1979 in music

List of years in music (table)

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1979.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

January–February

March–April

May–August

September–December

Also in 1979

Bands formed

See Musical groups established in 1979

Bands disbanded

See Musical groups disestablished in 1979

Albums released

January

Day Album Artist Notes
1 Feets, Don't Fail Me Now Herbie Hancock
2 Strangers in the Night UFO Live
5 Armed Forces Elvis Costello & The Attractions
15 Lovedrive Scorpions
16 Accept Accept
19 Sleep Dirt Frank Zappa
22 We Are Family Sister Sledge
25 Take Me Home Cher
26 Bustin' Out of L Seven Rick James
Valley of the Dolls Generation X
N/A Nervous Breakdown Black Flag EP
The Def Leppard E.P. Def Leppard EP
Head First The Babys
John Denver John Denver
Life for the Taking Eddie Money
Living Without Your Love Dusty Springfield
Madam Butterfly Tavares
New Kind of Feeling Anne Murray
Sinful Angel
No Mean City Nazareth

February

Day Album Artist Notes
2 Inflammable Material Stiff Little Fingers
5 Spirits Having Flown Bee Gees
19 Frenzy Split Enz
20 George Harrison George Harrison
21 Live (X Cert) The Stranglers Live
23 Scared to Dance The Skids
26 The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle Sex Pistols Soundtrack
28 Rickie Lee Jones Rickie Lee Jones
N/A Enlightened Rogues The Allman Brothers Band
The Feeding of the 5000 Crass
Force Majeure Tangerine Dream
Hard Times for Lovers Judy Collins
Under Heaven Over Hell Streetheart

March

Day Album Artist Notes
1 Manifesto Roxy Music
2 It's Alright with Me Patti LaBelle
3 Sheik Yerbouti Frank Zappa
9 Angel Station Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Even Serpents Shine The Only Ones
Thriller Eddie and the Hot Rods
15 Fate for Breakfast Art Garfunkel
Half Machine Lip Moves Chrome
16 Bitanga i princeza Bijelo dugme
Live at the Witch Trials The Fall
17 Desolation Angels Bad Company
19 L.A. The Beach Boys
23 Van Halen II Van Halen
24 Overkill Motörhead
26 Go West Village People
27 You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic Ian Hunter
29 Breakfast in America Supertramp
30 Just a Game Triumph
Secondhand Daylight Magazine
N/A Airwaves Badfinger
Danger Money U.K.
Feel No Fret Average White Band
I Love You So Natalie Cole
Remote Control The Tubes
Rock n' Roll Nights Bachman–Turner Overdrive
No. 1 in Heaven Sparks
Squeezing Out Sparks Graham Parker and The Rumour

April

Day Album Artist Notes
1 Life in a Day Simple Minds
5 Evolution Journey
6 Euroman Cometh Jean-Jacques Burnel
7 Look Sharp! Joe Jackson
9 Cool for Cats Squeeze
10 I Love to Sing the Songs I Sing Barry White
13 Black Rose: A Rock Legend Thin Lizzy
20 Gimme Some Neck Ron Wood
Million Mile Reflections The Charlie Daniels Band
My Father's Eyes Amy Grant
Y The Pop Group
23 Bob Dylan at Budokan Bob Dylan Live
Voulez-Vous ABBA
25 Bad Girls Donna Summer
N/A The Bells Lou Reed
Blue Kentucky Girl Emmylou Harris
It's Alive Ramones Live
Mission Accomplished But the Beat Goes On The Rezillos Live
New Chautauqua Pat Metheny
New England New England
New Values Iggy Pop
Replicas Tubeway Army
Strikes Blackfoot

