# 1978 in British music

This is a summary of 1978 in music in the United Kingdom.

## Events

* 14 January – The Sex Pistols play their final show (until a reunion in 1996) at Winterland, San Francisco.
* 24 January – Wings' "Mull of Kintyre" is number one for a ninth and final week, becoming the biggest-selling single in UK history at that point.
* 25 January – Electric Light Orchestra kick off their Out of the Blue world tour in Honolulu, Hawaii.
* 11 March – Kate Bush becomes the first British female solo artist to reach number one in the UK charts with a self-written song, "Wuthering Heights".
* 30 April – The Clash, Tom Robinson Band, Steel Pulse, X-Ray Spex, the Ruts, Misty in Roots and Generation X all play live in Victoria Park, Hackney, at the Anti-Nazi League/Rock Against Racism festival, following a march from Trafalgar Square.
* 25 May – The Who play their last show with Keith Moon before his death.
* 15 July – The Picnic at Blackbushe Aerodrome, Camberley, Surrey, a concert featuring Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Joan Armatrading, attracts some 200,000 people.
* 30 July – Thin Lizzy officially announce that Gary Moore has replaced Brian Robertson on guitar.
* 18 August – The Who release their eighth studio album Who Are You. It is the Who's last album with Keith Moon as the drummer; Moon dies twenty days after the release of the album.
* September – Second anti-racism event staged in Brockwell Park, South London, featuring Elvis Costello, Stiff Little Fingers and Aswad, with 150,000 people in attendance.
* 27 November – Def Leppard's permanent drummer Rick Allen joins the band at the age of 15.
* unknown dates
** The Bee Gees' Saturday Night Fever becomes the biggest-selling album of all time (until overtaken in 1983).
** The first BBC Young Musician of the Year competition for classical players is won by trombonist Michael Hext.
* Operatic contralto Helen Watts is appointed a CBE.
** Multitone Records is founded by Pranil Gohil, specialising in bhangra music.

## Charts
### Number one singles

| Date | Song | Artist |
| 1 January | "Mull of Kintyre" / "Girls' School" | Wings |
| 8 January | "Mull of Kintyre" / "Girls' School" | Wings |
| 15 January | "Mull of Kintyre" / "Girls' School" | Wings |
| 22 January | "Mull of Kintyre" / "Girls' School" | Wings |
| 29 January | "Uptown Top Ranking" | Althea & Donna |
| 5 February | "Figaro" | Brotherhood of Man |
| 12 February | "Take a Chance on Me" | ABBA |
| 19 February | "Take a Chance on Me" | ABBA |
| 26 February | "Take a Chance on Me" | ABBA |
| 5 March | "Wuthering Heights" | Kate Bush |
| 12 March | "Wuthering Heights" | Kate Bush |
| 19 March | "Wuthering Heights" | Kate Bush |
| 26 April | "Wuthering Heights" | Kate Bush |
| 2 April | "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs" | Brian and Michael |
| 9 April | "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs" | Brian and Michael |
| 16 April | "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs" | Brian and Michael |
| 23 April | "Night Fever" | Bee Gees |
| 30 April | "Night Fever" | Bee Gees |
| 7 May | "Rivers of Babylon" | Boney M |
| 14 May | "Rivers of Babylon" | Boney M |
| 21 May | "Rivers of Babylon" | Boney M |
| 28 May | "Rivers of Babylon" | Boney M |
| 4 June | "Rivers of Babylon" | Boney M |
| 11 June | "You're the One That I Want" | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John |
| 18 June | "You're the One That I Want" | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John |
| 25 June | "You're the One That I Want" | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John |
| 2 July | "You're the One That I Want" | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John |
| 9 July | "You're the One That I Want" | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John |
| 16 July | "You're the One That I Want" | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John |
| 23 July | "You're the One That I Want" | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John |
| 30 July | "You're the One That I Want" | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John |
| 6 August | "You're the One That I Want" | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John |
| 13 August | "Three Times a Lady" | The Commodores |
| 20 August | "Three Times a Lady" | The Commodores |
| 27 August | "Three Times a Lady" | The Commodores |
| 3 September | "Three Times a Lady" | The Commodores |
| 10 September | "Three Times a Lady" | The Commodores |
| 17 September | "Dreadlock Holiday" | 10cc |
| 24 September | "Summer Nights" | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John |
| 1 October | "Summer Nights" | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John |
| 8 October | "Summer Nights" | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John |
| 15 October | "Summer Nights" | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John |
| 22 October | "Summer Nights" | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John |
| 29 October | "Summer Nights" | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John |
| 5 November | "Summer Nights" | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John |
| 12 November | "Rat Trap" | The Boomtown Rats |
| 19 November | "Rat Trap" | The Boomtown Rats |
| 26 November | "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" | Rod Stewart |
| 3 December | "Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord" | Boney M |
| 10 December | "Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord" | Boney M |
| 17 December | "Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord" | Boney M |
| 24 December | "Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord" | Boney M |
| 31 December | "Y.M.C.A." | The Village People |

