Radio X Classic Rock dials back to the year of Roxanne, Bicycle Race, Hold The Line, Mr Blue Sky, Sultans Of Swing and many more!

Sweet – Love Is Like Oxygen: release date 6th January 1978

The one time glam heroes had their first Top 10 hit in three years with this rock classic, which peaked at Number 9 in February 1978. It would be their final Top 40 entry.

Sweet – Love Is Like Oxygen – Disco 20.03.1978 (OFFICIAL)

Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights: release date 20th January 1978

One of the greatest ever debut singles came from this remarkable teenage prodigy. Based on the 1847 Emily Brontë novel, Wuthering Heights was the lead single from Kate’s debut album The Kick Inside and went to Number 1 for an impressive four weeks.

Kate Bush – Wuthering Heights – Official Music Video – Version 1

Gerry Rafferty – Baker Street: release date 3rd February 1978

The former Stealers Wheel man included his most famous song on his second solo album, City To City. Baker Street featured a famous saxophone solo performed by Raphael Ravenscroft and made Number 11 in the UK charts.

Gerry Rafferty – Baker Street (Official Video)

Electric Light Orchestra – Mr Blue Sky: release date 13th January 1978

Jeff Lynne and co’s masterpiece was taken from their acclaimed seventh studio album Out Of The Blue – but surprisingly only peaked at Number 6 in the Uk and a disappointing Number 35 on the American Billboard Hot 100.

Electric Light Orchestra – Mr. Blue Sky (Official Video)

Genesis – Follow You Follow Me: release date 24th February 1978

The prog rock titans found themselves in the British Top 10 for the first time with this affecting tune, written by Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford. As the title of the parent album, …And Then There Were Three demonstrates, Genesis were now down to a trio after the departure of frontman Peter Gabriel in August 1975 and guitarist Steve Hackett in October 1977.

Genesis – Follow You Follow Me (Official Music Video)

Meat Loaf – You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth: release date 24th February 1978

Often written with the subtitle (Hot Summer Night), this 50s-style rock ballad was the lead single from the behemoth album Bat Out Of Hell, issued the previous October. When the single was first issued in the same month, it barely made the Billboard Hot 100, but broke both the American and British Top 40s on re-release in March ’78.

Meat Loaf – You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night) (PCM Stereo)

Patti Smith Group – Because The Night: release date 14th April 1978

Co-written with Bruce Springsteen, this classic track was taken from Smith’s third album Easter. Because The Night made Number 5 in the UK.

Patti Smith Group – Because the Night (Audio)

The Police – Roxanne: release date 21st April 1978

The band’s debut single was Fall Out, released when original guitarist Henry Padovani was still part of the trio, but Roxanne – featuring new member Andy Sumemrs – made more of an impression, peaking at Number 12 in the UK.

The Police – Roxanne (Official Music Video)

Kansas – Carry On Wayward Son: release date 19th May 1978

Originally released on the band’s 1976 album Leftoverture, Carry On Wayward Son made Number 11 in the US when issued as a single in early 1977, but failed to make any sort of impact in Britain; here, it crept to Number 51 in July of 1978, but has gone on to be a rock radio classic.

Kansas – Carry on Wayward Son (Official Video)

Dire Straits – Sultans Of Swing: release date 19th May 1978

The debut single from Mark Knopfler’s guitar heroes was a wry look at the pub rock scene in London and peaked at Number 8 in the UK; it went to Number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 a year later.

Dire Straits – Sultans Of Swing (Official Music Video)

The Rolling Stones – Miss You: release date 26th May 1978

Released as the lead single from the Some Girls album, Miss You saw the Stones embrace disco sounds and topped the Billboard chart in the process. Back home, the song made Number 3, kept at bay by You’re The One That I Want and Boney M’s Rivers Of Babylon.

The Rolling Stones – Miss You – OFFICIAL PROMO

The Motors – Airport: release date 2nd June 1978

The London-based pub rock band took on a new wave sound for this ’78 classic, which peaked at Number 4. From the album Approved By The Motors.

