10 hours ago, Popchartfreak said:

I must crack on with finishing 1980 charts 2 months to go!

Dying to see where Grandma ends up. 🤔

Nice combination of totally different styles in your top 10. Massive ska songs from Madness, Specials and Band Manners along with beautiful pop songs from Air Supply and Barbra Streisand. "You're Lying" is soul at its best - the intro was also sampled for the massive rave tune "The House Is Mine" from the Hypnotist. "Enola Gay" is one of the best songs of all time. Also The Police song is pure gold. Cannot remember the Kate Bush song. Brilliant chart!!!

On 27/11/2025 at 20:56, DaTilt said:

Nice combination of totally different styles in your top 10. Massive ska songs from Madness, Specials and Band Manners along with beautiful pop songs from Air Supply and Barbra Streisand. "You're Lying" is soul at its best - the intro was also sampled for the massive rave tune "The House Is Mine" from the Hypnotist. "Enola Gay" is one of the best songs of all time. Also The Police song is pure gold. Cannot remember the Kate Bush song. Brilliant chart!!!

Ooh thanks for commenting DaTilt, sorry I've not been dipping into 1980 comments due to holiday abroad and xmas preps! Ska was fab in 1980 and very pleased you rate You're Lying, I didnt know it had been sampled, but hooray for Hypnotist! Thanks for the comments and picks and more 1980...right now!

4th November 1980

It's 2 weeks at number one for Air Supply's big ballad, but OMD are nipping at their heels Enola Gay trying to go where Messages went - to number one - after Babs Streisand fails to go where Evergreen went: to number one! Kate Bush grabs a 5th top 5 with Army Dreamers, and Bad Manners reach a new chart peak of 5. Adam & The Ants get a first top 10 as Dog Eats Dog leapfrogs Cliff 'n' Livvie's lovely Suddenly at 10.

Sheena Easton blasts into the 20 with One Man Woman, already outdoing 9 To 5, as 1978's Sharing The Night Together returns for Dr. Hook at 19, a lush melody on that one, and a new peak. New in at 23, it's been 5 years waiting, but John Lennon returns with new material, the retro-50's-rocker (Just Like) Starting Over, as John seems content with his life as House Husband and Father, and occasional pop star - giving him a slot at 23, and his first new song since #9 Dream in early 1975, possibly his greatest solo track. The new one is fun, though.

Kelly Marie gets a second instant charter at 29, more of the same, more or less, and beats out Bowie's follow-up from Scary Monsters, Fashion new at 31, that pounds and throbs and goes right to the New Romantic club culture. At 36, UB40 have the best side of the new double A, the stark The Earth Dies Screaming and at this stage of their career no need to indulge their love of roots reggae songs, social commentary was more the thing.

Trevor Horn & Geoff Downes, pre-Yes-revamped, manage a 4th Buggles entry with Elstree before they go off to bigger things, new at 40, which leaves the plodding singalong Minder TV theme at 68 - not a show I watched, as can be seen by my viewing list of the week. My long-term love of things Star Trek has been borne out with time, I think it's fair to say, and MASH is easily the best US (and UK) sitcom of the 70's. That leaves Motorhead trying to catch up with top 20 track Overkill, as Ace Of Spades debuts at a lowly 71, for now. Both singles are manic, exciting Metal.

1 ( 1 ) ALL OUT OF LOVE Air Supply

2 ( 3 ) ENOLA GAY Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

3 ( 2 ) WOMAN IN LOVE Barbra Streisand

4 ( 7 ) ARMY DREAMERS Kate Bush

5 ( 9 ) SPECIAL BREW Bad Manners

6 ( 5 ) BAGGY TROUSERS Madness

7 ( 10 ) YOU’RE LYING Linx

8 ( 4 ) DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME The Police

9 ( 20 ) DOG EAT DOG Adam & The Ants

10 ( 15 ) SUDDENLY Cliff Richard & Olivia Newton-John

11 ( 21 ) I NEED YOUR LOVING Teena Marie

12 ( 18 ) OUT HERE ON MY OWN Irene Cara

13 ( 6 ) STEREOTYPES The Specials

14 ( 14 ) GOTTA PULL MYSELF TOGETHER The Nolans

15 ( 8 ) WHAT YOU’RE PROPOSING Status Quo

16 ( 56 ) ONE MAN WOMAN Sheena Easton

17 ( 12 ) ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST Queen

18 ( 11 ) KILLER ON THE LOOSE Thin Lizzy

19 ( NEW ) SHARING THE NIGHT TOGETHER Dr. Hook

20 ( 13 ) D.I.S.C.O. Ottawan

21 ( 16 ) MASTERBLASTER (JAMMIN’) Stevie Wonder

22 ( 19 ) ASHES TO ASHES David Bowie

23 ( NEW ) (JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER John Lennon

24 ( 25 ) WHEN YOU ASK ABOUT LOVE Matchbox

25 ( 33 ) PASSION Rod Stewart

26 ( 34 ) LOVELY ONE The Jacksons

27 ( 32 ) HE’S SO SHY The Pointer Sisters

28 ( 17 ) MY OLD PIANO Diana Ross

29 ( NEW ) LOVING JUST FOR FUN Kelly Marie

30 ( 30 ) THE TIDE IS HIGH Blondie

31 ( NEW ) FASHION David Bowie

32 ( 39 ) TOWERS OF LONDON XTC

33 ( 24 ) CASANOVA Coffee

34 ( 22 ) I GOT YOU Split-Enz

35 ( 31 ) THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL Abba

36 ( NEW ) THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING UB40

37 ( 28 ) AMIGO Black Slate

38 ( 23 ) IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A WAY OUT Odyssey

39 ( 27 ) SHE’S SO COLD The Rolling Stones

40 ( NEW ) ELSTREE (REMEMBER ME) Buggles

41 ( 49 ) NEVER KNEW LOVE LIK THIS BEFORE Stephanie Mills

42 ( 41 ) WHY DO LOVERS BREAK EACH OTHERS HEARTS Showaddywaddy

43 ( 44 ) DON’T ASK ME WHY Billy Joel

44 ( 51 ) PARTY LIGHTS The Gap Band

45 ( 29 ) SEARCHING Change featuring Luther Vandross

46 ( 26 ) LOVE X LOVE George Benson

47 ( 35 ) WHAT’S IN A KISS Gilbert O’Sullivan

48 ( 48 ) LET ME TALK Earth, Wind & Fire

49 ( 40 ) METROPOLIS The Motors

50 ( 37 ) AND THE BIRDS WERE SINGING (ET LES OISEAUX CHANTAINENT) Sweet People

51 ( 38 ) AM I NORMAL? Eye To Eye

52 ( 36 ) DON’T LOOK DOWN The Planets

53 ( 63 ) GIVE ME AN INCH Hazel O’Connor

54 ( 43 ) TROUBLE Gillan

55 ( 42 ) IT’S ONLY LOVE Elvis Presley

56 ( 45 ) TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME Supertramp

57 ( 61 ) FIND YOURSELF ANOTHER FOOL The Blues Band

58 ( 57 ) MONKEES EP (LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE/ I’M A BELIEVER/ A

LITTLE BIT ME A LITTLE BIT YOU/ DAYDREAM BELIEVER) The Monkees

59 ( 58 ) GET IT RIGHT NEXT TIME Gerry Rafferty

60 ( 59 ) DON'T BRING ME DOWN E.L.O.

