1979 in British music

none 1979 1979 British music This is a summary of 1979 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year. 1979 saw the beginning of several trends in British music. Electropop reached number one in both the singles and albums charts in the form of Gary Numan and Tubeway Army, and synthesiser bands began to gather momentum, which would come to dominate music in the early 1980s. The first rap hit in the UK came from the Sugar Hill Gang. The 2 Tone movement also emerged, with early work from bands such as The Specials and Madness. Disco music was still the most popular music of the year, although it showed signs of dying out in the year's later months. 1979 remains the year when physical-format singles hit their sales peak in the UK. Events 23 February – Dire Straits begin their first American tour, in Boston. 27 March – Eric Clapton marries Patti Boyd, ex-wife of Clapton's friend George Harrison. 31 March – In the Eurovision Song Contest, UK representatives Black Lace finish seventh. 2 April – Kate Bush begins her first live tour, The Tour of Life. It remains her only tour, and would be her only live shows for 35 years until her Before the Dawn shows at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2014. 6 April – Rod Stewart marries Alana Hamilton. 1 May – Elton John becomes the first overseas pop music artist to perform in Israel. 2 May – The Who perform their first concert following the death of drummer Keith Moon. The band performed with new drummer Kenney Jones. 11 August – Led Zeppelin play their last ever British concert at Knebworth in Hertfordshire. 21 August – Cliff Richard achieves his tenth UK number-one with "We Don't Talk Anymore", his first chart-topper in more than 11 years. August – Brotherhood of Man members Martin Lee and Sandra Stevens marry. 26 November – Bill Haley & His Comets perform at the Drury Lane Theatre in London in a command performance for the Queen. This was Haley's final recorded performance of "Rock Around the Clock". date unknown The Welsh Philharmonia becomes the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera. Richard Rodney Bennett becomes a resident of New York City.Zachary Woolfe, "Richard Rodney Bennett, British Composer, Dies at 76", New York Times, 30 December 2012 Arthur Oldham founds the Concertgebouw Orchestra Chorus in Amsterdam.The Independent, 13 May 2003 Charts Number one singles DateSongArtist 6 January "Y.M.C.A." Village People 13 January 20 January 27 January"Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick"Ian Dury and the Blockheads 3 February"Heart of Glass"Blondie 10 February 17 February 24 February 3 March"Tragedy"Bee Gees 10 March 17 March"I Will Survive"Gloria Gaynor 24 March 31 March 7 April 14 April"Bright Eyes"Art Garfunkel 21 April 28 April 5 May 12 May 19 May 26 May "Sunday Girl"Blondie 2 June 9 June 16 June "Ring My Bell"Anita Ward 23 June 30 June"Are 'Friends' Electric?"Tubeway Army 7 July 14 July 21 July 28 July"I Don't Like Mondays"The Boomtown Rats 4 August 11 August 18 August 25 August"We Don't Talk Anymore"Cliff Richard 1 September 8 September 15 September 22 September"Cars"Gary Numan 29 September"Message in a Bottle"The Police 6 October 13 October 20 October"Video Killed the Radio Star"The Buggles 27 October"One Day at a Time"Lena Martell 3 November 10 November 17 November"When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman"Dr. Hook 24 November 1 December 8 December"Walking on the Moon"The Police 15 December"Another Brick in the Wall Part II"Pink Floyd 22 December 29 December Number one albums DateAlbumArtistWeeks6 JanuaryGreatest HitsShowaddywaddy213 January20 JanuaryDon't Walk – BoogieVarious Artists327 January3 February10 FebruaryAction ReplayVarious Artists 117 FebruaryParallel LinesBlondie424 February3 March10 March17 MarchSpirits Having FlownBee Gees224 March31 MarchBarbra Streisand's Greatest Hits Vol. 2Barbra Streisand47 April14 April21 April28 AprilThe Very Best of Leo SayerLeo Sayer35 May12 May19 MayVoulez-VousABBA426 May2 June9 June16 JuneDiscoveryElectric Light Orchestra523 June30 June7 July14 July21 JulyReplicasTubeway Army 128 JulyThe Best Disco Album in the WorldVarious Artists64 August11 August18 August25 August1 September8 SeptemberIn Through the Out DoorLed Zeppelin215 September22 September The Pleasure Principle Gary Numan 129 September Oceans of Fantasy Boney M 16 October The Pleasure Principle Gary Numan 1=13 October Eat to the Beat Blondie 1=13 OctoberReggatta de BlancThe Police 