American Top 40 1978

Whatever you were doing in 1978 and whoever you were doing it with (or to), these are the songs you were doing it to, presented by the host who played the hits from coast to coast , Casey Kasem!

Catching the 'Saturday Night Fever'

Movie tunes were the dominant Top 40 trend in 1977. Disco was the most popular music style. Combine the two and the result is the largest selling album in Rock history! The Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack spent an astonishing 24 weeks at number one on the Top 200 Album chart and spawned three enoromously successful number one hits - How Deep Is Your Love, Stayin' Alive, and Night Fever for the Bee Gees. It also generated a number one hit for Yvonne Elliman with If I Can't Have You (written and produced by the Bee Gees) and a Top 40 hit for Tavares with More Than a Woman. The album took the nation by storm and helped Disco solidify its already strong base by becoming the overwhelmingly dominant music style for 1978. The movie itself also helped actor John Travolta, already well known from the hit TV series Welcome Back, Kotter, achieve superstardom and landed him starring roles in more hit movies to follow.

Speaking of John Travolta and Hit Movies...

Riding the coattails of Saturday Night Fever was the next hit movie starring Travolta - Grease. Along with singer-actress co-star Olivia Newton·John, Grease depicted a 1950's early Rock and Roll young love story. Although it took place in the '50's, it still produced two Disco hits by its co-stars, the number one hit You're the One that I Want and Summer Nights. This helped 1978 become an even bigger year for movie songs than 1977!

Don't Forget About Us

Even during the onslaught of Disco, some of the biggest mainstays on album rock stations reached the Top 40 during '78. Some of these include Queen's We Are The Champions, Styx's Foolin' Yourself and Blue Collar Man, Warren Zevon's Warewolves of London, Heart's Straight On and Toto's Hold The Line. 1978 was a big year for Classic Rock also!

One More Hour of Casey

The weekly radio show American Top 40 with Casey Kasem rewarded its loyal listeners with an extra hour starting on October 7. The 3-hour show expanded to 4 hours, allowing host Kasem time for new features and longer songs. Listeners were treated to hearing all of the number one songs of the 70's, in order, 3 per week. Kasem also added an extra Long Distance Dedication (a feature that began earlier the same year) per week.

Freak Out!

LeFreak by Chic scaled almost the entire length of the Top 40 in one week on November 25, moving from 37 to 6, for a jump of 31! It was the biggest one-week leap during the running of American Top 40,and ranked second in the Rock era only to Elvis Presley's flying leap of 33 spots in 1960 (Are You Lonesome To-night, from 35 to 2). LeFreak went on to spend 6 weeks at number one in late '78 and early '79 and became one of the biggest hits of the Disco era!

All of the songs that hit the weekly Top 40 pop charts in 1977, according to Billboard Magazine.

