List of UK top-ten albums in 1979 explained

The UK Albums Chart is one of many music charts compiled by the Official Charts Company that calculates the best-selling albums of the week in the United Kingdom.^{[1] [2] [3]} Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical albums. This list shows albums that peaked in the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart during 1979, as well as albums which peaked in 1978 and 1980 but were in the top 10 in 1979. The entry date is when the album appeared in the top ten for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).

The first new number-one album of the year was by Greatest Hits (1976-1978) by Showaddywaddy. Overall, eighteen different albums peaked at number one in 1979, with ABBA, Blondie and Gary Numan each having two albums hit that position.

Top-ten albums

Key

Symbol	Meaning
bgcolor=lightblue	‡	Album peaked in 1978 but still in chart in 1979.
♦	Album released in 1979 but peaked in 1980.
Entered	The date that the album first appeared in the chart.
Peak	Highest position that the album reached in the UK Albums Chart.

Entered (week ending)	data-sort-type="number"	Weeks in top 10	Single	Artist	data-sort-type="number"	Peak	Peak reached (week ending)	data-sort-type="number"	Weeks at peak
Albums in 1978
	11	New Boots and Panties!!	Ian Dury and the Blockheads	5		1
	5	A Tonic for the Troops ‡	The Boomtown Rats	8		2
	28	‡	John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John and Various artists	1		13
	26	Nightflight to Venus ‡	Boney M.	1		4
	37	Parallel Lines	Blondie	1		4
	8	Emotions ‡	Various artists	2		1
	8	A Single Man	Elton John	8		1
	8	20 Golden Greats ‡	Neil Diamond	2		1
	7	Midnight Hustle	Various artists	2		1
	12	Blondes Have More Fun ‡	Rod Stewart	3		4
	8	‡	The Carpenters	2		3
	6	Greatest Hits (1976-1978)	Showaddywaddy	1		2
	3	20 Songs of Joy ‡	Harry Secombe	8		3
Albums in 1979
	7	Don't Walk – Boogie	Various artists	1		3
	13	Armed Forces	Elvis Costello and The Attractions	2		3
	4	Wings Greatest	Wings	5		1
	6	The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1	Earth, Wind & Fire	6		1
	7	Action Replay	Various artists	1		1
	3	Strangers in the Night	UFO	7		1
	15	Spirits Having Flown	Bee Gees	1		2
	4	Marty Robbins Golden Collection	Marty Robbins	5		1
	3	Thank You Very Much (Reunion Concert at the London Palladium)	Cliff Richard and The Shadows	5		2
	9	C'est Chic	Chic	2		1
	32	Manilow Magic: The Best of Barry Manilow	Barry Manilow	3		3
	2	Live (X Cert)	The Stranglers	7		1
	3	The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle	Sex Pistols	7		2
	1	52nd Street	Billy Joel	10		1
	9	Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits Volume 2	Barbra Streisand	1		4
	7	A Collection of Their 20 Greatest Hits	The Three Degrees	8		2
	5	Manifesto	Roxy Music	7		1
	1	Desolation Angels	Bad Company	10		1
	20	Breakfast in America	Supertramp	3		6
	8	Dire Straits	Dire Straits	5		1
	10	The Very Best of Leo Sayer	Leo Sayer	1		3
	5	Country Life	Various artists	2		1
	12	Last the Whole Night Long – 50 Non Stop Party Greats from James Last	James Last	2		1
	4		Thin Lizzy	2		1
	4	Fate for Breakfast	Art Garfunkel	2		1
	18	Voulez-Vous	ABBA	1		4
	4	Bob Dylan at Budokan	Bob Dylan	4		1
	3	The Billie Jo Spears Singles Album	Billie Jo Spears	7		2
	5	Do It Yourself	Ian Dury and the Blockheads	2		2
	5	Lodger	David Bowie	4		1
	3	This Is It	Various artists	6		1
	21	Discovery	Electric Light Orchestra	1		5
	2	Sky	Sky	9		1
	3	Communiqué	Dire Straits	5		1
	4	Back to the Egg	Wings	6		1
	14	I Am	Earth, Wind & Fire	5		5
	9	Replicas	Tubeway Army	1		1
	4	Bridges	John Williams	5		1
	3	Night Owl	Gerry Rafferty	9		1
	5	Live Killers	Queen	3		1
	11	The Best Disco Album in the World	Various artists	1		6
	2	The Best of the Dooleys	The Dooleys	6		1
	3		Sex Pistols	6		2
	12	Outlandos d'Amour	The Police	6		1
	2	Highway to Hell	AC/DC	8		1
	3	Down to Earth	Rainbow	6		1
	5	In Through the Out Door	Led Zeppelin	1		2
	5	Slow Train Coming	Bob Dylan	2		1
	1	Street Life	The Crusaders	10		1
	7	The Pleasure Principle	Gary Numan	1		2
	4	Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile	Cliff Richard	3		3
	13	String of Hits ♦	The Shadows	1		3
	5	Oceans of Fantasy	Boney M.	1		1
	1	The Adventures of the Hersham Boys	Sham 69	8		1
	3	The Raven	The Stranglers	4		1
	6	Eat to the Beat	Blondie	1		1
	5	The Long Run	Eagles	4		2
	1	Unleashed in the East	Judas Priest	10		1
	26	Reggatta de Blanc	The Police	1		4
	20	Off the Wall	Michael Jackson	5		1
	3	Whatever You Want	Status Quo	3		1
	6	Tusk	Fleetwood Mac	1		1
	6	Lena's Music Album	Lena Martell	4		1
	6	The Specials	The Specials	4		1
	2	The Fine Art of Surfacing	The Boomtown Rats	7		1
	5	Greatest Hits 1972–1978	10cc	5		1
	5	Rock 'N' Roller Disco	Various artists	3		1
	12	Greatest Hits, Vol. 1	Rod Stewart	1		5
	13	Greatest Hits Vol. 2	ABBA	1		4
	2	Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants"	Stevie Wonder	8		1
	8	20 Golden Greats	Diana Ross	2		1
	2	Setting Sons	The Jam	4		1
	2	20 Golden Greats	Mantovani	9		1
	6	Love Songs ♦	Elvis Presley	4		1
	9	The Wall	Pink Floyd	3		4
	6	ELO's Greatest Hits	Electric Light Orchestra	7		1
	2	Crepes & Drapes	Showaddywaddy	8		2
	4	Peace in the Valley	Various artists	6		3
	1	Night Moves		10		1
	6	20 Hottest Hits ♦	Hot Chocolate	3		1
	3	London Calling	The Clash	9		3

See also

• 1979 in British music
• List of number-one albums from the 1970s (UK)

References

General

• Web site: Official Albums Chart Top 75. The Official Charts Company . 23 April 2017 .

Specific

External links

• 1979 album chart archive at the Official Charts Company (click on relevant week)

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Official Charts Company. Official Charts Company. 28 December 2014.
2. Book: Roberts, David. Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles and Albums (18th edition). 2005. 1-904994-00-8. 14. Guinness World Records Limited.
3. Web site: New singles formats to save the charts. BBC News. 16 October 2003 . 21 February 2010.