List of UK top-ten singles in 1980
The UK Singles Chart is one of many music charts compiled by the Official Charts Company that calculates the best-selling singles of the week in the United Kingdom.[1] Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical singles.[2][3] This list shows singles that peaked in the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart during 1980, as well as singles which peaked in 1979 and 1981 but were in the top 10 in 1980. The entry date is when the single appeared in the top 10 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).
| 1980s in music in the UK |
| Events |
|---|
One-hundred and forty-six singles were in the top ten in 1980. Ten singles from 1979 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "Antmusic" by Adam and the Ants, "Imagine" by John Lennon and "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" by John Lennon, Yoko Ono, the Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Center Choir were all released in 1980 but did not reach their peak until 1981. "Day Trip to Bangor (Didn't We Have a Lovely Time)" by Fiddler's Dram, "Wonderful Christmastime" by Paul McCartney and "Brass in Pocket" by The Pretenders were the singles from 1979 to reach their peak in 1980. Twenty-eight artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1980. Adam and the Ants, Dexys Midnight Runners, Sheena Easton, Spandau Ballet and UB40 were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1980.
The 1979 Christmas number-one, "Another Brick in the Wall" by Pink Floyd, remained at number-one for the first two weeks of 1980. The first new number-one single of the year was "Brass in Pocket" by The Pretenders. Overall, twenty-five different singles peaked at number-one in 1980, with Blondie, The Jam and ABBA (2) having the joint most singles hit that position.
Background
Multiple entries
One-hundred and forty-six singles charted in the top 10 in 1980, with one-hundred and thirty-six singles reaching their peak this year.
Twenty-eight artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1980. Madness and The Police shared the record for most top 10 hits in 1980 with four hit singles each. Seven artists recorded three singles which reached the top 10 this year: ABBA, The Beat, Blondie, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, The Specials and UB40.
David Bowie was one of a number of artists with two top 10 entries, including the number-one single "Ashes to Ashes". Adam and the Ants, Cliff Richard, The Jam, Michael Jackson and Roxy Music were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1980.
Chart debuts
Fifty-seven artists achieved their first top 10 single in 1980, either as a lead or featured artist. Of these, six went on to record another hit single that year: Adam and the Ants, Dexys Midnight Runners, George Benson, Liquid Gold, The Nolans and Sheena Easton. The Beat and UB40 both had two other entries in their breakthrough year.
The following table (collapsed on desktop site) does not include acts who had previously charted as part of a group and secured their first top 10 solo single.
- Notes
Peter Gabriel made his first top 10 appearance this year since his departure from Genesis. His debut solo single "Solsbury Hill" missed the top 10 in 1979, but he took "Games Without Frontiers" to number 4.
Actor Mike Berry scored a top 10 hit - "Don't You Think It's Time" (6) - with his backing group The Outlaws in 1963. "The Sunshine of Your Smile" was his first and only independent top 10 hit.
Songs from films
Original songs from various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included "With You I'm Born Again" (from Fast Break), "Call Me" (American Gigolo), "Theme from M*A*S*H* (Suicide Is Painless)" (MASH) and "Xanadu" (Xanadu).
Best-selling singles
The Police had the best-selling single of the year with "Don't Stand So Close to Me". The single spent six weeks in the top 10 (including four weeks at number one) and was certified gold by the BPI. "Woman in Love" by Barbra Streisand came in second place. Kelly Marie's "Feels Like I'm in Love", "Super Trouper" from ABBA and "D.I.S.C.O." by Ottawan made up the top five. Singles by Blondie, Dexys Midnight Runners, Fern Kinney, Kenny Rogers and John Lennon were also in the top ten best-selling singles of the year.
