1980 in music

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Years in music:	1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983
Centuries:	19th Century · 20th century · 21st century
Decades:	1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
Years:	1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983

See also:

[edit] Events

[edit] January

January 1 - Cliff Richard is appointed an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II. The only other pop music acts to be created MBEs are the Beatles and Elton John
January 7 - At the age of 45, songwriter Larry Williams is found dead in his Los Angeles, California home of a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators are never able to determine whether his death was a murder or suicide.
January 13 - The Beach Boys, Grateful Dead, and Jefferson Starship perform at a benefit concert at Oakland Coliseum for the people of Kampuchea.
January 16 - Paul McCartney is arrested in Tokyo for possession of a half pound of marijuana. The remaining part of McCartney's tour had to be canceled.
January 25 - Paul McCartney is released from a Japanese jail and is kicked out of the country by Japanese authorities.
January - Daniel Amos and Randy Stonehill wrap up the first part of the Amos and Randy Tour in Toronto. Both artists are joined on stage by Larry Norman for an encore. The event makes the news on local television and newspapers.
January - The Buggles created their Music video for their song Living in the Plastic Age.

[edit] February

February 8 - David Bowie and his wife of nearly 10 years, Angie, file for divorce. Bowie gets custody of their 9 year old son, Zowie
February 14 - Lou Reed marries Sylvia Morales in New York City's Greenwich Village
February 19 - Bon Scott, lead singer of AC/DC, dies in London. Although common folklore cites pulmonary aspiration of vomit as the cause of his death, the official cause was listed as "Acute alcohol poisoning" and "Death by Misadventure".
February 29 - Buddy Holly's trademark eyeglasses and the Big Bopper's wristwatch are "rediscovered" in old police files by the Mason City, Iowa Sheriff. Holly and the Big Bopper were killed in a plane crash on February 3, 1959 along with singer Ritchie Valens.

[edit] March

March 1 - Patti Smith marries former MC5 member Fred Sonic Smith
March 3 - Sotheby's Auction house in London auctions off a Rivera Hotel, Las Vegas napkin signed by Elvis Presley for 500 pounds. Other items auctioned included four American dollar bills autographed by the Beatles, for 220 pounds and a collection of personal letters belonging to the Rolling Stones, also for 220 pounds
March 14 - Record producer Quincy Jones receives a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame
March 19 - Elvis Presley's autopsy is subpoenaed during the trial of Dr. George Nichopoulous, who would later be found guilty of overprescribing drugs to Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and other clients.

[edit] April–December

April 13 - The Broadway musical Grease closes its run of 3,388 performances, making it the longest running show on Broadway up until that time.
April 14 - A member of the New Jersey State assembly introduces a resolution to make Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" the official state song.
April 17 - As the "official guests of State", Bob Marley and the Wailers perform at Zimbabwe's Independence festival. Marley calls the event the "greatest honor of my life."
April 30 - The Roger Daltrey film, McVicar, opens in London.
May 18 - Ian Curtis, vocalist of pioneering post-punk group Joy Division, hangs himself in his Macclesfield home. His death comes just days before Joy Division are scheduled to begin their first U.S. tour.
June - Rock and Roll pioneer Bill Haley performs for the last time during a tour of South Africa. After this tour, his health deteriorates and he dies in February 1981. July 1980 marks the 25th anniversary of Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" reaching No. 1 on the American singles charts.
August 23 – The Heatwave festival near Toronto featured The B-52's, the Talking Heads, The Pretenders, Elvis Costello and many others.
September 25 - Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham found dead at age 32. The night previous Bonham had spent on a drinking binge leading to his passing out at Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page's country estate in Windsor, Berkshire. Sometime during the night, Bonham choked on his own vomit and died. He was found dead the next morning by Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones. Led Zeppelin officially broke up in December of that year as a result, never to reunite. They are second only to The Beatles in terms of albums sold.
November 21 - The Eagles' Don Henley is arrested when cocaine, Quaaludes, and marijuana were found in his hotel room after a nude 16 year old prostitute had drug-related seizures. Henley is also subsequently charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
December - Duran Duran signs with EMI after finalizing its lineup and touring as a support act for Hazel O'Connor
December 8 - John Lennon is shot dead outside of his apartment building in New York City.

[edit] unknown dates

The single "Groovy Ghost Show" by Casper is the first recorded hip hop music from Chicago, Illinois
The Hee Bee Gee Bees release cutting parody of Bee Gees' disco-style single. Though not a hit in the UK, it is a huge success elsewhere, particularly in Australia, and helps to encourage the Gibb brothers to diversify stylistically
Network Riddum Band's Breaking Out is the first occurrence of the term rapso as the musical genre continues its popularization
Seals & Crofts break up
Bachman-Turner Overdrive break up (they reform periodically over the years)
The Eagles break up (they reform in 1994)
The Germs break up
George Clinton dissolves Parliament
Horslips break up
Gentle Giant break up
The Buggles break up
Boys Next Door disband and become The Birthday Party
Wire disband (they reform in 1985)
Mercyful Fate forms
Minor Threat forms
The Sisters of Mercy forms
Phil Collins signs a contract with Atlantic Records to distribute his solo records in the US and in Europe outside the UK (on WEA label)
Hüsker Dü forms, and signs a contract with SST Records

