Favourite Songs From 1980

RussellIanRussellIan Posts: 12,034
Forum Member
✭✭
There's a bandwagon, let's shamelessly jump on it. We've so far musically defined 1981, 1983 and 1984. Let's put 1980 out of it's misery, starting here.

Despite being a nipper barely learning to talk at the time, these are the tracks I've come to love from that epochal year which presaged the decade of the most fantastic chart music IMO there has ever been. Feel free to castigate my absence of Jam, David Bowie, Madness and John Foxx's Underpass love by counteracting with your own memory-evoking favourites lists.

Top 40 hits only, by order of entry:

I'm In The Mood For Dancing - Nolans
Living By Numbers - New Musik
And The Beat Goes On - Whispers
Atomic - Blondie
Turning Japanese - Vapors
Cuba - Gibson Brothers
Echo Beach - Martha + The Muffins
Happy House - Siouxsie & The Banshees (amazing how many 'happy house' Italo dance tunes later nicked this)
January February - Barbara Dickson
Talk Of The Town - Pretenders
Call Me - Blondie (Blondie in 1980 IMO cocked a summing-up snook at disco and simultaneously ended the genre)
Breathing - Kate Bush
You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties - Jona Lewie (great electro unjustly maligned as 'novelty')
Funky Town - Lipps Inc (still sounds MASSIVE)
Christine - Siouxsie & The Banshees
Jump To The Beat - Stacey Lattisaw (still unbelievably funky; WHERE is it now DJs???)
Xanadu - ELO & Olivia-Newton John (film version so much better and less cheesey though)
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
Babooshka - Kate Bush
Upside Down - Diana Ross
9 To 5 - Sheena Easton (spooky though that Dolly's same-titled 1980 ditty didn't even break the top 40)
The Winner Takes It All - ABBA (their best ever IMO)
Private Life - Grace Jones (one the most underrated tunes of the decade, from a still imperiously drop-dead-gorgeous lady)
Feels Like I'm In Love - Kelly Marie
Ashes To Ashes - David Bowie (started the threads!)
A Walk In The Park - Nick Straker Band (far exceeds its SAW remix)
Eighth Day - Hazel O'Connor
Generals And Majors - XTC
D.I.S.C.O. - Ottawan (yes, IMO it IS actually good :o )
Army Dreamers - Kate Bush
Enola Gay - OMD
Never Knew Love Like This Before - Stephanie Mills (sadly forgotten disco-ballad)
The Tide Is High - Blondie
Super Trouper - ABBA
To Cut A Long Story Short - Spandau Ballet (all hail the new romantics; trendsetting stuff then and still sounds cuttingly great 30 scary years on)
December Will Be Magic Again - Kate Bush

What a great year, and to think that at the time I had no idea at all it was even happening!
«1

Comments

  • Chickens hitChickens hit Posts: 26,490
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    How weird, I've been having an 80's night tonight whilst dealing with some work. Not just 1980 though, just random years across the decade and not always the Top 40 stuff.
    I'll just post this fantastic obscure track and then do a runner;).............

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzDh1cfSTpc

    Apologies OP for hi-jacking your thread.:o
  • CombatHamsterCombatHamster Posts: 2,470
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Just off the top of my head because iTunes is playing up and won't let me search by year:

    The Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me
    The Police - De Do Do Do De Da Da Da
    George Benson - Give Me The Night
    The Clash - Bankrobber
  • RussellIanRussellIan Posts: 12,034
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    I'll just post this fantastic obscure track and then do a runner;)............. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzDh1cfSTpc Apologies OP for hi-jacking your thread.:o

    Wow, no apologies necessary OP that is great stuff, fantastic to 'discover' and it being obscure just goes to show that, even back in the superior hit parade days of the 80s, you still couldn't rely wholly on the GBP where taste is concerned :)
  • Chickens hitChickens hit Posts: 26,490
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    RussellIan wrote: »
    Wow, no apologies necessary OP that is great stuff, fantastic to 'discover' and it being obscure just goes to show that, even back in the superior hit parade days of the 80s, you still couldn't rely wholly on the GBP where taste is concerned :)

    Glad you like.:) Don't miss out on their other track "Send Me An Angel" a gem of a song imo.

