4 No. 2 Songs From 1978 That We Think Deserved the Top Spot

It’s never easy to get to No. 1 in any era. But it probably felt a little bit more difficult in 1978 if you weren’t somehow connected to Barry Gibb. The famed Bee Gee had that time period locked down pretty well, with his brothers and other acts doing his songs.

Four songs made it to No. 2 in 1978 but couldn’t get any higher. Based on the high quality of the material, we feel that the runner-up spot wasn’t high enough.

“Short People” by Randy Newman

Fans of Randy Newman’s highly acclaimed singer-songwriter work understood that sarcasm, irony, and misdirection were often his weapons of choice. As for mainstream fans, some might have taken “Short People”, by far and away Newman’s biggest-ever pop hit, at face value. He was actually taking aim at folks who’d be blindly prejudicial of others, though many missed that nuance. Disregarding all that, it’s easy to see why the song found a home with pop audiences. The musical hooks are plentiful, and the refrain is quite catchy. Ace backing vocalists on the track include Timothy B. Schmit and Glenn Frey of Eagles and JD Souther (friend of Eagles). Both Player’s “Baby Come Back” and Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” kept the song away from No. 1.

“The Closer I Get To You” by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway

You can blame Barry Gibb and a Beatle for this song’s failure to get to No. 1. Gibb wrote “If I Don’t Have You” for Yvonne Ellman. And Paul McCartney delivered Wings’ “With A Little Luck”. Those songs stood tall at No. 1 and prevented this luscious duet from two soul superstars from getting past No. 2. Reggie Lucas and James Mtume, who were members of Flack’s backing group at the time, wrote the song. You might think these two powerhouse vocalists would be going for the rafters. But instead, they partake in a delicate, intimate vocal dance. It was just the right approach for the subject matter. Sadly, “The Closer I Get To You” was one of Hathaway’s last triumphs before his death by suicide in 1979.

“Baker Street” by Gerry Rafferty

Gerry Rafferty had gained notoriety for his work with Stealers Wheel. But he couldn’t resume his solo career for a few years while contractual snafus were untangled. That gave him plenty of time to write. “Baker Street” was one of the songs that he penned for his 1977 comeback album City To City. Released as the album’s second single, it displayed both Rafferty’s soulful way with a vocal and his penetrating songwriting skills. It didn’t hurt that the song featured a sax riff from the ages by Raphael Ravenscroft. “Baker Street” propelled Rafferty to sudden stardom, but he backed out of the limelight almost as quickly. “Shadow Dancing” by Andy Gibb kept the song from the ultimate chart pinnacle.

“Double Vision” by Foreigner

Foreigner came bolting out of the gate with their 1977 self-titled debut album. Here was a hard-rock band that crossed over to the pop charts without capitulating or softening their attack. Their follow-up album, Double Vision, came in 1978 and featured “Hot Blooded”, a No. 3 hit. “Double Vision”, which packed the usual wallop while also adding a little bit more of a funk vibe to the mix, came next in their release schedule. It looked like this firecracker of a track might give the band their first No. 1. But Donna Summer’s version of “MacArthur Park” prevented that from happening. Foreigner wouldn’t get their No. 1 until the ballad “I Want To Know What Love Is” in 1984.

(Photo by Tony Russell/Redferns/Getty Images)

The post 4 No. 2 Songs From 1978 That We Think Deserved the Top Spot appeared first on American Songwriter.