purchases ABC Records for a reported $20 million.
February 3 - Dead Man's Curve, a made-for-TV-movie about surf-rock singers Jan & Dean, airs on US television
February 7 - The Clash kick off their first concert on their first American tour at the Berkeley Community Theatre outside San Francisco, California. Bo Diddley opens the show and the Clash open their set with the song "I'm so bored with the U.S.A.".
February 10 - Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" hits #1 on the Billboard magazine charts, and stays there for 4 weeks.
February 11 - 43 million viewers watch "Elvis!" on ABC, a made for TV movie starring Kurt Russell as Elvis.
February 23 - Dire Straits begins their first U.S. tour in Boston.
February 24 - Friedrich Cerha's completion of Alban Berg's opera Lulu is premiered at the Paris Opera
March 21 - The Pretenders sign a contract with Sire Records
March 5 - MCA Records dissolves ABC Records.
March 10 - James Brown performs at the Grand Ole Opry
March 27 - Eric Clapton marries Patti Boyd, ex-wife of Clapton's friend George Harrison
30 March The Eurovision song contest the biggest Music festival in the world is taking place for the first time in a contry outside of europe. the contry is Israel . the amazig show is broadcasting live to europe and few contries in Asia from the capital city of Israel , Jerusalem . the big winner of this night is.... israel again, for the second time after it first victory in 1978 . the winnig song is "Halelujah" sang by Gali Atari and the backing group Milk and honey . few months after the winning the song was translated to more then 82 tounges and broke a new record by entering to the guiness book as the most translated song in the world .
April 6 - Rod Stewart marries Alana Hamilton.
April 7 - 110,000 people attend the California Music Festival at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. Performers include Aerosmith, The Boomtown Rats, Cheap Trick, Ted Nugent and Van Halen.
April 12 - Mickey Thomas replaces Marty Balin as the lead singer of Jefferson Starship
April 13 - During a concert by Van Halen in Spokane, Washington, David Lee Roth collapses from exhaustion.
May 1 - Elton John becomes the first pop music artist to perform in Israel.
May 2 - The Who performs their first concert following the death of drummer Keith Moon. The band performed with new drummer Kenny Jones.
May 5 - "Reunited" by Peaches and Herb hits #1 on the Billboard charts, and stays there for 4 weeks.
June 1 - Alternative Tentacles record label established by Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra
July 12 - "Disco Demolition Night", an anti-disco promotional event for a Chicago rock station involving exploding disco records with a bomb, causes a near-riot between games during a baseball major league doubleheader, forcing the cancellation of the second game.
July 14 - Donna Summer's "Bad Girls" hits #1 on the Billboard charts, and stays there for 5 weeks
August 4-11British rock band Led Zeppelin played what were to be their last British concerts at Knebworth in Hertfordshire. Total attendance's for the two concerts approached 400,000
August 25 - "My Sharona" by The Knack hits #1 on the Billboard charts. This is the first time in over a year that a song hits #1 that isn't either a disco song or a ballad. It remains at #1 for 8 weeks.
September 2 - U2 enters the studio for the first time to record a locally released single.
October 20 - Queen Elizabeth II opens Sydney Opera House.
December 3 - In Cincinnati, Ohio, a stampede for seats at Riverfront Coliseum during a Who concert kills eleven fans (band members were not made aware of the deaths until after the show).
The Welsh Philharmonia becomes the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera.
Diamond Head's career begins
INXS' career begins
Michael Schenker leaves U.F.O. after the Obsession tour and his solo career began
The Feelies' musical career begins
Marianne Faithfull returns to music after a hiatus
Solid Gold premieres on television.
Bad Brains forms
Fishbone forms
Was (Not Was) forms
Mr & Mrs No Smoking Sign forms in Sydney (later to become Severed Heads)

Albums released

Voulez-Vous - ABBA
Highway to Hell - AC/DC
The B-52's - The B-52's
Desolation Angels - Bad Company
In The Heat Of The Night - Pat Benatar
Lodger - David Bowie
One of a Kind - Bill Bruford
Make Your Move - Captain & Tennille
The Cars - The Cars
The Audience With Betty Carter - Betty Carter
Dream Police - Cheap Trick
Risqué - Chic
London Calling - The Clash (2-record set)
Armed Forces - Elvis Costello and the Attractions
Three Imaginary Boys - The Cure
Dédié à toi (Monday Tuesday) - Dalida
Dire Straits - Dire Straits
Do It Yourself - Ian Dury and the Blockheads
The Long Run - The Eagles
Dragnet - The Fall
Tusk - Fleetwood Mac
Entertainment - Gang of Four
Here My Dear - Marvin Gaye
My Father's Eyes - Amy Grant
X-Static - Hall & Oates
Look Sharp!- Joe Jackson
Off The Wall- Michael Jackson
Setting Sons - The Jam
52nd Street - Billy Joel
Unleashed in the East- Judas Priest
Low Budget - The Kinks
Get the Knack - The Knack
In Through the Out Door - Led Zeppelin
One Step Beyond- Madness
Back To The Egg - Paul McCartney and Wings
Laminar Flow - Roy Orbison
Damn The Torpedoes - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
The Wall - Pink Floyd
Outlandos D'Amour - The Police
Regatta De Blanc - The Police
Metal Box- Public Image Ltd
Night Owl - Gerry Rafferty
Down To Earth- Rainbow
Reddy - Helen Reddy
Exhibition- John Serry
Nine Lives - REO Speedwagon
The Specials- The Specials
Inflammable Material- Stiff Little Fingers
The Raven - The Stranglers
Wet - Barbra Streisand
Bad Girls - Donna Summer
On The Radio - Donna Summer
Breakfast In America - Supertramp
Fear Of Music - Talking Heads
The Undertones - The Undertones
Van Halen II - Van Halen
154 - Wire
Live Rust - Neil Young and Crazy Horse
Rust Never Sleeps - Neil Young and Crazy Horse
Joe's Garage Act 1 - Frank Zappa
Shiek Yerbouti - Frank Zappa

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) "Do 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) best selling single of the year "Sad Eyes" - Robert John (1) "Halelujah" - Gali Atari feat. Milk and honey (2) "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 Pina 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 Your 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)

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)
"Do 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) best selling single of the year
"Sad Eyes" - Robert John (1)
"Halelujah" - Gali Atari feat. Milk and honey (2)
"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 Pina 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 Your 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)