100 Greatest Songs From 1979
Criteria: Songs listed are from Rock 'n' Roll and related sub-genres. Rankings are based on initial and lasting popularity and on acclaim received from critics and musicians.
Note: Yearly song lists go by earliest 'release date' (Single, Album, or Country of first release). Not necessarily the year a song peaked in the U.S. charts.
Note: Yearly song lists go by earliest 'release date' (Single, Album, or Country of first release). Not necessarily the year a song peaked in the U.S. charts.
1. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
Michael Jackson
2. Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2
Pink Floyd
3. Rapper's Delight
The Sugarhill Gang
4. Highway To Hell
AC/DC
5. London Calling
The Clash
6. Good Times
Chic
7. Rock With You
Michael Jackson
8. Comfortably Numb
Pink Floyd
9. Hot Stuff
Donna Summer
10. Boys Don't Cry
The Cure
11. Funkytown
Lipps, Inc.
12. Message in a Bottle
The Police
13. We Are Family
Sister Sledge
14. My Sharona
The Knack
15. Brass in Pocket
The Pretenders
16. Boogie Wonderland
Earth, Wind & Fire with the Emotions
17. Video Killed the Radio Star
Buggles
18. I Was Made for Lovin' You
KISS
19. Cars
Gary Numan
20. The Logical Song
Supertramp
21. Train In Vain
The Clash
22. Refugee
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
23. Cruisin'
Smokey Robinson
24. What I Like About You
Romantics
25. Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)
ABBA
26. Oliver's Army
Elvis Costello
27. Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Queen
28. After the Love Has Gone
Earth, Wind & Fire
29. Don't Bring Me Down
Electric Light Orchestra
30. Ring My Bel
Anita Ward
31. The Devil Went Down to Georgia
Charlie Daniels Band
32. I Wanna Be Your Lover
Prince
33. Hey Hey My My (Into the Black)
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
34. Bad Girls
Donna Summer
35. Born to Be Alive
Patrick Hernandez
36. Walking On the Moon
The Police
37. Off the Wall
Michael Jackson
38. Tusk
Fleetwood Mac
39. Ain’t No Stoppin' Us Now
McFadden & Whitehead
40. Atomic
Blondie
41. Ladies Night
Kool and the Gang
42. Sara
Fleetwood Mac
43. Pop Muzik
M
44. Hey You
Pink Floyd
45. And the Beat Goes On
Whispers
46. She's Lost Control
Joy Division
47. One Step Beyond
Madness
48. I Don't Like Mondays
Boomtown Rats
49. Escape (The Pina Colada Song)
Rupert Holmes
50. Are Friends Electric?
Tubeway Army
51. Tragedy
Bee Gees
52. A Message To You Rudy
Specials featuring Rico
53. Life During Wartime
Talking Heads
54. I Do Love You
GQ
55. Transmission
Joy Division
56. On the Radio
Donna Summer
57. Breakfast In America
Supertramp
58. She's Out of My Life
Michael Jackson
59. In the Navy
Village People
60. The Guns of Brixton
The Clash
61. Don't Do Me Like That
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
62. Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me, Girl
Spinners
63. All My Love
Led Zeppelin
64. Goodbye Stranger
Supertramp
65. I Fought the Law
The Clash
66. Mother
Pink Floyd
67. Bela Lugosi's Dead
Bauhaus
68. Making Plans For Nigel
XTC
69. Still
Commodores
70. Eton Rifles
The Jam
71. Chiquitita
Abba
72. Funkin' for Jamaica
Tom Browne
73. Dreaming
Blondie
74. Gangsters
Special A.K.A.
75. Sailing
Christopher Cross
76. Up the Junction
Squeeze
77. Let's Get Serious
Jermaine Jackson
78. Cruel To Be Kind
Nick Lowe
79. Take the Long Way Home
Supertramp
80. The Second Time Around
Shalamar
81. Does Your Mother Know
ABBA
82. Heartbreaker
Pat Benatar
83. Fool In the Rain
Led Zeppelin
84. No More Tears
Barbra Streisand/Donna Summer
85. Dance the Night Away
Van Halen
86. Oops Up Side Your Head
Gap Band
87. Heartache Tonight
Eagles
88. Too Much Too Young
Specials
89. Knee Deep
Funkadelic
90. I Got You
Split Enz
91. Ride Like the Wind
Christopher Cross
92. Chuck E's in Love
Rickie Lee Jones
93. Disco Nights
GQ
94. Voulez-Vous
ABBA
95. Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll
Vaughan Mason & Crew
96. Let's Go
Cars
97. Special Lady
Ray, Goodman & Brown
98. Babe
Styx
99. Rise
Herb Alpert
100. I Call Your Name
Switch
Michael Jackson
2. Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2
Pink Floyd
3. Rapper's Delight
The Sugarhill Gang
4. Highway To Hell
AC/DC
5. London Calling
The Clash
6. Good Times
Chic
7. Rock With You
Michael Jackson
8. Comfortably Numb
Pink Floyd
9. Hot Stuff
Donna Summer
10. Boys Don't Cry
The Cure
11. Funkytown
Lipps, Inc.
