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Tag: 1979

  • 1979 Top Ten Music Charts

    1979 Top Ten Music Charts

    1979’s Biggest Artists and Songs

    A Taste of Honey (1978 Best New Artist Grammy Winner, presented in 1979)
    Bee Gees/Various (Grammy for 1978 Album of the Year)
    Just The Way You Are – Billy Joel (Grammy for Record of the Year)
    New Artists in the Pop Charts Included:
    Kate Bush, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, AC/DC, Kim Carnes, The Police, The Blues Brothers, Nick Lowe, Toto, John Cougar Mellencamp, Blondie and Dire Straits

    1979’s Retro Top 10 Hits

    1. Old Time Rock and Roll – Bob Seger
    2. Escape (The Pina Colada Song) – Rupert Holmes
    3. Crazy Love – Poco
    4. Good Girls Don’t – The Knack
    5. I Do The Rock – Tim Curry
    6. Street Life – Crusaders
    7. Instant Replay – Dan Hartman
    8. Chase – Giorgio Moroder
    9. Cruel To Be Kind – Nick Lowe
    10. Lotta Love – Nicolette Larson

    1979’s ‘One Hit Wonders’

    1. Pop Muzik – M
    2. Rainbow Connection – Kermit (Jim Henson)
    3. Born To Be Alive – Patrick Hernandez
    4. Just Another NIght – Ian Hunter
    5. Come To Me – France Joli
    6. Makin It – David Naughton
    7. Now That We Found Love – Third World
    8. Driver’s Seat – Sniff ‘n’ the Tears
    9. Hey, St. Peter – Flash In The Pan
    10. New York Groove – Ace Frehley

    1979’s Disco Top 10 Hit List

    1. Y.M.C.A. – Village People
    2. I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
    3. Bad Girls/Hot Stuff – Donna Summer
    4. Ring My Bell – Anita Ward
    5. Heart of Glass – Blondie
    6. Heaven Must Have Sent You – Bonnie Pointer
    7. I Was Made For Dancin’ – Leif Garrett
    8. Got To Be Real – Cheryl Lynn
    9. Disco Nights (Rock Freak) – GQ
    10. Do Ya Think I’m Sexy – Rod Stewart

    More of 1979’s Disco Top Hits

    Contact – Edwin Starr
    Keep On Dancin’ – Gary’s Gang
    Makin It – David Naughton

    1979’s Funk and Dance Top 10 Hit List

    1. Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough – Michael Jackson
    2. September – Earth Wind and Fire
    3. I Got My Mind Made Up (You can Get It Girl) – Instant Funk
    4. Livin’ It Up – Bell & James
    5. Good Times – Chic
    6. Ain’t No Stoppin Us Now – McFadden and Whitehead
    7. Shake Your Groove Thing – Peaches and Herb
    8. Knock on Wood – Amii Stewart
    9. Boogie Wonderland – Earth Wind and Fire
    10. There But For The Grace of God Go I – Machine

    More of 1979’s Dance and Funk Hits

    H.A.P.P.Y. Radio – Edwin Starr
    Cuba – Gibson Brothers

    1979’s Pop Rock Top 10 Hit List

    1. My Sharona – The Knack
    2. I Want You To Want Me – Cheap Trick
    3. Good Times Roll – The Cars
    4. Dance The Night Away – Van Halen
    5. The Logical Song – Supertramp
    6. Renegade – Styx
    7. Head Games – Foreigner
    8. Every Time I Think Of You – The Babys
    9. Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’ – Journey
    10. Beautiful Girls – Van Halen

    More of 1979’s Top Pop Rock Songs

    Good Girls Don’t – The Knack
    I Wish I Could Fly Like Superman – The Kinks
    1979’s Album Rock Top 10 Hit List
    1. Highway To Hell – AC/DC
    2. Devil Went Down To Georgia – Charlie Daniels Band
    3. Rust Never Sleeps (Hey Hey My My Into The Black) – Neil Young
    4. Minute By Minute – The Doobie Brothers
    5. 5:15 – The Who
    6. You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth – Meatloaf
    7. Song on the Radio – Al Stewart
    8. Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights) – Pat Travers Band
    9. Lady Writer – Dire Straits
    10. Just Another Night – Ian Hunter

    More of 1979’s Album Rock

    Rock and Roll Fantasy – Bad Company
    Long Live Rock – The Who
    Dancin Fool – Frank Zappa
    Rubber Biscuit – Blues Brothers

    1979’s New Wave Top 10 Hit List

    1. Pop Muzik – M
    2. One Way Or Another – Blondie
    3. Life During Wartime – The Talking Heads
    4. Roxanne – The Police
    5. Video Killed The Radio Star – The Buggles
    6. Take Me To The River – Talking Heads
    7. Hey, St. Peter – Flash &The Pan
    8. Driver’s Seat – Sniff N The Tears
    9. The Man With The Child In His Eyes – Kate Bush
    10. Frederick – Patti Smith Group

    1979’s Bubblegum Pop Music Top Ten

    1. Y.M/.C.A. – The Village People
    2. Rainbow Connection – Kermit
    3. I Was Made For Dancin’ – Leif Garrett
    4. We Are Family – Sister Sledge
    5. In The Navy – The Village People
    6. Pop Muzik – M
    7. Love Is The Answer – England Dan and John Ford Coley
    8. Big Shot – Billy Joel
    9. Music Box Dancer – Frank Mills
    10. Where Were You When I Was Falling In Love – Lobo

    PCM’s 1979 Top 10 Hit List

    1. YMCA – Village People
    2. I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
    3. Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough – Michael Jackson
    4. We Are Family – Sister Sledge
    5. Old Time Rock and Roll – Bob Seger
    6. Hot Stuff/Bad Girls – Donna Summer
    7. Good Times – Chic
    8. Escape (The Oina Colada Song) – Rupert Holmes
    9. Ain’t No Stoppin Us Now – McFadden and Whitehead
    10. September – Earth Wind and Fire
  • Pop Culture Quiz: What Happened In 1979?

    Pop Culture Quiz: What Happened In 1979?

    Pop Culture Quiz: What Happened In 1979?

    79 Trivia Questions For 1979 History

    (answers)

    1. Where did America’s most serious nuclear power plant accident happen?

    2. A movie with a similar theme was released about the same time as the Three Mile Island accident. Name that film.

    3. Name the song from The Muppet Movie that peaked at #25 on the Billboard Charts in 1979.

    4. This film follows the commercial space tug Nostromo crew, who come across a mysterious derelict spaceship—Name that film.

    5. Who is Scooby-Doo’s nephew?

    6. Name the film that was part of a McDonald’s first Happy Meal tie-in.

    7. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1979?

    8. This company received $1.5 billion in federal loan guarantees, the most extensive rescue package ever granted by the U.S. government to an American corporation. Name that company.

    9. McDonalds introduced a child-sized food combo in 1979. What is it called?

    10. This R-rated film was Steve Martin’s first big-screen starring role. Name that comedy.

    11. What is the State of Georgia’s State Song?

    12. Which celebrity was NOT born in 1979:
    Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kourtney Kardashian, Olivia Munn, or Michelle Williams

    13. ESPN began broadcasting on September 7, 1979. What does “ESPN” stand for?

    14. In 1979, what was the average life expectancy in the United States?

    15. Who was the biggest Musical Artist of the 1979?

    16. Who was the biggest Musical Artist of the 1970s?

    17. Name film written, produced, and directed by Blake Edwards, starring Dudley Moore, Julie Andrews, Robert Webber, and Bo Derek

    18. Name the tune by French composer Maurice Ravel most related to the film, 10.

    19. Over 300 1969 Dodge Chargers were wrecked in making this CBS TV show during seven seasons. What show?

    20. President Jimmy Carter claimed he had to shoo away an enraged animal that began swimming toward his fishing boat in 1979. Name that animal.

