1980 in British music

This is a summary of 1980 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.

List of years in British music
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Events

Pop music

The 1980s got off to an odd start with a very varied list of artists reaching No. 1 in the singles chart. Kenny Rogers, The Jam and Odyssey were among those vying for the top position. The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums stated that the year had a very dated appearance, because of a number of songs reaching No. 1 which had been recorded years previously, such as the "Theme from M*A*S*H*" and Don McLean's cover of Roy Orbison's "Crying". The Ska and Mod revivals reached their peak this year, with strong chart showings by The Jam, The Specials and Madness. 1970s favourites ABBA and Blondie both had their last years as chart heavyweights, clocking up 5 No.1 singles between them. David Bowie scored his second No.1 this year, while the death of John Lennon at the end of the year gave him his first chart topper (and would dominate the early months of 1981). Kate Bush became the first British female artist to have a No.1 album, and The Police finished the year as the top selling act. "Brass in Pocket" by The Pretenders became the first number 1 single of the 80s (not counting "Another Brick in the Wall" by Pink Floyd" which was a holdover from 1979).

Charts

Number-one singles

Chart date
(week ending)
SongArtist(s)
5 January"Another Brick in the Wall"Pink Floyd
12 January
19 January"Brass in Pocket"The Pretenders
26 January
2 FebruaryThe Special AKA Live!The Specials
9 February
16 February"Coward of the County"Kenny Rogers
23 February
1 March"Atomic"Blondie
8 March
15 March"Together We Are Beautiful"Fern Kinney
22 March"Going Underground / Dreams of Children"The Jam
29 March
5 April
12 April"Working My Way Back to You"The Detroit Spinners
19 April
26 April"Call Me"Blondie
3 May"Geno"Dexys Midnight Runners
10 May
17 May"What's Another Year"Johnny Logan
24 May
31 May"Suicide Is Painless (Theme from M*A*S*H)"The Mash
7 June
14 June
21 June"Crying"Don McLean
28 June
5 July
12 July"Xanadu"Olivia Newton-John/Electric Light Orchestra
19 July
26 July"Use It Up and Wear It Out"Odyssey
2 August
9 August"The Winner Takes It All"ABBA
16 August
23 August"Ashes to Ashes"David Bowie
30 August
6 September"Start!"The Jam
13 September"Feels Like I'm in Love"Kelly Marie
20 September
27 September"Don't Stand So Close to Me"The Police
4 October
11 October
18 October
25 October"Woman in Love"Barbra Streisand
1 November
8 November
15 November"The Tide Is High"Blondie
22 November
29 November"Super Trouper"ABBA
6 December
13 December
20 December"(Just Like) Starting Over"John Lennon
27 December"There's No-one Quite Like Grandma"St. Winifred's School Choir

Number-one albums

Chart date
(week ending)
AlbumArtist
5 JanuaryGreatest Hits, Vol. 1Rod Stewart
12 JanuaryGreatest Hits Vol. 2ABBA
19 JanuaryPretendersThe Pretenders
26 January
2 February
9 February
16 February Last DanceVarious artists
23 February
1 MarchString of HitsThe Shadows
8 March
15 March
22 MarchTears and LaughterJohnny Mathis
29 March
5 AprilDukeGenesis
12 April
19 AprilGreatest HitsRose Royce
26 April
3 MaySky 2Sky
10 May
17 MayThe Magic of Boney M. – 20 Golden HitsBoney M.
24 May
31 May McCartney IIPaul McCartney
7 June
14 June Peter GabrielPeter Gabriel
21 June
28 JuneFlesh and BloodRoxy Music
5 July Emotional RescueThe Rolling Stones
12 July
19 JulyThe GameQueen
26 July
2 AugustDeepest PurpleDeep Purple
9 AugustBack in BlackAC/DC
16 August
23 AugustFlesh + BloodRoxy Music
30 August
6 September
13 SeptemberTelekonGary Numan
20 SeptemberNever for EverKate Bush
27 September Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)David Bowie
4 October
11 OctoberZenyatta MondattaThe Police
18 October
25 October
1 November
8 NovemberGuiltyBarbra Streisand
15 November
22 NovemberSuper TrouperABBA
29 November
6 December
13 December
20 December
27 December

Year-end charts

The tables below include sales between 31 December 1979 and 31 December 1980: the year-end charts reproduced in the issue of Music Week dated 27 December 1980 and played on Radio 1 on 4 January 1981 only include sales figures up until 6 December 1980.[1]

Best-selling singles

[2]