Top-ten singles
- Key
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ‡ | Single peaked in 1979 but still in chart in 1980. |
| ♦ | Single released in 1980 but peaked in 1981. |
| (#) | Year-end top-ten single position and rank |
| Entered | The date that the single first appeared in the chart. |
| Peak | Highest position that the single reached in the UK Singles Chart. |
| Entered (week ending) |
Weeks in top 10 |
Single | Artist | Peak | Peak reached (week ending) |
Weeks at peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singles in 1979 | ||||||
| 1 December 1979 | 7 | "Walking on the Moon" ‡ | The Police | 1 | 8 December 1979 | 1 |
| 8 December 1979 | 8 | "Another Brick In The Wall (Part II)" ‡ | Pink Floyd | 1 | 15 December 1979 | 5 |
| 5 | "Que Sera Mi Vida (If You Should Go)" ‡ | Gibson Brothers | 5 | 8 December 1979 | 1 | |
| 7 | "I Only Want to Be with You" ‡ | The Tourists | 4 | 15 December 1979 | 2 | |
| 15 December 1979 | 5 | "Rapper's Delight" ‡ | The Sugarhill Gang | 3 | 15 December 1979 | 1 |
| 5 | "My Simple Heart" ‡ | The Three Degrees | 9 | 22 December 1979 | 2 | |
| 22 December 1979 | 5 | "I Have a Dream" ‡ | ABBA | 2 | 22 December 1979 | 4 |
| 5 | "Day Trip to Bangor (Didn't We Have a Lovely Time)" | Fiddler's Dram | 3 | 5 January 1980 | 1 | |
| 3 | "Wonderful Christmastime" | Paul McCartney | 6 | 5 January 1980 | 1 | |
| 8 | "Brass in Pocket" | The Pretenders | 1 | 19 January 1980 | 2 | |
| Singles in 1980 | ||||||
| 12 January 1980 | 2 | "Tears of a Clown"/"Ranking Full Stop" | The Beat | 6 | 12 January 1980 | 1 |
| 4 | "Please Don't Go" | KC and the Sunshine Band | 3 | 19 January 1980 | 1 | |
| 19 January 1980 | 4 | "With You I'm Born Again" | Billy Preston and Syreeta | 2 | 19 January 1980 | 2 |
| 5 | "My Girl" | Madness | 3 | 26 January 1980 | 2 | |
| 5 | "I'm In the Mood for Dancing" | The Nolans | 3 | 9 February 1980 | 2 | |
| 26 January 1980 | 4 | "Babe" | Styx | 6 | 26 January 1980 | 2 |
| 3 | "Green Onions" | Booker T. & the M.G.'s | 7 | 26 January 1980 | 1 | |
| 1 | "Better Love Next Time" | Dr. Hook | 8 | 26 January 1980 | 1 | |
| 1 | "I Want to Hold Your Hand" | Dollar | 9 | 26 January 1980 | 1 | |
| 2 February 1980 | 4 | "Too Much Too Young - The Special A.K.A. Live! (EP)" | The Specials | 1 | 2 February 1980 | 2 |
| 3 | "It's Different for Girls" | Joe Jackson | 5 | 2 February 1980 | 2 | |
| 6 | "Coward of the County" (#9) | Kenny Rogers | 1 | 16 February 1980 | 2 | |
| 9 February 1980 | 3 | "Someone's Looking at You" | The Boomtown Rats | 4 | 16 February 1980 | 1 |
| 16 February 1980 | 3 | "Captain Beaky"/"Wilfred the Weasel" | Keith Michell | 5 | 16 February 1980 | 2 |
| 5 | "And the Beat Goes On" | The Whispers | 2 | 23 February 1980 | 1 | |
| 1 | "I Hear You Now" | Jon and Vangelis | 8 | 16 February 1980 | 1 | |
| 23 February 1980 | 5 | "Atomic" | Blondie | 1 | 1 March 1980 | 2 |
| 3 | "Carrie" | Cliff Richard | 4 | 1 March 1980 | 1 | |
| 1 | "Baby, I Love You" | Ramones | 8 | 23 February 1980 | 1 | |
| 2 | "So Good to Be Back Home Again" | The Tourists | 8 | 1 March 1980 | 1 | |
| 3 | "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down" | Elvis Costello and The Attractions | 4 | 8 March 1980 | 1 | |
| 1 March 1980 | 5 | "Take That Look Off Your Face (from Tell Me On a Sunday)" [C] | Marti Webb | 3 | 8 March 1980 | 3 |
| 2 | "Rock with You" | Michael Jackson | 7 | 8 March 1980 | 1 | |
| 6 | "Together We Are Beautiful" (#8) | Fern Kinney | 1 | 15 March 1980 | 1 | |
| 8 March 1980 | 4 | "Games Without Frontiers" | Peter Gabriel | 4 | 15 March 1980 | 1 |
| 4 | "All Night Long" | Rainbow | 5 | 15 March 1980 | 1 | |
| 15 March 1980 | 1 | "So Lonely" | The Police | 6 | 15 March 1980 | 1 |
| 3 | "Do That to Me One More Time" | Captain & Tennille | 7 | 15 March 1980 | 1 | |
| 5 | "Turning Japanese" | The Vapors | 3 | 29 March 1980 | 1 | |
| 1 | "Hands Off...She's Mine" | The Beat | 9 | 15 March 1980 | 1 | |
| 22 March 1980 | 5 | "Going Underground"/"Dreams of Children" | The Jam | 1 | 22 March 1980 | 3 |
| 6 | "Dance Yourself Dizzy" | Liquid Gold | 2 | 5 April 1980 | 2 | |
| 7 | "Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me Girl (Medley)" | The Detroit Spinners | 1 | 12 April 1980 | 2 | |
| 29 March 1980 | 1 | "Echo Beach" | Martha and the Muffins | 10 | 29 March 1980 | 1 |
| 5 April 1980 | 2 | "Stomp!" | The Brothers Johnson | 6 | 5 April 1980 | 1 |
| 3 | "Poison Ivy" | The Lambrettas | 7 | 5 April 1980 | 1 | |
| 2 | "Turn It On Again" | Genesis | 8 | 5 April 1980 | 1 | |
| 5 | "Sexy Eyes" | Dr. Hook | 4 | 12 April 1980 | 1 | |
| 5 | "King"/"Food for Thought" | UB40 | 4 | 19 April 1980 | 2 | |
| 12 April 1980 | 3 | "Night Boat to Cairo" | Madness | 6 | 12 April 1980 | 1 |
| 19 April 1980 | 4 | "Call Me" | Blondie | 1 | 26 April 1980 | 1 |
| 3 | "Talk of the Town" | The Pretenders | 8 | 19 April 1980 | 1 | |
| 5 | "Silver Dream Machine" | David Essex | 4 | 3 May 1980 | 1 | |
| 26 April 1980 | 6 | "Geno" (#7) | Dexys Midnight Runners | 1 | 3 May 1980 | 2 |
| 4 | "Coming Up" | Paul McCartney | 2 | 3 May 1980 | 1 | |
| 3 May 1980 | 2 | "Toccata" | Sky | 5 | 3 May 1980 | 1 |
| 1 | "Check Out the Groove" | Bobby Thurston | 10 | 3 May 1980 | 1 | |
| 10 May 1980 | 5 | "What's Another Year" [D] | Johnny Logan | 1 | 17 May 1980 | 2 |
| 1 | "The Groove" | Rodney Franklin | 7 | 10 May 1980 | 1 | |
| 1 | "The Golden Years (EP)" | Motörhead | 8 | 10 May 1980 | 1 | |
| 7 | "No Doubt About It" | Hot Chocolate | 2 | 24 May 1980 | 3 | |
| 2 | "My Perfect Cousin" | The Undertones | 9 | 17 May 1980 | 1 | |
| 17 May 1980 | 3 | "Mirror in the Bathroom" | The Beat | 4 | 17 May 1980 | 2 |
| 4 | "She's Out of My Life" | Michael Jackson | 3 | 24 May 1980 | 1 | |
| 2 | "Hold On (To My Love)" | Jimmy Ruffin | 7 | 17 May 1980 | 1 | |
| 6 | "I Shoulda Loved Ya" | Narada Michael Walden | 8 | 17 May 1980 | 1 | |
| 24 May 1980 | 6 | "Theme from M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)" | The Mash | 1 | 31 May 1980 | 3 |
| 5 | "Over You" | Roxy Music | 5 | 14 June 1980 | 1 | |
