5 Classic Songs from 1978 That We Just Can’t Resist

same name. Despite not fulfilling the easy-listening requirements of ’70s radio due to its off-kilter beat, altered chord progressions, and Bobby Weir’s slightly mumbled vocals (not his best vocal performance, for sure), “Shakedown Street” has taken on a life of its own in the Dead’s live discography. While much of the album is considered non-Dylan and non-Waits dead weight, the eponymous track has become a setlist regular that always riles up a crowd.
Its opening line, “You tell me this town ain’t got no heart …,” sets a nostalgic, wistful tone that slides into grooves that can encapsulate everything from ’70s disco to hypnagogic vocals that predict jam and indie rock. Plus, Jerry Garcia playing something described as “disco guitar” should be reason enough to give it a shot. All this while the band members would reportedly thumb their noses at the success the song had achieved by appealing to a wider audience.
Even the studio version has a solid, radio-friendly beat and a lively tune despite not being the Grateful Dead’s best studio song in the grand scheme of their output. In true Dead fashion, “Shakedown Street” transmuted over the course of hundreds of live performances into something altogether else.

“Sultans of Swing” – Dire Straits

Do you know what Dire Straits’ first breakthrough hit was? If you answered, “Sultans of Swing,” you’re correct, but if you thought it was a top ten hit, you’d be wrong. Débuting in 1978 on Dire Straits’ eponymous album, “Sultans of Swing” transcended the studio version to become a phenomenon, medleying influences from Chet Atkins, Scotty Moore, James Burton, and other rockabilly and country guitarists. And Mark Knopfler sings the story of the worst band in the world with a wink and a nod. At its core, “Sultans of Swing” is a great microcosm of Dire Straits’ enduring appeal, with its intricate guitar work, storytelling lyrics, and smooth sound that’s imitated but never duplicated, yet the single version just didn’t cut it. While it did hit No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, “Money for Nothing” and “Walk of Life” took on lives of their own and ravaged up the pop, rock, and adult contemporary charts in the ’80s. However, by virtue of the quality of the songwriting and guitar work, “Sultans of Swing” is forever in our hearts.

“Atomic Punk” – Van Halen

Van Halen’s “Atomic Punk” from “Van Halen” may not be a flop in a traditional sense, nor were they generally considered by anyone at the time to be a flop, but it’s still disheartening that the song never charted. That said, the album eventually made it to No. 19 on the Billboard 200 chart, making “Atomic Punk” a posthumous cult rock classic. That was also because Eddie Van Halen, widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists in rock history, apparently loved the song. You can hear his love in the deep distortion of his guitar in “Atomic Punk” and the band’s tight harmonies. Despite the song’s mediocre rankings, it remains one of the band’s most popular songs in their catalog. “Atomic Punk” is celebrated for its inventive guitar work and bold musicality, which later influenced hard rock acts like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Metallica.

1978 had its share of songs whose historical significance far outweighed their commercial success. From icons like Tom Waits and Judas Priest to the Grateful Dead, Dire Straits, and Van Halen, these unconventional hits defined the year in music and continue to echo through the decades, finding new audiences and appreciation for their innovative sounds and enduring legacies.