1979 in music
See also: 1978 in music, other events of 1979, 1980 in music and the list of 'years in music'.
In popular music, possibly the most important event of 1979 was the success of the album Rapper's Delight by the Sugar Hill Gang, which marked the commercial emergence of rap music.
Events
- 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 11 - 43 million viewers watch "Elvis!" on ABC, a made for TV movie starring Kurt Russell as Elvis.
- June - Alternative Tentacles record label established by Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra
- September - U2 enters the studio for the first time to record a locally released single.
- Marianne Faithfull returns to music after a hiatus
- Solid Gold premieres on television.
Albums Released
- The B-52's - The B-52's
- Spirits Have Flown - The Bee Gees
- Singles Going Steady - Buzzcocks
- Live at Bukodan - Cheap Trick
- Risque - Chic
- XIII - Chicago
- London Calling - The Clash
- Bop Till You Drop - Ry Cooder
- Armed Forces - Elvis Costello & the Attractions
- California Uber Alles - Dead Kennedys
- Duty Now for the Future - Devo
- Communiqé - Dire Straits
- The Long Run - The Eagles
- In Concert - Emerson, Lake & Palmer
- Broken English - Marianne Faithfull
- Tusk - Fleetwood Mac
- Einstein on the Beach - Philip Glass
- Off the Wall - Michael Jackson
- Stormwatch - Jethro Tull
- 52nd Street - Billy Joel
- Victims of Love - Elton John
- Seven Worlds - Eric Johnson
- Evolution - Journey
- Squeezing out Sparks & Live Sparks - Graham Parker & the Rumour
- Unleashed in the East - Judas Priest
- Get the Knack - The Knack
- In Through the Out Door - Led Zeppelin
- Back to the Egg - Paul McCartney & Wings
- Damn the Torpedoes - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
- The Wall - Pink Floyd
- Outlandos d'Amour - The Police
- Prince - Prince
- Down to Earth - Rainbow
- Sweet Temptation - Ricky Skagg
- Roches - Roches
- Rapper's Delight - Sugarhill Gang
- Bad Girl - Donna Summer
- Fear of Music - Talking Heads
- Van Halen II - Van Halen
- Into the Music - Van Morrison
- The Secret Life of Plants - Stevie Wonder
- Drums and Wires - XTC
- Rust Never Sleeps - Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Top Hits
- "Babe" - Styx
- "Bad Girls" - Donna Summer
- "Big Shot" - Billy Joel
- "Cruel To Be Kind" - Nick Lowe
- "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" - Rod Stewart
- "Good Times" - Chic
- "Goodbye Stranger" - Supertramp
- "Hell Bent For Leather" - Judas Priest
- "Heartache Tonight" - The Eagles
- "Heart Of Glass" - Blondie
- "Hot Stuff" - Donna Summer
- "I Will Survive" - Gloria Gaynor
- "My Sharona" - The Knack
- "Old Time Rock And Roll" - Bob Seger
- "Sad Eyes" - Robert John
- "Reunited" - Peaches and Herb
- "Roxanne" - The Police
- "Too Much Heaven" - Bee Gees
- "Tusk" - Fleetwood Mac
- "What A Fool Believes" - The Doobie Brothers
- "Wondering Where The Lions Are" - Bruce Cockburn
For a more complete list of hits by month, see here.
Births
- January 10 - Kris Kross
- January 20 - Rob Bourdon, Linkin Park
- February 11 - Brandy Norwood
- February 21 - Jennifer Love Hewitt
- September 3 - Jason McCaslin, Sum 41
- September 8 - Pink
- October 12 - Jordan Pundik, New Found Glory
- October 24 - Ben Gillies, Silverchair
- November 5 - Nick Giggler, Mest
- November 10 - Chris Joannou, Silverchair