# 1980 in British music

This is a summary of 1980 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.

## Events

* unknown date – John Rutter is made an honorary Fellow of Westminster Choir College, Princeton.
* 1 January – Cliff Richard is appointed an MBE by Elizabeth II.
* 16 January – Paul McCartney is arrested in Tokyo for possession of one-half pound (230 g) of marijuana. The remaining part of McCartney's tour has to be cancelled.
* 25 January – Paul McCartney is released from a Japanese jail and ejected from the country by Japanese authorities.
* 8 February – David Bowie and his wife of nearly 10 years, Angie, file for divorce. Bowie gets custody of their nine-year-old son Zowie.
* 30 April – The first performance of the Quartetto Intimo (composed 1930-32) by John Foulds takes place at Hartlebury Castle, performed by the Endellion String Quartet as part of the 1980 Bromsgrove Festival.
* 18 May – 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.
* 14 July – Malcolm Owen of punk rock band the Ruts is found dead in the bathroom of his parents' house in Hayes, from a heroin overdose.
* 22 August – The world premiere of Michael Tippett’s Triple Concerto takes place at the BBC Proms, with the London Symphony Orchestra and soloists György Pauk, Nobuko Imai and Ralph Kirshbaum, conducted by Sir Colin Davis.
* 16 September – Kate Bush becomes the first British female artist to reach number one in the UK album charts.
* 20 September – Ozzy Osbourne's debut album Blizzard of Ozz is released in the UK.
* 25 November – ABBA score the last of their nine number-one singles in the UK singles chart with "Super Trouper".
* December – Duran Duran sign with EMI after finalising their lineup and touring as a support act for Hazel O'Connor.
* 4 December – Led Zeppelin disband following the death of drummer John Bonham in September.
* 8 December – John Lennon is shot dead outside his apartment building in New York City. His latest single, "(Just Like) Starting Over", subsequently becomes a number-one hit.

## Pop music

The 1980s got off to an odd start with a very varied list of artists reaching No. 1 in the singles chart. Kenny Rogers, The Jam and Odyssey were among those vying for the top position. The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums stated that the year had a very dated appearance, because of a number of songs reaching No. 1 which had been recorded years previously, such as the "Theme from M*A*S*H*" and Don McLean's cover of Roy Orbison's "Crying". The Ska and Mod revivals reached their peak this year, with strong chart showings by The Jam, The Specials and Madness. 1970s favourites ABBA and Blondie both had their last years as chart heavyweights, clocking up 5 No.1 singles between them. David Bowie scored his second No.1 this year, while the death of John Lennon at the end of the year gave him his first chart topper (and would dominate the early months of 1981). Kate Bush became the first British female artist to have a No.1 album, and The Police finished the year as the top selling act. "Brass in Pocket" by The Pretenders became the first number 1 single of the 80s (not counting "Another Brick in the Wall" by Pink Floyd" which was a holdover from 1979).

## Charts
### Number-one singles

| Chart date (week ending) | Song | Artist(s) |
| 5 January | "Another Brick in the Wall" | Pink Floyd |
| 12 January | "Another Brick in the Wall" | Pink Floyd |
| 19 January | "Brass in Pocket" | The Pretenders |
| 26 January | "Brass in Pocket" | The Pretenders |
| 2 February | The Special AKA Live! | The Specials |
| 9 February | The Special AKA Live! | The Specials |
| 16 February | "Coward of the County" | Kenny Rogers |
| 23 February | "Coward of the County" | Kenny Rogers |
| 1 March | "Atomic" | Blondie |
| 8 March | "Atomic" | Blondie |
| 15 March | "Together We Are Beautiful" | Fern Kinney |
| 22 March | "Going Underground" / "Dreams of Children" | The Jam |
| 29 March | "Going Underground" / "Dreams of Children" | The Jam |
| 5 April | "Going Underground" / "Dreams of Children" | The Jam |
| 12 April | "Working My Way Back to You" | The Detroit Spinners |
| 19 April | "Working My Way Back to You" | The Detroit Spinners |
| 26 April | "Call Me" | Blondie |
| 3 May | "Geno" | Dexys Midnight Runners |
| 10 May | "Geno" | Dexys Midnight Runners |
| 17 May | "What's Another Year" | Johnny Logan |
| 24 May | "What's Another Year" | Johnny Logan |
| 31 May | "Theme from M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)" | The Mash |
| 7 June | "Theme from M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)" | The Mash |
| 14 June | "Theme from M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)" | The Mash |
| 21 June | "Crying" | Don McLean |
| 28 June | "Crying" | Don McLean |
| 5 July | "Crying" | Don McLean |
| 12 July | "Xanadu" | Olivia Newton-John/Electric Light Orchestra |
| 19 July | "Xanadu" | Olivia Newton-John/Electric Light Orchestra |
| 26 July | "Use It Up and Wear It Out" | Odyssey |
| 2 August | "Use It Up and Wear It Out" | Odyssey |
| 9 August | "The Winner Takes It All" | ABBA |
| 16 August | "The Winner Takes It All" | ABBA |
| 23 August | "Ashes to Ashes" | David Bowie |
| 30 August | "Ashes to Ashes" | David Bowie |
| 6 September | "Start!" | The Jam |
| 13 September | "Feels Like I'm in Love" | Kelly Marie |
| 20 September | "Feels Like I'm in Love" | Kelly Marie |
| 27 September | "Don't Stand So Close to Me" | The Police |
| 4 October | "Don't Stand So Close to Me" | The Police |
| 11 October | "Don't Stand So Close to Me" | The Police |
| 18 October | "Don't Stand So Close to Me" | The Police |
| 25 October | "Woman in Love" | Barbra Streisand |
| 1 November | "Woman in Love" | Barbra Streisand |
| 8 November | "Woman in Love" | Barbra Streisand |
| 15 November | "The Tide Is High" | Blondie |
| 22 November | "The Tide Is High" | Blondie |
| 29 November | "Super Trouper" | ABBA |
| 6 December | "Super Trouper" | ABBA |
| 13 December | "Super Trouper" | ABBA |
| 20 December | "(Just Like) Starting Over" | John Lennon |
| 27 December | "There's No One Quite Like Grandma" | St. Winifred's School Choir |

