Baby boomers got to experience the best that hard rock had to offer in 1978, including the following hit songs from that year. Give these tracks a spin, and you’ll be sent back in time in an instant.
“Hot Blooded” by Foreigner from ‘Double Vision’
Foreigner’s power pop and hard rock classic “Hot Blooded” was one of the biggest songs of the year in 1978. Written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones, “Hot Blooded” made it all the way to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that year and did just as well in Canada. Many of the band’s bigger tracks in the 80s would chart even higher, but “Hot Blooded”, at that point in the band’s career, was their biggest hit on the Hot 100.
“Don’t Look Back” by Boston from ‘Don’t Look Back’
Boston, like Foreigner, had quite a bit of success with their sophomore album. The record’s title track, an arena rock classic, is still a go-to on classic rock radio decades later. And listeners at the time certainly loved it. “Don’t Look Back” became one of Boston’s biggest hits upon its release in 1978, reaching No. 4 on the Hot 100 chart. If you love a good hard rock song that changes tempos with ease, this is a jam that you probably still return to nearly half a century later.
“Straight On” by Heart from ‘Dog & Butterfly’
I wouldn’t say Dog & Butterfly is an underrated release from Heart. But it does have a ton of gems that deserve as much love as “Barracuda” and the band’s earlier works. “Straight On” is one such single, and it was a pretty big success back in the day. This disco-flavored hard rock classic peaked at No. 15 on the Hot 100.
“Runnin’ With The Devil” by Van Halen from ‘Van Halen’
Van Halen had a good year in 1978, and “Runnin’ With The Devil” remains one of the most well-known songs from their early era. Baby boomers who loved hard rock and heavy metal couldn’t get enough of this track in 1978, even though “Runnin’ With The Devil” ended up being only a marginal hit at No. 84 on the Hot 100.
Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns
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Author: Em Casalena