The summer season of 1978 was one for the ages, together with unbelievable album releases, a number of of the decade’s best motion pictures and sensible reside reveals. But it was additionally a season of the bizarre and the fantastic, that includes the first solo expedition to the North Pole, the setting of one of the all-time best sports activities data, the theft of a well-known coffin and extra.
The checklist under consists of 78 superb occurrences from that summer season, beginning in April with occasions that set the tone for the hotter months, and ending in September, when the final shreds of sunny festivities have been hanging on for expensive life.
So placed on a traditional album, sit again and luxuriate in a visit to the fabled summer season of ’78 in all its glory.
‘The Last Waltz’ Hits Theaters
When the Band performed a present billed as their “farewell concert” on Thanksgiving Day in 1976, filmmaker Martin Scorsese was there to doc it. Often thought to be the best live performance movie of all time, The Last Waltz was launched on April 26, 1978. It featured a myriad of high-profile visitor performances and set the scene for the whole summer season of music that adopted.
Steve Martin Releases “King Tut”
Steve Martin was at the peak of his fame in the late ’70s. On April 28, 1978, he launched “King Tut” as a single off his second comedy album, A Wild and Crazy Guy. The single went platinum and reached a powerful No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, and its accompanying album, launched in October, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and received a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in 1979.
Kiss Releases ‘Double Platinum’
Released in April 1978, Double Platinum marked Kiss’ first greatest-hits assortment. Featuring 4 sides (two LPs) of rock ‘n’ roll anthems together with “Strutter,” “Detroit Rock City” and “Rock and Roll All Nite,” the album cemented the band’s legendary standing in the ’70s and was licensed platinum after only one month. It stays one of the group’s bestselling albums.
‘Space Invaders’ Is Born in Japan
The launch of the standup arcade model of Space Invaders in Japan kicked off the so-called “Golden Age” of video video games. Rumors of the new, massively common sport circulated amongst the American gaming group all through the summer season of ’78, constructing anticipation for the second when the first arcade variations of the sport would seem in America in the fall.
The Blues Brothers Debut on ‘Saturday Night Live’
John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd had been performing with visitor musicians on Saturday Night Live since 1976, however it was the spring of ’78 that noticed them kind their very own band, the Blues Brothers, backed by a bevy of legendary American R&B musicians, and make their debut on the present. An speedy sensation, they have been quickly in the studio recording their first album, Briefcase Full of Blues.
‘Dallas’ Debuts, Then Makes People Wait
The cleaning soap opera and popular culture phenomenon Dallas debuted in the spring of 1978 as a five-part miniseries on Sunday nights. Although executives at CBS had low expectations, the present was so profitable that it was renewed as a full-time collection. Unfortunately, Dallas‘ legion of new followers needed to wait all summer season to get their repair, as the new episodes weren’t launched till the common TV season in September.
The ‘FM’ Soundtrack Captures the Feel of the ’70s
The 1978 film FM tried to seize each the music of the decade and the freewheeling spirit of the radio stations that have been taking part in it. The soundtrack was a knockout, that includes songs by Steely Dan, Bob Seger, Queen and extra. It went platinum and received a Grammy for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical in 1979.
‘Big Wednesday’ Brings SoCal Surfing to the Big Screen
John Milius’ Big Wednesday is one of the greatest movies about the browsing life ever made, monitoring the experiences of a bunch of ’60s California teenagers as they graduate from highschool and transition into the grownup world. Featuring early profession performances by Jan-Michael Vincent, Gary Busey, William Katt and Robert Englund, it was one of the many American motion pictures of the ’70s that gave the impression to be an elegy to the momentous modifications that had taken place over the previous decade and a half.
Tom Petty Continues His Ascent with ‘You’re Gonna Get It!’
It’s arduous to recollect now, however there was a time when Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers weren’t family names. Such was the case once they launched their second studio album, You’re Gonna Get It!, on May 2, 1978. The rocked-out LP earned the group its first gold certification and set the stage for his or her industrial breakthrough on 1979’s Damn the Torpedoes.