| 4 | "We Are Glass" | Gary Numan | 5 | 31 May 1980 | 1 | |
| 31 May 1980 | 4 | "Rat Race"/"Rude Boys Outa Jail" | The Specials | 5 | 7 June 1980 | 1 |
| 7 | "Funkytown" | Lipps Inc. | 2 | 28 June 1980 | 2 | |
| 7 June 1980 | 7 | "Crying" | Don McLean | 1 | 21 June 1980 | 3 |
| 14 June 1980 | 4 | "Back Together Again" | Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway | 3 | 28 June 1980 | 1 |
| 2 | "You Gave Me Love" | Crown Heights Affair | 10 | 14 June 1980 | 2 | |
| 21 June 1980 | 4 | "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" | The Korgis | 5 | 28 June 1980 | 1 |
| 3 | "Behind the Groove" | Teena Marie | 6 | 28 June 1980 | 1 | |
| 28 June 1980 | 3 | "Simon Templer"/"Michael Booth's Talking Bum"/"Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please" | Splodgenessabounds | 7 | 28 June 1980 | 2 |
| 1 | "Substitute" | Liquid Gold | 8 | 28 June 1980 | 1 | |
| 5 July 1980 | 5 | "Xanadu" | Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra | 1 | 12 July 1980 | 2 |
| 5 | "Jump to the Beat" | Stacy Lattisaw | 3 | 12 July 1980 | 2 | |
| 4 | "My Way of Thinking"/"I Think It's Going to Rain" | UB40 | 6 | 19 July 1980 | 1 | |
| 1 | "To Be or Not to Be" | BA Robertson | 9 | 5 July 1980 | 1 | |
| 12 July 1980 | 6 | "Use It Up and Wear It Out" | Odyssey | 1 | 26 July 1980 | 2 |
| 4 | "Cupid/I've Loved You for a Long Time (Medley)" | The Detroit Spinners | 4 | 19 July 1980 | 1 | |
| 5 | "Could You Be Loved" | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 5 | 19 July 1980 | 2 | |
| 19 July 1980 | 4 | "Babooshka" | Kate Bush | 5 | 2 August 1980 | 1 |
| 1 | "Waterfalls" | Paul McCartney | 9 | 19 July 1980 | 1 | |
| 5 | "More Than I Can Say" | Leo Sayer | 2 | 2 August 1980 | 1 | |
| 26 July 1980 | 6 | "Upside Down" | Diana Ross | 2 | 9 August 1980 | 2 |
| 1 | "Emotional Rescue" | The Rolling Stones | 9 | 26 July 1980 | 1 | |
| 2 August 1980 | 1 | "There, There, My Dear" | Dexys Midnight Runners | 7 | 2 August 1980 | 1 |
| 6 | "The Winner Takes It All" | ABBA | 1 | 9 August 1980 | 2 | |
| 9 August 1980 | 6 | "9 to 5" | Sheena Easton | 3 | 16 August 1980 | 2 |
| 4 | "Oops Up Side Your Head" | The Gap Band | 6 | 16 August 1980 | 1 | |
| 3 | "Oh Yeah (On the Radio)" | Roxy Music | 5 | 16 August 1980 | 1 | |
| 3 | "Give Me the Night" | George Benson | 7 | 16 August 1980 | 1 | |
| 16 August 1980 | 6 | "Ashes to Ashes" | David Bowie | 1 | 23 August 1980 | 2 |
| 1 | "Funkin' for Jamaica (N.Y.)" | Tom Browne | 10 | 16 August 1980 | 1 | |
| 23 August 1980 | 5 | "Start!" | The Jam | 1 | 6 September 1980 | 1 |
| 7 | "Feels Like I'm in Love" (#3) | Kelly Marie | 1 | 13 September 1980 | 2 | |
| 2 | "Tom Hark" | The Piranhas | 6 | 30 August 1980 | 1 | |
| 30 August 1980 | 2 | "I Die: You Die" | Gary Numan | 6 | 6 September 1980 | 1 |
| 2 | "The Sunshine of Your Smile" | Mike Berry | 9 | 6 September 1980 | 1 | |
| 6 September 1980 | 4 | "Eighth Day" | Hazel O'Connor | 5 | 6 September 1980 | 2 |
| 3 | "Dreamin'" | Cliff Richard | 8 | 13 September 1980 | 1 | |
