It Was 30 Years Ago Today

that I began my writing career at The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A winter blizzard over the weekend drifted roads shut and made me an hour late. But, I finally arrived and, despite a four-year hiatus from 1986 to 1990, have been here since.

Ah, 1979. I drove a 1973 Plymouth Satellite Sebring Plus, rented an apartment off Center Point Road NE and produced my stories on an IBM Selectric typewriter.

In those days, at age 25, music defined moments. I'd buy vinyl record albums of favorite songs or artists, put them on the turntable and let them melt my cares away. Disco still ruled and Donna Summer was at the top with three songs on the top 12.

So, to spark your memories as well as mine, here is Billboard magazine's Top 100 hits for 1979:

Billboard Top 100 of 19791. My Sharona, Knack2. Bad Girls, Donna Summer3. Le Freak, Chic4. Da Ya Think I'm Sexy, Rod Stewart5. Reunited, Peaches & Herb6. I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor7. Hot Stuff, Donna Summer8. Y.M.C.A., Village People9. Ring My Bell, Anita Ward10. Sad Eyes, Robert John11. Too Much Heaven, Bee Gees12. MacArthur Park, Donna Summer13. When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman, Dr. Hook14. Makin' It, David Naughton15. Fire, Pointer Sisters16. Tragedy, Bee Gees17. A Little More Love, Olivia Newton-John18. Heart Of Glass, Blondie19. What A Fool Believes, Doobie Brothers20. Good Times, Chic21. You Don't Bring Me Flowers, Barbra Streisand & Neil Diamond22. Knock On Wood, Amii Stewart23. Stumblin' In, Suzi Quatro & Chris Norman24. Lead Me On, Maxine Nightingale25. Shake Your Body, Jacksons26. Don't Cry Out Loud, Melissa Manchester27. The Logical Song, Supertramp28. My Life, Billy Joel29. Just When I Needed You Most, Randy Vanwarmer30. You Can't Change That, Raydio31. Shake Your Groove Thing, Peaches & Herb32. I'll Never Love This Way Again, Dionne Warwick33. Love You Inside Out, Bee Gees34. I Want You To Want Me, Cheap Trick35. The Main Event (Fight), Barbra Streisand36. Mama Can't Buy You Love, Elton John37. I Was Made For Dancin', Leif Garrett38. After The Love Has Gone, Earth, Wind & Fire39. Heaven Knows, Donna Summer & Brooklyn Dreams40. The Gambler, Kenny Rogers41. Lotta Love, Nicolette Larson42. Lady, Little River Band43. Heaven Must Have Sent You, Bonnie Pointer44. Hold The Line, Toto45. He's The Greatest Dancer, Sister Sledge46. Sharing The Night Together, Dr. Hook47. She Believes In Me, Kenny Rogers48. In The Navy, Village People49. Music Box Dancer, Frank Mills50. The Devil Went Down To Georgia, Charlie Daniels Band51. Gold, John Stewart52. Goodnight Tonight, Wings53. We Are Family, Sister Sledge54. Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy, Bad Company55. Every 1's A Winner, Hot Chocolate56. Take Me Home, Cher57. Boogie Wonderland, Earth, Wind & Fire58. (Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away, Andy Gibb59. What You Won't Do For Love, Bobby Caldwell60. New York Groove, Ace Frehley61. Sultans Of Swing, Dire Straits62. I Want Your Love, Chic63. Chuck E's In Love, Rickie Lee Jones64. I Love The Night Life, Alicia Bridges65. Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now, McFadden & Whitehead66. Lonesome Loser, Little River Band67. Renegade, Styx68. Love Is The Answer, England Dan & John Ford Coley69. Got To Be Real, Cheryl Lynn70. Born To Be Alive, Patrick Hernandez71. Shine A Little Love, Electric Light Orchestra72. I Just Fall In Love Again, Anne Murray73. Shake It, Ian Matthews74. I Was Made For Lovin' You, Kiss75. I Just Wanna Stop, Gino Vannelli76. Disco Nights, G.Q.77. Ooh Baby Baby, Linda Ronstadt78. September, Earth, Wind & Fire79. Time Passages, Al Stewart80. Rise, Herb Alpert81. Don't Bring Me Down, Electric Light Orchestra82. Promises, Eric Clapton83. Get Used To It, Roger Voudouris84. How Much I Feel, Ambrosia85. Suspicions, Eddie Rabbitt86. You Take My Breath Away, Rex Smith87. How You Gonna See Me Now, Alice Cooper88. Double Vision, Foreigner89. Every Time I Think Of You, Babys90. I Got My Mind Made Up, Instant Funk91. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Michael Jackson92. Bad Case Of Lovin' You, Robert Palmer93. Somewhere In The Night, Barry Manilow94. We've Got Tonite, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band95. Dance The Night Away, Van Halen96. Dancing Shoes, Nigel Olsson97. The Boss, Diana Ross98. Sail On, Commodores99. I Do Love You, G.Q.

