Best Songs of 1979

For these year-end lists, I like to undertake the seemingly impossibly task of creating an hours-long mix. The order you see below represents that effort, which you can listen to via Spotify and Apple Music. Sadly all 100 tracks aren't available—just 5 short!—but you get the general idea. Track notes to come eventually or maybe never.

Show Grid

Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough

Michael Jackson

Off the Wall

Epic
via TK library: 11/16/2003 (11/22/1993)

Notes
Funkytown

Lipps Inc.

Mouth to Mouth

Casablanca
via TK library: 6/11/2011

Notes
Cars

Gary Numan

The Pleasure Principle

ATCO
via TK library: 3/29/2007

Notes
Are ‘Friends’ Electric?

Tubeway Army

Replicas

ATCO
via TK library: 10/5/2013

Notes
Transmission

Joy Division

Transmission 7"

Factory
via TK library: 10/7/2011

Notes
Out of Control

U2

Three

CBS
via TK library: 4/9/2018

Notes
Sound of the Suburbs

The Members

At the Chelsea Night Club

Virgin
via TK library: 5/22/2018

Notes
Rock ’N’ Roll High School

Ramones

Rock ’N’ Roll High School

Sire
via the movie library: 5/22/2018

Notes
Let Me Take Your Foto

The Speedies

Let Me Take Your Foto 7"

Golden Disc Records
via TK library: 1/25/2009

Notes
Rhythm of Cruelty

Magazine

Secondhand Daylight

Virgin
via TK library: 5/26/2018

Notes
Channel 13

Student Teachers

Christmas Weather 7"

Ork
via TK library: 1/4/2014

Notes
Looking for Love

Lou Reed

The Bells

Arista
via TK library: 5/2/2018

Notes
Fairytale in the Supermarket

The Raincoats

The Raincoats

Rough Trade
via TK library: 5/2/2018

Notes
Typical Girls

The Slits

Cut

Island
via TK library: 8/13/2016

Notes
Dreaming

Blondie

Eat to the Beat

Chrysalis
via TK library: 4/9/2018

Notes
Boys Don’t Cry

The Cure

Boys Don’t Cry 7"

Fiction
via TK library: 11/7/2009

Notes
Why Can’t I Touch It?

Buzzcocks

Everybody’s Happy Nowadays 7"

United Artists
via TK library: 2/26/2015

Notes
Goodbye Girl

Squeeze

Cool for Cats

A&M
via TK library: 5/10/2010

Notes
Making Plans for Nigel

XTC

Drums and Wires

Virgin
via TK library: 11/1/2011

Notes
Damaged Goods

Gang of Four

Entertainment!

Warner Bros.
via TK library: 7/28/2012

Notes
Train in Vain

The Clash

London Calling

Epic
via TK library: 12/20/2010

Notes
Bring on the Night

The Police

Reggatta de Blanc

A&M
via TK library: 12/1/2003 (12/25/1994)

Notes
It’s Up to You

The Specials

The Specials

2-Tone
via TK library: 4/21/2018

Notes
People Say

The Go-Betweens

People Say 7"

The Able Label
via TK library: 12/3/2013

Notes
Saturday’s Kids

The Jam

Setting Sons

Polydor
via TK library: 4/21/2018

Notes
I See Red

Split Enz

Frenzy

A&M
via TK library: 1/18/2014

Notes
Map Ref 41 Degrees N 93 Degrees W

Wire

154

Warner Bros.
via TK library: 4/9/2018

Notes
Leppo and the Jooves

The Soft Boys

A Can of Bees

Two Crabs Universal
via TK library: 5/26/2018

UK release
I Don’t Like Mondays

The Boomtown Rats

The Fine Art of Surfacing

Columbia
via TK library: 7/14/2012

Notes
Sailing

Christopher Cross

Christopher Cross

Warner Bros.
via TK library: 8/4/2016

Notes
Jane

Jefferson Starship

Freedom at Point Zero

Grunt
via TK library: 8/3/2015

Notes
Rock ’N’ Roll Fantasy

Bad Company

Desolation Angels

Swan Song
via TK library: 4/29/2018

Notes
No Surprize

Aerosmith

Night in the Ruts

Columbia
via TK library: 4/21/2018

Notes
Beautiful Girls

Van Halen

Van Halen II

Warner Bros.
via TK library: 4/21/2018

Notes
Highway to Hell

AC/DC

Highway to Hell

Epic
via TK library: 11/16/2011

Notes
Do Anything You Want to Do

Thin Lizzy

Black Rose: A Rock Legend

Warner Bros.
via TK library: 4/21/2018

Notes
Into the Valley

Skids

Scared to Dance

Virgin
via TK library: 5/22/2018

Notes
Smash It Up Parts 1 & 2

The Damned

Machine Gun Etiquette

Chiswick
via the Offspring cover library: 4/30/2011

UK release
Cool

Pylon

Cool / Dub 7"

dB Recs
via TK library: 8/4/2016

Notes
Rock Lobster

The B-52’s

The B-52’s

Warner Bros.
via TK library: 2/12/2012

Notes
Mind Your Own Business

Delta 5

Mind Your Own Business 7"

