1978 in British music explained

This is a summary of 1978 in music in the United Kingdom.

Events

• 14 January – The Sex Pistols play their final show (until a reunion in 1996) at Winterland, San Francisco.
• 24 January – Wings' "Mull of Kintyre" is number one for a ninth and final week, becoming the biggest-selling single in UK history at that point.
• 25 January – Electric Light Orchestra kick off their Out of the Blue world tour in Honolulu, Hawaii.
• 11 March – Kate Bush became the first female solo artist to reach number one in the UK charts with a self-written song, "Wuthering Heights".
• 30 April – The Clash, Tom Robinson Band, Steel Pulse, X-Ray Spex, the Ruts, Misty in Roots and Generation X all play live in Victoria Park, Hackney at the Anti-Nazi League/Rock Against Racism festival, following a march from Trafalgar Square.
• 25 May – The Who play their last show with Keith Moon.
• 15 July – The Picnic at Blackbushe Aerodrome, Camberley, Surrey, a concert featuring Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Joan Armatrading, attracts some 200,000 people.^[1]
• 30 July – Thin Lizzy officially announce that Gary Moore has replaced Brian Robertson on guitar.
• 18 August – The Who release their eighth studio album Who Are You. It is the Who's last album with Keith Moon as the drummer; Moon dies twenty days after the release of the album.
• September – Second anti-racism event staged in Brockwell Park, South London, featuring Elvis Costello, Stiff Little Fingers and Aswad, with 150,000 people in attendance.
• 27 November – Def Leppard's permanent drummer Rick Allen joins the band at the age of 15.
• December – UB40 formed.
• The Bee Gees' Saturday Night Fever becomes the biggest-selling album of all time (until overtaken in 1983).
• The first BBC Young Musician of the Year competition for classical players is won by trombonist Michael Hext.
• Operatic contralto Helen Watts is appointed a CBE.
• Multitone Records is founded by Pranil Gohil, specialising in bhangra music.

Charts

Number one singles

Date	Song	Artist
7 January	"Mull of Kintyre" / "Girls' School"	Wings
14 January
21 January
28 January
4 February	"Uptown Top Ranking"
11 February	"Figaro"
18 February	"Take a Chance on Me"
25 February
4 March
11 March	"Wuthering Heights"	Kate Bush
18 March
25 March
1 April
8 April	"Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs"
15 April
22 April
29 April	"Night Fever"	Bee Gees
6 May
13 May	"Rivers of Babylon"	Boney M
20 May
27 May
3 June
10 June
17 June	"You're the One That I Want"	John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
24 June
1 July
8 July
15 July
22 July
29 July
5 August
12 August
19 August	"Three Times a Lady"
26 August
2 September
9 September
16 September
23 September	"Dreadlock Holiday"	10cc
30 September	"Summer Nights"	John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
7 October
14 October
21 October
28 October
4 November
11 November
18 November	"Rat Trap"	The Boomtown Rats
25 November
2 December	"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"	Rod Stewart
9 December	"Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord"	Boney M
16 December
23 December
30 December

Number one albums

Date	Album	Artist	Weeks
7 January	Disco Fever	Various Artists	2
14 January
21 January	The Sound of Bread	Bread	1
28 January	Rumours	Fleetwood Mac	1
4 February	The Album	ABBA	7
11 February
18 February
25 February
4 March
11 March
18 March
25 March	20 Golden Greats	Buddy Holly and The Crickets	3
1 April
8 April
15 April	20 Golden Greats	Nat 'King' Cole	3
22 April
29 April
6 May	Saturday Night Fever	Original Soundtrack	18
13 May
20 May
27 May
3 June
10 June
17 June
24 June
1 July
8 July
15 July
22 July
29 July
5 August
12 August
19 August
26 August
2 September
9 September	Nightflight to Venus	Boney M	4
16 September
23 September
30 September
7 October	Grease	Original Soundtrack	13
14 October
21 October
28 October
4 November
11 November
18 November
25 November
2 December
9 December
16 December
23 December
30 December

Year-end charts

The tables below include sales between 31 December 1977 and 30 December 1978: the year-end charts reproduced in the issue of Music Week dated 23 December 1978 and played on Radio 1 on 31 December 1978 only include sales figures up until 16 December 1978.

