Ten Great Songs From One Great Year

1979

The biggest selling band of the decade, The Bee Gees, started off their last great year fronting a benefit concert for UNICEF. While they still dominated the charts in '79, the next year brought the end of disco and the Brothers Gibb's chart dominance to a screeching halt. That same month (January) saw the end of a somewhat democratic Iran, as Muslim fanatics overthrew the government and eventually held 53 American hostages for 444 days. Thus began the inevitable downfall of President Jimmy Carter.

In what was soon to become a worldwide juggernaut, Sony Corporation releases the Sony Walkman in Japan. This was the first widespread use of a personal music player. In Chicago, in a between-doubleheader, promotional event between the hometown White Sox and Detroit Tigers, WLUP disc jockeys Steve Dahl and Gary Meier, in conjunction with White Sox owner Bill Veeck and others, devised a promotion that involved people bringing unwanted disco music records to the game in exchange for an admission fee of 98¢ (the fee representing the station's location on the FM dial, 97.9). The records would be collected, placed in a large crate in center field, and blown up by Dahl. The ensuing riot and fiasco caused the last forfeiture of a baseball game and caused the "blacklisting" of Mike Veeck (the owner's son who was the "brains" of the event) from Major League Baseball.

Nuclear energy becomes a major issue when reactor 2 at Three Mile Island melted down. While there were no deaths or even any health risks to the general public, outcry over the safety of nuclear power became a hot button issue. In September, Pioneer 11 becomes the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn. The year ends with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. It is the beginning a a now 3 decade struggle for the Eastern nation.

Heart of Glass -- Blondie



The King of Hollywood -- The Eagles



Fire -- The Pointer Sisters



Rosalinda's Eyes -- Billy Joel



Is She Really Going Out With Him -- Joe Jackson



No More Tears) Enough is Enough) -- Barbara Streisand and Donna Summer



What You Won't Do for Love -- Bobby Caldwell



Sail On -- The Commodores



The Devil Went Down to Georgia -- The Charlie Daniels Band



This Night Won't Last Forever -- Michael Johnson



BONUS TRACK

The Rainbow Connection -- Kermit the Frog