420 October27 October3 November10 November Tusk Fleetwood Mac 117 November Greatest Hits Vol. 2 ABBA 324 November1 December8 DecemberGreatest Hits Vol.1Rod Stewart415 December22 December29 December Year-end charts 1979 appears to be the only year since 1977 for which "full year" year-end charts do not exist. The British Market Research Bureau (BMRB), which compiled the official UK charts from 1969 to 1982, used a cut-off date for the collection of sales data sometime in early December each year, in order for the "end of year" chart to be published in the year's final issue of Music Week and to be broadcast on BBC Radio 1. However, from 1977 to 1982, BMRB produced updated charts a few months later, which included the missing final weeks' sales for each year. No updated chart appears to exist for 1979, so the tables below include only sales between 1 January and 8 December 1979. The two singles most affected by the lack of a full year chart are the records that were at number one and number two for the final three weeks of the year, "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" by Pink Floyd and "I Have a Dream" by ABBA: neither of these records appear in the end of year list for 1979. Best-selling singles Top Singles 1979 Music Week Spotlight Publications London, England 27 22 December 1979 No. Number Title Artist Peakposition 1 "Bright Eyes" Art Garfunkel 1 2 "Heart of Glass" Blondie 1 3 "We Don't Talk Anymore" Cliff Richard 1 4 "I Don't Like Mondays" The Boomtown Rats 1 5 "When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" Dr. Hook 1 6 "I Will Survive" Gloria Gaynor 1 7 "Are Friends Electric" Tubeway Army 1 8 "Dance Away" Roxy Music 2 9 "Sunday Girl" Blondie 1 10 "One Day at a Time" Lena Martell 1 11 "Message in a Bottle" The Police 1 12 "Pop Muzik" M 2 13 "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick" Ian Dury and the Blockheads 1 14 "Oliver's Army" Elvis Costello and the Attractions 2 15 "Tragedy" Bee Gees 1 16 "Chiquitita" ABBA 2 17 "Video Killed the Radio Star" The Buggles 1 18 "Cars" Gary Numan 1 19 "Every Day Hurts" Sad Café 3 20 "Ring My Bell" Anita Ward 1 21 "Some Girls" Racey 2 22 "Boogie Wonderland" Earth, Wind & Fire with the Emotions 4 23 "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" Michael Jackson 3 24 "Woman in Love" The Three Degrees 3 25 "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" Queen 2 26 "Y.M.C.A." Village People 1 27 "Reunited" Peaches and Herb 4 28 "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" ABBA 3 29 "Lucky Number" Lene Lovich 3 30 "If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me" The Bellamy Brothers 3 31 "Cool for Cats" Squeeze 2 32 "Something Else"/"Friggin' in the Riggin'" Sex Pistols 3 33 "Silly Games" Janet Kay 2 34 "Bang Bang" B. A. Robertson 2 35 "Dreaming" Blondie 2 36 "Wanted" The Dooleys 3 37 "Can You Feel the Force?" The Real Thing 5 38 "Knock on Wood" Amii Stewart 6 39 "Contact" Edwin Starr 6 40 "I Want Your Love" Chic 4 41 "Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday" Boney M 3 42 "Theme from The Deer Hunter (Cavatina)" The Shadows 9 43 "Does Your Mother Know" ABBA 4 44 "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" The Jacksons 4 45 "Since You've Been Gone" Rainbow 6 46 "Up the Junction" Squeeze 2 47 "Love's Gotta Hold on Me" Dollar 4 48 "Still" The Commodores 4 49 "In the Navy" Village People 2 50 "Whatever You Want" Status Quo 4 Best-selling albums Top Albums 1979 Music Week Spotlight Publications London, England 30 22 December 1979 No. Number Title Artist Peakposition 1 Parallel Lines Blondie 1 2 Discovery Electric Light Orchestra 1 3 The Very Best of Leo Sayer Leo Sayer 1 4 Breakfast in America Supertramp 3 5 Voulez-Vous ABBA 1 6 Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 Barbra Streisand 1 7 Spirits Having Flown Bee Gees 1 8 Greatest Hits Vol. 2 ABBA 1 9 Reggatta de Blanc The Police The Police (band) 1 10 Manilow Magic: The Best of Barry Manilow Barry Manilow 3 11 Greatest Hits Rod Stewart 1 12 Last the Whole Night Long James Last 2 13 Armed Forces Elvis Costello and the Attractions 2 14 Outlandos d'Amour The Police 6 15 The Best Disco Album in the World Various Artists 1 16 Replicas Tubeway Army 1 17 I Am Earth, Wind & Fire 5 18 C'est Chic Chic 2 19 Dire Straits Dire Straits 5 20 Manifesto Roxy Music 7 21 Eat to the Beat Blondie 1 22 Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds Jeff Wayne 12Reached number 5 in 1978 23 Bat Out of Hell Meat Loaf 11Reached number 9 in 