3 Pop Songs From 1979 That Felt Like the Last Night of the 70s
The article selects three late-1979 songs that it argues captured the closing sound of the 1970s while pointing towards the musical direction of the 1980s. It presents power pop, new wave and punk as genres that were increasingly reaching mainstream audiences, making these songs markers of a changing pop landscape.
– “My Sharona” by The Knack: a major power-pop hit that reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and also topped charts in Australia and Canada.
– “Let’s Go” by The Cars: a blend of rock and new wave that reached No. 14 in the US, with stronger chart performance in Canada and Australia.
– “Train In Vain” by The Clash: first released on the 1979 album London Calling, then issued as a single in 1980; it reached No. 23 on the Hot 100 and No. 30 on the US Dance Club Songs chart.
- Three songs are presented as late-1970s pop turning points.
- The Knack’s “My Sharona” was the biggest US chart hit.
- The selections anticipate the sound of the 1980s.