12. Message in a Bottle
The Police
13. We Are Family
Sister Sledge
14. My Sharona
The Knack
15. Brass in Pocket
The Pretenders
16. Boogie Wonderland
Earth, Wind & Fire with the Emotions
17. Video Killed the Radio Star
Buggles
18. I Was Made for Lovin' You
KISS
19. Cars
Gary Numan
20. The Logical Song
Supertramp
21. Train In Vain
The Clash
22. Refugee
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
23. Cruisin'
Smokey Robinson
24. What I Like About You
Romantics
25. Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)
ABBA
26. Oliver's Army
Elvis Costello
27. Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Queen
28. After the Love Has Gone
Earth, Wind & Fire
29. Don't Bring Me Down
Electric Light Orchestra
30. Ring My Bel
Anita Ward
31. The Devil Went Down to Georgia
Charlie Daniels Band
32. I Wanna Be Your Lover
Prince
33. Hey Hey My My (Into the Black)
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
34. Bad Girls
Donna Summer
35. Born to Be Alive
Patrick Hernandez
36. Walking On the Moon
The Police
37. Off the Wall
Michael Jackson
38. Tusk
Fleetwood Mac
39. Ain’t No Stoppin' Us Now
McFadden & Whitehead
40. Atomic
Blondie
41. Ladies Night
Kool and the Gang
42. Sara
Fleetwood Mac
43. Pop Muzik
M
44. Hey You
Pink Floyd
45. And the Beat Goes On
Whispers
46. She's Lost Control
Joy Division
47. One Step Beyond
Madness
48. I Don't Like Mondays
Boomtown Rats
49. Escape (The Pina Colada Song)
Rupert Holmes
50. Are Friends Electric?
Tubeway Army
51. Tragedy
Bee Gees
52. A Message To You Rudy
Specials featuring Rico
53. Life During Wartime
Talking Heads
54. I Do Love You
GQ
55. Transmission
Joy Division
56. On the Radio
Donna Summer
57. Breakfast In America
Supertramp
58. She's Out of My Life
Michael Jackson
59. In the Navy
Village People
60. The Guns of Brixton
The Clash
61. Don't Do Me Like That
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
62. Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me, Girl
Spinners
63. All My Love
Led Zeppelin
64. Goodbye Stranger
Supertramp
65. I Fought the Law
The Clash
66. Mother
Pink Floyd
67. Bela Lugosi's Dead
Bauhaus
68. Making Plans For Nigel
XTC
69. Still
Commodores
70. Eton Rifles
The Jam
71. Chiquitita
Abba
72. Funkin' for Jamaica
Tom Browne
73. Dreaming
Blondie
74. Gangsters
Special A.K.A.
75. Sailing
Christopher Cross
76. Up the Junction
Squeeze
77. Let's Get Serious
Jermaine Jackson
78. Cruel To Be Kind
Nick Lowe
79. Take the Long Way Home
Supertramp
80. The Second Time Around
Shalamar
81. Does Your Mother Know
ABBA
82. Heartbreaker
Pat Benatar
83. Fool In the Rain
Led Zeppelin
84. No More Tears
Barbra Streisand/Donna Summer
85. Dance the Night Away
Van Halen
86. Oops Up Side Your Head
Gap Band
87. Heartache Tonight
Eagles
88. Too Much Too Young
Specials
89. Knee Deep
Funkadelic
90. I Got You
Split Enz
91. Ride Like the Wind
Christopher Cross
92. Chuck E's in Love
Rickie Lee Jones
93. Disco Nights
GQ
94. Voulez-Vous
ABBA
95. Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll
Vaughan Mason & Crew
96. Let's Go
Cars
97. Special Lady
Ray, Goodman & Brown
98. Babe
Styx
99. Rise
Herb Alpert
100. I Call Your Name
Switch
20 more worth mentioning.
101. Since You've Been Gone
Rainbow
102. Run Like Hell
Pink Floyd
103. Rock 'n' Roll High School
Ramones
104. Please Don't Go
KC & the Sunshine Band
105. I Can't Tell You Why
Eagles
106. Wonderful Christmastime
Paul McCartney
107. My Girl
Madness
108. The Ballad of Lucy Jordan
Marianne Faithfull
109. Too Hot
Kool and the Gang
110. We Don't Talk Anymore
Cliff Richard
111. Turn Off the Lights
Teddy Pendergrass
112. The Long Run
Eagles
113. Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'
Journey
114. Here Comes My Girl
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
115. Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy
Bad Company
116. Do You Love What You Feel
Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
117. Flirtin' With Disaster
Molly Hatchet
118. Girls Talk
Dave Edmunds
119. Dim All the Lights
Donna Summer
120. King Tim III
Fatback
Rainbow
102. Run Like Hell
Pink Floyd
103. Rock 'n' Roll High School
Ramones
104. Please Don't Go
KC & the Sunshine Band
105. I Can't Tell You Why
Eagles
106. Wonderful Christmastime
Paul McCartney
107. My Girl
Madness
108. The Ballad of Lucy Jordan
Marianne Faithfull
109. Too Hot
Kool and the Gang
110. We Don't Talk Anymore
Cliff Richard
111. Turn Off the Lights
Teddy Pendergrass
112. The Long Run
Eagles
113. Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'
Journey
114. Here Comes My Girl
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
115. Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy
Bad Company
116. Do You Love What You Feel
Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
117. Flirtin' With Disaster
Molly Hatchet
118. Girls Talk
Dave Edmunds
119. Dim All the Lights
Donna Summer
120. King Tim III
Fatback
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1979
An unheralded great record from 1979
Brian's choice:
* Discovering Japan
Graham Parker & the Rumour
Lew's choice:
* Gold
John Stewart
Bruce's choice:
* We Were Both Wrong
Dave Edmunds
Brett's choice:
* Daytime Nighttime Suffering
Paul McCartney & Wings
Adam's choice:
* Stay In Time
Off Broadway USA
1978 | 1980
Brian's choice:
* Discovering Japan
Graham Parker & the Rumour
Lew's choice:
* Gold
John Stewart
Bruce's choice:
* We Were Both Wrong
Dave Edmunds
Brett's choice:
* Daytime Nighttime Suffering
Paul McCartney & Wings
Adam's choice:
* Stay In Time
Off Broadway USA
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Edited By: Brian
Last Updated: 2026-08-27
Last Updated: 2026-08-27
