So many great songs came out at the end of the 1970s, including in 1978. Some of the best hits of all time came out that year, including these three Top 40 tunes. They are all so good, it’s almost a guarantee that every 70s kid still knows them by heart today.
“Promises” by Eric Clapton
On Eric Clapton’s Backless album is “Promises”. It was written by Richard Feldman and Roger Linn.
A song about a relationship that has definitely come to an end, “Promises” says, “I got a problem / Can you relate? / I got a woman calling love hate / We made a vow we’d always be friends / How could we know that promises end?“
“Promises” is Clapton’s only hit from Backless. Hank Williams Jr. covers this song on Major Moves, an album he released in 1984.
“Life’s Been Good” by Joe Walsh
Joe Walsh is known for being part of The Eagles, although he also had a successful solo career. Walsh wrote “Life’s Been Good” by himself. It is on But Seriously, Folks …., Walsh’s fourth solo album. “Life’s Been Good” is also part of the soundtrack for FM, a film that was also released in 1978.
“Life’s Been Good” is largely autobiographical for Walsh. The song is about someone who seemingly has it all, yet is still unhappy. “Life’s Been Good” starts with, “I have a mansion, forget the price / Ain’t never been there, they tell me it’s nice / I live in hotels, stare at the walls / I have accountants pay for it all.”
“Life’s Been Good” became Walsh’s highest-charting single as a solo artist when it was released, reaching the Top 15. In 1981, Walsh had a No. 1 single with “A Life Of Illusion”. A version of “Life’s Been Good” is part of the 1980 Eagles Live album.
“A Man I’ll Never Be” by Boston
“A Man I’ll Never Be” is on Don’t Look Back, Boston’s sophomore album. Band member Tom Scholz is the sole writer of “A Man I’ll Never Be”.
A song about a man who cannot—or will not—live up to his girlfriend’s expectations, “A Man I’ll Never Be” says in part, “You look up at me / And somewhere in your mind you see / A man I’ll never be.”
Scholz wrote all but one of the tracks on Don’t Look Back, penning most of them by himself. “A Man I’ll Never Be” comes after “Don’t Look Back”, one of Boston’s biggest hits. Although the group started releasing music in 1976, it would take them a decade to reach the top of the charts. In 1986, Boston released “Amanda”. “Amanda” is the band’s only No. 1 single.
Photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns
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