List of Billboard Adult Contemporary number ones of 1979
Adult Contemporary is a chart published by Billboard ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the adult contemporary music (AC) genre. In 1979, 19 songs topped the chart, based on playlists submitted by radio stations. The chart was published under the title Easy Listening through the issue of Billboard dated March 31 and Adult Contemporary thereafter.[1]
On the first chart of the year, Scottish singer Al Stewart held the top spot with "Time Passages", which was in its ninth week at number one.[2] The song would end its run at the top after ten weeks, the longest run at number one on the chart for more than ten years.[3] Stewart had been a recording artist since the mid-1960s and would remain active for more than forty years, but his U.S. chart success was confined to a thee-year period at the end of the 1970s.[4][5] Canadian singer Anne Murray was the only act with more than one number one in 1979. One of Canada's biggest musical exports of the 1970s, Murray topped the US country and Adult Contemporary charts, as well as Billboard's all-genres listing, the Hot 100.[6] In 1979 she topped the Easy Listening/AC chart with "I Just Fall in Love Again" in February and March, "Shadows in the Moonlight" in June, and "Broken Hearted Me" in October and November, and spent a total of 13 weeks in the top spot.
The country rock band Poco had the longest unbroken run at number one during the year, spending seven consecutive weeks in the top spot with "Crazy Love". The song was eventually knocked from the top of the chart in the issue of Billboard dated April 28 by "I Never Said I Love You" by Orsa Lia. One of the most obscure acts to top the chart, Lia never placed any other songs on any of Billboard's charts,[7] and there is no record of her having released another album after her self-titled 1979 debut.[8] Other acts who gained their only AC number ones in 1979 included British singer Maxine Nightingale, who unusually had three separate runs in the top spot with "Lead Me On",[9] and J. D. Souther, who had a five-week run at number one with "You're Only Lonely".[10] Souther experienced a brief period of chart success in his own right, but is better known as a session musician and songwriter.[11] Only one AC number one of 1979 also topped the Hot 100:[12] trumpeter Herb Alpert reached the top spot on both charts with his instrumental "Rise".[13] The final AC number one of the year was "Send One Your Love" by Stevie Wonder.
Chart history
Indicates best-performing AC song of 1979[14] |
References
- Whitburn, Joel (2007). Joel Whitburn Presents Billboard Top Adult Songs, 1961-2006. Record Research Incorporated. p. vi. ISBN 9780898201697.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for January 6, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- Whitburn, Joel (2002). Joel Whitburn's Top Adult Contemporary, 1961-2001. Record Research Incorporated. pp. 342–345. ISBN 9780898201499.
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Al Stewart Biography & Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- "Al Stewart". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- Roland, Tom. "Anne Murray Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Orsa Lia". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Orsa Lia Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Maxine Nightingale". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "J.D> Souther". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- Proefrock, Stacia. "J.D. Souther Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "1979 Archive". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- Nawrocki, Tom (April 10, 2015). "Rewind The Biggest Instrumental Hits of the Past 50 Years". Medium. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Billboard Adult Contemporary Year End, 1979". Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for January 13, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for January 20, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for January 27, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for February 3, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for February 10, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for February 17, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for February 24, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for March 3, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for March 10, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for March 17, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for March 24, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for March 31, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for April 7, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for April 14, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for April 21, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for April 28, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for May 5, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for May 12, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for May 19, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for May 26, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for June 2, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for June 9, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for June 16, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for June 23, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for June 30, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for July 7, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for July 14, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for July 21, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for July 28, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for August 4, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for August 11, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for August 18, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for August 25, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for September 1, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for September 8, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for September 15, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for September 22, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for September 29, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for October 6, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for October 13, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for October 20, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for October 27, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for November 3, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for November 10, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for November 17, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for November 24, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for December 1, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for December 8, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for December 15, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for December 22, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for December 29, 1979". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2019.