

Musical Dice -- Top Songs Of 1978
Welcome to the music section of my Musical Dice website! For you music trivia enthusiasts, and those who love to learn about the stories behind the music, you've come to the right place! I love sharing my knowledge of music trivia, so that's why I created this section.
One of the main things that got me interested in music trivia was when I listened to American Top 40 with Casey Kasem (rest in peace, my good man), where he'd often tell interesting stories and facts about the songs and the artists behind the songs.
My favorite feature of American Top 40 was when it was a special countdown of the top (usually 100) songs of the year. This article is about the top 100 songs of 1978.
Top Songs Of 1978 | ||||
POS | TITLE | ARTIST | PEAK | COMMENTS |
HM | Right Down The Line | Gerrt Rafferty | 12 | |
HM | Beast Of Burden | The Rolling Stones | 8 | |
HM | Got To Get You Into My Life | Earth, Wind & Fire | 9 | Originally recorded by the Beatles in 1966. Reacged #7 for them in 1976. Written by Paul McCartney, who said that the song is a reference to marijuana. |
HM | We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again | England Dan & John Ford Coley | 9 | |
HM | Alive Again | Chicago | 14 | First hit Chicago had after the tragic death of their guitarist Terry Kath on January 23, 1978. |
100 | Deacon Blues | Steely Dan | 19 | |
99 | Hollywood Nights | Bob Seger | 12 | |
98 | We're All Alone | Rita Coolidge | 7 | Written and originally recorded by Boz Scaggs. |
97 | The Name Of The Game | ABBA | 12 | |
96 | Ebony Eyes | Bob Welch | 14 | Sometimes mistaken for a Steve Nukker Band song! |
95 | I Can't Stand The Rain | Eruption | 18 | |
94 | Turn To Stone | E.L.O. | 13 | |
93 | Don't Look Back | Boston | 4 | |
92 | Flashlight | Parliament | 16 | #1 R & B for 3 weeks. Sold over a million copies. |
91 | Native New Yorker | Odyssey | 21 | |
90 | It's So Easy | Linda Ronstadt | 5 | Originally recorded by Buddy Holly. |
89 | You Can't Turn Me Off (In The Middle Of Turning Me On) | High Inergy | 12 | |
88 | I Love The Nightlife (Disco Round) | Alicia Bridges | 5 | Also made the top 100 songs of 1979. |
87 | Life's Been Good | Joe Walsh | 12 | |
86 | Sweet Talkin' Woman | E.L.O. | 17 | |
85 | Get Off | Foxy | 9 | |
84 | Fool (If You Think It's Over) | Chris Rea | 12 | |
83 | Whenever I Call You Friend | Kenny Loggins feat. Stevie Nicks | 5 | Listed as a Kenny Loggins solo hit. |
82 | Running On Empty | Jackson Browne | 11 | Recorded live |
81 | Bluer Than Blue | Michael Johnson | 12 | |
80 | Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood | Santa Esmerelda | 15 | Originally a #15 hot for the Animals in 1965 |
79 | Falling | LeBlanc & Carr | 13 | |
78 | Sentimental Lady | Bob Welch | 8 | Bob Welch is a former member of Fleetwood Mac. This song features three members of Fleetwood Mac--Mick Fleetwood on drums, Lindsey Buckingham on guitar, and Christine McVie on backup vocals. |
77 | Serpentine Fire | Earth, Wind & Fire | 13 | #1 R & B for 7 weeks |
76 | You And I | Rick James | 13 | Rick James' first top 40 pop hit, and the one that got the highest on the pop charts. #1 R & B. |
75 | Always And Forever | Heatwave | 18 | Sold over a million copies. |
74 | Copacabana (At The Copa) | Barry Manilow | 8 | Also featured in the movie "Foul Play" |
73 | Every Kinda People | Robert Palmer | 16 | Robert Palmer's first hit. |