### Number-one albums

| Chart date (week ending) | Album | Artist |
| 5 January | Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 | Rod Stewart |
| 12 January | Greatest Hits Vol. 2 | ABBA |
| 19 January | Pretenders | The Pretenders |
| 26 January | Pretenders | The Pretenders |
| 2 February | Pretenders | The Pretenders |
| 9 February | Pretenders | The Pretenders |
| 16 February | Last Dance | Various artists |
| 23 February | Last Dance | Various artists |
| 1 March | String of Hits | The Shadows |
| 8 March | String of Hits | The Shadows |
| 15 March | String of Hits | The Shadows |
| 22 March | Tears and Laughter | Johnny Mathis |
| 29 March | Tears and Laughter | Johnny Mathis |
| 5 April | Duke | Genesis |
| 12 April | Duke | Genesis |
| 19 April | Greatest Hits | Rose Royce |
| 26 April | Greatest Hits | Rose Royce |
| 3 May | Sky 2 | Sky |
| 10 May | Sky 2 | Sky |
| 17 May | The Magic of Boney M. – 20 Golden Hits | Boney M. |
| 24 May | The Magic of Boney M. – 20 Golden Hits | Boney M. |
| 31 May | McCartney II | Paul McCartney |
| 7 June | McCartney II | Paul McCartney |
| 14 June | Peter Gabriel | Peter Gabriel |
| 21 June | Peter Gabriel | Peter Gabriel |
| 28 June | Flesh and Blood | Roxy Music |
| 5 July | Emotional Rescue | The Rolling Stones |
| 12 July | Emotional Rescue | The Rolling Stones |
| 19 July | The Game | Queen |
| 26 July | The Game | Queen |
| 2 August | Deepest Purple | Deep Purple |
| 9 August | Back in Black | AC/DC |
| 16 August | Back in Black | AC/DC |
| 23 August | Flesh + Blood | Roxy Music |
| 30 August | Flesh + Blood | Roxy Music |
| 6 September | Flesh + Blood | Roxy Music |
| 13 September | Telekon | Gary Numan |
| 20 September | Never for Ever | Kate Bush |
| 27 September | Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) | David Bowie |
| 4 October | Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) | David Bowie |
| 11 October | Zenyatta Mondatta | The Police |
| 18 October | Zenyatta Mondatta | The Police |
| 25 October | Zenyatta Mondatta | The Police |
| 1 November | Zenyatta Mondatta | The Police |
| 8 November | Guilty | Barbra Streisand |
| 15 November | Guilty | Barbra Streisand |
| 22 November | Super Trouper | ABBA |
| 29 November | Super Trouper | ABBA |
| 6 December | Super Trouper | ABBA |
| 13 December | Super Trouper | ABBA |
| 20 December | Super Trouper | ABBA |
| 27 December | Super Trouper | ABBA |

## Year-end charts

The tables below include sales between 31 December 1979 and 31 December 1980: the year-end charts reproduced in the issue of Music Week dated 27 December 1980 and played on Radio 1 on 4 January 1981 only include sales figures up until 6 December 1980.

