The year 1979 was full of lots of disco, lots of funk, and lots of hooky songs. Here are some that we play when we want to dance, or when we wanna go back in time.
“Funkytown” by Lipps Inc.
When it comes to international one-hit wonders, “Funkytown” is basically the blueprint. The song topped the charts in several countries, including Australia, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Norway, Sweden, and the US. I suppose everyone wanted to go to Funkytown, or that metaphorical place where the dance floor is a stage and it only matters how you look under the light of a disco moon.
“Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer
The year 1979 was one of the best years for disco music, and Donna Summer was the queen of disco, so… you do the math. “Hot Stuff” had to make this list, even though it wasn’t Summer’s only major disco hit. She also had success with the provocative yet daring “Love To Love You Baby”, a nearly 17-minute track that featured Summer’s vocals, amongst other things (if you know you know). One of the writers on this song, Keith Forsey, was already a certified hitmaker, thanks to songs like “(Don’t You) Forget About Me”. “Hot Stuff” was pretty much destined to be a success before it even came to fruition.
“Boys Don’t Cry” by The Cure
If you know any song by The Cure, I’m willing to bet that it’s either “Boys Don’t Cry” or “Just Like Heaven”. This song has a pretty simple premise: it’s about how showing emotion can be seen as a sign of weakness, especially for men. I love this song because it’s so upbeat and carefree, at least melodically; it almost proves the point that the lyrics are trying to make.
I try to laugh about it
Cover it all up with lies
I try to laugh about it
Hiding the tears in my eyes
‘Cause boys don’t cry
Boys don’t cry.
“Don’t Bring Me Down” by Electric Light Orchestra
“Don’t Bring Me Down” is like distortion and magic in a bottle. This song appears on ELO’s 1979 album Discovery, and, according to Songfacts, was the first song of theirs that did not use strings. To this day, it’s still their most successful single in the US. That just proves that sometimes going against what you know can lead to greater success.
Photo by: Maxine Howells/Getty Images
The post 4 Songs From 1979 That Even Modern Music Fans Can Get Behind appeared first on American Songwriter.