1980
Week 42
WEEK ENDING 18TH OCTOBER 1980
TOP 40 SINGLES
| TW | ....... | LW | ....... | ....... | ||
| 1 | 1 | Police | Don't Stand So Close To Me | |||
| 2 | 2 | Ottawan | D.I.S.C.O. | |||
| 3 | 3 | Madness | Baggy Trousers | |||
| 4 | 11 | Sweet People | Et Les Oiseaux Chantaient (And The Birds Were Singing) | |||
| 5 | 27 | Status Quo | What You're Proposing | |||
| 6 | 4 | Stevie Wonder | Masterblaster (Jammin') | |||
| 7 | 7 | Odyssey | If You're Looking For A Way Out | |||
| 8 | 5 | Diana Ross | My Old Piano | |||
| 9 | 22 | Barbara Streisand | Woman In Love | |||
| 10 | 15 | Matchbox | When You Ask About Love | |||
| 11 | 9 | Black Slate | Amigo | |||
| 12 | 10 | Thin Lizzy | Killer On The Loose | |||
| 13 | 19 | Coffee | Casanova | |||
| 14 | 25 | Nolans | Gotta Pull Myself Together | |||
| 15 | 23 | Linx | You're Lying | |||
| 16 | 13 | Change | Searching | |||
| 17 | 17 | Bob Marley & The Wailers | Three Little Birds | |||
| 18 | 35 | OMD | Enoila Gay | |||
| 19 | 8 | Randy Crawford | One Day I'll Fly Away | |||
| 20 | 14 | Gillan | Trouble | |||
| 21 | 26 | George Benson | Love X Love | |||
| 22 | 6 | Specials | Stereotype / International Jet Set | |||
| 23 | 16 | Queen | Another One Bites The Dust | |||
| 24 | 31 | Air Supply | All Out Of Love | |||
| 25 | 38 | Bad Manners | Special Brew | |||
| 26 | 33 | Kate Bush | Army Dreamers | |||
| 27 | 12 | Kelly Marie | Feels Like I'm In Love | |||
| 28 | 18 | Split Enz | I Got You | |||
| 29 | 36 | Gilbert O'Sullivan | What's In A Kiss | |||
| 30 | 21 | Shalamar | I Owe You One | |||
| 31 | 20 | Elvis Presley | It's Only Love / Beyond The Reef | |||
| 32 | 34 | Gap Band | Party Lights | |||
| 33 | NEW | Rolling Stones | She's So Cold | |||
| 34 | NEW | Teena Marie | I Need Your Lovin' | |||
| 35 | NEW | Earth Wind And Fire | Let Me Talk | |||
| 36 | NEW | Showaddywaddy | Why Do Lovers Break Each Others Hearts | |||
| 37 | NEW | Adam & The Ants | Dog Eat Dog | |||
| 38 | 29 | Sheena Easton | Modern Girl | |||
| 39 | 30 | Black Sabbath | Paranoid | |||
| 40 | 24 | Hazel O'Connor | Eighth Day |
| 1 | Police |
Don't Stand So Close To Me |
| After
all those re-issues, the boys in blue were back with a
brand new song. No more sillyness about legs breaking on
the moon, being shipwrecked, or even female newscasters
(Sue Lawley). This time Sting was having fantasies about
going back to teaching, and having a crush on one of his
female pupils (whom also had a crush on him). If you
thought that was a strange subject for the most popular
band in the land to sing about, listen to the B side.