    21. $589.50 was the price at the end of 1980 for what precious metal?

    22. What are ‘Anne Harkness,’ ‘David Thompson,” Henry Hudson,” Jens Munk,’ ‘John Franklin’ and ‘The Countryman’?

    23. This ensemble was awarded a “Best New Artist” Grammy in 1979, for their #1 hit Boogie Oogie Oogie. They had one more Top 40 hit in 1981. Name that group.

    24. Name the first spacecraft to be re-used after its first flight when it launched on STS-2 on November 12, 1981.

    25. True or False? Many, if not most, public toilets in the US were “Pay Toilets” until 1980.

    26. Who replaced Charlie’s Angel, Sabrina Duncan (Kate Jackson), in 1979?

    27. This program, ending after 205 episodes, was noted to “genuinely reckon with the cultural upheaval of the 1960s in America.” Name that program

    28. This flashlight is constructed principally of anodized 6061 aluminum and has a variable-focus beam. Name the flashlight brand.
    HINT: They are generally colored black

    29. What did The United States of America and the People’s Republic of China do on January 1, 1979?

    30. This CBS Program ran from 1974 to 1979 and starred John Amos and Esther Rolle. Name that show.

    31. Name the fictional team of Canadian superheroes who first appeared in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters premiered in The Uncanny X-Men #120.

    32. In 1979, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) changed how tropical storms and hurricanes were named. What did they do?

    33. Which was NOT a Top Ten Baby Girl name in 1979?

    34. Name the world-famous musician who created Handmade Films to finance the making of Monty Python’s Life of Brian.

    35. Name The Muppet Show regular who first appeared in a Purina Dog Chow commercial in 1962.

    36. Tell us the name of Bill Murray’s first big-screen starring film.

    37. This song (and movie) earned Bette Midler a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance. Name that tune.

    38. The horror film starred Frank Langella in the title role, also featuring Laurence Olivier and Donald Pleasence. Name the film.

    39. Who gave a “crisis of confidence” speech, nicknamed “the malaise speech”?

    40. Who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979?

    41. Good Times was a spin-off from what program?

    42. This Bond villain appeared in Moonraker (1979) and The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). Name him.

    43. Who became the first female prime minister of the UK in 1979?

    44. Who became the first female mayor of Chicago in 1979?

    45. Max described his job for this jet-setting, crime-solving couple as “ain’t easy; cause when they met, it was murder.” Name that show.

    46. Name Michael Jackson’s 1979 breakthrough album.

    47. NASA’s first orbiting space station fell to Earth after being in orbit for 6 years and 2 months. Name that spacecraft.

    48. This is a spin-off of Dallas. It is set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially centers on four married couples living on a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle. Name that show.

    49. Maude was a spin-off of what CBS hit show?

    50. Who was the first major pop artist to perform in the Soviet Union?

    51. Herb Alpert had one number-one hit in the 1970s, and it won a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental. It was #1 for two weeks in 1979—name that tune.

    52. On September 2, 1979, “the Vela Incident ” happened. What was it?

    53. The Hatfield and McCoy families of the famous Hatfield-McCoy Feud faced off again in 1979 on what game show?

    54. Disney released its first PG-rated live-action film in 1979. Name that film…

    55. This award-winning actress had her first starring role in a horror/sci-adventure in 1979. Name actress and her character

    56. There were only seven people in Alien. You get one point for each performer you can name.

    57. How many people lived in the World in 1979?

    58. How many people lived in the United States in 1979?

    59. China instituted a policy to help control its ever-increasing population. What is the common name for that policy?

    60. Name the highest-grossing film of 1979.

    61. Who was Charlie’s voice in Charlie’s Angels?

    62. Name the composer who provided the scores for many films, including Logan’s Run, Planet of the Apes, and Tora! Tora! Tora!, Patton, Papillon, Chinatown, Alien, The Secret of NIMH, and Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

    63. Where did Lavern and Shirly live for the first five seasons?

    64. Name the group that performed Rapper’s Delight, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

    65. Who was the Vice-President of the United States in 1979?

    66. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1979?

    67. What was the Top-Rated TV Show in the 1978/1979 season?

    68. The Theme From M*A*S*H had a name. What was it?

    69. Who won Super Bowl XIII?

    70. Luke. Daisy and Bo appeared in what TV show from 1979-1985?

    71. Jennifer Walters is the cousin of Bruce Banner. She is also a superhero. Who is that super-powered woman?

    72. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1979?

    73. Name the two world leaders who signed the SALT II agreement in Vienna on June 18, 1979.

    74. Averaged over the contiguous United States, which was the coldest month since at least 1880?

    75. Who won the 1979 World Series?

    76. Released in 1979, name the 11th James Bond Film.

    77. Who starred as MI6 Agent, James Bond?

    78. Who did NOT appear as a “Bond Girl” in any 007 film?
    Martine Beswick, Ursula Andress, Raquel Welch, Jane Seymore, or Tanya Roberts?

    79. The Aliens in Alien have a species name. What is it?

    Trivia Team Bonus Questions:

    1. Name the fictional ginger American Shorthair cat from the Alien film franchise.

    2. Name the television show that was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, a real-life parent with eight children.

    3. Who was the Pope in 1979?

    4. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1979?

    5. This cartoon character is used in greeting cards published by American Greetings.
    HINT: The name is also a dessert

    6. Name the tough but also very smart and sensitive who drove to his detective assignments around the streets of Las Vegas in a flashy red 1957 Ford Thunderbird convertible through the 1979 to 1981 TV seasons.

    7. One point for each – can you name Lavern and Shirley’s last names?

    8. After WordStar and before Microsoft Word, this was the top word processing program. Name it.

    9. On what television show did “Johnny Fever” and “Venus Flytrap” appear?

    10. Name Steve Martin’s character in The Jerk.

    The Answers:

    79 Trivia Answers For 1979 History

    1. Where did America’s most serious nuclear power plant accident happen?
    Three Mile Island (in Londonderry Township, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)

    2. A movie with a similar theme was released about the same time as the Three Mile Island accident. Name that film.
    The China Syndrome

    3. Name the song from The Muppet Movie that peaked at #25 on the Billboard Charts in 1979.
    The Rainbow Connection by Kermit

    4. This film follows the commercial space tug Nostromo crew, who come across a mysterious derelict spaceship—Name that film.
    Alien

    5. Who is Scooby-Doo’s nephew?
    Scrappy-Doo

    6. Name the film that was part of a McDonald’s first Happy Meal tie-in.
    Star Trek: The Motion Picture

    7. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1979?
    My Sharona – The Knack

    8. This company received $1.5 billion in federal loan guarantees, the largest rescue package ever granted by the U.S. government to an American corporation. Name that company.
    Chrysler

    9. McDonalds introduced a child-sized food combo in 1979. What is it called?
    Happy Meal

    10. This R-rated film was Steve Martin’s first big-screen starring role. Name that comedy.
    The Jerk

    11. What is the State of Georgia’s State Song?
    Georgia on My Mind by Ray Charles

    12. Which celebrity was NOT born in 1979:
    Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kourtney Kardashian, Olivia Munn, or Michelle Williams
    Olivia Munn (born July 3, 1980)

    13. ESPN began broadcasting on September 7, 1979. What does “ESPN” stand for?
    Entertainment and Sports Programming Network

    14. In 1979, what was the average life expectancy in the United States?
    Men – 70 years, Women – 77.7 years

    15. Who was the biggest Musical Artist of the 1979?
    Donna Summer

    16. Who was the biggest Musical Artist of the 1970s?
    Elton John

    17. Name film written, produced, and directed by Blake Edwards, starring Dudley Moore, Julie Andrews, Robert Webber, and Bo Derek.
    10

    18. Name the tune by French composer Maurice Ravel most related to the film, 10.
    Bolero

    19. Over 300 1969 Dodge Chargers were wrecked in making this CBS TV show during seven seasons. What show?
    The Dukes of Hazzard

    20. President Jimmy Carter claimed he had to shoo away an enraged animal that began swimming toward his fishing boat in 1979. Name that animal.
    Rabbit

    21. $589.50 was the price at the end of 1980 for what precious metal?
    Gold

    22. What are ‘Anne Harkness,’ ‘David Thompson,” Henry Hudson,” Jens Munk,’ ‘John Franklin’ and ‘The Countryman’?
    New Rose flowers that were introduced in 1979.

