40 From 40: 1978

So we start the final furlong of the feature and complete the 1970s with the year disco ate the world. Who could complain? Well, middle America and everyone involved with financing the Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band film thinking they were onto a sure thing, but the new thing was inescapable what with Saturday Night Fever and the Bee Gees at their height (apart from the aforementioned movie), Grease, YMCA and the peculiar sideline Rivers Of Babylon all taking off. 1977's other breakout style was already splintering in the wider conscious, though - seven months after the height of their notoreity the Sex Pistols blew themselves out at Winterland, and Nancy Spungen would be dead nine months later. Wuthering Heights brought a fascinating new sound to the pop firmament, Matchstalk Men And Matchstalk Cats And Dogs less so. Our playlist charts the fascinating places punk was already spreading into, the coming of the machines, The Funk, some reggae, some AOR and a whole lot of jitteriness.



Public Image Ltd - Public Image
X-Ray Spex - The Day the World Turned Day-Glo
Pere Ubu - Non-Alignment Pact
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Hong Kong Garden
Gang Of Four - Damaged Goods
Subway Sect - Ambition
Magazine - The Light Pours Out Of Me
Television Personalities - Part Time Punks
The Normal - Warm Leatherette
The Human League - Being Boiled
Kraftwerk - Neon Lights
Thomas Leer - Private Plane
Sylvester - You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)
The Real Thing - Can You Feel The Force
Chic - Le Freak
Funkadelic - One Nation Under A Groove
Giorgio Moroder - Chase
Boney M - Rasputin
The Cramps - Human Fly
Wire - Practice Makes Perfect
Scritti Politti - Skank Bloc Bologna
The Clash - (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais
Culture - This Train
Steel Pulse - Prodigal Son
Linton Kwesi Johnson - Dread Beat An' Blood
Kate Bush - Them Heavy People
Ian Dury and the Blockheads - What A Waste
Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street
Tom Waits - Wrong Side Of The Road
The Walker Brothers - Nite Flights
The Motors - Airport
Blondie - Picture This
Television - Foxhole
The Jam - 'A' Bomb In Wardour Street
Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Pump It Up
Buzzcocks - Promises
Ramones - I Wanna Be Sedated
The Undertones - Teenage Kicks
The B-52's - Rock Lobster
Devo - Jocko Homo

Previously on 40 From 40: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009