"Friends" told how they liked to eat their
friends (and make no bones about it). This single was the second one this year to debut on the chart at number one. It stayed there for four weeks, and was number one of the year on the year end countdown. |
| 2 | Ottawan | D.I.S.C.O. |
| This song did not stay in the top 40 for as long as you may think it did. This 11 week charting single quickly climbed for a three week stay at number two, but wasn't around for too long afterwards. I think one of the reasons for people thinking that it was around for much longer, was that until it started falling, it was played in the background between songs on Top Of The Pops every week. On a Channel Four show called Disco Inferno that was broadcast in 1998, Ottowan were included in a small section of acts that were described as Disco Criminals. I feel that this was completely without justification. This (and their 1981 hit) were perfect disco singles that filled the dance floor every time that they were played. It appears that musical snobbery even found it's way into the place where you'd least expect to find it, the disco scene. |
| 3 | Madness |
Baggy Trousers |
| I was going to be rude about this, but I can't because I like it really. It's just that I got so fed up of hearing it at the time, talk about overkill. It went on to spend two weeks at number three and become their biggest hit so far spending 11 weeks in the 40. If I remember correctly it was the ninth best selling single of the year. |
| 4 | Sweet People |
Et Les Oiseaux Chantaient (And The Birds Were Singing) |
| This
is one of those singles that surprised most by even
charting at all. It comprised some of the most gentle
music that you are ever likely to hear, with the
whistling of birds thrown in. No one of your own age
group would have liked it, but your parents and
grandparents would have loved it. It's number four peak
proves a point that Maizie Williams of Boney M once made, "In Cold Facts, A Record Sale Is Equally Valid From Anyone" |
| 5 | Status Quo |
What You're Proposing |
| Another
winner for the Quo in chart terms, but not so in the
lyric stakes (they really shouldn't have rhymed
"Proposing" with "Runny Nosing") Anyway, it quickly sped up the chart to number two where it was kept off the top by Ms. Streisand for 2 weeks. |
| 6 | Stevie Wonder |
Masterblaster (Jammin') |
| After entering the chart at number 30, this single made a massive climb to number four. This didn't normally happen to Stevie Wonder singles, but in this case there is a simple explanation, it's because this song was pure class and just had to happen. A tribute to Bob Marley, this single peaked at number two a fortnight later. This was a great favourite on the jukebox at the Duke Of Wellington in Ruabon. |
| 7 | Odyssey |
If You're Looking For A Way Out |
| And here's the one that remained on the chart for a week longer than Ottawan. This was a lovely song with beautiful vocals. After spending three weeks at number seven, it took a climb to number six, decided it didn't like it there so dropped back to seven before taking a steady slide down the chart. |
| 8 | Diana Ross |
My Old Piano |
| Diana
had just had her biggest hit for nine years with
"Upside Down", peaking at number two. The
parent album had been written and produced by Bernard
Edwards and Nile Rodgers who had been responsible for all
those Chic and Sister Sledge hits of the last couple of
years. This set Diana up for another two year run of
hits, before another fallow period followed. "My Old Piano" was just more of the same and peaked at number five. |
| 9 | Barbra Streisand |
Woman In Love |
| Barbra had been around making music and taking it into our chart since she first hit with "Second Hand Rose" back in 1966. It's number 14 peak wasn't bettered until she reached number 3 with "Evergreen" 11 years later. 1978 and 1979 had seen her have two more top five singles with duets (one with Neil Diamond, one with Donna Summer). In 1990 she turned to the successful songwriting and production skills of the Bee Gees, and this single was the first glimpse of the resulting album, 'Guilty'. After entering at number 22, it climbed to number nine and then to the very top, to become her biggest ever hit, spending three weeks on top. Strangely, the promo film seemed to consist entirely of clips from her 1977 film 'A Star Is Born'. |
| 10 | Matchbox |
When You Ask About Love |
| I didn't like the first three hits by Matchbox at all. So, I was pleasantly surprised when they released this cover of a 'Crickets' song. I'm not saying that it was one of the best singles of the year or anything like that, but it was a really pleasant song that peaked at number four and spent nine weeks in the top 40. |
| 12 | Thin Lizzy |
Killer On The Loose |
| The last classic single by Thin Lizzy was also their last top ten entry (peaking at number ten). It did attract a lot of controversy though. It's lyrics were said to be about mass murderer 'The Yorkshire Ripper'. |
| 13 | Coffee |
Casanova |
| This peaked at number 13, but I always thought of it as being a much bigger hit. It's probably due to hearing it so often on the radio. To be honest, I found this quite a boring record too. I quite liked their follow up "Slip And Dip", but that only got as high as number 57. |