    23. This ensemble was awarded a “Best New Artist” Grammy in 1979 for their #1 hit Boogie Oogie Oogie. They had one more Top 40 hit in 1981. Name that group.
    A Taste of Honey

    24. Name the first spacecraft to be re-used after its first flight when it launched on STS-2 on November 12, 1981.
    Space Shuttle Columbia (The Enterprise never went into space)

    25. True or False? Many, if not most, public toilets in the US were “Pay Toilets” until 1980.
    True

    26. Who replaced Charlie’s Angel, Sabrina Duncan (Kate Jackson), in 1979?
    Tiffany Wells (played by Shelley Hack)

    27. This program, ending after 205 episodes, was noted to “genuinely reckon with the cultural upheaval of the 1960s in America.” Name that program
    All In The Family

    28. This flashlight is constructed principally of anodized 6061 aluminum and has a variable-focus beam. Name the flashlight brand.
    HINT: They are generally colored black
    Maglite flashlight

    29. What did The United States of America and the People’s Republic of China do on January 1, 1979?
    They agreed to recognize each other and to establish diplomatic relations.

    30. This CBS Program ran from 1974 to 1979 and starred John Amos and Esther Rolle. Name that show.
    Good Times

    31. Name the fictional team of Canadian superheroes who first appeared in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters premiered in The Uncanny X-Men #120.
    Alpha Flight

    32. In 1979, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) changed how tropical storms and hurricanes were named. What did they do?
    They started to add boys’ names as well (they were always girl names before 1979)

    33. Which was NOT a Top Ten Baby Girl name in 1979?
    Jennifer, Kendra, Melissa, Amanda or Jessica
    Kendra

    34. Name the world-famous musician who created Handmade Films to finance the making of Monty Python’s Life of Brian.
    George Harrison, “Because I want to go see it.”

    35. Name The Muppet Show regular who first appeared in a Purina Dog Chow commercial in 1962.
    Rowlf The Dog

    36. Tell us the name of Bill Murray’s first big-screen starring film.
    Meatballs

    37. This song (and movie) earned Bette Midler a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance. Name that tune.
    The Rose

    38. The horror film starred Frank Langella in the title role, featuring Laurence Olivier and Donald Pleasence. Name the film.
    Dracula

    39. Who gave a “crisis of confidence” speech, nicknamed “the malaise speech”?
    Jimmy Carter

    40. Who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979?
    Mother Teresa

    41. Good Times was a spin-off from what program?
    Maude

    42. This Bond villain appeared in Moonraker (1979) and The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). Name him.
    Jaws (played by Richard Kiel)

    43. Who became the first female prime minister of the UK in 1979?
    Margaret Thatcher

    44. Who became the first female mayor of Chicago in 1979?
    Jane Byrne

    45. Max described his job for this jet-setting, crime-solving couple as “ain’t easy ’cause when they met, it was murder.” Name that show.
    Hart to Hart (starring Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart)

    46. Name Michael Jackson’s 1979 breakthrough album.
    Off The Wall

    47. NASA’s first orbiting space station fell to Earth after being in orbit for 6 years and 2 months. Name that spacecraft.
    Skylab

    48. This is a spin-off of Dallas. It is set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially centers on four married couples living on a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle. Name that show.
    Knots Landing.

    49. Maude was a spin-off of what CBS hit show?
    All in the Family

    50. Who was the first major pop artist to perform in the Soviet Union?
    Elton John

    51. Herb Alpert had one number-one hit in the 1970s, and it won a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental. It was #1 for two weeks in 1979—name that tune.
    Rise

    52. On September 2, 1979, “the Vela Incident ” happened. What was it?
    An unidentified nuclear explosion in the Indian Ocean.

    53. The Hatfield and McCoy families of the famous Hatfield-McCoy Feud faced off again in 1979 on what game show?
    Family Feud

    54. Disney released its first PG-rated live-action film in 1979. Name that film.
    The Black Hole

    55. This award-winning actress had her first starring role in a horror/sci-adventure in 1979. Name actress and her character
    Sigourney Weaver as (Ellen) Ripley in Alien.

    56. There were only seven people in Alien. You get one point for each performer you can name.
    Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, and Yaphet Kotto.

    57. How many people lived in the World in 1979?
    4,365,582,871

    58. How many people lived in the United States in 1979?
    225,055,487

    59. China instituted a policy to help control its ever-increasing population. What is the common name for that policy?
    “the one child per family rule”

    60. Name the highest-grossing film of 1979.
    Superman

    61. Who was Charlie’s voice in Charlie’s Angels?
    John Forsythe

    62. Name the composer who provided the scores for many films, including Logan’s Run, Planet of the Apes, and Tora! Tora! Tora!, Patton, Papillon, Chinatown, Alien, The Secret of NIMH, and Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
    Jerry Goldsmith

    63. Where did Lavern and Shirly live for the first five seasons?
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    64. Name the group that performed Rapper’s Delight, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
    The Sugarhill Gang

    65. Who was the Vice-President of the United States in 1979?
    Walter Mondale (January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981)

    66. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1979?
    Montreal Canadiens

    67. What was the Top-Rated TV Show in the 1978/1979 season?
    Laverne & Shirley

    68. The Theme From M*A*S*H had a name. What was it?
    Suicide is Painless

    69. Who won Super Bowl XIII?
    Pittsburgh Steelers

    70. Luke. Daisy and Bo appeared in what TV show from 1979-1985?
    The Dukes of Hazzard

    71. Jennifer Walters is the cousin of Bruce Banner. She is also a superhero. Who is that super-powered woman?
    She-Hulk

    72. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1979?
    The Matarese Circle by Robert Ludlum

    73. Name the two world leaders who signed the SALT II agreement in Vienna on June 18, 1979.
    Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev

    74. Averaged over the contiguous United States, which was the coldest month since at least 1880?
    January, 1979

    75. Who won the 1979 World Series?
    Pittsburgh Pirates

    76. Released in 1979, name the 11th James Bond Film.
    Moonraker

    77. Who starred as MI6 Agent, James Bond?
    Roger Moore

    78. Who did NOT appear as a “Bond Girl” in any 007 film?
    Martine Beswick, Ursula Andress, Raquel Welch, Jane Seymore, or Tanya Roberts?
    Raquel Welch

    79. The Aliens in Alien have a species name. What is it?
    xenomorph (or Internecivus raptus)

    Trivia Team Bonus Answers:

    1. Name the fictional ginger American Shorthair cat from the Alien film franchise.
    Jones (or Jonesy)

    2. Name the television show that was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, a real-life parent with eight children.
    Eight Is Enough

    3. Who was the Pope in 1979?
    John Paul II (October 16, 1978 – April 2, 2005)

    4. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1979?
    Spectacular Bid

    5. This cartoon character is used in greeting cards published by American Greetings.
    HINT: The name is also a dessert
    Strawberry Shortcake