61 ( 62 ) LIES (THROUGH THE 80’S) Manfred Mann’s Earthband

62 ( 55 ) XANADU Olivia Newton-John & The Electric Light Orchestra

63 ( 52 ) PARANOID Black Sabbath

64 ( 50 ) I DIE YOU DIE Gary Numan

65 ( 54 ) GENERALS & MAJORS XTC

66 ( 47 ) THEME FROM “MIDNIGHT COWBOY” John Barry (Original Soundtrack)

67 ( 67 ) SAILING Christopher Cross

68 ( NEW ) I COULD BE SO GOOD TO YOU Dennis Waterman

69 ( 60 ) ONE DAY I’LL FLY AWAY Randy Crawford

70 ( 53 ) DON’T SAY I TOLD YOU SO The Tourists

71 ( NEW ) ACE OF SPADES Motorhead

72 ( 74 ) TAKING A CHANCE ON YOU Dollar

73 ( 46 ) TOUCH AND GO The Cars

74 ( 68 ) LONDON TOWN Light Of The World

75 ( 72 ) MESSAGES Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

My TV faves Nov 1st-7th

1 Star Trek: Amok Time

2 M*A*S*H

3 Soap (fri)

4 BBC Presidential Coverage

5 The New Avengers

6 TISWAS

7 Not The 9 O’Clock News

8 Soap (thurs)

9 Top Of The Pops

10 Arthur C. Clarke’s Mysterious World

11 The World About Us

12 Parkinson (Wed)

13 Mork And Mindy

14 Film ’80

15 Great Railway Journeys Of The World

16 Doctor Who

17 Friday Night...Saturday Morning

18 Question Time

19 Tomorrow’s World

20 It Ain’t Half Hot Mum

11th November 1980

It's an instant number one and new entry for ABBA s the title track of the forthcoming album, Super Trouper, hits the top spot for their second of the year and their 16th in total, and 15th in a row - both are records way, way ahead of any nearest rivals like ELO. The track is delightfully catchy but with a bit of sweet melancholy to it, lyrics about missing home while touring flagging up that they were already done with live concerts. Forever! Poor OMD miss out on the top spot as a result, with Adam & The Ants, Blondie's reggae cover of The Tide Is High becoming their 10th top 10, as Sheena gets her highest charting track to date at 6. Bowie leaps to 8 with Fashion making it his 3rd top 10 of the year and 8 years-worth of doing the same. Teena Marie gets a second top 10 and UB40 climb fast to 13.

I get to hear what I believe is the next Police single - turns out it isnt the second single off Zenyatta Mondatta, after all, but in the meantime I chart it at new at 20 ahead of the disappointing actual next single. Canary was way better. Roxy Music drop their first exciting new single since the early Glam days in Same Old Scene, at 22 and the best Roxy or Ferry single since 1976. The disco party anthem that changes everything for Kool & The Gang as the hit machine gets into overdrive with much Celebration at 37, still one of their best tracks, and covered later on by Kylie.

Diana Ross manages a 3rd Chic-tastic single, but I'm Coming Out just wasnt as good as the first two for me - though I'm Coming Out is an important track for Gay Rights and Feminism both. I just find it a bit annoying and always have, oops! New at 41. At 50, Geldof goes Reggae/New Wave with the political Banana Republic sounding a lot jollier than it is. It's also their last big hit, stunningly, as they seemed able to do no wrong at this stage. Gladys Knight & The Pips are back with Bourgie Bourgie, but were starting to sound like 70's icons as the 80's moved on, new at 68, Devo feeling part of the new US scene as Whip It gets noticed at 71- except in the UK, where we had much bigger and new New Wave ongoing.

ELO get another Xanadu single, Don't Walk Away turning out to be their lowest-charting in 5 years, it just wasnt quite up to previous ballads they occasionally dropped, in at 73, but still better than UK Subs, who's Party In Paris debuts at 74, and not likely to go much higher based on my general view of the band. Sacre Bleu!

1 ( NEW ) SUPER TROUPER ABBA

2 ( 2 ) ENOLA GAY Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

3 ( 1 ) ALL OUT OF LOVE Air Supply

4 ( 9 ) DOG EAT DOG Adam & The Ants

5 ( 30 ) THE TIDE IS HIGH Blondie

6 ( 16 ) ONE MAN WOMAN Sheena Easton

7 ( 3 ) WOMAN IN LOVE Barbra Streisand

8 ( 31 ) FASHION David Bowie

9 ( 11 ) I NEED YOUR LOVING Teena Marie

10 ( 10 ) SUDDENLY Cliff Richard & Olivia Newton-John

11 ( 5 ) SPECIAL BREW Bad Manners

12 ( 6 ) BAGGY TROUSERS Madness

13 ( 36 ) THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING UB40

14 ( 8 ) DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME The Police

15 ( 25 ) PASSION Rod Stewart

16 ( 23 ) (JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER John Lennon

17 ( 4 ) ARMY DREAMERS Kate Bush

18 ( 19 ) SHARING THE NIGHT TOGETHER Dr. Hook

19 ( 7 ) YOU’RE LYING Linx

20 ( NEW ) CANARY IN A COALMINE The Police

21 ( 15 ) WHAT YOU’RE PROPOSING Status Quo

22 ( NEW ) SAME OLD SCENE Roxy Music

23 ( 13 ) STEREOTYPES The Specials

24 ( 17 ) ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST Queen

25 ( 26 ) LOVELY ONE The Jacksons

26 ( 18 ) KILLER ON THE LOOSE Thin Lizzy

27 ( 22 ) ASHES TO ASHES David Bowie

28 ( 21 ) MASTERBLASTER (JAMMIN’) Stevie Wonder

29 ( 29 ) LOVING JUST FOR FUN Kelly Marie

30 ( 24 ) WHEN YOU ASK ABOUT LOVE Matchbox

31 ( 14 ) GOTTA PULL MYSELF TOGETHER The Nolans

32 ( 20 ) D.I.S.C.O. Ottawan

33 ( 71 ) ACE OF SPADES Motorhead

34 ( 40 ) ELSTREE (REMEMBER ME) Buggles

35 ( 12 ) OUT HERE ON MY OWN Irene Cara

36 ( 66 ) THEME FROM “MIDNIGHT COWBOY” John Barry (Original Soundtrack)

37 ( NEW ) CELEBRATION Kool & The Gang

38 ( 44 ) PARTY LIGHTS The Gap Band

39 ( 41 ) NEVER KNEW LOVE LIK THIS BEFORE Stephanie Mills

40 ( 35 ) THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL Abba

41 ( NEW ) I’M COMING OUT Diana Ross

42 ( 32 ) TOWERS OF LONDON XTC

43 ( 43 ) DON’T ASK ME WHY Billy Joel

44 ( 34 ) I GOT YOU Split-Enz

45 ( 73 ) TOUCH AND GO The Cars

46 ( 68 ) I COULD BE SO GOOD TO YOU Dennis Waterman

47 ( 28 ) MY OLD PIANO Diana Ross

48 ( 38 ) IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A WAY OUT Odyssey

49 ( 37 ) AMIGO Black Slate

50 ( NEW ) BANANA REPUBLIC The Boomtown Rats

51 ( 42 ) WHY DO LOVERS BREAK EACH OTHERS HEARTS Showaddywaddy

52 ( 33 ) CASANOVA Coffee

53 ( 53 ) GIVE ME AN INCH Hazel O’Connor

54 ( 27 ) HE’S SO SHY The Pointer Sisters

55 ( 48 ) LET ME TALK Earth, Wind & Fire

56 ( 72 ) TAKING A CHANCE ON YOU Dollar

57 ( 39 ) SHE’S SO COLD The Rolling Stones

58 ( 58 ) MONKEES EP (LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE/ I’M A BELIEVER/ A

LITTLE BIT ME A LITTLE BIT YOU/ DAYDREAM BELIEVER) The Monkees

59 ( 45 ) SEARCHING Change featuring Luther Vandross

60 ( 46 ) LOVE X LOVE George Benson

61 ( 59 ) GET IT RIGHT NEXT TIME Gerry Rafferty

62 ( 60 ) DON'T BRING ME DOWN E.L.O.