### Number one albums

| Date | Album | Artist | Weeks |
| 7 January | Disco Fever | Various Artists | 2 |
| 14 January | Disco Fever | Various Artists | 2 |
| 21 January | The Sound of Bread | Bread | 1 |
| 28 January | Rumours | Fleetwood Mac | 1 |
| 4 February | The Album | ABBA | 7 |
| 11 February | The Album | ABBA | 7 |
| 18 February | The Album | ABBA | 7 |
| 25 February | The Album | ABBA | 7 |
| 4 March | The Album | ABBA | 7 |
| 11 March | The Album | ABBA | 7 |
| 18 March | The Album | ABBA | 7 |
| 25 March | 20 Golden Greats | Buddy Holly and The Crickets | 3 |
| 1 April | 20 Golden Greats | Buddy Holly and The Crickets | 3 |
| 8 April | 20 Golden Greats | Buddy Holly and The Crickets | 3 |
| 15 April | 20 Golden Greats | Nat 'King' Cole | 3 |
| 22 April | 20 Golden Greats | Nat 'King' Cole | 3 |
| 29 April | 20 Golden Greats | Nat 'King' Cole | 3 |
| 6 May | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | 18 |
| 13 May | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | 18 |
| 20 May | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | 18 |
| 27 May | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | 18 |
| 3 June | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | 18 |
| 10 June | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | 18 |
| 17 June | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | 18 |
| 24 June | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | 18 |
| 1 July | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | 18 |
| 8 July | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | 18 |
| 15 July | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | 18 |
| 22 July | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | 18 |
| 29 July | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | 18 |
| 5 August | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | 18 |
| 12 August | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | 18 |
| 19 August | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | 18 |
| 26 August | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | 18 |
| 2 September | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | 18 |
| 9 September | Nightflight to Venus | Boney M | 4 |
| 16 September | Nightflight to Venus | Boney M | 4 |
| 23 September | Nightflight to Venus | Boney M | 4 |
| 30 September | Nightflight to Venus | Boney M | 4 |
| 7 October | Grease | Original Soundtrack | 13 |
| 14 October | Grease | Original Soundtrack | 13 |
| 21 October | Grease | Original Soundtrack | 13 |
| 28 October | Grease | Original Soundtrack | 13 |
| 4 November | Grease | Original Soundtrack | 13 |
| 11 November | Grease | Original Soundtrack | 13 |
| 18 November | Grease | Original Soundtrack | 13 |
| 25 November | Grease | Original Soundtrack | 13 |
| 2 December | Grease | Original Soundtrack | 13 |
| 9 December | Grease | Original Soundtrack | 13 |
| 16 December | Grease | Original Soundtrack | 13 |
| 23 December | Grease | Original Soundtrack | 13 |
| 30 December | Grease | Original Soundtrack | 13 |

## Year-end charts

The tables below include sales between 31 December 1977 and 30 December 1978: the year-end charts reproduced in the issue of Music Week dated 23 December 1978 and played on Radio 1 on 31 December 1978 only include sales figures up until 16 December 1978.

