1980 in British music
Encyclopedia
This is a summary of 1980 in music
in the United Kingdom
, including the official charts from that year.
, The Jam
and Odyssey
all vying for chart supremacy by reaching the top. The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums stated that the year had a very dated appearance, most likely due to 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 "Crying". British genres Ska
and Mod
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.
Issue Date
Issue Date
1980 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1980.-January–March:*January 1**Cliff Richard is appointed an MBE by Elizabeth II.**The Zorros audition drummer Greg Pedley....
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, including the official charts from that year.
Pop music
The first year of the decade saw the 1980s get off to an odd start with a very varied list of artists reaching No. 1. This year saw the likes of Kenny RogersKenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
, The Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
and Odyssey
Odyssey (band)
Odyssey was a New York, now UK-based dance music band. It grew out of the talent of the Connecticut-born Lopez sisters: Lillian Lopez , Louise Lopez , and Carmen Lopez , who left the group before Odyssey, as the group came to be known after her departure, was formed.-Career:Filipino singer Tony...
all vying for chart supremacy by reaching the top. The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums stated that the year had a very dated appearance, most likely due to a number of songs reaching No. 1 which had been recorded years previously such as the "Theme from M*A*S*H*
Suicide Is Painless
"Suicide Is Painless" is a song written by Johnny Mandel and Mike Altman , which is best known for being featured as the theme song for both the movie and TV series M*A*S*H. The actual title is "Song from M*A*S*H" ". Mike Altman is the son of the original film's director, Robert Altman, and was 14...
" and Don McLean
Don McLean
Donald "Don" McLean is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for the 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".-Musical roots:...
's "Crying". British genres Ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
and Mod
Mod Revival
The mod revival was a music genre and subculture that started in England in 1978 and later spread to other countries . The mod revival's mainstream popularity was relatively short, although its influence has lasted for decades...
reached their peak this year, with strong chart showings by The Jam, The Specials
The Specials
The Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups...
and Madness
Madness (band)
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
. 1970s favourites ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
and Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
both had their last years as chart heavyweights, clocking up 5 No.1 singles between them. David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
scored his second No.1 this year, while the death of John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
at the end of the year gave him his first chart topper (and would dominate the early months of 1981). Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
became the first British female artist to have a No.1 album, and The Police finished the year as the top selling act.
Events
- 1 January - Cliff RichardCliff RichardSir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
is appointed an MBEBritish honours systemThe British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals' personal bravery, achievement, or service to the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories...
by Elizabeth II. - 16 January - Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
is arrested in Tokyo for possession of a half pound of marijuanaCannabis (drug)Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
. The remaining part of McCartney's tour has to be cancelled. - 25 January - Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
is released from a Japanese jail and ejected from the country by Japanese authorities. - 8 February - David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and his wife of nearly 10 years, Angie, file for divorce. Bowie gets custody of their 9-year-old son, Zowie - 30 April - The Roger DaltreyRoger DaltreyRoger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
film, McVicarMcVicar (film)McVicar is a British drama film released in 1980 by The Who Films, Ltd., starring Roger Daltrey of The Who in the title role of John McVicar...
, opens in London. - 18 May - Ian CurtisIan CurtisIan Kevin Curtis was an English singer and lyricist, famous for leading the post-punk band Joy Division. Joy Division released their debut album, Unknown Pleasures, in 1979 and recorded their follow-up, Closer, in 1980...
, vocalist of pioneering post-punkPost-punkPost-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
group Joy DivisionJoy DivisionJoy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
, hangs himself in his MacclesfieldMacclesfieldMacclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
home. His death comes just days before Joy Division are scheduled to begin their first U.S. tour. - 16 September - Kate BushKate BushKate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
becomes the first British female artist to reach No.1 in the album charts. - 20 September - Ozzy OsbourneOzzy OsbourneJohn Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
's breakthrough debut album Blizzard of OzzBlizzard of OzzBlizzard of Ozz is the first solo studio album by British singer/songwriter Ozzy Osbourne, recorded in Surrey, UK and released on September 20, 1980 in the UK and on March 27, 1981 in the U.S.. It is the comeback album of Osbourne following his firing from Black Sabbath the previous year...
is released in the UK. - 25 November - ABBAABBAABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
score the last of their nine number one singles in the UK Charts. - December - Duran DuranDuran DuranDuran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
signs with EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
after finalizing its lineup and touring as a support act for Hazel O'ConnorHazel O'ConnorHazel O'Connor is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of a soldier from Galway who settled in England after World War II to work in a car plant...
. - 4 December - Led ZeppelinLed ZeppelinLed Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
disbands following the death of drummer John BonhamJohn BonhamJohn Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
. - 8 December - John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
is shot dead outside of his apartment building in New York City. His latest single, "(Just Like) Starting Over(Just Like) Starting Over" Starting Over" is a song written and performed by John Lennon for his album, Double Fantasy. The B-side was Yoko Ono's "Kiss Kiss Kiss". It was released as a single on 24 October 1980 and reached number one in both the USA and UK two weeks after he was murdered. It is his biggest solo American...
", subsequently becomes a number one hit.