    Got A Flock Of Seagulls playing at the moment. Great stuff.:D
  • soapboyz2005soapboyz2005 Posts: 5,152
    Forum Member
    I love Kelly Marie, but Abba and Blondie were the 1980 highlights!
  • tortfeasortortfeasor Posts: 7,000
    Forum Member
    Another fantastic list again RussellIan! I've highlighted my favourites from it and am putting them down again because they're so darn good!

    With regard to a lot of your superb 'forgotten' disco gems, I believe a lot of DJs wrongly assume people won't remember them and thus don't play them. I used to work with a DJ of some 30 years' experience that had that particular mindset. :rolleyes:

    Speaking of disco, what is your opinion of 'The Groove' by Rodney Franklin? I've included it in my list though was surprised that it wasn't a chart hit until 1980 as I always thought it was a mid-70s hit.

    From the list, I particularly love 'Living By Numbers' (New Musik), 'Generals And Majors' (XTC) and the hugely underrated 'You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties' (Jona Lewie) and cannot believe they don't get the airplay they truly deserve. However, I've been glad to pick up three compilations in the last year that have had You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties' on them - light at the end of the tunnel!
    RussellIan wrote: »
    ...
    Living By Numbers - New Musik
    And The Beat Goes On - Whispers
    Atomic - Blondie
    Turning Japanese - Vapors
    Cuba - Gibson Brothers
    Echo Beach - Martha + The Muffins
    Happy House - Siouxsie & The Banshees
    ....

    Call Me - Blondie (Blondie in 1980 IMO cocked a summing-up snook at disco and simultaneously ended the genre)...

    You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties - Jona Lewie (great electro unjustly maligned as 'novelty')
    Funky Town - Lipps Inc (still sounds MASSIVE)
    ...
    Jump To The Beat - Stacey Lattisaw (still unbelievably funky; WHERE is it now DJs???)
    ...
    Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
    Babooshka - Kate Bush
    Upside Down - Diana Ross
    9 To 5 - Sheena Easton (spooky though that Dolly's same-titled 1980 ditty didn't even break the top 40)
    ...
    Ashes To Ashes - David Bowie (started the threads!)
    A Walk In The Park - Nick Straker Band (far exceeds its SAW remix)
    ...
    Generals And Majors - XTC
    ...
    Enola Gay - OMD
    Never Knew Love Like This Before - Stephanie Mills (sadly forgotten disco-ballad)
    The Tide Is High - Blondie
    Super Trouper - ABBA
    To Cut A Long Story Short - Spandau Ballet...
    December Will Be Magic Again - Kate Bush

    As for the SAW remix of 'A Walk In The Park,' I think it is a good example of a point you made in one of the other threads about being unable to find the original versions of songs on CD these days; the SAW remix seems to crop up on compilations far more often, which is a real pity!


    My selections for favourite songs from 1980:


    Robert Palmer - Looking For Clues (the original version rarely appears on 'best ofs' (:confused:) *)/ Johnny And Mary
    Tom Browne - Funkin' For Jamaica (class!)
    Change - A Lover's Holiday (hugely overlooked but one hell of a bassline)
    Change - The Glow of Love (famously sampled by Janet Jackson and along with 'Searching,' some of Luther's finest vocals)
    Change - Searching
    Rodney Franklin - The Groove (what an instrumental!)

    New Musik - This World of Water (couldn't believe my ears when Steve Wright played it on his show a few weeks ago!)