### Best-selling singles

| No. | Title | Artist | Peak position |
| 1 | "Rivers of Babylon"/"Brown Girl in the Ring" | Boney M | 1 |
| 2 | "You're the One That I Want" | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John | 1 |
| 3 | "Summer Nights" | John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John | 1 |
| 4 | "Three Times a Lady" | The Commodores | 1 |
| 5 | "The Smurf Song" | Father Abraham and the Smurfs | 2 |
| 6 | "Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord" | Boney M | 1 |
| 7 | "Night Fever" | Bee Gees | 1 |
| 8 | "Rat Trap" | The Boomtown Rats | 1 |
| 9 | "Take a Chance on Me" | ABBA | 1 |
| 10 | "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs" | Brian and Michael | 1 |
| 11 | "Dreadlock Holiday" | 10cc | 1 |
| 12 | "Wuthering Heights" | Kate Bush | 1 |
| 13 | "Sandy" | John Travolta | 2 |
| 14 | "Rasputin" | Boney M | 2 |
| 15 | "Substitute" | Clout | 2 |
| 16 | "Denis" | Blondie | 2 |
| 17 | "Baker Street" | Gerry Rafferty | 3 |
| 18 | "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" | Rod Stewart | 1 |
| 19 | "Figaro" | Brotherhood of Man | 1 |
| 20 | "Come Back My Love" | Darts | 2 |
| 21 | "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" | Rose Royce | 2 |
| 22 | "Mull of Kintyre"/"Girls' School" | Wings | 1 |
| 23 | "It's Raining" | Darts | 2 |
| 24 | "Wishing on a Star" | Rose Royce | 3 |
| 25 | "Lucky Stars" | Dean Friedman | 3 |
| 26 | "Dancing in the City" | Marshall Hain | 3 |
| 27 | "Boogie Oogie Oogie" | A Taste of Honey | 3 |
| 28 | "Oh What a Circus" | David Essex | 3 |
| 29 | "Grease" | Frankie Valli | 3 |
| 30 | "Jilted John" | Jilted John | 4 |
| 31 | "Y.M.C.A." | Village People | 2 |
| 32 | "Annie's Song" | James Galway | 3 |
| 33 | "Stayin' Alive" | Bee Gees | 4 |
| 34 | "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" | Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams | 3 |
| 35 | "The Boy from New York City" | Darts | 2 |
| 36 | "Hopelessly Devoted to You" | Olivia Newton-John | 2 |
| 37 | "Blame It on the Boogie" | The Jacksons | 8 |
| 38 | "Darlin'" | Frankie Miller | 6 |
| 39 | "Never Let Her Slip Away" | Andrew Gold | 5 |
| 40 | "Sweet Talkin' Woman" | Electric Light Orchestra | 6 |
| 41 | "If I Had Words" | Scott Fitzgerald and Yvonne Keeley with the St Thomas More School Choir | 3 |
| 42 | "I Can't Stand the Rain" | Eruption featuring Precious Wilson | 5 |
| 43 | "Mr. Blue Sky" | Electric Light Orchestra | 6 |
| 44 | "Uptown Top Ranking" | Althea and Donna | 1 |
| 45 | "MacArthur Park" | Donna Summer | 5 |
| 46 | "I Wonder Why" | Showaddywaddy | 2 |
| 47 | "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" | Sylvester | 8 |
| 48 | "If You Can't Give Me Love" | Suzi Quatro | 4 |
| 49 | "A Taste of Aggro" | The Barron Knights | 3 |
| 50 | "Forever Autumn" | Justin Hayward | 5 |

