1978 in British music

1970s in music in the UK
Number-one singles
Number-one albums
Best-selling singles
Best-selling albums
Summaries and charts
1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974
1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
←1969 1980→
Top 10 singles
1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974
1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979
←1969 1980→

This is a summary of 1978 in music in the United Kingdom.

Contents

Events

Charts

Number one singles

Issue Date Song Artist(s)
7 January "Mull of Kintyre" / "Girls' School" Wings
14 January
21 January
28 January
4 February Uptown Top Ranking Althea & Donna
11 February "Figaro" Brotherhood of Man
18 February "Take a Chance on Me" ABBA
25 February
4 March
11 March "Wuthering Heights" Kate Bush
18 March
25 March
1 April
8 April Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs Brian and Michael
15 April
22 April
29 April "Night Fever" Bee Gees
6 May
13 May "Rivers of Babylon" Boney M
20 May
27 May
3 June
10 June
17 June "You're the One That I Want" John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
24 June
1 July
8 July
15 July
22 July
29 July
5 August
12 August
19 August "Three Times a Lady" The Commodores
26 August
2 September
9 September
16 September
23 September "Dreadlock Holiday" 10cc
30 September "Summer Nights" John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
7 October
14 October
21 October
28 October
4 November
11 November
18 November "Rat Trap" The Boomtown Rats
25 November
2 December "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" Rod Stewart
9 December "Mary's Boy Child" / "Oh My Lord" Boney M
16 December
23 December
30 December

Number one albums

  1. Bread - The Sound of Bread
    21 January for 1 week
  2. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
    28 January for 1 week
  3. ABBA - The Album
    4 February for 7 weeks
  4. Buddy Holly and The Crickets - 20 Golden Greats
    25 March for 3 weeks
  5. Nat 'King' Cole - 20 Golden Greats
    15 April for 3 weeks
  6. Original Soundtrack - Saturday Night Fever
    6 May for 18 weeks
  7. Boney M - Nightflight to Venus
    9 September for 4 weeks
  8. Original Soundtrack - Grease
    7 October for 13 weeks

Top selling singles

  1. "Rivers of Babylon" / "Brown Girl in the Ring" - Boney M
  2. "You're the One That I Want" - John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John
  3. "Summer Nights" - John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John
  4. "Mary's Boy Child - Oh My Lord" - Boney M
  5. "Three Times a Lady" - The Commodores
  6. "The Smurf Song" - Father Abraham and The Smurfs
  7. "Night Fever" - Bee Gees
  8. "Take a Chance on Me" - ABBA
  9. "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs" - Brian and Michael
  10. "Rat Trap" - The Boomtown Rats
  11. "Dreadlock Holiday" - 10cc
  12. "Wuthering Heights" - Kate Bush
  13. "Sandy" - John Travolta
  14. "Rasputin" - Boney M
  15. "Substitute" - Clout
  16. "Denis" - Blondie
  17. "Baker Street" - Gerry Rafferty
  18. "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" - Rod Stewart
  19. "Figaro" - Brotherhood of Man
  20. "Come Back My Love" - Darts
  21. "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" - Rose Royce
  22. "Mull of Kintyre" / "Girls' School" - Wings
  23. "It's Raining" - Darts
  24. "Wishing on a Star" - Rose Royce
  25. "Lucky Stars" - Dean Friedman
  26. "Dancing in the City" - Marshall Hain
  27. "Boogie Oogie Oogie" - A Taste of Honey
  28. "Oh What a Circus" - David Essex
  29. "Grease" - Frankie Valli
  30. "Jilted John" - Jilted John
  31. "Y.M.C.A." - Village People
  32. "Annie's Song" - James Galway
  33. "Stayin' Alive" - Bee Gees
  34. "Too Much Too Little Too Late" - Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams
  35. "Boy From New York City" - Darts
  36. "Hopelessly Devoted to You" - Olivia Newton John
  37. "Blame It on the Boogie" - The Jacksons
  38. "Darlin'" - Frankie Miller
  39. "Never Let Her Slip Away" - Andrew Gold
  40. "Sweet Talkin' Woman" - Electric Light Orchestra

Top selling albums

  1. Saturday Night Fever - Original Soundtrack
  2. Grease - Original Soundtrack
  3. The Album - ABBA
  4. Nightflight to Venus - Boney M
  5. 20 Golden Greats - Nat 'King' Cole
  6. Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
  7. Out of the Blue - Electric Light Orchestra
  8. 20 Golden Greats - Buddy Holly
  9. The Kick Inside - Kate Bush
  10. Images - Don Williams
  11. Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds - Jeff Wayne
  12. And Then There Were Three - Genesis
  13. Classic Rock - London Symphony Orchestra
  14. New Boots and Panties - Ian Dury and the Blockheads
  15. Live and Dangerous - Thin Lizzy
  16. Reflections - Andy Williams
  17. The Sound of Bread - Bread
  18. Street Legal - Bob Dylan
  19. The Stud - Original Soundtrack
  20. 20 Golden Greats - The Hollies
  21. You Light Up My Life - Johnny Mathis
  22. City to City - Gerry Rafferty
  23. Bat Out of Hell - Meat Loaf
  24. London Town - Wings
  25. The Big Wheels of Motown - Various Artists
  26. Some Girls - The Rolling Stones
  27. Variations - Andrew Lloyd Webber
  28. A Tonic for the Troops - The Boomtown Rats
  29. Pastiche - Manhattan Transfer
  30. Greatest Hits - ABBA
  31. Kaya - Bob Marley and the Wailers
  32. Foot Loose & Fancy Free - Rod Stewart
  33. Black and White - The Stranglers
  34. Plastic Letters - Blondie
  35. Greatest Hits - Donna Summer
  36. Natural High - The Commodores
  37. 20 Giant Hits - The Nolan Sisters
  38. Arrival - ABBA
  39. This Year's Model - Elvis Costello and the Attractions
  40. Anytime...Anywhere - Rita Coolidge

[1]

Classical music: new works

Births

Deaths

References

  1. ^ Music Week, Year end albums and singles, 1978 (January 1979)