### Best-selling singles

| No. | Title | Artist | Peak position |
| 1 | "Don't Stand So Close to Me" | The Police | 1 |
| 2 | "Woman in Love" | Barbra Streisand | 1 |
| 3 | "Feels Like I'm in Love" | Kelly Marie | 1 |
| 4 | "Super Trouper" | ABBA | 1 |
| 5 | "D.I.S.C.O." | Ottawan | 2 |
| 6 | "The Tide Is High" | Blondie | 1 |
| 7 | "Geno" | Dexys Midnight Runners | 1 |
| 8 | "Together We Are Beautiful" | Fern Kinney | 1 |
| 9 | "Coward of the County" | Kenny Rogers | 1 |
| 10 | "(Just Like) Starting Over" | John Lennon | 1 |
| 11 | "Working My Way Back to You" | The Detroit Spinners | 1 |
| 12 | "9 to 5" | Sheena Easton | 3 |
| 13 | "Baggy Trousers" | Madness | 3 |
| 14 | "Ashes to Ashes" | David Bowie | 1 |
| 15 | "Theme from M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)" | MASH | 1 |
| 16 | "Going Underground"/"Dreams of Children" | The Jam | 1 |
| 17 | "Crying" | Don McLean | 1 |
| 18 | "The Winner Takes It All" | ABBA | 1 |
| 19 | "Dance Yourself Dizzy" | Liquid Gold | 2 |
| 20 | "There's No One Quite Like Grandma" | St Winifred's School Choir | 1 |
| 21 | "Atomic" | Blondie | 1 |
| 22 | "Upside Down" | Diana Ross | 2 |
| 23 | "Use It Up and Wear It Out" | Odyssey | 1 |
| 24 | "Start!" | The Jam | 1 |
| 25 | "Master Blaster (Jammin')" | Stevie Wonder | 2 |
| 26 | "Funkytown" | Lipps Inc. | 2 |
| 27 | "I'm in the Mood for Dancing" | The Nolans | 3 |
| 28 | "If You're Lookin' for a Way Out" | Odyssey | 6 |
| 29 | "One Day I'll Fly Away" | Randy Crawford | 2 |
| 30 | The Special AKA Live! EP | The Specials | 1 |
| 31 | "What You're Proposing" | Status Quo | 2 |
| 32 | "Take That Look Off Your Face" | Marti Webb | 3 |
| 33 | "No Doubt About It" | Hot Chocolate | 2 |
| 34 | "Stop the Cavalry" | Jona Lewie | 3 |
| 35 | "Brass in Pocket" | Pretenders | 1 |
| 36 | "Oops Up Side Your Head" | The Gap Band | 6 |
| 37 | "What's Another Year" | Johnny Logan | 1 |
| 38 | "Xanadu" | Olivia Newton-John/Electric Light Orchestra | 1 |
| 39 | "Special Brew" | Bad Manners | 3 |
| 40 | "King"/"Food for Thought" | UB40 | 4 |
| 41 | "And the Beat Goes On" | The Whispers | 2 |
| 42 | "Turning Japanese" | The Vapors | 3 |
| 43 | "When You Ask About Love" | Matchbox | 4 |
| 44 | "I Could Be So Good for You" | Dennis Waterman with the Dennis Waterman Band | 3 |
| 45 | "My Girl" | Madness | 3 |
| 46 | "Never Knew Love Like This Before" | Stephanie Mills | 4 |
| 47 | "Enola Gay" | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | 8 |
| 48 | "Call Me" | Blondie | 1 |
| 49 | "More Than I Can Say" | Leo Sayer | 2 |
| 50 | "Embarrassment" | Madness | 4 |