The Who Plays Their Last Live Show with Keith Moon
The Who’s legendarily debauched drummer Keith Moon struggled with alcohol habit for a lot of his grownup life, and it had lengthy since taken its toll by the starting of 1978. During the recording of that 12 months’s Who Are You, rumors swirled that the band was contemplating changing him, however when it got here time to movie a reside set at Shepperton Sound Studios in May for his or her movie The Kids Are Alright, Moon rallied and turned in a strong efficiency. It marked the final time he would play reside with the band, and he was lifeless lower than 4 months later.
Kraftwerk Bounces Into Record Stores With ‘The Man-Machine’
Although they weren’t well-known by the American public, German digital band Kraftwerk was a sensation in Europe and darlings of the U.S. rock cognoscenti once they launched their seventh album in May 1978. Often seen as their definitive LP, The Man-Machine did not promote significantly effectively in the U.S., however it provided a wonderful preview of the sort of European electro-pop that will flood America in the ’80s.
Japanese Explorer Conducts First Solo Expedition to the North Pole
In the summer season of ’78, Japanese explorer Naomi Uemura – driving behind a workforce of sled canines – turned the first individual to finish a solo expedition to the North Pole. The journey took two months and featured a quantity of hair-raising exploits, together with a second when Uemura and his canines have been stranded on a chunk of ice that floated out to sea, and one other journey by which he needed to kill a polar bear that was destroying his camp.
Barry Gibb Writes Four (*78*) No. 1 Singles
When “If I Can’t Have You,” recorded by Yvonne Elliman, reached the high spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1978, it marked an unbelievable milestone. Barry Gibb, songwriter and member of the Bee Gees, had written 4 consecutive No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, the others being “Stayin’ Alive,” “Love Is Thicker Than Water” and “Night Fever.” It’s a feat that nobody has matched to this present day.
Buddy Holly’s Life Story Gets Turned Into a Biopic
Gary Busey was having a second in 1978. In addition to starring in Big Wednesday, he performed Buddy Holly in Steve Rash’s The Buddy Holly Story, for which he obtained an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The movie took house an Oscar for its rating and launched a brand new technology to Holly, one of the main lights of early rock ‘n’ roll, virtually 20 years after his demise.
Bob Seger’s ‘Stranger in Town’ Goes Platinum in Three Weeks
Bob Seger was a workhorse and had already launched 9 albums by 1978. His tenth, Stranger in Town, hit shops on May 5, and by May 30 it had already gone platinum. (It would go on to be licensed six-times platinum.) Opening with “Hollywood Nights” and that includes “Still the Same,” “Old Time Rock and Roll” and “We’ve Got Tonight,” it ranks as one of the greatest and greatest efforts of his storied profession.
Coleco Releases ‘Electronic Quarterback’ Game
Electronic Quarterback (or Electronic Touchdown when offered underneath the Sears model) was a handheld soccer online game with 4 buttons: up, down, left/proper and kick/cross. The purpose was easy: to get the ball – a smaller dot than the relaxation – to the endzone. There have been different related soccer video games on the market, however for a short interval, Electronic Quarterback was the coolest and most superior one in existence.
Universal Rereleases ‘American Graffiti’ and Makes Another Killing
American Graffiti’s story of an evening in the life of graduating highschool college students in 1962 was a smash hit when it was launched in 1973, kicking director George Lucas’ profession into overdrive. Sensing there was nonetheless cash to be made, and with the More American Graffiti sequel on the manner, Universal rereleased the movie on May 26, 1978. This earned the studio an extra $60 million in earnings ($5 million greater than the preliminary launch) and proved that nostalgia works in each technology.
Pete Rose Collects 3,000th Hit
Pete Rose turned the thirteenth baseball participant to amass 3,000 hits on May 5, 1978. Later that summer season, Rose would make a run at Joe DiMaggio’s file 56-game hitting streak however fall brief, reaching solely 44. Rose would retire as the all-time chief in hits, at-bats, singles and video games performed, however he was banned from the Baseball Hall of Fame for playing on video games whereas nonetheless an energetic participant.
