# 4 Songs From 1978 That Even Modern Music Fans Can Get Behind

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/4-songs-from-1978-that-even-modern-music-fans-can-get-behind/
- Published: 2026-11-02T18:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-02T22:52:04+00:00
- Original publisher: American Songwriter
- Original article: https://americansongwriter.com/4-songs-from-1978-that-even-modern-music-fans-can-get-behind/
- Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment, Film, Music

## Key points

- Four 1978 songs still resonate across genres.
- The selection spans new wave, rock, musicals and disco.
- Chaka Khan’s disco original is favoured over Houston’s later version.

## Summary

The article highlights four songs from 1978 that it says can still appeal to modern music fans: The Cars’ “Just What I Needed”, “Greased Lightnin’” from *Grease*, Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” and Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman”. Together, they show how new wave, rock, musical theatre and disco all featured in the music of the era.

It notes that Ric Ocasek wrote “Just What I Needed” in his basement before it became a Top 40 hit, and recalls “Greased Lightnin’” as a memorable *Grease* number despite some questionable lyrics. “Heart of Glass” is praised for its portrayal of confusing love, while Khan’s disco original is contrasted with Whitney Houston’s later version, featured in *The Bodyguard*.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.