This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1978.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

January–April

May–July

August–December

Also in 1978

Bands formed

See Category:Musical groups established in 1978

Bands disbanded

Albums released

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Release date unknown

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1978.

Chronological table of US and UK and Japan number one hit singles

US number one singles and artist (weeks at number one) UK number one singles and artist (weeks at number one) Japanese Oricon number one singles and artist (weeks at number one)

Top 40 Chart hit singles

Other Chart hit singles

• "A-Ba-Ni-Bi" – Izhar Cohen & The Alphabeta • "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" – Van Halen • "All the Nice Boys and Girls in the World" – Riff Regan • "Another Night on the Road" – Sherbet (# 10 Australia) • "Babylon's Burning" – The Ruts (# 7 UK) • "Baker Street" – Gerry Rafferty • "Because the Night" – Patti Smith Group • "Best of Both Worlds" – Robert Palmer • "Blame It on the Boogie" – The Jacksons • "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" – Styx • "Bluer Than Blue" – Michael Johnson • "Brown Girl in the Ring" – Boney M • "Ça me fait rêver" – Dalida & Bruno Guillain • "Can We Still Be Friends" – Todd Rundgren • "Can't Smile Without You" – Barry Manilow • "Can't Stand Losing You" – The Police • "Can't Take the Hurt Anymore" – Cliff Richard • "Chameleon Army" – Pink Lady • "Charles (EP)" – The Skids • "Clash City Rockers" – The Clash • "Coming Home" – Marshall Hain • "Copacabana (At the Copa)" – Barry Manilow • "Damaged Goods (EP)" – Gang Of Four • "Dance with Me" – Peter Brown • "Dancing In the City" – Marshall Hain • "David Watts" – The Jam • "Davy's On the Road Again" – Manfred Mann's Earth Band • "The Day the World Turned Day-Glo" – X-Ray Spex • "Deep in the Motherlode" – Genesis • "Déjà Vu" – Dionne Warwick • "Denis" – Blondie • "Detroit 442" – Blondie • "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" – The Shadows • "Don't Look Back" – Boston • "(You Gotta Walk) Don't Look Back" – Peter Tosh • "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" – The Jam • "Driver's Seat" – Sniff 'n' the Tears • "Dust in the Wind" – Kansas • "Eagle" – ABBA • "Ebony Eyes" – Bob Welch • "Ego" – Elton John • "Even Now" – Barry Manilow • "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)" – Buzzcocks • "An Everlasting Love" – Andy Gibb • "Every 1's a Winner" – Hot Chocolate • "Every Kinda People" – Robert Palmer • "Everybody Dance" – Chic • "Feels So Good" – Chuck Mangione • "Flash Light" –Parliament • "Floral Dance" – Terry Wogan • "Fly At Night" – Chilliwack • "FM (No Static at All)" – Steely Dan • "Follow You, Follow Me" – Genesis • "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" – Chris Rea • "Forever Autumn" – Justin Hayward • "The Gambler" – Kenny Rogers • "Génération 78" – Dalida & Bruno Guillain • "Germfree Adolescents" – X-Ray Spex • "Give Me Everything" – Magazine • "Goodnight Tonight" – Paul McCartney and Wings • "Got to Get You into My Life" – Earth, Wind & Fire • "Grease" – Frankie Valli • "Hammer Horror" – Kate Bush • "Hanging on the Telephone" – Blondie • "Heartless" – Heart • "Here You Come Again" – Dolly Parton • "Hey Deanie" – Shaun Cassidy • "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick" – Ian Dury & The Blockheads • "Hold the Line" – Toto • "Hollywood Nights" – Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band • "Hong Kong Garden" – Siouxsie and the Banshees • "Hopelessly Devoted to You" – Olivia Newton-John • "Hot Blooded" – Foreigner • "Hot Child In The City" - Nick Gilder • "Hot Legs" / "I Was Only Joking" – Rod Stewart • "How Much I Feel" – Ambrosia • "How You Gonna See Me Now" – Alice Cooper • "I Don't Mind" – Buzzcocks • "(I Don't Wanna Go to) Chelsea" – Elvis Costello and the Attractions • "I Just Wanna Stop" – Gino Vannelli • "I Love the Nightlife (Disco 'Round)" – Alicia Bridges • "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass" – Nick Lowe • "I See Red" – Split Enz • "I Was Made for Dancin'" – Leif Garrett • "An Ideal for Living" – Joy Division • "Identity" – X-Ray Spex • "If the Kids Are United" – Sham 69 • "If You Can't Give Me Love" – Suzi Quatro • "I'm Every Woman" – Chaka Khan • "Imaginary Lover" – Atlanta Rhythm Section • "Instant Replay" – Dan Hartman • "Is This Love" – Bob Marley & The Wailers • "Isn't It Time" – The Babys • "It's a Heartache" – Bonnie Tyler • "I've Had Enough" – Wings • "Jilted John" – Jilted John • "Jocko Homo" – Devo • "Just the Way You Are" – Billy Joel • "Just What I Needed" – The Cars • "Just When I Needed You Most" – Randy Van Warmer • "Khe Sanh" – Cold Chisel • "Know Your Product" – The Saints • "Last Dance" – Donna Summer • "Lay Down Sally" – Eric Clapton • "Le Lambeth Walk" – Dalida • "Life's Been Good" – Joe Walsh • "Light Up Your Love" – Ronney