The Kinks Release ‘Misfits’
From their founding in 1963, the Kinks have been prolific studio artists, releasing over an album a 12 months. In May 1978 they issued their seventeenth LP Misfits, which marked a return to straight-ahead rock ‘n’ roll after the theatrical fare that constituted a lot of their ’70’s output. The album reached No. 40 on the Billboard 200 and spawned a minor hit in “A Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy,” which reached No. 30 on the Hot 100.
Someone Steals Charlie Chaplin’s Coffin
After his demise on Christmas Day 1977, Charlie Chaplin was buried in the Corsier-sur-Vevey cemetery in Switzerland. The following spring, his coffin disappeared, and his spouse Oona obtained a $600,000 ransom demand for the return of the beloved actor’s physique. By May 1978, Swiss authorities had solved the crime, arresting two males and returning Chaplin to his rightful resting place.
Resorts Casino Opens in Atlantic City
Until May 26, 1978, Nevada was the solely place in America the place playing was authorized. That modified with the opening of Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, two years after the state handed a poll measure legalizing playing. A bunch of different accommodations and casinos would quickly open their doorways in the space, making Atlantic City the east-coast vacation spot for individuals who needed to wager their cash and eat low cost buffet meals.
AC/DC Debuts New Bassist Cliff Richards on ‘Powerage’
AC/DC had endured a tumultuous 1977, touring with Black Sabbath and firing bassist Mark Evans. They changed him with Cliff Williams in time to file Powerage, their fifth studio album. Although the album did not promote effectively upon launch, it has grown in estimation and had one significantly well-known supporter: Eddie Van Halen famous a number of occasions over the years that it was his favourite AC/DC album.
The Unabomber Makes His First Attack
By the early ’70s, former math professor Ted Kaczynski had stop his educational profession and moved right into a distant cabin in Montana in an try to repudiate trendy life. In May 1978, Kaczynski despatched out his first mail bomb to an engineering professor at Northwestern University, injuring him barely. Kaczynski would proceed these assaults for 17 years, killing three folks and injuring one other 23, incomes the moniker the Unabomber. The FBI lastly arrested him in 1996.
Prince Releases First Single on His twentieth Birthday
Prince kicked off his illustrious solo profession in April 1978 with the launch of his self-produced and self-performed debut album For You. The musician celebrated his twentieth birthday that summer season with the launch of his debut single, “Soft and Wet,” on June 7. The music fizzled at No. 92 on the Billboard Hot 100 however fared a lot better on the Hot Soul Singles chart, the place it peaked at No. 12.
The Home Brew Revolution Heats Up
The federal authorities had outlawed making alcohol at house since Prohibition, however as curiosity in home-brewed beer started to extend in the ’70s, increasingly folks challenged this. One of the most essential opponents was Charlie Papazian, who spent the summer season of ’78 educating lessons on house brewing in Boulder, Colorado, regardless of its illegality. Because of the efforts of folks like Papazian – who would finally launch the first house brewing journal, Zymurgy – President Jimmy Carter signed a invoice in October 1978 to raise the federal prohibition.
The Rolling Stones Release ‘Some Girls’ and Kick Off U.S. Tour
The Rolling Stones launched Some Girls – which options smash hits like “Miss You,” “Beast of Burden” and “Shattered” – on June 9, 1978, and instantly went on tour in the United States, with opening acts that ranged from Peter Tosh to Van Halen to Etta James. The tour launched on June 10 at the Lakeland Civic Center in Florida and concluded on July 26 at the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum.
Damien Returns in ‘Damien: Omen II’
One of the most extremely anticipated motion pictures of the summer season of ’78 was Damien: Omen II, the sequel to the 1976 story about the emergence of the younger antichrist on Earth. The movie continues Damien’s story, tracing his teenage years and ascension to energy regardless of the greatest makes an attempt of quite a few puny people to cease him. The movie opened at No. 1 on June 9, 1978, and was a reasonable hit, spawning one other sequel, 1981’s Omen III: The Final Conflict.
The Cramps Play a Mental Hospital
Never recognized for subtlety, psychobilly progenitors the Cramps took issues to an odd new degree once they performed the California State Mental Hospital in Napa on June 13, 1978. After a gap set from the Mutants, they carried out for a handful of punk followers and a number of other hundred inmates and employees.