63 ( 47 ) WHAT’S IN A KISS Gilbert O’Sullivan

64 ( 63 ) PARANOID Black Sabbath

65 ( 51 ) AM I NORMAL? Eye To Eye

66 ( 55 ) IT’S ONLY LOVE Elvis Presley

67 ( 62 ) XANADU Olivia Newton-John & The Electric Light Orchestra

68 ( NEW ) BOURGIE BOURGIE Gladys Knight & The Pips

69 ( 54 ) TROUBLE Gillan

70 ( 64 ) I DIE YOU DIE Gary Numan

71 ( NEW ) WHIP IT Devo

72 ( 50 ) AND THE BIRDS WERE SINGING (ET LES OISEAUX CHANTAINENT) Sweet People

73 ( NEW ) DON’T WALK AWAY E.L.O.

74 ( NEW ) PARTY IN PARIS UK Subs

75 ( 49 ) METROPOLIS The Motors

My Tv viewing rating Nov 8th-14th

1 Star Trek: I, Mudd

2 Top Of The Pops

3 M*A*S*H

4 Parkinson (Sat)

5 Soap

6 TISWAS

7 Not The 9 O’Clock News

8 Stone

9 The Goodies

10 Hawaii 5-0

11 Doctor Who

12 Benson

13 Mork And Mindy

14 Newsnight (Wed)

15 Kelly Monteith

Pleasured to see Cliff/Olivia at # 10.

John, did you hear Cindy and Bert cover version of "Paranoid" ?

Ha! No I ve never heard that before, and I rather enjoy it in a bizarre Metal-Schlager sort of way - it keeps what great about the original and makes it more poppy! Thanks for the tip, I was aware of Cindy & Bert back in the day but they never broke into the UK market.

18th November 1980

It's 2 weeks on top for Super Trouper as the challenges from Blondie at 2 and John Lennon at 3 look potnetially threatening, not to exclude Bowie & Roxy fro some Glam-era love to boot. The Tide Is High out-peaks Call Me, Starting Over is John's highest position with new material since Happy Xmas War Is Over 8 years previous, and his 8th top 10 outside The Beatles, and Roxy meanwhile grab a 9th top 10, 13th including solo Ferry stuff. UB40 get their second top 10 of 1980 and The Police new single replaces their shoulda-been single inside the top 20, the slightly annoying De Do Do Do. I mean, I take the point of the song, but it remains annoying anyway. New at 14.

Madness drop single 2 off the new album, and it's an altogether more serious affair than they've shown so far, and a great tune on Embarrassment new in at 33. Wilton Felder at 37 is one I've not heard in decades, I obviously liked it and it fits into the jazz-funk grooves of 1980/81 pleasantly enough, but I still couldnt hum it even as I play it now. Young & Co debut as well, one place lower, and ditto comments, slightly more disco than jazzy. All very easy-listening, and let's go for a third to boot at 40 and The Rah Band - Falcon is their first chart track since The Crunch topped my chart in the summer of '77, Richard Hewson now getting some of that instrumental jazz-funk vibe too, which will pay off in the mid-80's with a proper hit again.

The New Wave-ish Nobody Takes Me Seriously Anymore, follows-up Split-Enz' I Got You at 46 and quite good it is too, not heard it in a while. Tim Finn on songwriting duties, rather than his brother. Just below them, Roy Wood is back under an alias The Helicopters, Rock City didn't fly sadly, but Roy gets a chart span of 11 years with The Move, ELO, Wizzard and solo on his 5th nom-de-plume. It's very Roy, but doesnt quite sound 1980-ish enough. Liquid Gold stretch to a 3rd single, The Night, The Wine & The Roses, s'OK at 49, outdoing the New Romantic frippery debut of Spandau Ballet, on the synth-pulsing of To Cut A Long Story Short, as they become the first spearhead of the New Romantic movement to make it big.

Kenny Rogers' drops his best single since the First Edition days, meanwhile, courtesy of a Lionel Richie donation, Lady. Lionel had already shown he could write country ballads on The Commodore's fab Sail On in 1979, so why not go the whole hog and leave the band entirely and write for whoever you want?! In at 68, and at 71, Robin Scott's M return with Official Secrets, but sadly diminshing returns since Pop Musik. That leaves Slade blowing the roof off the Reading Festival as they reminded everyone of their rocking back catalogue, and bunged out a live EP to get some chart action after a few fallow years. 9 years of charting since Coz I Luv You.

1 ( 1 ) SUPER TROUPER ABBA

2 ( 5 ) THE TIDE IS HIGH Blondie

3 ( 16 ) (JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER John Lennon

4 ( 8 ) FASHION David Bowie

5 ( 22 ) SAME OLD SCENE Roxy Music

6 ( 2 ) ENOLA GAY Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

7 ( 13 ) THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING UB40

8 ( 4 ) DOG EAT DOG Adam & The Ants

9 ( 7 ) WOMAN IN LOVE Barbra Streisand

10 ( 3 ) ALL OUT OF LOVE Air Supply

11 ( 6 ) ONE MAN WOMAN Sheena Easton

12 ( 15 ) PASSION Rod Stewart

13 ( 11 ) SPECIAL BREW Bad Manners

14 ( NEW ) DE DO DO DO DE DA DA DA The Police

15 ( 12 ) BAGGY TROUSERS Madness

16 ( 10 ) SUDDENLY Cliff Richard & Olivia Newton-John

17 ( 37 ) CELEBRATION Kool & The Gang

18 ( 18 ) SHARING THE NIGHT TOGETHER Dr. Hook

19 ( 14 ) DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME The Police

20 ( 33 ) ACE OF SPADES Motorhead

21 ( 25 ) LOVELY ONE The Jacksons

22 ( 9 ) I NEED YOUR LOVING Teena Marie

23 ( 21 ) WHAT YOU’RE PROPOSING Status Quo

24 ( 17 ) ARMY DREAMERS Kate Bush

25 ( 19 ) YOU’RE LYING Linx

26 ( 29 ) LOVING JUST FOR FUN Kelly Marie

27 ( 34 ) ELSTREE (REMEMBER ME) Buggles

28 ( 41 ) I’M COMING OUT Diana Ross

29 ( 36 ) THEME FROM “MIDNIGHT COWBOY” John Barry (Original Soundtrack)

30 ( 27 ) ASHES TO ASHES David Bowie

31 ( 24 ) ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST Queen

32 ( 23 ) STEREOTYPES The Specials

33 ( NEW ) EMBARRASSMENT Madness

34 ( 30 ) WHEN YOU ASK ABOUT LOVE Matchbox

35 ( 68 ) BOURGIE BOURGIE Gladys Knight & The Pips

36 ( 28 ) MASTERBLASTER (JAMMIN’) Stevie Wonder

37 ( NEW ) INHERIT THE WIND Wilton Felder

38 ( NEW ) I LIKE (WHAT YOU’RE DOING TO ME) Young & Co

39 ( 50 ) BANANA REPUBLIC The Boomtown Rats

40 ( NEW ) FALCON The Rah Band

41 ( 26 ) KILLER ON THE LOOSE Thin Lizzy

42 ( 32 ) D.I.S.C.O. Ottawan

43 ( 73 ) DON’T WALK AWAY E.L.O.