Airport – The Motors (1978 – Official Music Video HD)

Steely Dan – FM (No Static At All): release date 30th June 1978

Walter Becker and Donald Fagen’s tribute to the radio revolution was the theme tune to the movie FM, starring Michael Brandon and featuring cameos from Tom Petty, Linda Ronstadt and REO Speedwagon.

Steely Dan- FM (No Static At All)

The Who – Who Are You: release date 7th July 1978

The title track of The Who’s eighth album was a rock classic, but only made Number 18 at the time. Three weeks after the release of the LP, drummer Keith Moon tragically died, ending the classic line-up of the Mod heroes.

The Who – Who Are You (Promo Video)

Exile – Kiss You All Over: release date 14th July 1978

The Richmond, Kentucky soft rockers had a Billboard Number 1 and a UK Top 10 hit with this Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn composition, taken from the b and’s album Mixed Emotions.

Exile – Kiss You All Over [REMASTERED HD] • TopPop

Bob Seger – Hollywood Nights: released September 1978

Recorded with the Silver Bullet Band, this track was taken from Seger’s Stranger In Town album and reached Number 12 in the US.

The Boomtown Rats – Rat Trap: release date 6th October 1978

Bob Geldof and co broke the stranglehold that Summer Nights from the Grease soundtrack had over the Number 1 spot in Britain when it finally made it to the top in November 1978. From the album A Tonic For The Troops.

Boomtown Rats – Rat Trap (TOTP 1978)

Queen – Bicycle Race: release date 13th October 1978

A double A-side with the risque Fat Bottomed Girls, Freddie Mercury’s tribute to life on two wheels made number 11 in the UK. The video featured 65 nude women cycling around Wimbledon Stadium and was heavily censored for TV broadcast. Both tracks appeared on the album Jazz.

Queen – Bicycle Race (Official Video)

Sniff ‘N’ The Tears – Driver’s Seat: release date 23rd October 1978

This memorable track from the London new wave band was issued at the tail end of 1978, but only made it to Number 42 by the following summer after a reissue. In 1991, however, Driver’s Seat topped the charts in the Netherlands after being used in a Pioneer TV ad.

Sniff ‘n’ The Tears – “Driver’s Seat” (Official Video)

The Cars – My Best Friend’s Girl: release date 27th October 1978

This Rick Ocasek-penned classic was produced by Queen man Roy Thomas Baker was originally released in May of ’78 but peaked at Number 3 in the UK charts in November after being reissued on one of those new-fangled “picture discs”.

The Cars – My Best Friend’s Girl

AC/DC – Whole Lotta Rosie (Live): release date 10th November 1978

This live cut, recorded at the Apollo in Glasgow and issued on the album If You Want Blood, You’ve Got It, eventually broke the UK Top 40 in June 1980, not long after the death of singer Bon Scott.

Whole Lotta Rosie (Live at the Apollo Theatre, Glasgow, Scotland – April 1978)

Toto – Hold The Line: release date 10th November 1978

Taken from the band’s self-titled debut album, this David Paich song was an instant classic, making Number 5 on the Billboard Top 100 and Number 14 in Britain.

Toto – Hold The Line (Official Video)

Joe Walsh – Life’s Been Good: release date 23rd June 1978

The Eagles man had a solo hit with this song from the FM movie soundtrack (see Steely Dan, above). A satirical swipe at the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, the track was also included on Walsh’s solo album But Seriously Folks and made number 14 in the UK.

Joe Walsh – Life’s Been Good (Official Audio)

Clout – Substitute: release date 5th May 1978

This all-female South African rock group had an international hit with this cover of a Righteous Brothers song, which peaked at Number 2 in Britain.

Clout – Substitute • TopPop

Warren Zevon – Werewolves Of London: released February 1978

The Chicago-born singer-songwriter’s most memorable track was this comic-horror-blues which first appeared on his album Excitable Boy. Featuring John McVie and Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac, the song didn’t chart in the UK until 1987, when it was included on the soundtrack to the Paul Newman-Tom Cruise pool drama The Color Of Money.

Warren Zevon – Werewolves Of London (Official Music Video) [HD]