As I began thinking about my work and passion for music I wanted to identify the perfect year to explain how I feel about and think about music. And the year I came up with was 1980. It is to music what dadaism is to art. Hits by Blondie and Pink Floyd, Gary Newman and Prince. This was a year of tremendous change. Think about how strange the world was at that time. We were emerging from the 1970s and looking at the 1980s as literally the future. It was the end of Carter and the rise of Reagan and that was just the beginning. 1980 was a time of many sonic changes. Punk rock, disco, and arena rock were dying off and new wave, pop music, and post-punk were the new music styles. A lot was changing .
1980 as watershed year came into focus when I was listening to a replay of the top 40 songs of 1980. What I found was this was a time when form did not hold for any kind of music. It was a time when anything went. Just look at the top 100 songs of 1980 below. The year had everything; from a post-punk classic like Call Me by Blondie as the song of the year to disco hits by Donna Summer, rock standards by Billy Joel, and country music by Kenny Rodgers. There was something for everyone because nothing was king.
The year began with the closing of the 1970s and nothing signified the end of the 70s than in February, 1980 the iconic disco club Studio 54 had it’s last party. It was the end of an era. The year ended in December with the murder of John Lennon. It’s almost as if time itself was telling us change was here. Music like punk was being replaced with the new romantic and synth movements and music became less dark and more light on its feet and hopeful. It was also a time that the superstars of the 1980s rose to power. Michael Jackson and Prince had some of their first hits. We were ready to shed the 70s and move forward. So take a look at this list of great songs and marvel.
1. Blondie
Call Me
2
Pink Floyd
Another Brick In The Wall
3
Olivia Newton-John
Magic
4
Michael Jackson
Rock With You
5
Captain and Tennille
Do That To Me One More Time
6
Queen
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
7
Paul McCartney
Coming Up
8
Lipps, Inc.
Funkytown
9
Billy Joel
It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me
10
Bette Midler
The Rose
11
Rupert Holmes
Escape (The Pina Colada Song)
12
Gary Numan
Cars
13
Smokey Robinson
Cruisin’
14
Spinners
Working My Way Back To You-Forgive Me Girl
15
Air Supply
Lost In Love
16
Elton John
Little Jeannie
17
Cristopher Cross
Ride Like The Wind
18
Diana Ross
Upside Down
19
K.C. and The Sunshine Band
Please Don’t Go
20
Styx
Babe
21
Billy Preston and Syreeta
With You I’m Born Again
22
Manhattans
Shining Star
23
Commodores
Still
24
Teri De Sario With K.C.
Yes, I’m Ready
25
Dr. Hook
Sexy Eyes
26
Robbie Dupree
Steal Away
27
Ambrosia
Biggest Part Of Me
28
Kenny Loggins
This Is It
29
Spinners
Cupid/I’ve Loved You For A Long Time
30
Jermaine Jackson
Let’s Get Serious
31
Kenny Rogers and Kim Carnes
Don’t Fall In Love With A Dreamer
32
Christopher Cross
Sailing
33
Dan Fogelberg
Longer
34
Kenny Rogers
Coward Of The County
35
Kool and The Gang
Ladies Night
36
Kool and The Gang
Too Hot
37
S.O.S. Band
Take Your Time
38
Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer
No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)
39
Kim Carnes
More Love
40
M
Pop Muzik
41
Pretenders
Brass In Pocket
42
Ray, Goodman and Brown
Special Lady
43
Stevie Wonder
Send One Your Love
44
Shalamar
The Second Time Around
45
Cliff Richard
We Don’t Talk Anymore
46
Brothers Johnson
Stomp
47
Eagles
Heartache Tonight
48
Rocky Burnette
Tired Of Toein’ The Line
49
Dr. Hook
Better Love Next Time
50
Rupert Holmes
Him
51
Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band
Against The Wind
52
Donna Summer
On The Radio
53
Rolling Stones
Emotional Rescue
54
Herb Alpert
Rise
55
Air Supply
All Out Of Love
56
Little River Band
Cool Change
57
J.D. Souther
You’re Only Lonely
58
Andy Gibb
Desire
59
Pete Townshend
Let My Love Open The Door
60
Steve Forbert
Romeo’s Tune
61
Anne Murray
Daydream Believer
62
Eagles
I Can’t Tell You Why
63
Isaac Hayes
Don’t Let Go
64
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
Don’t Do Me Like That
65
Michael Jackson
She’s Out Of My Life
66
Irene Cara
Fame
67
Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band
Fire Lake
68
Linda Ronstadt
How Do I Make You
69
Benny Mardones
Into The Night
70
Pure Prairie League
Let Me Love You Tonight
71
Genesis
Misunderstanding
72
Dirt Band
An American Dream
73
Carole King
One Fine Day
74
Donna Summer
Dim All The Lights
75
Billy Joel
You May Be Right
76
Neil Sedaka and Dara Sedaka
Should’ve Never Let You Go
77
Charlie Dore
Pilot Of The Airwaves
78
Linda Ronstadt
Hurt So Bad
79
Michael Jackson
Off The Wall
80
Peaches and Herb
I Pledge My Love
81
Eagles
The Long Run
82
Mickey Gilley
Stand By Me
83
Pat Benatar
Heartbreaker
84
Dionne Warwick
Deja Vu
85
Eddie Rabbitt
Drivin’ My Life Away
86
Supertramp
Take The Long Way Home
87
Fleetwood Mac
Sara
88
Daryl Hall and John Oates
Wait For Me
89
Boz Scaggs
Jo Jo
90
Neil Diamond
September Morn
91
George Benson
Give Me The Night
92
Anne Murray
Broken Hearted Me
93
Kenny Rogers
You Decorated My Life
94
Fleetwood Mac
Tusk
95
Prince
I Wanna Be Your Lover
96
Charlie Daniels Band
In America
97
Boz Scaggs
Breakdown Dead Ahead
98
Barry Manilow
Ships
99
Joe Walsh
All Night Long
100
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
Refugee
Considering Outloud 