44 ( 40 ) THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL Abba

45 ( 31 ) GOTTA PULL MYSELF TOGETHER The Nolans

46 ( NEW ) NOBODY TAKES ME SERIOUSLY Split-Enz

47 ( NEW ) ROCK CITY The Helicopters

48 ( 71 ) WHIP IT Devo

49 ( NEW ) THE NIGHT, THE WINE & THE ROSES Liquid Gold

50 ( NEW ) TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT Spandau Ballet

51 ( 44 ) I GOT YOU Split-Enz

52 ( 35 ) OUT HERE ON MY OWN Irene Cara

53 ( 46 ) I COULD BE SO GOOD TO YOU Dennis Waterman

54 ( 45 ) TOUCH AND GO The Cars

55 ( 39 ) NEVER KNEW LOVE LIK THIS BEFORE Stephanie Mills

56 ( 56 ) TAKING A CHANCE ON YOU Dollar

57 ( 38 ) PARTY LIGHTS The Gap Band

58 ( 58 ) MONKEES EP (LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE/ I’M A BELIEVER/ A

LITTLE BIT ME A LITTLE BIT YOU/ DAYDREAM BELIEVER) The Monkees

59 ( 47 ) MY OLD PIANO Diana Ross

60 ( 48 ) IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A WAY OUT Odyssey

61 ( 42 ) TOWERS OF LONDON XTC

62 ( 51 ) WHY DO LOVERS BREAK EACH OTHERS HEARTS Showaddywaddy

63 ( 54 ) HE’S SO SHY The Pointer Sisters

64 ( 62 ) DON'T BRING ME DOWN E.L.O.

65 ( 61 ) GET IT RIGHT NEXT TIME Gerry Rafferty

66 ( 74 ) PARTY IN PARIS UK Subs

67 ( 43 ) DON’T ASK ME WHY Billy Joel

68 ( NEW ) LADY Kenny Rogers

69 ( 64 ) PARANOID Black Sabbath

70 ( 49 ) AMIGO Black Slate

71 ( NEW ) OFFICIAL SECRETS M

72 ( 67 ) XANADU Olivia Newton-John & The Electric Light Orchestra

73 ( NEW ) SLADE ALIVE AT READING EP Slade

74 ( 59 ) SEARCHING Change featuring Luther Vandross

75 ( 66 ) IT’S ONLY LOVE Elvis Presley

76 ( 20 ) CANARY IN A COALMINE The Police

TV 15th-21st Nov 1980

1 Star Trek: The Paradise Syndrome

2 Soap

3 The New Avengers

4 M*A*S*H

5 Tomorrow’s World

6 Top Of The Pops

7 Not The 9 O’Clock News

8 The Sky At Night

9 The Goodies

10 Doctor Who

11 Film ’80

12 Arthur C. Clarke’s Mysterious World

13 Kelly Monteith

14 The South Bank Show

15 Dallas

25th November 1980

It's a 3rd week on top for ABBA in a static top 5, with Kool & The Gang getting a first-ever top 10, and The Police making it a 7th in a row. Rod Stewart also manages to sneak Passion in at 10 to notch up his 12th, the record having largely been forgotten in his back catalogue these days, but it's not bad, it's just not that memorable. Eddy Grant gets the highest new entry at 15, with Do You Feel My Love, set up to be his biggest track since Viva Bobby Joe in 1969 in his Equals days. Throbbing reggae on this one.

Back at 31, Supertramp re-chart Dreamer, their debut number 2 hit from 1975, and country singer Don Williams gets I Believe In You new at 39, 4 years on from I Recall A Gypsy Woman charting, and old fave Dave Edmunds goes all producer on the polished fabness of The Stray Cats' Runaway Boys - Americans getting a leg-up from the still-rock'n'roll-appreciating rockabilly scene in the UK. In at 45, while at 49, Bruce Springsteen finally gets that elusive 2nd chart entry following on from Born To Run going top 20 for me in 1975 (but not in the UK) - Hungry Heart also has Phil Spector vibes about it, and also didnt go top 40 in the UK.

The Nick Straker Band follow-up their hit with a flop, but Leaving On A Midnight Train sneaks in here at 55, ahead of Iron Maiden's Women In Uniform debuting at 63. Carly Simon gets a US hit with Jesse, but she's not due for her 5-yearly UK chart excursion until 1982, so not a hit here sadly. That's 64, with 67 new in for Siouxsie & The Banshees, and a dark Christmas song Israel that got little airplay at the time or since. High Society I need to google right now, in at 68 with I Never Go Out In The Rain, a very 1930's-sounding track, down to the singing style, but it was all-new as far as my recollection goes - I thought it was quite clever and catchy.

At 69, Gary Glitter returns with What Your Mama Don't See, turned out to be a bit of red flag that one, so let's briskly move on, to the great Looking For Clues, Robert Palmer debuting his new sound for the 80's, all synthed-up and far from his rock-US-hit Bad Case Of Loving You, or Ballad soul-rock of Every Kinda People. In at 71, Linx drop their follow-up to You're Lyin', Rise & Shine, which sadly didn't, at 72, and nor did Barclay James Harvest as they moved away from folk/Prog into more AOR pop territory and get rewarded with a belated chart debut, Life Is For Living. At 74, Bauhaus tackle Telegram Sam, but the original T.Rex Glam goodie will top my chart in 2 years time as I get full-on 70's nostalgic. Finally, Queen sneak in with an oddity: taken from the Soundtrack to Flash Gordon, cheesy tongue-in-cheek sci-fi, complete with sounbite snips, Flash was a bit of fun, and promoted the film nicely.