Number-one singles
| Song | Artist(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 January | "Another Brick in the Wall Another Brick in the Wall "Another Brick in the Wall" is the title of three songs set to variations of the same basic theme, on Pink Floyd's 1979 rock opera, The Wall, subtitled Part 1 , Part 2 , and Part 3... " | Pink Floyd Pink Floyd Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially... |
| 12 January | ||
| 19 January | "Brass in Pocket Brass In Pocket "Brass in Pocket" is a single by The Pretenders. It was written by Chrissie Hynde and James Honeyman-Scott, and produced by Chris Thomas.-Release:... " | The Pretenders The Pretenders The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers... |
| 26 January | ||
| 2 February | The Special AKA Live! | The Specials The Specials The Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups... |
| 9 February | ||
| 16 February | "Coward of the County" | Kenny Rogers Kenny Rogers Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur... |
| 23 February | ||
| 1 March | "Atomic Atomic (song) "Atomic" is a song by the American New Wave band Blondie, written by Debbie Harry and Jimmy Destri and produced by Mike Chapman. It was released as the third single from the band's 1979 album Eat to the Beat.-Song information:... " | Blondie Blondie (band) Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s... |
| 8 March | ||
| 15 March | "Together We Are Beautiful Together We Are Beautiful "Together We Are Beautiful" was a popular single by Fern Kinney.Written by Ken Leray and produced by Caron Whitsett, Wolf Stephenson and Tommy Couch "Together We Are Beautiful" was the first and only #1 single in the UK for Fern Kinney. Originally a b-side to "Baby, Let Me Kiss You" the song was... " | Fern Kinney Fern Kinney Fern Kinney is an American R&B and disco singer, who is best remembered for her releases, "Groove Me" and "Together We Are Beautiful".-Career:... |
| 22 March | "Going Underground Going Underground "Going Underground" is the first British number-one chart single by The Jam, released in March 1980. It went straight in at number one, a rare feat at the time, and spent three weeks at the top... / Dreams of Children Dreams of Children Dreams Of Children is a song which is the second part of The Jam's Double A-side single Going Underground, which successfully went to #1 in 1980... " | The Jam The Jam The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped... |
| 29 March | ||
| 5 April | ||
| 12 April | "Working My Way Back to You Working My Way Back To You "Working My Way Back to You" is the debut single from Irish Boyband Boyzone. It was released in May 1994. The song reached #3 on the Irish Singles Chart. It is one of the few songs to feature Mikey Graham on lead vocals. The band recorded two versions the song, one of which was a collaboration with... " | The Detroit Spinners |
| 19 April | ||
| 26 April | "Call Me Call Me (Blondie song) "Call Me" is a song by the American new wave band Blondie. Released in 1980, "Call Me" topped the singles charts in both the US and the UK .... " | Blondie |
| 3 May | "Geno Geno (song) "Geno" is a song by Dexys Midnight Runners which reached #1 on the UK singles chart for two weeks in May 1980. Written by Kevin 'Al' Archer and Kevin Rowland, it was band's second single and their first number one... " | Dexys Midnight Runners Dexys Midnight Runners Dexys Midnight Runners are a British pop group with soul influences, who achieved their major success in the early to mid 1980s. They are best known for their songs "Come On Eileen" and "Geno", both of which went No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart.... |
| 10 May | ||
| 17 May | "What's Another Year" | Johnny Logan Johnny Logan (singer) Johnny Logan , is an Australian-born Irish singer and composer. He is regarded as "Mister Eurovision", having participated in the Eurovision Song Contest many times since the 1970s, and, since 1992, has been the most successful artist in Eurovision history.Logan has won the international contest on... |
| 24 May | ||
| 31 May | "Suicide Is Painless (Theme from M*A*S*H) Suicide Is Painless "Suicide Is Painless" is a song written by Johnny Mandel and Mike Altman , which is best known for being featured as the theme song for both the movie and TV series M*A*S*H. The actual title is "Song from M*A*S*H" ". Mike Altman is the son of the original film's director, Robert Altman, and was 14... " | M.A.S.H. |
| 7 June | ||
| 14 June | ||
| 21 June | "Crying" | Don McLean Don McLean Donald "Don" McLean is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for the 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".-Musical roots:... |
| 28 June | ||
| 5 July | ||
| 12 July | "Xanadu" | Olivia Newton-John Olivia Newton-John Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA... and Electric Light Orchestra Electric Light Orchestra Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones... |
| 19 July | ||
| 26 July | "Use It Up and Wear It Out Use It Up And Wear It Out "Use It Up and Wear It Out" is a song by Odyssey that was released as a single in 1980.-Overview:The song was written by Sandy Linzer and L. Russell Brown, and produced by Linzer. It was the New York-based disco group's only UK #1 single, spending two weeks at the top of the charts from July 26 to... " | Odysssey Odyssey (band) Odyssey was a New York, now UK-based dance music band. It grew out of the talent of the Connecticut-born Lopez sisters: Lillian Lopez , Louise Lopez , and Carmen Lopez , who left the group before Odyssey, as the group came to be known after her departure, was formed.-Career:Filipino singer Tony... |
| 2 August | ||
| 9 August | "The Winner Takes It All The Winner Takes It All "The Winner Takes It All" is a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA. Released as the first single from the group's Super Trouper album on July 21, 1980, it is a ballad in the key of F-sharp major, reflecting the end of a romance... " | ABBA ABBA ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog... |
| 16 August | ||
| 23 August | "Ashes to Ashes Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie song) "Ashes to Ashes" is a single by David Bowie, released in 1980. It made #1 in the UK and was the first cut from the Scary Monsters album, also a #1 hit. As well as its musical qualities, it is noted for its innovative video, directed by Bowie and David Mallet... " | David Bowie David Bowie David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s... |
| 30 August | ||
| 6 September | "Start! Start! "Start!" is the eleventh UK single release by punk rock band, The Jam and their second number-one, following "Going Underground"/"Dreams of Children". Upon its release on 15 August 1980, it debuted at number three, and two weeks later reached number one for one week... " | The Jam |
| 13 September | "Feels Like I'm in Love Feels Like I'm in Love "Feels Like I'm in Love" was a UK number-one single for two weeks in September 1980 for Kelly Marie.Written by Raymond Dorset of Mungo Jerry, the song was originally intended for Elvis Presley but he died before it could be pitched to him... " | Kelly Marie Kelly Marie Kelly Marie is a Scottish disco singer. Her only notable hit was "Feels Like I'm in Love", a #1 hit in the UK in 1980.-Early career:... |
| 20 September | ||
| 27 September | "Don't Stand So Close to Me Don't Stand So Close to Me "Don't Stand So Close to Me" is a 1980 song and hit single by the British rock band The Police. It concerns a schoolgirl's crush on her young teacher and the teacher's nervousness about the situation. The Police won the 1982 "Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal"... " | The Police |
| 4 October | ||
| 11 October | ||
| 18 October | ||
| 25 October | "Woman in Love Woman in Love "Woman in Love" is a popular song performed by Barbra Streisand and taken from her 1980 album, Guilty. The song was written by Barry and Robin Gibb of The Bee Gees.... " | Barbra Streisand Barbra Streisand Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,... |
| 1 November | ||
| 8 November | ||