[edit] Albums released

A - Jethro Tull
Absolutely - Madness
Ace of Spades - Motörhead
After Dark - Andy Gibb
All Shook Up - Cheap Trick
Animal Magnetism - Scorpions
Argybargy - Squeeze
Autoamerican - Blondie
Avoid Freud - Rough Trade
Back in Black - AC/DC
Back On The Streets - Donnie Iris
The Birthday Party - The Birthday Party
Blizzard of Ozz - Ozzy Osbourne (solo debut)
Boy - U2 (debut)
British Steel - Judas Priest
Burning Blue Soul - Matt Johnson
Camellia III and Camellia IV - Ebiet G. Ade
Catholic Boy - Jim Carroll Band
Chicago XIV - Chicago
Christopher Cross - Christopher Cross
Closer - Joy Division
Come Upstairs - Carly Simon
Common One - Van Morrison
Crazy Rhythms - The Feelies
Departure - Journey
diana - Diana Ross
Dirty Mind - Prince
Dome 1 - Dome
Don't Fight It - Red Rider
Double Fantasy - John Lennon & Yoko Ono
Dream After Dream - Journey
Duke - Genesis
East - Cold Chisel
Eat to the Beat - Blondie
Empty Glass - Pete Townshend
End of the Century - The Ramones
Flush the Fashion - Alice Cooper
Freedom of Choice - Devo
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables - Dead Kennedys
The Game - Queen
Gaucho - Steely Dan
Grace and Danger - John Martyn
Greatest Hits - Kenny Rogers
Group Sex - The Circle Jerks (debut)
Growing Up in Public - Lou Reed
Get Happy!! - Elvis Costello
Glass Houses - Billy Joel
Guilty - Barbra Streisand
Habibi Ana - Samir Al-Ajani
Hanx - Stiff Little Fingers
Head Games - Foreigner
Head On - Samson
Heathen Earth - Throbbing Gristle
Heaven and Hell - Black Sabbath
Hold Out - Jackson Browne
Humans - Bruce Cockburn
Hotter than July - Stevie Wonder
Ikite Itemo Iidesuka - Miyuki Nakajima
Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden(debut)
Immer nur träumen - Die Flippers
Inside Job - Dion DiMucci
The Inside Story - Robben Ford
I Just Can't Stop It - The English Beat
I'm a Rebel - Accept
It's Whats Inside That Counts - Critical Mass
Jazziz- John Serry
Joe's Garage Acts II and III - Frank Zappa
Just One Night - Eric Clapton
Kurtis Blow - Kurtis Blow
Kings of the Wild Frontier - Adam and the Ants
Keeping Our Love Warm - Captain & Tennille
Lightning to the Nations - Diamond Head
Live - The Eagles (2-record set)
Live at Last - Black Sabbath
Live...im the Heart of the City - Whitesnake
Longest Road - Seals & Crofts (final album)
Loud N" Clear - Sammy Hagar
Love Lives Forever - Minnie Riperton
Making Movies - Dire Straits
McCartney II - Paul McCartney
Metal-rendez-vous - Krokus
Mekons - The Mekons
More Specials - The Specials
Neutronica - Donovan
Never Alone - Amy Grant
On Through the Night - Def Leppard (debut)
Operation Radication - Yellowman
Panorama - The Cars
Paul Davis - Paul Davis
Permanent Waves - Rush
Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel
Pretenders - The Pretenders
The Psychedelic Furs - The Psychedelic Furs
Ready an' Willin' - Whitesnake
Reign Of Terror/Throne Of Blood - Laughing Clowns
Remain in Light - Talking Heads
The River - Bruce Springsteen
Romance Dance - Kim Carnes
The Romantics - The Romantics
Roses in the Snow - Emmylou Harris
Sandinista! - The Clash (triple album)
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)- David Bowie
Scream Dream - Ted Nugent
Searching For The Young Soul Rebels - Dexy's Midnight Runners
Seventeen Seconds - The Cure
Shadows and Light - Joni Mitchell
Snap Crackle and Bop - John Cooper Clarke]
Something Better Change - D.O.A.
Sound Affects - The Jam
Stations of the Crass - Crass
Strong Arm of the Law - Saxon
Super Trouper - ABBA
Trilogy: Past Present Future - Frank Sinatra
Trombipulation - Parliament
Ultra Wave - Bootsy Collins
Urban Cowboy soundtrack - various artists
Unmasked - KISS
Voices - Daryl Hall & John Oates
The Wanderer - Donna Summer
Warm Leatherette - Grace Jones
Wheels of Steel - Saxon
Willie Nile - Willie Nile (debut)
Women and Children First - Van Halen
Xanadu (soundtrack by Olivia Newton-John, Electric Light Orchestra)
Zapp - Zapp
Zenyatta Mondatta - The Police