1. My Sharona, Knack

2. Bad Girls, Donna Summer

3. Le Freak, Chic

4. Da Ya Think I'm Sexy, Rod Stewart

5. Reunited, Peaches & Herb

6. I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor

7. Hot Stuff, Donna Summer

8. Y.M.C.A., Village People

9. Ring My Bell, Anita Ward

10. Sad Eyes, Robert John

11. Too Much Heaven, Bee Gees

12. MacArthur Park, Donna Summer

13. When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman, Dr. Hook

14. Makin' It, David Naughton

15. Fire, Pointer Sisters

16. Tragedy, Bee Gees

17. A Little More Love, Olivia Newton-John

18. Heart Of Glass, Blondie

19. What A Fool Believes, Doobie Brothers

20. Good Times, Chic

21. You Don't Bring Me Flowers, Barbra Streisand & Neil Diamond

22. Knock On Wood, Amii Stewart

23. Stumblin' In, Suzi Quatro & Chris Norman

24. Lead Me On, Maxine Nightingale

25. Shake Your Body, Jacksons

26. Don't Cry Out Loud, Melissa Manchester

27. The Logical Song, Supertramp

28. My Life, Billy Joel

29. Just When I Needed You Most, Randy Vanwarmer

30. You Can't Change That, Raydio

31. Shake Your Groove Thing, Peaches & Herb

32. I'll Never Love This Way Again, Dionne Warwick

33. Love You Inside Out, Bee Gees

34. I Want You To Want Me, Cheap Trick

35. The Main Event (Fight), Barbra Streisand

36. Mama Can't Buy You Love, Elton John

37. I Was Made For Dancin', Leif Garrett

38. After The Love Has Gone, Earth, Wind & Fire

39. Heaven Knows, Donna Summer & Brooklyn Dreams

40. The Gambler, Kenny Rogers

41. Lotta Love, Nicolette Larson

42. Lady, Little River Band

43. Heaven Must Have Sent You, Bonnie Pointer

44. Hold The Line, Toto

45. He's The Greatest Dancer, Sister Sledge

46. Sharing The Night Together, Dr. Hook

47. She Believes In Me, Kenny Rogers

48. In The Navy, Village People

49. Music Box Dancer, Frank Mills

50. The Devil Went Down To Georgia, Charlie Daniels Band

51. Gold, John Stewart

52. Goodnight Tonight, Wings

53. We Are Family, Sister Sledge

54. Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy, Bad Company

55. Every 1's A Winner, Hot Chocolate

56. Take Me Home, Cher

57. Boogie Wonderland, Earth, Wind & Fire

58. (Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away, Andy Gibb

59. What You Won't Do For Love, Bobby Caldwell

60. New York Groove, Ace Frehley

61. Sultans Of Swing, Dire Straits

62. I Want Your Love, Chic

63. Chuck E's In Love, Rickie Lee Jones

64. I Love The Night Life, Alicia Bridges

65. Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now, McFadden & Whitehead

66. Lonesome Loser, Little River Band

67. Renegade, Styx

68. Love Is The Answer, England Dan & John Ford Coley

69. Got To Be Real, Cheryl Lynn

70. Born To Be Alive, Patrick Hernandez

71. Shine A Little Love, Electric Light Orchestra

72. I Just Fall In Love Again, Anne Murray

73. Shake It, Ian Matthews

74. I Was Made For Lovin' You, Kiss

75. I Just Wanna Stop, Gino Vannelli

76. Disco Nights, G.Q.

77. Ooh Baby Baby, Linda Ronstadt

78. September, Earth, Wind & Fire

79. Time Passages, Al Stewart

80. Rise, Herb Alpert

81. Don't Bring Me Down, Electric Light Orchestra

82. Promises, Eric Clapton

83. Get Used To It, Roger Voudouris

84. How Much I Feel, Ambrosia

85. Suspicions, Eddie Rabbitt

86. You Take My Breath Away, Rex Smith

87. How You Gonna See Me Now, Alice Cooper

88. Double Vision, Foreigner

89. Every Time I Think Of You, Babys

90. I Got My Mind Made Up, Instant Funk

91. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Michael Jackson

92. Bad Case Of Lovin' You, Robert Palmer

93. Somewhere In The Night, Barry Manilow

94. We've Got Tonite, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band

95. Dance The Night Away, Van Halen

96. Dancing Shoes, Nigel Olsson

97. The Boss, Diana Ross

98. Sail On, Commodores

99. I Do Love You, G.Q.

100. Strange Way, Firefall