The Best Albums of 1978
In the late 1970s, many bands in the United Kingdom began experimenting with synthesizers, forming the new wave style known as synthpop. Major synthpop bands around this time included Gary Numan and Tubeway Army, the Buggles, the Human League, and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Other successful British new wave bands in the late 1970s included the Police, Echo & the Bunnymen, Adam and the Ants, Roxy Music, Squeeze, XTC, the Cure, the Stranglers, Joy Division and Siouxsie and the Banshees. Here are all of the 1978 albums ranked.
Don’t miss out on the CLASSIC music of 1978 below! Click to experience great songs!
10. 3rd (Big Star)
“A genius musician puts his deteriorating state on tape with haunting, beautiful results. Some of the most sincere, depressing ballads ever are here in “Holocaust” and “Big Black Car.” The band is only barely at all tied together, and yet everything sounds deliberate and perfect.”
9. More Songs About Buildings And Food (Talking Heads)
“A classic talking heads album. This defined their sound for several years until David Byrne became more of a solo artist with fellow bandmates playing what he told them to play. A much better album than the poppy Speaking in Tongues and nowhere near as depressing as Fear of Music.“
8. The Kick Inside (Kate Bush)
“Kate Bush’s debut album is an excellent collection of slightly quirky songs from one of music’s most unique artists. There is a beautiful innocence to some tracks, especially on the lovely, man with the child in his eyes. Other highlights include heavy people, saxophone song, and the absolutely magnificent, Wuthering heights, one of the greatest songs ever written and still, in my opinion, Bush’s best ever song. The kick inside is the start of a brilliant career that would continue to astound and amaze for decades to come.”
See more: Rolling Stones Albums Ranked
7. Some Girls (The Rolling Stones)
“A lot of rock artists tried their hand at capitalizing on the disco craze and it didn’t go so well. It seems just like what the doctor ordered for The Stones, though. Some Girls is so much fun and original. It proved they could evolve and still be the best rock band on the planet.”
6. Die Mensch·Maschine [The Man-Machine] (Kraftwerk)
“This landmark synthpop record from Kraftwerk is absolutely stunning throughout and really did set the precedent for the entirety of 80s electronic pop. The shift in genre from prog electronic to more accessible poppier compositions works incredibly well. From hip-hop to dance to rock, there are many worlds of music that have been directly influenced by “The Man-Machine”.
5. Van Halen (Van Halen)
“It’s a really solid album, especially considering it’s Van Halen’s debut album. All the songs are really good, although some personal favorites are Feel Your Love Tonight, Atomic Punk, and Ice Cream Man. You Really Got Me is an amazing cover, with a memorable solo and it’s the song that got me into the band. There are really no bad songs in the album, although it has some weak moments too like I’m The One.”
4. This Year’s Model (Elvis Costello)
“Without a doubt, this is a step up from the debut. There may not be anything here quite as good as Alison, but overall, the standard here is very high. A lot of credit should go to the Attractions but Elvis is the main attraction of course!”
See more: Elvis Costello Albums Ranked
3. The Cars (The Cars)
“When your first album sounds like it could be a Greatest Hits album, you know you did something right. “In Touch With Your World” is the oddball of the album, but still a good song. That and “All Mixed Up” are the requisite slow songs amongst a party synth-rock album. The Cars set the bar high with their debut album and although they still had a lot of other good songs, were never able to match this near perfection.”
2. Parallel Lines (Blondie)
“Rock? New wave? Punk? Who knows, it’s been called all of them, but the one thing I do know. It’s bloody brilliant. Magnificent listen from start to finish. Not one filler track amongst them. Some do take a bit of warming up to but all tracks well slotted to make this an all-time classic. Nothing else she has done comes close.”
1. Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Bruce Springsteen)
“A dramatic shift for the Boss. The anti-Born to Run in away. Instead of starry-eyed romanticism, Bruce deals with the challenges of adult life and the sacrifices that must be made as one gets older. This is one that has grown on me as I’ve gotten older due to it being a more mature album. This album is very important in rock music. It’s a great contrast to the standard rock mythology of drugs, sex, and partying.”
