| 1970s in music in the UK |
| Events |
|---|
TheUK Albums Chart is one of many music charts compiled by theOfficial Charts Company that calculates the best-selling albums of the week in the United Kingdom.[1][2][3] Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical albums. This list shows albums that peaked in the Top 10 of theUK Albums Chart during1979, as well as albums which peaked in1978 and1980 but were in the top 10 in 1979. The entry date is when the album appeared in the top ten for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).
The first new number-one album of the year was byGreatest Hits (1976-1978) byShowaddywaddy. Overall, eighteen different albums peaked at number one in 1979, withABBA,Blondie andGary Numan each having two albums hit that position.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ‡ | Album peaked in 1978 but still in chart in 1979. |
| ♦ | Album released in 1979 but peaked in 1980. |
| Entered | The date that the album first appeared in the chart. |
| Peak | Highest position that the album reached in the UK Albums Chart. |
| Entered (week ending) | Weeks in top 10 | Single | Artist | Peak | Peak reached (week ending) | Weeks at peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albums in 1978 | ||||||
| 4 March 1978 | 11 | New Boots and Panties!! | Ian Dury and the Blockheads | 5 | 10 February 1979 | 1 |
| 15 July 1978 | 5 | A Tonic for the Troops ‡ | The Boomtown Rats | 8 | 15 July 1978 | 2 |
| 29 July 1978 | 28 | Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture ‡ | John Travolta,Olivia Newton-John and Various artists | 1 | 7 October 1978 | 13 |
| 5 August 1978 | 26 | Nightflight to Venus ‡ | Boney M. | 1 | 9 September 1978 | 4 |
| 30 September 1978 | 37 | Parallel Lines | Blondie | 1 | 17 February 1979 | 4 |
| 11 November 1978 | 8 | Emotions ‡ | Various artists | 2 | 18 November 1978 | 1 |
| 8 | A Single Man | Elton John | 8 | 20 January 1979 | 1 | |
| 25 November 1978 | 8 | 20 Golden Greats ‡ | Neil Diamond | 2 | 9 December 1978 | 1 |
| 2 December 1978 | 7 | Midnight Hustle | Various artists | 2 | 13 January 1979 | 1 |
| 9 December 1978 | 12 | Blondes Have More Fun ‡ | Rod Stewart | 3 | 9 December 1978 | 4 |
| 8 | The Singles: 1974–1978 ‡ | The Carpenters | 2 | 16 December 1978 | 3 | |
| 23 December 1978 | 6 | Greatest Hits (1976-1978) | Showaddywaddy | 1 | 6 January 1979 | 2 |
| 3 | 20 Songs of Joy ‡ | Harry Secombe | 8 | 23 December 1978 | 3 | |
| Albums in 1979 | ||||||
| 13 January 1979 | 7 | Don't Walk – Boogie | Various artists | 1 | 20 January 1979 | 3 |
| 20 January 1979 | 13 | Armed Forces | Elvis Costello andThe Attractions | 2 | 20 January 1979 | 3 |
| 4 | Wings Greatest | Wings | 5 | 3 February 1979 | 1 | |
| 27 January 1979 | 6 | The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 | Earth, Wind & Fire | 6 | 10 February 1979 | 1 |
| 7 | Action Replay | Various artists | 1 | 10 February 1979 | 1 | |
| 10 February 1979 | 3 | Strangers in the Night | UFO | 7 | 10 February 1979 | 1 |