72 | Because The Night | The Patti Smith Group | 13 | Written by Bruce Springsteen, and later a hit for the 10,000 Maniacs (#11 in 1994). |
71 | Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue | Crystal Gayle | 2(3) | Also made the top 100 songs of 1977 |
70 | What's Your Name | Lynyrd Skynyrd | 13 | This was a hit after severak nenbers of Lynyrd Skynyrd were killed in a plane crash in 1977. |
69 | Summer Nights | Olivia Newton-John/John Travolta | 5 | From the movie "Grease" |
68 | Hey Deanie | Shaun Cassidy | 7 | Written by Eric Carmen |
67 | Baby Hold On | Eddie Money | 11 | Eddie Money's first hit |
66 | Count On Me | Jefferson Starship | 8 | Whitney Houston and Cece Winans also had a #8 hit called "Count On Me" (not the same song) in 1996. |
65 | Reminiscing | The Little River Band | 3 | The instrumental parts of this song were featured as the theme of the "Family Film Festival" hosted by Tom Hatten. |
64 | Shame | Evelyn "Champaign" King | 9 | |
63 | You Needed Me | Anne Murray | 1(1) | |
62 | Peg | Steely Dan | 11 | Featuring Michael McDonald on backup vocals |
61 | Blue Bayou | Linda Ronstadt | 3 | Originally a hit for Roy Orbison (#29 in 1963) |
60 | Here You Come Again | Dolly Parton | 3 | |
59 | You Belong To Me | Carly Simon | 6 | Written By Michael McDonald |
58 | This Time I'm In It For Love | Player | 10 | |
57 | (Every Time I Turn Around) Back In Love Again | L.T.D. | 4 | |
56 | Come Sail Away | Styx | 8 | |
55 | On Broadway | George Benson | 7 | Recorded live. Originally was a hit for the Drifters in 1963 (#9) |
54 | Disco Inferno | The Trammps | 11 | Featured in the movie "Saturday Night Fever," but the song was initially released prior to the movie. |
53 | My Angel Baby | Toby Beau | 13 | |
52 | Still The Same | Bob Seger | 4 | |
51 | Imaginary Lover | The Atlanta Rhythm Section | 7 | |
50 | Thunder Island | Jay Ferguson | 9 | |
49 | The Groove Line | Heatwave | 7 | |
48 | Slip-Slidin' Away | Paul Simon | 5 | |
47 | Goodbye Girl | David Gates | 15 | Title track from the movie starring Richard Dreyfus |
46 | Love Is In The Air | John Paul Young | 7 | This was used in Kay Jewelers commercials. |
45 | An Everlasting Love | Andy Gibb | 5 | Written by the Bee-Gees (Andy's older brothers). This was the first hit Andy had that failed to reach #1 (his first three hits all reached #1). |
44 | Love Will Find A Way | Pablo Cruise | 6 | |
43 | Our Love | Natalie Cole | 10 | |
42 | Used Ta Be My Girl | The O'Jays | 4 | |
41 | Short People | Randy Newman | 2(3) | Listed as a novelty song. Note: Randy Newman is six-foot-two. |
40 | Magnet And Steel | Walter Egan | 8 | Backup vocals by Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham |
39 | Dust In The Wind | Kansas | 6 | |
38 | The Closer I Get To You | Roberta Flack/Donny Hathaway | 2(2) | |
37 | You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim) | Rod Stewart | 4 | |
36 | Hot Blooded | Foreigner | 3 | Later sampled in Tone Loc's rap song "Funky Cold Medina" |
35 | Hopelessly Devoted To You | Olivia Newton-John | 3 | From the movie "Grease" |
34 | Last Dance | Donna Summer | 3 | From the movie "Thank God It's Friday" |
33 | Sometimes When We Touch | Dan Hill | 3 | |
32 | Take A Chance On Me | ABBA | 3 | The rhythm and the title were inspired by a jog the songwriter took! |
31 | Jack And Jill | Raydio | 8 | In another Raydio top ten hit ("A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)") referenced the Jack And Jill nursery rhyme. |
