One of the best parts about music is the way it can lift our spirits, motivate us, and make us feel good. The sonic equivalent of a pep talk from a close, trusted, and supportive friend, these feel-good songs tend to stick with us long after the first (or second or third) time we’ve heard them, and for baby boomers specifically, that includes these four iconic songs from 1978.
“You Light Up My Life” by Debby Boone
Debby Boone released her rendition of Joseph Brooks’ “You Light Up My Life” in August 1977. In the months that followed, the song gained popularity until it was riding high in the charts among other hit songs from 1978. The song was virtually inescapable in the late 1970s, garnering Boone several awards and peaking at No. 1 in the United States and Canada. Indeed, the public fell head over heels for this sentimental ballad, giving baby boomers plenty of time to memorize the lyrics, whether they wanted to or not.
“We Are The Champions” by Queen
Queen’s double A-side of “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions” is a great example of a rock song (or two) growing far beyond the legacy of the band itself and becoming a de facto standard. Both songs are still played often and beloved today, thanks in no small part to the baby boomers who can still sing these songs word for word. There’s nothing quite like giving in to the celebratory feeling of Queen’s “We Are The Champions”.
“Boogie Oogie Oogie” by A Taste Of Honey
A Taste Of Honey released “Boogie Oogie Oogie” on their eponymous debut in 1978, and it quickly became one of the top feel-good songs of the year (and decade). With a catchy refrain and a positive message about releasing inhibitions on the dance floor, it’s no wonder that baby boomers everywhere can still sing along to the chorus of this classic disco track. After all, they had plenty of practice listening to it on dance floors across the country.
“Summer Nights” by John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John
Finally, wrapping up our list of feel-good songs from 1978 is a soundtrack feature from Grease, “Summer Nights”. Performed by John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, and the rest of the Grease main cast, this is a song that might have become ingrained in the minds of some baby boomers against their will. Sure, it’s a little campy. But somewhere, deep down, everyone gets a little bit of satisfaction from singing, “Tell me more! Tell me more!”, because, frankly, waxing nostalgic about past summers just feels good.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
The post 4 Feel-Good Songs From 1978 That Every Baby Boomer Can Still Sing by Heart appeared first on American Songwriter.