Events in 1979
- AC/DC released “Highway to Hell,” the band’s final studio album with singer Bon Scott.
- Talking Heads released their third studio album, “Fear of Music,” on Sire Records. The album was produced by Brian Eno.
- Led Zeppelin headlined the festival at Knebworth Park in England in front of approximately 120,000 people. It was their first British concert in more than four years.
- A benefit concert in support of the ailing Lowell George of Little Feat was held, featuring members of his band as well as Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, and Bonnie Raitt.
- In honor of the late Lowell George and to help support his family, members of Little Feat organized a benefit concert at The Forum in Inglewood. Performers included Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, and Nicolette Larson, while additional guests joined various artists throughout the evening. The nearly three-hour concert was held as a one-night-only event.
- The film “Rock & Roll High School,” starring the Ramones, premiered in New York.
- Def Leppard signed a contract with Phonogram Records with an initial advance of £120,000 ($180,000) and a 10 percent share of sales during the first two years.
- Van Halen performed at Barton Coliseum in Little Rock, Arkansas.
- Americká rapperka Gangsta Boo, vlastním jménem Lola Chantrelle Mitchell, se narodila. Proslavila se jako členka skupiny Three 6 Mafia a později vydala několik sólových alb.
- Chicago vystoupili v Hersheypark Arena v Hershey v Pensylvánii.
- Led Zeppelin odehráli své poslední živé vystoupení ve Velké Británii.
- Během koncertu Marshall Tucker Band v Long Beach v Kalifornii nespokojený divák ukradl automobil a projel s ním dvěma řadami kovových výjezdových dveří a betonovou zdí. Většina publika již prostor opustila a k vážným zraněním nedošlo.
- KISS performed at Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York.
- Michael Jackson released his fifth studio album “Off the Wall” on Epic Records. The album reached No. 3 in the US and No. 5 in the UK, driven by four Top 10 singles: “Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough” (US #1, UK #3), “Rock With You” (US #1, UK #7), “Off the Wall” (US #10, UK #7), and “She's Out of My Life” (US #10, UK #3). Despite the album's great success, it received only two Grammy nominations, and Jackson won Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for “Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough”.
- Van Halen performed at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine.
- Led Zeppelin played their final concert on British soil at Knebworth House in England before approximately 104,000 people. Also appearing were The New Barbarians, Todd Rundgren, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Chas & Dave and Fairport Convention. The setlist included “The Song Remains The Same,” “Celebration Day,” “Black Dog,” “Nobody's Fault But Mine,” “Over The Hills And Far Away,” “Misty Mountain Hop,” “Since I've Been Loving You,” “No Quarter,” “Hot Dog,” “The Rain Song,” “White Summer/Black Mountainside,” “Kashmir,” “Trampled Under Foot,” “Sick Again,” “Achilles' Last Stand,” “In The Evening,” “Stairway To Heaven,” “Rock And Roll,” “Whole Lotta Love” and “Communication Breakdown.” They played several smaller European concerts the following year, but broke up in December 1980 after the death of drummer John Bonham.
- KISS performed at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis.
- The futuristic satirical film Americathon premiered in Los Angeles, starring Meat Loaf. The soundtrack featured songs by The Beach Boys, Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello.
- The Knack received a gold record from the RIAA for the single "My Sharona", which had sold one million copies in the US. Doug Fieger wrote the song for his girlfriend, Sharona Alperin.
- The New York Post reported that Anita Pallenberg, Keith Richards' partner, was linked to an alleged group of witches in South Salem, New York, where Richards owned a house. The police officer investigating the case said he was attacked by a group of people in black cloaks who tried to lure him into taking part in a ritual and sexual orgies. Local residents also claimed that ritual objects and small animals believed to have been sacrificed during ceremonies had been found near the house.
- John Lennon and Bob Dylan were associated with the documentary Eat the Document, which was broadcast on PBS. The film contained footage from Dylan's 1966 British tour.
- Chic's song “Good Times” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Soul Singles and Cashbox Best Sellers charts. It remained at the top of the US pop chart for one week. It was the first single from their third album, Risqué, and became one of the most frequently sampled recordings in popular music history, particularly in hip-hop.
