By 1979, music had changed quite a bit in the span of just a few years. As the 1970s came to a close, new wave had begun to take over, classic rock was evolving in pretty big ways, and new music technology was beginning to advance substantially. But classic rock was still on the radio; in fact, some of the most beloved rock songs that baby boomer listeners still love today were dropped in 1979. Let’s look at just a few hard-hitters from that year.
“Another Brick In The Wall” by Pink Floyd from ‘The Wall’
Is there a more iconic song that dropped in 1979? That’s up to your personal taste. But one can’t deny that Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick In The Wall” remains one of the band’s most famous songs. This progressive hard rock hit was composed by Roger Waters and broken up into three parts. A standout protest song from The Wall, “Another Brick In The Wall” was a chart-topper across the board when it dropped in 1979. The song reached No. 1 in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, and countless other countries.
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“Heartache Tonight” by Eagles from ‘The Long Run’
This hit from Eagles remains a blues rock standard after all these years. I’m not surprised. “Heartache Tonight” was written by an eclectic mix of classic rock icons, including Don Henley, Glenn Frey, JD Souther, and Bob Seger. And it all started as a jam session inspired by the works of Sam Cooke. “Heartache Tonight” peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart in 1979.
“Sultans Of Swing” by Dire Straits from ‘Dire Straits’
Even if you’ve only listened to a little bit of Dire Straits, you’ve definitely heard “Sultans Of Swing”. This iconic pub rock classic is one for the ages, and it’s no surprise that it reached the Top 10 across the board in 1979. Mark Knopfler wrote and composed this roots rock jam, and it’s still considered one of the band’s greatest songs.
“Blow Away” by George Harrison from ‘George Harrison’
A former Beatle makes it to our list of classic rock songs from 1979 that baby boomer music fans still love. “Blow Away” is the lead single from George Harrison’s self-titled record, and it’s easily one of the best songs on that album. This pop-rock classic peaked at No. 16 on the Hot 100 chart.
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