- Jan 9 George Gershwin's "Porgy & Bess" closes at Uris Theater NYC after 122 performances
- Jan 12 "Ipi Tombi" opens at Harkness Theater NYC for 39 performances
Album Release
Jan 14 RCA releases David Bowie's 11th studio album, "Low"
David Bowie
Music Awards
Jan 31 4th American Music Awards: Olivia Newton-John & Elton John win
Olivia Newton-John
Elton John
- Feb 4 "Rumours" 11th studio album by Fleetwood Mac is released (Grammy Album of the Year)
- Feb 4 Wings release their single "Maybe I'm Amazed"
- Feb 5 "CB Savage" by Rod Hart peaks at #67
- Feb 5 "Dis-Gorilla (part 1)" by Rick Dees peaks at #56
- Feb 5 "In The Mood" by Henhouse 5 Plus Too (Ray Stevens) peaks at #40
- Feb 5 "Turn Loose On My Leg" by Jim Stafford peaks at #98
- Feb 5 "Up Your Nose" by Gabriel Kaplan peaks at #91
- Feb 10 "Party with Comden & Green" opens at Morosco Theater NYC for 92 performances
- Feb 13 "Guys & Dolls" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 239 performances
- Feb 13 "Ipi Tombi" closes at Harkness Theater NYC after 39 performances
- Feb 13 "Robber Bridegroom" closes at Biltmore Theater NYC after 145 performances
- Feb 17 Kalakuta Republic, commune of Nigerian musician and activist Fela Kuti, burnt to the ground by soldiers in Lagos
Music Single
Feb 18 George Harrison releases music single "True Love", from his "33-1/3" album
George Harrison
- Feb 18 American rock band KISS play their first concert in their hometown venue of Madison Square Garden in New York City
- Feb 19 19th Grammy Awards: This Masquerade, Starland Vocal Band
- Feb 20 "My Fair Lady" closes at St James Theater NYC after 384 performances
- Feb 24 12th Academy of Country Music Awards: Mickey Gilley and Crystal Gayle win
Event of Interest
Feb 27 Keith Richards gets suspended sentence for heroin possession, Canada
Keith Richards
Film and TV Awards
Mar 5 3rd People's Choice Awards: John Wayne & Barbra Streisand win (Motion Picture) and Telly Savalas & Mary Tyler Moore win (TV)
- Mar 18 The Clash release their first recording "White Riot"
- Apr 2 Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" album goes #1 & stays #1 for 31 weeks
- Apr 6 Judge rules Beatles 1962 Hamburg album can be released
- Apr 11 "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)" single released by Waylon Jennings (Billboard Song of the Year 1977)
- Apr 17 "I Love My Wife" opens at Barrymore Theater NYC for 864 performances
- Apr 18 "Side by Side" by Stephen Sondheim opens at Music Box NYC for 390 performances
- Apr 21 C Strouse & M Charnins musical "Annie" opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 2377 performances
- Apr 30 "Party with Comden & Green" closes at Morosco NYC after 92 performances
- May 2 "The King & I" opens at Uris Theater NYC for 719 performances
- May 6 "Beatles at Hollywood Bowl" released in UK
- May 7 "Happy End" opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC for 75 performances
- May 7 22nd Eurovision Song Contest: Marie Myriam for France wins singing "L'oiseau et l'enfant" in London
- May 21 "Fiddler on the Roof" closes at Winter Garden NYC after 167 performances
- May 21 Electric Light Orchestra releases "Telephone Line" in the UK; it would peak in the Top 10 in the UK and US
- May 25 "Beatles Live! At Star-Club in Hamburg Germany" released
Film Release
May 25 Original "Star Wars" movie (Episode IV – A New Hope), directed by George Lucas and starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford first released
Event of Interest
May 27 The Sex Pistols release "God Save the Queen", sparking major controversy and leading to a ban on the song by the BBC
Malcolm McLaren
Steve Jones
Event of Interest
Jun 7 During the Queen's Jubilee, the Sex Pistols attempt to perform on a boat on the River Thames, but are forced to stop by the police
Steve Jones
Malcolm McLaren
Event of Interest
Jun 18 Sex Pistols johnny rotten & Paul Cook, beaten and robbed by London pub
John Lydon
Music Concert
Jun 26 Elvis Presley sings in Indianapolis, the last performance of his career
Elvis Presley
Event of Interest
Jul 27 John Lennon is granted a green card for permanent residence in US
John Lennon
Album Release
Aug 29 Iggy Pop releases his second album "Lust for Life", a collaboration with David Bowie
Iggy Pop
David Bowie
- Sep 4 "Godspell" closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 527 performances
- Sep 15 "Man of La Mancha" opens at Palace Theater NYC for 124 performances
- Sep 17 Fleetwood Mac's "Rumors" is #1 for 19th straight week
- Sep 20 "Estrada" opens at Majestic Theater NYC for 7 performances
- Sep 23 "I Just Fall in Love Again" single released by The Carpenters
- Sep 24 "Estrada" closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 7 performances
- Sep 29 "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" by Meco hits #1
Event of Interest
Sep 29 James Brown's band walks out claiming they were underpaid & overworked
James Brown
- Sep 29 Peter Schats circus opera "Houdini" premieres in Amsterdam
Hall of Fame
Oct 1 Elton John honored by MSG Hall of Fame
Elton John
Event of Interest
Oct 3 "Comedy with Music (Victor Borge)" opens at Imperial NYC for 66 performances
Victor Borge
Event of Interest
Oct 14 Linda Ronstadt sings national anthem at World Series
Linda Ronstadt
- Oct 14 Rock band Kiss release their 2nd live album "Alive II"
- Oct 15 Debbie Boone's "You Light Up My Life" goes #1 & stays #1 for 10 weeks
- Oct 15 "Serpentine Fire" single released by Earth, Wind & Fire (Billboard Song of the Year 1978)
- Oct 20 Plane chartered by rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd runs out of fuel and crashes in a wooded area near Gillsburg, Mississippi. Six people are killed, including band members Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gains, and Cassie Gaines, and road manager Dean Kilpatrick
- Oct 29 "Act" opens at Majestic Theater NYC for 233 performances
- Nov 6 "Hair" closes at Biltmore Theater NYC after 43 performances
- Nov 11 Wings release "Mull of Kintyre" & "Girl's School"
- Nov 21 "All 'N All" 8th studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire is released (Billboard Album of the Year 1978)
- Nov 23 "Jesus Christ Superstar" opens at Longacre Theater NYC for 96 performances
- Nov 27 "Comedy with Music (Victor Borge)" closes at Imperial NY after 66 performances
- Dec 31 "Bubbling Brown Sugar" closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 766 performances
- Dec 31 "Man of La Mancha" closes at Palace Theater NYC after 124 performances