Best-selling singles

^[2]

scope=col		scope=col	Title	scope=col	Artist	scope=col	Peak position
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1	"Rivers of Babylon"/"Brown Girl in the Ring"	Boney M	1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2	"You're the One That I Want"	and Olivia Newton-John	1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	3	"Summer Nights"	and Olivia Newton-John	1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	4	"Three Times a Lady"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	5	"The Smurf Song"	and the Smurfs	2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	6	"Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord"	Boney M	1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	7	"Night Fever"	Bee Gees	1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	8	"Rat Trap"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	9	"Take a Chance on Me"	ABBA	1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	10	"Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs"	Brian and Michael	1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	11	"Dreadlock Holiday"	10cc	1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	12	"Wuthering Heights"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	13	"Sandy"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	14	"Rasputin"	Boney M	2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	15	"Substitute"	Clout	2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	16	"Denis"	Blondie	2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	17	"Baker Street"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	18	"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	19	"Figaro"	Brotherhood of Man	1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	20	"Come Back My Love"	Darts	2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	21	"Love Don't Live Here Anymore"	Rose Royce	2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	22	"Mull of Kintyre"/"Girls' School"	Wings	1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	23	"It's Raining"	Darts	2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	24	"Wishing on a Star"	Rose Royce	3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	25	"Lucky Stars"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	26	"Dancing in the City"	Marshall Hain	3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	27	"Boogie Oogie Oogie"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	28	"Oh What a Circus"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	29	"Grease"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	30	"Jilted John"	Jilted John	4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	31	"Y.M.C.A."	Village People	2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	32	"Annie's Song"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	33	"Stayin' Alive"	Bee Gees	4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	34	"Too Much, Too Little, Too Late"	and Deniece Williams	3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	35	"The Boy from New York City"	Darts	2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	36	"Hopelessly Devoted to You"		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	37	"Blame It on the Boogie"		8
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	38	"Darlin'"		6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	39	"Never Let Her Slip Away"		5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	40	"Sweet Talkin' Woman"	Electric Light Orchestra	6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	41	"If I Had Words"	and Yvonne Keeley with the St Thomas More School Choir	3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	42	"I Can't Stand the Rain"	Eruption featuring Precious Wilson	5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	43	"Mr. Blue Sky"	Electric Light Orchestra	6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	44	"Uptown Top Ranking"	Althea and Donna	1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	45	"MacArthur Park"		5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	46	"I Wonder Why"	Showaddywaddy	2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	47	"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"	Sylvester	8
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	48	"If You Can't Give Me Love"		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	49	"A Taste of Aggro"		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	50	"Forever Autumn"		5

Best-selling albums

^[3]

scope=col		scope=col	Title	scope=col	Artist	scope=col	Peak position
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	1	Saturday Night Fever	Original Soundtrack	1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	2	Grease	Original Soundtrack	1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	3	The Album	ABBA	1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	4	Nightflight to Venus	Boney M	1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	5	20 Golden Greats		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	6	Rumours	Fleetwood Mac	1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	7	Out of the Blue	Electric Light Orchestra	5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	8	Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds		5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	9	Images		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	10	20 Golden Greats	& the Crickets	1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	11	The Kick Inside		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	12	And Then There Were Three	Genesis	3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	13	Classic Rock	London Symphony Orchestra	3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	14	New Boots and Panties!!		8
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	15	Live and Dangerous	Thin Lizzy	2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	16	Reflections		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	17	The Sound of Bread	Bread	1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	18			2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	19	Street-Legal		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	20	A Tonic for the Troops		8
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	21	20 Golden Greats		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	22	The Stud	Original Soundtrack	2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	23	City to City		6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	24	The Big Wheels of Motown	Various Artists	2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	25	You Light Up My Life		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	26	Greatest Hits (1976-1978)	Showaddywaddy	4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	27	20 Golden Greats		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	28	Bat Out of Hell	Meat Loaf	11
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	29	London Town	Wings	4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	30	Emotions	Various Artists	2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	31	Midnight Hustle	Various Artists	5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	32	Some Girls		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	33	Variations		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	34	Pastiche		10
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	35	Greatest Hits	ABBA	12
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	36	Kaya	and the Wailers	4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	37	Blondes Have More Fun		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	38	Parallel Lines	Blondie	7
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	39	Foot Loose & Fancy Free		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	40	Plastic Letters	Blondie	10
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	41	Arrival	ABBA	12
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	42	Black and White		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	43	20 Giant Hits		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	44	The Greatest Hits of Donna Summer		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	45	Natural High		8
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	46	This Year's Model	and the Attractions	4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	47	Anytime...Anywhere		6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	48	Octave		6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	49	A Single Man		8
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	50	Bloody Tourists	10cc	3