May

Day Album Artist Notes
4 Orchestral Favorites Frank Zappa
8 Three Imaginary Boys The Cure
13 The Undertones The Undertones
17 Wave Patti Smith Group
18 Shades in Bed The Records
Do It Yourself Ian Dury & The Blockheads
Lodger David Bowie
21 Saxon Saxon
22 Where There's Smoke... Smokey Robinson
23 The Boss Diana Ross
Dynasty Kiss
24 Great Balls of Fire Dolly Parton
30 Where I Should Be Peter Frampton
31 Discovery Electric Light Orchestra
N/A Flag James Taylor
In the Skies Peter Green
Infinite Rider on the Big Dogma Michael Nesmith
Let Me Be Good to You Lou Rawls
Monolith Kansas
Narita Riot Japan
Rhapsodies Rick Wakeman
Rock 'n' Roll High School Various Artists Soundtrack
Shot Through the Heart Jennifer Warnes
Spectral Mornings Steve Hackett
State of Shock Ted Nugent

June

Day Album Artist Notes
1 This Boot Is Made for Fonk-N Bootsy's Rubber Band
5 Best of The J. Geils Band The J. Geils Band
8 Back to the Egg Wings
The Kids Are Alright The Who Soundtrack
Shades in Bed The Records
9 I Am Earth, Wind & Fire
Labour of Lust Nick Lowe
Repeat When Necessary Dave Edmunds
11 Get the Knack The Knack
13 Candy-O The Cars
Mingus Joni Mitchell
15 Communiqué Dire Straits
PXR5 Hawkwind
Silent Letter America
Unknown Pleasures Joy Division
19 Mirrors Blue Öyster Cult
22 Live Killers Queen Live
Mick Taylor Mick Taylor
23 No Exit The Angels
25 Secret Omen Cameo
30 Spy Carly Simon
N/A Another Taste A Taste of Honey
Armageddon Prism
Exposure Robert Fripp
Life and Love Leon Russell
Night Owl Gerry Rafferty
One for the Road Willie Nelson and Leon Russell
Secrets Robert Palmer
Si todo hiciera Crack Crack
Survivors Samson
Touch the Sky Carole King

July

Day Album Artist Notes
2 Rust Never Sleeps Neil Young and Crazy Horse
6 The B-52's The B-52's
10 Low Budget The Kinks
17 Exposed Mike Oldfield Live
20 Nine Lives REO Speedwagon
27 Highway to Hell AC/DC
John Cougar John Cougar
28 Down to Earth Rainbow
30 Risqué Chic
N/A Bop till You Drop Ry Cooder
Can Can
Circles & Seasons Pete Seeger
Duty Now for the Future Devo
First Under the Wire Little River Band
Gamma 1 Gamma
Honest Lullaby Joan Baez
Midnight Magic Commodores
No Promises...No Debts Golden Earring
The Original Disco Man James Brown
Shake Hands with the Devil Kris Kristofferson

August

Day Album Artist Notes
1 String of Hits The Shadows
Volcano Jimmy Buffett
3 Fear of Music Talking Heads
Some Product: Carri on Sex Pistols Sex Pistols Interview collage
10 Ghostown The Radiators
Off the Wall Michael Jackson
13 Chicago 13 Chicago
17 Drums and Wires XTC
18 Born Again Randy Newman
20 Slow Train Coming Bob Dylan
In Through the Out Door Led Zeppelin
22 The Rose Bette Midler Soundtrack to 1979 film
27 Eve The Alan Parsons Project
In the Heat of the Night Pat Benatar
30 Big Fun Shalamar
N/A Rose Royce IV: Rainbow Connection Rose Royce
5 J.J. Cale
Into the Music Van Morrison

