My 14 Year Old Self Picks The Top 10 1978 Albums

Blondie : Hanging on the Telephone

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When I entered boarding school at age 13, I had a small mono cassette player and three albums: The Beatles Abbey Road, The Beatles 1967-1970, and Elton John's Greatest Hits Volume 2. Music would become my escape from high stress and low grades. By Christmas of 1977, I had joined the Columbia House Record Club and had enough of an allowance to buy one cassette a month. Still, my tastes were pretty much determined by what I heard on the FM radio.

The exceptions are Bloody Tourists ( Coming across a copy of How Dare You! in a public library made me an instant fan of the band); Stardust ( My dad played this one all the time so it appealed to me during weaker moments of homesickness); and Mr Gone ( which I bought at a Sam Goody's in New York City on a visit in the fall). It would still be a few years before I'd become a true music snob.

1. Blondie: Parallel Lines
2. The Cars: The Cars
3. Rolling Stones Some Girls

4. Dire Straits : Dire Straits
5. 10cc : Bloody Tourists

6. Gerry Rafferty: City to City
7. Talking Heads: More Songs About Buildings and Food
8. Wings : London Town

9. Joe Walsh :  But Seriously Folks
10. Willie Nelson: Stardust

Honorable Mention:
Weather Report : Mr Gone

40 Year Itch : I'm in the Phonebooth

The Nerves : Hanging on the Telephone

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In 1976 the Los Angeles based power trio The Nerves released what may simply be the best EP of the year. This chock-full -o'-earworms recording sounds at once 5 years ahead of its time and 10 years behind the times. Here is a band that is not afraid to wear its Beatles influences on its sleeves and three piece suits on the stage. Future Plimsoul Peter Case has that aching voice reminiscent of a young John Lennon on  "When You Find Out". 

But the stand out must be the song most people associate with Blondie, "Hanging on the Telephone". Penned by Jack Lee, this two minute stunner would become a UK Top 5 hit for Blondie. Future Paul Collins Band leader Collins gives us "Working Too Hard". All in all, this is as close to perfection as power pop gets.