    6. Name the tough but also very smart and sensitive who drove to his detective assignments around the streets of Las Vegas in a flashy red 1957 Ford Thunderbird convertible through the 1979 to 1981 TV seasons.
    Dan Tanna (Robert Urich) in Vega$

    7. One point for each – can you name Lavern and Shirley’s last names?
    Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney

    8. After WordStar and before Microsoft Word, this was the top word processing program. Name it.
    WordPerfect

    9. On what television show did “Johnny Fever” and “Venus Flytrap” appear?
    WKRP in Cincinnati

    10. Name Steve Martin’s character in The Jerk.
    Navin Johnson

     
  • 1979 Number One Hits

    1979 Number One Hits

    1979 Billboard Number One Hits:

    December 9, 1978 – January 5, 1979:
    Le Freak – Chic
    January 6 – January 19:
    Too Much Heaven – Bee Gees
    January 20 – February 9:
    Le Freak – Chic
    February 10 – March 9:
    Do Ya Think I’m Sexy? – Rod Stewart
    March 10 – March 23:
    I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
    March 24 – April 6:
    Tragedy – Bee Gees
    April 7 – April 13:
    I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
    April 14 – April 20:
    What A Fool Believes – The Doobie Brothers
    April 21 – April 27:
    Knock on Wood – Amii Stewart
    April 28 – May 4:
    Heart of Glass – Blondie
    May 5 – June 30:
    Reunited – Peaches & Herb
    June 2 – June 8:
    Hot Stuff – Donna Summer
    June 9 – June 15:
    Love You Inside Out – Bee Gees
    June 16 – July 29:
    Hot Stuff – Donna Summer
    June 30 – July 13:
    Ring My Bell – Anita Ward
    July 14 – August 17:
    Bad Girls – Donna Summer
    August 18 – August 24:
    Good Times – Chic
    August 25 – October 5:
    My Sharona – The Knack
    October 6 – October 12:
    Sad Eyes – Robert John
    October 13 – October 19:
    Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough – Michael Jackson
    October 20 – November 2:
    Rise – Herb Alpert
    November 3 – November 9:
    Pop Muzik – M
    November 10 – November 16:
    Heartache Tonight – The Eagles
    November 17 – November 23:
    Still – The Commodores
    November 24 – December 7:
    No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) – Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer
    December 8 – December 21:
    Babe – Styx
    December 22, 1979 – January 4, 1980:
    Escape (The Pina Colada Song) – Rupert Holmes

    (Data is compiled from various charts including Billboard’s “Pop,” “Rock,” “Airplay,” “R&B/Dance” and “Singles” Charts. “Hot 100” is the primary chart used starting October, 1958)

  • 1979 History, Facts and Trivia

    1979 History, Facts and Trivia

    1979 History, Facts and Trivia

    Quick Facts from 1979

    • World-Changing Event: Khomeini’s Iranian Revolution over Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.
    • The Other World-Changing Event: The Introduction of the Sony Walkman.
    • The Top Song was My Sharona by The Knack.
    • The Movies to Watch include Alien, Rocky 2, The Muppet Movie, Apocalypse Now and Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and The Life of Brian.
    • The Most Famous Person in America was probably Pope John Paul II.
    • Notable books include Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
    • US Life Expectancy: Males: 70.0 years, Females: 77.8 years
    • Minimum Wage in 1979: $2.90 per hour
      Composition book, 100 pages: 69 cents
    • The Funny Late Night Host: Johnny Carson
    • Girl Power: Fully independent in 1979, Saint Lucia is the only country in the world named after a woman

    Top Ten Baby Names of 1979

    Jennifer, Melissa, Amanda, Jessica, Amy, Michael, Chris, Topher, Jason, David, James

    Fashion Icons and Sex Symbols

    Loni Anderson, Susan Anton, Barbara Bach, Catherine Bach, Kim Basinger, Valerie Bertinelli, Jacqueline Bisset, Christie Brinkley, Lynda Carter, Bo Derek, Farrah Fawcett, Erin Gray, Shelly Hack, Debbie Harry, Marilu Henner, Lauren Hutton, Kate Jackson, Cheryl Ladd, Olivia Newton-John, Stevie Nicks, Dolly Parton, Bernadette Peters, Victoria Principal, Diana Ross, Jane Seymour, Brooke Shields, Jacquelyn Smith, Suzanne Somers, Donna Summer, Cheryl Tiegs, Charlene Tilton, Mary Woronov

    Leading Men and Hollywood Heartthrobs

    Gregg Allman, David Cassidy, Patrick Duffy, Sam Elliott, Harrison Ford, Andy Gibb, Mark Hamill, Julio Iglesias, Kris Kristofferson, Lee Majors, Jack Nicholson, Ryan O’Neal, Burt Reynolds, Richard Roundtree, Davide Lee Roth, Sylvester Stallone, Rod Stewart, John Travolta

    “The Quotes”

    “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.”
    – Robert Duvall in ‘Apocalypse Now’

    “Have a Coke and smile.”
    -Coca-Cola

    “Quality is job one.”
    – Ford

    “Nothing comes between me and my Calvins.”
    – Brooke Shields, for Calvin Klein

    “Reach out and touch someone.”
    – AT&T

    Time Magazine’s Man of the Year:
    Ayatollah Khomeini

    Miss America

    Kylene Barker (Roanoke, VA)

    Miss USA

    Mary Therese Friel (New York)

    The Bad News

    Ford’s Pinto automobile design allowed its fuel tank to be easily damaged during a rear-end collision, sometimes resulting in deadly fires and explosions. Ford first noticed it in 1971 tests.

    The Three Mile Island Unit 2 reactor, near Middletown, Pa., partially melted down on March 28, 1979. This was the most serious accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant operating history, although its minor radioactive releases had no detectable health effects on plant workers or the public. Its aftermath brought about sweeping changes involving emergency response planning, reactor operator training, human factors engineering, radiation protection, and many other areas of nuclear power plant operations. A combination of equipment malfunctions, design-related problems, and worker errors led to TMI-2’s partial meltdown and very small off-site releases of radioactivity.

    52 Americans are taken hostage in Tehran, Iran, for 444 days. Four days later, ABC’s Nightline premiered, centering on the crisis.

    NASA’s Skylab fell to Earth, landing mainly in the Indian Ocean.

    Rock and Roll Death: Sid Vicious (heroin overdose)

    Eleven people were crushed to death outside of Cincinnati Riverfront Coliseum before a concert by The Who.

    Cleveland School Shooting

    The Cleveland School Shooting in San Diego, CA, is remembered as one of the deadliest school shootings in United States history. On January 29, 1979, 16-year-old Brenda Spencer opened fire on the Cleveland Elementary School from her house across the street with a rifle, killing two people and injuring eight others. She said she did it because “I don’t like Mondays.”

    In response to this shooting, schools have looked for ways to protect their students better; one such measure has been to install metal detectors at school entrances, though this can be costly and time-consuming. Schools have also turned to other measures, such as improved surveillance tracking systems to protect their students from potential threats better.

    1979 Pop Culture Facts & History

    A song called ‘Ready ‘n’ Steady’ by ‘D.A’ appeared on several charts peaking at #102, but it is very, very hard to find.

    Eight “Sea Shepherd” activists were arrested in 1979 for violating the Seal Protection Act, for spraying a thousand seal pups with permanent red dye, which made their pelts useless for hunters.

    Scrappy-Doo was first added to the cast of Scooby-Doo in 1979.

    Hurricanes were traditionally named only after women. After feminist groups protested over the implied slur that women alone were tempestuous and unpredictable, men’s names were also used for such weather phenomena beginning in 1979.

    Australia Fined NASA $400 for littering after debris from the spacecraft “Skylab” landed in the Shire of Esperance, Western Australia. NASA never paid. Thirty years later, California DJ Scott Barley raised funds from his listeners and paid NASA’s bill. Scott got a key to the city for his efforts.

