PEAK MUSIC 1978 - Saturday Night Fever vs. Grease

 The evolution on how Americans consumed music

 

1964-1970

AM Radio, Vinyl Records, Ed Sullivan, American Bandstand, Concerts

1971-1980

FM Radio, Vinyl Records, Midnight Special, Don Kirshner Rock Concerts, AM Radio, 8 track cassettes

1981-1990

FM Radio, 8 track cassettes, MTV, Concerts, AM Radio, VH1, Vinyl Records,  Solid Gold

1991-2000

Total Request Live (MTV),  FM Radio, CD, VH1, Concerts, Late Night Shows. 

2001-2010

CD, VH1, You Tube,  MP3 player (I don't even know what this is), Apple, IPhone, IPod, FM Radio

2011 on Streaming, Apple, IPhone, Youtube, FM Radio

Some Thoughts: Music videos on MTV died by the early 2000s………Appearing on Ed Sullivan in the 1960s was the crème de la crème…..talks shows, news etc took over AM Radio by the early 1980s…..I think MTV and downloading Apple music were the 2 biggest cultural changes in the last 60 years……In 2003, Concerts were a dying industry but what eventually saved them was the IPhone, so that anyone who went to a Concert could record their experience.

1978 – Saturday Night Fever vs. Grease

Bee Gees – 3 top 10 hits with two number ones including "Stayin Alive"

Olivia Newton John – 4 top 5 hits including 2 duets with John Trovolta

Andy Gibb – 3 top ten hits. Including No 1 "Shadow Dancing"

Rolling Stones – 2 Top ten hits. Including No 1 "Miss You"

Billy Joel – 3 top 20 hits but surprisingly one of them was not "Only the Good Die Young" which peaked at 24 (but it seems like that is his signature hit that is still played a lot on the radio today.

 

 

1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969
The Beatles	The Beatles	The Beatles	The Beatles	The Beatles	5th Dimension
4 Seasons	Supremes	Rolling Stones	Monkees	Gary Pucket	3 Dog Night
Supremes	Rolling Stones	Frank Sinatra	Supremes	Simon & Garfunkel	Elvis Presley
Bobby Vinton	Herman Hermits	Beach Boys	Rascals	Aretha Franklin	The Beatles
Johnny Rivers	Byrds	Monkees	The Doors	Supremes	Rolling Stones
1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975
Jackson 5	Osmonds	3 Dog Night	Stevie Wonder	Elton John	John Denver
The Beatles	Marvin Gaye	Micheal Jackson	Elton John	John Denver	Elton John
Simon & Garfunkel	Temptations	5th Dimension	Paul Simon	Newton John	Eagles
3 Dog Night	Jackson 5	Don McLean	Wings	Wings	Sunshine Band
Guess Who	3 Dog Night	Moody Blues	Rolling Stones	Chicago	Starship
1976	1977	1978		1980	1981
Captain Tennille	Fleetwood Mac	Bee Gees
Elton John	Eagles	Newton John
Aerosmith	Foreigner	Andy Gibb
Wings	Sunshine Band	Rolling Stones
4 Seasons	B. Manilow	Billy Joel