The year 1979 was a year of disco, post-punk, and new wave, among other genres. It was also quite a time to be a teenager. Here are some songs I think high schoolers in 1979 would’ve loved.
“Boogie Wonderland” by Earth, Wind & Fire
“Boogie Wonderland” gives name to the phenomenon that happens when you go out and dance the night away. It’s about using the pleasures of nightlife to escape, even though you might wake up later and realize you still have to deal with reality. A Dianne Keaton film inspired this one called Looking For Mr. Goodbar, in which a schoolteacher tries to deal with her own problems using substances and sex.
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“Chiquitita” by ABBA
In 1979, ABBA released “Chiquitita” as a single to raise money for New York’s UNICEF concert. Much of the money went to hunger programs. Although the track did not go No. 1 in the US, it had major international success, reaching the top spot in Belgium, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, and Switzerland. ABBA also recorded a Spanish version of this song, even though none of the Swedish members knew the language.
“Boys Don’t Cry” by The Cure
“Boys Don’t Cry”, although relatively upbeat, is all about trying to fix a relationship without getting too caught up in your emotions. Lead singer of The Cure, Robert Smith, spoke about how, growing up, he was encouraged not to show his feelings with NME:
“And as an English boy at the time, you’re encouraged not to show your emotion to any degree. And I couldn’t help but show my emotions when I was younger. I never found it awkward showing my emotions. I couldn’t really continue without showing my emotions; you’d have to be a pretty boring singer to do that. So I kind of made a big thing about it…”
“Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen
Freddie Mercury actually composed this song in about 5 to 10 minutes. He wasn’t a very experienced guitarist, but he once remarked that this almost gave him an advantage when crafting the song because there weren’t that many chords for him to try. “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” was Queen’s first No. 1 single ever.
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American Rock musician Tom Petty (1950 – 2017) plays guitar as he performs, with his band the Heartbreakers, onstage during the 'Long After Dark' tour at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York, March 31, 1983. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images) -
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Bronx, N.Y.: Singer Dion DiMucci sings for the crowd at Freedomland in the Bronx, New York on July 30, 1963. (Photo by Dick Morseman/Newsday RM via Getty Images) -
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