1981 24 Do It Yourself Ian Dury and the Blockheads 2 25 Tusk Fleetwood Mac 1 26 Out of the Blue Electric Light Orchestra 13Reached number 4 in 1977 27 New Boots and Panties!! Ian Dury 5 28 20 Golden Greats Diana Ross 2 29 Night Owl Gerry Rafferty 9 30 Don't Walk – Boogie Various Artists 1 31 Fate for Breakfast Art Garfunkel 2 32 The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 Earth, Wind & Fire 6 33 Black Rose: A Rock Legend Thin Lizzy 2 34 The Pleasure Principle Gary Numan 1 35 Action Replay Various Artists 1 36 In Through the Out Door Led Zeppelin 1 37 The Great Rock and Roll Swindle Sex Pistols 7 38 String of Hits The Shadows 4Reached number 1 in 1980 39 Live Killers Queen 3 40 Lodger David Bowie 4 41 A Collection of Their 20 Greatest Hits The Three Degrees 8 42 Nightflight to Venus Boney M 1 43 Wings Greatest Wings 5 44 Sky Sky 9 45 Off the Wall Michael Jackson 5 46 Bridges John Williams John Williams (guitarist) 5 47 Lionheart Kate Bush 12Reached number 6 in 1978 48 Blondes Have More Fun Rod Stewart 7Reached number 3 in 1978 49 Bob Dylan at Budokan Bob Dylan 4 50 Country Life Various Artists 2 Notes: 30em Classical music: new works William Lloyd Webber – Missa Sanctae Mariae Magdalenae Malcolm Williamson – Symphony No. 5 – Aquerò Opera Peter Maxwell Davies – The Lighthouse Film and Incidental music Richard Rodney Bennett – Yanks directed by John Schlesinger, starring Richard Gere and Vanessa Redgrave. Geoffrey Burgon – Monty Python's Life of Brian. Musical theatre Andrew Lloyd Webber – Tell Me on a Sunday Stephen Sondheim & Hugh Wheeler – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (premièred on Broadway)Hampton, Wilborn.Hugh Wheeler obituary, New York Times, July 28, 1987. Musical films The Music Machine The Who – Quadrophenia Births 5 January Steve Scott-Lee, singer (3SL) Michelle Barber, singer (Girl Thing) 19 January – Wiley, record producer and MC 20 January – Will Young, singer and winner of Pop Idol (series 1) 23 January – Vicky Dowdall, singer (Girls@Play) 8 March – Tom Chaplin, singer (Keane) 12 March – Pete Doherty, singer and guitarist (The Libertines and Babyshambles) 30 March – Simon Webbe, singer (Blue) 10 April – Sophie Ellis-Bextor, singer 11 April Paul Byrom, Irish tenor Lee Otter, singer (North and South) 13 April – Tony Lundon, Irish singer (Liberty X) 29 April Jo O'Meara, singer (S Club 7) Matt Tong (Bloc Party) 3 May – Danny Foster, singer (Hear'Say) 23 May – Lisa-Jay White, singer (Girls@Play) 31 May – Sarah Class, composer 8 June – Adam de la Cour, musician and composer 29 June – Abz Love, singer (5ive) 4 July – Nikki Stuart, singer (Girl Thing) 5 July – Shane Filan, Irish singer (Westlife) 19 July – Michelle Heaton, singer (Liberty X) 20 July – Charlotte Hatherley, singer-songwriter and guitarist (Ash and Nightnurse) 21 July – Tommy Clark, singer (Mero) 20 August – Jamie Cullum, jazz pianist and singer 23 August – Ritchie Neville, singer (5ive) 5 September – Garry O'Meara, Irish singer (Reel) 8 October – Alexander Shelley, conductor 22 November – Scott Robinson, singer (5ive) 28 November – Dane Bowers, singer (Another Level, 5th Story) 3 December Daniel Bedingfield, New Zealand-born pop singer and songwriter Kerri Ann, Irish singer 15 December – Edele and Keavy Lynch, Irish singers (B*Witched) date unknown Mark Bowden, Welsh-born composer Emily Howard, composer Deaths 2 February – Sid Vicious, punk rocker, 21 (drug overdose) 4 March – Mike Patto, rock vocalist, 36 (throat cancer)http://www.alexgitlin.com/patto.html Patto Alexgitlin.com 1979-03-03 2013-06-15 24 May – Sir Ernest Bullock, organist and composer, 88 16 July – Alfred Deller, countertenor, 67 25 August – Stan Kenton, bandleader, 67 4 September – Guy Bolton, librettist, 94 6 September – Ronald Binge, composer and arranger, 69 9 September – Norrie Paramor, record producer, composer, arranger, and orchestral conductor, 65 27 September – Gracie Fields, actress and singer, 81 13 October – Rebecca Helferich Clarke, viola player and composer, 93 6 November – Hugh Ottaway, music writer, 54'Hugh Ottaway', The Musical Times, Vol. 121, No. 1643 (January 1980), p. 48 30 November – Joyce Grenfell, actress and musical performer, 69 December – Terence Judd, pianist, 22 (probable suicide)The Glasgow Herald, 25 January 1980 21 December – Nansi Richards, harpist, 91 See also 1979 in British radio 1979 in British television 1979 in the United Kingdom List of British films of 1979 References British Music, 1979 In Category:British music by year