Blondie: Heart of Glass (1979)

Blondie was very good at incorporating other influences into their punk/new wave sound. "Heart of Glass" is an example. In 1979, a war raged between rock fans and disco advocates. In the end, rock won.  However, before the ultimate victory, Blondie added disco into their took kit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGU_4-5RaxU

Van Halen: Beautiful Girls (1979)

David Lee Roth fractured his foot doing a jump during a photo shoot for Van Halen II. The injury postponed Van Halen's tour while Roth healed. The album did very well with the public and convinced many new fans to purchase the debut album. Here is one of the album's iconic tracks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ9h2m06sFQ

Van Halen: Dance the Night Away (1979)

Here’s Van Halen’s first top 20 hit in America.  Interestingly, it was influenced by Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way.”  David Lee Roth claimed he wrote the song about a girl that was running away from police with her pants on backwards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ9pYwCKopE

The Clash: I Fought the Law (1979)

Several artists have taken a shot at recording “I Fought the Law.” Bobby Fuller’s original is the best remembered. The Clash modernized the 1959 hit two decades later giving it a grittier punk edge. Waylon Jennings, Social Distortion, Green Day, Bryan Adams, John Mellencamp, and Bruce Springsteen are among the myriad of artists to cover Fuller’s hit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9wwsxiLGbg

Billy Joel: Big Shot (1979)

“Big Shot” is about a woman that has quite a night. She wakes up the next morning and is told she “sure did put on a show!” Joel later claimed the song was about himself as he was big stuffing it.  In 2010, he said the song was written after dinner with Mick and Bianca Jagger and was imagined to be Mick singing to Bianca.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEea624OBzM

Pink Floyd: Hey You (1979)

In The Wall, the protangonist, Pink, realizes he made a mistake by secluding himself from society. "Hey You" represents his attempt to reconnect with people. At the end of the song, he gives up.

The song also evokes Cold War imagery of a person trapped between the two Berlins, screaming for help, while neither side is willing to risk saving him. In 1962, 18-year-old Peter Fechter attempted to breach the Berlin Wall and escape to freedom. The guards shot him and left him to die. Westerners feared rescuing individuals such as Fechter for fear of setting of World War III. The last person murdered by East Germans for attempting to escape was Chris Gueffroy in 1989.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndYEdGd8Gs4

Elvis Costello: (What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding (1979)

Nick Lowe wrote and recorded "Peace, Love, and Understanding" in 1974. However, the Elvis Costello version is the one people remember. In fact, Rolling Stone named the Costello version from 1979 as one of the greatest songs of all time. Lowe produced the Costello track, which the pair released as a b-side. The surprise hit became a last minute addition to Elvis' album Armed Forces.

Elvis:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RVDQgVxprE

Nick Lowe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7txCdLCP9U

825. Take Me To The River by The Talking Heads (1979)

The Talking Heads covered Al Green's classic in 1979. It is included in their concert film Stop Making Sense. The song is about harmonizing religious conviction with material life.

The Talking Heads:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anjT71N4PGM

Al Green:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGD8aQ2GKr0&feature=related

Hold it Against Me by Britney Spears

Amazing how Britney Spears manages to stick around. "Hold it Against Me" has debuted at #1 this week. The track is not without controversy. Some have argued that the song rips off The Bellamy Brothers "If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body" from 1979.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0sMajI7tlM

The Bellamy Brothers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVCRgI2Ld7U

875. Dancing Barefoot by Patti Smith (1979)

Patti Smith investigates the complexities of human attraction. It's an extremely personal song which sets it apart from the plastic disco sound of the period. It is very human while at the same time primal.

Studio Version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRWSy3RhW0w

Live:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjQimIWClEw

899. Dangerous Type by The Cars (1979)

Playboy artist Alberto Vargas designed the cover for the album Candy-0. It featured a woman spread out over a car. The Cars enjoyed success with their first album and continued to grow in popularity. By 1984, they were one of the bigger bands around.


"She's a lot like you...the dangerous type."


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmALL-V74Po

934. The Logical Song by Supertramp (1979)

Supertramp takes on conformity and the education system in "The Logical Song." At the beginning of the song, the character is young and innocent. Then, the public school system gets its hands on him. The character is taught to conform and loses his creativity. Additionally, he's afraid to speak out for fear of being labeled or ostracized. The pressure to conform conflicts with his natural inclinations and he is left to beg people to "please tell me who I am." The confusion brought on by his education leaves our hero disillusioned at the end. His innocence and idealism lost.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQfjIw3mivc

998. Since You Been Gone by Rainbow (1979)

This was actually turned into a House song. It has also been covered by The Brian May band. Interestingly, Rainbow's version is a cover of Russ Ballard.

Best Line: Your poison letter, your telegram

Just goes to show you don't give a damn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYtdW5bD-7Q