[ ]--Original Date of Entry Into Top 40
( )--Peak Position on Chart


How Deep Is Your Love--Bee Gees [see 1977] (#1)
Baby Come Back--Player [see 1977] (#1)
Blue Bayou--Linda Ronstadt [see 1977] (#3)
(Every Time I Turn Around) Back In Love Again--L.T.D. [see 1977] (#4)
Here You Come Again--Dolly Parton [see 1977] (#3)
You Light Up My Life--Debby Boone [see 1977] (#1)
Slip Slidin' Away--Paul Simon [see 1977] (#5)
Sentimental Lady--Bob Welch [see 1977] (#8)
You're In My Heart--Rod Stewart [see 1977] (#4)
Hey Deanie--Shaun Cassidy [see 1977] (#7)
Come Sail Away--Styx [see 1977] (#8)
You Can't Turn Me Off (In The Middle Of Turning Me On)--High Inergy [see 1977] (#12)
We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions--Queen [see 1977] (#4)
Runaround Sue--Leif Garrett [see 1977] (#13)
It's So Easy--Linda Ronstadt [see 1977] (#5)
Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue--Crystal Gayle [see 1977] (#2)
Short People--Randy Newman [see 1977] (#2)
Just The Way You Are--Billy Joel [see 1977] (#3)
Serpentine Fire--Earth, Wind, & Fire [see 1977] (#13)
Turn To Stone--Electric Light Orchestra [see 1977] (#13)
I Go Crazy--Paul Davis [see 1977] (#7)
My Way--Elvis Presley [see 1977] (#22)
Love Is Thicker Than Water--Andy Gibb [see 1977] (#1)
The Way I Feel Tonight--Bay City Rollers [see 1977] (#24)
Sometimes When We Touch--Dan Hill [see 1977] (#3)
Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)--Chic [see 1977] (#6)
Getting Ready For Love--Diana Ross [see 1977] (#27)
Stayin' Alive--Bee Gees [see 1977] (#1)
Desireé--Neil Diamond [see 1977] (#16)
Point Of Know Return--Kansas [see 1977] (#28)
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood--Santa Esmeralda [see 1977] (#15)
Isn't It Time--Babys [see 1977] (#13)
Native New Yorker--Odyssey [see 1977] (#21)
Girls School--Paul McCartney & Wings [see 1977] (#33)
We're All Alone--Rita Coolidge [see 1977] (#7)
Swingtown--Steve Miller Band [see 1977] (#17)
Emotion--Samantha Sang [1/7] (#1)
What's Your Name--Lynard Skynard [1/7] (#13)
(You're My) Soul And Inspiration--Donny & Marie Osmond [1/7] (#38)
Peg--Steely Dan [1/7] (#11)
Too Hot Ta Trot--Commodores [1/14] (#24)
Long, Long Way From Home--Foreigner [1/14] (#20)
Ffun--Con Funk Shun [1/21] (#23)
Happy Anniversary--Little River Band [1/21] (#16)
Theme From Close Encounters--Meco [1/21] (#25)
Theme From Close Encounters Of The Third Kind--John Williams [1/21] (#13)
Lovely Day--Bill Withers [1/21] (#30)
The Name Of the Game--ABBA [1/28] (#12)
Thunder Island--Jay Ferguson [1/28] (#9)
Easy To Love--Leo Sayer [1/28] (#36)
I Love You--Donna Summer [1/28] (#37)
Street Corner Serenade--Wet Willie [1/28] (#30)
Lay Down Sally--Eric Clapton [2/4] (#3)
The Way You Do The Things You Do--Rita Coolidge [2/4] (#20)
Always And Forever--Heatwave [2/4] (#18)
Falling--LeBlanc & Carr [2/4] (#13)
Night Fever--Bee Gees [2/11] (#1)
Our Love--Natalie Cole [2/11] (#10)
(What A) Wonderful World--Art Garfunkel with James Taylor & Paul Simon [2/11] (#17)
Jack And Jill--Raydio [2/11] (#8)
Galaxy--War [2/11] (#39)
Goodbye Girl--David Gates [2/18] (#15)
Dust In The Wind--Kansas [2/18] (#6)
Can't Smile Without You--Barry Manilow [2/18] (#3)
Breakdown--Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers [2/18] (#40)