| 17 February 1979 | 15 | Spirits Having Flown | Bee Gees | 1 | 17 March 1979 | 2 |
| 4 | Marty Robbins Golden Collection | Marty Robbins | 5 | 24 February 1979 | 1 | |
| 3 March 1979 | 3 | Thank You Very Much (Reunion Concert at the London Palladium) | Cliff Richard andThe Shadows | 5 | 3 March 1979 | 2 |
| 9 | C'est Chic | Chic | 2 | 7 April 1979 | 1 | |
| 10 March 1979 | 32 | Manilow Magic: The Best of Barry Manilow | Barry Manilow | 3 | 10 March 1979 | 3 |
| 2 | Live (X Cert) | The Stranglers | 7 | 10 March 1979 | 1 | |
| 17 March 1979 | 3 | The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle | Sex Pistols | 7 | 17 March 1979 | 2 |
| 1 | 52nd Street | Billy Joel | 10 | 17 March 1979 | 1 | |
| 24 March 1979 | 9 | Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits Volume 2 | Barbra Streisand | 1 | 31 March 1979 | 4 |
| 7 | A Collection of Their 20 Greatest Hits | The Three Degrees | 8 | 24 March 1979 | 2 | |
| 5 | Manifesto | Roxy Music | 7 | 16 June 1979 | 1 | |
| 1 | Desolation Angels | Bad Company | 10 | 24 March 1979 | 1 | |
| 31 March 1979 | 20 | Breakfast in America | Supertramp | 3 | 12 May 1979 | 6 |
| 8 | Dire Straits | Dire Straits | 5 | 21 April 1979 | 1 | |
| 7 April 1979 | 10 | The Very Best of Leo Sayer | Leo Sayer | 1 | 28 April 1979 | 3 |
| 21 April 1979 | 5 | Country Life | Various artists | 2 | 5 May 1979 | 1 |
| 28 April 1979 | 12 | Last the Whole Night Long – 50 Non Stop Party Greats from James Last | James Last | 2 | 30 June 1979 | 1 |
| 5 May 1979 | 4 | Black Rose: A Rock Legend | Thin Lizzy | 2 | 12 May 1979 | 1 |
| 12 May 1979 | 4 | Fate for Breakfast | Art Garfunkel | 2 | 26 May 1979 | 1 |
| 19 May 1979 | 18 | Voulez-Vous | ABBA | 1 | 19 May 1979 | 4 |
| 26 May 1979 | 4 | Bob Dylan at Budokan | Bob Dylan | 4 | 2 June 1979 | 1 |
| 3 | The Billie Jo Spears Singles Album | Billie Jo Spears | 7 | 2 June 1979 | 2 | |
| 2 June 1979 | 5 | Do It Yourself | Ian Dury and the Blockheads | 2 | 2 June 1979 | 2 |
| 9 June 1979 | 5 | Lodger | David Bowie | 4 | 16 June 1979 | 1 |
| 3 | This Is It | Various artists | 6 | 16 June 1979 | 1 | |
| 16 June 1979 | 21 | Discovery | Electric Light Orchestra | 1 | 16 June 1979 | 5 |
| 2 | Sky | Sky | 9 | 16 June 1979 | 1 | |
| 23 June 1979 | 3 | Communiqué | Dire Straits | 5 | 30 June 1979 | 1 |
| 30 June 1979 | 4 | Back to the Egg | Wings | 6 | 30 June 1979 | 1 |
| 14 | I Am | Earth, Wind & Fire | 5 | 7 July 1979 | 5 | |
| 9 | Replicas | Tubeway Army | 1 | 21 July 1979 | 1 | |
| 7 July 1979 | 4 | Bridges | John Williams | 5 | 7 July 1979 | 1 |
| 3 | Night Owl | Gerry Rafferty | 9 | 28 July 1979 | 1 | |
| 14 July 1979 | 5 | Live Killers | Queen | 3 | 14 July 1979 | 1 |
| 21 July 1979 | 11 | The Best Disco Album in the World | Various artists | 1 | 28 July 1979 | 6 |
| 4 August 1979 | 2 | The Best of the Dooleys | The Dooleys | 6 | 18 August 1979 | 1 |
| 11 August 1979 | 3 | Some Product: Carri on Sex Pistols | Sex Pistols | 6 | 11 August 1979 | 2 |
