In 1979, music fans had no idea what was on the horizon with the advent of the 1980s. But in 1979, the music was a combination of the iconic sounds of the 70s, along with an emerging new take on rock music. With that in mind, these are three of the best songs that came out in 1979, songs that likely every 70s kid can still sing by heart today.
“Mama Can’t Buy You Love” by Elton John
A Top 10 hit for Elton John, “Mama Can’t Buy You Love” is on John’s The Thom Bell Sessions EP. The song is one of the few John ever released that he didn’t write. “Mama Can’t Buy You Love” was written by LeRoy Bell and Casey James instead.
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“Mama Can’t Buy You Love” says, “Can’t you see that it’s love you really need? / Take my hand, and I’ll show you what a love could be / Before it’s too late / Mama don’t want you / Daddy don’t want you / Give it up, baby, baby / Mama can’t buy you love.”
“After The Love Has Gone” by Earth, Wind & Fire
When Earth, Wind & Fire released “After The Love Has Gone”, they were still riding the wave of popularity from their massive 1978 hit, “September”. A heartbreaking ballad, “After The Love Has Gone” appears on Earth, Wind & Fire’s I Am album.
Written by David Foster and Jay Graydon, “After The Love Has Gone” says, “And oh, after the love has gone / How could you lead me on / And not let me stay around Oh, after the love has gone / What used to be right is wrong / Can love that’s lost be found.”
“Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen
One of Queen’s biggest hits, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” appears on their eighth studio album, The Game. The song is written by Queen’s lead singer, Freddie Mercury.
“‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ took me five or 10 minutes,” Mercury later says. “I did that on the guitar, which I can’t play for nuts. And in one way, it was quite a good thing because I was restricted, knowing only a few chords. It’s a good discipline because I simply had to write within a small framework. I couldn’t work through too many chords. And because of that restriction, I wrote a good song, I think.”
“Crazy Little Thing Called Love” says, “This thing (this thing) called love / It cries (like a baby) in a cradle all night It swings, it jives / It shakes all over like a jellyfish / I kinda like it / Crazy little thing called love.”
Dwight Yoakam had a country hit with “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” in 1999.
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