The 25 best Classic Rock albums of 1979

10 April 2024, 13:43 | Updated: 16 July 2024, 19:04

The last days of the 1970s included some fine albums from AC/DC, The Police, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and more... take a look at our picks from '79.

By Radio X

@RadioX

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1. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Armed Forces: release date 5th January 1979

   Costello's third album featured the hits Accidents Will Happen and Oliver's Army.

   

2. Motörhead - Overkill: released March 1979

   Lemmy's heavy metal trio issued their second album, which featured No Class and the powerful title track.

   

3. Bad Company - Desolation Angels: release date 7th March 1979

   The supergroup's fifth album included the singles Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy and Gone, Gone, Gone.

   

4. Supertramp - Breakfast In America: release date 16th March 1979

   The sixth studio album by the British rock band was a huge international hit thanks to the memorable title track plus the singles Take The Long Way Home and The Logical Song.

   

5. Van Halen - Van Halen II: release date 23rd March 1979

   The second album from the David Lee Roth-fronted rock titans included the singles Somebody Get Me A Doctor, Dance The Night Away and Beautiful Girls.

   

6. Thin Lizzy - Black Rose: A Rock Legend: release date 13th April 1979

   Phil Lynott's ninth studio album featured guitarist Gary Moore and the hit singles Waiting For An Alibi and Sarah.

   

7. KISS - Dynasty: release date 23rd May 1979

   The seventh album from the New York glam rockers included their major hit I Was Made For Lovin' You and Sure Know Something.

   

8. David Bowie - Lodger: release date 25th May 1979

   Bowie's thirteenth album and the last of his "Berlin trilogy" (alongside Low and "Heroes") included DJ, Look Back In Anger and Boys Keep Swinging.

   

9. Electric Light Orchestra - Discovery: release date 31st May 1979

   The eighth studio album from the symphonic rockers led by Jeff Lynne followed up the classic Out Of The Blue and was the band's first No 1 album. Singles included Don't Bring Me Down, Confusion and The Diary Of Horace Wimp.

   

10. Dire Straits - Communique: release date 5th June 1979

    Mark Knopfler and co's second studio album included the singles Lady Writer and Once Upon A Time In The West.

    

11. Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps: release date 22nd June 1979

    The tenth studio album from the Canadian singer-songwriter featured the band Crazy Horse and was very much a key album in the development of Grunge, featuring the single Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black).

    

12. AC/DC - Highway To Hell: release date 27th July 1979

    The Aussie rock legends released their sixth album, which included the storming title track and Touch Too Much. It was the last Acca Dacca album to feature singer Bon Scott, who died in February 1980.

    

13. Rainbow - Down To Earth: release date 3rd August 1979

    The fourth studio album from ex-Deep Purple man Ritchie Blackmore featured two of their biggest hits: Since You Been Gone and All Night Long.

    

14. Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door: release date 22nd August 1979

    The final album from the British rock legends included Fool In The Rain/Hot Dog and was issued a couple of weeks after their legendary Knebworth show. Following the death of drummer John Bonham in September 1980, there'd be one more album of outtakes, entitled Coda (1982).

    

15. Foreigner - Head Games: release date 11th September 1979

    The third album from the British-American band featured a mildly controversial cover and the singles dirty White Boy, Love On The Telephone and I'll Get Even With You.

    

16. Cheap Trick - Dream Police: release date 21st September 1979

    The power pop band's fourth album saw them make a hit single out of the title track, plus Voices, Way Of The World and I'll Be With You Tonight.

    

17. Blondie - Eat To The Beat: release date 28th September 1979

    The band's fourth album features the huge hit Atomic (released as a single in 1980), Dreaming and Union City Blue.

    

18. The Police - Reggatta de Blanc: release date 5th October 1979

    The second album from Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland spawned two No 1 hits in Message In A Bottle and Walking On The Moon.

    

19. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Damn The Torpedoes: release date 19th October 1979

    Petty's third studio album included the singles Don't Do Me Like That, Refugee and Here Comes My Girl.

    

20. Fleetwood Mac - Tusk: release date 19th October 1979

    The band were always going to struggle in following the monster hit Rumours, and this ambitious double album confused many fans. The title track was a solid hit, as was Stevie Nicks' song Sara.

    

21. The Damned - Machine Gun Etiquette: release date 2nd November 1979

    The first wave British punks issued their third studio album, which featured the hits Love Song, Smash It Up and I Just Can't Be Happy Today.

    

22. Aerosmith - Night In The Ruts: release date 16th November 1979

    Behind the punning title of the Boston band's sixth stiudio album were the tracks No Surprize, Chiquita and a cover of The Shangri-Las' Remember (Walking In The Sand).

    

23. Pink Floyd - The Wall: release date 30th November 1979

    The prog legends released one of their most famous albums, a double concept piece about personal alienation, which was accompanied by a typically lavish live show. The LP included the No 1 hit Another Brick In The Wall Part II and Comfortably Numb.

    

24. The Clash - London Calling: release date 14th December 1979

    The punk legends issued their third album was a double and featured the title track and the tracks Guns Of Brixton and Train In Vain.

    

25. The Pretenders - Pretenders: release date 27th December 1979

    The debut album from Chrissie Hynde's new wave band included the singles Stop Your Sobbing, Kid and the No 1 Brass In Pocket.