The Hits – and the Glitz – of 1979

Milt’s off living his best life at Jazz Fest, so Dave taps in Deirdre McCarthy as guest co-pilot, and—folks—we fire up the time machine to May 5, 1979. It’s Laverne & Shirley on TV, Alien in theaters, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy on nightstands, and questionable taste on the Billboard charts.

We run the Top 10 gauntlet: Sister Sledge (“He’s the Greatest Dancer”), Cher (“Take Me Home”), Wings (“Goodnight Tonight”), Chic (“I Want Your Love”), Village People (“In the Navy”), Suzi Quatro & Chris Norman (“Stumblin’ In”), Amii Stewart (“Knock on Wood”), Frank Mills (the baffling “Music Box Dancer”), Blondie (“Heart of Glass”), and Peaches & Herb (“Reunited”). Deirdre does not suffer fools—or B-sides—lightly.

Dave connects the dots (yes, “Greatest Dancer” → Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It), dives into Cher lore, detours through Happy Days for Leather Tuscadero trivia, and throws in a military-themed Playdate Quiz because… of course he does.

Final rulings: Deirdre crowns “Heart of Glass,” Dave rides with “Stumblin’ In.” Both agree “Music Box Dancer” gets launched into the sun, along with a Wings deep cut, replaced by Good Times Roll and Dave’s deeply personal Superman nostalgia pick. Overall grade: generous C-minus.

Plus plugs for Face-to-Face Pro and the usual “call us, maybe” contact spiel.

Timestamps (because we’re professionals):

Topics
00:41 Meet Deirdre McCarthy
03:07 Face to Face Pro Plug
03:37 AI and Communication Edge
04:59 Time Machine to 1979
06:07 Setting the 1979 Scene
07:02 Movies and Nostalgia
11:22 Books and True Crime
13:02 Top 10 Begins (No. 10)
13:56 Sister Sledge Sample Talk
18:18 Cher Disco Era (No. 9)
20:31 Cher Deep Dive Trivia
29:13 Wings Mystery Hit (No. 8)
31:20 Spinal Tap and Beatles Talk
35:49 Chic Returns (No. 7)
39:09 Village People (No. 6)
43:05 Military Play Date Quiz
48:02 Club Song Memories
48:44 Metallica to Marley (sure, why not)
50:50 Billy Joel and Civil War (again, sure)
53:19 “Stumblin’ In” at Five
54:25 Leather Tuscadero Detour
01:03:46 “Knock on Wood” Disco Peak
01:09:34 The Music Box Dancer Crisis
01:13:16 “Heart of Glass” Debate
01:23:21 “Reunited” Slow Dance Story
01:27:38 Winners, Losers, and Substitutions
01:37:18 Wrap-Up and Farewell