1979 in music

From Free net encyclopedia

1 Events
2 Albums released
3 Chronological Table of US and UK Number One Hit Singles
4 Other significant singles
5 Published popular music
6 Classical music
7 Opera
8 Musical theater
9 Musical films
10 Births
11 Deaths
12 Awards

Events

Stevie Wonder uses Compact disc technology in recording his album The Secret Life of Plants

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, 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 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 only popular year for The Knack, who quickly faded into obscurity the following year.

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 music.

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 Year's Eve performance by the Blues Brothers and the Grateful Dead
January 1 - During a New Year's 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 15 Minnie Riperton appears on the Grammys as a presenter with Stephen Bishop
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 Opera Garnier in Paris
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, takes place for the first time in a country outside Europe - Israel. The amazing show is broadcast live from Jerusalem to Europe and few countries in Asia. The big winner of this night is Israel again, for the second time after its first victory in 1978. The winning song is "Halelujah" sang by Gali Atari and the backing group Milk and honey . A few months after the winning the song had been translated into more then 82 languages, and broke a new record by entering the Guinness Book of Records 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 perform 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] [Minnie Riperton] singer/songwriter best known for her 1975 #1 hit single "Lovin' You" dies of breast cancer in Los Angeles, she was 31.
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 five weeks
August 4 -11-British 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 is not either a disco song or a ballad. It remains at #1 for six weeks.
September 2 - U2 enters the studio for the first time to record a locally released single.
December 3 - In Cincinnati, Ohio, a stampede for seats at Riverfront Coliseum during a Who concert kills 11 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)

[edit]

Albums released

MINNIE - Minnie Riperton
Voulez-Vous - ABBA
Highway to Hell - AC/DC
Night in the Ruts - Aerosmith
Winter Songs - The Art Bears
Another Taste - A Taste of Honey
The B-52's - The B-52's
Desolation Angels - Bad Company
I Wanna Be Loved By You - Claudja Barry
In the Heat of the Night - Pat Benatar
Eat to the Beat - Blondie
Lodger - David Bowie
Door, Door - The Boys Next Door
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)
Buy Contortions - Contortions
Armed Forces - Elvis Costello and the Attractions
Three Imaginary Boys - The Cure
Dédié à toi (Monday Tuesday) - Dalida
Love or Let Me Be Lonely - Paul Davis
Moonlight Madness - Teri DeSario
Dire Straits - Dire Straits
Dome 1 - Dome
Do It Yourself - Ian Dury and the Blockheads
The Long Run - The Eagles
Dragnet - The Fall
A Classy Pair - Ella Fitzgerald
A Perfect Match - Ella Fitzgerald
Digital III at Montreux - Ella Fitzgerald
Tusk - Fleetwood Mac
Entertainment! - Gang of Four
Hot Number - Foxy
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
Unknown Pleasures- Joy Division
Unleashed in the East - Judas Priest
Music Box - Evelyn King
Low Budget - The Kinks
Get the Knack - The Knack
In Through the Out Door - Led Zeppelin
Queen Of Siam - Lydia Lunch
One Step Beyond... - Madness
Back to the Egg - Paul McCartney & Wings
Dolmen Music - Merideth Monk
Into the Music - Van Morrison
Overkill - Motörhead
Bomber - Motörhead
On Parole - Motörhead
Shinainaru Monoe - Miyuki Nakajima
Laminar Flow - Roy Orbison
Damn the Torpedoes - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Rock On - Ray Parker&Raydio
The Wall - Pink Floyd
Outlandos D'Amour - The Police
Regatta de Blanc - The Police
Y - The Pop Group
Metal Box- Public Image Ltd
Night Owl - Gerry Rafferty
Down to Earth - Rainbow
Reddy - Helen Reddy
The Bells (album) - Lou Reed
Exhibition - John Serry
Big Fun - Shalamar
Spy - Carly Simon
Nine Lives - REO Speedwagon
We Are Family - Sister Sledge
The Specials - The Specials
Cool for Cats - Squeeze
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
20 Jazz Funk Greats - Throbbing Gristle
Van Halen II - Van Halen
Songs of Love - Anita Ward
154 - Wire
Live Rust - Neil Young and Crazy Horse
Rust Never Sleeps - Neil Young and Crazy Horse
Joe's Garage Act 1 - Frank Zappa
Sheik Yerbouti - Frank Zappa

[edit]

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 7" single of the year "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 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 7" single of the year
"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 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)

[edit]

