Every Friday, I’m publishing my personal top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1978.
For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Grange Hill
In 1978, the first ever test tube baby was born, Nancy Spungen was stabbed to death by Sid Viscous in New York, Grange Hill and Dallas debuted on TV, Ipswich Town won the FA Cup and both Grease and Superman were released. And I turned 2 years old.
So, here’s my personal top ten tracks from 1978. Spotify playlist at the end of this post as usual.
- Blame it on the Boogie by The Jacksons (if you have a spare 4 minutes you will not regret watching this glorious Jacksons video. It is 100% 70s)
2. Hong Kong Garden by Siouxsie & the Banshees
3. Teenage Kicks by The Undertones
4. Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush (you won’t regret watching this video either. Obviously. It’s Kate being a QUEEN as per)
5. Just the Way You Are by Billy Joel (whilst this was released in ’77, it didn’t become popular and didn’t peak in the UK charts until ’78)
6. Because the Night by Patti Smith Group
7. To Be Someone (Didn’t We Have a Nice Time) by the Jam
8. Hanging on the Telephone by Blondie
9. Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick by Ian Dury & the Blockheads
10. Ever Fallen in Love (with someone you shouldn’t’ve) by the Buzzcocks
So, you know the drill, let me know your favourite please. For me, it’s very close between the Undertones and Kate Bush, but it ultimately has to be Kate.
See you kids next week for 1979.
*The image at the top of the page is of Debbie Harry with the Buzzcocks in 1978.
Just Another Blog From a Woman 
I always forget how these tunes came out soo early, and Grange Hill 1978!!! I cant believe that! I am sure I watched it from the beginning but I don’t remember being 8! Also Superman was out the same years as Grease??? Wow. Even though I am a late bloomer as far as Kate Bush goes I was hoping you would include Kate this week. Slated at the time, but eventually getting the acclaim she deserves. Her Before The Dawn show was a once in a lifetime experience. Now i’m waiting for the shocks 1979 will bring next week!
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I am SO jealous that you got to see her!! I couldn’t get tickets. I know I’m shocking myself when I’m compiling these lists. 1979 will be another corker 👍🏻
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It was an amazing show and I was in the fourth row! You never know, the DVD might see the light of day one day. Looking forward to next week!
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4th row is fantastic! I will definitely get the DVD if we ever see it. I think next week’s might be my favourite so far. Thanks so much for enjoying this series.
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…and we are getting near the 80’s!!!
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*rubs hands* oooh the 80s 😁
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Love Love Love Siouxsie, and Blondie. Although, I really didn’t know of Siouxsie until I was in my teens in the 80’s. Such memories! Love these lists!
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Yes I didn’t get into Siouxsie & Blondie until me teens. Such great bands. Thank you! So happy you’re loving them.
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Teenage kicks for me 🙂
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Love that song soooooooo much 👍🏻
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Ooh, I love this list this week. Maybe I should’ve been a ‘78 baby instead…
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Cheers! It’s a good one, isn’t it?
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Oh my weekly fix!! Love this list – APART from The Jam. Was never a fan. Hard to choose between Billy Joel, Patti Smith, Ian Drury and Siouxsie and Blame it on the Boogie. And the wee intro is fab. Brings back lots of memories. Jill
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Thanks so much Jill. Yes the Jam seem to divide people. For some reason, people in the town where I’m originally from absolutely loved the Jam, so it was hard not to be influenced by them. See you next week!
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Has to be my favourite year so far. What fab tunes came out of 1978!
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Yay! It just gets better every year, doesn’t it (and I think it’ll take a dive come the 2000s!)
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Once you get onto the 80’s I am going to have such a huge smile on my face. I love the 70s but the 80s were magical from a pop music perspective 🙂
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Oh I am SO excited for the 80s. It’s going to be the best decade. And I think next week’s list will be a taster for the 80s x
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Some really big iconic songs in this list!
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This one was a tough decision, but I’m going with The Undertones.
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Yes! Such a good song. Good choice 👍🏻
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Perfect choices as always Hayley! For me it has to be a close toss-up between Kate and Debbie for my 70s icons…
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Amazing women. Amazing music. Cheers Em xx
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Interesting to see hairstyles change through the years as well as the music!
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This is so true!
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Egads, it’s hard to choose! If I really had to pick, it would be a tie between Kate and Billy. Thanks for giving me such an awesome soundtrack to my Sunday blog sharing. *grin*
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No problem. Glad you enjoyed x
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Patti Smith. Seriously, that woman fascinates me. The song is good, still an anthem and maybe even more powerful and meaningful today than it was years ago. But, just thinking about what she stands for and who she is now makes me want to go back and listen to all her songs again. I’m not a superfan, but I’m definitely fascinated.
Love your series!
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She is amazing & fascinating. I really want to read her poetry. Thanks Angela x
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That Grange Hill photo – I remember it so well. Teenage Kicks for me!
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Great choice! I know, the good ole days of Grange Hill.
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was surprised by how many of those I didn’t recognize. Love Billy Joel and that Jacksons song
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Lots of very British tunes in this list. Jacksons is such a “get up and dance” song & Billy’s Song is such lovely love song.
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Can I just say I had a complete scene run through my head when I saw the pic of Billy Joel? That’s the only song I recognize from this list. Must be b/c I’m so young (j/k, I’m not). But I could see the art director to Billy, “Ok Billy, I want you in a suit. Now sit on this twin bed we procured from a nearby crack house. We’re gonna’ place a creepy white mask on the pillow and you need to stare at it stoically.” My guess is Billy’s only thoughts were, ‘WTF? That mask is creepy as s***.’
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Haha. It’s so weird, isn’t it? Yeah there’s lots a British tracks here that maybe only the Brits like ha.
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Maybe. Billy Joel is near and dear to my family. Love Uptown Girl.
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Watch out for that one in the future x
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Big Blondie fan here – she was my role model – I lightened my hair, copied her make up & style! Also, Because The Night, is one of my all time favourite songs. In fact most of the songs from that list I can still remember all the words. I used to buy magazines each week with the songwords of the hits in! I was … erm … 13 in 1978 … 😳
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Wow, I don’t remember hearing any of these in 1978, even though that was the year the school bus driver tuned us in to “Rick Darby’s Rock Time.” (It did seem to settle some of the unruliest kids…) I learned to *sing* “Just the Way You Are” in 1981, when it was an Old Song, and have been delighted ever since to find it coming out of a radio. But I didn’t hear Billy Joel sing it until 1982.
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That Billy Joel song is a very beautiful song. I love the sound of your school bus driver!
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