Murder of Interest
Jan 2 Sid Vicious' trial for murder of girlfriend Nancy Spungen begins
Sid Vicious
- Jan 6 The Village People's Y.M.C.A becomes their only UK #1 single. At its peak it sold over 150,000 copies a day.
- Jan 11 "Grand Tour" opens at Palace Theater NYC for 61 performances
Music Awards
Jan 12 6th American Music Awards: Barry Manilow, Linda Ronstadt win
Barry Manilow
Linda Ronstadt
Music Concert
Feb 7 Pink Floyd premiere their live version of "The Wall" in Los Angeles
David Gilmour
Roger Waters
#1 in the Charts
Feb 10 "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" by Rod Stewart peaks at #1
Rod Stewart
Event of Interest
Feb 16 George Harrison releases "Blow Away"
George Harrison
- Feb 20 "Comin' Uptown" opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 45 performances
- Feb 23 "Sarava" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 140 performances
- Feb 23 George Harrison releases "George Harrison" album, featuring the single "Blow Away"
- Mar 1 "Sweeney Todd" opens at Uris Theater NYC for 557 performances
- Mar 4 "Grand Tour" closes at Palace Theater NYC after 61 performances
Film and TV Awards
Mar 7 5th People's Choice Awards: Burt Reynolds & Olivia Newton-John win (Motion Picture) and Alan Alda, Mary Tyler Moore & Carol Burnett win (TV)
Event of Interest
Mar 16 CBS-TV airs "Wings Over the World" with Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
- Mar 18 "On the 20th Century" closes at St James Theater NYC after 460 performances
- Mar 23 Wings release "Goodnight Tonight"
- Mar 24 "Ballroom" closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 116 performances
- Mar 28 Frank Lazarus & Dick Vosburgh's stage musical comedy "A Day in Hollywood/A Night in Ukraine" premieres at the Mayfair Theatre, London, England
- Mar 31 24th Eurovision Song Contest: Gali Atari and Milk and Honey for Israel wins singing "Hallelujah" in Jerusalem
- Apr 8 "Carmelina" opens at St James Theater NYC for 17 performances
- Apr 21 "Carmelina" closes at St James Theater NYC after 17 performances
Music Concert
Apr 22 Mick Jagger & Keith Richards give a benefit concert in Canada
Mick Jagger
Keith Richards
- Apr 27 George Harrison releases "Love Comes to Everyone"
Event of Interest
May 1 Elton John becomes 1st pop star to perform in Israel
Elton John
Music Awards
May 2 14th Academy of Country Music Awards: Kenny Rogers and Barbara Mandrell win
Kenny Rogers
Barbara Mandrell
Album Release
May 8 The Cure release their debut album "Three Imaginary Boys" (Boys Don't Cry in US, Australia)
Robert Smith
- May 14 "Kids Are All Right" rockumentary film featuring The Who premieres at the Cannes Film Festival
- May 19 "In The Navy" by Village People hits #3
- May 20 "I Love My Wife" closes at Barrymore Theater NYC after 864 performances
- May 20 Elton John is the 1st western pop star to tour USSR
- May 23 Rocker Tom Petty files chapter 11 bankruptcy
- May 26 Dancin' Fool by Frank Zappa hits #45
- May 31 "I Remember Mama" opens at Majestic Theater NYC for 108 performances
- May 31 Radio City Music Hall (NYC) reopens
- Jun 1 Wings release "Old Siam, Sir"
- Jun 3 "Madwoman of Central Park West" opens on Broadway
Event of Interest
Jun 7 Rock 'n' roll musician Chuck Berry is charged with tax evasion
Chuck Berry
- Jun 8 Wings release "Back to the Egg" album
- Jun 11 Chuck Berry pleads guilty to income tax evasion, sentenced to 4 months
- Jun 13 "Madwoman of Central Park West" opens at 22 Steps NYC for 86 performances
- Jun 14 Rock group "Little Feat" disbands
- Jun 16 "Logical Song" by Supertramp peaks at #6
- Jun 17 "Sarava" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC after 140 performances
Event of Interest
Jun 22 Little Richard quits rock & roll for religious pursuit
Little Richard
TV Show Appearance
Jun 30 johnny rotten and Joan Collins appear together on BBC TV's "Juke Box Jury"
John Lydon
- Jun 30 "Good Times" single released by Chic (Billboard Song of the Year 1979)
- Jul 10 Chuck Berry sentenced to 4 months for $200,000 in tax evasion
