The end of the 1970s had some of the best songs of all time. So many great tunes came out in 1979, including these four, which would still be perfect for a dance floor today.
“Bad Girls” by Donna Summer
“Bad Girls” is the title track of the 1979 record by Summer. Summer, Bruce Sudano, Joe “Bean” Esposito, and Edward “Eddie” Hokenson are the writers of the uptempo tune.
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The song says in part, “Friday night and the strip is hot / Sun’s gone down and they’re out to trot / Spirit’s high and legs look hot / Do you wanna get down.”
“Bad Girls” hit No. 1 on multiple charts, including Billboard’s Hot 100, Dance Club Songs, and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. Also, Bad Girls includes “Hot Stuff”, another No. 1 dance song for Summer.
“Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” by The Jacksons
The Jacksons’ own Michael Jackson and Randy Jackson are the writers of “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)”. “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” is on their Destiny album.
The chorus says, “Let’s dance, let’s shout (shout) / Shake your body down to the ground / Let’s dance, let’s shout (shout) / Shake your body down to the ground.”
“Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” is The Jacksons’ only hit single in 1979. The album version comes in at eight minutes long. However, the single version was edited to under four minutes.
“My Sharona” by The Knack
“My Sharona” is The Knack’s debut single. On their freshman Get The Knack album, “My Sharona” was written by band members Berton Averre and Doug Fieger.
The song starts with, “Ooh, my little pretty one, my pretty one / When you gonna give me some time, Sharona? / Hoo, you make my motor run, my motor run / Gun it comin’ off of the line, Sharona.”
“My Sharona” is the only song by The Knack to reach No. 1. The song stayed at the top of the charts for six weeks. It was also the No. 1 pop song in 1979.
“We Are Family” by Sister Sledge
“We Are Family” is the title track of a record that Sister Sledge released in 1979. The song was written by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. Still, it is surprisingly accurate for Sister Sledge, a group made up of four real-life sisters.
The chorus of “We Are Family” says, “We are family / I got all my sisters with me / We are family / Get up everybody and sing.”
“We Are Family” became a platinum-selling hit for Sister Sledge. It remains their most popular song.
Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images
More The List
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Lionel Richie performing on stage at the Rosemont Horizon in Rosemont, Illinois, June 12, 1984. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images) -
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UNSPECIFIED – JANUARY 01: Photo of RAM JAM; Posed group portrait of Ram Jam (Photo by Echoes/Redferns) -
CROCKETT – APRIL 12: A CBS television country music presentation, A Special Kenny Rogers. Originally broadcast April 12, 1979. Crockett, TX. Kenny Rogers with guest, country singer Dottie West. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images) -
circa 1975: American songwriter, pianist and singer Neil Sedaka on stage at the Colston Hall in Bristol. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) -
Brielpoort – Deinze – Belgium – 13/12/1985 Simple Minds: Jim Kerr Photo gie Knaeps -
Rock Group Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) L-R John Fogerty, Tom Fogerty, Doug Clifford and Stu Cook pose for a portrait during the album cover session for Green River in 1969 in Tilden Regional Park in Orinda, California. (Photo by Basul Parik/Getty Images)
