The 1970s had given the music world all female bands Fanny and The Runaways, but the Go-Gos were the first female band writing and performing their own music to top the Billboard album chart. After more than a decade of performing blues based rock ‘n’ roll, the J. Geils band pursued a more mainstream rock sound and scored with their greatest commercial success. The Blue Oyster Cult took rock critic Richard Metlzer’s lyrics into the Top 40 and Bill Withers gave the world another classic, hiding behind Grover Washington, Jr. in the billing department.
The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel, Grandmaster Flash
Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground, Willie Nelson
Bad Reputation, Joan Jett
Beautiful World, Devo
Better Things, The Kinks
Burnin’ for You, Blue Oyster Cult
Centerfold, J. Geils Band
Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, The Police
Freeze Frame, J. Geils Band
Heavy Metal, Sammy Hagar
I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do), Hall and Oates
I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink, Merle Haggard
I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I’m Gonna Be a Diamond Someday), John Anderson
In the Air Tonight, Phil Collins
Is That Love, Squeeze
It’s Not My Place (In the 9 to 5 World), The Ramones
Jessie’s Girl, Rick Springfield
Just Between You and Me, April Wine
Just the Two of Us, Grover Washington, Jr.
Kids in America, Kim Wilde
Kiss on My List, Hall and Oates
The Magnificent Seven, The Clash
One in Ten, UB40
One Step Ahead, Split Enz
Our Lips Are Sealed, The Go-Gos
Pretty in Pink, Psychedelic Furs
Radio Free Europe, R.E.M.
(Say No to) Saturday’s Girl, Human Switchboard
Seven Year Ache, Roseanne Cash
Shake It Up, The Cars
Skateaway, Dire Straits
So This is Love?, Van Halen
Start Me Up, The Rolling Stones
Stray Cat Strut, The Stray Cuts
Super Freak, Rick James
That’s Entertainment, The Jam
That’s the Joint, Funky Four Plus One
Tempted, Squeeze
Through Being Cool, Devo
TV Party, Black Flag
Unchained, Van Halen
Watching the Wheels, John Lennon
While You See A Chance, Steve Winwood