| 15 November | "The Tide Is High The Tide Is High "The Tide Is High" is a 1967 song written by John Holt and originally performed by The Paragons with John Holt as lead singer. The song went mainly unnoticed in the rest of the world until it was rediscovered in 1980 when it became a US/UK number 1 hit for the band Blondie... " | Blondie |
| 22 November | ||
| 29 November | "Super Trouper Super Trouper (song) -A-Teens version:"Super Trouper" was A-Teens' second single from their 1st album The ABBA Generation, a cover of ABBA's song. When the single came out in the fall of 1999, it became a hit around the globe, just as its predecessor "Mamma Mia", also an ABBA cover... " | ABBA |
| 6 December | ||
| 13 December | 20 December | "(Just Like) Starting Over (Just Like) Starting Over " Starting Over" is a song written and performed by John Lennon for his album, Double Fantasy. The B-side was Yoko Ono's "Kiss Kiss Kiss". It was released as a single on 24 October 1980 and reached number one in both the USA and UK two weeks after he was murdered. It is his biggest solo American... " | John Lennon John Lennon John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music... |
| 27 December | "There's No-one Quite Like Grandma There's No-one Quite Like Grandma "There's No One Quite Like Grandma" was a number one hit single by Stockport-based primary school choir St Winifred's School Choir from 27 December 1980 to 3 January 1981. It was written by Gordon Lorenz.... " | St. Winifred's School Choir |
Number-one albums
| Song | Artist(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 January | Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 | Rod Stewart Rod Stewart Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry.... |
| 12 January | Greatest Hits Vol. 2 Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (ABBA album) Greatest Hits Vol. 2 is a compilation album by Swedish pop group ABBA, released in October 1979 to coincide with their tour of North America and Europe... | ABBA ABBA ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog... |
| 19 January | Pretenders Pretenders (album) Pretenders is the debut studio album by the British New Wave band The Pretenders, released on 19 January 1980 on Real Records . A combination of rock, punk, and pop music, this album made the band famous... | The Pretenders The Pretenders The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers... |
| 26 January | ||
| 2 February | ||
| 9 February | ||
| 16 February | Last Dance Last Dance (song) "Last Dance" is a hit 1978 song by singer Donna Summer. The song appeared on the Thank God It's Friday movie soundtrack. It was written by Paul Jabara and was co-produced by Summer's regular collaborator Giorgio Moroder, along with Bob Esty... | Various Artists |
| 23 February | ||
| 1 March | String of Hits String of Hits String of Hits is the twelfth rock album by British instrumental group The Shadows, released in 1979 through Columbia .The album was certified Platinum on the 25th of January, 1980.-Track listing:-Personnel:... | The Shadows The Shadows The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'... |
| 8 March | ||
| 15 March | ||
| 22 March | Tears and Laughter | Johnny Mathis Johnny Mathis John Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts... |
| 29 March | ||
| 5 April | Duke Duke (album) Duke is the tenth studio album by British band Genesis, released in March 1980.-Overview:The release of Duke followed solo albums by Genesis members Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford .... | Genesis Genesis (band) Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years... |
| 12 April | ||
| 19 April | Greatest Hits | Rose Royce Rose Royce Rose Royce is an American soul and R&B band. The group is best known for several hit singles including "Car Wash," "I Wanna Get Next to You," "Wishing on a Star", "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" and "I'm Going Down".-Career:... |
| 26 April | ||
| 3 May | Sky 2 | Sky Sky (band) Sky was a British instrumental group that specialised in fusing a variety of musical styles including light rock, progressive rock, classical and jazz. The group's best known members were classical guitarist John Williams, bass player Herbie Flowers Sky was a British instrumental group that... |
| 10 May | ||
| 17 May | The Magic of Boney M. – 20 Golden Hits | Boney M. |
| 24 May | ||
| 31 May | McCartney II McCartney II McCartney II is the third album by Paul McCartney, and the first since the formation of Wings in 1971. It was released in 1980, a year before the band's dissolution and while their future lay in limbo... | Paul McCartney Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100... |
| 7 June | ||
| 14 June | Peter Gabriel | Peter Gabriel Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career... |
| 21 June | ||
| 28 June | Flesh + Blood | Roxy Music Roxy Music Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson... |
| 5 July | Emotional Rescue Emotional Rescue Emotional Rescue is the 15th British and 17th American studio album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1980. Upon release, the album topped the charts in both the US and UK.-History:... | The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up... |
| 12 July | ||
| 19 July | The Game The Game (Queen album) The Game is the eighth studio album by British rock band Queen released on 30 June 1980. It was the only Queen album to reach #1 in the US and became Queen's best selling studio album in the US with four million copies sold to date, tying News of the Worlds US sales tally. The album received very... | Queen Queen (band) Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor... |
| 26 July | ||
| 2 August | Deepest Purple | Deep Purple Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre... |
| 9 August | Back in Black Back in Black Back in Black is an album by Australian rock band AC/DC. It is the seventh Australian and sixth internationally released studio album by the band.... | AC/DC AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"... |
| 16 August | ||
| 23 August | Flesh + Blood | Roxy Music |
| 30 August | ||
| 6 September | ||
| 13 September | Telekon Telekon Released in 1980, Telekon is the fourth studio album, and second album under his own name, by the British musician Gary Numan. It debuted at the top of the UK charts in September 1980, making it his third and consecutive no.1 album.... | Gary Numan Gary Numan Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music... |
| 20 September | Never for Ever Never for Ever - Personnel :* Ian Bairnson: Guitar, Bass vocals* Brian Bath: Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Background Vocals* Andrew Bryant: Vocals, Background Vocals* Kevin Burke: Violin... | Kate Bush Kate Bush Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart... |
| 27 September | Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) Scary Monsters is an album by David Bowie, released in September 1980 by RCA Records. It was Bowie's final studio album for the label and his first following the so-called Berlin Trilogy of Low, "Heroes" and Lodger . Though considered significant in artistic terms, the trilogy had proved less... | David Bowie David Bowie David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s... |
| 4 October | ||
| 11 October | Zenyattà Mondatta Zenyatta Mondatta Zenyattà Mondatta went to #5 in the U.S. and #1 in the UK and Australia, spurred by the success of the Sting-penned singles "Don't Stand So Close to Me" and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da"... | The Police |
| 18 October | ||
| 25 October | ||
| 1 November | ||
| 8 November | Guilty Guilty (Barbra Streisand album) Guilty is an album released by Barbra Streisand in 1980. After the success of the Bee Gees in 1977/1978 there was some time to perform songwriting for other artists and Barbra Streisand asked Barry Gibb to write an album for her... | Barbra Streisand Barbra Streisand Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,... |
| 15 November | ||
| 22 November | Super Trouper Super Trouper (album) Super Trouper is the seventh studio album by Swedish pop group ABBA, first released in 1980 .-Overview:Led by the international hit "The Winner Takes It All", Super Trouper was the group's sixth chart-topping album in the UK. It was also the best-selling album in Britain for 1980... | ABBA |
| 29 November | ||
| 6 December | ||
| 13 December | 20 December | |
| 27 December |
Top 50 selling singles
| Position | Song Title | Artist | Sales | Highest Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Don't Stand So Close To Me Don't Stand So Close to Me "Don't Stand So Close to Me" is a 1980 song and hit single by the British rock band The Police. It concerns a schoolgirl's crush on her young teacher and the teacher's nervousness about the situation. The Police won the 1982 "Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal"... " |
The Police The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland... |
808,000 | 1 |
| 2 | "Woman In Love Woman in Love "Woman in Love" is a popular song performed by Barbra Streisand and taken from her 1980 album, Guilty. The song was written by Barry and Robin Gibb of The Bee Gees.... " |
Barbra Streisand Barbra Streisand Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,... |
780,000 | 1 |
| 3 | "Feels Like I'm in Love Feels Like I'm in Love "Feels Like I'm in Love" was a UK number-one single for two weeks in September 1980 for Kelly Marie.Written by Raymond Dorset of Mungo Jerry, the song was originally intended for Elvis Presley but he died before it could be pitched to him... " |
Kelly Marie Kelly Marie Kelly Marie is a Scottish disco singer. Her only notable hit was "Feels Like I'm in Love", a #1 hit in the UK in 1980.-Early career:... |
760,000 | 1 |
| 4 | "Super Trouper Super Trouper (song) -A-Teens version:"Super Trouper" was A-Teens' second single from their 1st album The ABBA Generation, a cover of ABBA's song. When the single came out in the fall of 1999, it became a hit around the globe, just as its predecessor "Mamma Mia", also an ABBA cover... " |
ABBA ABBA ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog... |
709,000 | 1 |
| 5 | "D.I.S.C.O." | Ottawan Ottawan Ottawan were a French eurodisco duo in the late 1970s and early 1980s.-Career:They were fronted by lead singer Jean Patrick and Annette , with Daniel Vangarde and Jean Kluger the main songwriters. They are best known for their two hit singles "D.I.S.C.O." and "Hands Up "... |
706,000 | 2 |
| 6 | "The Tide is High The Tide Is High "The Tide Is High" is a 1967 song written by John Holt and originally performed by The Paragons with John Holt as lead singer. The song went mainly unnoticed in the rest of the world until it was rediscovered in 1980 when it became a US/UK number 1 hit for the band Blondie... " |
Blondie Blondie (band) Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s... |
686,000 | 1 |
| 7 | "Geno Geno (song) "Geno" is a song by Dexys Midnight Runners which reached #1 on the UK singles chart for two weeks in May 1980. Written by Kevin 'Al' Archer and Kevin Rowland, it was band's second single and their first number one... " |
Dexys Midnight Runners Dexys Midnight Runners Dexys Midnight Runners are a British pop group with soul influences, who achieved their major success in the early to mid 1980s. They are best known for their songs "Come On Eileen" and "Geno", both of which went No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart.... |
683,000 | 1 |
| 8 | "Together We Are Beautiful Together We Are Beautiful "Together We Are Beautiful" was a popular single by Fern Kinney.Written by Ken Leray and produced by Caron Whitsett, Wolf Stephenson and Tommy Couch "Together We Are Beautiful" was the first and only #1 single in the UK for Fern Kinney. Originally a b-side to "Baby, Let Me Kiss You" the song was... " |
Fern Kinney Fern Kinney Fern Kinney is an American R&B and disco singer, who is best remembered for her releases, "Groove Me" and "Together We Are Beautiful".-Career:... |
672,000 | 1 |
| 9 | "Coward of the County" | Kenny Rogers Kenny Rogers Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur... |
667,000 | 1 |
| 10 | "Working My Way Back to You Working My Way Back To You "Working My Way Back to You" is the debut single from Irish Boyband Boyzone. It was released in May 1994. The song reached #3 on the Irish Singles Chart. It is one of the few songs to feature Mikey Graham on lead vocals. The band recorded two versions the song, one of which was a collaboration with... " |
Detroit Spinners | 640,000 | 1 |
| 11 | "9 to 5 9 to 5 (Sheena Easton song) "9 to 5" is the title of a popular song written by British songwriter Florrie Palmer and recorded by Sheena Easton in 1980, becoming her biggest hit... " |
Sheena Easton Sheena Easton Sheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop... |
638,000 | 3 |
| 12 | "Baggy Trousers Baggy Trousers "Baggy Trousers" is a song by English ska/pop band Madness from their 1980 album Absolutely. It was written by lead singer Suggs and guitarist Chris Foreman, and reminisces on school days.... " |
Madness Madness (band) In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts... |
623,000 | 3 |
| 13 | "Ashes To Ashes Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie song) "Ashes to Ashes" is a single by David Bowie, released in 1980. It made #1 in the UK and was the first cut from the Scary Monsters album, also a #1 hit. As well as its musical qualities, it is noted for its innovative video, directed by Bowie and David Mallet... " |
David Bowie David Bowie David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s... |
622,000 | 1 |
| 14 | "Song from M*A*S*H" (Suicide is Painless) Suicide Is Painless "Suicide Is Painless" is a song written by Johnny Mandel and Mike Altman , which is best known for being featured as the theme song for both the movie and TV series M*A*S*H. The actual title is "Song from M*A*S*H" ". Mike Altman is the son of the original film's director, Robert Altman, and was 14... " |
M.A.S.H. | 595,000 | 1 |
| 15 | "Going Underground Going Underground "Going Underground" is the first British number-one chart single by The Jam, released in March 1980. It went straight in at number one, a rare feat at the time, and spent three weeks at the top... " / "Dreams of Children Dreams of Children Dreams Of Children is a song which is the second part of The Jam's Double A-side single Going Underground, which successfully went to #1 in 1980... " |
The Jam The Jam The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped... |
585,000 | 1 |
| 16 | "Crying Crying Crying is shedding tears as a response to an emotional state in humans. The act of crying has been defined as "a complex secretomotor phenomenon characterized by the shedding of tears from the lacrimal apparatus, without any irritation of the ocular structures"... " |
Don McLean Don McLean Donald "Don" McLean is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for the 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".-Musical roots:... |
580,000 | 1 |
| 17 | "(Just Like) Starting Over (Just Like) Starting Over " Starting Over" is a song written and performed by John Lennon for his album, Double Fantasy. The B-side was Yoko Ono's "Kiss Kiss Kiss". It was released as a single on 24 October 1980 and reached number one in both the USA and UK two weeks after he was murdered. It is his biggest solo American... " |
John Lennon John Lennon John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music... |
570,000 | 1 |
| 18 | "The Winner Takes It All The Winner Takes It All "The Winner Takes It All" is a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA. Released as the first single from the group's Super Trouper album on July 21, 1980, it is a ballad in the key of F-sharp major, reflecting the end of a romance... " |
ABBA ABBA ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog... |
565,000 | 1 |
| 19 | "Dance Yourself Dizzy" | Liquid Gold Liquid Gold Liquid Gold was an English disco group, from Brackley in Northamptonshire. Their biggest success came in 1980 with Dance Yourself Dizzy, which peaked at number two on the UK chart.-Career:... |
560,000 | 2 |
| 20 | "There's No-one Quite Like Grandma There's No-one Quite Like Grandma "There's No One Quite Like Grandma" was a number one hit single by Stockport-based primary school choir St Winifred's School Choir from 27 December 1980 to 3 January 1981. It was written by Gordon Lorenz.... " |
St Winifred's School Choir St Winifred's School Choir St Winifred's School Choir, from St Winifred's Roman Catholic Primary School in Stockport, United Kingdom, was a choir of children whose single in 1980 became the British Christmas number one single of that year. The song was entitled "There's No-one Quite Like Grandma", and it spent two weeks at... |
