No mention of the late 1970s should omit punk rock, in my humble opinion. The new music was on the rise during 1976, and the Jubilee in '77 saw it explode into the mainstream. This week one of punk's most influential female singers, Poly Styrene, died. Here's a clip of her performing Oh, Bondage? Up Yours! with the X-Ray Specs in 1978.
In New Zealand where I grew up, punk didn't really arrive until 1978. Punk lovers in school used to signal their allegiance by wearing safety pins under the collars of their shirts. Emerging Kiwi punk bands like the Enemy and the Surburban Reptiles wore their influences on their sleeves. Here's a vintage clip of the Reps playing Megaton.
Even though punk was making some noise in NZ, the only local act that had a number single that year was housewives' favourite John Rowles with his country-tinged ballad Tania. Can't find a 1978 video for it, but I challenge you to listen all the way through this YouTube upload of the song [no wonder we embraced punk so much]:
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