Was the Bee Gees’ 1978 the Greatest Pop Star Year Since The Beatles?
The Brothers Gibb had already enjoyed two fairly full career arcs as hitmakers by the time the Bee Gees surfaced for a third time in the mid-’70s — this time as Miami-dwelling disco dons. They got off to a pretty good start with a pair of Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits, but it wasn’t until late 1977 that a new hit movie and soundtrack would make them no-doubt superstars. With the brothers established as a chart-dominating powerhouse, they also spread their writing and production to other artists — including their own younger brother — soon being responsible for a near-majority of the hits dominating top 40. But it couldn’t hold forever, and the end of the decade with it brought with it a massive downturn for disco, and the Gibbs’ fortunes as recording artists along with it.
On this week’s Vintage Pop Stardom episode of the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Chris Dalla Riva, author of the excellent new Billboard-themed book Uncharted Territory: What Numbers Tell Us About the Biggest Hit Songs and Ourselves, to talk about a year that looms large in Billboard Hot 100 history: The Bee Gees’ 1978. We go over the stats and context behind the Gibbs’ absurd year of both chart and cultural dominance — as well as as their one extremely high-profile film misstep — before discussing why it ultimately wasn’t meant to last.
Along the way, we also answer all the most pressing questions about the Bee Gees’ biggest year: Does Barry Gibb get the respect he deserves as one of pop’s all-time great songwriters? What would kids today think about the unexpected brutality of Saturday Night Fever? Is Maurice Gibb a hero to balding would-be pop stars everywhere? Is Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band the movie so bad it’s good, or so bad it’s unwatchable? Is Sesame Street Fever worth a curiosity listen? How big a badass do you have to be to get Frankie Valli to defer to your sound and style? And of course: Why doesn’t the Bee Gees’ 1978 get mentioned more often as one of the all-time great pop years?
Check it out above — along with a YouTube playlist of some of the most important moments from the Bee Gees’ 1978, all of which are discussed in the podcast — and subscribe to both the Greatest Pop Stars podcast on Apple Music or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts) for great new episodes every Thursday!
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