Disco songs were still holding on pretty strong in 1979. Established acts like the Bee Gees and Donna Summer found their way to the top of the pop charts. And surprising artists like Amii Stewart and Anita Ward also scored No. 1s.
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But classic rock acts weren’t exactly left out of the loop. These four artists/bands from the rock genre all managed to muscle their way past the disco craze to make it to No. 1 with their songs in 1979.
“Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” by Rod Stewart
Well, this one probably has to come with an asterisk attached to it, right? Rod Stewart had certainly established his rock bona fides and dished out excellent songs by the time 1979 rolled around. Both in his solo work and as a member of the Faces, Stewart’s gritty voice proved the ideal instrument for bluesy rockers and ballads. But Stewart also displayed outstanding survival instincts throughout his career in knowing how to maintain his pop relevance. He certainly latched on to the disco sound with “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?”, which he wrote with Duane Hitchings and Carmine Appice. In later years, Stewart expressed ambivalence about the song. People interpreted it as braggadocio and not the storytelling it was meant to be. But it certainly served its purpose at the time.
“What A Fool Believes” by The Doobie Brothers
Many people know that this song was penned by Michael McDonald, then-lead singer of The Doobie Brothers, and Kenny Loggins. What they might not realize is that Loggins actually released a version of “What A Fool Believes” a few months before the Doobies took their shot at it. Loggins take was a bit airier. The Doobie Brothers played up the musical hooks, allowing the song to take off at radio. This was a point in the band’s career when they had gravitated towards McDonald’s rock-soul vibe and away from the more rootsy sound of their early years. “What A Fool Believes” not only topped the charts, but it also earned a lot of Grammy love. The song took home both Song and Record of the Year at the ceremonies held in 1980.
“Heartache Tonight” by Eagles
The making of The Long Run, the Eagles final album before their long hiatus, proved to be a multi-year slog. By all accounts, the creation of the album’s biggest hit didn’t require as much effort or cause as much angst as the rest of the record. And you can kind of hear that in the finished product. “Heartache Tonight” isn’t reaching for any literary significance or anything as high-minded as all that. It’s all about the groove created by that drumbeat and Glenn Frey’s engaging emoting as lead vocalist. Bob Seger chipped in with the writing of this track while visiting Frey, with Don Henley and JD Souther helping as well. Nobody would have guessed at an imminent Eagles’ breakup based on the upbeat vibes of this song.
“Babe” by Styx
Styx deserves way more credit than they receive when it comes to their body of work. (Are your ears burning, powers that be at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?) Blessed with a pair of ace guitarists, they could deliver thundering rockers. Because of their prog-based origins, they could also venture off into complex song suites and make it out the other side just fine. And when they really needed a pop hit, they could count on Dennis DeYoung’s unerring touch with the slow ones, both in terms of his writing and the way he caressed the lead vocals. And, as usual with Styx ballads, there’s plenty of room for those gilded band harmonies. “Babe” would turn out to be this legendary group’s lone No. 1 pop hit.
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