Our survey brings us now to 1978. In the #1 survey, this was the absolute peak of the Age of Disco, with the Gibb siblings dominating. And the last few best-of-the-rest charts have been lackluster, but I have to say hot damn this is a good set of songs here that were just bubbling under the top spot.
I only had to go to #41 to compile this list of 25. What’s your favorite?
Had to go with Baker Street. Love that song. Gerry Rafferty is one of those underappreciated artists. Kansas, Sweet and Meat Loaf were pretty good, too.
I used to think “Magnet and Steel” was the most outwardly gay song ever, as I heard the singer belt out “For you are a ma-an, and I am Steve”… for over 20 years. :o
There’s some pretty decent stuff on this list. Even the Foreigner song is pretty good, and on the whole I can’t stand Foreigner. Kansas’ “Dust in the Wind” is a beautiful song. Randy Newman’s “Short People” is wonderfully funny. Billy Joel’s “Just the Way You Are” surpasses its genre (cocktail-lounge music) in its straightforward sincerity. ABBA’s “Take a Chance on Me” brings back good memories of a long-ago (it would have to be, wouldn’t it?) romance. “Baker Street,” “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” and “It’s a Heartache” are still worth listening to afer all these years.
There are some songs here I wouldn’t mind never hearing again, but the only one worthy of comment from my POV is Queen’s twin bill. “We Will, We Will Rock You” long ago passed “Stairway to Heaven” as the most overplayed song in the history of rock n’ roll. Can we take this song out and shoot it? And “We are the champions, my friend, and we’ll keep on fighting to the end” is an abysmally stupid line. That sounds like the guy in Cake’s “The Distance” who keeps on driving his car around the racetrack for hours after the race is over.
I went with “Baker Street”, btw, but I could have picked 5+ other songs depending upon my mood. Queen, Paul Davis, Bonnie Tyler, Donna Summer, Kansas, Meat Loaf… probably more. Even the Billy Joel song is good and I am NOT a fan.
I voted for Queen (despite the fact that the song is overplayed, as RTFirefly notes). Donna Summer’s entry finishes second in the world-famous Ponch8 Music Rating System.
Again, too many good ones to choose from. I could’ve picked one of just about any of those. I ended up going with “It’s a Heartache.” Can still remember that it was played on CBS at halftime of Game 7 of the NBA Finals that year between Washington and Seattle. Yeah, I know - funny what kinds of things stick in one’s head, right?
That is a surprisingly strong year. I could have picked a number of them too because I have many of the songs on my favorite play-lists. I love ABBA and Bonnie Tyler but I had to go with Baker Street as well because it is such a distinctive song that is well executed.
When I saw in the list the track with a sax line for the Ages, my vote was decided for this year. Baker Street it is – with my due respects anyway to Queen (overplay or no overplay) and Donna Summer.
Its a great song anyway, but I have to cast my vote for best memory during one of those songs.
I once kissed a girl to “Just the Way You Are” without coming up for air Even Once.
