Some major news events of 1978:

Egypt and Israel sign the Camp David Accords.

People's Temple Jonestown suicides.

First solo North Pole sxpedition.

In the United Kingdom - the first IVF (test tube) baby Is born.

The first Garfield comic strip is published.

But the Daily Mail headline of 20 July 2013 roared “Why 1978 was the year the world never had it so good: We had the perfect balance of wealth, work and happiness”.

Take it with a huge slab of salt.

Nonetheless,

The movie adaptation of the musical Grease opened in June; earlier that same month, Argentina had hosted the Fifa World Cup under the dark cloud of oppression by a military junta, which it won after a controversial 3-1 extra time win against the Netherlands. Mario Kempes transformed to become the star of the show.

In November, Donna Summer becomes the first female artist of the modern rock era to have the number one single (Mac Arthur Park) and album (Live and More) on Billboard charts simultaneously.

That Grease soundtrack spawned a slew of hit songs; my favourites ones were Sha Na Na’s repertoire in the movie especially – Those Magic Changes.

Meanwhile, Andy Gibb was Shadow Dancing away to stardom, while Kate Bush had a massive hit with Wuthering Heights.

Chic came out with its classic Le Freak, and then Gerry Rafferty released the semi-autobiographic “Baker Street”, complete with Raphael Ravenscroft’s soaring saxophone solos. Some things never go out of style.