| 13 September 1980 | 5 | "One Day I'll Fly Away" | Randy Crawford | 2 | 20 September 1980 | 2 |
| 4 | "It's Only Love"/"Beyond the Reef" [E] | Elvis Presley | 3 | 20 September 1980 | 1 | |
| 3 | "Modern Girl" | Sheena Easton | 8 | 20 September 1980 | 1 | |
| 20 September 1980 | 5 | "Master Blaster (Jammin')" | Stevie Wonder | 2 | 4 October 1980 | 1 |
| 3 | "Another One Bites the Dust" | Queen | 7 | 27 September 1980 | 1 | |
| 27 September 1980 | 6 | "Don't Stand So Close to Me" (#1) | The Police | 1 | 27 September 1980 | 4 |
| 6 | "Baggy Trousers" | Madness | 3 | 11 October 1980 | 2 | |
| 7 | "D.I.S.C.O." (#5) | Ottawan | 2 | 11 October 1980 | 3 | |
| 4 October 1980 | 3 | "My Old Piano" | Diana Ross | 5 | 11 October 1980 | 1 |
| 2 | "Amigo" | Black Slate | 9 | 11 October 1980 | 1 | |
| 11 October 1980 | 1 | "Stereotype"/"International Jet Set" | The Specials | 6 | 11 October 1980 | 1 |
| 6 | "If You're Lookin' for a Way Out" | Odyssey | 6 | 1 November 1980 | 1 | |
| 1 | "Killer on the Loose" | Thin Lizzy | 10 | 11 October 1980 | 1 | |
| 18 October 1980 | 2 | "Et Les Oiseaux Chantaient (And the Birds Were Singing)" | Sweet People | 4 | 18 October 1980 | 1 |
| 6 | "What You're Proposing" | Status Quo | 2 | 1 November 1980 | 2 | |
| 7 | "Woman in Love" (#2) | Barbra Streisand | 1 | 25 October 1980 | 3 | |
| 4 | "When You Ask About Love" | Matchbox | 4 | 1 November 1980 | 1 | |
| 25 October 1980 | 2 | "Gotta Pull Myself Together" | The Nolans | 9 | 25 October 1980 | 2 |
| 1 | "Love X Love" | George Benson | 10 | 25 October 1980 | 1 | |
| 1 November 1980 | 4 | "Special Brew" | Bad Manners | 3 | 8 November 1980 | 2 |
| 4 | "Enola Gay" | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | 8 | 1 November 1980 | 2 | |
| 8 November 1980 | 3 | "Dog Eat Dog" | Adam and the Ants | 4 | 8 November 1980 | 1 |
| 6 | "The Tide is High" (#6) | Blondie | 1 | 15 November 1980 | 2 | |
| 4 | "Fashion" | David Bowie | 5 | 22 November 1980 | 2 | |
| 15 November 1980 | 4 | "I Could Be So Good for You (Theme from the TV series Minder)" [F] | Dennis Waterman | 3 | 29 November 1980 | 1 |
| 4 | "Never Knew Love Like This Before" | Stephanie Mills | 4 | 29 November 1980 | 1 | |
| 22 November 1980 | 8 | "Super Trouper" (#4) | ABBA | 1 | 29 November 1980 | 3 |
| 29 November 1980 | 2 | "Celebration" | Kool & the Gang | 7 | 29 November 1980 | 1 |
| 7 | "(Just Like) Starting Over" (#10) | John Lennon | 1 | 20 December 1980 | 1 | |
| 4 | "Banana Republic" | The Boomtown Rats | 3 | 6 December 1980 | 1 | |
| 1 | "The Earth Dies Screaming"/"Dream a Lie" | UB40 | 10 | 29 November 1980 | 1 | |
| 6 December 1980 | 6 | "Embarrassment" | Madness | 4 | 6 December 1980 | 2 |
| 3 | "To Cut a Long Story Short" | Spandau Ballet | 5 | 6 December 1980 | 1 | |
| 2 | "Do You Feel My Love" | Eddy Grant | 8 | 13 December 1980 | 1 | |
| 13 December 1980 | 5 | "There's No One Quite Like Grandma" | St. Winifred's School Choir | 1 | 27 December 1980 | 2 |
| 6 | "Stop the Cavalry" | Jona Lewie | 3 | 27 December 1980 | 5 | |