No.TitleArtistPeak
position
1"Don't Stand So Close to Me"The Police1
2"Woman in Love"Barbra Streisand1
3"Feels Like I'm in Love"Kelly Marie1
4"Super Trouper"ABBA1
5"D.I.S.C.O."Ottawan2
6"The Tide Is High"Blondie1
7"Geno"Dexys Midnight Runners1
8"Together We Are Beautiful"Fern Kinney1
9"Coward of the County"Kenny Rogers1
10"(Just Like) Starting Over"John Lennon1
11"Working My Way Back to You"The Detroit Spinners1
12"9 to 5"Sheena Easton3
13"Baggy Trousers"Madness3
14"Ashes to Ashes"David Bowie1
15"Theme from M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)"MASH1
16"Going Underground"/"Dreams of Children"The Jam1
17"Crying"Don McLean1
18"The Winner Takes It All"ABBA1
19"Dance Yourself Dizzy"Liquid Gold2
20"There's No One Quite Like Grandma"St Winifred's School Choir1
21"Atomic"Blondie1
22"Upside Down"Diana Ross2
23"Use It Up and Wear It Out"Odyssey1
24"Start!"The Jam1
25"Master Blaster (Jammin')"Stevie Wonder2
26"Funkytown"Lipps Inc.2
27"I'm in the Mood for Dancing"The Nolans3
28"If You're Lookin' for a Way Out"Odyssey6
29"One Day I'll Fly Away"Randy Crawford2
30"The Special AKA Live!" EPThe Specials1
31"What You're Proposing"Status Quo2
32"Take That Look Off Your Face"Marti Webb3
33"No Doubt About It"Hot Chocolate2
34"Stop the Cavalry"Jona Lewie3
35"Brass in Pocket"Pretenders1
36"Oops Up Side Your Head"The Gap Band6
37"What's Another Year"Johnny Logan1
38"Xanadu"Olivia Newton-John/Electric Light Orchestra1
39"Special Brew"Bad Manners3
40"King"/"Food for Thought"UB404
41"And the Beat Goes On"The Whispers2
42"Turning Japanese"The Vapors3
43"When You Ask About Love"Matchbox4
44"I Could Be So Good for You"Dennis Waterman with the Dennis Waterman Band3
45"My Girl"Madness3
46"Never Knew Love Like This Before"Stephanie Mills4
47"Enola Gay"Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark8
48"Call Me"Blondie1
49"More Than I Can Say"Leo Sayer2
50"Embarrassment"Madness4

Best-selling albums

[3]

No.TitleArtistPeak position
(in 1980)[4]
1Super TrouperABBA1
2Zenyatta MondattaThe Police1
3Greatest HitsRose Royce1
4GuiltyBarbra Streisand1
5PretendersPretenders1
6Reggatta de BlancThe Police2
7Flesh and BloodRoxy Music1
8Manilow Magic: The Best of Barry ManilowBarry Manilow4
9Off the WallMichael Jackson6
10DukeGenesis1
11Sky 2Sky1
12Double FantasyJohn Lennon and Yoko Ono2
13One Step Beyond...Madness2
1412 Gold BarsStatus Quo3
15String of HitsThe Shadows1
16The Last DanceVarious Artists1
17Greatest Hits Vol. 2ABBA1
18Outlandos d'AmourThe Police9
19The Magic of Boney M. – 20 Golden HitsBoney M.1
20Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)David Bowie1
21Greatest HitsDr. Hook2
22Tell Me on a SundayMarti Webb2
23AbsolutelyMadness2
24Not the Nine O'Clock NewsNot the Nine O'Clock News Cast5
25Tears and LaughterJohnny Mathis1
26Signing OffUB402
27Never for EverKate Bush1
28The WallPink Floyd3
29The SpecialsThe Specials4
30I Just Can't Stop ItThe Beat3
31Greatest HitsRod Stewart1
32Give Me the NightGeorge Benson3
33Get Happy!!Elvis Costello and the Attractions2
34Me Myself IJoan Armatrading5
35Bat Out of HellMeat Loaf20
36McCartney IIPaul McCartney1
37Emotional RescueThe Rolling Stones1
38Back in BlackAC/DC1
39Peter GabrielPeter Gabriel1
40Eat to the BeatBlondie7
41AutoamericanBlondie3
42Parallel LinesBlondie15
43Hotter than JulyStevie Wonder2
44Sometimes You WinDr. Hook14
45Wheels of SteelSaxon5
46The GameQueen1
47Sound AffectsThe Jam2
48Kings of the Wild FrontierAdam and the Ants3
49Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the WorldsJeff Wayne32
50Breaking GlassHazel O'Connor5

Classical music: new works

Opera

Musical theatre

Births

Deaths

See also

References