🔘 The Number One Song in Heaven – Single: Mar 1979

Released: March 23, 1979

Catalogue Number: VS 244 (7") / VS 244‑12 (12")

Sparks collide with Giorgio Moroder for a celestial electro‑disco breakthrough that reshapes their entire trajectory.

By early 1979, Sparks were in a transitional phase, searching for a new sonic identity after their late‑’70s rock‑leaning albums. Their collaboration with Giorgio Moroder — the architect of Euro‑disco futurism — produced a radical reinvention.

“The Number One Song in Heaven” is a shimmering, ascending electronic epic, built on sequencers, synthetic choirs, and Russell Mael’s falsetto floating above Moroder’s pulsating production.

The single marked Sparks’ return to the UK charts, reaching No. 14, and introduced the duo to a new generation of listeners. Its influence would echo through synthpop, Hi‑NRG, and the emerging electronic underground.

🔘 Track List

Side One (7")

The Number One Song in Heaven — (R. Mael / R. Mael / G. Moroder)

Side Two (7")

The Number One Song in Heaven (Long Version) — (R. Mael / R. Mael / G. Moroder)

12" Version

Side One:

The Number One Song in Heaven (Long Version)

Side Two:

The Number One Song in Heaven

Produced by: Giorgio Moroder

Engineers: Jürgen Koppers, Harold Faltermeyer

🔘 Variants

(Discogs‑verified only — no speculative formats)

UK – Virgin – VS 244 (1979)

Format: 7", 45 RPM, Black Vinyl

Country: UK

Year: 1979

Notes: Standard issue.

UK – Virgin – VS 244 (1979)

Format: 7", 45 RPM, Red Vinyl

Country: UK

Year: 1979

Notes: Limited coloured‑vinyl edition.

UK – Virgin – VS 244 (1979)

Format: 7", 45 RPM, Blue Vinyl

Country: UK

Year: 1979

Notes: Limited coloured‑vinyl edition.

UK – Virgin – VS 244 (1979)

Format: 7", 45 RPM, Green Vinyl

Country: UK

Year: 1979

Notes: Limited coloured‑vinyl edition.

UK – Virgin – VS 244‑12 (1979)

Format: 12", 45 RPM, Black Vinyl

Country: UK

Year: 1979

Notes: Includes extended version.

🔘 Chart Performance

United Kingdom — Official Singles Chart

Peak Position: 14

First Chart Date: March 1979

Weeks on Chart: 7

Top 40: Yes

Top 75: Yes

Top 100: Yes

Label: Virgin

Catalogue Number: VS 244

Chart Run: 41–28–19–14–17–29–45

🔘 Context & Notes

Personnel

Russell Mael — vocals

Ron Mael — keyboards, songwriting

Giorgio Moroder — production, synthesizers

Harold Faltermeyer — programming, engineering

Jürgen Koppers — engineering

Recording Notes

Recorded at Musicland Studios, Munich — Moroder’s electronic stronghold.

Signature elements: sequencer‑driven pulse, synthetic choirs, layered falsetto, extended cosmic build.

Press Reception

UK music press praised the single as a bold reinvention.

Melody Maker and NME highlighted its futuristic sound and Moroder’s influence.

Legacy

A foundational track in the evolution of synthpop.

Influenced Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Erasure, and the Hi‑NRG movement.

Re‑recorded in 1997 with Jimmy Somerville, reaching UK #70 and becoming a U.S. Dance Top 30 hit.

🔘 Visual Archive

Melody Maker March 10, 1979

Standard Virgin Records house‑style sleeve with centre cut‑out, revealing the label design.

Coloured vinyl editions feature translucent red, blue, or green pressings.

Sparks — The Number One Song in Heaven (1979), Virgin Records.

🔘 Related Material

Previous Album: Introducing Sparks (1977)

Next Album: No. 1 in Heaven (1979)

Related Artists: Giorgio Moroder, Donna Summer, Jimmy Somerville

🔘 Discography

1979 — The Number One Song in Heaven (single)

1979 — Beat the Clock (single)

1979 — No. 1 in Heaven (album)

🔘 Mini‑Timeline

1978: Sparks begin working with Giorgio Moroder in Munich

March 1979: Single released, reaches UK #14

1979: Album No. 1 in Heaven released

1997: Re‑recorded version with Jimmy Somerville

🔘 Glam Flashback

A celestial disco transmission that rescued Sparks from commercial limbo and launched them into electronic immortality.

🔘 Closing Notes

This single marks one of the most important reinventions in Sparks’ career — a moment where art‑rock eccentricity fused with Moroder’s electronic futurism to create a timeless dancefloor classic.

🔘 Sources & Copyright

Discogs (verified variants)

Official Charts Company

Virgin Records promotional materials

All artwork and text remain the property of their respective copyright holders.

#Sparks #GiorgioMoroder #SynthpopOrigins #1979Singles #VirginRecords