### Best-selling albums

| No. | Title | Artist | Peak position |
| 1 | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | 1 |
| 2 | Grease | Original Soundtrack | 1 |
| 3 | The Album | ABBA | 1 |
| 4 | Nightflight to Venus | Boney M | 1 |
| 5 | 20 Golden Greats | Nat 'King' Cole | 1 |
| 6 | Rumours | Fleetwood Mac | 1 |
| 7 | Out of the Blue | Electric Light Orchestra | 5 |
| 8 | Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds | Jeff Wayne | 5 |
| 9 | Images | Don Williams | 2 |
| 10 | 20 Golden Greats | Buddy Holly & the Crickets | 1 |
| 11 | The Kick Inside | Kate Bush | 3 |
| 12 | And Then There Were Three | Genesis | 3 |
| 13 | Classic Rock | London Symphony Orchestra | 3 |
| 14 | New Boots and Panties!! | Ian Dury | 8 |
| 15 | Live and Dangerous | Thin Lizzy | 2 |
| 16 | Reflections | Andy Williams | 2 |
| 17 | The Sound of Bread | Bread | 1 |
| 18 | The Singles: 1974–1978 | The Carpenters | 2 |
| 19 | Street-Legal | Bob Dylan | 2 |
| 20 | A Tonic for the Troops | The Boomtown Rats | 8 |
| 21 | 20 Golden Greats | The Hollies | 2 |
| 22 | The Stud | Original Soundtrack | 2 |
| 23 | City to City | Gerry Rafferty | 6 |
| 24 | The Big Wheels of Motown | Various Artists | 2 |
| 25 | You Light Up My Life | Johnny Mathis | 3 |
| 26 | Greatest Hits (1976-1978) | Showaddywaddy | 4 |
| 27 | 20 Golden Greats | Neil Diamond | 2 |
| 28 | Bat Out of Hell | Meat Loaf | 11 |
| 29 | London Town | Wings | 4 |
| 30 | Emotions | Various Artists | 2 |
| 31 | Midnight Hustle | Various Artists | 5 |
| 32 | Some Girls | The Rolling Stones | 2 |
| 33 | Variations | Andrew Lloyd Webber | 2 |
| 34 | Pastiche | The Manhattan Transfer | 10 |
| 35 | Greatest Hits | ABBA | 12 |
| 36 | Kaya | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 4 |
| 37 | Blondes Have More Fun | Rod Stewart | 3 |
| 38 | Parallel Lines | Blondie | 7 |
| 39 | Foot Loose & Fancy Free | Rod Stewart | 4 |
| 40 | Plastic Letters | Blondie | 10 |
| 41 | Arrival | ABBA | 12 |
| 42 | Black and White | The Stranglers | 2 |
| 43 | 20 Giant Hits | The Nolan Sisters | 3 |
| 44 | The Greatest Hits of Donna Summer | Donna Summer | 4 |
| 45 | Natural High | The Commodores | 8 |
| 46 | This Year's Model | Elvis Costello and the Attractions | 4 |
| 47 | Anytime...Anywhere | Rita Coolidge | 6 |
| 48 | Octave | The Moody Blues | 6 |
| 49 | A Single Man | Elton John | 8 |
| 50 | Bloody Tourists | 10cc | 3 |
Notes:
* ↑ Reached number 1 in 1979
* ↑ Reached number 4 in 1977
* ↑ Reached number 5 in 1979
* ↑ Reached number 1 in 1979
* ↑ Reached number 9 in 1981
* ↑ Reached number 1 in 1976
* ↑ Reached number 1 in 1979
* ↑ Reached number 3 in 1977
* ↑ Reached number 1 in 1976

## Classical music: new works

* Malcolm Arnold – Symphony No. 8
* Peter Maxwell Davies – Symphony no. 1
* Daniel Jones – String Quartet No 4
* Malcolm Williamson
** Azure
** Fiesta

## Film and Incidental music

* Tony Banks – The Shout, starring Alan Bates, Susannah York and John Hurt.
* Roy Budd – The Wild Geese.
* Ron Goodwin – Force 10 from Navarone directed by Guy Hamilton, starring Robert Shaw and Edward Fox.
* Ed Welch – The Thirty Nine Steps, starring Robert Powell.