- Jul 13 George Harrison releases single "Faster"
- Jul 27 "Broadway Opry '79" opens at St James Theater NYC for 6 performances
- Jul 31 "But Never Jam Today" opens at Longacre Theater NYC for 7 performances
- Aug 2 "Broadway Opry '79" closes at St James Theater NYC after 6 performances
- Aug 2 Gilda Radner Live From New York opens on Broadway
- Aug 5 "But Never Jam Today" closes at Longacre Theater NYC after 7 performances
- Aug 10 Wings release "Getting Closer" & "Baby's Request"
Album Release
Aug 10 "Off the Wall" 5th studio album by Michael Jackson is released (Billboard Album of the Year 1980)
Michael Jackson
Film Release
Aug 24 Musical film "Rock 'n' Roll High School" directed by Allan Arkush featuring the Ramones is released in NYC (released throughout the US 20 days later)
Johnny Ramone
- Aug 24 Cars play concert in NY Central Park
- Aug 25 "Madwoman of Central Park West" closes at 22 Steps NYC after 86 performances
- Sep 2 "I Remember Mama" closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 108 performances
- Sep 6 Musical "Peter Pan", starring Sandy Duncan, opens at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC for 578 performances
- Sep 7 5 day MUSE concert against nuclear energy opens at Madison Square Garden, New York
- Sep 9 Sid Bernstein offers $½ billion for a Beatle reunion
- Sep 14 The film "Quadrophenia", loosely based on The Who's 1973 rock opera of the same name is released.
- Sep 18 Bolshoi Ballet dancers Leonid & Valentina Kozlov defect
- Sep 18 The Who opens NYC concerts at Madison Square Garden
- Sep 19 No Nukes Concert at Madison Square Garden includes Springsteen & Crosby, Stills & Nash
- Sep 25 "Evita" opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 1568 performances
- Sep 27 Elton John, sick with flu, collapses in the Hollywood Universal Amphitheater
- Sep 29 "Ain't That A Shame" by Cheap Trick peaks at #35
- Sep 29 "Bad Case Of Loving You" by Robert Palmer peaks at #14
- Sep 29 "Boom Boom (Out Go Lights)" by Pat Travers peaks at #56
- Sep 29 "Born To Be Alive" by Patrick Hernandez peaks at #16
- Sep 29 "Cruel To Be Kind" by Nick Lowe peaks at #12
Event of Interest
Sep 29 "Different Worlds" by Maureen McGovern peaks at #18
Maureen McGovern
- Sep 29 "Driver's Seat" by Sniff 'n' the Tears peaks at #15
- Sep 29 "Girls Talk" by Dave Edmunds peaks at #65
- Sep 29 "Lonesome Loser" by Little River Band peaks at #6
- Sep 29 "Message In A Bottle" by Police peaks at #1 in UK
- Sep 29 "What Cha Gonna Do With My Lovin'" by Stephanie Mills peaks at #22
- Oct 7 "1940s Radio Hour" opens at St James Theater NYC for 105 performances
- Oct 7 Musical review "Eubie!", based on the songs of composer Eubie Blake, closes at Ambassador Theater NYC after 439 performances
- Oct 8 J McHugh & A Malvin's musical "Sugar Babies" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 1208 performances
Music Awards
Oct 8 13th Country Music Association Award: Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers & Barbara Mandrell wins
Bob Dylan
Lorne Michaels
- Oct 24 Guinness Book of Records presents Paul McCartney with a rhodium disc as all-time best selling singer-songwriter
Music Premiere
Nov 2 Peter Shaffer's musical "Amadeus" premieres in London
Peter Shaffer
- Nov 16 Paul McCartney releases "Wonderful Christmas"
- Nov 19 Chuck Berry released from prison on income tax evasion
- Nov 25 "Most Happy Fella" closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 53 performances
- Nov 28 "King of Schnorrers" opens at Playhouse Theater NYC for 63 performances
- Nov 30 Pink Floyd's "The Wall" released, sells 6 million copies in 2 weeks
- Dec 3 11 members of the audience trampled to death during a stampede to claim unreserved seats for a concert by The Who at The Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Dec 13 "Oklahoma!" opens at Palace Theater NYC for 301 performances
- Dec 30 Rock group, Emerson, Lake & Palmer break up
- Dec 31 Winterland Rock Concert Hall in San Francisco closes after 556 concerts