September

Day Album Artist Notes
4 Cut The Slits
Flying Colors Trooper
6 Ladies' Night Kool & the Gang
La Diva Aretha Franklin
7 Join Hands Siouxsie and the Banshees
The Pleasure Principle Gary Numan
Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile Cliff Richard
11 Head Games Foreigner
Kost u grlu Riblja Čorba
14 Stormwatch Jethro Tull
16 Top Priority Rory Gallagher
17 Joe's Garage Act I Frank Zappa
Unleashed in the East Judas Priest Live
21 Boogie Motel Foghat
Dream Police Cheap Trick
The Raven The Stranglers
Uncle Jam Wants You Funkadelic
22 Three U2 EP
24 The Long Run Eagles
25 Entertainment! Gang of Four
One Voice Barry Manilow
Singles Going Steady Buzzcocks Compilation
Solid State Survivor Yellow Magic Orchestra
27 Recent Songs Leonard Cohen
29 Legends of the Lost and Found Harry Chapin Live
N/A 154 Wire
A Different Kind of Tension Buzzcocks
The Glow Bonnie Raitt
This Heat This Heat
Kenny Kenny Rogers
Live and Sleazy Village People Double LP; one disc live, one disc studio
Marathon Santana
New Picnic Time Pere Ubu -
Night After Night U.K. Live
Oceans of Fantasy Boney M.
Out of a Dream Reba McEntire
Satisfied Rita Coolidge
Street Machine Sammy Hagar

October

Day Album Artist Notes
1 Return to Base Slade
2 Reggatta de Blanc The Police
Survival Bob Marley & The Wailers
5 I'm the Man Joe Jackson
Partners in Crime Rupert Holmes
Quadrophenia The Who Soundtrack
8 A Curious Feeling Tony Banks
9 The Fine Art of Surfacing The Boomtown Rats
12 Days in Europa The Skids
Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 Rod Stewart Compilation
Tusk Fleetwood Mac
13 Victim of Love Elton John
Eat to the Beat Blondie
15 On the Radio: Greatest Hits Volumes I & II Donna Summer Compilation
16 Fire It Up Rick James
The Message Is Love Barry White
19 Cornerstone Styx
Damn the Torpedoes Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
One Step Beyond... Madness
Prince Prince
The Specials The Specials
22 Prisoner Cher
23 You Know How to Love Me Phyllis Hyman
Mix-Up Cabaret Voltaire
26 Dragnet The Fall
27 Bomber Motörhead
29 Greatest Hits Volume 2 ABBA Compilation
30 Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants" Stevie Wonder
N/A Bee Gees Greatest Bee Gees Compilation
Broken English Marianne Faithfull
Cut Above the Rest Sweet
Flirtin' with Disaster Molly Hatchet
Harder ... Faster April Wine
Head Injuries Midnight Oil
Here Leo Sayer
Hydra Toto
I'll Always Love You Anne Murray
Images at Twilight Saga
Keep the Fire Kenny Loggins
Lovehunter Whitesnake
Magnum II Magnum
Mr. Universe Gillan
Reality Effect The Tourists
Reproduction The Human League
Rockin' into the Night 38 Special
Thighs and Whispers Bette Midler
Wet Barbra Streisand
Whatever You Want Status Quo

November

Day Album Artist Notes
1 Freedom at Point Zero Jefferson Starship
2 Machine Gun Etiquette The Damned
3 The Raincoats The Raincoats
6 Pretty Paper Willie Nelson Christmas
9 The Soundhouse Tapes Iron Maiden EP
16 Night in the Ruts Aerosmith
17 Setting Sons The Jam
18 Emerson, Lake and Palmer in Concert Emerson, Lake & Palmer Live
19 Joe's Garage Acts II & III Frank Zappa
Live Rust Neil Young & Crazy Horse Live
23 Live! Coast to Coast Teddy Pendergrass Live
Metal Box Public Image Ltd.
Platinum Mike Oldfield
28 Gloryhallastoopid Parliament
30 The Wall Pink Floyd
N/A Brass Construction 5 Brass Construction
Degüello ZZ Top
Down on the Farm Little Feat
English Garden Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club
ELO's Greatest Hits Electric Light Orchestra Compilation
Masterjam Rufus
New York–London–Paris–Munich M
No Nukes: The Muse Concerts for a Non-Nuclear Future Various Artists Triple Live LP
Phoenix Dan Fogelberg
Real to Real Cacophony Simple Minds
Sometimes You Win Dr. Hook
We're the Best of Friends Natalie Cole & Peabo Bryson