Rough Trade
via TK library: 4/9/2018

Notes
Life During Wartime

Talking Heads

Fear of Music

Sire
via TK library: 7/3/2008

Notes
Hot Stuff

Donna Summer

Bad Girls

Casablanca
via TK library: 7/2/2011

Notes
Ring My Bell

Anita Ward

Songs of Love

Juana
via the Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince interpolation library: 5/17/2018

Notes
Wanna Dance

Lee Fields

Let’s Talk It Over

Angle 3
via TK library: 11/30/2019

Reissued by Truth & Soul in 2013
Can’t Let Go

Earth, Wind & Fire

I Am

Columbia
via TK library: 4/29/2018

Notes
Haven’t You Heard

Patrice Rushen

Pizzazz

Elektra
via TK library: 4/9/2018

Notes
Strut Your Funky Stuff

Frantique

Frantique

Philadelphia International
via TK library: 5/22/2018

Notes
Rapper’s Delight

The Sugarhill Gang

Rapper’s Delight 12"

Sugar Hill
via the ether library: 3/7/2010

Notes
Good Times

Chic

Risqué

Atlantic
via TK library: 2/11/2008

Notes
Door of the Cosmos

Sun Ra and His Arkestra

Sleeping Beauty

El Saturn
via TK library: 5/2/2018

Notes
Broken English

Marianne Faithfull

Broken English

Island
via TK library: 4/9/2018

Notes
Dream Baby Dream

Suicide

Dream Baby Dream 12"

Island
via TK library: 4/29/2018

Notes
Baby

Donnie & Joe Emerson

Dreamin’ Wild

self-released
via TK library: 6/29/2012

2012 Light in the Attic reissue
Hammond Song

The Roches

The Roches

Warner Bros.
via TK library: 5/2/2018

Notes
Wondering Where the Lions Are

Bruce Cockburn

Dancing in the Dragon’s Jaws

True North
via TK library: 12/5/2013

Notes
Get It Right Next Time

Gerry Rafferty

Night Owl

United Artists
via TK library: 4/9/2018

Notes
Thirteen Days

J.J. Cale

5

Shelter/MCA
via TK library: 4/21/2018

Notes
Gotta Serve Somebody

Bob Dylan

Slow Train Coming

Columbia
via past experience, The Sopranos soundtrack library: 11/11/2003 (1/3/2000)

Notes
I Ain’t Got No Business Doin’ Business Today

Razzy Bailey

If Love Had a Face

RCA
via TK library: 5/14/2018

Notes
Your Good Thing (Is About to End)

Bonnie Raitt

The Glow

Warner Bros.
via TK library: 4/21/2018

Notes
Escape (The Piña Colada Song)

Rupert Holmes

Partners in Crime

Infinity
via TK library: 8/16/2014

Notes
Look at Me

Priceless

Love in Your Life / Look at Me 7"

Decimal
via TK library: 6/8/2014

Reissued in 2014 on Wheedle’s Groove Volume II
Angel Eyes

Roxy Music

Manifesto

ATCO
via TK library: 5/17/2018

UK release
D.J.

David Bowie

Lodger

RCA
via TK library: 4/29/2018

Notes
Don’t Bring Me Down

Electric Light Orchestra

Discovery

Jet
via TK library: 5/16/2010

Notes
Let’s Go

The Cars

Candy-O

Elektra
via TK library: 4/22/2009

Notes
Way of the World

Cheap Trick

Dream Police

Epic
via TK library: 4/29/2018

Notes
Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid)

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Damn the Torpedoes

MCA
via TK library: 11/30/2003 (12/25/1995)

Notes
My Sharona

The Knack

Get the Knack

Capitol
via TK library: 6/25/2011

Notes
She’s in Love With You

Suzi Quatro

Suzi… and Other Four Letter Words

RSO
via TK library: 5/26/2018

Notes
Just Another Night

Ian Hunter

You’re Never Alone With a Schizophrenic

Chrysalis
via TK library: 4/21/2018

Notes
Low Budget

The Kinks

Low Budget

Arista
via TK library: 4/29/2018

Notes
Arrow Through Me

Wings

Back to the Egg

Columbia
via TK library: 5/17/2018

Notes
I Need a Lover

John Cougar

John Cougar

Mercury
via TK library: 10/31/2003 (5/28/1998)