## Births

* 1 January – Tarik O'Regan, composer
* 13 January – Shelley Nash, singer (Girls@Play)
* 15 January – Sandi Lee Hughes, singer (allSTARS*)
* 19 January – Wayne Williams, singer (Another Level)
* 13 February – Hamish Glencross, Scottish guitarist
* 14 February – Ryan Griffiths (The Vines)
* 22 February – Jenny Frost, singer (Atomic Kitten)
* 6 April – Myleene Klass, singer (Hear'Say), radio and TV presenter
* 7 April – Duncan James, singer (Blue)
* 9 April – Rachel Stevens, singer (S Club 7)
* 16 April – Terry Daly, Irish singer (Mytown)
* 23 April – Tom Lowe, singer and keyboardist (North and South)
* 25 April – Luke Bedford, composer
* 28 April – Lauren Laverne, singer, radio DJ and TV presenter
* 4 May – Matthew Rose, bass
* 22 May – Jordan, model and would-be singer
* 29 May
** Adam Rickitt, singer and actor
** Daniel Pearce, singer (One True Voice)
* 6 June – Sophie Solomon, violinist
* 16 June – Elisa Cariera, American-born singer (Solid HarmoniE)
* 4 July – Stephen McNally, English singer-songwriter (BBMak)
* 1 August – Jonathan Wilkes, singer and entertainer
* 21 August – John Paul "J-Rock" Horsley, American-born singer (Big Brovaz)
* 3 September – Johnny Shentall, singer (Boom!)
* 15 September – David Sneddon, singer-songwriter
* 27 September – Jamie Benson, singer (Hepburn)
* 7 October – Alesha Dixon, singer (Mis-Teeq)
* 9 October
** Nicky Byrne, Irish singer (Westlife)
** Beverley Fullen, drummer (Hepburn)
* 26 October – Rachael Carr, singer (Boom!)
* 27 October – Sabrina Washington, singer (Mis-Teeq)
* 29 October – Sam Chapman, singer and keyboardist (North and South)
* 1 November – Bobak Kianovsh, singer (Another Level)
* 7 November – Mark Read, singer (A1)
* 23 November – Randy Brown, Jamaican-born singer (Big Brovaz)
* 27 November – Mike Skinner, rapper, musician and record producer
* 12 December – Paul Walker, Irish singer (Mytown)
* 18 December – Lindsay Armaou, Greek-born Irish-based singer (B*Witched)
* date unknown – Oliver Weeks, composer, arranger and guitarist

## Deaths

* 11 January – William John Edwards, Cerdd Dant singer (b. 1898)
* 15 January – Jack Jackson, trumpeter, bandleader and radio disc jockey (b. 1906)
* 24 February – Mrs Mills, pianist (b. 1918; heart attack)
* 9 March – L. Radley Flynn, singer and actor (b. 1902)
* 12 March – Tolchard Evans, songwriter, composer, pianist and bandleader (b. 1901)
* 3 April – Ray Noble, composer and bandleader (b. 1903)
* 21 April – Sandy Denny, singer (Fairport Convention) (b. 1947) (cerebral haemorrhage)
* 14 August – Victor Silvester, dance band leader (b. 1900)
* 7 September
** Keith Moon, drummer of The Who (b. 1946) (Clomethiazole overdose)
** Charles Williams, composer (b. 1893)
* 15 September – Robert Bruce Montgomery, writer and composer (b. 1921)
* 13 December – Jack Doyle, Irish-born boxer and singer (b. 1913; cirrhosis of liver)