May 1978

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday
  1
 2
The Bee Gees receive their second platinum single awarded in less than two months, for "Night Fever," which was preceded by "Stayin' Alive." Both are from the bestselling soundtrack Saturday Night Fever.
 3
 4
Jefferson Starship receive a platinum record for Earth, what will be their last LP with Grace Slick and Marty Balin. Just a few weeks later, both will be gone, and leader Paul Kantner will be forced to revamp the entire band, eventually taking on singer Mickey Thomas and drummer Aynsley Dunbar.
 5
 6
At a joint news conference at United Nations headquarters in New York with TV talk-show host David Frost and RSO Records chief Robert Stigwood, the Bee Gees announce the launching of a unique concept: Music for UNICEF benefit concerts by major rock and pop music stars.
7
The 90,000 tickets on sale for Bob Dylan's upcoming concerts at London's Wembley Empire Pool sell out in less than eight hours.
 8
 9
Lead singer Fee Waybill of the Tubes falls off the stage during a concert in England and breaks his leg.
 10
 11
 12
 13
14
Bianca Jagger files for divorce from Mick.
 15
 16
 17
Lou Reed begins a week-long series of concerts at the Bottom Line club in New York City, portions of which are recorded for his forthcoming live album, Take No Prisoners. The highlight of the album is an extended verbal rap in which Reed castigates rock critics like Robert Cristgau of the Village Voice and John Rockwell of the New York Times.

Thank God It's Friday, the cinematic celebration of disco that is Casablanca Records chief Neil Bogart's response to Saturday Night Fever, premieres in Los Angeles. Directed by Robert Klane and set in a "typical" Hollywood disco on a "typical" Friday night, the film stars Donna Summer as a singer looking for her big break, and introduces her hit song "The Last Dance," which goes on to top the pop chart and wins the 1978 Academy Award for Best Song. The film also stars Paul Jabra and the Commodores, and its soundtrack features Diana Ross, the Village People and others. Despite all this, the film will be a resounding flop.
 18
The Buddy Holly Story, a film directed by Steve Rash and starring Gary Busey as Holly, has its world premiere in Dallas, Texas. The film will be a critical and commercial success, with Busey -- who sings such Holly classics as "That'll Be the Day," "Maybe Baby," "Peggy Sue," "Rave On" and "It's So Easy" -- being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.
 19
 20
The Buddy Holly Story premieres in Holly's home town of Lubbock, Texas.
21
 22
 23
 24
Heavy metal is dead and buried -- or so they say. In blacklit basements everywhere, though, copies of Black Sabbath's Paranoid are still spun at wall-shattering volume. Van Halen, a young bar band-cum- heavy-rock group from Pasadena, score their first time out with Van Halen. But the band differs from early Seventies hard-rock groups; its songs offer a surprising degree of melody, topped with Hollies-like harmonies. And then there's Eddie Van Halen, whom lead vocalist David Lee Roth calls "the first guitar hero of the Eighties." Many agree. The album goes gold on this date.
 25
The Who perform a second "secret" concert in London to be filmed for their documentary movie on the band's career, The Kids Are Alright. This is Keith Moon's last performance with the band before his death.
 26
 27
28
 29
 30
Swan Song Records announces that Led Zeppelin have entered a recording studio for the first time since the death of Robert Plant's son in July 1977. The sessions will result in the band's final album, 1979's In through the Out Door.
 31
One of the biggest disco hits of the year belongs to the Trammps: "Disco Inferno" (#11). Their Disco Inferno LP does just as well, turning gold on this date.
  


  Previous Month  |  Next Month  






 Main Page | Music Chronicle Intro | 1978 Almanac | Top 100 Seventies Singles | Search The RockSite/The Web