Abramson • "A Little Lovin' (Keeps the Doctor Away)" – The Raes • "A Little More Love" – Olivia Newton-John • "Lotta Love" – Nicolette Larson • "Love de Luxe" – The Shadows • "Love Is Like Oxygen" – Sweet • "Love Will Find a Way" – Pablo Cruise • "Love You More" – Buzzcocks • "Magnet and Steel" – Walter Egan • "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" – Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson • "A Man I'll Never Be" – Boston • "The Man with the Child in His Eyes" – Kate Bush • "Many Rivers to Cross" – Jimmy Cliff • "Many Too Many" – Genesis • "Monster" – Pink Lady • "More Than a Woman" – Tavares • "Mr. Blue Sky" – Electric Light Orchestra • "My Angel Baby" – Toby Beau • "My Best Friend's Girl" – The Cars • "My Life" – Billy Joel • "Native New Yorker" – Odyssey • "Never Say Die" – Black Sabbath • "New York Groove" – Ace Frehley • "Nice 'n' Sleazy" – The Stranglers • "Nobody's Scared" – Subway Sect • "Northern Lights" – Renaissance • "No Time To Be 21" – The Adverts • "Oh Carol" – Smokie • "One Nation Under a Groove" – Funkadelic • "Only You Can Rock Me" – UFO • "(Our Love) Don't Throw it All Away" – Andy Gibb • "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" – Meat Loaf • "Part-Time Love" – Elton John • "Please Remember Me" – Cliff Richard • "Promises" – Buzzcocks • "Promises" – Eric Clapton • "Prove It All Night" – Bruce Springsteen • "Public Image" – Public Image Limited • "Radio Radio" – Elvis Costello and the Attractions • "Raining in My Heart" – Leo Sayer • "Rasputin" – Boney M • "Ready Steady Go" – Generation X • "Ready to Take a Chance Again" – Barry Manilow • "Reminiscing" – Little River Band • "Renegade" – Styx • "Right Down the Line" – Gerry Rafferty • "Rivers of Babylon" – Boney M • "Rising Free (EP)" – Tom Robinson Band • "Rock Lobster" – The B-52's • "Roxanne" – The Police • "Runaway" – Jefferson Starship • "Runnin' with the Devil" – Van Halen • "Shame" – Evelyn King • "She Believes In Me" – Kenny Rogers • "Shot by Both Sides" – Magazine • "Sign of the Times" – Bryan Ferry • "Sing for the Day" – Styx • "Sometimes When We Touch" – Dan Hill • "Songbird" – Barbra Streisand • "Song for Guy" – Elton John • "Southpaw" – Pink Lady • "Stay" – Jackson Browne • "Still In Love with You" – Dragon • "Still the Same" – Bob Seger • "Straight On" – Heart • "Stuff Like That" – Quincy Jones • "Suburban Boy" – Dave Warner's From the Suburbs • "Substitute" – Clout • "Sultans of Swing" – Dire Straits • "Summer Night City" – ABBA • "Summer Nights" – John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John • "Sunday Girl" – Blondie • "Surfin Bird" – The Cramps • "Suspect Device" – Stiff Little Fingers • "Sweet, Sweet Smile" – The Carpenters • "Sweet Talkin' Woman" – Electric Light Orchestra • "Take a Chance on Me" – ABBA • "Take Me I'm Yours" – Squeeze • "Take Me to the River" – Talking Heads • "Talking In Your Sleep" – Crystal Gayle • "Teenage Kicks" – The Undertones • "Thank God It's Friday" – Love & Kisses • "There's No Way Out of Here" – David Gilmour • "Think It Over" – Cheryl Ladd • "Thunder Island" – Jay Ferguson • "Time Passages" – Al Stewart • "Tommy Gun" – The Clash • "Too Good to Be True" – Tom Robinson Band • "Too Much Heaven" – Bee Gees • "Top of the Pops" – The Rezillos • "Toumei Ningen" – Pink Lady • "Trojan Horse" – Luv' • "Turn to Stone" – Electric Light Orchestra • "Twist à Saint-Tropez" – Telex • "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" – Meat Loaf • "Uganda Stomp" – Battered Wives • "United/Zyklon B Zombie" – Throbbing Gristle • "Up Against the Wall" – Tom Robinson Band • "Use ta Be My Girl" – O'Jays • "Voilà pourquoi je chante" – Dalida • "Walk Right Back" – Anne Murray • "Walking In the Rain" – Cheetah • "Warrior In Woolworth's" – X-Ray Spex • "Werewolves of London" – Warren Zevon • "What a Waste" – Ian Dury & The Blockheads • "What Do I Get?" – Buzzcocks • "Whenever I Call You Friend" – Kenny Loggins • "Where Were You?" – The Mekons • "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" – The Clash • "Who Are You" – The Who • "Who Does Lisa Like" – Rachel Sweet • "Who Listens to the Radio" – The Sports • "Wide Open (EP)" – The Skids • "Wild West Hero" – Electric Light Orchestra • "Women in Uniform" – Skyhooks • "Wonderful Tonight" – Eric Clapton • "Wuthering Heights" – Kate Bush • "Yes, He Lives!" – Cliff Richard • "Y.M.C.A." – Village People • "You Belong to Me" – Carly Simon • "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" – Meat Loaf • "You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)" – Rod Stewart • "You're the Greatest Lover" – Luv'

Notable singles

Other Notable singles

• "Art-I-Ficial" – X-Ray Spex • "Human Fly" – The Cramps • "Lee Remick" – The Go-Betweens • "Promises" - Buzzcocks • "These Boots Are Made For Walking" - The Boys Next Door

Published popular music

Classical music

Opera

Ballet

Jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Births

Deaths

Awards