The first record listed on
everyhit.com for 1978 is Terry Wogan's version of "Floral Dance" which is also the record that stands out from when they started repeating 1978 Top of the Pops. It was the first single for Terry Wogan, but it wouldn't be his last.
It was January 1978 when Johnny Rotten left the Sex Pistols, would this mark the end of Punk in the singles chart?
Well no, not at all. It didn't even mark the end of the Sex Pistols chart career. However, what we did see making more of a chart presence was New Wave. Whilst you do have some records which are clearly Punk and some which are clearly New Wave, the lines can be quite blurred between the two and not everybody will agree with what records fit which genre, so to avoid this issue I will treat both genres as one entity.
It was another former Sex Pistol, Glen Matlock, who would bring his new band to the charts in January. Also counting Midge Ure amongst its members, the Rich Kids has their one and only hit with the song "Rich Kids". We also saw Southend band Tonight score their one and only hit with "Drummer Man" in January.
February saw another one hit wonder, Radio Stars, score their only hit with "Nervous Wreck". There was also the debut of the Buzzcocks with "What Do I Get?". They would have another three hits this year and three more in 1979 before there chart career came to an end. Also scoring their first of four hits of the year in February was Blondie who debuted with "Denis".
March saw one hit wonders the Vibrators have their only hit with "Automatic Lover". April had X-Ray Spex debut with "The Day the World Turned Glo". They would have a further two hits this year and that would be it for their chart career. Squeeze made their debut with their only hit of the year "Take Me I'm Yours". They would be back the following year though.
Sham 69 debuted in May with "Angels With Dirty Faces ". They would have another two record this year and two the following year, and wouldn't be back until 2006 with their reworking of "Hurry Up Harry" called "Hurry Up England".
Sex Pistols returned to the charts in July with their only single of the year, the double a side "No-one Is Innocent/My Way" with Ronnie Biggs taking lead vocals on the former and Sid Vicious on the latter.
In August we had Rezillos score their only hit with "Top of the Pops". We also had Siouxsie & the Banshees debut with their only hit of the year "Hong Kong Garden".
John Peels favourite record "Teenage Kicks" by the Undertones charted in October. We also saw Johnny Rottens new band Public Image Ltd make their debut with "Public Image". Then in November we officially had the first Punk/New Wave number one, "Rat Trap" by the Boomtown Rats.
There are two acts who could claim to be the biggest success story of 1978. This was the year of "Grease" which brought two number ones, "You're the One That I Want" and "Summer Nights" by John Travolta and Olivia Newton John. Both of them scored number twos with "Sandy" and "Hopelessly Devoted to You" respectively. However, out of the two of them it was Olivia Newton John who was more successful as her other hit "A Little More Love" (not from Grease) reached number 4 whereas John Travolta's other hit "Greased Lightning" reached number 11.
The other act who could have this claim was Boney M who had two number ones with "Rivers Of Babylon/Brown Girl In the Ring" and the Christmas number one "Marys Boy Child", plus a number two with "Rasputin". Nearly half the year (25 weeks) had either Boney M or John Travolta/Olivia Newton John at number one.
The death of Elvis Presley the previous year didn't stop his run of having a top 40 hit every year since 1956. However, he had just the one hit this year with "Don't Be Cruel". Cliff Richard, Frank Sinatra and Lonnie Donegan remained in 2nd, 3rd and 4th with none of them having hits this year.
With both Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross failing to chart this year, the only Motown act to have any hit singles this year was The Commodores who would have three hits including their number one "Three Times a Lady".
The two acts other than Elvis to have had a hit every year in the 70s so far now are Hot Chocolate who had hits this year with "Every 1's A Winner" and "I'll Put You Together Again", and the Carpenters who had a hit with "Sweet Sweet Smile".
Abba scored their seventh number one this year with "Take A Chance On Me" which put them on their own in fifth place, one behind fourth place Rolling Stones. This was knocked off number one by chart debutant Kate Bush with "Wuthering Heights".
Returning to the charts with just his second hit after a 19 year gap was Paul Evans with "Hello This Is Joannie" which would be his final hit.
It was the final year we would see 10CC on the charts, but they ended with a number one hit "Dreadlock Holiday".
Billy Joel made his chart debut this year reaching number 19 with "Just The Way You Are", a record that Barry White would cover later on in the year and reach number 12. This would however be Barry Whites last hit for 9 years, but Billy Joel would have several hits during that time.
We also saw AC/DC on the charts for the first time with "Rock N Roll Damnation".
There were three Rock n Roll Hall of Fame inductees who would have their only top 40 hits this year. These were Jackson Browne with "Stay", Patti Smith with "Because the Night" and Funkadelic with "One Nation Under A Groove".
The first act from Switzerland to have a UK hit debuted this year. This was Patrick Juvet who had two hits with "Got A Feeling" and "I Love America". He would not return to the charts again.
With the 80s only being 2 years away, is there any sort of indication the 80s is on its way chart wise? Well to me there is just one group making their debut this year who I regard as an 80s group rather than 70s, that is Dollar who made their debut with "Shooting Star".
So with three acts having had a hit every year of the 70s so far, which if any will have a hit in 1979 and therefore every year in the 70s? and will there be any sign the 80s are about to begin?
