Revisiting the Grammys: Who Should Have Won Song of the Year at the Ceremony Held in 1979?

It’s an award that’s based on the song itself, meaning it’s the ultimate prize for songwriters. The coveted Song of the Year trophy at the Grammy Awards stands out as one of the most prestigious prizes to be earned each year.

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Looking back to the Grammys ceremony held in 1979, five worthy nominees battled it out. Billy Joel won it all for his smash hit “Just The Way You Are”. But did that song deserve it? We look back at the nominees for the 1979 Grammys Song of the Year and then deliver our verdict.

“Stayin’ Alive” by Bee Gees

The Bee Gees were supposed to write a song called “Saturday Night” for producer Robert Stigwood’s new disco-related movie. They thought it a horrible title, so they switched to something far more evocative. “Stayin’ Alive” manages to capture all the hope and desperation of a sweaty night out on the dance floors spent by folks just barely avoiding the fate of spinning right off the globe.

“Three Times A Lady” by The Commodores

Lionel Richie took inspiration for this Quiet Storm classic from a toast given by his father to his mother. Richie’s Dad mentioned all the ways that his Mom enriched his life. By that time, The Commodores had mostly ceded all their singles territory to Richie’s ballads, which were sure things just about every time. “Three Times A Lady” is not only a killer slow dance song, but the title became a popular adage all on its own.

“You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” by Neil Diamond & Barbra Streisand

One of the odder success stories in music history. Neil Diamond laid down the song, first written by Marilyn and Alan Bergman, as the theme to a television show. He extended it into a full version, while Barbra Streisand did her own take. Enterprising DJs smashed the two versions together until finally the two mega-stars recorded the duet together. And none of that would have mattered had Diamond not done such a fine job of depicting faded love.

“Just The Way You Are” by Billy Joel

Billy Joel wasn’t all that sure about “Just The Way You Are”. The light, jazzy strains of the music didn’t resemble what he wanted to project to the world. Luckily, producer Phil Ramone understood that Joel had a song that appealed to a mass audience. Granted, it lacks the bite of some of his other material. But the unassuming little track has proven quite resilient over the years.

“You Needed Me” by Anne Murray

Randy Goodrum turned into a reliable songsmith for arena rock stars in the 80s, writing or co-writing hits by Steve Perry, Chicago, and Toto, among others. But his first big splash came by giving Murray, Canada’s most successful import to the world of easy listening, this ballad. The high arc of the melody adds some interesting flavor to this one, while the lyrics do a nice job of uncorking some syrupy sentiment.

The Verdict

Of the five, “You Needed Me”, which is just a tad slighter than the rest, bows out of the running first. Joel may have won the award at the Grammys that night in 1979, but even he doesn’t seem too enthused by “Just The Way You Are” as he’s singing it. And “Stayin Alive”, while a brilliant track, is more a triumph of production and performance.

That leaves us with two showstopping ballads. We give the edge to The Commodores’ “Three Times A Lady”, thanks to Lionel Richie’s sumptuous melody and his ability to find a cleverly unique way of expressing gratitude to a significant other.

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