    Squeeze - Another Nail In My Heart
    Squeeze - Pulling Mussels (From A Shell) (all-time favourite Squeeze single)

    OMD - Messages (my favourite OMD single)
    Joe Jackson - It's Different For Girls
    Jon & Vangelis - I Hear You Now
    Styx - Babe
    Kool & The Gang - Too Hot
    Michael Jackson - Rock With You
    George Benson - Love X Love
    Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers (good video too)
    The Beat - Mirror In The Bathroom
    The Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me
    The Police - So Lonely (charted in 1980)
    The Jam - Going Underground/ Start/ Dreams Of Children
    The Clash - Bankrobber
    Junior Murvin - Police And Thieves (originally recorded in the mid-70s and brilliantly covered by the Clash)
    Adam & The Ants - Antmusic
    Boomtown Rats - Banana Republic
    Madness - Night Boat To Cairo
    Madness - Baggy Trousers
    Paul McCartney - Coming Up
    John Lennon - (Just Like) Starting Over
    Narada Michael Walden - I Shoulda Loved Ya
    Genesis - Turn It On Again
    Mystic Merlin - Just Can't Give You Up
    Crown Heights Affair - You Gave Me Love
    Tina Marie - Behind The Groove
    Korgis - Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime
    Elton John - Little Jeannie
    Elvis Costello - New Amsterdam (another overlooked gem)
    Queen - Play The Game
    Black Slate - Amigo
    Billy Joel - It's Still Rock 'n' Roll To Me
    Randy Crawford - One Day I'll Fly Away
    Randy Crawford - Last Night At Danceland
    Jona Lewie - Stop The Cavalry


    GUILTY PLEASURES:

    Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb - Guilty (aptly titled!)
    Captain and Tennille - Do That To Me One More Time
    Liquid Gold - Dance Yourself Dizzy (Yomanda's 'Synth 'N' Strings' inspired me to check this one out)
    Fern Kinney - Together We Are Beautiful
    Olivia Newton-John - Magic


    * I complain about the original version of 'Looking For Clues' not appearing on a great deal of Robert Palmer 'best ofs' but in comparison to other Palmer songs (Every Kinda People being a prime example), the version of 'Clues' that tends to show up in place of the original isn't the worst by any means. However, if you listen to the two recordings, the differences are clear.
  • mushymanrobmushymanrob Posts: 17,992
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    ill do mine later, needless to say it was dominated by DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,828
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Prince - I Wanna Be Your Lover
    And The Beat Goes On - The Whispers
    Bob Marley - Could You Be Loved
    SOS Band - Take Your Time (Do It Right)
    The Isley Brothers - Don't Say Goodnight
  • mal2poolmal2pool Posts: 5,690
    Forum Member
    tortfeasor wrote: »
    Another fantastic list again RussellIan! I've highlighted my favourites from it and am putting them down again because they're so darn good!

    With regard to a lot of your superb 'forgotten' disco gems, I believe a lot of DJs wrongly assume people won't remember them and thus don't play them. I used to work with a DJ of some 30 years' experience that had that particular mindset. :rolleyes:

    Speaking of disco, what is your opinion of 'The Groove' by Rodney Franklin? I've included it in my list though was surprised that it wasn't a chart hit until 1980 as I always thought it was a mid-70s hit.

    From the list, I particularly love 'Living By Numbers' (New Musik), 'Generals And Majors' (XTC) and the hugely underrated 'You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties' (Jona Lewie) and cannot believe they don't get the airplay they truly deserve. However, I've been glad to pick up three compilations in the last year that have had You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties' on them - light at the end of the tunnel!



    As for the SAW remix of 'A Walk In The Park,' I think it is a good example of a point you made in one of the other threads about being unable to find the original versions of songs on CD these days; the SAW remix seems to crop up on compilations far more often, which is a real pity!


    My selections for favourite songs from 1980:


    Robert Palmer - Looking For Clues (the original version rarely appears on 'best ofs' (:confused:) *)/ Johnny And Mary
    Tom Browne - Funkin' For Jamaica (class!)
    Change - A Lover's Holiday (hugely overlooked but one hell of a bassline)
    Change - The Glow of Love (famously sampled by Janet Jackson and along with 'Searching,' some of Luther's finest vocals)
    Change - Searching
    Rodney Franklin - The Groove (what an instrumental!)

    New Musik - This World of Water (couldn't believe my ears when Steve Wright played it on his show a few weeks ago!)

    Squeeze - Another Nail In My Heart
    Squeeze - Pulling Mussels (From A Shell) (all-time favourite Squeeze single)

    OMD - Messages (my favourite OMD single)
    Joe Jackson - It's Different For Girls
    Jon & Vangelis - I Hear You Now
    Styx - Babe
    Kool & The Gang - Too Hot
    Michael Jackson - Rock With You
    George Benson - Love X Love
    Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers (good video too)
    The Beat - Mirror In The Bathroom
    The Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me
    The Police - So Lonely (charted in 1980)
    The Jam - Going Underground/ Start/ Dreams Of Children
    The Clash - Bankrobber
    Junior Murvin - Police And Thieves (originally recorded in the mid-70s and brilliantly covered by the Clash)
    Adam & The Ants - Antmusic
    Boomtown Rats - Banana Republic
    Madness - Night Boat To Cairo
    Madness - Baggy Trousers
    Paul McCartney - Coming Up
    John Lennon - (Just Like) Starting Over
    Narada Michael Walden - I Shoulda Loved Ya
    Genesis - Turn It On Again
    Mystic Merlin - Just Can't Give You Up
    Crown Heights Affair - You Gave Me Love
    Tina Marie - Behind The Groove
    Korgis - Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime
    Elton John - Little Jeannie
    Elvis Costello - New Amsterdam (another overlooked gem)
    Queen - Play The Game
    Black Slate - Amigo
    Billy Joel - It's Still Rock 'n' Roll To Me
    Randy Crawford - One Day I'll Fly Away
    Randy Crawford - Last Night At Danceland
    Jona Lewie - Stop The Cavalry


    GUILTY PLEASURES:

    Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb - Guilty (aptly titled!)
    Captain and Tennille - Do That To Me One More Time
    Liquid Gold - Dance Yourself Dizzy (Yomanda's 'Synth 'N' Strings' inspired me to check this one out)
    Fern Kinney - Together We Are Beautiful
    Olivia Newton-John - Magic


    * I complain about the original version of 'Looking For Clues' not appearing on a great deal of Robert Palmer 'best ofs' but in comparison to other Palmer songs (Every Kinda People being a prime example), the version of 'Clues' that tends to show up in place of the original isn't the worst by any means. However, if you listen to the two recordings, the differences are clear.

    Another brill year for great tunes. Variety of styles in those days in the chart.

    Magic by Olivia should have been a giant hit, got to number 1 in the US.

    Also loved

    Cwying - Don McLean
    Winner takes it all - Abba - their best song
    Take that look off your face - Marti webb
    Going Underground - Jam
    Woman in love - Streisand
    Turning Japanese - Vapors
    Dreams - Grace Slick
    At the edge - stiff little fingers
    Living in the plastic age - Buggles
    Total Control - The motels
    Masterblaster - Stevie wonder
    Twilight zone - Manhattan Transfer
    On the radio - Donna Summer
    Sing out love is easy - Voyager ( a radio hit)
    No doubt about it - Hot Chocolate
    News at ten - Vapors
    Enola gay - OMD
    Generals and majors - XTC
    More love - Kim Carnes
    Dancing with myself - Generation x
    Lies through the 80's - Manfred mann
    King/Food for thought - Ub40
    Stupid guy - Paranoids
    Tonight - Gloria Gaynor
    I got you - Split Enz

    and loads loads more.
  • ohglobbitsohglobbits Posts: 4,479
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Odyssey - Use It Up And Wear It Out
    Jam - Going Underground
    Sheila & Black Devotion - Spacer
    Dexy's Midnight Runners - Gino
    Barbara Streisand - Woman In Love
    Abba - Winner Takes it all
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 740
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    George Benson - Give Me The Night - is a straight up classic! :)
  • mal2poolmal2pool Posts: 5,690
    Forum Member
    ohglobbits wrote: »
    Odyssey - Use It Up And Wear It Out
    Jam - Going Underground
    Sheila & Black Devotion - Spacer
    Dexy's Midnight Runners - Gino
    Barbara Streisand - Woman In Love
    Abba - Winner Takes it all

    Some songs you can't understand how they got to number one.
    Use it up and wear it out....how on earth did that make it i wonder,must have been a bad week for sales !!

    Couldnt stand Feels like i'm in love by Kelly MArie either
  • tiger2000tiger2000 Posts: 8,535
    Forum Member
    ill do mine later, needless to say it was dominated by DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS :)
    Class !
  • mushymanrobmushymanrob Posts: 17,992
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    1. Dexys Midnight Runners - Geno
    2. Dexys Midnight Runners - Dance stance
    3. Teardrop Explodes - When i dream
    4. Kate Bush - Breathing
    5. Dexys Midnight Runners - There there my dear
    6. Undertones - Wednesday week
    7. Spandau Ballet - Too cut a long story short
    8. Adam and the Ants - Dog eat dog
    9. Eurythmics - Never gonna cry again
    10. Martha and the Muffins - Echo beach
    11. Squeeze - Pulling mussels (from a shell)
    12. Vapours - Turning japanese
    13. Pretenders - Talk of the town
    14. David Bowie - Ashes to ashes
    15. Kate Bush - Army dreamers
    16. Regents - 7 Teen
    17. Cure - A forest
    18. Beat - Mirror in the bathroom
    19. Hollies - Soldiers song
    20. Genesis - Duchess
    21. Motorhead - Ace of spades
    22. John Foxx - Underpass
    23. UB40 - Food for thought
    24. Madness - Night boat to cairo
    25. Joy Division - Love will tear us apart
  • JEFF62JEFF62 Posts: 5,093
    Forum Member
    Some great music in 1980. Some of my favourites:-

    Xanadu
    Too Much too Young
    Woman In Love
    Atomic
    Working My Way Back To You

    Going underground
    This was the first single for seven years to enter the charts at number one. YEs in those days it was rare. This took everyone by suprise and no one could believe it.

    Special Brew
    Starting Over
    Call Me
    Crying
    Theme From Mash
    The Winner Takes It All
    Ashes To Ashes
  • mal2poolmal2pool Posts: 5,690
    Forum Member
    JEFF62 wrote: »
    Some great music in 1980. Some of my favourites:-

    Xanadu
    Too Much too Young
    Woman In Love
    Atomic
    Working My Way Back To You

    Going underground
    This was the first single for seven years to enter the charts at number one. YEs in those days it was rare. This took everyone by suprise and no one could believe it.

    Special Brew
    Starting Over
    Call Me
    Crying
    Theme From Mash
    The Winner Takes It All
    Ashes To Ashes

    After Going Underground got to number one, people really wanted more from the band so all their singles were rereleased and charted again. Doesnt happen much unless someone dies!
  • -Sid--Sid- Posts: 29,365
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Not all that familiar with music from this year (bit early for me!) but one track that does stand out that I play over and over is 'Echo Beach' by Martha & the Muffins.

    Really enjoying these nostalgic threads though....can't wait to see which year is next!
  • Robert RomarinRobert Romarin Posts: 11,956
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Voted greatest song of the Millennium by John Peel listeners...

    Atmosphere
  • tiger2000tiger2000 Posts: 8,535
    Forum Member
    Voted greatest song of the Millennium by John Peel listeners...

    Atmosphere
    Lol, I nearly had flashbacks of Russ Abbot there :D.
  • ServalanServalan Posts: 10,167
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes/Fashion
    Kate Bush - Breathing/Babooshka/Army Dreamers/December Will Be Magic Again
    Teena Marie - Behind The Groove/I Need Your Lovin'
    Grace Jones - Private Life
    The Clash - Bankrobber/The Call Up
    Black Slate - Amigo
    Jermaine Jackson - Let's Get Serious
    Blondie - Atomic/Call Me/The Tide Is High
    Abba - The Winner Takes It All
    Martha & The Muffins - Echo Beach
    Siouxsie & The Banshees - Happy House/Christine/Israel
    Suicide - Dream Baby Dream
    Japan - Gentlemen Take Polaroids
    Crown Heights Affair - You Gave Me Love
    The Teardrop Explodes - When I Dream
    The Specials - Too Much Too Young/Rat Race/International Jet Set/Do Nothing
    Bow Wow Wow - C30, C60, C90, Go!/Your Cassette Pet
    The Jacksons - Lovely One/Heartbreak Hotel
    The Beat - Best Friend/Stand Down Margaret/Too Nice To Talk To
    Gibson Brothers - Cuba
    Wah! Heat - Better Scream
    Squeeze - Another Nail In My Heart/Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)
    Michael Jackson - Rock With You
    The Jam - Going Underground/Dreams Of Children/Start!
    Echo & The Bunnymen - Rescue
    Kurtis Blow - The Breaks
    The Cure - A Forest
    Adam & The Ants - Kings Of The Wild Frontier/Dog Eat Dog/Antmusic
    Diana Ross - Upside Down/My Old Piano (the original Chic mixes are best ;))
    Paul McCartney - Coming Up
    John Foxx - No-One Driving/Burning Car/Miles Away/Underpass
    Stevie Wonder - Masterblaster (Jammin')
    Bob Marley & The Wailers - Could You Be Loved
    Queen - Another One Bites The Dust
    The Pretenders - Talk Of The Town
    Change - A Lover's Holiday/Searching
    Dexy's Midnight Runners - There There, My Dear
    Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
  • ServalanServalan Posts: 10,167
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    And I have to add:

    Tony Rallo & The Midnight Band - Holdin' On
    Young & Company - I Like What You're Doing To Me
    Jermaine Jackson - Burning Up
    The B-52s - Give Me Back My Man/Dirty Back Roads/Private Idaho
    Visage - Fade To Grey

    This is so much more interesting than work ... :o:eek:
  • mushymanrobmushymanrob Posts: 17,992
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Servalan wrote: »
    And I have to add:

    Tony Rallo & The Midnight Band - Holdin' On
    Young & Company - I Like What You're Doing To Me
    Jermaine Jackson - Burning Up
    The B-52s - Give Me Back My Man/Dirty Back Roads/Private Idaho
    Visage - Fade To Grey

    This is so much more interesting than work ... :o:eek:

    tbh id lump 'fade to grey' in 1981, ok it was released in 80 but spent most of its chart run in 1981. :)
  • BikoBiko Posts: 2,419
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    ABBA - The Winner takes It All
    ABBA - Super Trouper
    Barbra Striesand - Woman In Love
    The Cure - Boys Don't Cry
    David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes
    The Jackson 5 - Can You Feel It
    The Jam - Start
    The Jam - That's Entertainment
    John Lennon - Happy Xmas (war Is Over)
    John Lennon - Woman
    JOY DIVISION - CLOSER (THE ENTIRE ALBUM)
    Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
    Kate Bush - Babooshka
    Meat Puppets - Plateau
    Olivia Newton John - Xanadu
    Queen - Another One Bites The Dust
    Serge Gainsbourg - Dieu Est Un Fumeur De Havane
    Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime
  • CapablancaCapablanca Posts: 5,130
    Forum Member
    RussellIan wrote: »

    Top 40 hits only, by order of entry:


    Living By Numbers - New Musik

    You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties - Jona Lewie


    What a great year, and to think that at the time I had no idea at all it was even happening!

    Great list...I'd completely forgotten about these two and love 'em!

    Check out Jonah's dancing (if you can call it that)!:D

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTns_N9NcMg

    Was Lena Lovitch 'Lucky Number' 1980? That was a goodun too.
  • mushymanrobmushymanrob Posts: 17,992
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Capablanca wrote: »
    Was Lena Lovitch 'Lucky Number' 1980? That was a goodun too.

    no m8, that was spring 79.
Sign In or Register to comment.