    The Guardian Angels were formed in New York City as an unarmed organization of young crime fighters.

    The eradication of the smallpox virus was certified.

    Black and Decker released the now-famous cordless mini-vacuum, The Dustbuster.

    1979 -The film The China Syndrome, a movie about a nuclear meltdown caused by a faulty sensor reading and a stuck-open pressure release valve, was released only 12 days before the 3 Mile Island Meltdown on March 28, 1979, caused by a faulty sensor reading and a stuck open pressure release valve.

    Rhodesia became Zimbabwe

    The highest Nielsen rating (24.1) for any basketball game in the US, college or pro, is still the 1979 NCAA Championship between Michigan State, with Magic Johnson, and Indiana State, with Larry Bird. The highest-rated and most-watched NBA Final game was Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals which averaged a 22.3 rating.

    Chrysler received a $1.5 Billion government loan guarantee from the United States government.

    Chip Shearin had to play bass, and Bryan Horton had to play the drums for 15 minutes straight on the 1979 song “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang because it was the days before samplers and drum machines.

    Tens of thousands of rock fans gathered at Disco Demolition Night was an ill-fated baseball promotion on July 12, 1979, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois. On The Day That Disco Died, the field was ruined, and The Chicago White Sox had to forfeit the second game (of the doubleheader) to the Detroit Tigers.

    Pope John Paul II visited the United States.

    Elvita Adams jumped from the 86th floor of the Empire State Building in an attempted suicide, only to be blown back onto the 85th floor by a gust of wind. Her only injury was a broken hip.

    A (still) unknown group of people paid for the erection of the Georgia Guidestones, six granite slabs that instruct the survivors of an apocalyptic scenario on rebuilding a better world. The builder was told that it was planned for 20 years; it was completed in 1980.

    The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, is the venue where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper gave their final performances on February 2, 1959. Each February, since 1979, the venue hosts a Winter Dance Party (the name of Holly’s last tour) in honor of the three stars.

    Pushing the Envelope is a reference to a World War 2 flight envelope. WWII pilots used it to describe upper and lower conditions where the pilot could fly. To push those conditions, increased capabilities and technology. The phrase was brought into the mainstream in 1979 by Tom Wolfe’s book, The Right Stuff.

    Cost of a Super Bowl ad in 1979: $185,000

    RIP

    In January 1979, 16-year-old Brenda Ann Spencer was arrested after killing a principal and a custodian at an elementary school in California. When asked why she did it, she replied, “I just don’t like Mondays.” She also injured eight children and a police officer.

    On January 25, 1979, Robert Williams became the first known human being killed by a robot. He was an American factory worker at the Ford Motor Company Flat Rock Casting Plant in Michigan. He was struck from behind and crushed by a one-ton cart moved by a robot arm, killing him instantly.

    The Who Concert Disaster: Eleven fans were crushed to death during a crowd surge for unreserved seats before The Who rock concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio.

    When Australia abolished its inheritance tax in 1979, an unusually high number of parents died in the week immediately after the abolition went into effect, suggesting that many of their heirs were doing everything to keep them alive just long enough for the inheritance tax to expire.

    The Mount Erebus Disaster: A plane crash in Antarctica (Air New Zealand Flight 901) in which 237 tourists and 20 crew were killed on a sightseeing flight due to an error in flight planning and a phenomenon known as “sector whiteout” in which there is no contrast between the sky and the ground.

    Cold War

    In the late 1980s, FBI agent Robert Hanssen was tasked by his superiors to find a mole within the agency after the FBI’s moles in the KGB were caught. In reality, he was the mole, working with the KGB since 1979.

    NORAD experienced a computer glitch that alerted technicians of a widespread Russian nuclear attack on North America. The U.S. air defense program ordered the president’s “doomsday plane” to take off and warned launch control to prepare for a retaliatory attack.

    Nobel Prize Winners

    Physics – Sheldon Lee Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg
    Chemistry – Herbert C. Brown, Georg Wittig
    Medicine – Allan M. Cormack, Godfrey N. Hounsfield
    Literature – Odysseas Elytis
    Peace – Mother Teresa
    Economics – Theodore Schultz, Arthur Lewis

    The Habit

    Jogging while listening to tapes on your Sony Walkman and wearing a Lacoste preppy shirt with the famous alligator on the left side and designer jeans.

    1st Appearances & 1979’s Most Popular Christmas Gifts, Toys and Presents

    Walkman cassette/radio

    More Firsts

    Modern Sudoku was created by an American architect named Howard Garns in 1979, using the name “Number Place”. It became more popular in 1986 by the Japanese puzzle company Nikoli, under “Sudoku,” meaning “single number.”

    ESPN (Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) began broadcasting on September 7.

    April 1st – Nickelodeon TV cable network began.

    Victoria’s Secret stores opened in 1979. It went national in 1982 after being acquired by Limited Brands.

    The McDonald’s Happy Meal first went on sale in 1979.

    Debuting on PBS as a one-time, 13-part series, This Old House was one of the earliest home improvement shows and is arguably the most well-known.

    The first use of the phrase “May the Fourth Be With You” was by a Danish political party that placed a congratulatory advertisement in The London Evening News when Margaret Thatcher took office as Prime Minister on May 4th, 1979, “May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations.”

    Etan Patz was the 1st missing child to have their picture on a milk carton in 1979, and the murderer wasn’t caught till 2012.

    Best Film Oscar Winner

    The Deer Hunter (presented in 1979)

    Broadway Shows

    They’re Playing Our Song (Musical) Opened on February 11, 1979, and closed on September 6, 1981
    Evita (Musical) Opened on September 25, 1979, and closed on June 26, 1983
    Sugar Babies (Review) Opened on October 8, 1979, and closed on August 28, 1982

    Popular and Best-selling Books From 1979

    1985 by John Hackett
    A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
    The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
    Chesapeake by James Michener
    The Dead Zone by Stephen King
    The Establishment by Howard Fast
    The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer
    Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews
    Good as Gold by Joseph Heller
    The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
    Jailbird by Kurt Vonnegut
    Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
    Kindred by Octavia Butler
    The Last Enchantment by Mary Stewart
    The Matarese Circle by Robert Ludlum
    Memories of Another Day by Harold Robbins
    Oh Say Can You Say? by Dr. Seuss
    Overload by Arthur Hailey
    Smiley’s People by John le Carré
    Sophie’s Choice by William Styron
    Triple by Ken Follett
    War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk
    The White Album by Joan Didion

    1979 Most Popular TV Shows

    1. 60 Minutes (CBS)
    2. Three’s Company (ABC)
    3. That’s Incredible! (ABC)
    4. Alice (CBS)
    5. M*A*S*H (CBS)
    6. Dallas (CBS)
    7. Flo (CBS)
    8. The Jeffersons (CBS)
    9. The Dukes of Hazzard (CBS)
    10. One Day at a Time (CBS)

    1979 Billboard Number One Songs

    January 6 – January 19:
    Too Much Heaven – Bee Gees

    January 20 – February 9:
    Le Freak – Chic

    February 10 – March 9:
    Do Ya Think I’m Sexy? – Rod Stewart

    March 10 – March 23:
    I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor

    March 24 – April 6:
    Tragedy – Bee Gees

    April 7 – April 13:
    I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor

    April 14 – April 20:
    What A Fool Believes – The Doobie Brothers

    April 21 – April 27:
    Knock on Wood – Amii Stewart

    April 28 – May 4:
    Heart of Glass – Blondie

    May 5 – June 30:
    Reunited – Peaches & Herb

    June 2 – June 8:
    Hot Stuff – Donna Summer

    June 9 – June 15:
    Love You Inside Out – Bee Gees

    June 16 – July 29:
    Hot Stuff – Donna Summer

    June 30 – July 13:
    Ring My Bell – Anita Ward

    July 14 – August 17:
    Bad Girls – Donna Summer

    August 18 – August 24:
    Good Times – Chic

    August 25 – October 5:
    My Sharona – The Knack

    October 6 – October 12:
    Sad Eyes – Robert John

    October 13 – October 19:
    Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough – Michael Jackson

    October 20 – November 2:
    Rise – Herb Alpert

    November 3 – November 9:
    Pop Muzik – M

    November 10 – November 16:
    Heartache Tonight – The Eagles

    November 17 – November 23:
    Still – The Commodores

    November 24 – December 7:
    No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) – Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer

    December 8 – December 21:
    Babe – Styx

    December 22, 1979 – January 4, 1980:
    Escape (The Pina Colada Song) – Rupert Holmes

    Sports

    World Series Champions: Pittsburgh Pirates
    Super Bowl XIII Champions: Pittsburgh Steelers
    NBA Champions: Seattle SuperSonics
    Stanley Cup Champs: Montreal Canadiens
    U.S. Open Golf Hale Irwin
    U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies) John McEnroe/Tracy Austin
    Wimbledon (Men/Women): Bjorn Borg/Martina Navratilova
    NCAA Football Champions: Alabama
    NCAA Basketball Champions: Michigan State
    Kentucky Derby: Spectacular Bid

    More 1979 Facts & History Resources:

    Most Popular Baby Names (BabyCenter.com)
    Popular and Notable Books (popculture.us)
    Broadway Shows that Opened in 1979X
    1979 Calendar, courtesy of Time and Date.com
    Cambodia | Holocaust and Genocide Studies
    Fact Monster
    Fun Facts You Didn’t Know About 1979
    1970s, Infoplease.com World History
    Iranian Hostage Crisis
    Iranian Revolution
    1979 in Movies (according to IMDB)
    Retrowaste Vintage Culture
    1970s Slang
    Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
    Wikipedia 1979

     

  • 1979 Music – The 100 Most Popular Songs

    1979 Music – The 100 Most Popular Songs

    1979’s Top 100 Pop Music Hits

    1. Y.M.C.A. – Village People
    2. I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
    3. Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough – Michael Jackson
    4. We Are Family – Sister Sledge
    5. Old Time Rock and Roll – Bob Seger
    6. Hot Stuff/Bad Girls – Donna Summer
    7. Good Times – Chic
    8. Escape (The Pina Colada Song) – Rupert Holmes
    9. Ain’t No Stoppin Us Now – McFadden & Whitehead
    10. September – Earth, Wind and Fire
    11. Born To Be Alive – Patrick Hernadez
    12. My Sharona – The Knack
    13. The Devil Went Down To Georgia – Charlie Daniels Band
    14. Heart Of Glass – Blondie
    15. After The Love Has Gone – Earth, Wind and Fire
    16. Shake Your Body Down To The Ground – Jacksons
    17. The Rainbow Connection – Kermit (the Frog)
    18. Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’ – Journey
    19. Knock On Wood – Amii Stewart
    20. One Way or Another – Blondie
    21. Ooh Baby Baby – Linda Ronstadt
    22. Do Ya Think I’m Sexy? – Rod Stewart
    23. Boogie Wonderland – Earth, Wind and Fire
    24. Love Ballad – George Benson
    25. Rise – Herb Alpert
    26. In The Navy – Village People
    27. Ring My Bell – Anita Ward
    28. Got To Be Real – Cheryl Lynn
    29. Shake Your Groove Thing – Peaches and Herb
    30. Take The Long Way Home – Supertramp
    31. We’ve Got Tonight – Bob Seger
    32. Babe – Styx
    33. Fins – Jimmy Buffett
    34. You Decorated My Life – Kenny Rogers
    35. Sultans Of Swing – Dire Straits
    36. Disco Nights (Rock Freak) – G.Q.
    37. Heartache Tonight – Eagles
    38. She Believes In Me – Kenny Rogers
    39. Video Killed The Radio Star – The Buggles
    40. Pop Muzic – M
    41. Hold The Line – Toto
    42. H.A.P.P.Y. Radio – Edwin Starr
    43. Crazy Love – Allman Brothers Band
    44. Highway To Hell – AC/DC
    45. Street Life – Crusaders
    46. Don’t Bring Me Down – ELO
    47. My Life – Billy Joel
    48. You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth – Meatloaf
    49. Roxanne – Police
    50. Good Girls Don’t – The Knack
    51. Honesty – Billy Joel
    52. Take Me To The River – Talking Heads
    53. At Midnight – T-Connection
    54. Good Times Roll – The Cars
    55. I Go To Rio – Pablo Cruise
    56. Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights) – Pat Travers Band
    57. Livin It Up (Friday Night) – Bell & James
    58. Contact – Edwin Starr
    59. Rubber Biscuit – Blues Brothers
    60. Message In A Bottle – The Police
    61. There But For The Grace Of God Go I – Machine
    62. Heaven Must Have Sent You – Bonnie Pointer
    63. Life During Wartime – Talking Heads
    64. Soul Man – Blues Brothers
    65. Voulez-Vous – Abba
    66. I Want You To Want Me – Cheap Trick
    67. The Logical Song – Supertramp
    68. Rust Never Sleeps (Into The Black) – Neil Young
    69. Lay It On The Line – Triumph
    70. Cruel To Be Kind – Nick Lowe
    71. Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen
    72. The Gambler – Kenny Rogers
    73. Hey, St. Peter – Flash and The Pan
    74. What A Fool Believes – Doobie Brothers
    75. Makin It – David Naughton
    76. Crazy Love – Poco
    77. Chase – Giorgia Moroder
    78. Instant Replay – Dan Hartman
    79. Minute By Minute – The Doobie Brothers
    80. You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) – Sylvester
    81. Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy – Bad Company
    82. I Need A Lover – John Cougar
    83. Dirty White Boy – Foreigner
    84. Goodbye Stranger – Supertramp
    85. Dance The Night Away – Van Halen
    86. Morning Dance – Spyro Gyra
    87. Beautiful Girls – Van Halen
    88. Long Live Rock – The Who
    89. Let’s Go – The Cars
    90. Is She Really Going Out With Him? – Joe Jackson
    91. Just The Same Way – Journey
    92. 5:15 – The Who
    93. Girls Talk – Dave Edmunds
    94. Shattered – Rolling Stones
    95. New YorkGoove – Ace Frehley
    96. I Do The Rock – Tim Curry
    97. The Man With The Child In His Eyes – Kate Bush
    98. Since You Been Gone _ Rainbow
    99. Just Another Night – Ian Hunter
    100. Frederick – Patti Smith Group
  • 25 Biggest Songs of the 1970s

    25 Biggest Songs of the 1970s

    Top 25 Songs of 1970-1979

    1. You Light Up My Life- Debby Boone
    2. Night Fever – Bee Gees
    3. Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright) – Rod Stewart
    4. Shadow Dancing – Andy Gibb
    5. Le Freak – Chic
    6. My Sharona – The Knack
    7. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face – Roberta Flack
    8. Alone Again (Naturally) – Gilbert O’ Sullivan
    9. Joy To The World – Three Dog Night
    10. Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel
    11. Best Of My Love – Emotions
    12. I’ll Be There – The Jackson 5
    13. Silly Love Songs – Paul McCartney & Wings
    14. Maggie May – Rod Stewart
    15. Bad Girls – Donna Summer
    16. It’s Too Late – Donna Summer
    17. Killing Me Softly With His Song – Roberta Flack
    18. One Bad Apple – The Osmonds
    19. I Just Want To Be Your Everything- Andy Gibb
    20. Stayin ‘ Alive – Bee Gees
    21. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head – B.J. Thomas
    22. Da Ya Think I’m Sexy Rod Stewart
    23. Kiss You All Over – Exile
    24. Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree – Tony Orlando & Dawn
    25. American Pie (Parts I & II) – Don McLean
  • 1979 Oscars 51st Academy Awards