The First Lego Minifigures Appear
The earliest Lego minifigures, which started showing in Lego units in the summer season of ’78, did not have transferring arms or legs. They have been merely small, vaguely body-shaped blocks with interchangeable legs, torsos, headpieces and yellow heads with eyes and smiling faces. They proved immensely common and have remained a staple of the Lego universe ever since.
Grace Slick Gets Drunk and Splits from Jefferson Starship
In June, Jefferson Starship — a permutation of Jefferson Airplane — tried to play a live performance in Germany in help of their Earth album when singer Grace Slick’s alcohol issues caught up together with her. After an extended day of ingesting, she started calling the crowd Nazis and throwing bottles at them, finally inflicting the cancellation of the present. She was summarily booted from the band, though she would reunite with them three years later.
Dire Straits Launch Their Career With Self-Titled Debut
Dire Straits’ self-titled debut album hit cabinets of their native U.Okay. on June 9, introducing the world to the distinctive guitar stylings of Mark Knopfler. Filled with moody gems equivalent to “Down to the Waterline,” “Wild West End” and “Lions,” the album peaked with its facet two opener “Sultans of Swing,” which turned a Top 5 hit and one of the group’s signature songs.
Peter Frampton Nearly Dies in The Bahamas
Peter Frampton was at the peak of his fame and extra in June 1978 when he fell asleep at the wheel in the Bahamas on a wet morning after touring all evening. His automotive crashed right into a wall, and the British guitar hero suffered a damaged arm, bruised ribs and a concussion. He may need died had he not been rescued by a 17-year-old vacationer.
Peter Falk Goes Comedic in ‘The Cheap Detective’
Long recognized for taking part in the TV detective Columbo, Peter Falk turned his sleuth persona satirical in The Cheap Detective, written by Neil Simon and directed by Robert Moore. His character, Lou Peckinpaugh, is a parody of Humphrey Bogart’s hard-boiled non-public eye roles, and the movie is a send-up of classics equivalent to Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon.
Bruce Springsteen Travels to the ‘Darkness On The Edge of Town’
Bruce Springsteen scored his large break with 1975’s wall-of-sound masterpiece Born To Run. For its follow-up, Darkness on the Edge of Town, the Boss stripped his sound right down to the studs and produced some of the rawest, heaviest songs of his profession. The album did not promote in addition to Born to Run, however it nonetheless reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and has come to be thought to be one of Springsteen’s most interesting works.
‘Grease’ Creates a Cult Following
When Grease, beginning Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, hit theaters on June 16, it was an instantaneous sensation. It turned the highest-grossing movie of the 12 months, making more cash than any musical since The Sound of Music, and initiated a complete technology into the cult of ’50s revivalism.
Peter Gabriel Releases ‘Peter Gabriel 2: Scratch’
After leaving Genesis in 1975, Peter Gabriel launched into a quest of musical self-discovery, which might end in the launch of 4 albums that each one had the similar title: his identify. The second – a transitional file that linked the messy creativity of the first with the totally achieved perfection of the third – was produced by King Crimson’s Robert Fripp and has grown in estimation over the years regardless of initially lukewarm gross sales.
Garfield Makes His National Debut
The Jim Davis cartoons that will turn out to be so ubiquitous in the ’80s – showing on every little thing from espresso mugs to stuffed animals suction-cupped to the again of automotive home windows – entered nationwide syndication in 41 newspapers on June 19. Garfield would finally turn out to be the most generally syndicated cartoon strip in the world and generate greater than $1 billion in income.
‘Jaws 2’ Proves It’s Not Safe To Go Back Into The Water
Three years after Steven Spielberg’s Jaws invented the concept of the summer season blockbuster, Universal smelled blood in the water and issued a sequel. Roy Scheider, Lorraine Gary and Murray Hamilton all reprised their roles from the authentic movie, as did the shark, who received burned by flaming gasoline and chowed down on youngsters caught on floating particles earlier than lastly being electrocuted by Scheider’s police chief.
The Cars’ Eponymous Debut Gets the New Wave Ball Rolling
Jam-packed with radio-friendly, completely crafted pop songs like “My Best Friend’s Girl” and “Just What I Needed,” the Cars’ self-titled debut arrived in file shops on June 6 and helped outline the course that new wave and pop-rock would soak up the approaching decade. Although beforehand related to punk music, new wave would hew extra intently to synth-heavy power-pop after the Cars raced onto the scene.
Hasbro Releases Hungry Hungry Hippos
Hungry Hungry Hippos is a tabletop sport by which 4 gamers smash the backs of plastic hippopotami as a way to make their heads snap ahead and gobble up white marbles. It reached shops in the summer season of ’78, accompanied by a quick advert marketing campaign, and remained a pillar of household enjoyable effectively into the ’80s.
Director Sam Peckinpah Makes Cash With ‘Convoy’
Sam Peckinpah made his identify in the ’60s with violent masterpieces like The Wild Bunch, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid and Straw Dogs. His street motion comedy Convoy, which premiered in June 1978, starring Kris Kristofferson and Ali MacGraw, was a transparent step down from these, however it nonetheless turned the most worthwhile movie of Peckinpah’s profession.
Bob Dylan Changes Direction (Again) With ‘Street Legal’
Bob Dylan at all times refused to remain in one place or type for lengthy. His 18th studio album Street-Legal, launched on June 15, was no exception, exhibiting listeners a brand new facet of Dylan. Backed by a big band with a horn part and feminine vocalists, the folks hero-turned-rock star added a shiny pop sheen to his sometimes thorny lyrical musings.
Coors Light Is Introduced
The Coors Brewing Company in Golden, Colorado, had been round since 1873. But it wasn’t till 1978 that it launched the product that will arguably turn out to be its most well-known: Coors Light. Playing off the reputation of Miller Light, which appeared in 1973, the new mild beer got here in a silver can and was dubbed the “Silver Bullet” in its advert marketing campaign.
‘Heaven Can Wait’ Revives the Screwball Comedy
In 1978, actor and director Warren Beatty parlayed his fame into Heaven Can Wait, a throwback comedic romp a couple of soccer participant who’s by chance taken to heaven by a guardian angel who thinks he is about to be killed. Co-written by Beatty and Elaine May and primarily based on a play by Harry Segall, the movie earned 9 Academy Award nominations, though it solely received Best Art Direction.
Foreigner’s ‘Double Vision’ Blows Up the Charts
The second album by arena-rock maestros Foreigner was a mainstay on file gamers for the whole summer season of ’78. Released in June, it was licensed platinum earlier than the finish of the month and would finally obtain seven-times platinum standing. Singles “Hot Blooded” and “Double Vision” peaked at Nos. 3 and a pair of, respectively, and have remained traditional rock staples for many years.
Argentina Hosts and Wins World Cup During Political Upheaval
In 1976, Argentina was overtaken by a navy junta after a coup, which leant an odd air of totalitarian politics to the FIFA World Cup held there in the summer season of ’78. Regardless of the worldwide opprobrium, the host workforce received the match, hoisting the trophy for the first time of their nationwide historical past. Then-17-year-old phenom Diego Maradona was controversially left off the squad however would lead the workforce to victory once more in 1986 in Mexico.
‘A Swiftly Tilting Planet’ Hits Bookstores
Featuring time journey, unicorns and telepathy and telling a cautionary story about the perils of nuclear battle, Madeleine L’Engle’s A Swiftly Tilting Planet established L’Engle as one of the greatest sci-fi and younger grownup authors of her technology. After practically giving up writing in 1958 on her fortieth birthday as a result of she did not suppose she would have the ability to make it, she scored a string of hits in the ’70s and would win a National Humanities Medal in 2004.
First Texxas Jam Festival Held
Texxas Jam – AKA the Texxas World Music Festival – hosted its inaugural gathering at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas over Fourth of July weekend 1978, with a lineup that includes Van Halen, Eddie Money, Journey, Heart, Aerosmith and extra. The pageant lasted for a decade, with the final occasion in 1988 that includes acts like Metallica, Scorpions and, as soon as once more, Van Halen.
The Term ‘EMAIL’ Is Coined
Although the concept of e mail as we perceive it has been round since the early ’70s (and marketer Gary Thuerk famously despatched the first spam e mail in spring of ’78), the time period “email” was apparently first utilized by V. A. Shiva Ayyadurai. As a 14-year previous volunteering at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Ayyadurai arrange a messaging system utilizing FORTRAN and referred to as it EMAIL.