1 ( 1 ) SUPER TROUPER ABBA

2 ( 2 ) THE TIDE IS HIGH Blondie

3 ( 3 ) (JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER John Lennon

4 ( 4 ) FASHION David Bowie

5 ( 5 ) SAME OLD SCENE Roxy Music

6 ( 7 ) THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING UB40

7 ( 6 ) ENOLA GAY Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

8 ( 17 ) CELEBRATION Kool & The Gang

9 ( 14 ) DE DO DO DO DE DA DA DA The Police

10 ( 12 ) PASSION Rod Stewart

11 ( 8 ) DOG EAT DOG Adam & The Ants

12 ( 9 ) WOMAN IN LOVE Barbra Streisand

13 ( 39 ) BANANA REPUBLIC The Boomtown Rats

14 ( 13 ) SPECIAL BREW Bad Manners

15 ( NEW ) DO YOU FEEL MY LOVE Eddy Grant

16 ( 15 ) BAGGY TROUSERS Madness

17 ( 33 ) EMBARRASSMENT Madness

18 ( 10 ) ALL OUT OF LOVE Air Supply

19 ( 50 ) TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT Spandau Ballet

20 ( 16 ) SUDDENLY Cliff Richard & Olivia Newton-John

21 ( 38 ) I LIKE (WHAT YOU’RE DOING TO ME) Young & Co

22 ( 18 ) SHARING THE NIGHT TOGETHER Dr. Hook

23 ( 20 ) ACE OF SPADES Motorhead

24 ( 37 ) INHERIT THE WIND Wilton Felder

25 ( 19 ) DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME The Police

26 ( 28 ) I’M COMING OUT Diana Ross

27 ( 11 ) ONE MAN WOMAN Sheena Easton

28 ( 40 ) FALCON The Rah Band

29 ( 68 ) LADY Kenny Rogers

30 ( 23 ) WHAT YOU’RE PROPOSING Status Quo

31 ( NEW ) DREAMER Supertramp

32 ( 46 ) NOBODY TAKES ME SERIOUSLY ANYMORE Split-Enz

33 ( 30 ) ASHES TO ASHES David Bowie

34 ( 43 ) DON’T WALK AWAY E.L.O.

35 ( 35 ) BOURGIE BOURGIE Gladys Knight & The Pips

36 ( 48 ) WHIP IT Devo

37 ( 25 ) YOU’RE LYING Linx

38 ( 24 ) ARMY DREAMERS Kate Bush

39 ( NEW ) I BELIEVE IN YOU Don Williams

40 ( 22 ) I NEED YOUR LOVING Teena Marie

41 ( 32 ) STEREOTYPES The Specials

42 ( 31 ) ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST Queen

43 ( 27 ) ELSTREE (REMEMBER ME) Buggles

44 ( 36 ) MASTERBLASTER (JAMMIN’) Stevie Wonder

45 ( NEW ) RUNAWAY BOYS The Stray Cats

46 ( 21 ) LOVELY ONE The Jacksons

47 ( 47 ) ROCK CITY The Helicopters

48 ( 44 ) THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL Abba

49 ( NEW ) HUNGRY HEART Bruce Springsteen

50 ( 34 ) WHEN YOU ASK ABOUT LOVE Matchbox

51 ( 29 ) THEME FROM “MIDNIGHT COWBOY” John Barry (Original Soundtrack)

52 ( 26 ) LOVING JUST FOR FUN Kelly Marie

53 ( 41 ) KILLER ON THE LOOSE Thin Lizzy

54 ( 42 ) D.I.S.C.O. Ottawan

55 ( NEW ) LEAVING ON A MIDNIGHT TRAIN Nick Straker Band

56 ( 51 ) I GOT YOU Split-Enz

57 ( 54 ) TOUCH AND GO The Cars

58 ( 58 ) MONKEES EP (LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE/ I’M A BELIEVER/ A

LITTLE BIT ME A LITTLE BIT YOU/ DAYDREAM BELIEVER) The Monkees

59 ( 52 ) OUT HERE ON MY OWN Irene Cara

60 ( 73 ) SLADE ALIVE AT READING EP - WHEN I’M DANCING I AIN’T FIGHTING Slade

61 ( 49 ) THE NIGHT, THE WINE & THE ROSES Liquid Gold

62 ( 55 ) NEVER KNEW LOVE LIK THIS BEFORE Stephanie Mills

63 ( NEW ) WOMEN IN UNIFORM Iron Maiden

64 ( NEW ) JESSE Carly Simon

65 ( 64 ) DON'T BRING ME DOWN E.L.O.

66 ( 65 ) GET IT RIGHT NEXT TIME Gerry Rafferty

67 ( NEW ) ISRAEL Siouxsie & The Banshees

68 ( NEW ) I NEVER GO OUT IN THE RAIN High Society

69 ( NEW ) WHAT YOUR MAMA DON’T SEE Gary Glitter

70 ( 71 ) OFFICIAL SECRETS M

71 ( NEW ) LOOKING FOR CLUES Robert Palmer

72 ( NEW ) RISE AND SHINE Linx

73 ( NEW ) LIFE IS FOR LIVING Barclay James Harvest

74 ( NEW ) TELEGRAM SAM Bauhaus

75 ( NEW ) FLASH Queen

TV 22nd Nov-28th Nov

1 Star Trek: Requiem For Methusalah

2 film: Love And Death

3 Soap

4 M*A*S*H

5 Top Of The Pops

6 The Outer Limits

7 Mork And Mindy

8 TISWAS

9 film: What’s New Pussycat?

10 Benson

11 The Goodies

12 Film ’80

13 Steptoe And Son

14 Dallas

15 Not The 9 O’Clock News

On 30/12/2025 at 19:15, Last Dreamer said:

Pleasured to see Cliff/Olivia at # 10.

John, did you hear Cindy and Bert cover version of "Paranoid" ?

Highly unlikely, but I was watching a TV show yesterday called House Of Games, and this very song came up as a question!! They had to mime the British title of the book that Cindy & Bert had a German version of Paranoid hit with! So obviously I got the answer before the celebrities did 😄Spooky!

On 31/12/2025 at 12:58, Popchartfreak said:

18th November 1980

Kenny Rogers' drops his best single since the First Edition days,

Sorry, John but his 2 No.'s, Lucille and Coward Of The County were far better. Lady does nothing for me but each to their own.

17 hours ago, CRAZY CHRIS said:

Sorry, John but his 2 No.'s, Lucille and Coward Of The County were far better. Lady does nothing for me but each to their own.

I always thought Lucille was about faulty shoes - "You picked a fine time to leave me loose-heel, four hundred children and a crop in the field" © Noel Edmonds Radio 1 Show 😄My faves of Kenny are the fabulous Ruby Dont Take Your Love To Town, and Something's Burning, Islands In The Stream is nice enough too. My mum and dad loved most of Kenny's hits though, but like you, I dont recall them being fussed about Lady.

11 hours ago, Popchartfreak said:

I always thought Lucille was about faulty shoes - "You picked a fine time to leave me loose-heel, four hundred children and a crop in the field"

LMAO.

and let's try and finish 1980 5 years late...!

2nd December 1980

It's another week on top for Super Trouper as ABBA now see off John Lennon who almost did it with his comeback single, peaking at 2 as did the last single, Imagine. Madness make it 5 top 5's in a row, with Embarrassment up to 5, and The Boomtown Rats make it 6 top 10's in a row with Banana Republic up to 8. That leaves a top 10 debut as Spandau leap to 6. In a relatively quiet week for new tracks, Jona Lewie enters at 17 with his Christmas perennial, the World War 1 vibing Stop The Cavalry, his second top 20 of the year, and the one that charted yet again for me 45 years later the other week. Still a classic.

In at 20, in one fell swoop Hall & Oates get a new career peak with Kiss On My List, as their 70's white soul sounds morph into 80's dance-soul pop, and still classy with it. Barry Manilow has a ballad hitting the UK charts, and Lonely Together debuts at a surprisingly high 38 - it's not one of his better records, and I barely recall it at all - while Showaddywaddy inevitably cover Blue Moon, the old doo-wop version, but where previous hits had gone for lesser-known vintage songs, this one remained too well-known to catch on much. The Marcels' is better. They do get 6 years of hits, though, while Bazza extends his chart run to 5 years.

