Our Favorite Songs of 1980 | Songs of the Year
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- čas přidán 25. 11. 2021
- Welcome to our Songs of the Year series. Today we're looking at 1980!
Every Friday we will each be choosing our favorite songs of a year, starting in 1958 and going all the way through 2021. We will be making five selections from the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Any song that broke the Hot 100 at any point during the year is eligible. After that we'll be making five more 'wildcard' selections. These picks can come from anywhere. They could've charted as well, but they could also be album cuts, from soundtracks, b-sides...anything at all. And lastly, we'll also be choosing our least favorite song to crack the Top 40.
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Here's the Year End Top 50. Will any of these make our lists?
1. "Call Me" - Blondie
2. "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II" - Pink Floyd
3. "Magic" - Olivia Newton-John
4. "Rock with You" - Michael Jackson
5. "Do That to Me One More Time" - Captain & Tennille
6. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" - Queen
7. "Coming Up" - Paul McCartney
8. "Funkytown" - Lipps Inc
9. "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" - Billy Joel
10. "The Rose" - Bette Midler
11. "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" - Rupert Holmes
12. "Cars" - Gary Numan
13. "Cruisin" - Smokey Robinson
14. "Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me, Girl" - The Spinners
15. "Lost in Love" - Air Supply
16. "Little Jeannie" - Elton John
17. "Ride Like the Wind" - Christopher Cross
18. "Upside Down" - Diana Ross
19. "Please Don't Go" - KC and the Sunshine Band
20. "Babe" - Styx
21. "With You I'm Born Again" - Billy Preston and Syreeta
22. "Shining Star" - The Manhattans
23. "Still" - Commodores
24. "Yes, I'm Ready" - Teri DeSario & KC
25. "Sexy Eyes" - Dr. Hook
26. "Steal Away" - Robbie Dupree
27. "Biggest Part of Me" - Ambrosia
28. "This Is It" - Kenny Loggins
29. "Cupid/I've Loved You for a Long Time" - The Spinners
30. "Let's Get Serious" - Jermaine Jackson
31. "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer" - Kenny Rogers & Kim Carnes
32. "Sailing" - Christopher Cross
33. "Longer" - Dan Fogelberg
34. "Coward of the County" - Kenny Rogers
35. "Ladies' Night" - Kool & the Gang
36. "Too Hot" - Kool & the Gang
37. "Take Your Time (Do It Right)" - The S.O.S. Band
38. "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" - Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer
39. "More Love" - Kim Carnes
40. "Pop Muzik" - M
41. "Brass in Pocket" - The Pretenders
42. "Special Lady" - Ray, Goodman & Brown
43. "Send One Your Love" - Stevie Wonder
44. "The Second Time Around" - Shalamar
45. "We Don't Talk Anymore" - Cliff Richard
46. "Stomp!" - The Brothers Johnson
47. "Heartache Tonight" - Eagles
48. "Tired of Toein' the Line" - Rocky Burnette
49. "Better Love Next Time" - Dr. Hook
50. "Him" - Rupert Holmes
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Remeber to vote for which of our winners is your favorite and check out the playlists:
Vote Here:
listographymusic.com/songs-of...
Songs of the Year 1980 (Spotify):
open.spotify.com/playlist/1uf...
Songs of the Year 1980 (CZcams):
• Songs of the Year | 1980
Songs of the Year Winners (Spotify):
open.spotify.com/playlist/3vw...
The Worst Top 40 Songs (Spotify):
open.spotify.com/playlist/0kC...
We hope you'll play along down in the comments. See ya there. Thanks for watching!
#SongsoftheYear #1980 #Songsof1980 #Billboard #Hot100
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My List:
1. DIRE STRAITS ´´Tunnel of Love´´
2. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ´´The River´´
3. ABBA ´´Super Trouper´´
4. THE POLICE ´´Don´t Stand So Close to Me´´
5. QUEEN ´´Save Me´´
6. AC/DC ´´Hells Bells´´
7. MIKE OLDFIELD ´´North Star/Platinum Finale´´
8. RUSH ´´Spirit of Radio´´
9. PETER GABRIEL ´´Biko´´
10. DIRE STRAITS ´´Romeo and Juliet´´
Greetings from Canary Islands
My Top 10 Of 1980 - 10 - That's Entertainment - The Jam 9 - Call Me - Blondie 8 - I Will Follow - U2 7 - Brass In Pocket - The Pretenders 6 Ashes To Ashes - David Bowie 5 Isreal - Siouxsie & The Banshees 4 - Play For Today - The Cure 3 Games Without Frontiers - Peter Gabriel 2 Once In A Lifetime - The Talking Heads & 1 Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division ➗ ( Ian C Was Here ) 👍
I went with Christine but it was great year for Siouxie 👍 Israel's great
Dig the list, we've got a fair bit of overlap!
@@threestringsomg Kaleidoscope was brilliant & then to put out Israel as a stand alone single at Christmas time & JUJU in the works ! They were on fire.
@@TimeToGetAlone Thanks - I liked yours as well - Dig the brothers Finn all those years ago 😀
@@davidellis5141 oh yes. Kaleidescope was their step up to the plate album for me where it comes together... JuJu begins with Spellbound....also has Arabian Nights....cool...will listen to that album properly by next week. I own Tinderbox, Kaleidescope and their excellent best of....👍
My favorite:
Biko - Peter Gabriel
In no particular order:
Games Without Frontiers - Peter Gabriel
Breathing - Kate Bush
Babooshka - Kate Bush
Don’t Stand So Close to Me - The Police
When the World is Running Down… - The Police
The Old Homestead - Neil Young
Rapture - Blondie
Call Me - Blondie
Time - Alan Parsons Project
Mad Love - Linda Ronstadt
Hurt So Bad- Linda Ronstadt
Spanish Dancer -Steve Winwood
Herrmann heiss er - Nina Hagen
1. Call Me - Blondie
2. Freewill - Rush
3. Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads
4. Games without Frontiers - Peter Gabriel
5. Waterfalls - Paul McCartney
6. Lately - Stevie Wonder
7. Turn it on Again - Genesis
8. Breaking the Law - Judas Preist
9. Lonely is the Word - Black Sabbath
10. Into the Night - Benny Mardones
Not too sure many people would have Judas Priest and Benny Mardones on the same list! I like your eclectic taste sir!
5. Blondie - Call Me
4. Kate Bush - Babooshka
3. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
2. ABBA - The Winner Takes it All
1. David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes
Ordering here is somewhat arbitrary but here's my favs:
1. Going Underground - The Jam - the public wants what the public gets
2. Atmosphere - Joy Division - so ethereal
3.That's Entertainment- The Jam - Never have heard an acoustic guitar sound so angry
4. Motel Matches - Elvis C. - transitioning from the angry young man starts here
5. Once in a Lifetime -Talking Heads - I also think Remain in Light is a bit sus but this is a banger
6. Ashes to Ashes - Bowie - Always think of that weird scene with Pierrot and the bulldozer
7. Family Snapshot - Gabriel - Songs like this and Intruder had the record company execs questioning his sanity
8. Mystery Achievement - The Pretenders - Chrissie Hynde is one tough Ohioan
9. Teenage Wildlife - Bowie - Best song on a final artistic hurrah album before the decline
10. Games without Frontiers - Gabriel - The whistling is a clever touch
6/10 incl my HMs
Your dead on about Bowie. Scary Monsters was his last excellent album - five stars.
1980 Billboard Charts
1. Sara - Fleetwood Mac
2. Cars- Gary Numan
3. Give Me The Night - George Benson
4 .Games without Frontiers- Peter Gabriel
5. Ladies Night - Kool and The Gang
1980 Non Billboard Charts
1. Ace of Spades- Motörhead
2. Fade To Grey - Visage
3. Arc of a Diver - Steve Winwood
4. Coming in from the Cold- Bob Marley
5. Voices inside my head -The Police
Worst song- Turning Japanese - The Vapors
I love Arc Of A Diver.
1. Bankrobber - The Clash
2. Once In A Lifetime - Talking Heads
3. Hungry Heart - Bruce Springsteen
4. I Got You - Split Enz
5. Isolation - Joy Division
6. Coming Up - Paul McCartney
7. While You See A Chance - Steve Winwood
8. If I Didn't Love You - Squeeze
9. Natural Science - Rush
10. Switchin' To Glide - The Kings
11. Let My Love Open The Door - Pete Townshend
12. Over You - Roxy Music
13. Enola Gay - O.M.D.
14. Johnny And Mary - Robert Palmer
15. New Amsterdam - Elvis Costello
16. Start! - The Jam
17. Skateaway - Dire Straits
18. Generals And Majors - XTC
19. Antmusic - Adam and the Ants
20. Rescue - Echo & The Bunmymen
21. One To One - Joe Jackson
22. Alien Boy - The Wipers
23. Call It A Loan - Jackson Browne
24. Teenage Wildlife - David Bowie
25. Into The Lens - Yes
26. When The World Is Running Down... - The Police
27. Teacher Teacher - Rockpile
28. Best Friend - The English Beat
29. A Forest - The Cure
30. Games Without Frontiers - Peter Gabriel
my top 10 of 1980 in no order:
XTC- No Language In Our Lungs
The Pretenders- Kid
Elvis Costello and the Attractions- Secondary Modern
The Cramps- I Was a Teenage Werewolf
The Rolling Stones- She's So Cold
David Bowie- Ashes to Ashes
Bruce Springsteen- Fade Away
Prince- When You Were Mine
Kate Bush- Army Dreamers
Siouxsie and the Banshees- Happy House
XTC and Kate Bush!! Great list!
Hi Guys - Happy Thanksgiving!
My SOTY - Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
Then (in no particular order) from the UK charts:
Mirror in the Bathroom - The (English) Beat
Happy House - Siouxsie and the Banshees
Fashion - David Bowie
Army Dreamers - Kate Bush
Same Old Scene - Roxy Music
Different for Girls - Joe Jackson
Another Nail In My Heart - Squeeze
Games Without Frontiers - Peter Gabriel
Going Underground - The Jam
Cheers!
I like all of these to some degree.
1980
30. Hazel O'Connor - Eighth Day
29. XTC - Generals & Majors
28. X - Los Angeles
27. Pylon - Stop It
26. Visage - Fade To Grey
25. Bauhaus - Dark Entries
24. Kurtis Blow - The Breaks
23. Siouxsie & The Banshees - Christine
22. Adam Ant - Antmusic
21. Kate Bush - Babooshka/Delius
20. The Jam - That's Entertainment/Going Underground
19. The Specials - Do Nothing
18. The Clash - Magnificent Seven/The Call Up
17. Peter Gabriel - No Self Control/Games Without Frontiers
16. Psychedelic Furs - India
15. Japan - Swing
14. The B-52s - Give Me Back My Man
13. Queen - Flash/In The Capsule
12. John Lennon - Woman
11. Joy Division - Twenty Fours Hours
10. Talking Heads - Born Under Punches/Once In A Lifetime
9. Yoko Ono - Walking On Thin Ice
8. Alan Parsons Project - Time
7. Olivia Newton-John - Magic
6. English Beat - Mirror In The Bathroom
5. Motorhead - Ace Of Spades
4. Blondie - Rapture
3. The Cure - A Forest
2. Grace Jones - Private Life
1. Bowie - Ashes To Ashes/Fashion
Top Ten:
10) “Whine and Grine/Stand Down Margaret,” The [English] Beat
9) “Fade Away,” Bruce Springsteen
8) “Jersey Girl,” Tom Waits
7) “Hey Nineteen,” Steely Dan
6) “New Amsterdam,” Elvis Costello
5) “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell),” Squeeze
4) “Romeo and Juliet,” Dire Straits
3) “Storm Windows,” John Prine
2) “Summertime in England,” Van Morrison
1) “Once in a Lifetime,” Talking Heads
Honorable Mentions:
“One Season,” The Roches
“It Hasn’t Happened Yet,” John Hiatt
“Redemption Song,” Bob Marley & The Wailers
“People Who Died,” The Jim Carroll Band
“One Red Rose,” John Prine
“The Beating of Another Heart,” Graham Parker
“Sherry Darling,” Bruce Springsteen
“Motel Matches,” “B Movie,” “Hoover Factory,” Elvis Costello
“He Stopped Loving Her Today,” George Jones
“Another Nail in My Heart,” Squeeze
“Little Wing,” Neil Young
“Charlie Don’t Surf,” The Clash
Summertime in England is one of those songs where Morrison takes you on a walk in the countryside to talk about this and that and nothing in particular - I always get lost in those songs, just like the epic You Don't Push the River...from Veedon Fleece.
10. The Rage - Judas Priest
9. Romeo Delight - Van Halen
8. Revelation (Mother Earth) - Ozzy Osbourne
7. It's No Game (Part 1) - David Bowie
6. Romeo And Juliet - Dire Straits
5. Die Young - Black Sabbath
4. Prowler - Iron Maiden
3. Hells Bells - AC/DC
2. Jacob's Ladder - Rush
1. The Marshall Plan - Blue Oyster Cult
1. Angels on the Balcony - Blondie
2. Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) - David Bowie
3. Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads
4. Bird Song - Lene Lovich
5. No Secrets - The Angels
6. If I Didn’t Love You - Squeeze
7. Going Underground - The Jam
8. Ruby’s Arms - Tom Waits
9. Save Me - Queen
10. Clones (We’re All) - Alice Cooper
HM (alpha by artist) 50 songs:
Super Trouper - ABBA
Lay All Your Love On Me - ABBA
Antmusic - Adam and the Ants
Ants Invasion - Adam and the Ants
Wasted Sleepless Nights - The Angels
Private Idaho - The B-52's
Call Me - Blondie
Do the Dark - Blondie
Walk Like Me- Blondie
Black Blade - BOC
Up the Hill Backwards - David Bowie
Ashes to Ashes - David Bowie
The Infant Kiss - Kate Bush
Breathing - Kate Bush
Riot Act - Elvis Costello
Girl U Want - Devo
Whip It - Devo
Freedom of Choice - Devo
Gates of Steel - Devo
Tunnel of Love - Dire Straits
Romeo and Juliet - Dire Straits
Skateaway - Dire Straits
Games Without Frontiers - Peter Gabriel
Don’t Ask Me Why - Billy Joel
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
Atmosphere - Joy Division
The Beat Goes On/Switchin’ to Glide - The Kings
Wonderful One - Lene Lovich
Joan - Lene Lovich
The Freeze - Lene Lovich
Give Me an Inch - Hazel O’Connor
Will You? - Hazel O’Connor
The Wait - The Pretenders
Mystery Achievement - The Pretenders
Play the Game - Queen
Do You Remember Rock’n’Roll Radio? - The Ramones
The Spirit of Radio - Rush
Freewill - Rush
Fire Lake - Bob Seger
Independence Day - Bruce Springsteen
The River - Bruce Springsteen
Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) - Squeeze
Another Nail in My Heart - Squeeze
Vicky Verky - The Squeeze
I Got You - Split Enz
Vienna - Ultravox
Downtown - Tom Waits
On the Nickel - Tom Waits
Play It All Night Long - Warren Zevon
A Certain Girl - Warren Zevon
Another fantastic year.
Blondie gets second SOTY. (Equaled only - so far - by The Doors 1967, 1969)
Good list. I like the Scary Monsters mention, especially. Alice Cooper is a pleasant surprise, also.
@@markgatica12 Thx Mark. I'm not a huge Alice Cooper fan but I love that song. I wish he stayed in that direction.
@@brentjackson6839 Ahh. Skateaway was a near miss for my top 10. Glad you like Black Blade - one of their Michael Moorcock co-writes.
@@NaughtyVampireGod Hey Naughty - I am similar to Brent, in that there are several songs in your list that I don’t know, including 4 of your top 10 (Lene Lovich, Angels, Tom Waits and Alice Cooper). I will definitely listen to those, although I’ve never been keen on Tom Waits’ voice which has put me off previously.
It’s good to see you have included Queen, BOC, Dire Straits, Rush, Seger and Springsteen from the ‘Old Guard’ along with the newer acts. I nearly went with Mystery Achievement as my Pretenders pick but their debut album is all excellent.
Hey! Some fantastic choices. Blondie for #1 for both of us. Rock & Roll Radio a high point of the underrated End of the Century. I like that you picked Black Blade and Private Idaho. Big fan of the first two B-52's and Black may be my 2nd favorite from Cultosaurus. Scary Monsters is a really cool track. That's one of those albums where every song works together/adds to the whole. Once in a Lifetime and Don't Ask Me Why- 1980 pop at it's best.
My favorite songs of 1980:
1. Once In A Lifetime. Talking Heads
2.Love Will Tear Us Apart. Joy Division
3.The River. Bruce Springsteen
4.Tunnel of Love. Dire Straits
5.Ashes to Ashes. David Bowie
6.Redemption Song. Bob Marley and The Wailers
7.A Forest. The Cure
8.Ruby's Arms. Tom Waits
9.Babooshka. Kate Bush
10.Out of Control. U2
11.Atmosphere. Joy Division
12.New York, New York. Frank Sinatra
13.Rescue. Echo & The Bunnymen
14.Kid. Pretenders
15.That's Entertainment. The Jam
16.Rock Lobster. The B-52's
17.Decades. Joy Division
18.I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down. Elvis Costello and The Attractions
19.Hot Head. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
20.The Magnificent Seven. The Clash
21.Back In Black. ACDC
22.Biko. Peter Gabriel
23.Video Killed The Radio Star. The Buggles
24.Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio? Ramones
25.Enola Gay. OMD
26.La Chica de Ayer. Nacha Pop
27.Super Trouper. ABBA
28.Insanely Jelous. The Soft Boys
29.Treason. The Teardrop Explodes
30.Christine. Siouxie and The Banshees
31.I Can't Escape Myself. The Sound
32.Pulling Mussels (From the Shell). Squeeze
33.Cars. Gary Numan
34.Geno. Dexy's Midnight Runners
Adrian Borland in the house ! 👍
This The Sound record is awesome
Fran: Hello, my friend. Hope you are doing well. Terrific list. We both have Ruby's Arms as the #8 song - - nice, huh? Lots of sames. Once in a Lifetime was in strong contention for my SOTY. Finished at #3.
Hi Naughty buddy. Yeah, lots of songs in common.
I hadn't heard of a couple of artists from your list and I checked them out : Lene Lovich, kinda Siouxie meets Kate Bush and The Angels, Psychodelic Furs vibes with a touch of Bauhaus. Cool.
Take care my friend.
@@frangarcia7774 Hey Fran: Just saw this now. Fair & perceptive comments about Lene Lovich and The Angels. As does Kate (Siouxsie as well), Lene has one of those very distinct voices and dramatic delivery. She is also considered goth, in some circles. Glad you checked out those songs. Later, my friend.
#1 overall - Woman - John Lennon (Billboard)
Billboard Favs:
2) Sailing - Christopher Cross (expect this on some peoples worst lists lol)
3) Starting Over -John Lennon
4) Hey Nineteen - Steely Dan
5) Train in Vain - The Clash
6) I can't tell you why - The Eagles
7) Another one bites the dust - Queen
8) Any way you want it - Journey
9) The winner takes it all - ABBA
10) Against the wind - Bob Seger
11) Working my way back to you - The spinners
12) Don't ask me why - Billy Joel
13) Games people play - Alan Parsons Project
14) I'm all right - Kenny Loggins (FU Kramz lol)
15) Ride like the wind - Christopher Cross (I take it back kramz)
Non Billboard Favs
1) Hells Bells - AC/DC
2) Lonely is the word - Black Sabbath
3) Ashes to Ashes - David Bowie
4) Driven to tears - The Police
5) Heaven and Hell - Black Sabbath
6) When the world is running down - The Police
7) Stay Awhile - Journey
8) Children of the Sea - Black Sabbath
9) Canary in a coal mine - The Police
10) Little Girl - Journey
Big Zenyatta fan?
My fav Police period, along with Ghost and Regatta. 👍
@@janpoelkamp4229 yeah I love most of their albums
Well, this is interesting. Once In A Lifetime is on my top ten list and The Winner Takes It All is not, BUT Winner Takes It All is MY Number 1 song for 1981 so I go with Joe. Watch the Official Video for the ABBA song-it's actually very good. The lyrics are so good, and she delivers it so honestly it gives me chills.
1 Solid Rock-Bob Dylan-wild card
2 Hold On Hold Out-Jackson Browne-wild card
3 The Ties That Bind-Bruce Springsteen-wild card
4 Romeo and Juliet-Dire Straits-wild card
5 Against the Wind-Bob Seger-billboard #5
6 Theme from New York, New York-Frank Sinatra-billboard # 32
7 Once In A Lifetime-Talking Heads-wild card
8 Train in Vain-The Clash-billboard #23
9 Last Train to London-Electric Light Orchestra-billboard #39
10 Here Comes My Girl-Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers-billboard #59
Worst Song: Guilty by Barbara Steisand and Barry Gibb
My list has shrunk to 20 songs and these are my favourites of 1980:
20. Japan - Night Porter
19. Split Enz - I Got You
18. Echo & The Bunnymen - Villiers Terrace
17. Neil Young - Coastline
16. XTC - No Language In Our Lives
15. Blackfoot - Every Man Should Know(Queenie)
14. Heart - Down On Me
13. Wishbone Ash - Living Proof
12. REO Speedwagon - Take It On The Run
11. Phil Lynott - King's Call
10. Graham Parker - Endless Night
9. Dead Kennedys - Holiday In Cambodia
8. Motorhead - The Chase Is Better Than The Catch
7. Saxon - Dallas 1PM
6. Journey - Any Way You Want It
5. Ozzy Osbourne - Mr Crowley
4. Blue Oyster Cult - Divine Wind
3. Michael Schenker Group - Lost Horizons
2. Dire Straits - Tunnel Of Love
1. STEVE WINWOOD - NIGHT TRAIN(Possibly my favourite song of the whole 80's)
Coastline and Night Train...great choices. Side two of Hawkes Doves is so bizarre but a great listen. Night Train is fantastic even if you take out of consideration that its all him.
@@Cpayne30 Thanks for your comment. I was beginning to wonder that I was the only one here recognizing the greatness of Steve Winwood. Surely one of rock's most unassuming and under appreciated geniuses. By the way: Where's your list?
Looks like most commenters are ignoring the “ rules” , so will I 😉
1980 my favourite 30 songs( in no order)
Mirror in the Bathroom - The Beat
Rough Rider - The Beat
More Bounce to the Ounce - Zapp
Being Boiled - Human League
Bad Reputation - Joan Jett
Poor Boy - Split Enz
Missing Person - Split Enz
Shoot to Thrill- AC/DC
Hey Nineteen- Steely Dan
Love TKO - Teddy Pendergrass
Christine - Siouxsie and The Banshees
I think it’s going to rain today - UB40
Respectable Street - XTC
Kurtis Blow - The Breaks
Herbie Hancock - Shiftless Shuffle
Heart attack and Vine - Tom Waits
Jersey Girl - Tom Waits
Crosseyed and Painless - Talking Heads
Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads
Secondary Modern - Elvis Costello
Love For Tender- Elvis Costello
New Amsterdam - Elvis Costello
Cruisin - Smokey Robinson
Upside Down - Diana Ross
Man at C & A - The Specials
Do Nothing - The Specials
It’s So Easy - Willy Deville
Give it Up - The Jacksons
Can you feel it -The Jacksons
Off the Wall- Michael Jackson
* Favourite Tack By Artist
1.The Cramps - Garbageman*
2.The Jam - Going Underground*
3.U2 - I Will Follow
4.Graham Parker and the Rumour - Endless Night
5.Split Enz - I Got You*
6.Wreckless Eric - It'll Soon Be The Weekend
7.Billy Ocean - Red Light Spells Danger*
8.Dire Straits - Expresso Love
9.Bruce Springsteen - The Ties That Bind
10.The Cars - Gimme Some Slack
Inspired by this channel, my friends and I meet up on chat to do our top 5 songs of the year, with runners up. We started in 1980 because the 60s and 70s seemed like a daunting task. Here is my top 10 for 1980:
10. I Wanna Destroy You, The Soft Boys
9. He Stopped Loving Her Today, George Jones
8. Redemption Song, Bob Marley
7. Brass In Pocket, Pretenders
6. Keep On Loving You, REO Speedwagon
5. Any Way You Want It, Journey
4. Ace Of Spades, Motorhead
3. You Shook Me All Night Long, AC/DC
2. Love Will Tear Us Apart, Joy Division
1. Once In A Lifetime, Talking Heads.
Its nice to see there was a little overlap on our lists and I cant wait to see upcoming years. Keep up the good work!
I can remember a time when virtually no-one who had Joy Division and Talking Heads on their lists would also have Journey and REO Speedwagon and vice-versa. I am glad that people are more open minded these days.
I give you an A+ for the diversity of your list despite including an overrated slice of pop fluff like Keep On Loving You. Back in the 60's we would have called that song trivial bubblegum, but obviously a lot of people loved it. I suffer from being an REO fan in the early 70's when they were truly a killer rock n roll band.
@@trickygoose2 A good song is a good song, I say! It doesn’t matter to me how “cool” it is.
@@ijeff2005 I don’t disagree with the assessment that it’s“trivial bubblegum” but there is room for that on my list. It’s a well made song and is catchy as hell.
@@slippyslug7270 I do like catchy and normally am not so critical of melodic top 40 rock music. I do believe its my love of "old" REO and how I hated when they became such a lightweight pop band. My recall from old interviews is guitarist Gary Richrath also didn't like their pop direction. I will reiterate, I do really like your list and hope it didn't come off like I was trying to insult you.
This just keeps getting tougher and tougher for me. This was the first year that I bought some 7" singles with my own money. I still like all 3 but only 1 of them makes my list*. It took me a while to reduce a 'shortlist' of 20 (from a long list of 63) down to my final 10. Both Motorhead and Thin Lizzy had near misses but Rush provide some heaviness. Meanwhile the New Romantic/Synthpop era really starts in earnest. Despite all this, 2 singles from my favourite album of the year have managed to make the cut:
The Winner Takes it All - Abba
Breathing - Kate Bush
Games without Frontiers - Peter Gabriel
No Self Control - Peter Gabriel
I Hear you Now - Jon & Vangelis
Love will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
Messages - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark*
Spirit of Radio - Rush
Fade to Grey - Visage
Masterblaster (Jammin') - Stevie Wonder
Jumping in, No thought put into this.
Black Sabbath - Neon Knights
Judas Priest - Stealer
Journey - People and Places
Iron Maiden - Transylvania/Strange World
Def Leppard - Overture
Diamond Head - Lightning to the Nations
Saxon - Motorcycle Man
Krokus - Heatstrokes
Accept - I'm a Rebel
Blue Oyster Cult - Black Blade
Whitesnake - She's a Woman
Outlaws - Ghost Riders in the Sky
Ozzy Osbourne - Goodbye to Romance
Yes - Machine Messiah
Uriah Heep - Fools
Genesis - Duke's Travels/Duke's End
Rush - Freewill
Thin Lizzy - Chinatown
Budgie - Forearm Smash
Scorpions - Animal Magnetism
Marshall Tucker Band - It takes Time
Molly Hatchet - Beatin' the Odds
Motorhead - Fast and Loose
Hawkwind - Motorway City
UFO - No Place to Run
Dire Straits - Skateaway
And, Kiss - Tomorrow.
1. Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
2. That's Entertainment - The Jam
3. Once In A Lifetime - Talking Heads
4. Redemption Song - Bob Marley
5. Wayfaring Stranger - Emmylou Harris
6. A Forest - The Cure
7. Jersey Girl - Tom Waits
8. One More Time - The Clash
9. Hungry Heart - Bruce Springsteen
10. Biko - Peter Gabriel
11. Listening Wind - Talking Heads
12. Hey Nineteen - Steely Dan
13. The Rose Above The Sky - Bruce Cockburn
14. Romeo's Tune - Steve Forbert
15. Little Wing - Neil Young
16. Ruby's Arms - Tom Waits
17. The Call Up - The Clash
18. Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) - Talking Heads
19. Games Without Frontiers - Peter Gabriel
20. Against The Wind - Bob Seger
I will check this video out, but I'm primarily here to reach out to my Beatles brother, Jason... Hope you're loving Get Back as much as me!! Only seen Part 1 so far but absolutely loving it, and has already fundamentally changed how I think of the band (in a good way). What a great time to be a Beatles fan...
I just stopped watching halfway through episode 2 to do my list 🤠. It's brilliant. The bits where McCartney starts to develop songs are just mind blowing. And had no idea they developed All Things Will Pass together. That made me watery eyed. So much tension. George was very sensitive! They def missed their main man and couldn't form settled dynamics....
@@edvonblue there's a bit of that. What comes through as well is that the three main inventors of the group were feeling it because they had so many ideas surfacing individually while they had been home on their own. They were still helping eachother to develop their ideas. They were basically ready to do their own things for sure....but for their obvious love for eachother it would've fallen apart sooner I think. The 2nd part they get used to eachother again in more intimate studio...you can see they each made ways for eachother to get on too. Oh and when the pianist came in and they all cheered up. That was awesome.🤠🥲
My Top 10 for 1980
1)Talk Of The Town - The Pretenders
2)Never Knew Love Like This Before - Stephanie Mills
3)Generals And Majors - XTC
4)My Flamingo - The Subterraneans
5)Hungry Heart - Bruce Springsteen
6)Teenage News - Sylvain Sylvain
7)Dirty Mind - Prince
8)Ashes To Ashes - David Bowie
9)Tip On In - George Thorogood & The Destroyers
10)That Drivin' Beat - Red Beans And Rice
1 Kid - Pretenders
2 Little Wing - Neil Young
3 High Fidelity - Costello
4 Nobody Hurts You - Graham Parker and the Rumour
5 Love with tear us apart - Joy Division
6 Ashes to Ashes - Bowie
7 Pulling Mussels form a Shell - Squeeze
8 Turn it on Again - Genesis
9 Sailing and Ride Like the Wind Christopher Cross - Great .. Kramz
10 Mystery Achievement - The Pretenders
11 Johnny and Mary - Robert Palmer
12 Out in the street or the River - Springsteen
12 Get Well Soon (little girl) - Steve Forbert
13 Boys don't cry - The Cure
14 "Refugee" and "Here Comes My Girl" Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Also if you are new here, you can stay as long as you love "Rush", just the hippest band ever. I do think Rush's "Spirit of the Radio" is a good song. In between my laughter, I do think it's a worthy song. I could do with less creativity, but it's infectious (viral).
- No order and some of these could be top 14; not really wildcards..
Discovering Japan - Graham Parker
Sister Europe - Psychedelic Furs
I will Follow - U2
Kiss is on my list - Hall and Oates
Rock with You - Michael Jackson
Anyway you want it - Journey
Tunnel of Love - Dire Straits
I Got You - Split Enz
When you Were Mine - Prince
Never knew love like this before -Stephanie Mills
Crazy Little thing called Love - Queen
Don't Stand to close to me - The Police
Wondering Where the Lions Are - Bruce Colburn
That's Entertainment - the Jam
Best Album "Get Happy" Costello
Best songs on "Get Happy!" : Opportunity, King Horse, Possession, Man Called Uncle (having a heart attack around your ankles), High Fidelity, Five Gears in Reverse, Beaten to the Punch
2nd best" Costello's Taking Liberties - from 1980
Getting Mighty Crowded, My Funny Valentine, Radio Sweetheart, Hoover Factory, Just a Memory
Worst: I'm All Right - Ken Loggins. "Magic" - Newton-John.
Well, we don't agree about McCartney as a melodist, but we sure agree about Elvis. In 1980, pretty much all I did was walk around with the songs from Get Happy and Taking Liberties running through my head.
@@harmonium8198 Yeah 2 great records! And I think McCartney was a good melodist, just that I like some others better including John, but didn't mean to make it sound like night and day.
"Lady" by Kenny Rogers is very convoluted. I think it was added to a greatest hit package at the last minute and before Richie's version was to show him the way or just drop in to show Kenny what bad condition his record was in. Lionel Richie's version is of course better. What is unlistenable is ABBA. Rupert Holmes Answering Machine is bad; The Replacements Answering Machine is superb.
Air Supply had one song that was not so bad on the sliding scale - Lost in Love ( especially the part where guy sings "You know you can't fool me/ I've been loving you too long" is sort of highlight of a low light band. Maybe air supply's worst was "The One that you Love". Joe is right the Seals and Crofts and Ambrosia are good soft rock, Air Supply is too sticky and saccharine.
Why was the boring movie English Patient (1997) so loved? It won best picture. One factor was Anthony Minghella directed it and wrote it. The critics love him right off the bat because he was considered "Orson Welles Awesome". I can see Anthony's talent in the spellbinding movie "The Talented Mr Ripley" in which actors all give performances of a lifetime. By with me, a simple man, I just like a good script and Ripley has a great script. Anyway, The English Patient was boring but I am not high brow. I think this movie touched anyone who is enarmed with cinematography which I was born missing that gene .. Ray Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Kristin Scott Thomas. So the cast is so so damn noteworthy.
I saw the movie and was pretty bored but I thought it was just me. Here are 2 funny short reviews that contain no truth:
1 Much like the patient's memories, The English Patient swirls around in your head, refusing to recede, its images lingering like snatches of a fragrance too sweet to be forgotten.
2 You can take your brain to The English Patient and you will not be insulted. Your eyes will not be offended either.
I guess I don't like the false intimacy and great scenery together. I need them separated. It's just too overwhelming.
I could not care less about the US Billboard charts as I wasn't even born back then but 1980 is my favourite year in music and I love listening to opinions on music! :) Great Job guys!
My personal Top-10 songs:
1. Saga - Don't Be Late (Chapter 2)
2. Dire Straits - Tunnel of Love
3. Peter Gabriel - No Self Control
4. Genesis - Duchess
5. Yes - Tempus Fugit
6. The Comsat Angels - Independence Day
7. The Cure - Play for Today
8. Angel Witch - Free Man
9. Devo - Freedom of Choice
10. Steve Winwood - Night Train
Squeeze - Another Nail in my Heart
Springsteen - Sherry Darling
Dire Straits - Skateaway
OMD - Enola Gay
Rush - Spirit of Radio
John Lennon - Watching the Wheels
Rolling Stones - She’s so Cold
Genesis - Misunderstanding
Van Halen - And the Cradle Will Rock
Split Enz - I Got You
Donnie Iris - Ah! Leah!
The Kings - Switchin’ to Glide
Bob Seger - Against the Wind
Tom Petty - Here Comes My Girl
Steely Dan - Hey Nineteen
REO - Take it on the Run
Bob Marley - Redemption Song
George Benson - Give me the Night
Prince - When You We’re Mine
Bette Midler - The Rose
The Cure - Boys Don’t Cry
Alan Parsons - Games People Play
Billy Joel - Sometimes a Fantasy
The B-52s - Private Idaho
Billboard:
1. Upside Down - Diana Ross
2. Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
3. Another Brick In The Wall - Pink Floyd
4. Cruisin' - Smokey Robinson
5. Off The Wall - Michael Jackson
Wildcards:
1. The River - Bruce Springsteen
2. Ashes To Ashes - David Bowie
3. Jacob's Ladder - Rush
4. When You Were Mine - Prince
5. Baby I Love You - Ramones
My list of songs 1980 of is a mixed bag but still mostly artists I listened to most of the seventies. I have two John Lennon songs from Double fantasy as my favourite songs. We lost him in december that year, remember I could hardly believe the news.
1. John Lennon - Woman
2. John Lennon - Beautiful boy
3. Dire Straits - Tunnel of love
4. Black Sabbath - Heaven and hell
5. Bob Seeger - Against the wind
6. Al Stewart - Merlins time
7. Steely Dan - Gaucho
8. Thin Lizzy - We will be strong
9. Dan Fogelberg - Longer
10. Bruce Springsteen - The river
You guys reminded me just how good 1980 was! Love the Robert Palmer pick, Jason!
Games Without Frontiers is truly one of the most amazing songs ever. Dark and scary as hell with the implications of tribalism and war being in our DNA a la Lord of the Flies…and yet sing-a-long happy melodic vocal lines and whistling, though Gabriel sings them with menace in his voice. A song like no other. And Once in a Lifetime is a staggering song like Jason and Kram say. Two of the best of that year or any other. Cross-eyed and Painless is a top ten for me. I wonder if Kramzer has seen the SCTV skit they do with Ride Like the Wind.
BILLBOARD
5. Little Jeannie: Elton John
4. You'll Accom'ny Me: Bob Seger
3. (Just Like) Starting Over: John Lennon
2. Hungry Heart: Bruce Springsteen
1. You May Be Right: Billy Joel
WILDCARD
5. Play the Game: Queen
4. Gorilla, You're a Desperado: Warren Zevon
3. Point Blank: Bruce Springsteen
2. Tunnel of Love: Dire Straits
WORST: Escape (The Pina Colada Song) by Rupert Holmes. It was never a good song, and it's been overplayed to death.
BEST: Sherry Darling by Bruce Springsteen. Next to Thunder Road, my favorite Springsteen song, and my personal choice for the most fun song of all time.
More great records this year. I bought Spirit Of Radio on 45 when it was released in the UK and still play it now. Once In A Life Time is a stone classic and it gets played in my vinyl dj sets all the time and. is a floor filler. One omission I was surprised at, given your obsession with him is Refugee by Tom Petty. It wasn't even a hit in the UK but I love this record. Again it was a 45 I bought at the age of 14/15 and it has remained one of my very favourite singles of all time. I have only recently discovered you channel and I am loving these year lists.
Some interesting choices to say the least .
My picks :
Dire Straits : Tunnel of Love
Rush : Freewill
Squeeze : Pulling Mussels From a Shell
Robert Palmer : I Dream of Wires
Bruce Springsteen : Point Blank
Gary Numan : Cars
Fleetwood Mac : Sara
Bob Seger : No Man's Land
The Clash : Clampdown
Genesis : Behind the Lines
Honourable Mentions :
Once in a Lifetime
Games Without Frontiers
Pretenders : Mystery Achievement
English Beat : Mirror in the Bathroom
Rolling Stones : She's So Cold
Thanks !
1980 is another real solid year,one of the best years for metal,and of course post punk and new wave;
Ace of Spades-Motorhead
And Through the Wire-Peter Gabriel
Ashes to Ashes-David Bowie
Biko-Peter Gabriel
City Drops into the Night-Jim Carroll Band
Empty Glass-Pete Townshend
Entre Nous-Rush
Fa-Ce-La-The Feelies
Games Without Frontiers-Peter Gabriel
Hot Head-Captain Beefheart
I Don't Know-Ozzy Osbourne
If I Didn't Love You-Squeeze
If Sugar Was as Sweet as You-Rockpile
Neon Knights-Black Sabbath
Once in a Lifetime-Talking Heads
Rough Boys-Pete Townshend
Spirit of Radio-Rush
Sue Egypt-Captain Beefheart
The River-Bruce Springsteen
The Worlds a Mess;It's in my Kiss-X
Top 5;
5)This Beat Goes On/Switchin' to Glide-The Kings(these two songs always got played together,so I counted them as one. This is power pop perfection for these Canadian one(two?) hit wonders.
4)Crosseyed & Painless-Talking Heads(TH at their nerviest,this is relentlessly propulsive and intense. Check out the live version from Rome 1980 on youtube,it's killer)
3)The Ties that Bind-Bruce Springsteen(one of his best vocal performances,always great to hear this one live,which fortunately I did)
2)Endless Night-Graham Parker(wow,the intensity of this rocker is through the roof,great background vocal by Bruce Springsteen as well)
1)People Who Died-Jim Carroll Band(an autobiographical Subterranean Homesick Blues like dirge by Jim Carroll about growing up in Hell's Kitchen, this just explodes out of the speakers,you cant help but shout along,all words memorized!)
Beefheart's Doc at the Radar Station- thought it came out in 82. My pick would be Sheriff of Hong Kong or Telephone.
@@Gardosunron 1980. You are probably thinking of Ice Cream for Crow
@@painless465 - Gee Paul, I didn't steal from your list, honest!! lol. I missed Rough Boys, thanks for having that on your list.
Please please tell me you guys will be doing a video review of Get Back. Am an hour into the first ep. Fkg amazing...
1. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart / Heart And Soul -
2. Japan - Nightporter / Gentlemen Take Polaroids -
3. Talking Heads - The Great Curve / Once In A Lifetime -
4. Jam - That's Entertainment / Start / Monday -
5. Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Enola Gay / Electricity -
6. Bruce Springsteen - Point Blank / The River -
7. Roxy Music - Over You / Oh Yeah / Same Old Scene -
8. Echo & The Bunnymen - Rescue / Pictures On The Wall -
9. Kate Bush - Army Dreamers / Breathing / Babooshka -
10. Tom Waits - Jersey Girl / Downtown -
11. Ultravox - Vienna / Sleepwalk -
12. The Feelies - The Boy With The Perpetual Nervousness -
13. UB 40 - I Think It's Going To Rain Today / Tyler / Reefer Madness -
14. David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes / It's No Game -
15. Yello - Blue Green / Eternal Legs / Bostich -
16. The Psychedelic Furs - India / Sister Europe -
17. Black Uhuru - Sinsemilla / World Is Africa -
18. Bob Marley & The Wailers - Could You Be Loved / Redemption Song -
19. Elvis Costello - New Amsterdam / High Fidelity -
20. Pretenders - Kid / Private Life -
21. Steely Dan - Third World Man -
22. Dire Straits - Tunnel Of Love -
23. Grover Washington Jr. - Just The Two Of Us -
24. Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love / Another Bites The Dust -
25. The Police - Driven Two Tears -
26. George Benson - Give Me The Night -
27. Grace Jones - Private Life -
28. Gerry Rafferty - The Garden Of England -
29. Prince - When You Were Mine -
30. Joni Mitchell - Furry Sings The Blues - Live -
10. Van Morrison - Summertime in England
9. The Rolling Stones - She's So Cold
8. ABBA - Lay All Your Love on Me
7. Elvis Costello & the Attractions - The Imposter
6. Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
5. John Lennon - Watching the Wheels
4. Wipers - Is This Real?
3. The Soft Boys - I Wanna Destroy You
2. Dire Straits - Romeo and Juliet
1. Bruce Springsteen - The River
My 1980 top songs:
1. Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime
2. X - Johnny Hit and Run Paulene
3. Ozzy Osbourne - Mr. Crowley
4. Roxy Music - Over You
5. Bruce Springsteen - The River
6. Dexys Midnight Runners - Burn It Down
7. The Jam - Going Underground
8. Dead Kennedys - Holidays in Cambodia
9. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart Again
10. The Soft Boys - Insanely Jealous Of You
I'm obviously voting with Jason & Kramzer on this one.
It's also weird to think that Listography has done this series covering "only" 23 years yet and that there is 40 more years to go! The fact that the early 80s are actually way closer to the times of the Everly Brothers, Ray Charles, Nina Simone, ect... picks than they are to nowadays, is somehow something my head has trouble grasping around.
We both have Going Underground at #7
Billboard:
1. Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2
2. Bruce Springsteen - Hungry Heart
3. John Lennon - (Just Like) Starting Over
4. Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers
5. David Bowie - Fashion
Wildcard:
2. Prince - When You Were Mine
3. Joy Division - Atmosphere
4. Suicide - Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champagne
5. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
Worst SOTY: Barbra Streisand - Woman in Love
BEST SOTY: The Clash - Train in Vain
Yeah Tunnel of Love is one of my always cheers me up everytime songs. Great choice Jason.
Sadly, the tragic loss of a legendary musician late in 1980 overshadowed another excellent year for music:
Billboard Top 100:
Coming Up - Paul McCartney
The Winner Takes It All - ABBA
Against The Wind - Bob Seger
Call Me - Blondie
Refugee - Tom Petty & Heartbreakers
Wildcards:
That’s Entertainment - The Jam
Echo Beach - Martha & The Muffins
A Forest - The Cure
Will You? - Hazel O’Connor
Worst song: D.I.S.C.O. - Ottawan (#2 in UK charts)
(Is it any wonder there was such a backlash against disco music when junk like this was being released?)
Song of the Year: Watching The Wheels - John Lennon
(This is about far more than choosing the best song. The events of December 8th shocked the world and robbed us of one of the greatest talents in the history of popular music. This is one of my favourite songs of his, however, and it perfectly sums up John’s attitude to life during the second half of the 1970s)
By the start of the 1980s, the differences between the singles charts in USA and UK were more significant than in previous years. For this reason, I am including some HMs that were hits on this side of the Atlantic but didn’t register on the Billboard charts:
HMs - hits in UK but not USA:
No Self Control - Peter Gabriel (#33 in UK)
Johnny And Mary - Robert Palmer (#44 in UK)
Could You Be Loved - Bob Marley (#5 in UK)
Generals And Majors - XTC (#32 in UK)
Chinatown - Thin Lizzy (#21 in UK)
HMs - Wildcards
Private Life - Pretenders
People And Places - Journey
Black Blade - Blue Oyster Cult
Freewill - Rush
The River - Bruce Springsteen
Hey Bryan. We have a lot of same picks. that's great. Cool to see hazel o'Connor there. I omitted her from my top 10 at the last minute. :( - - Breaking Glass was my 1980 album of the year last time I did a list (last year sometime). Amazingly consistent quality of songs. Nice song of the year. yeah - kicking myself a bit for overlooking Lennon. Was really busy and just missed it. I like that album and Wheels would have certainly been an HM at least. Swamped with fantastic music. WHich is a good thing. I will remember to include john when the Milk and Honey album rolls around since there is a song on it that is a top 3 Lennon solo for me. Several HMs the same - Black Blade, the River, Freewill.
I was just thinking there was a real lack of terrible songs on the UK chart in 1980 and then I remembered D.I.S.C.O.
Good choice with Lennon and your right the UK Chart is much better than the Billboard Chart. Interesting to see if this continues..
I think the Listographers said at the start of the series that any charts of your home country that are equivalent to the US Billboards would be fine if you grew up with that. And the UK charts in particular were observed by many other countries around the globe, especially after 1977 when the US charts ignored nearly anything new and were just boring.
@@NaughtyVampireGod Hey Naughty, I included Hazel O’Connor in my list mainly because of the saxophone solo, which is amazing. I must listen to the Breaking Glass soundtrack - I saw the film but can’t remember a lot of the songs. I was pleased to finally include Blondie and Tom Petty this year. It will almost certainly be Blondie’s sole appearance for me but the first of many for Tom.
My SOTY choice is really based on sentiment rather than being the best song. For me, it just seems an appropriate way to remember him. I will probably include a song from Milk And Honey when we get to that year but it definitely won’t be a surprise pick.
I will get back to you about your choices separately.
'Once in a lifetime' Talking Heads
'Enola Gay' OMD
'Ashes to ashes' David Bowie
'Stop the Cavalry' Jona Lewie
'Turning Japanese' Vapours
'Love will tear us apart' Joy Division
'One day I'll fly away' Randy Crawford
'Atmosphere' Joy Division
'Winner takes it all' ABBA
'The Rose' Bette Midler
1980 has some pretty great little songs in it! Some nice choices boys! I like that people are honest with what they like and don't care if they get some slack back from the commenters. "Magic" is a great song, which I overlooked, and I almost had "Ride Like the Wind" Anyways..
Billboard
5. Games People Play- Alan Parsons Project
4. Misunderstanding-Genesis
3. Shining Star-- The Manhattans
2. Too Hot- Kool and the Gang (does anyone have a smoother voice than JT)
1. Rock With You- Michael Jackson (debuted in '79, but peaked on the chart in '80, so I'm counting it)
Wild Cards
5. Separate Beds- Squeeze
4. I Got You- Split Enz
3. Vicky Verky- Squeeze
2. The River- Bruce Springsteen (maybe my favorite Springsteen song)
1. See below
Worst Song
Woman In Love- Barbara Streisand- I feel kind of bad picking one of her songs two years in a row, but she just doesn't jive with me.
Song of the Year-
Another Nail In My Heart- Squeeze- The guitar solo is tremendous, and it comes so early in the song, I just love it!
Even though Abba is getting killed in the vote, I love "Winner Takes It All" and "Super Trooper" too- Sup-pp-per Troop-pp-pper!!
A neat thing about the poll this week is we'll find out what percentage of the listography audience are Swedish grandmas.
"People Who Died" and "Love Will Tear Us Apart", and "The Magnificent Seven" would be up there for me. With definitely "Here Comes My Girl", Tom's best IMO; "Looking For Clues". "Touch & Go" is also IMO the best Cars track. Love that Joe picked "Kiss on my List". "Riot Act" is so powerful by Costello. Was "Woman" by John Lennon this year? Edit - I just don't know why I have never been a big fan of Peter Gabriel's solo stuff. I have everything he ever did, and Gabriel-era Genesis is one of my alltime favorite bands.
Good songs. I like a few Gabriel-era Genesis and a few solo but "Games without Frontiers" is pretty nice but very overrated by Listo and the critics. In Your Eyes makes a great movie soundtrack, and Shock the Monkey is a "real pleasure of mine". Solsbury Hill and Red Rain are very good. But I never go seeking him out. And I dislike most "World Music" if it's still called that, with almost too much passion, but Paul Simon did pretty well with it.
My top 5 favorites of the Listography 1980 playlist:
1. Dire Straits- Tunnel of Love
2. Talking Heads- Once in a Lifetime
3. Rush- Spirit of the Radio
4. Black Sabbath- Walk Away
5. Steely Dan- Gaucho
11. Don't Stand So Close To Me, by The Police
10. We Got The Beat (Stiff Single Version), by The Go-Gos
9. She Caught The Katy - or - Sweet Home Chicago, by The Blues Brothers
8. I Don't Remember, by Peter Gabriel
7. The Electric Co., by U2
6. You Shook Me All Night Long, by AC/DC
5. These Days, by Joy Division
4. The Breaks, by Kurtis Blow
3. Rapture, by Blondie
2. Dancing With Myself, by Generation X
1. Once In A Lifetime, by Talking Heads
Damn, this was a hard list to put together. It might have been easier if I had some conscious memory of that time.
BILLBOARD
1. *Train in Vain (Stand by Me) by The Clash #23* (Really catchy. Love the rhythm on this one, and some of Mick Jones' best vocals.)
2. *Games Without Frontiers by Peter Gabriel #48* (It's artsier for the charts but easy to see why it works with lots of memorable hooks.)
3. *I Got You by Split Enz #53* (Cool Cars-esque tune with 60s power pop harmonies.)
4. *And the Beat Goes On by The Whispers #19* (Lush, infectious example of the Boogie sound that got big in the early 80s.)
5. *The Winner Takes It All by ABBA #8* (Graceful europop ballad that you just want to sing along to, like they did in Better Call Saul.)
WILDCARD
1. WINNER: *Ashes to Ashes by David Bowie* (An incredible quasi-sequel to Space Oddity. Production, vocals, and songwriting all sound fresh and fantastic.)
2. *Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads* (A forward-thinking, hypnotic, and surprisingly accessible track that hasn't aged at all.)
3. *Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division* (Sounds better and better with repeat listens. I'm partial to the acoustic guitar blending with the dark droning synth.)
4. *That's Entertainment by The Jam* (Biting and breezy pop/rock. Almost feels like a precursor to the jangle pop movement.)
5. *Watching the Wheels by John Lennon [#10, 1981]* (Super solid last gasp for Lennon that makes you wonder he could have been.)
TOP 10 Wildcard HM:
Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits
Going Underground by The Jam
Some incredible songs here at the top, though I was definitely feeling constrained in terms of depth compared to the previous 15 years or so. The new wave/synthpop explosion in pop hits hasn't fully broken through just yet, so it feels very much like a transitional period.
WORST TOP 40: Should've Never Let You Go by Neil & Dara Sedaka #19 (A sappy love duet by a father and daughter team. If you're going to do that, you at least need some strong songwriting and performances to make up for it like the Sinatras did. This just amounts to cringy.)
WORST Runner Up:
One in a Million You by Larry Graham #9
Best Songs Matches:
*55 - Kram +3*
*49 - Joe +1*
*40 - Jason +2*
Worst Songs Matches:
4 - Jason
2 - Joe
0 - Kram
Top Song Votes:
*11 - Jason*
9 - Joe
*9 - Kram*
I didn't realize "I Got You" by Split Enz charted.
@@edgustafson Looks like their one and only hot 100 entry.
@@edgustafson Video played nonstop on MTV 📺 helped generate airplay. I still have my laser etched vinyl of True Colors .
@@edgustafson It was a hit in the UK and was one that just missed my top 10. Neil Finn shouldn't fret as he has at least one song guaranteed to make a later list.
Better year than 79, HM: Love Stinks, Another One Bites the Dust, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Games WIthout Frontiers, Against the Wind, Romeo and Juliet, Heartbreaker, Rock Brigade, You Shook Me All Night Long, Hells Bells, Ashes to Ashes, Cool Change, Turn it On Again, Once in A Lifetime, Any Way You Want It
10. Ranking Full Stop - the English Beat
9. You Make My Dreams - Hall & Oates
8. Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
7. Agnes - Donnie Iris
6. Back in Black - AC/DC
5. When I Write the Book - Rockpile
4. Ants Invastion - Adam & the Ants
3. The Spirit of Radio - Rush
2. Tunnel of Love - Dire Straits
Worst - Do That To Me One More Time - Captain & Tennille
1. Summertime in England - Van Morrison
"Yeats and Lady Gregory corresponded
And James Joyce wrote streams of consciousness books"
and Van turned them into streams of consciousness songs that take you way out there "And I will show you /It ain't why/It just is."
@@roxannewalsh The live version with Richard Buckley on sax & Georgie Fame is better than the studio but the studio still takes it for this year.
Babooshka by Kate Bush off “Never for Ever” will always have a special place in my heart. There’s a story in there involving me and a few friends watching the “Babooshka” video and nearly burning down the block of flats I lived in at the time 🤷♂️
But, because I’ve chosen/mentioned her far too much I’ll plump for a massive favourite of mine from a band which I’m not sure made much of an impact over in the U.S. (please correct me if I’m wrong)
The Teardrop Explodes and “Reward”
My husband loves the Babooshka video… can’t think why 😜🤣😂🤣
Teardrop Explodes - one of the many Liverpool based bands from the early 80s. Excellent song.
I'm pretty sure "Reward" will make my 1981 list. It used to be my favourite song to play loud when I had the house to myself as a teenager.
When Kramzer was waxing eloquently about his love for those Christopher Cross songs I kept waiting for him to break out laughing and saying just kidding! Was that part edited out?
I can't tell you how excited I am to hear Joe say "my boys from Philly"!! First time I heard their names on the channel..I realize I haven't listened to every album year yet though. I'm more a fan of their 70s work (especially Abandoned Luncheonette). In fact my top 10 H&O songs never got any radio play
My favourites for 1980:
01) When The World Is Running Down - The Police
02) Train In Vain (Stand By Me) - The Clash
03) Ashes To Ashes - David Bowie
04) Hungry Heart - Bruce Springsteen
05) Hoochie Gucci Fiorucci Mamma - Australian Crawl
06) Four Walls - Cold Chisel
07) On And On And On - ABBA
08) Poor Boy - Split Enz
09) Freedom Of Choice - Devo
10) Babooshka - Kate Bush
I found it difficult this year, so I had to do 10 of each.
Billboard:
Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime - The Korgis
Upside Down - Diana Ross
Sara - Fleetwood Mac
Master Blaster (Jammin’) - Stevie Wonder
Turning Japanese - The Vapours
Ashes To Ashes - David Bowie
The Winner Takes It All - Abba
Ride Like The Wind - Christopher Cross
All Over The World - Electric Light Orchestra
Funkytown - Lipps Inc.
Wild Cards:
Vienna - Ultravox (Overall Winner)
Fade To Grey - Visage
A Forest - The Cure
Echo Beach - Martha & the Muffins
No Secrets - The Angels
Dogs In The Yard - Paul McCrane
I Hope I Never - Split Enz
The Turn Of A Friendly Card - Alan Parsons Project
Talk Of The Town - Pretenders
Babooshka - Kate Bush
Worst Song: Tired Of Toein" The Line - Rocky Burnette
#1 Family Snapshot - Peter Gabriel
#2 The Queen of Eyes - Soft Boys
#3 Riot Act - Elvis Costello (cheers to Joe!)
#4 The Unknown Soldier - Roy Harper
#5 I Wanna Destroy You - Soft Boys (cheers to Jason!)
Honourable mentions:
I Will Follow - U2
Rescue - Echo & The Bunnymen
Turning Japanese - Vapors
Two Hearts - Bruce Springsteen
Hell's Bells - AC/DC
I like the Talking Heads' song but my vote goes for Joe.
Kudos for “Queen of Eyes...”
Billboard Hot 100 Top 5 :-
1. Don't Stand So Close to Me - The Police.
2. Call Me - Blondie.
3. Another One Bites the Dust - Queen.
4. Supertrooper - ABBA.
5. Brass in Your Pocket - The Pretenders.
Wildcards :-
1. Ashes to Ashes - David Bowie.
2. Geno - Dexys Midnight Runners.
3. Going Underground - The Jam.
4. Much Too Much, Much Too Young - The Specials.
5. Once In A Lifetime - Talking Heads.
Honourable mentions to :-
Rock Lobster - B-52's.
Enola Gay - OMD.
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division.
Off The Wall - Michael Jackson.
Romeo and Juliet - Dire Straits.
Voices Inside My Head - The Police.
Fade to Gray - Visage.
Sara - Fleetwood Mac.
C'mon now. Easy vote for Talking Heads this week, although I like The Winner Takes it All too.
01. Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
02. Duke's Travels - Genesis
03. That's Entertainment - The Jam
04. Generals and Majors - XTC
05. Save Me - Queen
06. Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads
07. A Forest - The Cure
08. Phantom of the Opera - Iron Maiden
09. All That Jazz - Echo and the Bunnymen
10. Natural Science - Rush
10 Once In A Lifetime-Talking Heads
9 Can You Feel It-Jacksons
8 Biggest Part Of Me-Ambrosia
7 I Will Follow-U2
6 Suddenly-Olivia Newton-John & Cliff Richard
5 Stomp-Brothers Johnson
4 Ride Like The Wind-Christopher Cross
3 Steal Away-Robbie Dupree
2 Games Without Frontiers-Peter Gabriel
1 Magic-Olivia Newton John
Suddenly is great.
Queen's "Flash - Main Theme". A brilliant soundtrack to a classic ham movie.
Kenny Rogers' Lady was all over the radio at that time and you couldn't not know it. And he played small stadiums in every small city in North America paying that song to all of his housewife fans. This is his most popular song after The Gambler, a song that makes not very subtle use of an extended metaphor. I would mention Gary Numan's Cars for this year since that's his only hit and a good one at that. Supertramp Fool's Overture on Paris live. These are not top hits, but: I agree The Jam should be in there. Joy Division Love Will Tear Us Apart, The Beat Mirror in the Bathroom, ACDC Back in Black, Springsteen Born to Run, The Birthday Party, Parliament, Tom Waits, Lennon/Ono Starting Over and Watching the Wheels, Echo & Bunnymen Stars Are Stars, Fred Frith Gravity, Fela Kuti, Pere Ubu, Talking Heads The Great Curve, Blondie, Icehouse Icehouse, Klaatu (the Canadian Beatles), Bob Marley Redemption Song, The Fall Fiery Jack, B52s Private Idaho, Paul Simon Late in the Evening and One Trick Pony, Elvis Costello Riot Act, Durutti Column, Aksal Maboul, The Pop Group, The Cure Boys Don't Cry, OMD, Psychedelic Furs Sister Europe, best song: Rush Spirit of the Radio. Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight was popular and influential that year.
1) "I Will Follow" - U2
2) "Oh Yeah" - Roxy Music
3) "Free Will" - Rush
4) "No Self Control" - Peter Gabriel
5) "Drivin My Life Away" - Eddie Rabbitt
6) "Could You Be Loved" - Bob Marley
7) "Another One Bites the Dust" -Queen
8) "Skateaway" - Dire Staits
9) "Whip It" - Devo
10) "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Joy Division
Gotta agree with Kramz on "Lady" being really bad, but I'd have to include his Chris Cross along with it.
1980: Deep Cuts
1. Missing in Action: The Comsat Angels
2. Whine and Grine / Stand Down Margaret : The Beat
3. Ha Ha I'm Drowning - The Teardrop Explodes
4. Atmosphere : Joy Division
5. Tell Me When My Light Turns Green: Dexys Midnight Runners
Honorable Mentions ( loaded year so here's my next 10)
1. Going Up : Echo and the Bunnymen
2. New Amsterdam : Elvis Costello
3. Sister Europe: Psychedelic Furs
4. Going Underground - The Jam
5. Requiem - Killing Joke
6. Pulling Mussels From a Shell-Squeeze
7. A Forest -The Cure
8. Credit in the Straight World- Young Marble Giants
9. Heart Attack and Vine - Tom Waits
10. Do Nothing - The Specials
1980 : Hot 100 Billboard
1. Don't Stop The Music : Yarborough and Peoples
2. Cars: Gary Numan
3. I Got You :Split Enz
4. Brass in Pocket : The Pretenders
5. Refugee : Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
Worst hot 100 chart song - Escape ( The Pina Colada Song ) - Rupert Holmes
Sleep No More is my favorite album of 1981 ! The Comsats were Awesome 👌
@@davidellis5141 my song is the opener from their 1980 debut “ Waiting for A miracle” . It is friggin killer . But” Sleep No More “is a terrific album as well . Comsat Angel are sometimes overlooked but one of the great post punk bands for sure .
My Dexys choice was Geno but Burn It Down or Tell Me When My Light Turns Green were equally strong. I saw them just by chance at the time between their first and second album in one of those large beer halls in Munich, Germany. Of the few hundred people attending maybe just a dozen or so knew the band, an hour later they all were fans. They already played some songs from the Too Rye Ay album that had not yet been released.
@@roxannewalsh Wow,. Nice to read that story .amazing you got to see them at that time 😊👍 . I almost went with Burn It Down , but the chorus on “ Green “ gets me every time to this day . The uplifting cover 7 days to long and Thankfully Not Living in Yorkshire Ot Doesn’t Apply I also love ( and Geno) on a classic record which just knocked me out when I first heard it …and at a time where there were quite a few “ haven’t heard anything like that before “ groups on the scene, “ Rebels” still stood out for me .
Storytime for me about All out of Love, even though it sucks I'll always love it unconditionally for this reason:
When I was really little, I had a hard time falling asleep and for whatever reason the only way that would help was if we drove around with relaxing music. My dad made either a casette or cd for me that had songs that would help me fall asleep and All out of Love was the first track.
So yes, that song is so boring that its best use is to help children fall asleep. 😂
But it doesn't suck? Other Air Supply songs may but at least that has a decent melody with nice switching vocals. There's plenty of middle of the road smoothness without melody I'd put below it in the Billboard charts.
Lost in Love is my favourite Air Supply song (not that I know many!).
I’m prepared to dive in. No longer just a spectator of other people’s lists. I think this will be challenging but rewarding.As a 2 year old for most of 1980, I didn’t discover these songs until much later. This list is UK artist heavy, something that will definitely continue. Here goes it.
1. Holiday In Cambodia- Dead Kennedys Melodic political punk and oh, that bass line.
2. Games Without Frontiers- Peter Gabriel Growing up with hearing Big Time and Sledgehammer on the radio, which I liked but then discovering this as a teenager, it became an instant favorite of mine. My older brother was enamored with “Passion: music for the last temptation of Christ” soundtrack when it came out. Protested by Catholics (like us) Bwahaha.
3. Play For Today- The Cure
Love the snarky lyrics and feel of this one.
4. Heart And Soul- Joy Division - He sounds like a damned spirit singing from the underworld.
5. Private Idaho - The B52’s - So catchy and the ‘woos’ in the beginning are everything.
6. You May Be Right - Billy Joel - Billy is my kind of man right here - setting a precedent?
7. I Will Follow- U2 - This song soars - Bono sounds so angsty “Your eyes!”
8. Sister Europe- The Psychedelic Furs That voice, and the atmosphere of this song just feels so dark. Something menacing is lurking. And…. In researching this list I discovered their 2020 release and after Kramzer, Jason, and Professor Skye gave such glowing reviews I will be checking it out!
9. Driven To Tears - The Police -The chorus is so beautiful and the drums on this, and again, that bass always gets me.
10. Crazy Train- Ozzy Osborne - Love his voice on this anthem and my first exposure to Ozzy, as I discovered Black Sabbath (too) much later!
There are two different versions of Holiday in Cambodia. I prefer the single version over the album version.
Hi Rich! That got me thinking. I didn’t know there are 2 versions. That’s part of the challenge for me. Singles vs. album songs and making sure my dates match up, especially when I don’t have memory to rely on of actually hearing something on the radio or buying the cassette or CD the year it was actually released which I can remember much better. I am no DK expert at all but this song has always been in the back of my head ever since I heard it in the 90s. I was thrilled to see the release date was in 1980 and I was able to include it. There’s just something about this song.
@@michelewiese48 Yeah, those lyrics are brutal!
The Furs record is quite good & I look forward to seeing them next year at the Cruel Festival in Pasadena , CA
Hi Michele. Having a good weekend? I'd be happy with cooler temps, but I'm not gonna get my way.
Thought I'd take a look at your first list (again). I'd given it a thumbs up a long time ago. I'm also very fond of Games Without Frontiers (what is it in French? Jeux Sans Frontieres or something that sounds like She's so funky, yeah). Always liked You May Be Right and I Will Follow. Your #5 song name drops my state of birth and residence. Fun (?) fact. 😉
It did my spirits a lot of good the other day when I got your comment (Porcupine Tree). Been too many rough days lately. Thanks for making me feel better, Michele. 💙
woman in love this was one of the best years ever
Fav Year Ever
1. Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime.
2. B52' s - Give Me Back My.Man
3. Diana Ross - My Old Piano
4. .Peter Gabriel.- Games Without Frontiers.
5. Prince - Whe You Were Mine
Excellent call on Give Me Back My Man.
Billboard:
1.Queen - Another One Bites The Dust
2.Devo - Whip It
3.Gary Numan - Cars
4.Kurtis Blow - The Breaks
5.The Whispers - And The Beat Goes On
Wildcards:
1.The Brothers Johnson - Stomp!
2.The Pretenders - Brass In Pocket
3.Jermaine Jackson ft. Stevie Wonder - Let's Get Serious
4.Prince - When You We're Mine
5.Pat Benatar - Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Billboards Worst:
Meco - Empire Strikes Back (Medley)
Other Songs I Dig From 1980:
The Brothers Johnson - Stomp!
Ambrosia - Livin' On My Own
The Jacksons - Everybody
Shalamar - Some Things Never Change
Seawind - What Cha' Doin'
Breakwater - You
Rene & Angela - Turn it Out
Chic - Chip Off The Old Block
Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Skyy - Superlove
Dazz Band - Magnetized
The Whispers - And The Beat Goes On
Billy Joel - You May Be Right
The Reddings - Remote Control
Cameo - Cameosis
Commodores - Celebrate
Jermaine Jackson ft. Stevie Wonder - Let's Get Serious
Stone City Band - Strut Your Stuff
Tom Browne - Funkin' For Jamaica
Ronnie Laws - O.T.B.A. (Outta Be A Law)
Bobby Thurston - You Got What It Takes
Peabo Bryson - When Will I Learn
Stacy Lattisaw - Don't You Want To Feel It (For Yourself)
The Police - Voices Inside My Head
George Benson - Give Me The Night
Billy Squier - The Big Beat
Van Halen - Romeo Delight
Gladys Knight & The Pips - Taste Of Bitter Love
Confunkshun- Happy Face
Geraldine Hunt - Can't Fake The Feeling
Christopher Cross's "Ride Like a Wind" and "Sailing" were actually 1979 songs. They were both from his 1979 album "Christopher Cross".
But they charted in 80 so they’re eligible for the HOT 100 list
Refugee would be my Hot 100 pick. Price You Pay would be my wildcard pick. My overall #1 is Refugee. The Heartbreakers poured everything they had into the recording of that song ... and it was worth it.
I will listen to the Abba out of respect for Joe, but I can tell ya right now the Heads get my vote and I predict a runaway victory for them.
I’m sure you will be proved right, Rich, but I have voted for Abba. In my view, The Winner.... is easily their best ever song, whereas Talking Heads made several that are much better than ....Lifetime.
What I like about your musical selections is that they don't follow a rigid compartmental framework. Us old guys tended to have the cheese antennas on at all times. Thus we missed a lot of great gear through being too doctrinaire. I suppose some of this doctrinaire-ism springs from the New Wave and Post-Punk movements where anything oldey wavey was verboten for awhile. The New Wave revolution was so strong in British diaspora countries that it took some time to integrate it back into the mainstream. It lingered in UK music but was essentially assimilated by the late 80's. You guys are coming at this from a more universal, well-rounded perspective than many of us did back then in our early years.
5. The Spirit of Radio - Rush
4. Tunnel of Love - Dire Straits
3. Phantom of the Opera - Iron Maiden
2. Heaven and Hell - Black Sabbath
1. Back in Black - AC/DC
Townshend's "Let My Love Open The Door". Don't think he thought much of it until it was released as a single and was a Top 10 hit in the U.S. Think it was later used in the movies Look Who's Talking and Mr Deeds.
Odyssey's UK No1 dance hit "Use It Up And Wear It Out", featuring some epic cheesy synth.
1 - Steve Winwood - While you see a chance
2 - Visage - Fade to Grey
3 - David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes
4 - Roxy Music - The Same Old Scene
5 - Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
While you see a chance was released as a single in 1981… just saying. - Joe
@@TastesLikeMusic indeed you are right! Nice to see it feature in the '81 video. Keep up the the good work!
Status Quo's "What You're Proposing". Back to basics brilliance, kept off the top spot in the UK by Barbara Streisand's "Woman In Love".
1980 🎵🌈
1. Another Nail in My Heart - Squeeze
2. Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
3. Hey Nineteen - Steely Dan
4. I Will Follow - U2
5. King - UB40
6. Once In A Lifetime - Talking Heads
7. The Spirit of Radio - Rush
8. Stop Your Sobbing - The Pretenders
9. While You See A Chance - Steve Winwood
10. Whip It - Devo
Listo 4ever 🏆🏵️
Thumbs up for Whip It! Such an iconic song.
Best Track:
WAH! HEAT - Better Scream
Best Singles:
1. MOTÖRHEAD - Ace Of Spades
2. AND THE NATIVE HIPSTERS - There Goes Concorde Again
3. THE CHORDS - Maybe Tomorrow
4. CARLENE CARTER - Baby Ride Easy
5. WAH! HEAT - 7 Minutes To Midnight
Wildcards:
1. ELVIS COSTELLO - The Imposter
2. STEELY DAN - Babylon Sisters
3. PRETENDERS - Mystery Achievement
4. SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES - Christine
5. THE JAM - Going Underground
Honorable Mentions:
STRAY CATS - Runaway Boys
JOY DIVISION - Love Will Tear Us Apart
GIRLS AT OUR BEST! - Getting Nowhere Fast
THE ROLLING STONES - She's So Cold
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES
MAGAZINE - A Song From Under The Floorboards
THE BARRACUDAS - (I Wish It Could Be) 1965 Again
Whip It!
I'd concede it to "Once In A Lifetime", but for me "Whip It" is the most iconic song of 1980. And I just love the fact that lyrics (based on propaganda posters and limericks from Thomas Pynchon's "Gravity's Rainbow") that satirize optimistic individualism, were mistaken for being about masturbation and/or sado-masochism.
Don't forget "Arthur's Theme," Kram!
Jason's SOTYs this time might be my favorite from the guys yet. Some unexpected choices, and all great!
01. Bob Marley - Could You Be Loved
02. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
03. Hiromi Iwasaki - 女優 (Joyu/Actress)
04. Fehlfarben - Ein Jahr (Es geht voran)
05. Gal Costa - Aquarela do Brasil
06. Willie Colón/Ismael Miranda - Cuando Tu Quieras
07. Blondie - Call Me
08. Motorhead - Ace of Spades
09. Julio Iglesias - Hey!
10. Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
11. AC/DC - Back in Black
12. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All
13. John Lennon - Woman
14. Joy Division - Heart and Soul
I forgot 'Downhearted' by Australian Crawl. Loved that song when I was a 15 year old when it was released and still love it today. Nostalgic era of Aussie classic rock...
Looking for Clues Jason? Wow, for a guy who's not crazy about the 80s, you sure like some dated 80s cheese.
Love this year, deeply annoyed at several omissions on y'all's part.
10. The Cars - "Touch and Go" - Yep, had this circled for '80. Love the polyrhythms and Elliott's brilliant guitar work.
9. Talking Heads - "Once in a Lifetime" - It's wonderful, but there are 8 better songs for me. There is one song on Remain in Light which is almost as good and would be number 11...
8. U2 - "I Will Follow" - So urgent and elemental. I love songs with two great hooks (the guitar riff and the "Walkaway" vocal hook).
7. Blondie - "Rapture" - I get that everyone hates Debbie's attempt at rapping, but the main part of the song is so lushly grooving (I just love tubular bells, what can I say) that it doesn't matter.
6. The Soft Boys - "The Queen of Eyes" - Horrendously produced, but such ear candy nonetheless. I love the guitar interplay. It's like a punked-up version of Ringo's "Photograph" (which I just realized I criminally omitted from the top 10 in whatever year it came out. I don't care which year it was - it's surely top 10.).
5. The Teardrop Explodes - "Treason" - Speaking of Blondie, the verse of this song seems like a rip-off of "Atomic," but the whole thing is so juggernautically catchy that it doesn't matter. Julian's greatest moment in my book.
4. David Bowie - "Ashes to Ashes" - I love that the two Major Tom songs are two of Bowie's absolute best. This is a song I can play over and over again back to back and not get sick of. The synth solo at the end is an emotional highlight.
3. Rush - "The Spirit of Radio" - Too low on your lists, guys, too low. For those who have followed my rankings through the years, urgent and catchy are two of the hallmarks I look for in a great pop song. Someone mentioned in the Listography comments at some point that the last thing the world needed was Rush playing pop songs. Au contraire.
2. Joy Division - "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Ian Curtiss as Frank Sinatra (on the final version) - woulda thunkit? A deathless riff, and cue it up - urgent and catchy. I like the final version for the Sinatra vocals and the deliberate "And Then He Kissed Me" quote at the end (Hook's bass comping sounds like the bari saxes Phil Spector used, which verifies that they did it on purpose), but I like the earlier version for the greater guitar urgency (played by Ian).
1. Joy Division - "Decades" - Such a deathless masterpiece. Ian's definitive statement. Love the synth work here (the creepy/sickly sound in the verses, but especially the haunting choir-like work in the instrumental bridge, which takes it over the top emotionally), but also love Hook's sympathetic bass work.
Final cuts: Talking Heads' (I would pay big money for everyone in the world to stop saying "The Talking Heads" - they freaking released an album entitled The Name of This Band is Talking Heads, and the world shoots back, what do you know? You're only the band) "The Great Curve," Siouxsie & the Banshees' "Israel" (this is an edit - I thought this wonderful atmospheric gem came out in '81. I should probably elevate it to top 10, but I like my top 11), Blondie's "Call Me," Yes's "Machine Messiah," Joy Division's "Twenty-Four Hours," "Atmosphere," and "Colony," The Clash's "Magnificent Seven," The Soft Boys' "Kingdom of Love," The Police's "Driven to Tears," and Herb Alpert's "Rise." Other HM's: XTC's "Generals and Majors," Joy Division's "A Means to an End," "The Eternal," and "Atrocity Exhibition," Bruce Springsteen's "Hungry Heart," Elvis Costello & the Attractions' "King Horse," "Love for Tender," and "Man Called Uncle," The Soft Boys' "Tonight," Yes's "Into the Lens," The Clash's "The Call-Up," Iron Maiden's "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Iron Maiden," The Pretenders' "Precious" and "Up the Neck," The English Beat's "Best Friend," David Bowie's "Scary Monsters" and "Because You're Young," Echo & the Bunnymen's "The Puppet," "Pictures on My Wall," and "Villiers Terrace," The Feelies' "Fa-Ce-La," Kate Bush's "Babooshka," Peter Gabriel's "Lead a Normal Life" and "Biko," Japan's "Gentlemen Take Polaroids," Ultravox's "Passing Strangers" and "Vienna," The Dead Kennedys' "Holiday in Cambodia," Linda Ronstadt's "Girls Talk," Air Supply's "All Out of Love" (sorry, Joe), and Christopher Cross's "Sailing" and "Ride Like the Wind."
Re: "I would pay big money for everyone in the world to stop saying 'The Talking Heads' - they freaking released an album entitled The Name of This Band is Talking Heads." I second that! Back in 1982, I figured that they had put the matter to rest, but no luck.
@@harmonium8198 "The Talking Heads" appears to be an American thing as I've never heard a Brit add "the" to their name.
@@edvonblue Interesting. It must just be the occasional slip-up. In the book's subtitle and its first few chapters, anyway (I haven't looked further than that), Frantz refers to the band as "Talking Heads," without the "The."
Billboard:
Gary Numan - Cars
Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love
ELO - All Over the World
The Pretenders - Brass in Pocket
Fleetwood Mac - Sara
Wildcard:
Blondie - Angels on the Balcony
Alice Cooper - Clones (We're All)
U2 - Shadows and Tall Trees
The Cars - Misfit Kid
OMD - Statues
Worst: Bette Midler - The Rose
Best: AC/DC - Back In Black
I was 12. The record "Back in Black" dominated my young musical landscape that year so "You Shook Me all Night Long" has to be my top pick.
I was in college at the time. Every Monday, before going to a part-time job, I would go to a small Italian restaurant, order a calzone, and play "You Shook Me All Night Long" on the jukebox.
@@bobsmith3217 ha ha right on
coming up is so great...correct about lennon....Michael mcdonald sings backup on Christopher cross's ride Ike the wind...
Entertaining! Once In A Lifetime, Games Without Frontiers and The River are truly wonderful songs, but you all missed The One. Others have said the same thing but Love Will Tear Us Apart is peerless. Not even a mention! I struggle to think of a more devastating lyric for any song and set against the jaunty tune it wipes me out.
The best year for songs up to this point.
(Honourable Mentions: Blondie - The Tide is High, Echo and the Bunnymen - Rescue, Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime, Simple Minds - I Travel, The Cure - In Your House)
Charting Songs:
5. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Israel (UK #41)
4. Devo - Whip It! (US#14, UK#51)
3. Blondie - Call Me (US#1, UK#1, Germany#14)
2. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart (UK#12)
1. The Cure - A Forest (UK#31) [Atmosphere on point.]
Wildcards:
5. Joy Division - The Eternal
4. Talking Heads - Houses in Motion
3. The Cure - Play for Today
2. Siouxsie - Red Light
SONG OF THE YEAR 1980: Talking Heads - Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) [A song which creativity, danceability and infectiousness is unparalleled.]
Great pick for favorite song, I swear half of that album could go on my top 10 songs.
@@lemusthealien Remain in Light is a perfect album imo. I wouldn't change one thing.
@@Sir_Eyeball Could be my favorite album of the decade honestly, but i'd really have to dig deeper into full albums from the later 80's to say that with more confidence.
"Born Under Punches" is great. Love the live version in Rome with Adrien Belew.
@@edgustafson Yeah that live version is amazing!
Cliff Richard's atmospheric "Carrie", reached No.4 in the UK.
Interesting lists. Some nice twists in there. Since Kram had some yacht rock on his list I don't feel so self-conscious about some on mine.
Hot 100:
5. Steal Away - Robbie Dupree
4. Biggest Part Of Me - Ambrosia
3. Misunderstanding - Genesis
2. Emotional Rescue - The Rolling Stones
1. Another One Bites The Dust - Queen (Song of the Year)
Wild Card:
5. Living In The Plastic Age - Buggles
4. Switchin' To Glide - The Kings
3. Skin Deep - Crack The Sky
2. That's Entertainment - The Jam
1. Respectable Street - XTC
Least Favorite Top 40 Song:
Please Don't Go - KC & The Sunshine Band
My 80s songlists would be dominated mainly by two great bands, Psychedelic Furs and Midnight Oil - intercepted by the short but substantial outburst of The Smiths. But since most of their albums already made it into the AOTY lists, I skip the individual songs here to make it more interesting. After all, there are far more great tunes than the 80s are given credit for by many.
HM - Dexys Midnight Runners - Geno, Pete Townshend - Jools and Jim, Ian Hunter - We Gotta Get Out of Here (with Mick Ronson, one of the four studio tracks on their live Welcome to the Club, also released as a single), Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train, Jona Lewie - Stop the Cavalry (It was not intended as a Christmas song, rather a protest song)
5. Stiff Little Fingers - Doesn't Make it Alright (Often called the Irish Clash, here it includes the mixture of punk with reggae. The original version by The Specials from 1979 is good but the SLF explosion is another dimension.)
4. Hoyt Axton - Della and the Dealer (1979's Rusty Old Halo is the man's best album for me and this was the third single released from it in 1980. He is better known as a songwriter than as a performer but here he is at his peak. The whole album is worth checking out, if -like me - you are not a real country fan.)
3. Rumour - Houston (Graham Parker's band without him...great song and deserved to be a big hit but it was lacking a singer to front it - not Parker but someone of his class.)
2. Robert Palmer - Johnny and Mary (Since his days in Vinegar Joe alongside Elkie Brooks, Palmer was a musical chameleon who often created stunning results. Here he operates halfway between Gary Numan and Bryan Ferry with an unforgettable classic. And yes, Ferry himself would cover the song in 2014.)
1. Martha & the Muffins - Echo Beach (Toronto's New Wave and one of the best and most enduring songs from the era - maybe the topic to escape the boring office job to an imaginary beach reaches through the ages...)
Yes, Midnight Oil!
Far Away Inside ! The other Martha (Ladly) joined The Associates for their terrific Sulk album.
Diesel and Dust is a stunning album and so glad to see someone else loves Echo Beach - as soon as I hear that keyboard riff I am right back there!
No Captain Beefheart? Thought Hot Head might be in your list
@@davidellis5141 Thank you for reminding me of The Associates. Their song Breakfast was a minor hit over here in the Netherlands. Such a beautiful song.
My favourite songs of 1980 n no specific order:
- Japan: Nightporter
- Jam: That's Entertainment
- Elvis Costello: New Amsterdam
- Joy Division: Love Will Tear Us Apart
- Flying Lizards: Money
- Diana Ross: Upside Down
- Abba: The Winner Takes It All
and Fleetwood Mac's acoustic version of Never Going Back Again from the Live album.
Kenny Rogers friend Lionel Richie wrote Lady for him. It had Lionel Ritchie hooks. That is how it made it big.
Props on Sailing and RLTW Kramzer , i like both. Sailing was seriously fun to sing and play drums on a few years back. And just recently a keyboardist in his 20s started RLTW at open mic and i was on drums at the time. Quite a surprise. Unprops on your opinion of I'm Alright... w Eddie Money adding some vocal stylings on that track. it tis a good song.
I’m Alright makes me think of Bill Murray’s outstanding performance in Caddyshack, so at least it has that going for it.
The interesting thing with Christopher Cross is, once he was out of the public’s consciousness he was, like, Gone with a capital G (Gone with the wind?).
He himself blamed MTV for it who didn’t play his videos (if I’m correct).
I guess he has a point there, but the thing is, Christopher Cross is the guy working at the local gas station, or the holiday worker asking if you want a refill at a restaurant.
Not a looker in that sense.
His success lingered on for a bit with Arthur’s Theme (NY City) and Alright in Europe, but by the mid 80’s that was about it and I think his complaints added fuel to the fire to his critics and the public perception of him how it turned out to be.
In other words, he couldn’t win.
Madness "Baggy Trousers" which was a No 3 UK hit for Suggs and the boys.