| 14 | Nolans |
Gotta Pull Myself Together |
| It
really bugs me when people ridicule the Nolans. Many of
these people would have been humming along to their songs
Twenty years ago, but would no doubt deny it now. The
Nolans recorded some of the best pop songs of the early
'80s, and even though they didn't write their own
material, they had the voices that made them such big
hits. I have met and chatted to Linda Nolan on three
occasions, and she is a lovely person, certainly no prima
donna. My wife, as well as meeting Linda, has also met
Bernie, Anne, Maureen and Colleen and teels me that they
are nice too. Since the heady days of this reaching number nine in the chart, a lot has happened to the sisters. Linda left soon after the hits dried up and spent nine consecutive summer seasons starring on Blackpool's Central Pier, before moving to the South Pier for a couple of seasons. During that time, she also made regular appearances on James Whale's late Friday night TV show. Since then, she has continued to work the summer holiday circuit at various venues (usually near to her home town of Blackpool), and also appeared in Panto. Bernie and Colleen stayed with the group until the mid '90s, before Colleen retired from the business to be a full time mother. Bernie did some solo shows and appeared in the magnificant musical 'Oh What a Night' alongside Kid Creole (as well as other musicals, I think). Then in 2000 she joined the cast of the popular soap 'Brookside'. Hopefully, this will not be for long and she will get back to singing, as she is one of the best vocalists in the UK. As for Anne and Maureen, they are part of a new Nolans line up that also includes Anne's daughter 'Amy' and their niece 'Julia Sinclair' (Amy & Julia are also two thirds of a new group called 'Third Base' who are tipped for stardom). I was fortunate enough to see the new look Nolans at the Grand Theatre in Blackpool last Monday evening. The thing is, it was a new new look. Anne was unwell, so Colleen came out of retirement for the night. The new girls fitted in very well, Maureen is as beautiful as she ever was, and Colleen still has that cuteness about her that she had twenty years ago (she's my favourite). |
| 15 | Linx | You're Lying |
| What a boring song. This was the debut hit for David Grant's band and peaked at number 15. The best was yet to come. |
| 16 | Change |
Searching |
| Another single that reminds me of my early clubbing days. I hadn't thought their previous hit "A Lover's Holiday" was anything to write home about, but this was different. It had something about it that just 'walloped you on the head and said "I'm a classy song" '. Sadly it only climbed to number 11. |
| 17 | Bob Marley & The Wailers |
Three Little Birds |
| This was a strange release. Bob had just had his biggest hit to date with "Could You Be Loved" taken from his latest album 'Uprising'. But this single was taken from his 1977 album 'Exodus', quite a strange choice. It spent three weeks at it's peak of number 17 and proved to be Bob's last hit during his lifetime, he was diagnosed with Lung Cancer during the single's chart run. |
| 18 | OMD |
Enola Gay |
| A
song about a plane that caused so much suffering. Seems
sick in retrospect, but not as sick as the act itself.
Sad as it seems, most who bought the single probably
didn't have a clue what it was about anyway. Even though O.M.D. had already had a smaller hit with "Messages", this was the one that really broke them and reached number eight. |
| 19 | Randy Crawford |
One Day I'll Fly Away |
| And on to someone who could so easily have been as big as Whitney Houston, but instead spent the next six years grabbing the occasional slice of success. This was the biggest of them all, and was taken from the under-rated 'Last Night At Danceland album'. It spent two weeks at number two and has either already spawned a dance remix, or it will soon enough. Nicole Kidman covered this song on the "Moulin Rouge" soundtrack in 2001. |
| 20 | Gillan |
Trouble |
| Gillan released some good singles in the early '80s, this cover of the Elvis Presley hit wasn't one of them (actually, I don't like the original either). No matter what I thought, it still went to number 14. |
| 21 | George Benson |
Love X Love |
| Another song that very much reminds me of the Erbistok club that I used to frequent so often in the early '80s. A good disco single, but I feel that it was a little too similar to the title track of it's parent album "Give Me The Night". It peaked at number ten. |
| 22 | Specials |
Stereotype / International Jet Set |
| Another
great single by the Specials, and the third consecutive
one to contain a message in his lyrics (4th if you want
to be picky and include "A Message To You
Rudy"). The Stereotype in question was someone who
went out and got drunk every Saturday night. Funnily
enough, I had been through that phase for a couple of
months following the euphoria of turning 18, but just
before this record was released I had come to my senses
and realised that not only was I pissing my money up
against a wall, but that pubs and the people who
inhabited them were the most boring people in the world.
