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[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Not Bob

I’m sorry. Does this help?

40 Years Later: Was 1978 The Greatest Year In Music?

From the article:

In '78, Grease was the word, The Village Voice named This Year's Model by Elvis Costello as the album of the year, Kate Bush, The Cars, Devo, Dire Straits, The B-52's, The Police, Buzzcocks and Van Halen released their debut albums. The Clash delivered their powerful Give 'Em Enough Rope, The Boss dropped his classic Darkness on the Edge of Town, The Rolling Stones returned to peak form with Some Girls, Warren Zevon's perennial favorite Excitable Boy and Patti Smith's commercial hit Easter were all over the radio. Blondie released two albums, The Doobie Brothers' released their yacht rock classic, "What A Fool Believes," Marvin Gaye released his divorce record, Here, My Dear, and Cheap Trick rocked one of the great live albums of all time 1978 was a swirling mass of genres; disco, punk, funk, R&B, rock, and New Wave all banging beautifully into each other as the seeds of hip-hop were being sown, ready to take on the world in 1979.

While a young Not Bob was rocking to Live at Budokan, a lot of music I would only discover in 1982 (thank you, Punk Rock Girl, for Elvis and the Police) was released in 1978.

I’m not sure I buy the argument, but it turns out that 1978 was a pretty damn good year for music. Check out the accompanying Spotify playlist.

Listening to Cheap Trick in 1978 MIGHT be forgivable, as some sorry bad slide one might have been on as a child. But mentioning it 40 years later, and as “the best live album ever?” You’re beginning to sound like a Penske replacement for PPNYC. And almost every other band mentioned was either a short term novelty (devo?) or proof that Cannibis is very very bad ( the Doobie Brothers?) and Give em enough rope was at best the third best record from a band that made 4? And Some Girls? Some Girls? Nwtaf?