4 Rock Songs From 1979 That Give Me Instant Goosebumps Every Time

Across rock ‘n’ roll’s decades-long history, the 1970s were some of the most tremendous years for the genre in terms of output and quality. Rock music was riding high, and the final year of the decade wrapped it up with a bang. Or, in the case of one of the first of these goosebump-inducing rock songs from 1979, a creepy, sinister whisper.

“Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd released their seminal rock opera, The Wall, in 1979, to tremendous acclaim. The album contained several radio-friendly cuts, like “Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2” and “Young Lust”. Others rode the line between commercial and creepy, like “Hey You” and “Comfortably Numb”. I’ve chosen the latter track to kick off this list of goosebump-inducing rock songs from 1979 because every time I hear this song, without fail, David Gilmour’s guitar solo gives me chills.

“Renegade” by Styx

As a former theatre kid, I’m a sucker for dramatics, and Styx certainly had plenty. “Renegade” takes the listener through a dynamic journey from slow, plaintive verses to a driving rock groove in the choruses with powerful vocals. I’ll admit that I don’t know many Styx deep cuts, if any at all. I found my favorites in the hits like “Renegade” and “Come Sail Away” (another great choice, but that one came out in 1977).

“Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)” by Neil Young & Crazy Horse

One of my all-time favorite qualities of Neil Young’s music is that the message can give me goosebumps as much as the music itself. Striking both nerves at once is no small feat, but Young has done it time and time again throughout his decades-long career. “Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)” is certainly one of those tracks. Gritty, powerful, raw, a little sad, a little angry—the swirling cacophony of emotions never fails to give me chills.

“Don’t Bring Me Down” by Electric Light Orchestra

Finally, I can pinpoint what makes Electric Light Orchestra’s “Don’t Bring Me Down” so goosebump-inducing down to the second. The whole song is great, and I love attempting the highest harmonies (alone in my car) as much as the next guy. However, the real goosebumps kick in when the instrumentation drops out for the verse that sings, “You’re lookin’ good, just like a snake in the grass.” Then when the keys and strings kick back in? Rock ‘n’ roll perfection.

Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images

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