I still went clubbing on occasions, but that was through
a genuine love of the music. In hindsight, my train of
thought back then was also a good one for health reasons. The single was not exactly banned by Radio One, but they didn't play it very often. As it struggled to number 25, it looked as though their run of consecutive top ten hits was about to end. But it then surprisingly shot up to number six before falling back to number 22. |
| 23 | Queen |
Another One Bites The Dust |
| Seven of the previous eight Queen albums had all spawned a maximum of two single releases (Day At The Races belatedly spawned a third after the second failed to make the top thirty), but 'The Game' now boasted four top 20 hits. With this John Deacon written song, Queen had finally joined people like the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney & David Bowie in trying their hand at disco. This song laid the foundations for their under-rated 1982 album 'Hot Space'. Freddie and the boys would always bring the house down when performing this number seven peaking song live. But even though I'm a big Queen fan, I have to admit that the bass line owes more than a little to Chic's "Good Times". |
| 24 | Air Supply |
All Out Of Love |
| A good single that peaked at number eleven was the only hit this Australian band had in the UK, despite massive success in the USA. For some reason, this song reminds me of maintaining the shrub beds at a small housing complex called 'Meifod Place' in the Pen-Y-Bryn area of Wrexham. It also reminds me of Paul Burnett playing it on his Radio One lunchtime show, and then following it with his 'Fun At One' feature where he played a Barron Knights track called "Barron's Fun 40". This was a spoof on Tony Blackburn counting down the top 40, with plenty of "Sensational"s in there, and make believe singles such as "You Need Hands" by the Stranglers, "Turning Japanese" by Paul McCartney, and "Breathing" by Air Supply. |
| 25 | Bad Manners | Special Brew |
| I think that after their first two hits, Bad Manners were seen as a cheap imitation of Madness by many. Maybe some thought the same after this, but I changed my mind. It was one of the catchiest songs of the year and spent two weeks at number three, spending nine weeks in the top 40, dropping out in the week that the follow up "Lorraine" debuted. Buster Bloodvessel has said that he got the inspiration for this song from a can of the foul tasting 'Special Brew' lager, and composed it in a matter of minutes. |
| 26 | Kate Bush |
Army Dreamers |
| Kate's third single to be taken from the 'Never Forever' album, and it was another good 'un. A song that 'got at' people who joined the army. The video caused a little concern to it's explosions and apparent death scenes. Something of a slow climber, it peaked at number 16 and spent seven weeks in the top 40. |
| 27 | Kelly Marie | Feels Like I'm In Love |
| On
Channel Four's Disco Inferno broadcast in 1998, Kelly was
included in a small section of acts that were described
as Disco Criminals. The facts are, this Ray Dorset
composition spent two weeks at number one, spent 12 weeks
in the 40, was third best selling single of the year,
sounded a lot like Tina Charles, and the 12 inch was
bloody good. Sadly for Kelly she would not become a
superstar for two reasons, 1: She did not look anything like Debbie Harry or Olivia Newton John 2: NO ONE was going to take her seriously while she had those two male dancers in tow (ask the Boystown Gang !) 2 1/2: Oh Yeh, she had fake bagpipes on her third hit. |
| 28 | Split Enz |
I Got You |
| People may be surprised to learn that this single used to get played a lot in Clubs (at least in the ones that I frequented). It was the only hit for the band that contained the Finn brothers of later Crowded House fame. After a long climb it eventually peaked at number twelve and was very good. |
| 29 | Gilbert O'Sullivan |
What's In A Kiss |
| A nice comeback for Gilbert after five years away from the top 40. He'd now broken free from Gordon Mills' management and production, and was also in the process of sueing Gordon for unpaid royalties. This was his only hit on the CBS label and peaked at number 19. Gilbert won his court case, but never made the top 40 again. The closest he came was when his "So What" became a popular club record and made number 70 in 1990. |
| 30 | Shalamar |
I Owe You One |
| We could do with more like Shalamar around today. All of their singles were aimed at the clubs, but they were also good to just listen to. There was no aggression in them, it wouldn't annoy the neighbours too much if you played them too loud. Jody, Howard and Jeffrey were Angels sent from above to brighten up our little lives. They had amazingly failed to hit the top 40 earlier in the year with "The Second Time Around" & "Right In The Socket". But now they were having their biggest hit to date with this number 13 peaking single. They had to wait a further 18 months before they reached the top ten for the first time. |
| 31 | Elvis Presley |
It's Only Love / Beyond The Reef |
| If we discount "Way Down" on account of the fact that it was a single going nowhere until it shot to number one after Elvis died, then this was Elvis's first proper top three hit since "The Wonder Of You" had been at number one in 1970. I'm not sure where or when it actually came from, but it peaked at number three and was rather a nice song. Don't know about "Beyond The Reef", I've never bothered to listen to it. |
| 32 | Gap Band |
Party Lights |
| After the huge "Oops Upside Your Head" with it's novelty appeal, the Gap Band were soon back with a straight disco track. Very good it was too, even though it only reached number 30. |
| 33 | Rolling Stones |
She's So Cold |
| The second track to be pulled as a single from the 'Emotional Rescue' album, and once again, it appeared that the record buying public preferred the Stones doing disco to the Stones doing rock. After entering at number 33, it dropped to 35 and then dropped out. |
| 34 | Teena Marie |
I Need Your Lovin' |
| The follow up to her number six hit "Behind The Groove", and another big disco record. I preferred this one, but the public were not so impressed and it peaked at number 28. |
| 35 | Earth Wind & Fire |
Let Me Talk |
| Earth
Wind And Fire had released some great singles during the
last two years of the '70s, and the albums 'All 'N' All'
and 'I Am' were two of the decade's best. But their first
album of the Eighties was the double 'Faces'. It seemed
apparent from just looking at the sleeve, something
wasn't right. Gone were the pyramids and mystic symbols
to be replaced by, well, faces. There was one outstanding
track on the album called "And Love Goes On",
but when issued as a single in 1981 it failed to chart. "Let Me Talk" was the first single pulled and even though it would have been a reasonable single by most acts, it was very below par for Earth Wind And Fire. It peaked at number 29 and spent just three weeks in the 40. |
| 36 | Showaddywaddy |
Why Do Lovers Break Each Others Hearts |
| Yuk
! Showaddywaddy had done a few good singles, particulary in their first two years of hit making. But they had by now become very annoying. Thankfully, it was almost two years since their last top ten hit, and they were never to grace the top twenty again. This one peaked at number 22 and none of their final four hits managed to breach the top 30. |
| 37 | Adam And The Ants |
Dog Eat Dog |
| The first hit for Adam And The Ants had a strangely familiar sound to it. It was not unlike the sound of Bow Wow Wow. The reason for this was soon apparent when it was revealed that Adam's former manager had taken his original Ants, recruited Annabella Lewin and formed Bow Wow Wow. So here was Adam with the second release from his new line up giving him his first top 40 hit. It went all the way to number four and paved the way for a hugely successful 1981. |
| 38 | Sheena Easton |
Modern Girl |
| Sheena hit the big time after being the subject of a TV show titled 'The Big Time'. Her first single had been this one, but it had only managed to get as high as number 56. But after the success of the second single, it had been re-promoted and had entered the top 40 the same week that "9 To 5" had reached number three. It went on to peak at number eight. |
| 39 | Black Sabbath | Paranoid |
| Brilliant ! One of the best singles of not only the 70's, but (thanks to this re-issue) the 80's too. One of the most recognisable set of opening bars to a song ever, and a true classic. Yes, it's one of my favourite songs of all time, sitting right up there alongside "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Blue Monday", "The Message" & "A Day In The Life". It had originally been a number four hit in 1970, but had now been re-released to cash in on the new wave of heavy metal, and the renewed interest in the band that were now without the sacked Ozzy Osbourne. This time around it reached a creditable number 14, and it's 12 weeks in the chart took it to a total of 30 weeks. Black Sabbath were featured on 'Rock Family Trees' a few years back, and I was surprised to learn that they'd appeared on 'Live Aid'. This is news to me as I didn't see them and I thought I had it all on tape. I wonder if by any chance they appeared right after The Who while technical difficulties were being experienced. Something that made me laugh but in retrospect also sad, is that on a 1998 edition of 'Never Mind The Buzzcocks', current Radio One DJ Chris Moyles failed to recognise the opening bars to this song. Where do Radio One get these people ? |
| 40 | Hazel O'Connor |
Eighth Day |
| The trend for making music orientated films that had followed Saturday Night Fever and Grease continued into 1980 with 'Xanadu', 'Can't Stop The Music' and the best of the bunch 'Breaking Glass', from which this song came. The principle characters were Phil ("Park Life") Daniels and the singer of this song, Hazel O' Connor. It made an instant star out of Hazel, and she deserved it for this number five peaking single alone. Some kind of rivalry grew between Hazel and Toyah, but one year and just two more hits later, most had forgotten about Hazel. She was still performing in the mid 90s and we had tickets to see her at Notts County football club's social club. But we had a really bad day with lots of expense and so didn't bother going. |
These were in the top
50 this week, but failed to reach the top 40.