30 | Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad | Meat Loaf | 11 | |
29 | Dance With Me | Peter Brown feat. Betty Wright | 8 | |
28 | Too Much Too Little Too Late | Johnny Mathis/Deniece Williams | 1(1) | At the time, Johnny Mathis set the record for the longest span between #1 hits (his previous #1 hit, "Chances Are" was from 21 years earlier). |
27 | Can't Smile Without You | Barry Manilow | 3 | |
26 | Baker Street | Gerry Rafferty | 2(6) | |
25 | We Are The Champions | Queen | 4 | The B-side is "We Will Rock You." The single sold over 2 million copies. |
24 | It's A Heartache | Bonnie Tyler | 3 | Bonnie Tyler's first hit |
23 | Love Is Like Oxygen | The Sweet | 8 | |
22 | Hot Child In The City | Nick Gilder | 1(1) | At the time, this song took the longest time on the chart to reach #1 (got there in its 21st week--a record that has since been broken). |
21 | Feels So Good | Chuck Mangione | 4 | |
20 | Dance Dance Dance (Yowsah Yowsah Yowsah) | Chic | 6 | |
19 | If I Can't Have You | Yvonne Elliman | 1(1) | From the movie "Saturday Night Fever." Written, produced, and originally recorded by the Bee-Gees |
18 | With A Little Luck | Wings | 1(2) | |
17 | Just The Way You Are | Billy Joel | 3 | Billy Joel wrote this song for his then-wife Elizabeth. It took persuading from Linda Ronstadt and Phoebe Snow for Billy to include this on his album. |
16 | Miss You | The Rolling Stones | 1(1) | The Rolling Stones were harshly criticized for songs like this one for being "too commercial." |
15 | Lay Down Sally | Eric Clapton | 3 | |
14 | Emotion | Samantha Sang | 3 | Written by the Bee-Gees. This would later be a hit for Destiny's Child (#10 in 2001). |
13 | You're The One That I Want | Olivia Newton-John/John Travolta | 1(1) | From the movie "Grease" |
12 | I Go Crazy | Paul Davis | 7 | Spent a then-record-breaking 40 weeks on the chart, breaking Johnny Mathis' record of 39 weeks with "Wonderful! Wonderful!" (a record later tied by "The Twist" by Chubby Checker). |
11 | Grease | Frankie Valli | 1(2) | Title song from the movie "Grease." Written by the Bee-Gees |
10 | Three Times A Lady | The Commodores | 1(2) | Written by Lionel Richie, as if he was his father, dedicating a song to his mother. |
9 | Boogie Oogie Oogie | A Taste Of Honey | 1(3) | Written out of frustration at the fact that the group couldn't get the attendees to their shows to dance to their songs. |
8 | (Love Is) Thicker Than Water | Andy Gibb | 1(2) | Written and produced by the Bee-Gees |
7 | Baby Come Back | Player | 1(3) | |
6 | How Deep Is Your Love | The Bee-Gees | 1(3) | From the movie "Saturday Night Fever." Written and produced by the Bee-Gees. Spent 26 weeks in the top 40, longer than any other song in the 70's. |
5 | Kiss You All Over | Exile | 1(4) | |
4 | Stayin' Alive | The Bee-Gees | 1(4) | From the movie "Saturday Night Fever." Written and produced by the Bee-Gees. |
3 | You Light Up My Life | Debby Boone | 1(10) | The biggest hit of the 70's. Also made the 1977 top 100 songs of the year. |
2 | Night Fever | The Bee-Gees | 1(8) | From the movie "Saturday Night Fever." Written and produced by the Bee-Gees. |
1 | Shadow Dancing | Andy Gibb | 1(7) | Written and produced by the Bee-Gees. Andy Gibb, for two years in a row, had the top song of the year (the top song of 1977 was "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" by Andy Gibb), the only one to achieve this feat, and Andy was only 20 years old at the time! |