550,000 | 1 |
| 21 | "Atomic Atomic (song) "Atomic" is a song by the American New Wave band Blondie, written by Debbie Harry and Jimmy Destri and produced by Mike Chapman. It was released as the third single from the band's 1979 album Eat to the Beat.-Song information:... " |
Blondie Blondie (band) Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s... |
535,000 | 1 |
| 22 | "Upside Down Upside Down "Upside Down" is a hit song by Diana Ross released on the Motown label. It was the first single taken from her 1980 album diana and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 6, 1980. It also hit number one on the Billboard Disco/Dance and R&B charts... " |
Diana Ross Diana Ross Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway... |
505,000 | 2 |
| 23 | "Use It Up And Wear It Out Use It Up And Wear It Out "Use It Up and Wear It Out" is a song by Odyssey that was released as a single in 1980.-Overview:The song was written by Sandy Linzer and L. Russell Brown, and produced by Linzer. It was the New York-based disco group's only UK #1 single, spending two weeks at the top of the charts from July 26 to... " |
Odyssey Odyssey The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature... |
500,000 | 1 |
| 24 | "Start! Start! "Start!" is the eleventh UK single release by punk rock band, The Jam and their second number-one, following "Going Underground"/"Dreams of Children". Upon its release on 15 August 1980, it debuted at number three, and two weeks later reached number one for one week... " |
The Jam The Jam The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped... |
490,000 | 1 |
| 25 | "Master Blaster (Jammin')" | Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist... |
475,000 | 2 |
| 26 | "Funkytown Funkytown "Funkytown" is a 1980 disco hit song by the disco band Lipps Inc. The song expresses the singer's pining for a metaphorical place that will "keep me movin', keeps me groovin' with some energy". It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Dance charts in 1980, also reaching number 1 in Germany,... " |
Lipps Inc Lipps Inc Lipps Inc. was a studio band that achieved two significant hits, "Funkytown", in 1980 and "Designer Music", in 1981.The group was formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota by Steven Greenberg, who wrote and produced all of the group's music, and who also played several musical instruments... |
465,000 | 2 |
| 27 | "I'm In the Mood for Dancing I'm In the Mood for Dancing "I'm In the Mood for Dancing" is a single by pop group, The Nolan Sisters. Originally released in November 1979, the song became a top three hit in the UK in February 1980. The song, a cross between pure pop and disco, has since become synonymous with the group and remains their biggest hit... " |
The Nolans The Nolans The Nolans are an Anglo-Irish all-female band consisting of a group of sisters. The group, best known for their song "I'm In the Mood for Dancing", gained prominence as guest performers on numerous television shows in the United Kingdom... |
450,000 | 3 |
| 28 | "If You're Looking For a Way Out" | Odyssey Odyssey The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature... |
435,000 | 6 |
| 29 | "One Day I'll Fly Away One Day I'll Fly Away "One Day I'll Fly Away" is a song with music by Joe Sample and words by Will Jennings, performed by Randy Crawford and released in 1980.Joe Sample created the chorus based on Impromptus, D... " |
Randy Crawford Randy Crawford Randy Crawford is an American jazz and R&B singer. She has been more successful in Europe than in the United States, where she has not entered the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist... |
434,000 | 2 |
| 30 | "The Special AKA Live!" (EP) | The Specials The Specials The Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups... |
405,000 | 1 |
| 31 | "What You're Proposing What You're Proposing "What You're Proposing" is a single released by the British Rock band Status Quo in 1980. It was included on the album Just Supposin.The B-side is "A B Blues", a non-album instrumental studio jam. Some later pressings of this single mis-credited Andy Bown as Andy BROWN on the B-side composers credit... " |
Status Quo | 401,000 | 2 |
| 32 | Take That Look Off Your Face Take That Look Off Your Face "Take That Look Off Your Face" is the title of a hit song by musical theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Collaborating with lyricist Don Black, it was written for the song cycle show Tell Me on a Sunday in 1978. It was sung and released by Marti Webb in 1980, and became a No.3 hit in the UK charts... |
Marti Webb Marti Webb Marti Webb is a musical actress from England, who appeared on stage in Evita, before starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber's one woman show Tell Me on a Sunday in 1980... |
400,000 | 3 |
| 33 | "No Doubt About It" | Hot Chocolate | 390,000 | 2 |
| 34 | "Stop the Cavalry Stop the Cavalry "Stop the Cavalry" is a song written and performed by the musician Jona Lewie.The song peaked at number three in the UK Singles Chart in December 1980, at one point only being kept from number one by two re-issued songs by John Lennon, who had been murdered on 8 December.In an interview for Channel... " |
Jona Lewie Jona Lewie Jona Lewie is an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.-Career:Jona Lewie joined his first group, The Johnston City Jazz Band, while still at school in 1963, and by 1968 had become a blues & boogie singer and piano player... |
380,000 | 3 |
| 35 | "Brass In Pocket Brass In Pocket "Brass in Pocket" is a single by The Pretenders. It was written by Chrissie Hynde and James Honeyman-Scott, and produced by Chris Thomas.-Release:... " |
The Pretenders The Pretenders The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers... |
370,000 | 1 |
| 36 | "Oops Upside Your Head Oops Upside Your Head "I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance ", , is a 1979 funk anthem recorded by the R&B group The Gap Band and released off their fourth album, The Gap Band II.... " |
The Gap Band | 360,000 | 6 |
| 37 | "What's Another Year" | Johnny Logan Johnny Logan (singer) Johnny Logan , is an Australian-born Irish singer and composer. He is regarded as "Mister Eurovision", having participated in the Eurovision Song Contest many times since the 1970s, and, since 1992, has been the most successful artist in Eurovision history.Logan has won the international contest on... |
359,000 | 1 |
| 38 | "Xanadu Xanadu -Description of Xanadu by Toghon Temur :The lament of Toghon Temur Khan , concerning the loss of Daidu and Heibun Shanduu in 1368, is recorded in many Mongolian historical chronicles... " |
Olivia Newton-John Olivia Newton-John Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA... & Electric Light Orchestra Electric Light Orchestra Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones... |
350,000 | 1 |
| 39 | "Special Brew" | Bad Manners Bad Manners Bad Manners are an English 2 Tone ska band. They quickly became the novelty favourites of the UK pop scene through their bald outsized frontman's on-stage antics, earning early exposure through their Top of The Pops exploits and an appearance in the live film documentary, Dance Craze.They were at... |
345,000 | 3 |
| 40 | "King King - Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:... " / "Food for Thought Food for Thought (song) "Food for Thought" was the first single released by British reggae band UB40. It was released as a double A side along with "King", which was a song written about the late Martin Luther King, questioning the lost direction of the deceased leader's followers and the state of mourning of a nation... ' |
UB40 UB40 UB40 are a British reggae/pop band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. The band has placed more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. One of the world's best-selling music artists, UB40 have sold over 70 million records.Their hit singles... |
340,000 | 4 |