| 12 | Outlandos d'Amour | The Police | 6 | 9 October 1979 | 1 | |
| 18 August 1979 | 2 | Highway to Hell | AC/DC | 8 | 18 August 1979 | 1 |
| 25 August 1979 | 3 | Down to Earth | Rainbow | 6 | 1 September 1979 | 1 |
| 8 September 1979 | 5 | In Through the Out Door | Led Zeppelin | 1 | 8 September 1979 | 2 |
| 5 | Slow Train Coming | Bob Dylan | 2 | 8 September 1979 | 1 | |
| 15 September 1979 | 1 | Street Life | The Crusaders | 10 | 15 September 1979 | 1 |
| 22 September 1979 | 7 | The Pleasure Principle | Gary Numan | 1 | 22 September 1979 | 2 |
| 4 | Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile | Cliff Richard | 3 | 22 September 1979 | 3 | |
| 13 | String of Hits ♦ | The Shadows | 1 | 1 March 1980 | 3 | |
| 29 September 1979 | 5 | Oceans of Fantasy | Boney M. | 1 | 29 September 1979 | 1 |
| 1 | The Adventures of the Hersham Boys | Sham 69 | 8 | 29 September 1979 | 1 | |
| 6 October 1979 | 3 | The Raven | The Stranglers | 4 | 9 October 1979 | 1 |
| 9 October 1979 | 6 | Eat to the Beat | Blondie | 1 | 9 October 1979 | 1 |
| 5 | The Long Run | Eagles | 4 | 13 October 1979 | 2 | |
| 1 | Unleashed in the East | Judas Priest | 10 | 9 October 1979 | 1 | |
| 13 October 1979 | 26 | Reggatta de Blanc | The Police | 1 | 13 October 1979 | 4 |
| 20 | Off the Wall | Michael Jackson | 5 | 20 October 1979 | 1 | |
| 20 October 1979 | 3 | Whatever You Want | Status Quo | 3 | 20 October 1979 | 1 |
| 27 October 1979 | 6 | Tusk | Fleetwood Mac | 1 | 10 November 1979 | 1 |
| 6 | Lena's Music Album | Lena Martell | 4 | 10 November 1979 | 1 | |
| 3 November 1979 | 6 | The Specials | The Specials | 4 | 3 November 1979 | 1 |
| 2 | The Fine Art of Surfacing | The Boomtown Rats | 7 | 3 November 1979 | 1 | |
| 5 | Greatest Hits 1972–1978 | 10cc | 5 | 10 November 1979 | 1 | |
| 10 November 1979 | 5 | Rock 'N' Roller Disco | Various artists | 3 | 10 November 1979 | 1 |
| 12 | Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 | Rod Stewart | 1 | 8 December 1979 | 5 | |
| 13 | Greatest Hits Vol. 2 | ABBA | 1 | 17 November 1979 | 4 | |
| 2 | Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants" | Stevie Wonder | 8 | 17 November 1979 | 1 | |
| 17 November 1979 | 8 | 20 Golden Greats | Diana Ross | 2 | 24 November 1979 | 1 |
| 24 November 1979 | 2 | Setting Sons | The Jam | 4 | 24 November 1979 | 1 |
| 2 | 20 Golden Greats | Mantovani | 9 | 24 November 1979 | 1 | |
| 1 December 1979 | 6 | Love Songs ♦ | Elvis Presley | 4 | 5 January 1980 | 1 |
| 8 December 1979 | 9 | The Wall | Pink Floyd | 3 | 8 December 1979 | 4 |
| 6 | ELO's Greatest Hits | Electric Light Orchestra | 7 | 8 December 1979 | 1 | |
| 2 | Crepes & Drapes | Showaddywaddy | 8 | 8 December 1979 | 2 | |
| 15 December 1979 | 4 | Peace in the Valley | Various artists | 6 | 22 December 1979 | 3 |
| 1 | Night Moves | 10 | 15 December 1979 | 1 | ||
| 22 December 1979 | 6 | 20 Hottest Hits ♦ | Hot Chocolate | 3 | 5 January 1980 | 1 |
| 3 | London Calling | The Clash | 9 | 22 December 1979 | 3 | |
General
Specific