If I Can't Have You--Yvonne Elliman [2/25] (#1)
Flash Light--Parliament [2/25] (#16)
Lady Love--Lou Rauls [2/25] (#24)
Poor Poor Pitiful Me--Linda Ronstadt [2/25] (#31)
Ebony Eyes--Bob Welch [2/25] (#14)
Running On Empty--Jackson Browne [3/4] (#11)
Before My Heart Finds Out--Gene Cotton [3/4] (#23)
Thank You For Being A Friend--Andrew Gold [3/4] (#25)
Theme Song From "Which Way Is Up"--Stargard [3/4] (#21)
Sweet Talkin' Woman--Electric Light Orchestra [3/11] (#17)
It's You That I Need--Enchantment [3/11] (#33)
We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again--England Dan & John Ford Coley [3/11] (#9)
Hot Legs--Rod Stewart [3/11] (#28)
You Really Got Me--Van Halen [3/11] (#36)
The Closer I Get To You--Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway [3/18] (#2)
Feels So Good--Chuck Mangione [3/18] (#4)
Imaginary Lover--Atlanta Rhythm Section [3/25] (#7)
Count On Me--Jefferson Starship [3/25] (#8)
Boogie Shoes--K.C. & The Sunshine Band [3/25] (#35)
The Circle Is Small (I Can See It In Your Eyes)--Gordon Lightfoot [3/25] (#33)
Disco Inferno--Trammps [3/25] (#11)
Fantasy--Earth, Wind, & Fire [4/1] (#32)
This Time I'm In It For Love--Player [4/1] (#10)
Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)--Styx [4/1] (#29)
With A Little Luck--Paul McCartney [4/8] (#1)
Baby Hold On--Eddie Money [4/8] (#11)
You're The One That I Want--Olivia Newton·John & John Travolta [4/8] (#1)
Two Doors Down--Dolly Parton [4/8] (#19)
I'm Gonna Take Care Of Everything--Rubicon [4/8] (#28)
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)--Billy Joel [4/15] (#17)
Rocket Ride--Kiss [4/15] (#39)
Love Is Like Oxygen--Sweet [4/15] (#8)
More Than A Woman--Tavares [4/15] (#32)
On Broadway--George Benson [4/22] (#7)
Do You Believe In Magic--Shaun Cassidy [4/22] (#31)
Shadow Dancing--Andy Gibb [4/22] (#1)
Too Much, Too Little, Too Late--Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams [4/22] (#1)
I'ts A Heartache--Bonnie Tyler [4/22] (#3)
Werewolves Of London--Warren Zevon [4/22] (#21)
Ego--Elton John [4/29] (#34)
Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad--Meat Loaf [4/29] (#11)
Let's All Chant--Michael Zager Band [4/29] (#36)
Take a Chance On Me--ABBA [5/6] (#3)
Dance With Me--Peter Brown [5/6] (#8)
Every Kinda People--Robert Palmer [5/6] (#16)
You Belong To Me--Carly Simon [5/6] (#6)
Deacon Blues--Steely Dan [5/6] (#19)
Heartless--Heart [5/13] (#24)
Baker Street--Gerry Rafferty [5/13] (#2)
Because The Night--Patty Smith Group [5/13] (#13)
Tumbling Dice--Linda Ronstadt [5/20] (#32)
Cheeseburger In Paradise--Jimmy Buffet [5/27] (#32)
Bluer Than Blue--Michael Johnson [5/27] (#12)
Stay--Rufus featuring Chaka Khan [5/27] (#38)
You're The Love--Seals & Crofts [5/27] (#18)
I Was Only Joking--Rod Stewart [5/27] (#22)
Oh What A Night For Dancing--Barry White [5/27] (#24)
Almost Summer--Celebration featuring Mike Love [6/3] (#28)
Follow You Follow Me--Genesis [6/3] (#23)
The Groove Line--Heatwave [6/3] (#7)
Used Ta Be My Girl--O' Jays [6/3] (#4)
Still The Same--Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band [6/3] (#4)
Last Dance--Donna Summer [6/3] (#3)
Wonderful Tonight--Eric Clapton [6/10] (#16)
I Can't Stand The Rain--Eruption [6/10] (#18)