Dead Kennedys Are Born
Seminal punk band Dead Kennedys have been shaped in June 1978 in San Francisco and performed reside for the first time on July 19 at Mabuhay Gardens, opening for the Offs. With Americans nonetheless feeling uncooked from the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the band’s identify generated a great deal of controversy, however inside a number of years they discovered themselves at the coronary heart of the early-’80s American punk second.
Chevy Chase Breaks Out in ‘Foul Play’
After chopping his comedic tooth for a number of years on Saturday Night Live, Chevy Chase was able to make a play for starring roles on the large display. Foul Play, which premiered on July 14, was his first gambit, by which he performs a Fed who tries to assist a librarian (Goldie Hawn) forestall the pope from being assassinated. The movie was a success and helped Chase land future starring roles like 1980’s Caddyshack and 1983’s Vacation.
First Test-Tube Baby Is Born
On July 25, science fiction gave the impression to be coming true with the delivery of the world’s first “test-tube” child, Louise Brown, in Oldham, England. These days it is merely generally known as “in vitro fertilization,” however in 1978, it was a radical new expertise that obtained an appropriately sensational moniker, perpetually altering the choices obtainable for childbirth.
‘The Swarm’ Blots Out the ’70s Disaster Movie Cycle
For a great deal of the decade, catastrophe flicks dominated film theaters. Films like Airport (1970), The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and The Towering Inferno (1974) mixed large stars with greater disasters. But The Swarm – a horror flick about genetically-enhanced bees starring Michael Caine, Richard Chamberlain, Olivia de Havilland, Henry Fonda and Fred MacMurray – was so critically reviled upon its launch in July 1978 that it put an finish to this cycle virtually singlehandedly.
AT&T Creates Cell Phone Division
Bell Laboratories started engaged on an analog cell phone system in the late ’60s. In the summer season of ’78, AT&T created a subsidiary of referred to as Advanced Mobile Phone Service to start the course of of providing this expertise to paying prospects. It formally deployed its first system in the United States in 1983, changing into the first nationally obtainable cellphone community.
Talking Heads Dance Their Way Toward a New Sound
Co-produced by Brian Eno, Talking Heads’ sophomore album More Songs About Buildings and Food cemented their status as odd-pop masters whereas pushing their sound in a extra danceable course. Buoyed by a canopy of Al Green’s “Take Me to the River,” the album was licensed gold and acknowledged as a traditional by critics and followers.
Peter Sellers Performs His ‘Pink Panther’ Swan Song
Released in July 1978, The Revenge of the Pink Panther discovered British comic Peter Sellers embodying the legendary French detective Inspector Jacques Clouseau on set for the fifth and ultimate time. (Another movie, Trail of the Pink Panther, arrived after Sellers’ demise and used outtakes from earlier movies.) Involving an try by Clouseau to apprehend the infamous head of the French Connection, the movie delighted audiences with its traditional combine of broad gags, sly humor and Sellers’ inimitable comedy.
‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ Movie Crashes and Burns
On paper, a Beatles-inspired jukebox musical starring Peter Frampton, the Bee Gees, Steve Martin, Donald Pleasence, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Earth, Wind & Fire and George Burns appeared like a slam dunk. But when it hit theaters in July 1978, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was decimated by critics and hastened the skilled demise of some of its stars. Still, the accompanying soundtrack produced Earth, Wind & Fire’s cowl of “Got to Get You Into My Life” and Aerosmith’s rendition of “Come Together,” each of which have been effectively obtained.
Martina Navratilova Wins Her First of 59 Major Tennis Titles
Before July 1978, Navratilova was simply an up-and-coming tennis star. After defeating Chris Evert at Wimbledon, nonetheless, she turned the top-ranked participant in the world and was on her method to being a legend in the sport. Before retiring in 2006, Navratilova received 18 main singles titles, 31 main girls’s doubles titles and 10 main blended doubles titles, changing into one of the most dominant athletes in historical past.
‘Animal House’ Becomes the Most Successful Comedy to Date
John Landis’ Animal House hit theaters on July 28, and the world of comedy motion pictures would by no means be the similar. With its bawdy story centered on the inmates of a beleaguered frat home preventing in opposition to their archrivals and a crusty previous dean, the movie made a big-screen star out of John Belushi, launched moviegoers to Kevin Bacon, Karen Allen and Thomas Hulce and grossed over $140 million in opposition to a funds of $3 million. It was the most worthwhile comedy in historical past till Ghostbusters broke its file in 1984.
‘Piranha’ Puts Some Bite Into ‘Jaws’ Knockoffs
Written by John Sayles, directed by Joe Dante and produced by Roger Corman, Piranha helped cap the run of movies about underwater nasties preying on helpless people that had been impressed by the phenomenal success of Jaws three years earlier. The plot is negligible however so much of enjoyable – there are genetically engineered piranhas in a river consuming folks – and Universal famously thought of suing to stop it from competing with Jaws 2, however the studio stood down when Steven Spielberg publicly famous that he had loved an advance screening of the movie.
Burger King Introduces Its Specialty Sandwiches
In the mid-’70s, Burger King was falling behind rival McDonald’s and going through new competitors from the upstart Wendy’s. In response, the firm got here up with a line of specialty sandwiches launched in the summer season of ’78. Several, together with the Limo Burger and ham and cheese sandwich, have since disappeared, however one stays a menu staple to this present day: the Original Chicken Sandwich, served on an rectangular bun.
Canada Jam Festival Breaks National Attendance Records
In August 1978, greater than 110,000 followers gathered outdoors Bowmanville, Ontario, for a one-day pageant that includes Kansas, the Doobie Brothers, the Village People and extra. Tickets price $30, and the occasion grossed over $2.5 million, changing into the largest rock live performance in Canadian historical past till 2006, when 450,000 followers confirmed up for SARSStock, headlined by the Rolling Stones and AC/DC.
The Situation in Jonestown Goes From Bad To Worse
Jim Jones based the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project — recognized colloquially as Jonestown — in Indianapolis in 1955, and in 1974 he moved the cult to Guyana in South America. Its inhabitants was reaching its highest degree throughout the summer season of ’78, at the precise second when every little thing went sideways. Family members in the United States have been submitting lawsuits, a California Congressman was making ready to go to and Jones’ already precarious psychological well being was in freefall. The horror got here to a head in November with the deaths of greater than 900 folks from cyanide poisoning, a debacle that turned “drinking the Kool-Aid” into a preferred phrase.
Boston Scores Another Hit With ‘Don’t Look Back’
Released on Aug. 15, Boston’s second album Don’t Look Back reached No. 1 in each the U.S. and Canada, spawned a success single with its title observe and was finally licensed seven-times platinum. It additionally marked the starting of a sophisticated and long-running collection of lawsuits, which began between band founder Tom Scholz and supervisor Paul Ahern and in the end pulled in company big CBS.
‘Who’ll Stop the Rain’ Drives a Stake Through the Memory of the ’60s
Based on Robert Stone’s National Book Award-winning novel Dog Soldiers, Who’ll Stop The Rain tells the darkish story of a Vietnam soldier who meets his final downfall when he will get concerned in a deal to smuggle heroin again into the United States. Starring Nick Nolte and Tuesday Weld, the movie dismantled any lingering nostalgia for the earlier decade and epitomized ’70s cynicism.
The Who Flirts With Prog Rock on ‘Who Are You’
For their eighth studio album – and final with drummer Keith Moon – the Who embraced an more and more complicated sound, incorporating synthesizers and multi-layered tracks. The Who Are You recording classes have been a rollercoaster experience, as Moon had begun to deteriorate and struggled with some of the songs, however the album reached No. 2 on the U.S. charts and No. 6 in the U.Okay., spawning a main hit with its title observe.
Devo!
Devo exploded into nationwide consciousness on Aug. 28 with the launch of their debut album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! Produced by Brian Eno and principally recorded in West Germany, the album did not make an enormous stir – it solely reached No. 78 on the U.S. charts – however it presaged the arty, twitchy post-punk that will turn out to be extra distinguished in the ’80s.