Notes:

Classical music: new works

• Malcolm Arnold – Symphony No. 8
• Peter Maxwell Davies – Symphony no. 1
• Daniel Jones – String Quartet No 4
• Malcolm Williamson
  • Azure
  • Fiesta

Film and Incidental music

• Tony Banks – The Shout, starring Alan Bates, Susannah York and John Hurt.
• Roy Budd – The Wild Geese.
• Ron Goodwin – Force 10 from Navarone directed by Guy Hamilton, starring Robert Shaw and Edward Fox.
• Ed Welch – The Thirty Nine Steps, starring Robert Powell.

Births

• 1 January – Tarik O'Regan, composer
• 13 January – Shelley Nash, singer (Girls@Play)
• 15 January – Sandi Lee Hughes, singer (allSTARS*)
• 19 January – Wayne Williams, singer (Another Level)
• 13 February – Hamish Glencross, Scottish guitarist
• 14 February – Ryan Griffiths (The Vines)
• 22 February – Jenny Frost, singer (Atomic Kitten)
• 6 April – Myleene Klass, singer (Hear'Say), radio and TV presenter
• 7 April – Duncan James, singer (Blue)
• 9 April – Rachel Stevens, singer (S Club 7)
• 16 April – Terry Daly, Irish singer (Mytown)
• 23 April – Tom Lowe, singer and keyboardist (North and South)
• 25 April – Luke Bedford, composer
• 28 April – Lauren Laverne, singer, radio DJ and TV presenter
• 4 May – Matthew Rose, bass
• 22 May – Jordan, model and would-be singer
• 29 May – Adam Rickitt, singer
• 6 June – Sophie Solomon, violinist
• 16 June – Elisa Cariera, American-born singer (Solid HarmoniE)
• 4 July – Stephen McNally, English singer-songwriter (BBMak)
• 1 August – Jonathan Wilkes, singer and entertainer
• 3 September – Johnny Shentall, singer (Boom!)
• 15 September – David Sneddon, singer-songwriter
• 27 September – Jamie Benson, singer (Hepburn)
• 7 October – Alesha Dixon, singer (Mis-Teeq)
• 9 October
  • Nicky Byrne, Irish singer (Westlife)
  • Beverley Fullen, drummer (Hepburn)
• 26 October – Rachael Carr, singer (Boom!)
• 27 October – Sabrina Washington, singer (Mis-Teeq)
• 29 October – Sam Chapman, singer and keyboardist (North and South)
• 1 November – Bobak Kianovsh, singer (Another Level)
• 7 November – Mark Read, singer (A1)
• 27 November – Mike Skinner, rapper, musician and record producer
• 12 December – Paul Walker, Irish singer (Mytown)
• 18 December – Lindsay Armaou, Greek-born Irish-based singer (B*Witched)
• date unknown – Oliver Weeks, composer, arranger and guitarist

Deaths

• 11 January – William John Edwards, Cerdd Dant singer (b. 1898)
• 15 January – Jack Jackson, trumpeter, bandleader and radio disc jockey (b. 1906)
• 24 February – Mrs Mills, pianist (b. 1918)
• 9 March – L. Radley Flynn, singer and actor (b. 1902)
• 12 March – Tolchard Evans, songwriter, composer, pianist and bandleader (b. 1901)
• 3 April – Ray Noble, composer and bandleader (b. 1903)
• 21 April – Sandy Denny, singer (Fairport Convention) (b. 1947) (cerebral haemorrhage)
• 14 August – Victor Silvester, dance band leader (b. 1900)
• 7 September
  • Keith Moon, drummer for The Who (b. 1946) (Clomethiazole overdose)
  • Charles Williams, composer (b. 1893)
• 15 September – Robert Bruce Montgomery, composer (b. 1921)
• 13 November – W. S. Gwynn Williams, musician and composer (b. 1896)

See also

• 1978 in British radio
• 1978 in British television
• 1978 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 1978

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Picnic at Blackbushe Aerodrome 1978. www.ukrockfestivals.com. 2022-10-08.
2. Book: Peter . Scaping . BPI Year Book 1979 . Top 200 Singles in 1978 . The British Phonographic Industry Ltd . London, England . 186–89 . 4th . 1979 . 0-906154-02-2.
3. Scaping (1979). "Top 200 LPs in 1978". pp. 182–85.