[edit] Chronological table of US and UK #1 hit singles

US #1 Singles and Artist (Weeks at #1)	UK #1 Singles and Artist (Weeks at #1)
"Please Don't Go" - KC & The Sunshine Band (1) "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" - Rupert Holmes (2 weeks in 1979 + 1 week in 1980) "Rock with You" - Michael Jackson (4) "Do That To Me One More Time" - The Captain & Tennille (1) "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" - Queen (4) "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II" - Pink Floyd (4) "Call Me" - Blondie (6), best selling single of the year "Funkytown" - Lipps Inc (4) "Coming Up (Live At Glasgow)" - Paul McCartney (3) "It's Still Rock n' Roll To Me" - Billy Joel (2) "Magic" - Olivia Newton-John (4) "Sailing" - Christopher Cross (1) "Upside Down" - Diana Ross (4) "Another One Bites the Dust" - Queen (3) "Woman in Love" - Barbra Streisand (3) "Lady" - Kenny Rogers (6) "(Just Like) Starting Over" - John Lennon (1 week in 1980 + 2 weeks in 1981)	"Another Brick in the Wall Part II" - Pink Floyd (3 weeks in 1979 + 2 weeks in 1980) "Brass In Pocket" - Pretenders (2) "The Special AKA Live EP - Too Much Too Young" - Specials featuring Rico (2) "Coward Of The County" - Kenny Rogers (2) "Atomic" - Blondie (2) "Together We Are Beautiful" - Fern Kinney (1) "Going Underground/The Dreams Of Children" - The Jam (3) "Working My Way Back To You - Forgive Me Girl" - Detroit Spinners (2) "Call Me" - Blondie (1) "Geno" - Dexy's Midnight Runners (2) "What's Another Year" - Johnny Logan (2) "Suicide Is Painless (Theme From MASH)" - MASH (3) "Crying" - Don McLean (3) "Xanadu" - Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra (2) "Use It Up And Wear It Out" - Odyssey (2) "The Winner Takes It All" - ABBA (2) "Ashes To Ashes" - David Bowie (2) "Start" - The Jam (1) "Feels Like I'm in Love" - Kelly Marie (2) "Don't Stand So Close to Me"- The Police (4), best selling single of the year "Woman in Love" - Barbra Streisand (3) "The Tide Is High" - Blondie (2) "Super Trouper" - ABBA (3) "(Just Like) Starting Over" - John Lennon (1) "There's No One Quite Like Grandma" - St Winifred's School Choir (1 week in 1980 + 1 week in 1981)

US #1 Singles and Artist
(Weeks at #1)

UK #1 Singles and Artist
(Weeks at #1)

"Please Don't Go" - KC & The Sunshine Band (1)
"Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" - Rupert Holmes (2 weeks in 1979 + 1 week in 1980)
"Rock with You" - Michael Jackson (4)
"Do That To Me One More Time" - The Captain & Tennille (1)
"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" - Queen (4)
"Another Brick in the Wall, Part II" - Pink Floyd (4)
"Call Me" - Blondie (6), best selling single of the year
"Funkytown" - Lipps Inc (4)
"Coming Up (Live At Glasgow)" - Paul McCartney (3)
"It's Still Rock n' Roll To Me" - Billy Joel (2)
"Magic" - Olivia Newton-John (4)
"Sailing" - Christopher Cross (1)
"Upside Down" - Diana Ross (4)
"Another One Bites the Dust" - Queen (3)
"Woman in Love" - Barbra Streisand (3)
"Lady" - Kenny Rogers (6)
"(Just Like) Starting Over" - John Lennon (1 week in 1980 + 2 weeks in 1981)

"Another Brick in the Wall Part II" - Pink Floyd (3 weeks in 1979 + 2 weeks in 1980)
"Brass In Pocket" - Pretenders (2)
"The Special AKA Live EP - Too Much Too Young" - Specials featuring Rico (2)
"Coward Of The County" - Kenny Rogers (2)
"Atomic" - Blondie (2)
"Together We Are Beautiful" - Fern Kinney (1)
"Going Underground/The Dreams Of Children" - The Jam (3)
"Working My Way Back To You - Forgive Me Girl" - Detroit Spinners (2)
"Call Me" - Blondie (1)
"Geno" - Dexy's Midnight Runners (2)
"What's Another Year" - Johnny Logan (2)
"Suicide Is Painless (Theme From M*A*S*H)" - M*A*S*H (3)
"Crying" - Don McLean (3)
"Xanadu" - Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra (2)
"Use It Up And Wear It Out" - Odyssey (2)
"The Winner Takes It All" - ABBA (2)
"Ashes To Ashes" - David Bowie (2)
"Start" - The Jam (1)
"Feels Like I'm in Love" - Kelly Marie (2)
"Don't Stand So Close to Me"- The Police (4), best selling single of the year
"Woman in Love" - Barbra Streisand (3)
"The Tide Is High" - Blondie (2)
"Super Trouper" - ABBA (3)
"(Just Like) Starting Over" - John Lennon (1)
"There's No One Quite Like Grandma" - St Winifred's School Choir (1 week in 1980 + 1 week in 1981)