| 6 | "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" | The Police | 5 | 20 December 1980 | 1 | |
| 4 | "Runaway Boys" | Stray Cats | 9 | 20 December 1980 | 1 | |
| 20 December 1980 | 9 | "Antmusic" ♦ | Adam and the Ants | 2 | 17 January 1981 | 2 |
| 27 December 1980 | 4 | "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" ♦ | John Lennon & Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Center Choir | 2 | 10 January 1981 | 1 |
| 8 | "Imagine" ♦ [G] | John Lennon | 1 | 10 January 1981 | 4 | |
Entries by artist
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The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1980, including singles that reached their peak in 1979 or 1981. The figures include both main artists and featured artists, while appearances on ensemble charity records are also counted for each artist. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 1980 is also shown.
Notes
- a "Antmusic" reached its peak of number two on 17 January 1981 (week ending).
- b "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" reached its peak of number two on 10 January 1981 (week ending).
- c "Take That Look Off Your Face" was written for the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Tell Me On a Sunday.
- d "What's Another Year" was Ireland's winning entry at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1980.
- e "It's Only Love" was originally released on its own without its double A-side "Beyond the Reef" in 1971 and charted in the US but not in the UK.
- "(Just Like) Starting Over" re-entered the top 10 at number-one on 20 December 1980 (week ending), one week after John Lennon's murder.
- f "I Could Be So Good for You" was the theme song to the television series Minder.
- "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" was first released as a single in the UK in 1972 and made the top 10, peaking at number 4. It re-entered the top 10 following John Lennon's death in December 1980, reaching its new peak of number 2 in January 1981.
- g "Imagine" was first released as a single in the UK in 1975 and made the top 10, peaking at number 6. It re-entered the top 10 following John Lennon's death in December 1980, reaching its new peak of number-one in January 1981.
- h Figure includes single that peaked in 1979.
- i Figure includes single that peaked in 1981.
- j Figure includes single that first charted in 1979 but peaked in 1980.
References
General
- "Six decades of singles charts". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
Specific
- "The Official UK Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
- Roberts, David (2005). Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles and Albums (18th edition). Guinness World Records Limited. p. 14. ISBN 1-904994-00-8.
- "New singles formats to save the charts". BBC News. 16 October 2003. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
- "The Boomtown Rats", Wikipedia, 2019-08-20, retrieved 2019-08-29
External links
- 1980 singles chart archive at the Official Charts Company (click on relevant week)