| 41 | "And The Beat Goes On And the Beat Goes On (song) "And the Beat Goes On" is a 1980 single by the Los Angeles-based quintet, The Whispers. The song was their first of two number-one singles on the R&B chart, and their first Top 20 pop hit in the United States, peaking at number nineteen. "And the Beat Goes On" was The Whispers only number one on... " |
The Whisperers The Whisperers The Whisperers is a 1967 British drama film directed by Bryan Forbes. It is based on the 1961 novel by Robert Nicolson.- Plot :The Whisperers tells the story of an impoverished old woman living alone in a seedy apartment who enjoys a rich fantasy life as an heiress... |
339,000 | 2 |
| 42 | "Modern Girl Modern Girl (Sheena Easton song) "Modern Girl" is the debut single by Scottish pop singer Sheena Easton. The song was originally released in February 1980. It made a lowly #56 in the charts before being re-released to top ten success in August of the same year... " |
Sheena Easton Sheena Easton Sheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop... |
335,000 | 8 |
| 43 | "Jump To The Beat" | Stacy Lattisaw Stacy Lattisaw Stacy Lattisaw is an American R&B, dance, and gospel singer. Since the 1990s, she has exclusively sung gospel music, as a callback to her Christian roots.-Career:... |
335,000 | 3 |
| 44 | "Turning Japanese Turning Japanese "Turning Japanese" is a song released by the English band The Vapors from their album New Clear Days, and the song for which they are known best. The song's lyrics consist mainly of the singer talking about pictures of his love... " |
The Vapors The Vapors The Vapors were a New Wave and power pop band from England, that existed between 1979 and 1981. They had a hit with the song "Turning Japanese" in 1980, which reached #3 in the UK Singles Chart, and #36 in the U.S... |
330,000 | 3 |
| 45 | "Call Me Call Me (Blondie song) "Call Me" is a song by the American new wave band Blondie. Released in 1980, "Call Me" topped the singles charts in both the US and the UK .... " |
Blondie Blondie (band) Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s... |
330,000 | 1 |
| 46 | "Back Together Again" | Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway The 1971 Atlantic release Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway is a duet album by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway produced by Joel Dorn and Arif Mardin.... |
320,000 | 3 |
| 47 | "With You I'm Born Again With You I'm Born Again "With You I'm Born Again" is a 1979 duet single by Motown recording artists Billy Preston and Syreeta Wright, released as a single from the soundtrack of the motion picture, Fast Break. The song was credited as "Billy Preston and Syreeta" and written by Carol Connors & David Shire... " |
Billy Preston Billy Preston William Everett "Billy" Preston was a musician who gained notoriety and fame, first as a session musician for the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and The Beatles, and later finding fame as a solo artist with hits such as "Space Race", "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from... & Syreeta |
319,000 | 2 |
| 48 | "My Girl My Girl (Madness song) "My Girl" is a song by British ska/pop group Madness from their debut album, One Step Beyond.... It was written by Mike Barson. The song was released as a single on 21 December 1979 and spent 10 weeks on the UK Singles Chart peaking at number 3.... " |
Madness Madness (band) In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts... |
314,000 | 3 |
| 49 | "Fashion" | David Bowie David Bowie David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s... |
310,000 | 5 |
| 50 | "Silver Dream Machine" | David Essex David Essex David Essex OBE is an English musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Since the 1970s, Essex has attained nineteen Top 40 singles in the UK , and sixteen Top 40 albums... |
305,000 | 4 |
Top selling albums
- Super TrouperSuper Trouper (album)Super Trouper is the seventh studio album by Swedish pop group ABBA, first released in 1980 .-Overview:Led by the international hit "The Winner Takes It All", Super Trouper was the group's sixth chart-topping album in the UK. It was also the best-selling album in Britain for 1980...
- ABBAABBAABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog... - Zenyatta MondattaZenyatta MondattaZenyattà Mondatta went to #5 in the U.S. and #1 in the UK and Australia, spurred by the success of the Sting-penned singles "Don't Stand So Close to Me" and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da"...
- The Police - Greatest Hits - Rose RoyceRose RoyceRose Royce is an American soul and R&B band. The group is best known for several hit singles including "Car Wash," "I Wanna Get Next to You," "Wishing on a Star", "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" and "I'm Going Down".-Career:...
- GuiltyGuilty (Barbra Streisand album)Guilty is an album released by Barbra Streisand in 1980. After the success of the Bee Gees in 1977/1978 there was some time to perform songwriting for other artists and Barbra Streisand asked Barry Gibb to write an album for her...
- Barbra StreisandBarbra StreisandBarbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,... - PretendersPretenders (album)Pretenders is the debut studio album by the British New Wave band The Pretenders, released on 19 January 1980 on Real Records . A combination of rock, punk, and pop music, this album made the band famous...
- The PretendersThe PretendersThe Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers... - Regatta De Blanc - The Police
- Flesh and Blood - Roxy MusicRoxy MusicRoxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
- Manilow Magic - Barry ManilowBarry ManilowBarry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
- Off the Wall - Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
- DukeDuke (album)Duke is the tenth studio album by British band Genesis, released in March 1980.-Overview:The release of Duke followed solo albums by Genesis members Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford ....
- GenesisGenesis (band)Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years... - Sky 2Sky 2 (album)Sky 2 is the second album by British classical/progressive rock band Sky, released in 1980. Despite being a double album it peaked at number one in the British Album charts, while the instrumental single "Toccata" peaked at 5 in the British Singles Chart....
- SkySky (band)Sky was a British instrumental group that specialised in fusing a variety of musical styles including light rock, progressive rock, classical and jazz. The group's best known members were classical guitarist John Williams, bass player Herbie Flowers Sky was a British instrumental group that... - Double FantasyDouble FantasyDouble Fantasy is an album released by John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, in 1980. Though initially poorly received, the album is notable for its association with Lennon's murder three weeks after its release, whereupon it become a worldwide commercial success, and went on to win the 1981 Album...
- John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music... - One Step Beyond...One Step Beyond...One Step Beyond... is the 1979 debut album by the British ska group Madness. It was ranked 90th in a 2005 survey held by British television's Channel 4 to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time. The album peaked at number 2 and remained in the British record charts for over a year. One Step...
- MadnessMadness (band)In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts... - 12 Gold Bars12 Gold Bars12 Gold Bars is a 1980 compilation album by English rockers Status Quo. It achieved number 3 in the UK charts and remained in the charts for 48 weeks. This was longer than any other Quo album....
- Status Quo - String of HitsString of HitsString of Hits is the twelfth rock album by British instrumental group The Shadows, released in 1979 through Columbia .The album was certified Platinum on the 25th of January, 1980.-Track listing:-Personnel:...
- The ShadowsThe ShadowsThe Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'... - Last Dance - Various Artists
- Greatest Hits Vol. 2Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (ABBA album)Greatest Hits Vol. 2 is a compilation album by Swedish pop group ABBA, released in October 1979 to coincide with their tour of North America and Europe...
