Top Ten Albums – Week of July 8, 1978

A Snapshot in Time

On July 8, 1978, the world was spinning in every sense — from tennis courts to turntables.

Major Events

• Sandro Pertini becomes President of Italy: Sworn in as the 7th President of the Italian Republic after the tragic assassination of Aldo Moro, Pertini brought moral strength and unity to a country in turmoil.
• Björn Borg wins Wimbledon: The Swedish phenom captured his third consecutive Wimbledon Men’s Singles title, defeating Jimmy Connors in a thrilling final that cemented his dominance on grass.
• NASA’s Pioneer-Venus 2 launched: As disco glittered on Earth, humanity looked skyward. NASA launched the Pioneer-Venus 2 multi-probe mission to explore our cloud-shrouded neighbor.

Cultural Moments

• The Grateful Dead at Red Rocks: On this very date, the Dead played their first-ever concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado — a legendary pairing of band and venue that would go down in rock history. That performance was later immortalized as Red Rocks: 7/8/78.

Elsewhere in the News

• MOVE Standoff in Philadelphia: A tense confrontation between the MOVE organization and police resulted in one officer’s death and several injuries, marking another chapter in the city’s complex social struggles.

Amid all that, America was still listening, still dancing, and still finding its stories in vinyl grooves.

This Week’s Top Ten Albums in America

1.   City to City – Gerry Rafferty

2.   Saturday Night Fever – Movie Soundtrack / Bee Gees

3.   Natural High – The Commodores

4.   Some Girls – The Rolling Stones

5.   Stranger in Town – Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band

6.   Darkness on the Edge of Town – Bruce Springsteen

7.   Shadow Dancing – Andy Gibb

8.   Feels So Good – Chuck Mangione

9.   Grease – Movie Soundtrack

10.  Boys in the Trees – Carly Simon

Album of the Week Spotlight

 Darkness on the Edge of Town – Bruce Springsteen

Album of the Week Spotlight

Why I Picked It:
After the breakout success of Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen found himself fighting both legal battles and creative restlessness. When Darkness on the Edge of Town finally arrived, it wasn’t just an album — it was a statement.

Springsteen traded the romantic rush of Thunder Road for the grit and realism of Badlands and The Promised Land. These were songs for working people — the ones who felt the weight of the American dream slipping through their fingers.

This record marked the true beginning of “Springsteen the storyteller,” the everyman poet who would later define 1980s rock with Born in the U.S.A. and Dancing in the Dark

My Connection

Springsteen was a steady seller in my stores from 1978 through 1987. During my years at Camelot Music, his albums were always reliable movers — especially Born in the U.S.A., which dominated both the Eastview Mall (Victor, NY) and Park City Mall (Lancaster, PA) locations.

At my Store Camelot Music, Park City, Lancaster, Pa. one morning two of my employees came to work with the tale of meeting Bruce Springsteen at The Village Pub, downtown Lancaster, Pa. City.

You see the Clair Brothers Sound in Lititz, Pa, was busy getting set up with the sound equipment for Bruce's next tour in the 4th quarter of 1984.

See information on The Clair Brothers find it by going here.

Clair Brother audio is now known as Clair Global, located in Lititz, Pennsylvania.

So Bruce was in town, with his sound team getting the stage set up ready for the tour. Because of the Clair brothers We would often have bands show up in our store as customers.

Customers didn’t just buy Bruce’s records; they talked about them. They connected to the stories, the working-class struggles, the hope and heartbreak in every lyric.

Springsteen fans didn’t just listen — they lived it.

Trivia Corner

🎧 Fun Fact 1: City to City by Gerry Rafferty knocked Saturday Night Fever off the top spot after 24 consecutive weeks — no small feat in the middle of disco mania.

🎸 Fun Fact 2: Darkness on the Edge of Town was delayed for nearly three years due to a lawsuit between Springsteen and his former manager, Mike Appel.

🎤 Fun Fact 3: The Grease soundtrack entered the charts this very month and would soon become one of the best-selling movie albums of all time — giving disco one last golden summer before punk and new wave took the stage.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why was Darkness on the Edge of Town significant in Bruce Springsteen’s career?
It marked his return after a long legal battle and showcased his shift toward storytelling rooted in working-class reality.

Q2: How long did Saturday Night Fever stay at No. 1 before City to City replaced it?
It dominated the Billboard charts for 24 consecutive weeks before Gerry Rafferty’s City to City took the top spot.

Q3: What made July 8, 1978, a notable date for live music?
It was the Grateful Dead’s first-ever performance at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a show that became legendary.