The Four Seasons’ “Sherry” entered the Hot 100 at No. 65 and reached No. 1 on both Billboard and Cash Box within a month. Bob Gaudio reportedly wrote it in about 15 minutes, originally calling it “Jackie Baby”; the song entered the National Recording Registry in 2023.

Dimension Records took a chance on Eva Boyd, the babysitter who sang the demo of Gerry Goffin and Carole King’s “The Loco-Motion.” Her re-recording topped the U.S. charts and reached No. 2 in Britain.

New Jersey doo-wop group The Duprees saw their debut hit “You Belong to Me” enter the Billboard Top 40 on its way to No. 7, followed by three more charting singles.

Stories, led by former Left Banke keyboardist Michael Brown, topped Billboard and Cash Box with “Brother Louie.” Ian Lloyd supplied the gritty lead vocal and later worked with Billy Joel, Foreigner, and Peter Frampton.

Bruce Springsteen released “Born to Run,” his third studio album. It reached No. 3 in the U.S., eventually sold seven million copies there, and produced the title track, which peaked at No. 23.

Boston issued its self-titled debut, which became the best-selling debut rock album, with worldwide sales above 20 million. It included “More Than a Feeling,” “Foreplay/Long Time,” and “Peace of Mind.”

The Knack’s “My Sharona” reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 for six weeks, and Billboard named it the top single of 1979. Doug Fieger said he wrote the lyrics about his 17-year-old girlfriend, Sharona Alperin, in roughly 15 minutes.

Cliff Richard earned his tenth U.K. No. 1 with “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” his biggest worldwide seller at more than four million copies.

Paul Simon released “Graceland,” his most successful album, which reached No. 3 in America and No. 1 in Britain, sold more than 16 million worldwide, won the 1987 Grammy for Album of the Year, and entered the U.S. National Recording Registry in 2006.

Aerosmith released “Permanent Vacation” through Geffen. The album sold more than five million copies and produced three consecutive U.S. Top 20 singles: “Rag Doll,” “Dude (Looks Like a Lady),” and “Angel.”

Eric Clapton released “Unplugged,” recorded for MTV the previous January. Featuring “Tears in Heaven” and an acoustic “Layla,” it became his best-selling album, moving 26 million copies worldwide and reaching No. 1 in the U.S.

Jimmy Buffett survived a seaplane crash in Nantucket’s Madaket Harbor when the aircraft flipped after hitting a swell; two fishermen rescued him and he was taken to a hospital. The plane was beyond repair.

A New York judge dissolved Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley’s nine-year marriage. They remained lifelong friends, and Joel continued performing “Uptown Girl,” the hit inspired by Brinkley.

Jimmy Page and Robert Plant reunited to tape an MTV “Unplugged” performance, while bassist John Paul Jones was excluded and learned about the project through the press. The resulting album was titled “No Quarter.”

BBC Radio 2 listeners voted Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” the greatest guitar riff ever, ahead of riffs from Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC, Deep Purple, Derek and the Dominos, The Kinks, Pink Floyd, and others.

Iron Maiden announced the Boeing 747-400 “Ed Force One” for its 2016 Book of Souls World Tour. Bruce Dickinson trained to fly the plane, which later carried the band and more than 12 tons of equipment over 55,000 miles across six continents and 35 countries.

Bruce Springsteen set a personal U.S. concert record by playing for four hours, surpassing the 3-hour-52-minute show he had performed two nights earlier.