- ABBA - Outlandos D'AmourOutlandos d'AmourThe LP initially flopped, due to low exposure and an unfavourable reaction from the BBC to its first two singles, "Can't Stand Losing You" and "Roxanne" . As Sting describes:...
- The Police - The Magic ofThe Magic of Boney M.The Magic of Boney M. is a greatest hits album of recordings by Boney M. released by Sony BMG in October 2006.The compilation which is an updated version of 1993's Gold - 20 Super Hits and 2001's The Greatest Hits includes eighteen of Boney M's best known hits from the 70s and 80s, a new remix of...
- Boney MBoney MBoney M. is a Eurodisco group created by German record producer Frank Farian. Originally based in Germany, the four original members of the group's official line-up were Jamaicans Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett, Maizie Williams from Montserrat and Bobby Farrell from Aruba... - Scary Monsters and Super Creeps - David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
- Greatest Hits - Dr Hook
- Tell Me on a SundayTell Me on a Sunday (album)Tell Me on a Sunday was the first solo album released by Marti Webb.All tracks were written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black and told the story of an English girl who has emigrated to the United States and embarks on a succession of romances...
- Marti WebbMarti WebbMarti Webb is a musical actress from England, who appeared on stage in Evita, before starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber's one woman show Tell Me on a Sunday in 1980... - Absolutely - Madness
- Not the Nine O'Clock News - Not the Nine O'Clock NewsNot the Nine O'Clock NewsNot the Nine O'Clock News is a television comedy sketch show which was broadcast on BBC 2 from 1979 to 1982.Originally shown as a comedy "alternative" to the BBC Nine O'Clock News on BBC 1, it featured satirical sketches on current news stories and popular culture, as well as parody songs, comedy...
- Tears and Laughter - Johnny MathisJohnny MathisJohn Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
- Signing OffSigning OffSide TwoEP Side OneEP Side Two-Cassette:Side OneSide Two-CD:- Personnel :* Astro – Voices* Neil Black – Assistant Engineer* Jim Brown – Drums, Group Member* Ali Campbell – Rhythm Guitar, Vocals...
- UB40UB40UB40 are a British reggae/pop band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. The band has placed more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. One of the world's best-selling music artists, UB40 have sold over 70 million records.Their hit singles... - Never for EverNever for Ever- Personnel :* Ian Bairnson: Guitar, Bass vocals* Brian Bath: Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Background Vocals* Andrew Bryant: Vocals, Background Vocals* Kevin Burke: Violin...
- Kate BushKate BushKate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart... - The WallThe WallThe Wall is the eleventh studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd. Released as a double album on 30 November 1979, it was subsequently performed live with elaborate theatrical effects, and adapted into a feature film, Pink Floyd—The Wall.As with the band's previous three...
- Pink FloydPink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially... - The Specials - The SpecialsThe SpecialsThe Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups...
- I Just Can't Stop ItI Just Can't Stop It (album)I Just Can't Stop It is the debut album by UK 2 tone band The Beat. The album was released in 1980 via Go Feet Records in the UK. It was released the same year in the US on I.R.S...
- The BeatThe Beat (band)The Beat are a 2 Tone ska revival band founded in England in 1978. Their songs fuse ska, pop, soul, reggae and punk rock, and their lyrics deal with themes of love, unity and sociopolitical topics.... - Greatest Hits Vol. 1 - Rod StewartRod StewartRoderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
- Give Me the Night - George BensonGeorge BensonGeorge Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
- Get Happy!! - Elvis Costello and the Attractions
- Me Myself IMe Myself IMe Myself I is an album by Joan Armatrading. Released in 1980, the album was Armatrading's highest ever chart placing both in the UK and in the US . It was certified "Gold" in the UK by the BPI in July 1980....
- Joan ArmatradingJoan ArmatradingJoan Anita Barbara Armatrading, MBE is a British singer, songwriter and guitarist. Armatrading is a three-time Grammy Award-nominee and has been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist... - Bat Out of HellBat out of HellBat Out of Hell is the second album by American rock musician Meat Loaf, and his first collaboration with composer Jim Steinman, released in October 1977 on Cleveland International/Epic Records #PE-34974. Selling approximately 200,000 copies per year as of 2010, it is the fifth best-selling album...
- Meat LoafMeat LoafMichael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor... - McCartney IIMcCartney IIMcCartney II is the third album by Paul McCartney, and the first since the formation of Wings in 1971. It was released in 1980, a year before the band's dissolution and while their future lay in limbo...
- Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100... - Emotional RescueEmotional RescueEmotional Rescue is the 15th British and 17th American studio album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1980. Upon release, the album topped the charts in both the US and UK.-History:...
- The Rolling StonesThe Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up... - Back in BlackBack in BlackBack in Black is an album by Australian rock band AC/DC. It is the seventh Australian and sixth internationally released studio album by the band....
- AC/DCAC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"... - Peter Gabriel - Peter GabrielPeter GabrielPeter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
- Eat to the BeatEat to the BeatEat to the Beat is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Blondie. It reached no.1 on the UK album charts in October 1979, no.9 in Australia and no.17 in the US.-History:...
- BlondieBlondie (band)Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s... - AutoamericanAutoamericanAutoamerican is the fifth studio album by the US new wave band Blondie. It was released in November 1980 and reached #3 in the UK charts, #8 in Australia and #7 in the US....
- Blondie - Parallel LinesParallel LinesParallel Lines is the third studio album by American New Wave band Blondie, released in 1978 by Chrysalis Records. Their most popular and best-selling effort, Parallel Lines was the first Blondie album to be produced by Mike Chapman. The album reached number one in the United Kingdom in February 1979...
- Blondie - Hotter Than JulyHotter than JulyHotter than July is the nineteenth album by Stevie Wonder, originally released on Motown's Tamla label on September 29, 1980. Despite the wide critical acclaim for Wonder's previous works such as Songs in the Key of Life and Innervisions, Hotter than July was his first album eligible for platinum...
- Stevie WonderStevie WonderStevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist... - Sometimes You Win - Dr Hook
- Wheels of SteelWheels of SteelWheels of Steel is the second studio album by heavy metal band Saxon. It was released in 1980 .Despite its lyric, "747 " does not appear to be based on any actual incidents....
- SaxonSaxon (band)Saxon are an English heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. As front-runners of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they had 8 UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s including 4 UK Top 10 albums. Saxon also had numerous singles in the Top 20 singles chart... - The GameThe Game (Queen album)The Game is the eighth studio album by British rock band Queen released on 30 June 1980. It was the only Queen album to reach #1 in the US and became Queen's best selling studio album in the US with four million copies sold to date, tying News of the Worlds US sales tally. The album received very...
- QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor... - Sound AffectsSound AffectsSound Affects is the fifth studio album by British rock band The Jam. The cover art is a pastiche of the artwork used on various Sound Effects records produced by the BBC during the 1970s.-Influences:...
- The JamThe JamThe Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped... - Kings of the Wild FrontierKings of the Wild FrontierKings of the Wild Frontier is a New Wave album by Adam and the Ants, released in 1980 . This album introduced the new Burundi drum sound. After having his previous backing band wooed away by producer Malcolm McLaren, who used them to form Bow Wow Wow, Adam Ant recorded Kings of the Wild Frontier...
- Adam & the Ants - War of the WorldsJeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the WorldsJeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds is a 1978 concept album by Jeff Wayne, retelling the story of The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. Its format is progressive rock and string orchestra, using narration and leitmotifs to carry the story via rhyming melodic lyrics that express...
- Jeff WayneJeff WayneJeffry "Jeff" Wayne, born in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, is a musician best known for Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, his musical version of H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds... - Breaking Glass - Hazel O'ConnorHazel O'ConnorHazel O'Connor is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of a soldier from Galway who settled in England after World War II to work in a car plant...
Events
- John RutterJohn RutterJohn Milford Rutter CBE is a British composer, conductor, editor, arranger and record producer, mainly of choral music.-Biography:Born in London, Rutter was educated at Highgate School, where a fellow pupil was John Tavener. He read music at Clare College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the...
is made an honorary Fellow of Westminster Choir CollegeWestminster Choir CollegeWestminster Choir College is a residential college of music, part of Rider University, located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States.Westminster Choir College educates men and women at the undergraduate and graduate levels for musical careers in music education, voice performance, piano...
, Princeton.
Orchestral & choral works
- Lennox BerkeleyLennox BerkeleySir Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley was an English composer.- Biography :He was born in Oxford, England, and educated at the Dragon School, Gresham's School and Merton College, Oxford...
- Magnificat and Nunc dimittis, op.99 - Harrison BirtwistleHarrison BirtwistleSir Harrison Paul Birtwistle CH is a British contemporary composer.-Life:Birtwistle was born in Accrington, a mill town in Lancashire some 20 miles north of Manchester. His interest in music was encouraged by his mother, who bought him a clarinet when he was seven, and arranged for him to have...
- Clarinet Quintet - Alun HoddinottAlun HoddinottAlun Hoddinott CBE , was a Welsh composer of classical music, one of the first to receive international recognition.-Life and works:...
- The Heaventree of Stars - Malcolm WilliamsonMalcolm WilliamsonMalcolm Benjamin Graham Christopher Williamson AO , CBE was an Australian composer. He was the Master of the Queen's Music from 1975 until his death.-Biography:...
- Ode for Queen Elizabeth
Opera
- William MathiasWilliam MathiasWilliam Mathias CBE was a Welsh composer.-Brief biography:Mathias was born in Whitland, Carmarthenshire. A child prodigy, he started playing the piano at the age of three and composing at the age of five. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music under Lennox Berkeley, where he was elected a fellow...
- The Servants - Peter Maxwell DaviesPeter Maxwell DaviesSir Peter Maxwell Davies, CBE is an English composer and conductor and is currently Master of the Queen's Music.-Biography:...
- The LighthouseThe Lighthouse (opera)The Lighthouse is a chamber opera with words and music by Peter Maxwell Davies.The scenario was inspired by a true story. In December 1900 a lighthouse supply ship called the Hesperus, based in Stromness, Orkney, went on its routine tour of duty to the Flannan Isles in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland...
Births
- March 29 - Andy Scott-LeeAndy Scott-LeeAndy Scott-Lee is a Welsh pop star, who is an ex-member of the group 3SL. After the group broke up, he appeared in the second series of Pop Idol, making it to the final seven. Scott-Lee is now a member of the group G*Mania. Scott-Lee's estranged wife is the former Liberty X member, Michelle Heaton...
, singer - April 4 - Johnny BorrellJohnny BorrellJohnny Borrell is an English guitarist and singer, currently the frontman of the band Razorlight.-Early life and career:...
, singer and musician with RazorlightRazorlightRazorlight are a UK based indie rock band formed in 2002. They are primarily known in the UK, having topped the charts with the 2006 single "America" and its parent self-titled album, their second... - May 8 - Michelle McManusMichelle McManusMichelle McManus is a Scottish singer-songwriter, actress, radio DJ and television presenter, who rose to fame after winning the second series of the UK talent show Pop Idol....
, singer and TV presenter - June 29 - Katherine JenkinsKatherine JenkinsKatherine Jenkins is a Welsh mezzo-soprano. She is a classical-popular crossover singer who performs across a spectrum of operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre and hymns.-Early life and education:...
, soprano - July 28 - Noel SullivanNoel SullivanNoel Sullivan , is a Welsh singer and actor. He was a member of the British pop group Hear'Say. Like the other members of the group, he won his part through the talent show Popstars.-Early life and career:...
, pop singer - August 19 - Darius DaneshDarius DaneshDarius Campbell , also known as Darius Danesh or simply Darius, is a British Iranian platinum-selling singer-songwriter, a West End stage actor, operatic baritone, Sunday Times best-selling author, and an Ambassador for The Prince's Trust.He established himself as a popular West End leading...
, singer-songwriter and actor - December 15 - Sergio PizzornoSergio PizzornoSergio Lorenzo "Serge" Pizzorno is a British guitarist and songwriter, best known for his work with the indie rock band Kasabian. He became Kasabian's lead song-writer after the departure of Christopher Karloff....
, guitarist with Kasabian - date unknown - Catrin FinchCatrin FinchCatrin Anna Finch is a Welsh harpist born in Llanon, Ceredigion, Wales. She was the Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales from 2000 to 2004 and is Visiting Professor at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and the Royal Academy of Music...
, harpist
Deaths
- February 19 - February 19 - Bon ScottBon ScottRonald Belford "Bon" Scott was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980...
, lead singer of AC/DC (born 1946) (alcohol poisoning) - May 18 - Ian CurtisIan CurtisIan Kevin Curtis was an English singer and lyricist, famous for leading the post-punk band Joy Division. Joy Division released their debut album, Unknown Pleasures, in 1979 and recorded their follow-up, Closer, in 1980...
, musician and singer (Joy DivisionJoy DivisionJoy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
) (born 1956) - July 5 - A. J. PotterA. J. PotterArchibald James Potter was an Irish composer and teacher, who wrote hundreds of works including operas, a mass, and four ballets, as well as orchestral and chamber music.-Early years:...
, composer (born 1918) - September 25 - John BonhamJohn BonhamJohn Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
, drummer (Led ZeppelinLed ZeppelinLed Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
) (born 1948) - October 27 - Steve Peregrin TookSteve Peregrin TookSteve Peregrin Took was an English musician. He is best known for his membership of the duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with Marc Bolan...
, bongo player for Tyrannosaurus Rex (born 1949) - December 8 - John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, singer, songwriter, and guitarist (The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
) (murdered) (born 1940)