December

Day Album Artist Notes
8 On Parole Motörhead Debut
14 London Calling The Clash
15 Sid Sings Sid Vicious
20 Quiet Life Japan International
20 Christopher Cross Christopher Cross Warner Bros.
22 September Morn Neil Diamond
27 Adventures in Utopia Utopia
31 Score Carol Lloyd
N/A 20 Jazz Funk Greats Throbbing Gristle
The Best of Top of the Pops '79 Top of the Poppers
Les Plus Grands Succès De Chic: Chic's Greatest Hits Chic
Sabotage/Live John Cale Live

Release date unknown

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 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, Netherlands 5 – Feb 1979, Norway 5 – Mar 1979, RYM 8 of 1979, US CashBox 11 of 1979, US BB 1 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 1978 United States UK 1 – Feb 1979, US BB 1 – Jan 1979, US BB 1 of 1979, Canada 1 – Mar 1979, Republic of Ireland 1 – Mar 1979, POP 2 of 1979, Sweden (alt) 3 – Apr 1979, Netherlands 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 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, Netherlands 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 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, Netherlands 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 Patrick Hernandez Born to Be Alive 1979 France Sweden (alt) 1 – Jul 1979 (20 weeks), France (SNEP) 1 – Feb 1979 (5 months), France 1 – Mar 1979 (5 weeks), Austria 1 – Apr 1979 (6 weeks), Norway 1 – Jul 1979 (17 weeks), Belgium 1 – Jan 1979 (18 weeks), Germany 1 – Mar 1979 (6 months), Canada RPM 1 for 2 weeks – Aug 1979, New Zealand 1 for 2 weeks – Oct 1979, RIANZ 1 – Sep 1979 (14 weeks), Australia 1 for 5 weeks – Oct 1979, France 1 for 15 weeks – Mar 1979, Germany 1 for 5 weeks – May 1979, France (InfoDisc) 4 of the 1970s (peak 1, 30 weeks, 1,412k sales estimated, 1979), US Gold (certified by RIAA in Nov 1979), Germany Gold (certified by BMieV in 1979), Netherlands 5 – Feb 1979 (18 weeks), Switzerland 5 – Feb 1979 (13 weeks), Australia 5 of 1979, Springbok 6 – Aug 1979 (11 weeks), Italy 7 of 1979, UK 10 – Jun 1979 (14 weeks), POP 11 of 1979, Canada 12 – Jul 1979 (6 weeks), US BB 15 of 1979, US Billboard 16 – Jun 1979 (19 weeks), Record World 19 – 1979, Germany 20 of the 1970s (peak 1 25 weeks), Brazil 32 of 1979, Scrobulate 68 of disco, US Radio 108 of 1979 (peak 16 5 weeks), RYM 200 of 1979, UK Silver (certified by BPI in Sep 1979), Global 7 (10 M sold) – 1979

