100 Greatest Songs From 1979

record cover art for Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 by Pink Floyd and London Calling by The Clash
Criteria: Songs listed are from Rock 'n' Roll and related sub-genres. Rankings are based on initial and lasting popularity and on acclaim received from critics and musicians.

Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 - Pink Floyd single cover London Calling - The Clash single cover Good Times - Chic single cover We Are Family - Sister Sledge single cover Message in a Bottle - The Police single cover Cars - Gary Numan single cover My Sharona - The Knack single cover Rock With You - Michael Jackson single cover
Note: Yearly song lists go by earliest 'release date' (Single, Album, or Country of first release).
Not necessarily the year a song peaked in the U.S. charts.
No.
Song
Artist
1 Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 Pink Floyd
2 London Calling The Clash
3 Rapper's Delight The Sugarhill Gang
4 Good Times Chic
5 Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough Michael Jackson
6 We Are Family Sister Sledge
7 Comfortably Numb Pink Floyd
8 Hot Stuff Donna Summer
9 Brass In Pocket The Pretenders
10 Message in a Bottle The Police
11 Train In Vain The Clash
12 Highway To Hell AC/DC
13 Cars Gary Numan
14 Funkytown Lipps, Inc.
15 My Sharona The Knack
16 Rock With You Michael Jackson
17 Cruisin' Smokey Robinson
18 Refugee Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
19 Oliver's Army Elvis Costello
20 The Logical Song Supertramp
21 What I Like About You Romantics
22 Hey Hey My My (Into the Black) Neil Young & Crazy Horse
23 Boogie Wonderland Earth, Wind & Fire with the Emotions
24 I Was Made for Lovin' You KISS
25 Crazy Little Thing Called Love Queen
26 Video Killed the Radio Star Buggles
27 Ring My Bell Anita Ward
28 After The Love Has Gone Earth, Wind & Fire
29 The Devil Went Down To Georgia Charlie Daniels Band
30 Born To Be Alive Patrick Hernandez
31 Bad Girls Donna Summer
32 Don't Bring Me Down Electric Light Orchestra
33 Boys Don't Cry The Cure
34 And The Beat Goes On Whispers
35 Ladies Night Kool and the Gang
36 Walking On the Moon The Police
37 Atomic Blondie
38 Off The Wall Michael Jackson
39 Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now McFadden & Whitehead
40 Sara Fleetwood Mac
41 She's Lost Control Joy Division
42 I Wanna Be Your Lover Prince
43 Pop Muzik M
44 Hey You Pink Floyd
45 Gimme Gimme Gimme ABBA
46 Tusk Fleetwood Mac
47 One Step Beyond Madness
48 I Don't Like Mondays Boomtown Rats
49 Escape (The Pina Colada Song) Rupert Holmes
50 Are Friends Electric? Tubeway Army
51 Tragedy The Bee Gees
52 A Message To You Rudy Specials (featuring Rico)
53 Life During Wartime Talking Heads
54 I Do Love You GQ
55 Transmission Joy Division
56 On The Radio Donna Summer
57 Breakfast In America Supertramp
58 She's Out of My Life Michael Jackson
59 In The Navy Village People
60 The Guns of Brixton The Clash
61 Don't Do Me Like That Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
62 Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me, Girl Spinners
63 All My Love Led Zeppelin
64 Goodbye Stranger Supertramp
65 I Fought the Law The Clash
66 Mother Pink Floyd
67 Bela Lugosi's Dead Bauhaus
68 Making Plans For Nigel XTC
69 Still Commodores
70 Eton Rifles The Jam
71 Chiquitita ABBA
72 Funkin' For Jamaica Tom Browne
73 Dreaming Blondie
74 Gangsters Special A.K.A.
75 Sailing Christopher Cross
76 Up The Junction Squeeze
77 Let's Get Serious Jermaine Jackson
78 Cruel To Be Kind Nick Lowe
79 Take The Long Way Home Supertramp
80 The Second Time Around Shalamar
81 Does Your Mother Know ABBA
82 Heartbreaker Pat Benatar
83 Fool In the Rain Led Zeppelin
84 No More Tears Barbra Streisand/Donna Summer
85 Dance The Night Away Van Halen
86 Oops Up Side Your Head Gap Band
87 Heartache Tonight Eagles
88 Too Much Too Young Specials
89 Knee Deep Funkadelic
90 I Got You Split Enz
91 Ride Like The Wind Christopher Cross
92 Chuck E's In Love Rickie Lee Jones
93 Disco Nights GQ
94 Voulez-Vous ABBA
95 Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll Vaughan Mason & Crew
96 Let's Go Cars
97 Special Lady Ray, Goodman & Brown
98 Babe Styx
99 Rise Herb Alpert
100 I Call Your Name Switch
20 more worth mentioning.
101 Since You've Been Gone Rainbow
102 Run Like Hell Pink Floyd
103 Rock 'n' Roll High School Ramones
104 Please Don't Go KC & the Sunshine Band
105 I Can't Tell You Why Eagles
106 Wonderful Christmastime Paul McCartney
107 My Girl Madness
108 The Ballad of Lucy Jordan Marianne Faithfull
109 Too Hot Kool and the Gang
110 We Don't Talk Anymore Cliff Richard
111 Turn Off The Lights Teddy Pendergrass
112 The Long Run Eagles
113 Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' Journey
114 Here Comes My Girl Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
115 Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Bad Company
116 Do You Love What You Feel Rufus (featuring Chaka Khan)
117 Flirtin' With Disaster Molly Hatchet
118 Girls Talk Dave Edmunds
119 Dim All The Lights Donna Summer
120 King Tim III Fatback
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1979
Brian's Choice: An unheralded great record from 1979
* Discovering Japan Graham Parker & the Rumour
Lew's Choice:
* Gold John Stewart
Bruce's Choice:
* We Were Both Wrong Dave Edmunds
Adam's Choice:
* Stay In Time Off Broadway USA
Brett's Choice:
* Daytime Nighttime Suffering Paul McCartney & Wings