Even Now--Barry Manilow [6/10] (#19)
Miss You--Rolling Stones [6/10] (#1)
Everybody Dance--Chic [6/17] (#38)
Only The Good Die Young--Billy Joel [6/17] (#24)
Warm Ride--Rare Earth [6/17] (#39)John Travolta & Olivia Newton·John in 'Grease'
Grease--Frankie Valli [6/17] (#1)
If Ever I See You Again--Roberta Flack [6/24] (#24)
Stone Blue--Foghat [6/24] (#36)
Dance Across The Floor--Jimmy "Bo" Horne [6/24] (#38)
Runaway--Jefferson Starship [6/24] (#12)
It's The Same Old Song--K.C. & The Sunshine Band [6/24] (#35)
Thank God It's Friday--Love & Kisses [6/24] (#22)
Magnet And Steel--Walter Egan [7/1] (#8)
Love Will Find A Way--Pablo Cruise [7/1] (#6)
FM (No Static At All)--Steely Dan [7/1] (#22)
Songbird--Barbra Streisand [7/1] (#25)
My Angel Baby--Toby Beau [7/1] (#13)
Chattanooga Choo Choo--Tuxedo Junction [7/1] (#32)
Life's Been Good--Joe Walsh [7/1] (#12)
Hot Love, Cold World--Bob Welch [7/1] (#31)
I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight--Atlanta Rhythm Section [7/8] (#14)
Stay / The Load-Out--Jackson Browne [7/8] (#20)
Three Times A Lady--Commodores [7/8] (#1)
Hot Blooded--Foreigner [7/8] (#3)
Copacabana (At The Copa)--Barry Manilow [7/8] (#8)
King Tut--Steve Martin [7/8] (#17)
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow--Dave Mason [7/8] (#39)
Can We Still Be Friends--Todd Rundgren [7/8] (#29)
I've Had Enough--Paul McCartney [7/15] (#25)
Love Or Something Like It--Kenny Rogers [7/15] (#32)
Prove It All Night--Bruce Springsteen [7/15] (#33)
Rivers Of Babylon--Boney M [7/22] (#30)
An Everlasting Love--Andy Gibb [7/22] (#5)
Stuff Like That--Quincy Jones [7/22] (#21)
Shame--Evelyn "Champagne" King [7/22] (#9)
Hopelessly Devoted To You--Olivia Newton·John [7/22] (#3)
Boogie Oogie Oogie--Taste Of Honey [7/22] (#1)
You--Rita Coolidge [7/29] (#25)
Mr. Blue Sky--Electric Light Orchestra [7/29] (#35)
Two Tickets To Paradise--Eddie Money [7/29] (#22)
Fool (If You Think It's Over)--Chris Rea [7/29] (#12)
Macho Man--Village People [7/29] (#25)
You're A Part Of Me--Gene Cotton with Kim Carnes [8/5] (#36)
Got To Get You Into My Life--Earth, Wind, & Fire [8/5] (#9)
Kiss You All Over--Exile [8/5] (#1)
Hot Child In The City--Nick Gilder [8/5] (#1)
You And I--Rick James [8/5] (#13)
Love Is In The Air--John Paul Young [8/5] (#7)
Just What I Needed--Cars [8/12] (#27)
Reminiscing--Little River Band [8/12] (#3)
Close The Door--Teddy Pendergrass [8/12] (#25)
Oh! Darling--Robin Gibb [8/19] (#15)
A Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy--The Kinks [8/19] (#30)
Whenever I Call You "Friend"--Kenny Loggins (with Stevie Nicks) [8/19] (#5)
You Needed Me--Anne Murray [8/19] (#1)
Summer Nights--Olivia Newton·John & John Travolta [8/19] (#5)
Hollywood Nights--Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band [8/19] (#12)
Don't Look Back--Boston [8/26] (#4)
Get Off--Foxy [8/26] (#9)
Think It Over--Cheryl Ladd [8/26] (#34)
Right Down The Line--Gerry Rafferty [8/26] (#12)
Prisoner (Love Theme From "Eyes Of Laura Mars")--Barbra Streisand [8/26] (#21)
Come Together--Aerosmith [9/2] (#23)
Talking In Your Sleep--Crystal Gayle [9/2] (#18)
Steppin' In A Slide Zone--Moody Blues [9/2] (#39)
I Love the Nightlife (Disco 'Round)--Alicia Bridges [9/9] (#5)
