# Best #1 single of the year retrospective: 1978 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 4, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387 "2014-10-04T16:11:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/1 "2014-10-04T16:11:30Z")
Our survey brings us now to 1978, the year in which the dominance of disco in the pop charts reached its zenith - the Bee Gees and little brother Andy have 22 weeks in the #1 spot between them, the overwhelming majority of the rest of the 20 songs to make it to the top are disco tunes, and even the Rolling Stones went disco for their sole #1 this year. So do up your big fluffy hairdo and get your wide-lapeled tux with the puffy shirt out of the closet, and tell us - which of these tunes is your favorite? Previous polls: [1955-56](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=731649) [1957](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=731871) [1958](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732021) [1959](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732199)[1960](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732526) [1961](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732691) [1962](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732872) [1963](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733112) [1964](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733297) [1965](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733526) [1966](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733750) [1967](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733958) [1968](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734168) [1969](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734331) [1970](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734535) [1971](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734741) [1972](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735107) [1973](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735304) [1974](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735502) [1975](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735659) [1976](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735871) [1977](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736076) [2012](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=675664) [2013](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=710843) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/2 "2014-10-04T16:15:56Z")
Easy - Le Freak. Done. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/3 "2014-10-04T16:16:07Z")
Gotta be “Stayin’ Alive.” Will \*\*wookinpanub \*\*vote for “Fee Ties a Wady”? ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/4 "2014-10-04T16:25:37Z")
What a horrible, horrible year. Maybe, probably the worst ever. _Hot Child in the City_ I still listen to this one. Can’t say that for anything else on the list, and I love the Commodores. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/5 "2014-10-04T16:30:12Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Gotta be “Stayin’ Alive.” > > Will \*\*wookinpanub \*\*vote for “Fee Ties a Wady”? Stayin’ Alive is iconic for the era, but Chic, man; Nile and Bernard and Tony - wow. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/6 "2014-10-04T16:33:52Z")
Yvonne Elliman gets my vote, partly because I immediately think of Donna Pescow when I hear “If I Can’t Have You…” :o ; “How Deep Is Your Love” comes in a close second. They’re my two favorite songs from the _ **SNF** _ soundtrack. I don’t think there are any others on this year’s list that I would have voted for. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/7 "2014-10-04T16:34:01Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Stayin’ Alive is iconic for the era, but Chic, man; Nile and Bernard and Tony - wow. True dat. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/8 "2014-10-04T16:38:19Z")
Love Yvonne but I’m going for a pair of sexy women Boogie Oogie Oogie. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/9 "2014-10-04T16:41:05Z")
I personally went with Macarthur Park for this year’s vote; it’s not as good as the original by Richard Harris, and Donna Summer lacks the over-the-top bombast that Harris put into the lyrics, but it’s a great song, the disco arrangement is handled well, and it’s one of the few songs on the poll this year with lyrics that actually require you to think about what the hell it means. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/10 "2014-10-04T16:55:55Z")
This is possibly the easiest choice in the whole series. One of the all-time great summer singles amidst a pile of mostly poop. If you didn’t vote for “Miss You,” _ **whatsamatta witchoo BOYYY???** _ ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/11 "2014-10-04T16:59:24Z")
Abstaining, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/12 "2014-10-04T17:37:54Z")
☹ ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/13 "2014-10-04T17:39:55Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Abstaining, sorry. Make a little space on the bench there for me as well. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/14 "2014-10-04T17:40:01Z")
“Le Freak” will also appear in next year’s poll as it fell out of #1, then got back to it late January 1979. So since I can vote for it next year (and probably won’t, because I think “Good Times” is a better song), gotta go with the era-defining sound of _Stayin’ Alive_. And, of course, there’s the mashup [Stayin’ Alive in the Wall](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U13xOvDa19U). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/15 "2014-10-04T17:41:56Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Abstaining, sorry. Me too. I could not live with myself if I voted for any of these. I was 17 that year, no wonder I was miserable. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/16 "2014-10-04T18:22:57Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Easy - Le Freak. Done. Yup, stone cold classic, with honorable mentions to _Stayin’ Alive_ and _Night Fever_ ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/17 "2014-10-04T18:24:50Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I was 17 that year, no wonder I was miserable. Did you not like dancing? ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/18 "2014-10-04T18:27:17Z")
Anne Murray’s _You needed me_, a personal favourite of mine. The Commodores a some what distant second. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/19 "2014-10-04T18:30:38Z")
Went with Boogie Oogie Oogie, though was about to go with Le Freak. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2014, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387/20 "2014-10-04T18:33:59Z")
I’m not much of a Rolling Stones fan - a greatest hits compilation would have all the Stones I need - but this year I have no choice. Miss you [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1978/700387.md?page=2)