Okay! Time to remind ourselves why the 70s were so damn great.
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I'm not the hugest Olivia Newton-John fan. But even I am able to admit when there's an exception to my rules.
10. "Hopelessly Devoted to You" - Olivia Newton-John
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7433YZ9exRI
It's interesting. On the surface, this seems to me like exactly the type of Olivia Newton-John song I would dislike. But then again, I don't really like any Olivia Newton-John songs but this one, so I guess there really isn't a "type". So why does this one work for me?
Well, I guess it helps that I like Grease as the incredibly corny, fun movie that it is. And I'd argue this song is one of the movie's more underrated moments that comes off surprisingly sincere. I think it's the twang of the guitar, making this almost a country-pop song. And unlike most Olivia Newton-John songs, I feel the chorus with this one. She really sings her heart out here, which you kind of have to do for a title of this scale. It works. And it's also not the only Grease you'll be seeing on this list.
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Sandy?!
9. "You're the One That I Want" - John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oKPYe53h78
Again, Grease is a totally cornball movie that can't be taken seriously in the slightest. And this is the crowning moment of the movie. A bunch of 20-30 year olds pretending to be teenagers revealing the moral of the story: change for your man. As I said, don't take the movie too seriously.
This is Olivia Newton-John's best performance. And John Travolta's... well, he tries. The point is that the song is instantly recognizable and catchy, with a relentless chorus. Even if you don't know the movie, you're probably at least aware of this hook. It's the cap-off to a pretty enjoyable movie, and for good reason.
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You won't begrudge me a little bit of dad-rock on here, will you?
8. "Hot Blooded" - Foreigner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hA2fzvzT_w
Foreigner is one of those bands that is objectively middle-of-the-road with a few great songs. But for some reason, they just resonate with me. Maybe it's Lou Gramm singing his heart out at any given opportunity. Maybe it's the familiar guitar sound. Maybe it's that they sound like a less ambitious version of Boston. But whatever it is, they got it. Come on, who doesn't like this song? It's the ultimate mid-life crisis song. Yeah, I don't know. I just think the chorus kicks, is all.
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I've always wanted to put Billy Joel on one of these lists. Now is the time.
7. "Just the Way You Are" - Billy Joel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaA3YZ6QdJU
Ah, who else was introduced to this song through Shrek? No one? Just me? Anyway...
Billy Joel has always been a hypnotizing lyricist, and this is one of the sweetest love songs about staying complacent I've ever heard.
I don't want clever conversation
I never want to work that hard
Hey, same. How 'bout them Broncos?
But really, that's what makes the song work. It's a song with realistic expectations and goals, painting a very real relationship effortlessly. and normally I'm not the biggest soft rock fan, but it really works here. The understatement of the whole song really drives the point home that there's no need for grand gestures, as long as you can accept each other the way you are. Conversely, random sax solos never hurt a song either. I like this song just the way it is.
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I may have to rescind my soft rock comment, specifically for this list...
6. "Baby Come Back" - Player
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn-enjcgV1o
Pretty much impossible to resist the value of this song. It is such a classic, I'm sure everyone and their mother knows it, at least by the chorus. But yeah, another soft rock song I actually enjoy. It helps when the song still has a groove to it, and not just lilting and limp. I can still feel this song, despite its comparatively mellow energy. You could picture John Cusack from Say Anything blaring this on the boombox instead. Maybe if the movie took place ten years earlier.
But yeah, this is a killer song, especially for its genre. I especially love when it picks up towards the end with that guitar. Everything seems to happen at just the right moment and right frequency. Cool.
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OKAY SO WHEN I SAID I DIDN'T LIKE SOFT ROCK I WASN'T COGNIZANT THAT HALF THIS FUCKING LIST WAS SOFT ROCK
5. "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" - Meat Loaf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5hWWe-ts2s
How could I resist this song? It's impossible. Meat Loaf may be kind of a dick, but he sure knows how to put on a performance, even when he his to turn the lights down a little. The theatrics of this song, as with every Meat Loaf song, are incredible, rivaled only by Queen in his heyday. Yet I'm not sure even Queen could pull off the poise and composure it takes to make such a heart-wrenching song as this. Yes, even the "cracker jack box" line. Meat Loaf makes it work. He's so captivating as a performer, and pretty much steals the show with this song.
So yes! Soft rock can be good. Quite frequently, it turns out.
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*shrug*
4. "Dust in the Wind" - Kansas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH2w6Oxx0kQ
May as well beat this joke into the ground even further, right? Okay, do you notice that despite all these songs being gathered under the umbrella term "soft rock", they are all distinctive and serve their own purpose? That's what I'm talking about here. So many songs just do not have that it factor in this genre, but these last four songs I've highlighted do, in very different ways. Take this song for example. It's pretty much unlike anything in the genre. It may be soft rock, but it defies formula by having very minimal instrumentation and letting the song live and die on strings, powerful vocals, and lyrical sentiments. It's a bold move, but somehow it paid off. I'm not the biggest Kansas fan, but between this and "Carry on Wayward Son", they certainly got some well-deserved acclaim.
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Finally! Not a soft rock song. A disco song by white people!
3. "Stayin' Alive" - Bee Gees
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNFzfwLM72c
It would be almost sacrilege not to put this song on a Top 10 list of 1978. Feels just a bit wrong that the biggest disco song of all time is performed by white guys, but it's undeniable the energy that the Gibb brothers bring to this song. It is truly one of the most enduring songs of the era. Everyone and their mother knows this song. It is a tour de force. All this even despite the fact that Barry Gibb sounds like a Tickle Me Elmo on steroids. Which is why I can't usually get into the Bee Gees' music, to be honest. But here, it just works. And I attribute it to the unforgettable groove this song has. Just by the opening notes, you already know what it is. An inimitable star of a song.
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So there's a lot of soft rock on this list. But by the late 1970s, rock was evolving and making its way into the mainstream in all sorts of new ways, paving the way for the weird and wonderful early 80s. One of the clear evolutions was punk rock's path into new wave. For the 1978 year-end, I can't think of a better song to represent that than this one.
2. "Because the Night" - Patti Smith Group
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_BcivBprM0
"Because the Night" is one of those songs that is dearly beloved by the music world. One of those songs that everyone wants to take a stab at. It's a wonderfully gothic song that probably inspired a lot more music in the decades to come than you might originally think. I can draw a clear line between this and new wave, bands like The Cure and The Smiths, and even the Lilith fair rock that came in the 90s. Actually not surprising for that last one, given the 10,000 Maniacs cover. Even artists like Pat Benatar and Cyndi Lauper. This is exactly the brash kind of performance that may have inspired some of the 80s' greatest female stars. It's such a fireball of a track, and more than deserving of a spot on this list.
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Come on.
1. "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions" - Queen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNWvNEPsilI
Yeah, it's an obvious choice, but sometimes the obvious choice is also the right one. There was no way this one-two punch wasn't going to top this list. It's Queen. They're great. I shouldn't have to tell you this.
There's a reason this is a sports stadium staple. It's the anthem to end all anthems. It's such a simple concept, stomp-stomp-clap, stomp-stomp-clap. But it works so well. And of course, "We Are The Champions" is the logical track to follow. Just as triumphant, but with even more bombast. Freddie Mercury is one of the greatest singers who ever lived. You feel every word he sings. And it's a mindblowing pair of songs to this day. Rock on forever, Queen.
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