Chronological table of US and UK number-one hit singles

Other significant singles

Published popular music

Classical music

  • Arno Babadjanian – Third String Quartet
  • Milton Babbitt
    • An Elizabethan Sextette, for six female voices
    • Images, for saxophone and tape
    • Paraphrases, for ten instruments
  • Osvaldas Balakauskas – Symphony No. 2
  • Pascal Bentoiu – Symphony No. 5, Op. 26
  • Luciano BerioScena
  • Harrison Birtwistle... agm ..., for sixteen voices and three instrumental ensembles
  • John Cage
    • Hymns and Variations, for twelve amplified voices
    • Roaratorio for tape
  • George Crumb
    • Apparition for soprano and amplified piano
    • Celestial Mechanics (Makrokosmos IV) for amplified piano (four hands)
    • Star-Child (1977, revised 1979) for soprano, antiphonal children's voices, male speaking choir, bell ringers, and large orchestra
  • Mario DavidovskyPennplay for sixteen players
  • Peter Maxwell Davies
    • Black Pentecost, for mezzo-soprano, baritone, and orchestra, Op. 82
    • Kirkwall Shopping Songs, for young voices and instruments, Op. 85
    • Nocturne, for alto flute solo, Op. 84
    • Quiet Memory of Bob Jennings, for violin, viola, and cello, WoO 135
    • Salome, concert suite from the ballet, Op. 80b
    • Solstice of Light, cantata for tenor, SATB chorus, and organ, Op. 83
  • Morton Feldman
    • String Quartet No. 1
    • Violin and Orchestra
  • Hugh Flynn – Birds
  • Philip Glass
  • Alexander Goehr
    • Babylon the Great Is Fallen, cantata, Op. 40
    • Chaconne for organ, Op. 34a
    • Das Gesetz der Quadrille, Op. 41
    • Sinfonia, Op. 42
  • Cristóbal Halffter
    • Officium defunctuorum, for orchestra and chorus
    • Violin Concerto No. 1
  • Jacques Hétu – Bassoon Concerto
  • Vagn Holmboe
    • Violin Concerto No. 2
    • Notater for 3 trombones (alto, tenor, baritone) and tuba
    • Konstateringer for choir
    • Guitar Sonata No. 1
    • Guitar Sonata No. 2
    • Accordion Sonata No. 1
    • Bogtrykkemaskinen for violin and piano
  • Miloslav KabelacMetamorphoses II, for piano and orchestra, Op. 58
  • Wojciech Kilar
    • Fanfare for mixed choir and orchestra
    • Hoary Fog (Siwa mgła), for baritone and orchestra
  • Witold LutosławskiNovelette for orchestra
  • William Lloyd WebberMissa Sanctae Mariae Magdalenae
  • Tomás Marco
    • Aria de la batalla, for organ
    • Tartessos, for four percussionists
  • Richard MealeViridian, for orchestra
  • Paul Moravec
    • Ave Verum Corpus, for SATB chorus
    • Missa Miserere, for SATB chorus and orchestra
    • Pater Noster, for SATB chorus
  • Ștefan NiculescuSincronie for flute, oboe and bassoon
  • Allan Pettersson – Viola Concerto
  • Steve Reich
  • R. Murray Schafer
    • Beauty and the Beast, from Patria 3, for alto with masks and string quartet
    • Felix's Girls, from Patria 3, for SATB quartet or choir
    • Gamelan, from Patria 3, for SATB, SASA, or TBTB solo quartet or choir
    • Hear Me Out from Patria 3, for four speaking voices
    • Music for Wilderness Lake, for twelve trombones and small rural lake
    • Ontario Variations on a theme by Jack Behrens (one variation), for piano, contribution to collective work by Ontario composers
  • Peter Sculthorpe
    • Four Little Pieces, for piano duet
    • Mangrove, for orchestra
    • Requiem, for cello alone
  • Denis SmalleyThe Pulses of Time, electronic music
  • Roger Smalley – String Quartet
  • Michael Tippett – Triple Concerto for violin, viola, and cello
  • Anatol Vieru
    • Concerto for violin, cello, and orchestra
    • Iosif si fratii sai, for eleven instruments and tape
  • Malcolm WilliamsonFanfarade, for orchestra
  • Charles Wuorinen
    • Fortune, for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano
    • Joan's, for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano
    • The Magic Art, instrumental masque, for chamber orchestra
    • Percussion Duo, for mallet instruments and piano
    • Psalm 39, for baritone and guitar
    • String Quartet No. 2
    • Three Songs, for tenor and piano
  • Iannis Xenakis
    • Anémoessa, for SATB chorus of 42 or 84 voices and orchestra
    • Dikhthas, for violin and piano
    • Palimpsest, for cor anglais, bass clarinet, bassoon, horn, percussion, piano, and string quintet

Opera

Jazz

Musical theatre

Musical films

Births

Deaths

Awards ceremonies

See also


This page was last updated at 2022-02-28 16:14 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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