Darts are also facing the same problem with covers, and opt for the well-known Shboom - Sha Na Na couldnt get a hit with it in 1974, and Darts did little better - new at 52, 3 years into their run, leaving a lacklustre Dr Hook at 73 - Girls Can Get It is no When You're In Love, nor Sharing The Night Together which remains higher up the list.

1 ( 1 ) SUPER TROUPER ABBA

2 ( 3 ) (JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER John Lennon

3 ( 2 ) THE TIDE IS HIGH Blondie

4 ( 4 ) FASHION David Bowie

5 ( 17 ) EMBARRASSMENT Madness

6 ( 19 ) TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT Spandau Ballet

7 ( 8 ) CELEBRATION Kool & The Gang

8 ( 13 ) BANANA REPUBLIC The Boomtown Rats

9 ( 9 ) DE DO DO DO DE DA DA DA The Police

10 ( 5 ) SAME OLD SCENE Roxy Music

11 ( 15 ) DO YOU FEEL MY LOVE Eddy Grant

12 ( 7 ) ENOLA GAY Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

13 ( 6 ) THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING UB40

14 ( 21 ) I LIKE (WHAT YOU’RE DOING TO ME) Young & Co

15 ( 10 ) PASSION Rod Stewart

16 ( 12 ) WOMAN IN LOVE Barbra Streisand

17 ( NEW ) STOP THE CAVALRY Jona Lewie

18 ( 45 ) RUNAWAY BOYS The Stray Cats

19 ( 14 ) SPECIAL BREW Bad Manners

20 ( NEW ) KISS ON MY LIST Daryl Hall & John Oates

21 ( 34 ) DON’T WALK AWAY E.L.O.

22 ( 11 ) DOG EAT DOG Adam & The Ants

23 ( 26 ) I’M COMING OUT Diana Ross

24 ( 28 ) FALCON The Rah Band

25 ( 29 ) LADY Kenny Rogers

26 ( 32 ) NOBODY TAKES ME SERIOUSLY ANYMORE Split-Enz

27 ( 16 ) BAGGY TROUSERS Madness

28 ( 36 ) WHIP IT Devo

29 ( 18 ) ALL OUT OF LOVE Air Supply

30 ( 25 ) DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME The Police

31 ( 31 ) DREAMER Supertramp

32 ( 20 ) SUDDENLY Cliff Richard & Olivia Newton-John

33 ( 49 ) HUNGRY HEART Bruce Springsteen

34 ( 23 ) ACE OF SPADES Motorhead

35 ( 71 ) LOOKING FOR CLUES Robert Palmer

36 ( 39 ) I BELIEVE IN YOU Don Williams

37 ( 33 ) ASHES TO ASHES David Bowie

38 ( NEW ) LONELY TOGETHER Barry Manilow

39 ( NEW ) BLUE MOON Showaddywaddy

40 ( 30 ) WHAT YOU’RE PROPOSING Status Quo

41 ( 35 ) BOURGIE BOURGIE Gladys Knight & The Pips

42 ( 24 ) INHERIT THE WIND Wilton Felder

43 ( 27 ) ONE MAN WOMAN Sheena Easton

44 ( 67 ) ISRAEL Siouxsie & The Banshees

45 ( 42 ) ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST Queen

46 ( 37 ) YOU’RE LYING Linx

47 ( 41 ) STEREOTYPES The Specials

48 ( 44 ) MASTERBLASTER (JAMMIN’) Stevie Wonder

49 ( 48 ) THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL Abba

50 ( 22 ) SHARING THE NIGHT TOGETHER Dr. Hook

51 ( 38 ) ARMY DREAMERS Kate Bush

52 ( NEW ) SHBOOM (LIFE COULD BE A DREAM) Darts

53 ( 47 ) ROCK CITY The Helicopters

54 ( 40 ) I NEED YOUR LOVING Teena Marie

55 ( 43 ) ELSTREE (REMEMBER ME) Buggles

56 ( 69 ) WHAT YOUR MAMA DON’T SEE Gary Glitter

57 ( 50 ) WHEN YOU ASK ABOUT LOVE Matchbox

58 ( 58 ) MONKEES EP (LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE/ I’M A BELIEVER/ A

LITTLE BIT ME A LITTLE BIT YOU/ DAYDREAM BELIEVER) The Monkees

59 ( 51 ) THEME FROM “MIDNIGHT COWBOY” John Barry (Original Soundtrack)

60 ( 75 ) FLASH Queen

61 ( 56 ) I GOT YOU Split-Enz

62 ( NEW ) LOVE ON THE ROCKS Neil Diamond

63 ( 53 ) KILLER ON THE LOOSE Thin Lizzy

64 ( 64 ) JESSE Carly Simon

65 ( 57 ) TOUCH AND GO The Cars

66 ( 54 ) D.I.S.C.O. Ottawan

67 ( 73 ) LIFE IS FOR LIVING Barclay James Harvest

68 ( 62 ) NEVER KNEW LOVE LIKE THIS BEFORE Stephanie Mills

69 ( 65 ) DON'T BRING ME DOWN E.L.O.

70 ( 66 ) GET IT RIGHT NEXT TIME Gerry Rafferty

71 ( 55 ) LEAVING ON THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN Nick Straker Band

72 ( 72 ) RISE AND SHINE Linx

73 ( NEW ) GIRLS CAN GET IT Dr. Hook

74 ( 74 ) TELEGRAM SAM Bauhaus

75 ( 63 ) WOMEN IN UNIFORM Iron Maiden

TV Nov 29th-Dec 5th

1 Star Trek: All Our Yesterdays

2 Soap

3 M*A*S*H

4 Soap (Thurs)

5 Top Of The Pops

6 Barney Miller

7 The Goodies

8 Film ’80

9 Starsky & Hutch

10 Steptoe & Son

11 Parkinson (Wed)

12 Tomorrow’s World

13 Not The 9 O’Clock News

14 Dallas

15 Great Railway Journeys Of The World

9th December 1980

It's a 5th week at number for ABBA as John Lennon is shockingly murdered on 8th December. My chart week is earlier than the week-end date used here so my chart won't reflect my reaction for a week and Starting Over actually drops to 9, but my TV chart covers that period with The Beatles' Help! showed in tribute along with a hastily-bunged-together TV special. The world was in shock, and so was I, one of my heroes had been brutally murdered by some immortality-seeking gargoyle, and that was the official end of any chance of The Beatles ever getting back together.

So, pending John Lennon records selling ahead of older singles getting enough copies to chart, Madness peak at 2, behind only Night Boat To Cairo in chart position, while The Boomtown Rats fall short of Rat Trap and I Don't Like Mondays chart-toppers too, at 3. Jona Lewie leaps to 4 before the murder of Lennon ruins christmas songs for me, and Eddy Grant gets his first top 5 since Viva Bobby Joe in 1969 with The Equals. The Stray Cats bound up to 7 with Runaway Boys, and Hall & Oates grab a first top 10 with Kiss On My List.

Biggest climber is Queen's Flash to 13, the film out any day now for some camp fun at the pictures, and ELO peak at 17, their lowest-charting single since Strange Magic in 1976 (though that hit 2 in 1978 on the EP, so really since Daybreaker in 1974). Quo have a double-A side out, the side that grabs my attention is Lies, new at 28, though Don't Drive My Car will crop up soon as it's the more memorable. Adam & The Ants get a second chart entry with Antmusic, the soon to be iconic hit for the biggest act of 1981. New at 30.