### Best-selling albums

| No. | Title | Artist | Peak position (in 1980) |
| 1 | Super Trouper | ABBA | 1 |
| 2 | Zenyatta Mondatta | The Police | 1 |
| 3 | Greatest Hits | Rose Royce | 1 |
| 4 | Guilty | Barbra Streisand | 1 |
| 5 | Pretenders | Pretenders | 1 |
| 6 | Reggatta de Blanc | The Police | 2 |
| 7 | Flesh and Blood | Roxy Music | 1 |
| 8 | Manilow Magic: The Best of Barry Manilow | Barry Manilow | 4 |
| 9 | Off the Wall | Michael Jackson | 6 |
| 10 | Duke | Genesis | 1 |
| 11 | Sky 2 | Sky | 1 |
| 12 | Double Fantasy | John Lennon and Yoko Ono | 2 |
| 13 | One Step Beyond... | Madness | 2 |
| 14 | 12 Gold Bars | Status Quo | 3 |
| 15 | String of Hits | The Shadows | 1 |
| 16 | The Last Dance | Various Artists | 1 |
| 17 | Greatest Hits Vol. 2 | ABBA | 1 |
| 18 | Outlandos d'Amour | The Police | 9 |
| 19 | The Magic of Boney M. – 20 Golden Hits | Boney M. | 1 |
| 20 | Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) | David Bowie | 1 |
| 21 | Greatest Hits | Dr. Hook | 2 |
| 22 | Tell Me on a Sunday | Marti Webb | 2 |
| 23 | Absolutely | Madness | 2 |
| 24 | Not the Nine O'Clock News | Not the Nine O'Clock News Cast | 5 |
| 25 | Tears and Laughter | Johnny Mathis | 1 |
| 26 | Signing Off | UB40 | 2 |
| 27 | Never for Ever | Kate Bush | 1 |
| 28 | The Wall | Pink Floyd | 3 |
| 29 | The Specials | The Specials | 4 |
| 30 | I Just Can't Stop It | The Beat | 3 |
| 31 | Greatest Hits | Rod Stewart | 1 |
| 32 | Give Me the Night | George Benson | 3 |
| 33 | Get Happy!! | Elvis Costello and the Attractions | 2 |
| 34 | Me Myself I | Joan Armatrading | 5 |
| 35 | Bat Out of Hell | Meat Loaf | 20 |
| 36 | McCartney II | Paul McCartney | 1 |
| 37 | Emotional Rescue | The Rolling Stones | 1 |
| 38 | Back in Black | AC/DC | 1 |
| 39 | Peter Gabriel | Peter Gabriel | 1 |
| 40 | Eat to the Beat | Blondie | 7 |
| 41 | Autoamerican | Blondie | 3 |
| 42 | Parallel Lines | Blondie | 15 |
| 43 | Hotter than July | Stevie Wonder | 2 |
| 44 | Sometimes You Win | Dr. Hook | 14 |
| 45 | Wheels of Steel | Saxon | 5 |
| 46 | The Game | Queen | 1 |
| 47 | Sound Affects | The Jam | 2 |
| 48 | Kings of the Wild Frontier | Adam and the Ants | 3 |
| 49 | Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds | Jeff Wayne | 32 |
| 50 | Breaking Glass | Hazel O'Connor | 5 |

## Classical music: new works

* William Alwyn
** Leave Taking, song cycle
** Rhapsody for piano, violin, viola and cello
** String Quartet No. 3
* George Benjamin – Ringed by the Flat Horizon
* Lennox Berkeley – Magnificat and Nunc dimittis, Op.99
* Harrison Birtwistle
** Clarinet Quintet
** On the Sheer Threshold of the Night for chorus
* Peter Maxwell Davies
** Farewell to Stromness, piano interlude (from The Yellow Cake Review)
** Little Quartet, string quartet
** Symphony No. 2
** A Welcome to Orkney for chamber ensemble
** The Yellow Cake Review for voice and piano
** Yesnaby Ground, piano interlude (from The Yellow Cake Review)
* Alexander Goehr – Sinfornia for orchestra
* Iain Hamilton
** Mass in A for a capella chorus
** Vespers, for mixed chorus, two pianos, harp and percussion
* Jonathan Harvey – Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco
* Alun Hoddinott – The Heaventree of Stars
* Wilfred Josephs
** Consort Music for brass
** Double-bass Concerto
** Double-bass Sonata
** Equus, ballet
** Tombeaux for organ
* Kenneth Leighton
** Animal Heaven for soprano, recorder, cello and harpsichord
** Fantasy on a Chorale for violin and organ
** Missa Cornelia for treble voices and organ
** Missa de Gloria, organ solo
* George Lloyd – The Vigil of Venus for voices and orchestra
* Nicholas Maw – The Ruin, for chorus and solo horn
* Thea Musgrave
** From One to Another, for viola and fifteen strings
** The Last Twilight for chorus, brass and percussion
* Edmund Rubbra
** Canzona for Brass
** Duo of cor anglais and piano
** How Shall My Tongue Express? for unaccompanied chorus
** Mass in Honour of St. Teresa of Avila for unaccompanied chorus
* Robert Simpson – String Quartet No. 8
* Michael Tippett – Wolf Trap Fanfare for brass ensemble
* Malcolm Williamson
** Choric Hymn for mixed chorus
** Konstanz Fanfare for brass, percussion and organ
** Lament in memory of Lord Mountbatten for violin and string orchestra
** Little Mass of St Bernadette for voices and organ
** Ode for Queen Elizabeth for string orchestra
** Richmond Fanfare for brass, percussion and organ
** Symphony No. 5