- Nick Lowe married country singer Carlene Carter, stepdaughter of Johnny Cash, in Los Angeles. The wedding was later recreated in the video for Lowe's song “Cruel to Be Kind.” The couple divorced in 1990.
- American rockabilly singer and pioneer of the genre Dorsey Burnette, co-founder of Johnny Burnette and the Rock and Roll Trio, died at his home in Canoga Park, California, at the age of 46 from a massive heart attack. In 1960, he reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “There Was a Tall Oak Tree”. He also wrote “It’s Late”, which became a hit for Ricky Nelson and Shakin’ Stevens. When his pop hits dried up in 1969, he subsequently placed 15 songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. He was the father of musician Billy Burnette. After his death, his friend and singer Delaney Bramlett organized a benefit concert for his widow at the Forum in Inglewood, California, featuring Kris Kristofferson, Hoyt Axton, Tanya Tucker, Glen Campbell, Duane Eddy, Delaney and Bonnie, Gary Busey and Roger Miller. His pioneering contribution to rockabilly was later recognized with his induction into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
- Bob Dylan released his 19th studio album, “Slow Train Coming”, through Columbia Records, his first album following his conversion to Christianity. The religiously focused songs expressed his personal faith and emphasized the importance of Christian teaching and philosophy. The album reached No. 1 in Australia, New Zealand and Norway, No. 2 in the UK and No. 3 in the U.S. It included “Gotta Serve Somebody”, which reached No. 24 on the U.S. chart and became Dylan's last single to reach the U.S. Top 40. In 1980, it won a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male. According to one of the sources, the album alienated some of his longtime fans.
- English jazz and pop singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jamie Cullum was born in Rochford. His album “Twentysomething” reached No. 5 on the British chart in 2003.
- Rod Stewart and his first wife Alana Hamilton welcomed their daughter Kimberly Stewart, who later became an actress and model.
- The Allman Brothers Band performed at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- Gary Numan released the single “Cars”.
- American R&B singer and saxophonist Kelis Rogers-Mora was born in New York City. She became known for her debut studio album “Kaleidoscope”, which became an international hit.
- Van Halen performed at the MECCA Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- “In Through the Out Door” was released in the United States on August 22, 1979, as the band's eighth and final studio album. The album reached No. 1 on both the U.S. and British album charts and included the song “Fool in the Rain”, which reached No. 21 in the United States.
- Led Zeppelin played the final concert of their two-day comeback at the Knebworth Festival, which was their last British performance with John Bonham.
- B.B. King celebrated his 30th year in the music industry at a special event at the Roxy Theatre in Hollywood, California.
- Led Zeppelin released their final studio album, “In Through the Out Door”, in the United States.
- Richard Neville, singer of the English boy band Five, was born. The group had the UK hits “Everybody Get Up”, “Keep On Movin” and the internationally successful song “When the Lights Go Out”.
- B.B. King performed at a special event at the Roxy Theatre on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his career in show business.
- Prince released the song „I Wanna Be Your Lover“, which became his first American hit.
- The film „Rock & Roll High School“, starring the Ramones, premiered in New York. The title song became one of their classic tracks and the film gained cult status.
- The Cars performed in New York's Central Park before a crowd of half a million people.
- Cliff Richard scored his tenth chart-topping hit 20 years after his first UK number one, with “We Don’t Talk Anymore”, his first number one in eleven years. The song became the best-selling recording of his career and sold more than four million copies worldwide.
- American bandleader, pianist, composer and arranger Stanley “Stan” Kenton died in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 67, several days after suffering a stroke. He was known for hits with June Christy and a popular version of “Laura”, named after the 1944 film noir of the same name.
- “My Sharona” by The Knack reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and began a six-week run at the top. Billboard later named it the number-one single of 1979. The song also reached number one in Australia and Canada and number six in the UK. Singer Doug Fieger said he wrote the lyrics in about 15 minutes and was inspired by 17-year-old Sharrona Alperin, who later became his girlfriend.
- Randy Newman released the album “Born Again”, which followed his breakthrough but controversially perceived hit “Short People”.
- Canadian violinist Sarah Neufeld was born in Merville, British Columbia. She became best known as a member of the indie rock band Arcade Fire.
- “My Sharona” by The Knack began a six-week run at No. 1 on the US chart.
- The Allman Brothers Band performed at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, New York.