4 No. 1 Hits From 1979 That You Probably Forgot You Heard

The year 1979 was a year of disco, dance, and really fun music. Here are some old hits from that year that you probably forgot about, but that I’m willing to bet you know some of the words to.

Videos by American Songwriter

“I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor

Gloria Gaynor‘s “I Will Survive” is an unforgettable anthem of perseverance and grit. In 1980, Gaynor actually won a Grammy for “I Will Survive”, but wasn’t the one to accept the award. Why? She explained her absence in an interview with The Recording Academy.

“I was in the restroom!” she explained. “I thought I could run to the restroom and get back and seated before it started, and then [my category came up]. Someone else received my Grammy and held it for like five years.”

“Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer

Summer’s “Hot Stuff” combines both rock and disco in a groove that is just addictive. DJ Kygo actually did a remixed version of this song in 2020, which featured a super fun music video starring Outer Banks cast members, Madeline Cline and Chase Stokes.

To this day, this 1979 No. 1 still feels as fresh as ever.

“Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes

“Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” might be Holmes’ claim to fame, but it’s definitely a fun track to be remembered by.

“I have a feeling that if I saved an entire orphanage from a fire and carried the last child out on my shoulders, as I stood there charred and smoking, they’d say, ‘Aren’t you the guy who wrote the piña colada song?’” he told Songfacts. “It’s tough when you have this one thing that pulls focus from all these other things that you’ve done, yet every songwriter lives to have a song that most everybody knows.”

“Ring My Bell” by Anita Ward

You might already know this song, but if you didn’t before, you’ve definitely heard it on TikTok in recent months. On the social media app, a rumor spread recently that “Ring My Bell” actually contains an “abundance frequency,” which means that it’ll likely bring you good luck if you listen to it. For this reason, the song has become popular for not one but two generations.

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