First Balloon Crosses the Atlantic Ocean
The Double Eagle II was a balloon stuffed with 160,000 cubic ft of helium, holding a gondola that was 15 ft lengthy and seven ft vast. Piloted by Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman, it turned the first balloon to efficiently fly throughout the Atlantic Ocean when it journeyed from Maine to France over the course of seven days in August.
Hall & Oates Keep Grinding with ‘Along the Red Ledge’
Hall & Oates scored a number of hits throughout their first six albums, however the Philadelphia duo was nonetheless struggling to interrupt via on the nationwide scene. Along the Red Ledge noticed them transferring in a extra rock-oriented course than some of their earlier work. It produced two minor hits, “It’s a Laugh” and “I Don’t Wanna Lose You,” however did not ship them to the stratosphere – that distinction went to 1981’s Private Eyes.
Cheech & Chong Smoke Up a Feature
Notorious stoner duo Cheech & Chong had been round for nearly a decade by 1978, however it wasn’t till September that America received to see them on the large display. Up In Smoke has a plot, of types, that revolves round looking for weed, smuggling medication and successful a battle of the bands, however principally it is simply an excuse for making drug jokes — and audiences cherished it. It earned $44 million in opposition to a funds of $2 million and is often credited with founding the stoner movie style.
Hershey Releases Reese’s Pieces, and Candy Lovers Rejoice
Hershey’s orange, yellow and brown peanut butter candies first appeared in shops in September 1978, and the snacking world was by no means the similar.
Keith Moon Dies
After a life of self-destructive habits and substance abuse, Keith Moon was discovered lifeless on the Sept. 7, 1978 at age 32. The official trigger of demise was listed as “Clomethiazole (Heminevrin) overdose, self-administered but no evidence of intention.”
Terrence Malick Proves Auteur Credentials With ‘Days of Heaven’
Terrence Malick proved his directorial potential together with his function, 1973’s Badlands. His second, Days of Heaven, proved he was one of the most proficient auteurs of his technology. Richard Gere and Brooke Adams star in a story of love and demise in Texas throughout the first World War, however the actual star is Malick’s hypnotic visible storytelling potential. It’s simply one of the most lovely American movies of the decade.
The Grateful Dead Plays Giza
In the center of September, the Grateful Dead took their seemingly everlasting tour to Egypt, taking part in three reveals at the Giza pyramid complicated, with the third going down throughout a complete lunar eclipse. Tracks from the second and third evening of the present have been launched on the Rocking the Cradle album in 2008.
‘Death on the Nile’ Brings Agatha Christie Back to the Big Screen
Director John Guillermin’s movie Death on the Nile, primarily based on the 1937 Agatha Christie novel, featured Peter Ustinov taking part in detective Hercule Poirot and attempting to resolve a thriller aboard a paddle steamer. Although it was jammed with different stars, together with Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, David Niven and George Kennedy, the movie was a disappointment at the field workplace. Still, it maintained a ok status to spawn a remake by Kenneth Branagh in 2022.
All Four Kiss Members Release Solo Albums on the Same Day
Constantly attempting to push the envelope, Kiss broke new floor on Sept. 18 when all 4 members launched self-titled solo albums on the similar day. Ace Frehley offered the greatest of the 4, going platinum that October, and maintains the greatest status at this time, though all 4 have been treasured by followers.
Muhammad Ali Beats Leon Spinks in Rematch
In February 1978, 10-to-1 underdog Leon Spinks defeated world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali in a break up determination in Las Vegas. On Sept. 15, the two clashed once more at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. More than 63,000 followers watched in individual, and an estimated 90 million extra watched on ABC, as Ali received his title again in a unanimous determination.
Funkadelic Scores a Hit with ‘One Nation Under a Groove’
One Nation Under a Groove, the tenth studio album from funk masters Funkadelic, was possibly their best and definitely their most commercially profitable. It boasts all the band’s hallmarks: danceable beats, political consciousness and blazing musicianship. The album reached No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and went platinum, and its title observe turned a stone-cold traditional and dance-funk touchstone.
Top 100 ’70s Rock Albums
From AC/DC to ZZ Top, from ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ to ‘London Calling,’ they’re all right here.
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