RADIO, RADIO

OK: The results are in, we can officially kiss off 1978 and be one year closer to what everyone hopes will be a real decade, the 80's. Right?

Wrong. First you've got to sit still while we, in the best CREEM tradition, tell you how half-assed we all are.

First, despite record company and radio apathy, some new music entered the mainstream, or established itself more solidly therein; this is reflected in the polls by Elvis Costello's strong showing, Patti Smith's first Number One (Best NewWave Single), CheapTrick's rocketing to the 03 album of the year, The Cars coming out of nowhere to become Best New Group, Blondie's strong showing for the first year, Nick Lowe's respectable showings in the Producer and Songwriter categories.

Well, it's about time. And, to give credit, you sure as hell didn't hear them on any but the most enlightened radio stations (WMMS in Cleveland, KSAN in San Francisco—you know who you are). Not until they hit. Typically, radio got on Costello when they knew they had a sure hit; again in 1978, nobody took any chances, nobody gave any but the most established artists a shot.