# List of RPM number-one adult contemporary singles of 1978

In 1978, RPM magazine published a chart for top-performing singles in the easy listening or adult contemporary categories in Canada. The chart, entitled Adult Oriented Playlist, has undergone numerous name changes, becoming Contemporary Adult in 1981 and became Adult Contemporary in 1984 until the magazine's final publication in November 2000. In 1978, 36 individual singles reached number one in the chart, which contains 50 positions. The first number-one in 1978 was "Sweet Music Man" by American country singer Kenny Rogers, continuing from the 1977 charts, and the last was "Time Passages" by British singer-songwriter Al Stewart. Sixteen acts have their first number-one in the chart in 1978: Billy Joel, Randy Newman, Dan Hill, Johnny Mathis, Deniece Williams, Kansas, Donny Hathaway, John Travolta, Bonnie Tyler, Chuck Mangione, Michael Johnson, the Commodores, Kim Carnes, Chris Rea, Donna Summer, Little River Band and Al Stewart. Elvis Presley had one posthumous number-one single the week of January 28 with his version of "My Way", which was released as a single weeks after his death in 1977. Four Canadian acts, Dan Hill, Gordon Lightfoot, Anne Murray and Burton Cummings had at least one number-one that year.
American country performer Dolly Parton had the longest number-one chart run in 1978, with "Heartbreaker", which stayed at number one for four weeks. English-Australian singer and actress Olivia Newton-John had the most number-one easy listening singles in 1978, with "I Honestly Love You" (re-release), "You're the One That I Want" (with John Travolta, from the Grease soundtrack) and "Hopelessly Devoted to You" (also from Grease), and has totalled four weeks at number one. Barbra Streisand also had four weeks at number one with "Songbird" and "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (with Neil Diamond); both singles had two weeks at number one. Billy Joel spent three weeks at number-one in the Canadian easy-listening chart with "Just the Way You Are".

## Chart history

Chart history :
| Issue date | Title | Artist(s) |
| January 7 | "Sweet Music Man" | Kenny Rogers |
| January 14 | "I Honestly Love You" | Olivia Newton-John |
| January 21 | "Desiree" | Neil Diamond |
| January 28 | "My Way" | Elvis Presley |
| February 4 | "Just the Way You Are" | Billy Joel |
| February 11 | "Just the Way You Are" | Billy Joel |
| February 18 | "Just the Way You Are" | Billy Joel |
| February 25 | "(Love Is) Thicker Than Water" | Andy Gibb |
| March 4 | "Desiree" | Neil Diamond |
| March 11 | "Small People" | Randy Newman |
| March 18 | "Sometimes When We Touch" | Dan Hill |
| March 25 | "(What a) Wonderful World" | Art Garfunkel |
| April 1 | "(What a) Wonderful World" | Art Garfunkel |
| April 8 | "The Circle Is Small" | Gordon Lightfoot |
| April 15 | "The Circle Is Small" | Gordon Lightfoot |
| April 22 | "Lay Down Sally" | Eric Clapton |
| April 29 | "Night Fever" | Bee Gees |
| May 6 | "Night Fever" | Bee Gees |
| May 13 | "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" | Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams |
| May 20 | "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" | Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams |
| May 27 | "Dust in the Wind" | Kansas |
| June 3 | "The Last of the Romantics" | Engelbert Humperdinck |
| June 10 | "The Closer I Get to You" | Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway |
| June 17 | "You're the One That I Want" | Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta |
| June 24 | "You're the One That I Want" | Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta |
| July 1 | "It's a Heartache" | Bonnie Tyler |
| July 8 | "Feels So Good" | Chuck Mangione |
| July 15 | "Shadow Dancing" | Andy Gibb |
| July 22 | "Bluer Than Blue" | Michael Johnson |
| July 29 | "Songbird" | Barbra Streisand |
| August 5 | "Songbird" | Barbra Streisand |
| August 12 | "You Needed Me" | Anne Murray |
| August 19 | "Three Times a Lady" | Commodores |
| August 26 | "Three Times a Lady" | Commodores |
| September 2 | "You're a Part of Me" | Gene Cotton and Kim Carnes |
| September 9 | "Grease" | Frankie Valli |
| September 16 | "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" | Chris Rea |
| September 23 | "You" | Rita Coolidge |
| September 30 | "Hopelessly Devoted to You" | Olivia Newton-John |
| October 7 | "Break It to Them Gently" | Burton Cummings |
| October 14 | "Break It to Them Gently" | Burton Cummings |
| October 21 | "Heartbreaker" | Dolly Parton |
| October 28 | "Heartbreaker" | Dolly Parton |
| November 4 | "Heartbreaker" | Dolly Parton |
| November 11 | "Heartbreaker" | Dolly Parton |
| November 18 | "MacArthur Park" | Donna Summer |
| November 25 | "MacArthur Park" | Donna Summer |
| December 2 | "Ready to Take a Chance Again" | Barry Manilow |
| December 9 | "Reminiscing" | Little River Band |
| December 16 | "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" | Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond |
| December 23 | "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" | Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond |
| December 30 | "Time Passages" | Al Stewart |