    1979 Oscars 51st Academy Awards

    1979 Oscars 51st Academy Awards

    Winners Announced: April 9, 1979
    Held at: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, California
    Host: Johnny Carson (introduced as “John Carson”)
    Eligibility Year: 1978

    Intriguing Trivia and Highlights

    1. Introduction Curveball: Johnny Carson, a seasoned late-night host, was formally introduced as “John Carson,” which was a bit unusual for TV audiences.
    2. Dear Hunter, the Winner: The Deer Hunter swept the major awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Michael Cimino, and Best Supporting Actor for Christopher Walken.
    3. Streisand & Diamond: Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond performed the song You Don’t Bring Me Flowers, a chart-topping hit that was unrelated to any film that year.
    4. “A Little Priest”: The film adaptation of The Wiz was among the nominees for Best Art Direction, giving the beloved musical some much-needed limelight.
    5. Mork on Stage: Robin Williams, then primarily known for his TV role as Mork, presented an award, providing a touch of comedy to the ceremonies.
    6. Musical Variety: John Williams won for his original score for Superman, further cementing his status as one of Hollywood’s leading composers.
    7. Foreign Excellence: Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (Préparez vos mouchoirs) from France won Best Foreign Language Film, marking a strong presence for international cinema.
    8. This was the final public appearance of actor John Wayne.
    9. The nominees for the 51st Academy Awards were announced on February 20, 1979

    1979 Oscar Nominees and Winners

    Best Picture:
    The Deer Hunter – Barry Spikings, Michael Deeley, Michael Cimino and John Peverall, producers (WINNER)
    Coming Home – Jerome Hellman, producer
    Heaven Can Wait – Warren Beatty, producer
    Midnight Express – Alan Marshall and David Puttnam, producers
    An Unmarried Woman – Paul Mazursky and Anthony Ray, producers
    Best Director:
    Michael Cimino – The Deer Hunter (WINNER)
    Hal Ashby – Coming Home
    Warren Beatty and Buck Henry – Heaven Can Wait
    Woody Allen – Interiors
    Alan Parker – Midnight Express
    Best Actor:
    Jon Voight – Coming Home as Luke Martin (WINNER)
    Warren Beatty – Heaven Can Wait as Joe Pendleton/Leo Farnsworth/Tom Jarrett
    Gary Busey – The Buddy Holly Story as Buddy Holly
    Robert De Niro – The Deer Hunter as Sergeant Michael “Mike” Vronsky
    Laurence Olivier – The Boys from Brazil as Ezra Lieberman
    Best Actress:
    Jane Fonda – Coming Home as Sally Hyde (WINNER)
    Ingrid Bergman – Autumn Sonata as Charlotte Andergast
    Ellen Burstyn – Same Time, Next Year as Doris
    Jill Clayburgh – An Unmarried Woman as Erica Benton
    Geraldine Page – Interiors as Eve
    Best Supporting Actor:
    Christopher Walken – The Deer Hunter as Corporal Nikanor “Nick” Chevotarevich (WINNER)
    Bruce Dern – Coming Home as Captain Bob Hyde
    Richard Farnsworth – Comes a Horseman as Dodger
    John Hurt – Midnight Express as Max
    Jack Warden – Heaven Can Wait as Max Corkle
    Best Supporting Actress:
    Maggie Smith – California Suite as Diana Barrie (WINNER)
    Dyan Cannon – Heaven Can Wait as Julia Farnsworth
    Penelope Milford – Coming Home as Vi Munson
    Maureen Stapleton – Interiors as Pearl
    Meryl Streep – The Deer Hunter as Linda
    Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen:
    Coming Home – Story by Nancy Dowd; Screenplay by Waldo Salt and Robert C. Jones (WINNER)
    Autumn Sonata – Ingmar Bergman
    The Deer Hunter – Story by Michael Cimino, Deric Washburn, Louis Garfinkle and Quinn Redeker; Screenplay by Deric Washburn
    Interiors – Woody Allen
    An Unmarried Woman – Paul Mazursky
    Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium:
    Midnight Express – Oliver Stone based on the book by Billy Hayes and William Hoffer (WINNER)
    Bloodbrothers – Walter Newman based on the novel by Richard Price
    California Suite – Neil Simon based on his play
    Heaven Can Wait – Elaine May and Warren Beatty based on the play by Harry Segall
    Same Time, Next Year – Bernard Slade based on his play
    Best Foreign Language Film:
    Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (France) (WINNER)
    The Glass Cell (West Germany)
    Hungarians (Hungary)
    Viva Italia! (Italy)
    White Bim Black Ear (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)
    Best Documentary Feature:
    Scared Straight! – Arnold Shapiro (WINNER)
    The Lovers’ Wind (Le vent des amoureux) – Albert Lamorisse (posthumous nomination)
    Mysterious Castles of Clay – Joan Root and Alan Root
    Raoni – Jean-Pierre Dutilleux and Luiz Carlos Saldanha
    With Babies and Banners: Story of the Women’s Emergency Brigade – Lorraine Gray
    Best Documentary Short Subject:
    The Flight of the Gossamer Condor – Jacqueline Phillips Shedd and Ben Shedd (WINNER)
    The Divided Trail: A Native American Odyssey
    An Encounter with Faces – Vidhu Vinod Chopra and K. K. Kapil
    Goodnight Miss Ann
    Squires of San Quentin
    Best Live Action Short Film:
    Teenage Father – Taylor Hackford (WINNER)
    A Different Approach – Jim Belcher and Fern Field
    Mandy’s Grandmother – Andrew Sugerman
    Strange Fruit – Seth Pinsker
    Best Animated Short Film:
    Special Delivery – Eunice Macauley and John Weldon (WINNER)
    Oh My Darling – Nico Crama
    Rip Van Winkle – Will Vinton
    Best Original Score:
    Midnight Express – Giorgio Moroder (WINNER)
    The Boys from Brazil – Jerry Goldsmith
    Days of Heaven – Ennio Morricone
    Heaven Can Wait – Dave Grusin
    Superman – John Williams
    Best Adaptation Score:
    The Buddy Holly Story – Joe Renzetti (WINNER)
    Pretty Baby – Jerry Wexler
    The Wiz – Quincy Jones
    Best Original Song:
    “Last Dance” from Thank God It’s Friday – Music and Lyrics by Paul Jabara (WINNER)
    “Hopelessly Devoted to You” from Grease – Music and Lyrics by John Farrar
    “The Last Time I Felt Like This” from Same Time, Next Year – Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman
    “Ready to Take a Chance Again” from Foul Play – Music by Charles Fox; Lyrics by Norman Gimbel
    “When You’re Loved” from The Magic of Lassie – Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
    Best Sound:
    The Deer Hunter – Richard Portman, William McCaughey, Aaron Rochin and Darin Knight (WINNER)
    The Buddy Holly Story – Tex Rudloff, Joel Fein, Curly Thirlwell and Willie D. Burton
    Days of Heaven – John Wilkinson, Robert W. Glass Jr., John T. Reitz and Barry Thomas
    Hooper – Robert Knudson, Robert Glass, Don MacDougall and Jack Solomon
    Superman – Gordon McCallum, Graham V. Hartstone, Nicolas Le Messurier and Roy Charman
    Best Costume Design:
    Death on the Nile – Anthony Powell (WINNER)
    Caravans – Renié
    Days of Heaven – Patricia Norris
    The Swarm – Paul Zastupnevich
    The Wiz – Tony Walton
    Best Art Direction:
    Heaven Can Wait – Art Direction: Paul Sylbert and Edwin O’Donovan; Set Decoration: George Gaines (WINNER)
    The Brink’s Job – Art Direction: Dean Tavoularis and Angelo P. Graham; Set Decoration: George R. Nelson and Bruce Kay
    California Suite – Art Direction: Albert Brenner; Set Decoration: Marvin March
    Interiors – Art Direction: Mel Bourne; Set Decoration: Daniel Robert
    The Wiz – Art Direction: Tony Walton and Philip Rosenberg; Set Decoration: Edward Stewart and Robert Drumheller
    Best Cinematography:
    Days of Heaven – Néstor Almendros (WINNER)
    The Deer Hunter – Vilmos Zsigmond
    Heaven Can Wait – William A. Fraker
    Same Time, Next Year – Robert Surtees
    The Wiz – Oswald Morris
    Best Film Editing:
    The Deer Hunter – Peter Zinner (WINNER)
    The Boys from Brazil – Robert E. Swink
    Coming Home – Don Zimmerman
    Midnight Express – Gerry Hambling
    Superman – Stuart Baird
    Academy Honorary Awards:
    Laurence Olivier
    Walter Lantz
    King Vidor
    Museum of Modern Art Department of Film
    Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award:
    Leo Jaffe
    Special Achievement Award:
    Les Bowie, Colin Chilvers, Denys Coop, Roy Field, Derek Meddings and Zoran Perisic for the visual effects of Superman.
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  • 1979 Grammy Award Winners