Kate Bush has a 4th single of 1980 as her December Will Be Magic enters at 34 - it sounded like a good Kate Bush single, but never really got that Christmas vibe right, which is why it's not in the regular Christmas playlists, and why the 2025 Christmas chart has Running Up That Hill in it instead (thanks to Stranger Things) on a 5th occasion over the decades. At 39, and I am surprised to find out I actually liked the Christmas number one of 1980 (though it was really Happy Xmas War Is Over, if not for the lack of chart compiled) - There's No-One Quite Like Grandma was a bit too twee for my grandma, who didnt think much of it. St Winifred's School Choir are the culprits.

The Clash drop in at 42 with The Call-Up, not one I have much memory of, Bankrobber being the one I rated, but it's OK. Matchbox go for Judy Garland, but mash it up with another lesser song at 49, oddly, and The Wizard Of Oz wont be cropping up again in the charts until Margaret Thatcher dies. And it's a last hurrah for Matchbox. Judy's original is better. Hot Chocoltae are still not guaranteed a hit after over a decade of consistency, Love Me To Sleep not being as great as No Doubt About It, and new in at 51, but it's quite good still.

One place lower and AC/DC are still having residual sympathy from me for Bon Scott's death and feeling good about Geordie's Brian Johnson being out of the wilderness, Rock 'n' Roll Ain't Noise Pollution being flattered at 52. Black Slate's newie is much better, at 55 with Boom Boom - not not Basil Brush - but going one boom up on Lulu's 1969 Eurovision smash. And setting up the competition for Boom Boom Boom (Outhere Brothers) and Boom Boom Boom Boom (Venga Boys) in later years.

In at 57, The Specials have Do Nothing bringing in some 60's-ish organ sounds on the latest ska goodie, and ahead of Bad Manners singing about Lorraine, their least-catchy song to date, but it's fun enough. Just behind, Mike Oldfield returns from his Blue Peter revamp with another instrumental re-imagining, the Shadows' fab Wonderful Land. This one does it slower and more folkie, but that tune is a winner anyway. The Nolans keep churning out the hits at pace, Who's Gonna Rock Me in at 61, The Look get a one-off New Wave chanter with I Am The Beat, the single that never ends until you lift off the record arm, Babs Streisand gets another Barry Gibb gift in Guilty at 75, Aretha covers the Doobie Brothers at 74, (both of them are decent) and Jerome debuts with a forgotten dance track, If You Walk Out That Door, which turns out to be quite good actually.

1 ( 1 ) SUPER TROUPER ABBA

2 ( 5 ) EMBARRASSMENT Madness

3 ( 8 ) BANANA REPUBLIC The Boomtown Rats

4 ( 17 ) STOP THE CAVALRY Jona Lewie

5 ( 11 ) DO YOU FEEL MY LOVE Eddy Grant

6 ( 6 ) TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT Spandau Ballet

7 ( 18 ) RUNAWAY BOYS The Stray Cats

8 ( 3 ) THE TIDE IS HIGH Blondie

9 ( 2 ) (JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER John Lennon

10 ( 20 ) KISS ON MY LIST Daryl Hall & John Oates

11 ( 9 ) DE DO DO DO DE DA DA DA The Police

12 ( 4 ) FASHION David Bowie

13 ( 60 ) FLASH Queen

14 ( 7 ) CELEBRATION Kool & The Gang

15 ( 14 ) I LIKE (WHAT YOU’RE DOING TO ME) Young & Co

16 ( 10 ) SAME OLD SCENE Roxy Music

17 ( 21 ) DON’T WALK AWAY E.L.O.

18 ( 25 ) LADY Kenny Rogers

19 ( 26 ) NOBODY TAKES ME SERIOUSLY ANYMORE Split-Enz

20 ( 28 ) WHIP IT Devo

21 ( 12 ) ENOLA GAY Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

22 ( 35 ) LOOKING FOR CLUES Robert Palmer

23 ( 16 ) WOMAN IN LOVE Barbra Streisand

24 ( 13 ) THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING UB40

25 ( 15 ) PASSION Rod Stewart

26 ( 33 ) HUNGRY HEART Bruce Springsteen

27 ( 39 ) BLUE MOON Showaddywaddy

28 ( NEW ) LIES Status Quo

29 ( 23 ) I’M COMING OUT Diana Ross

30 ( NEW ) ANTMUSIC Adam & The Ants

31 ( 31 ) DREAMER Supertramp

32 ( 38 ) LONELY TOGETHER Barry Manilow

33 ( 27 ) BAGGY TROUSERS Madness

34 ( NEW ) DECEMBER WILL BE MAGIC Kate Bush

35 ( 19 ) SPECIAL BREW Bad Manners

36 ( 62 ) LOVE ON THE ROCKS Neil Diamond

37 ( 30 ) DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME The Police

38 ( 44 ) ISRAEL Siouxsie & The Banshees

39 ( NEW ) THERE’S NO-ONE QUITE LIKE GRANDMA St. Winifred’s School Choir

40 ( 56 ) WHAT YOUR MAMA DON’T SEE Gary Glitter

41 ( 37 ) ASHES TO ASHES David Bowie

42 ( NEW ) THE CALL-UP The Clash

43 ( 34 ) ACE OF SPADES Motorhead

44 ( 29 ) ALL OUT OF LOVE Air Supply

45 ( 22 ) DOG EAT DOG Adam & The Ants

46 ( 36 ) I BELIEVE IN YOU Don Williams

47 ( 32 ) SUDDENLY Cliff Richard & Olivia Newton-John

48 ( 52 ) SHBOOM (LIFE COULD BE A DREAM) Darts

49 ( NEW ) OVER THE RAINBOW/YOU BELONG TO ME Matchbox

50 ( 49 ) THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL Abba

51 ( NEW ) LOVE ME TO SLEEP Hot Chocolate

52 ( NEW ) ROCK’N’ROLL AIN’T NOISE POLLUTION AC/DC

53 ( 24 ) FALCON The Rah Band

54 ( 40 ) WHAT YOU’RE PROPOSING Status Quo

55 ( NEW ) BOOM BOOM Black Slate

56 ( 45 ) ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST Queen

57 ( NEW ) DO NOTHING The Specials

58 ( 58 ) MONKEES EP (LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE/ I’M A BELIEVER/ A

LITTLE BIT ME A LITTLE BIT YOU/ DAYDREAM BELIEVER) The Monkees

59 ( 67 ) LIFE IS FOR LIVING Barclay James Harvest

60 ( 47 ) STEREOTYPES The Specials

61 ( NEW ) WHO’S GONNA ROCK YOU The Nolans

62 ( 48 ) MASTERBLASTER (JAMMIN’) Stevie Wonder

63 ( 46 ) YOU’RE LYING Linx

64 ( 54 ) I NEED YOUR LOVING Teena Marie

65 ( 43 ) ONE MAN WOMAN Sheena Easton

66 ( 51 ) ARMY DREAMERS Kate Bush

67 ( 61 ) I GOT YOU Split-Enz

68 ( NEW ) LORRAINE Bad Manners

69 ( NEW ) WONDERFUL LAND Mike Oldfield

70 ( 50 ) SHARING THE NIGHT TOGETHER Dr. Hook

71 ( NEW ) I AM THE BEAT The Look

72 ( 72 ) RISE AND SHINE Linx

73 ( NEW ) IF YOU WALK OUT THAT DOOR Jerome

74 ( NEW ) WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES Aretha Franklin

75 ( NEW ) GUILTY Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb

Dec 6th-12th TV ratings What I Liked

Note: Chopper Squad is Australian air rescue helicopter-based, but choppers were also involved in the appeal, I believe.

