Hello and welcome to the Rock n Coasters podcast; I am one of your hosts, Michele Forto. This year we are doing something new we are going to talk about the top metal albums of the year and share some cool facts from back in time. These short, bite-sized episodes should be perfect for a quick listen and, who knows, might spur your interest in checking out some new tunes.
A lot happened in 1979. I was only seven years old but remember much of this stuff like it was yesterday.
First up, 52 Americans are taken hostage in Tehran, Iran for 444 days. Four days later, ABC’s Nightline premiered, centering on the crisis.
11 people were crushed to death outside of Cincinnati Riverfront Coliseum prior to a concert by The Who.
Scrappy-Doo was first added to the cast of Scooby-Doo in 1979.
The Guardian Angels were formed in New York City as an unarmed organization of young crime fighters.
The eradication of the smallpox virus was certified.
Black and Decker released the now-famous cordless mini-vacuum, The Dustbuster.
Pope John Paul II visited the United States.
Elvita Adams jumped from the 86th floor of the Empire State Building in an attempted suicide, only to be blown back onto the 85th floor by a gust of wind. Her only injury was a broken hip.
And on a much lighter note…On April 1st – the Nickelodeon TV cable network began.
Victoria’s Secret stores opened in 1979. It went national in 1982 after being acquired by Limited Brands.
The McDonalds Happy Meal first went on sale in 1979.
All that being said, man, the 1970s were a violent decade in American history wasn’t it?
Quotes:
“I love the smell of napalm in the morning.”
– Robert Duvall in ‘Apocalypse Now’
“Reach out and touch someone.”
– AT&T
1979: Motorhead, ‘Overkill’
In 1979, Motorhead contributed two classic albums, ‘Bomber’ and ‘Overkill.’ After fierce debate, the decision was made to award ‘Overkill’ with the honor of being hailed as best of the year. While Lemmy maintained Motorhead were a rock ‘n’ roll band, there’s no denying the band’s influence on heavy metal and that their abrasive, loud and proud sound fit firmly within metal’s amorphous parameters. The title track is Motorhead at their absolute best, with “Stay Clean” and “No Class” not far behind boasting powerful guitar licks and Lem’s unique gravelly delivery.
Oh, one last bit of trivia, The Three Mile Island Unit 2 reactor, near Middletown, Pa., partially melted down on March 28, 1979. This was the most serious accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant operating history, although its small radioactive releases had no detectable health effects on plant workers or the public. Its aftermath brought about sweeping changes involving emergency response planning, reactor operator training, human factors engineering, radiation protection, and many other areas of nuclear power plant operations. A combination of equipment malfunctions, design-related problems, and worker errors led to TMI-2’s partial meltdown and very small off-site releases of radioactivity. And on that note, we would love for you to support our show. Please head over to patreon.com/firstpawmedia and sign up today and you will get access to behind-the-scenes content, exclusive merch and more.
So, guys, what do you think? Do you this series? Please let us know in the comments and on our social channels, just search Rock n Coasters podcast. Also, do us a favor and hit that subscribe button. One more thing watch your podcast feed on Mondays as we will do the same format for the top rock albums too.
I am your host, Michele Forto, see you next time.