You Never Done It Like That--Captain & Tennille [9/9] (#10)
5.7.0.5--City Boy [9/9] (#27)
She's Always A Woman--Billy Joel [9/9] (#17)
Back In The U.S.A.--Linda Ronstadt [9/9] (#16)
Paradise By The Dashboard Light--Meat Loaf [9/16] (#39)
Who Are You--The Who [9/16] (#14)
Almost Like Being In Love--Michael Johnson [9/23] (#32)
Heartbreaker--Dolly Parton [9/23] (#37)
Beast Of Burden--Rolling Stones [9/23] (#8)
Devoted To You--Carly Simon & James Taylor [9/23] (#36)
Josie--Steely Dan [9/23] (#26)
How Much I Feel--Ambrosia [9/30] (#3)
Double Vision--Foreigner [9/30] (#2)
It's A Laugh--Daryl Hall & John Oates [9/30] (#20)
I Will Still Love You--Stonebolt [9/30] (#29)
MacArthur Park--Donna Summer [9/30] (#1)
Dance (Disco Heat)--Sylvester [9/30] (#19)
Sweet Life--Paul Davis [10/7] (#17)
Took The Last Train--David Gates [10/7] (#30)
Ready To Take A Chance Again--Barry Manilow [10/7] (#11)
Sharing The Night Together--Dr. Hook [10/14] (#6)
London Town--Paul McCartney [10/14] (#39)
I Just Wanna Stop--Gino Vannelli [10/14] (#4)
Themes From The Wizard Of Oz--Meco [10/21] (#35)
Don't Want To Live Without It--Pablo Cruise [10/21] (#21)
Prisoner Of Your Love--Player [10/21] (#27)
Time Passages--Al Stewart [10/21] (#7)
Blue Collar Man--Styx [10/21] (#21)
Everybody Needs Love--Stephen Bishop [10/28] (#32)
Change Of Heart--Eric Carmen [10/28] (#19)
Alive Again--Chicago [10/28] (#14)
Strange Way--Firefall [10/28] (#11)
Straight On--Heart [10/28] (#15)
Flying High--Commodores [11/4] (#38)
The Power Of Gold--Dan Fogelberg & Tim Weisberg [11/4] (#24)
One Nation Under A Groove (Part 1)--Funkadelic [11/4] (#28)
(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away--Andy Gibb [11/4] (#9)
You Don't Bring Me Flowers--Barbra Streisand & Neil Diamond [11/4] (#1)
How You Gonna See Me Now--Alice Cooper [11/11] (#12)
Like A Sunday In Salem (The Amos & Andy Song)--Gene Cotton [11/11] (#40)
My Life--Billy Joel [11/11] (#3)
Hold The Line--Toto [11/11] (#5)
Y.M.C.A.--Village People [11/11] (#2)
This Is Love--Paul Anka [11/18] (#35)
Too Much Heaven--Bee Gees [11/18] (#1)
Le Freak--Chic [11/18] (#1)
Part Time Love--Elton John [11/18] (#22)
I'm Every Woman--Chaka Khan [11/18] (#21)
On The Shelf--Donny & Marie Osmond [11/18] (#38)
Ooh Baby Baby--Linda Ronstadt [11/18] (#7)
Promises--Eric Clapton [11/25] (#9)
Run For Home--Lindisfarne [11/25] (#33)
We've Got Tonite--Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band [11/25] (#13)
New York Groove--Ace Frehley [12/2] (#13)
Instant Replay--Dan Hartman [12/2] (#29)
Every 1's A Winner--Hot Chocolate [12/2] (#6)
There'll Never Be--Switch [12/2] (#36)
Can You Fool--Glen Campbell [12/9] (#38)
My Best Friend's Girl--Cars [12/9] (#35)
I Was Made For Dancin'--Leif Garrett [12/9] (#10)
A Little More Love--Olivia Newton·John [12/9] (#3)
Bicycle Race/Fat Bottomed Girls--Queen [12/9] (#24)
Don't Hold Back--Chanson [12/16] (#21)
September--Earth, Wind, & Fire [12/16] (#8)
Shake It--Ian Matthews [12/16] (#13)
Fire--Pointer Sisters [12/16] (#2)
I Will Be In Love With You--Livingston Taylor [12/16] (#30)
A Man I'll Never Be--Boston [12/23] (#31)
Please Come Home For Christmas--The Eagles [12/23] (#18)
Lotta Love--Nicolette Larson [12/23] (#8)
The Gambler--Kenny Rogers