## Opera

* Peter Maxwell Davies
** Cinderella (children's opera)
** The Lighthouse
* Kenneth Leighton – Columba
* William Mathias – The Servants

## Musical theatre

* Suburban Strains, book and lyrics by Alan Ayckbourn with music by Paul Todd

## Births

* 1 January – Richie Faulkner, rock guitarist (Judas Priest)
* 5 January – Lisa Gordon, drummer (Hepburn)
* 28 January – Nadia Shepherd, singer (Big Brovaz, Booty Luv)
* 9 March – Anna Clyne, composer of electroacoustic music
* 29 March – Andy Scott-Lee, singer (3SL)
* 4 April – Johnny Borrell, singer and musician (Razorlight)
* 12 April – Brian McFadden, Irish singer (Westlife)
* 26 April – James Hurst, singer and guitarist (North and South)
* 29 April – Kian Egan, Irish singer (Westlife)
* 8 May – Michelle McManus, singer and TV presenter
* 28 May – Mark Feehily, Irish singer (Westlife)
* 15 June – Lynsey Shaw, singer (Girls@Play)
* 23 June
** Jessica Taylor, singer (Liberty X)
** Andy Orr, Irish singer (Six)
* 29 June – Katherine Jenkins, soprano
* 7 July – Fyfe Dangerfield, singer-songwriter and guitarist (Guillemots and Senseless Prayer)
* 28 July – Noel Sullivan, singer (Hear'Say)
* 16 August – Bob Hardy, bassist (Franz Ferdinand)
* 19 August – Darius Danesh, singer-songwriter and actor
* 5 September
** Kevin Simm, singer (Liberty X)
** Zainam Higgins, singer (Cleopatra)
* 6 September
** Kerry Katona, TV presenter and singer (Atomic Kitten)
** Jayde Delpratt, singer (Ultimate Kaos)
* 10 September – Matthew Keaney, Irish singer (Reel)
* 24 September – Mikey Green, singer (Phixx)
* 3 October – Danny O'Donoghue, Irish singer-songwriter (Mytown, The Script)
* 9 November – Philip Gargan, Irish singer (Reel)
* 15 December – Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist with Kasabian
* date unknown
** Iain Bell, composer of opera and vocal music
** Catrin Finch, harpist
** Cheryl Frances-Hoad, composer
** Larry Goves, Welsh composer
** Dobrinka Tabakova, Bulgarian-British composer

## Deaths

* 15 January – David Whitfield, singer, 54 (brain haemorrhage)
* 25 January – Queenie Watts, actress and singer, 53 (cancer)
* 29 January – Edward Lewis, record producer and executive (Decca), 79
* 9 February – John Kennedy, cellist, 57
* 18 February – Muriel Brunskill, operatic contralto, 80
* 19 February – Bon Scott, lead singer of AC/DC, 33 (alcohol poisoning)
* 3 April – Isla Cameron, singer, 53 (asphyxiation)
* 5 April – Hector MacAndrew, Scottish composer and fiddler, 77
* 4 May – Joe "Mr Piano" Henderson, pianist, 60
* 18 May – Ian Curtis, musician and singer (Joy Division), 23 (suicide)
* 22 May – Reginald Foort, theatre organist, 87
* 5 July – A. J. Potter, composer, 61
* 6 July – Frank Cordell, composer, arranger and conductor, 62
* 24 July – Peter Sellers, comic actor and singer ("Goodness Gracious Me"), 54 (heart attack)
* 5 August – Norman Fulton, composer and conductor, 71 (lung cancer)
* 9 August – Audrey Jeans, singer, 51 (car accident)
* 12 August – Leopold Spinner, Austrian-born composer, 74
* 8 September – Eddie Butcher, singer, songwriter and folk song collector, 80
* 18 September – Walter Midgley, operatic tenor, 68
* 25 September – John Bonham, drummer (Led Zeppelin), 32 (asphyxiation)
* 30 September – Horace Finch, pianist and organist, 74
* 11 October – Cassie Walmer, music hall singer, 92
* 27 October – Steve Peregrin Took, bongo player for Tyrannosaurus Rex, frontman for Shagrat and Steve Took's Horns, solo artist, 31 (asphyxiation)
* 29 October – Ouida MacDermott, singer, 91
* 8 December – John Lennon, singer, songwriter, and guitarist (The Beatles), 40 (murdered)
* 16 December – Keith Christie, jazz trombonist, 49
* 29 December – Lennie Felix, jazz pianist, 60 (car accident)