Notes
Nobody Hurts You

Graham Parker & The Rumour

Squeezing Out Sparks

Arista
via TK library: 4/29/2018

Notes
Full Force Gale

Van Morrison

Into the Music

Warner Bros.
via TK library: 4/9/2018

Notes
I Know I’m Not Wrong

Fleetwood Mac

Tusk

Warner Bros.
via TK library: 5/12/2015

Notes
Cruel to Be Kind

Nick Lowe

Labour of Lust

Columbia
via TK library: 3/28/2009

Notes
(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding

Elvis Costello & the Attractions

Armed Forces

Columbia
via TK library: 8/22/2008

Notes
It’s Different for Girls

Joe Jackson

I’m the Man

A&M
via TK library: 11/29/2009

Notes
Three Times (See Me, Say It, Listen)

Shoes

Present Tense

Elektra
via TK library: 3/28/2013

Notes
Comfortably Numb

Pink Floyd

The Wall

Capitol
via TK library: 5/8/2012

Notes
My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Rust Never Sleeps

Reprise
via TK library: 11/2/2011

Notes
Dancing Barefoot

Patti Smith Group

Wave

Arista
via TK library: 12/19/2010

Notes
The Guests

Leonard Cohen

Recent Songs

Columbia
via TK library: 11/8/2009

Notes
Rainbow Connection

Kermit the Frog

The Muppet Movie

Atlantic
via the movie library: 12/5/2015

Notes
Blow Away

George Harrison

George Harrison

Dark Horse
via TK library: 8/16/2014

Notes
Chuck E’s in Love

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee Jones

Warner Bros.
via TK library: 4/29/2018

Notes
I Can’t Tell You Why

Eagles

The Long Run

Asylum
via TK library: 12/1/2011

Notes
Sexy Eyes

Dr. Hook

Sometimes You Win

Capitol
via TK library: 8/4/2016

Notes
I’m a Sucker for Your Love

Teena Marie

Wild and Peaceful

Motown
via TK library: 4/20/2008

Notes
Ladies Night

Kool and The Gang

Ladies’ Night

De-Lite
via TK library: 5/26/2018

Notes
And the Beat Goes On

The Whispers

The Whispers

Solar
via TK library: 4/9/2018

Notes
Knock on Wood

Amii Stewart

Knock on Wood

Ariola Records America
via TK library: 5/17/2018

Notes
I Love You

A Taste of Honey

Another Taste of Honey

Capitol
via TK library: 4/29/2018

Notes
I Love You More

George Duke

Master of the Game

Epic
via TK library: 5/18/2013

Notes
I Wanna Be Your Lover

Prince

Prince

Warner Bros.
via TK library: 6/26/2007

Notes
We Are Family

Sister Sledge

We Are Family

Cotillion
via TK library: 3/8/2010

Notes
Take the Long Way Home

Supertramp

Breakfast in America

A&M
via TK library: 1/29/2012

Notes

Etcetera

Best Songs of 1979

Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough

Michael Jackson

Off the Wall

Funkytown

Lipps Inc.

Mouth to Mouth

Cars

Gary Numan

The Pleasure Principle

Are ‘Friends’ Electric?

Tubeway Army

Replicas

Transmission

Joy Division

Transmission 7"

Out of Control

U2

Three

Sound of the Suburbs

The Members

At the Chelsea Night Club

Rock ’N’ Roll High School

Ramones

Rock ’N’ Roll High School

Let Me Take Your Foto

The Speedies

Let Me Take Your Foto 7"

Rhythm of Cruelty

Magazine

Secondhand Daylight

Channel 13

Student Teachers

Christmas Weather 7"

Looking for Love

Lou Reed

The Bells

Fairytale in the Supermarket

The Raincoats

The Raincoats

Typical Girls

The Slits

Cut

Dreaming

Blondie

Eat to the Beat

Boys Don’t Cry

The Cure

Boys Don’t Cry 7"

Why Can’t I Touch It?

Buzzcocks

Everybody’s Happy Nowadays 7"

Goodbye Girl

Squeeze

Cool for Cats

Making Plans for Nigel

XTC

Drums and Wires

Damaged Goods

Gang of Four

Entertainment!

Train in Vain

The Clash

London Calling

Bring on the Night

The Police

Reggatta de Blanc

It’s Up to You

The Specials

The Specials

People Say

The Go-Betweens

People Say 7"

Saturday’s Kids

The Jam

Setting Sons

I See Red

Split Enz

Frenzy