    1979 Grammy Award Winners

     

    1979 Grammy Award Winners

    Winners Announced: February 15, 1979
    Held at: Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
    Host: John Denver
    Eligibility Year: October 1, 1977 – September 30, 1978

    Intriguing Trivia and Nuggets of Knowledge

    1. End of the Disco Era: This year’s Grammy Awards coincided with the tail end of the disco craze, and the Bee Gees were the darlings of the night.
    2. Denver’s Final Act: This was the last time John Denver would host the Grammys, ending his five-year stint.
    3. Rising Talent: This was the year Billy Joel won both Song of the Year and Record of the Year for “Just the Way You Are,” signifying his ascent as a major artist.
    4. Saturday Night Live: The Bee Gees’ album Saturday Night Fever was a significant winner, echoing the cultural impact of disco.
    5. Epic Collaborations: “Stayin’ Alive,” a song by the Bee Gees, also featured on Saturday Night Fever, which is one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time.
    6. First Country Rap: While it didn’t win, “Convoy” by C.W. McCall was nominated, which many consider to be a predecessor to the modern country rap genre
    1979 Grammy Winners
    Record of the Year:
    Just the Way You Are – Billy Joel
    Album of the Year:
    Saturday Night Fever, Bee Gees, David Shire, Yvonne Elliman, Tevares, Kool and the Gang, K.C. and the Sunshine Band, MFSB, Trammps, Walter Murphy and Ralph MacDonald (RSO)
    Song of the Year:
    Just the Way You Are – Billy Joel, songwriter
    Best New Artist of the Year:
    A Taste of Honey
    Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male:
    Copacabana (At the Copa), Barry Manilow
    Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female:
    You Needed Me – Anne Murray
    Best Pop Vocal Performance By a Duo, Group or Chorus:
    Saturday Night Fever, Bee Gees
    Best Pop Instrumental Performance:
    Children of Sanchez, Chuck Mangione Group
    Best Rhythm and Blues Song:
    Last Dance – Paul Jabara, songwriter
    Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance, Male:
    On Broadway – George Benson
    Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance, Female:
    Last Dance – Donna Summer
    Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance By a Duo, Group or Chorus:
    All’n All, Earth, Wind and Fire
    Best Rhythm and Blues Instrumental Performance:
    Runnin’ – Earth, Wind and Fire
    Best Jazz Vocal Performance:
    All Fly Home, Al Jarreau
    Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist:
    Montreux ’77 Oscar Peterson Jam, Oscar Peterson
    Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group:
    Friends, Chick Corea
    Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band:
    Live in Munich, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis
    Best Country Song:
    The Gambler – Don Schlitz, songwriter
    Best Country Vocal Performance, Male:
    Georgia on My Mind – Willie Nelson
    Best Country Vocal Performance, Female:
    Here You Come Again, Dolly Parton
    Best Country Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group:
    Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys – Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson
    Best Country Instrumental Performance:
    One O’Clock Jump – Asleep at the Wheel
    Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary or Inspirational:
    What a Friend – Larry Hart
    Best Gospel Performance, Traditional:
    Refreshing, Happy Goodman Family
    Best Soul Gospel Performance, Contemporary:
    Live in London, Andrae Crouch and the Disciples
    Best Soul Gospel Performance, Traditional:
    Live and Direct, Mighty Clouds of Joy
    Best Latin Recording:
    Homenaje a Beny Moré, Tito Puente (Tico)
    Best Inspirational Performance:
    Happy Man, B.J. Thomas
    Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording:
    I’m Ready, Muddy Waters (Blue Sky)
    Best Instrumental Arrangement:
    Main Title (Overture Part One, The Wiz Original Soundtrack), Quincy Jones and Robert Freedman, arrangers
    Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s):
    Got to Get You Into My Life – Maurice White, arranger
    Best Arrangement for Voices:
    Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees, arrangers
    Best Instrumental Composition:
    Theme From Close Encounters of the Third Kind – John Williams, composer
    Best Cast Show Album:
    Ain’t Misbehavin’, Thomas Fats Waller and others, composers (RCA Red Seal)
    Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special:
    Close Encounters of the Third Kind, John Williams, composer (Arista)
    Album of the Year, Classical:
    Brahms, Concerto for Violin in D Major, Itzhak Perlman; Carlo Maria Giulini conducting Chicago Symphony (Angel)
    Best Classical Orchestral Performance:
    Beethoven, Symphonies (Complete), Herbert von Karajan conducting Berlin Philharmonic
    Best Chamber Music Performance:
    Beethoven, Sonatas for Violin and Piano (Complete), Itzhak Perlman and Vladimir Ashkenazy
    Best Classical Performance, Instrumental Soloist(s) (With Orchestra):
    Rachmaninoff, Concerto No. 3 in D Minor for Piano (Horowitz Golden Jubilee), Vladimir Horowitz; Eugene Ormandy conducting Philadelphia Orchestra
    Best Classical Performance, Instrumental Soloist(s) (Without Orchestra):
    The Horowitz Concerts 1977/78, Vladimir Horowitz
    Best Opera Recording:
    Lehar, The Merry Widow, Julius Rudel conducting New York City Opera Orchestra and Chorus; solos: Sills and Titus (Angel)
    Best Choral Performance, Classical (Other Than Opera):
    Beethoven, Missa Solemnis, Sir Georg Solti, conductor and Margaret Hillis, choral director, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
    Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance:
    Luciano Pavarotti – Hits From Lincoln Center, Luciano Pavarotti
    Best Comedy Recording:
    A Wild and Crazy Guy, Steve Martin (Warner Bros.)
    Best Spoken Word Recording:
    Citizen Kane (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Orson Welles (Mark 56)
    Best Recording for Children:
    The Muppet Show, Jim Henson (Arista)
    Best Album Package:
    Boys in the Trees, Johnny Lee and Tony Lane, art directors (Elektra)
    Best Album Notes:
    A Bing Crosby Collection, vols. I and II, Michael Brooks, annotator (Columbia)
    Best Historical Repackage Album:
    Lester Young Story Vol. 3 (Columbia)
    Best Producers of the Year:
    Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson