1980: The Year In Music

1980 – The World Health Organization announce that smallpox has been eradicated. The Mount St. Helens eruption kills 57 people and causes over $1 billion in damages. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein declares a holy war against Iran. A tumultuous start to the 80’s … but the music made up for it!

I’ll be looking at the popular and highest-rated songs / albums of the year, giving my opinions on their musicality and longevity as well as an overall verdict for the year as a whole.

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Billboard Top 10 (Popular) Singles

Source: Wikipedia

10 – The Rose (Bette Midler)

Bette Midler might have been a star in her day, but I don’t think her work has stood the test of time.

The piano and vocal melodies are pretty boring, and the grand orchestration does nothing to wow me.

9 – It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me (Billy Joel)

Billy Joel gives “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” a nice bounciness, but it has always felt like a filler track to me.

8 – Funkytown (Lipps Inc)

Yes, I know “Funkytown” is one of the most loathed hits in history, but I still really like it.

I love the odd vocals and the simple synths, and the energetic chorus is such an earworm.

7 – Coming Up (Paul McCartney)

Fun fact – my parents hate this song. I think it’s one of McCartney’s best solo efforts.

“Coming Up” embraces the Funk whole-heartedly, and the rising choruses are a lot of fun.

6 – Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Queen)

It’s criminal how little of Queen we’ve seen in this musical retrospective – they were big for their time, but it seems they hardly cracked the Billboard hits.

An exception to this was the awesome “Crazy Little Thing Call Love”, a bop through and through with exceptional turns and twists in the songwriting to keep you on the tip of your toes.

5 – Do That To Me One More Time (Captain & Tennille)

“Do That To Me One More Time” has some gorgeous vocals and riffs, but it plays out like a standard ballad.

4 – Rock with You (Michael Jackson)

Early Michael Jackson is my favourite version of Michael Jackson, and “Rock with You” is one of my favourites – it’s so slick and cool, with great songwriting that mixes things up every now and again.

3 – Magic (Olivia Newton-John)

Olivia Newton-John’s work in “Grease” is timeless, but I feel her later solo work is only at home in her own era – in other words, it sounds a bit too cheesy and old school by today’s standards.

“Magic” is fine, but I’m not going to go out of my way to play it again.

2 – Another Brick in the Wall, Part II (Pink Floyd)

One of the weird things about doing these year-by-year lists is that sometimes a song in one year’s “Highest Rated” ends up being in the Billboard “Top Hits” the next year, which is exactly what happened with “Another Brick In The Wall”.

It’s a phenomenal track, but I already talked about it in 1979’s entry so I’ll skip over it at the risk of repeating myself.

1 – Call Me (Blondie)

Blondie was at the forefront of an exciting new wave of music in 1980 called … well, New Wave.

“Call Me” is one of the best New Wave songs, with a moody vocal delivery and angsty production.

FAVOURITE – “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” (Queen)

LEAST FAVOURITE – “The Rose” (Bette Midler)

Top-Rated Songs

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

10 – That’s Entertainment (The Jam)

I know The Jam for their hard-hitting Punk bangers, so “That’s Entertainment” came as quite a shock.

The stripped-back acoustic vibe works well, and I really like Paul Weller’s lyrics.

9 – The Spirit Of Radio (Rush)

It always blows my mind when I remember Rush is only comprised of three insanely talented musicians.

Geddy Lee on bass and Neil Peart on drums usually get most of the credit, but this is Alex Lifeson’s time to shine on guitar – his shredding is amazing!

8 – Redemption Song (Bob Marley & The Wailers)

Bob Marley is well-known for his Reggae masterclasses, but it’s the simple nature of “Redemption Song” that makes it so powerful.

The guitar and Marley’s vocals work together in perfect harmony, and his lyrics hit me deep in my soul.

7 – A Forest (The Cure)

The opening few seconds of “A Forest” already set a fascinating soundscape, and the rest of the track doesn’t let up.

I love the moody atmosphere and vocals, and the choice of chords is inspired. I hadn’t heard this track before doing this list and it’s already a favourite.

6 – Holiday In Cambodia (Dead Kennedys)

Dead Kennedys are like if The Sex Pistols merged with The B-52’s. In other words, it’s odd as hell.

I can kinda dig it, but I think “Holiday In Cambodia” will need to sit with me a while longer before I can appreciate it.

5 – The River (Bruce Springsteen)

1980 seems to be the year of soft ballads – both “That’s Entertainment” and “Redemption Song” were lighter than one might expect, and now “The River” is much more tender than I’m used to for Springsteen.

The Boss’s lyrics and vocals are phenomenal, and the laid-back production feels really nostalgic.

4 – Decades (Joy Division)

“Decades” is unlike other Joy Division songs we’ve heard thus far – the production is much different, and it’s slower and more melancholic across the board.

It’s not a song that has a particularly stand-out performance or riff, but the overall dire atmosphere is very affecting nonetheless.

3 – Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) (Talking Heads)

Talking Heads went for something different on their ground-breaking album “Remain In Light”, and “Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)” was the perfect start.

It’s hard-hitting and erratic, and Byrne’s vocals / Eno’s production can be outright bizarre at points and I love it.

2 – Ashes To Ashes (David Bowie)

David Bowie is possibly my favourite music artist of all time, and “Ashes To Ashes” is my second favourite song of his behind “Heroes”. Needless to say, I adore this track.

The bass and off-kilter production are super fun, and Bowie’s sombre lyrics about substance addiction also bring Major Tom’s story full circle.

1 – Once In A Lifetime (Talking Heads)

“Once In A Lifetime” is my favourite song of all time. In other words, the competition didn’t stand a chance.

The chorus is the most rousing I’ve ever heard, Brian Eno kills it on production, and Byrne’s central vocal performance and existential lyrics always get a rise out of me.

BEST SONG OF 1980 – “Once In A Lifetime” (Talking Heads)

Top-Rated Albums

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

5 – Permanent Waves (Rush)

Rush are one of the most talented bands in music history – despite only having three members, their sound is colossal.

“Permanent Waves” is an excellent album, but I’d say it’s definitely strongest at the start with “The Spirit Of Radio” and “Freewill”.

4 – Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (David Bowie)

I used to hate “Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)” and had it as a bottom five Bowie album, but these days it’s closer to the top five. I guess younger me just had no taste!

It has some of my all-time favourite Bowie tracks like “Ashes to Ashes” and “Teenage Wildlife”, and other bops like “Fashion” and “It’s No Game (Pt. 2)” make it a worthwhile experience from front to back.

3 – Peter Gabriel III (Peter Gabriel)

I really like Peter Gabriel and the work that he’s done, but I couldn’t get into “Peter Gabriel III”.

It’s a random mish-mash of ideas that don’t always work, but the production is always top-notch.

2 – Closer (Joy Division)

If you go into “Closer” expecting more Joy Division Punk Rock, you’ll be disappointed. I, on the other hand, really liked this new direction.

There’s a newfound focus on production and self-expression, and tracks like “Atrocity Exhibition”, “Isolation” and “Decades” are really fascinating.

1 – Remain In Light (Talking Heads)

Inspired by African polyrhythms, David Byrne and the band decided to focus their next album on musical grooves with multiple overlapping ideas. The result was “Remain In Light”, and popular music was forever changed.

“Born Under Punches” and “Crosseyed And Painless” make for a great one-two punch opener, “The Great Curve” and “Once In A Lifetime” are two of the best songs I’ve ever heard, “Houses In Motion” and “Seen And Not Seen” are the grooviest tracks on the album, and “Listening Wind” and “The Overload” are a dark way to end a phenomenal record.

BEST ALBUM OF 1980 – “Remain In Light” (Talking Heads)

Final Thoughts

1980 was really good across the board, but it had its weak spots. I almost gave the year an “A-” grade, but I think I was letting my adoration of Talking Heads and Bowie skew the overall score.

Overall Grade: B+

Aaaaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: