Classic rock really dominated the airwaves in the 1970s, and 1978 was a particularly fine year. New wave was on the rise, old-school hard rock outfits were experimenting with new sounds, and some of the biggest era-defining songs of the decade dropped that very year. Let’s take a look back at just a few classic rock songs from 1978 that still shake the ground we stand on!
“Love Is Like Oxygen” by Sweet
Remember this glam rock gem with a disco edge from the band Sweet? Written by Andy Scott and Trevor Griffin, “Love Is Like Oxygen” was a fast hit for the band, peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 9 on the UK Singles chart. It remains one of Sweet’s most well-known songs from their heyday.
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“Hot Blooded” by Foreigner
Foreigner making this list is no surprise, considering the band really dominated the charts in the 1970s. “Hot Blooded” was one of the biggest hits of 1978, a hard rock romp with power pop elements that really took over the charts. It peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 but didn’t quite make it to the Top 40 in the UK. Still, the Lou Gramm and Mick Jones-penned tune was seriously popular among fans of hard rock that year.
“Kiss You All Over” by Exile
Exile had quite a hit on their hands with “Kiss You All Over” in 1978, a soft rock, pop-ish jam with disco elements that was written by Miek Chapman and Nicky Chinn. This jam would be Exile’s only major hit in the US pop market. There, it peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100. In the wake of this hit, Exile would find substantial success in the country music world.
“Miss You” by The Rolling Stones
We just couldn’t leave The Rolling Stones off this list. This classic rock tune from 1978 was written by the principal songwriting partnership of Jagger and Richards. And it was the first and arguably most popular single to be released off Some Girls. It was a chart-topper on the Hot 100, and it remains one of the famed rock band’s most popular disco-leaning tunes. The Rolling Stones really could do anything.
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Kyu Sakamoto. (1941-1985) Japanese singer, best known outside Japan for his international hit song "Ue o Muite Aruko" (known as "Sukiyaki" in English-speaking markets), which was sung in Japanese and sold over 13 million copies. It reached number one in the United States Billboard Hot 100 in June 1963, making Sakamoto the first Asian recording artist to have a number one song on the chart. (Photo by Sjöberg Bildbyrå/ullstein bild via Getty Images) -
Picture taken in 1974 in Stockholm shows the Swedish pop group Abba with its members (L-R) Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog and Bjorn Ulvaeus posing after winning the Swedish branch of the Eurovision Song Contest with their song "Waterloo". – Sweden's legendary disco group ABBA announced on April 27, 2018 that they have reunited to record two new songs, 35 years after their last single. The quartet split up in 1982 after dominating the disco scene for more than a decade with hits like "Waterloo", "Dancing Queen", "Mamma Mia" and "Super Trouper". (Photo by Olle LINDEBORG / TT News Agency / AFP) / Sweden OUT (Photo credit should read OLLE LINDEBORG/AFP via Getty Images) -
IN CONCERT – Airdate: March 1, 1974. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images) LINDA RONSTADT -
HOLLYWOOD, CA – 1979: Teens dance to the music at the 1979 Hollywood High School prom held in Hollywood, California. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) -
British musician Christine McVie, of the group Fleetwood Mac, performs onstage at the Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, Wisconsin, July 19, 1978. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images) -
Singer Patsy Cline poses for a portrait circa 1961. Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images -
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