Soft rock was quite the popular subgenre in the late 1970s, particularly in 1979. However, some soft rock songs from that fine year stand out among the rest, and I think those songs are worth celebrating decades later. Let’s take a look at a few soft rock jams from 1979 that never seem to get old!
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“Cool Change” by Little River Band
Little River Band was one of the most popular Australian rock bands of their time, and one of their most popular songs has to be the 1979 soft rock gem, “Cool Change”. Released as a single from First Under The Wire, this tune was quite popular internationally. It hit No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and did similarly well in Canada and New Zealand. That saxophone a la Bill Harrower really ties the whole thing together. Oddly enough, this tune wasn’t released as a single in Australia and thus did not chart in the band’s home country.
“Take The Long Way Home” by Supertramp
It was only natural that Supertramp would make it to this list. This British rock outfit dished out quite a few soft rock tunes during their heyday. However, “Take The Long Way Home” is one of the most memorable to hit the airwaves in 1979. This song from Breakfast In America was a multi-country hit, peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100 and No. 4 in Canada. Songwriter Roger Hodgson said that “Take The Long Way Home” was one of the best songs he ever wrote, and I’m inclined to agree with that. This is a surprisingly bouncy song with top-notch harmonies that never seem to get old.
“Babe” by Styx
The last entry on our list of the best soft rock tunes from 1979 just couldn’t be avoided. “Babe” by Styx isn’t just a great song, but it’s also the band’s first and only No. 1 single in the US. I can see why. “Babe” is a synth-y delight from start to finish. This song made it to No. 1 on multiple charts, including the Hot 100, Canada Adult Contemporary, and the US Cash Box Top 100 chart. The song also did quite well in the UK and Australia, among other countries.
Photo by Ed Perlstein/Redferns/Getty Images
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