| Professionals | 1 2 3 |
| The
remains of the Sex Pistols, Steve Jones & Paul Cook
recruited Andy Allen, Ray Mcveigh & Paul Myers to
form a new band. This number 43 peaking single was the
closest they got to reaching the top 40, and sounded as
you'd expect it to, similar sound to the Pistol's
"Silly Thing". After their second flop album "I Didn't See It Coming", the band split in 1982. |
| Donna Summer | The Wanderer |
| A change of record label from Casablanca to Geffen also brought about a change of style. Donna replaced disco with this more rockier sound and it was to all intents anbd purposes a good single. But then backlash against disco was already underway, Donna was seen as a disco act, so people who disliked disco were not going to buy this, and the disco crowd weren't going to buy it because it wasn't disco. It only reached number 48. |
| Sad Cafe | La Di Da |
| The fourth of five Sad Cafe singles released in 1980, but they were on their way out already. Peaked at number 41. |
| Motels | Whose Problem |
| Great single from a band who never hit the UK top 40. This was the first of two singles to come very close, a number 42 peak. It wasn't a hit in the US either, but they did have some considerable success there. Their 1979 single "Total Control" had stopped nine places short of the Hot 100, but their 1982 single "Only The Lonely" spent four weeks at number nine, with "Suddenly Last Summer" spending a week at the same position the following year. There were a few other less successful chart hits, the final one being "Shock" in late 1985. |
Here are the four other
41-50 peaking singles that I should have featured last year when
I covered the week ending 25th October 1980.
| Kurtis Blow | The Breaks |
| Quite an influential track by all accounts. There's a riff in this that resembles the one in the 1983 hit "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life", as well as the obligatory "Good Times" bass line. Seemed quite ordinary to me, made number 47. |
| Chords | In My Street |
| I don't know this one, but I wasn't keen on this band anyway. It reached number fifty. |
| Slade | Slade Alive At Reading '80 EP |
| The beginning of the Slade comeback. The lead track was "When I'm Dancin' I Ain't Fighting", but also included were cover versions of "Born To Be Wild" and "Somethin' Else". Quite a good set on the whole, reached number 44. |
| Light Of The World | London Town |
| Good jazzy thing that fell one place short of giving them their first top forty entry. Their next two singles did make it, but this very under-rated band never progressed further than number 35. |
| And that wraps up 1980 apart from details of the singles peaking between 51-75 and some that didn't make the top 75. These will be added to the site at a later date. |
Disclaimer All comments concerning the
quality of the songs in this and any other chart, are purely my
opinion and not a statement of fact. I believe that we are all
equal when it comes to deciding what makes a good song. I do not
believe that good songs have to be serious or dull. I am of the
opinion that if a single sells many copies, then many people like
it, so it must be good whether I like it or not. Good music is
everything YOU like, and it's also everything I like.
THIS WEEK IN 1973
THIS
WEEK IN 1975
THIS
WEEK IN 1976
THIS
WEEK IN 1977
THIS
WEEK IN 1979
THIS
WEEK IN 1981
THE
REMEMBER WHEN ARCHIVES
GOLDEN
DAYS INDEX
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