78/79

I had to start expanding the format of this blog and writing music articles to understand the significance of the music of 1978-1979 to me and the profound influence it had on my sensibilities in this regard. Everyone knows that the best music was created in the 1970s (with the exception of The Beatles’ albums from the previous decade), so it’s no surprise that my Top 20 list includes 13 albums from the 1970s (plus one from the 1960s, one from the 1980s, two from the 1990s, and three released after 1999).

If I had to pinpoint one specific moment in history that is musically „my” it would undoubtedly be 1978-1979. Although that period is often referred to as the Disco Era (the biggest stars then, alongside ABBA, were the Bee Gees), it was during this time that outstanding albums by the best rock artists and bands of the decade were recorded and released. The following list includes those that I particularly enjoy and/or are widely considered albums of the decade.

1978

• Dire Straits – Dire Straits (a brilliant debut, a great album from start to finish)
• …And Then There Were Three… – Genesis (recorded as a trio and Phil Collins’s great debut, including the hit „Follow You, Follow Me”)
• Equinoxe – Jean-Michel Jarre (the 1970s saw a huge boom in electronic music, and this album is one of Jarre’s two best)
• Hemispheres – Rush (today considered one of the most important albums in the history of progressive rock)
• Live and Dangerous – Thin Lizzy (another masterpiece of live music)
• Skynyrd’s First and… Last – Lynyrd Skynyrd (an album that was never supposed to be released, but contains several outstanding Southern American songs)
• Tormato – Yes (the band’s fastest-selling album and the last to feature the vocalist) Jon Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman, a great album with a beautiful cover)
• Children of Sanchez – Chuck Mangione (soundtrack from the film of the same name, the title song won the composer a Grammy Award, one of the most important compositions of the 1970s)
• The Man-Machine – Kraftwerk (electronic music from Germany, two big hits: „Model” and „The Robots”)
• Darkness on the Edge of Town – Bruce Springsteen (one of Springsteen’s most important albums, featuring the smash hit „The Promised Land”)

1979

• Slow Train Coming – Bob Dylan (with guest guitar by Mark Knopfler, Dylan’s first so-called Christian album)
• Highway to Hell – AC/DC (everyone listened to this album because no one else was playing such heavy music at the time; to this day, the title track is one of the most frequently covered songs by other artists)
• Discovery – Electric Light Orchestra (three huge hits: „Confusion,” „Last Train to London,” and „Don’t Bring Me Down”)
• The Wall – Pink Floyd (with the exception of „Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” undoubtedly the greatest concept album ever)
• Live Killers – Queen (a brilliant concert, still rocks after all these years)
• Breakfast in America – Supertramp (the band’s best album, with several huge hits, like „The Logical Song,” still a blast to listen to)
• London Calling – The Clash (not really my cup of tea, but everyone says it’s the most important album of the 70s)
• Reggatta de Blanc – The Police (if an album starts with „Message in a Bottle,” there’s probably nothing more to add)

Perhaps apart from the last two (The Clash and The Police), I played the rest of the albums constantly, and I knew most of the song tests by heart. And since I had a broad horizon, I also had the Polish album „Teatr na drodze” by 2 plus 1 on my radar.

If none of the above titles ring a bell, I suggest a trip in a time machine. Brew yourself a pot of good tea and listen to these albums from cover to cover, if only for pure curiosity. This music hasn’t aged at all and still evokes powerful emotions.