Other significant singles

"A Message To You Rudi/Nite Klub" - The Specials
"Accidents Will Happen" - Elvis Costello and the Attractions
"After the Love Has Gone" - Earth, Wind & Fire
"Ambition" - Vic Goddard and the Subway Sect
"Angel Eyes" - Roxy Music
"Bad Case Of Loving You(Doctor Doctor)" - Robert Palmer
"Bang Bang" - B.A. Robertson
"Bat Out of Hell" - Meat Loaf
"Boogie Wonderland" - Earth Wind and Fire with the Emotions
"Born To Be Alive" - Patrick Hernandez
"Boys Don't Cry" - The Cure
"Boys Keep Swinging" - David Bowie
"Breakfast At Sweethearts" - Cold Chisel
"Breakfast In America" - Supertramp
"Bright Side Of The Road" - Van Morrison
"California Über Alles" - The Dead Kennedys
"Can You Feel The Force" - The Real Thing
"Can't Stand Losing You" - The Police
"Chelsea Girl" - Simple Minds
"Chiquitita" - ABBA
"Comme disait Mistinguett" - Dalida
"Computer Games" - Mi-Sex
"Cool For Cats" - Squeeze
"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" - Queen
"Cruel To Be Kind" - Nick Lowe
"Dance Away" - Roxy Music
"Death Disco" - Public Image Limited
"Do Anything You Wanna Do" - Thin Lizzy
"Does Your Mother Know?" - ABBA
"Don't Bring Me Down - Electric Light Orchestra
"Don't Do Me Like That" - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
"Don't Stop 'till You Get Enough Micheal Jackson
"Don't Throw Stones" The Sports
"Driver's Seat" - Sniff and the Tears
"Duchess" - The Stranglers
"Electricity" - OMD
"Eton Rifles" - The Jam
"Every Day Hurts" - Sad Cafe
"Everybody's Happy Nowadays" - The Buzzcocks
"Freedom's Prisoner" - Steve Harley
"Gangsters" - The Specials AKA
"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" - ABBA
"Girls Talk" - Dave Edmunds
"Go West" - Village People
"Good Times Roll" - The Cars
"Gonna Get Along Without You Now" - Viola Wills
Goodbye Girl - Squeeze
"Goodbye Stranger" - Supertramp
"H.A.P.P.Y. Radio" - Edwin Starr
"He must have been eighteen" - Dalida
"Helwa Ya Baladi" - Dalida
"Here Comes The Summer" - The Undertones
"Highway to Hell" - AC/DC
"Hold The Line" - Toto
"I Want You To Want Me (live)" - Cheap Trick
"Il faut danser reggae" - Dalida
"In The Navy" - Village People
"Into The Valley" - The Skids
"Is It Love You're After?" - Rose Royce
"Is She Really Going Out With Him?" - Joe Jackson
"Japanese Girls" - Riff Regan
"Jimmy Jimmy" - The Undertones
"Just The Way You Are" - Barry White
"Just What I Needed" - The Cars
"Kid" - The Pretenders
"Lady Writer" - Dire Straits
"Lay Your Love On Me" - Racey
"Lead Me On" - Maxine Nightingale
"Let me dance tonight" - Dalida
"Let's Go" - The Cars
"London Calling" - The Clash
"Love Drive" - The Scorpions
"Lucky Number" - Lene Lovich
"Making Plans For Nigel" - XTC
"Memory Lane" [Minnie Riperton] w.[Riperton Rudolph St.Lewis Dozier]
"Milk And Alcohol" - Dr. Feelgood
"Monday, Tuesday... Laissez-moi danser" - Dalida
"Morning Dance" - Spyro Gyra
"Oliver's Army" - Elvis Costello and the Attractions
"On My Radio" - The Selecter
"One Step Beyond" - Madness
"One Way Ticket - Eruption
"On The Inside - Lynne Hamilton
"Parisenne Walkways" - Gary Moore
"Queen Of Hearts" - Dave Edmunds
"Rappers Delight" - Sugarhill Gang
"Reasons To Be Cheerful (Part 3)" - Ian Dury and the Blockheads
"Rikki Don't Lose That Number" - Steely Dan
"Roll Over Beethoven(EP)" - Chuck Berry
"Roxanne" - The Police
"Sarah" - Thin Lizzy
"Shape I'm In" - Jo Jo Zep + The Falcons
"Shooting Star" - Dollar
"Slap And Tickle" - Squeeze
"Smash It Up" - The Damned
"Some Girls" - Racey
"Something Else/Friggin' In The Riggin'" - The Sex Pistols
"Spiral Scratch(EP)" - The Buzzcocks
"Stop Your Sobbing" - Pretenders
"Strange Town" - The Jam
"Sultans Of Swing" - Dire Straits
"Take Me To The River" - Talking Heads
"Take On The World" - Judas Priest
"Tears Of A Clown/Ranking Full Stop" - The Beat
"The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan" - Marianne Faithfull
"The Cost Of Living(EP)" - The Clash
"The Diary Of Horace Wimp" - Electric Light Orchestra
"The Gambler" - Kenny Rogers
"The Logical Song" - Supertramp
"The Long Run" - The Eagles
"The Sound Of The Suburbs" - The Members
"The Worker" - Fischer Z
"Time For Action" - Secret Affair
"Transmission" - Joy Division
"Union City Blue" - Blondie
"Up There Cazaly" - Three Man Band
"Up The Junction" - Squeeze
"Vedrai Vedrai" - Dalida
"Voulez-Vous" - ABBA
"We Are Family" - Sister Sledge
"Waiting For An Alibi" - Thin Lizzy
"Whatever You Want" - Status Quo
"Who Where You With In The Moonlight" - Dollar
"Wonderful Christmastime" - Paul McCartney
"You Decorated My Life" - Kenny Rogers
"You Needed Me" - Anne Murray

[edit]

Published popular music

"Don't Cry Out Loud" w. Carole Bayer Sager m. Peter Allen
"The Facts of Life" w.m. Alan Thicke, Gloria Loring, and Al Burton, from the TV series of the same name
"I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love" w.m. Carole Bayer Sager & Peter Allen
"Knots Landing theme" m. Jerrold Immel
"New York State Of Mind" w.m. Billy Joel
"The Rainbow Connection" w.m. Kenny Ascher & Paul Williams, from the film The Muppet Movie
Sultans of Swing w.m. Mark Knopfler

[edit]

Classical music

Arno Babadjanian - Third String Quartet
George Crumb - Apparition for soprano and amplified piano
George Crumb - Celestial Mechanics (Makrokosmos IV) for amplified piano (four hands)
George Crumb - Star-Child (1977, revised 1979) for soprano, antiphonal children's voices, male speaking choir, bell ringers, and large orchestra
Mario Davidovsky - Pennplay for sixteen players
Hugh Flynn - Birds
Jacques Hétu - Bassoon Concerto
Miloslav Kabelac - Metamorphoses II, for piano and orchestra, op. 58