1 Film: HELP!

2 Top Of The Pops

3 Tribute To John Lennon

4 Soap

5 M*A*S*H

6 Film ’80

7 Starsky & Hutch

8 Strangeways

9 Stone

10 Chopper Squad

11 Parkinson (Wed)

12 Steptoe & Son

13 The Goodies

14 Rising Damp

15 Not The 9 O’Clock News

16th December 1980

It's back up to a new peak for John Lennon's Starting Over, his 4th number one outside the Beatles, as I buy the single and edge out the brillaince that is the ABBA Supertrouper album. Had I allowed album tracks, it's quite likely that most of the top 20 would have included tracks like Happy New Year, Me & I, Lay All Your Love On Me, The Way Old Friends Do, and The Piper. three of them will go on to top my charts anyway. John Lennon demand, meanwhile, did not apply to me beyond the new album, as I already had all of his singles bar Mind Games, Power To The People, Instant Karma and Cold Turkey. Paul McCartney remained ahead of John in post-Beatles chart-toppers for now (5).

Adam & The Ants make it 2 in a row for top 10's, and Queen do the same with their 7th top 10, The Beat add to the ska new singles out and about at 45 with Too Nice To Talk To, Stevie follows up his Marley banger with a slow Country & Western-vibed ballad - still one of his songs, but an unexpected genre-addition that I liked more at the time than I do now, at 60. The Skids keep the second year of charting going with a track I don't remember at all, A Woman In Winter. Not a hit, and more of a morphing into the future Big Country sound than punk, once Stuart Adamson moves on. New at 66.

Saxon's brand of New Wave Metal is still going at 70, Strong Arm Of The Law, not quite 747 quality, but riffy enough. The Jacksons have a new album out, Michael is back on board from his mega-Off The Wall success, and Heartbreak Hotel is not the Elvis classic, it's a decent dance track that was an odd choice for first single given the stone-classic they had in reserve saved up - the best thing they ever released under the Jacksons name, but that'll wait for 1981. In at 73 ahead of The Barron Knights' 3rd christmas piss-take of popular songs - or is it 4th? The equally silly and annoying Rabbit drops in for Chas & Dave just behind. It was a quiet week for new records obviously.

1 ( 9 ) (JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER John Lennon

2 ( 1 ) SUPER TROUPER ABBA

3 ( 2 ) EMBARRASSMENT Madness

4 ( 4 ) STOP THE CAVALRY Jona Lewie

5 ( 7 ) RUNAWAY BOYS The Stray Cats

6 ( 11 ) DE DO DO DO DE DA DA DA The Police

7 ( 5 ) DO YOU FEEL MY LOVE Eddy Grant

8 ( 3 ) BANANA REPUBLIC The Boomtown Rats

9 ( 30 ) ANTMUSIC Adam & The Ants

10 ( 13 ) FLASH Queen

11 ( 8 ) THE TIDE IS HIGH Blondie

12 ( 34 ) DECEMBER WILL BE MAGIC Kate Bush

13 ( 10 ) KISS ON MY LIST Daryl Hall & John Oates

14 ( 6 ) TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT Spandau Ballet

15 ( 19 ) NOBODY TAKES ME SERIOUSLY ANYMORE Split-Enz

16 ( 12 ) FASHION David Bowie

17 ( 18 ) LADY Kenny Rogers

18 ( 14 ) CELEBRATION Kool & The Gang

19 ( 28 ) LIES Status Quo

20 ( 26 ) HUNGRY HEART Bruce Springsteen

21 ( 15 ) I LIKE (WHAT YOU’RE DOING TO ME) Young & Co

22 ( 22 ) LOOKING FOR CLUES Robert Palmer

23 ( 40 ) WHAT YOUR MAMA DON’T SEE Gary Glitter

24 ( 17 ) DON’T WALK AWAY E.L.O.

25 ( 36 ) LOVE ON THE ROCKS Neil Diamond

26 ( 31 ) DREAMER Supertramp

27 ( 16 ) SAME OLD SCENE Roxy Music

28 ( 32 ) LONELY TOGETHER Barry Manilow

29 ( 27 ) BLUE MOON Showaddywaddy

30 ( 23 ) WOMAN IN LOVE Barbra Streisand

31 ( 21 ) ENOLA GAY Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

32 ( 75 ) GUILTY Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb

33 ( 38 ) ISRAEL Siouxsie & The Banshees

34 ( 20 ) WHIP IT Devo

35 ( 51 ) LOVE ME TO SLEEP Hot Chocolate

36 ( 39 ) THERE’S NO-ONE QUITE LIKE GRANDMA St. Winifred’s School Choir

37 ( 33 ) BAGGY TROUSERS Madness

38 ( 24 ) THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING UB40

39 ( 49 ) OVER THE RAINBOW/YOU BELONG TO ME Matchbox

40 ( 57 ) DO NOTHING The Specials

41 ( 41 ) ASHES TO ASHES David Bowie

42 ( 37 ) DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME The Police

43 ( 25 ) PASSION Rod Stewart

44 ( 43 ) ACE OF SPADES Motorhead

45 ( 55 ) BOOM BOOM Black Slate

46 ( NEW ) TOO NICE TO TALK TO The Beat

47 ( 35 ) SPECIAL BREW Bad Manners

48 ( 52 ) ROCK’N’ROLL AIN’T NOISE POLLUTION AC/DC

49 ( 50 ) THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL Abba

50 ( 44 ) ALL OUT OF LOVE Air Supply

51 ( 69 ) WONDERFUL LAND Mike Oldfield

52 ( 74 ) WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES Aretha Franklin

53 ( 29 ) I’M COMING OUT Diana Ross

54 ( 68 ) LORRAINE Bad Manners

55 ( 46 ) I BELIEVE IN YOU Don Williams

56 ( 61 ) WHO’S GONNA ROCK YOU The Nolans

57 ( 58 ) MONKEES EP (LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE/ I’M A BELIEVER/ A

LITTLE BIT ME A LITTLE BIT YOU/ DAYDREAM BELIEVER) The Monkees

58 ( 45 ) DOG EAT DOG Adam & The Ants

59 ( 56 ) ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST Queen

60 ( NEW ) I AIN’T GONNA STAND FOR IT Stevie Wonder

61 ( 47 ) SUDDENLY Cliff Richard & Olivia Newton-John

62 ( 54 ) WHAT YOU’RE PROPOSING Status Quo

63 ( 71 ) I AM THE BEAT The Look

64 ( 62 ) MASTERBLASTER (JAMMIN’) Stevie Wonder

65 ( 60 ) STEREOTYPES The Specials

66 ( NEW ) A WOMAN IN WINTER The Skids

67 ( 48 ) SHBOOM (LIFE COULD BE A DREAM) Darts

68 ( 63 ) YOU’RE LYING Linx

69 ( 64 ) I NEED YOUR LOVING Teena Marie

70 ( NEW ) STRONG ARM OF THE LAW Saxon

71 ( 67 ) I GOT YOU Split-Enz

72 ( NEW ) HEARTBREAK HOTEL The Jacksons

73 ( NEW ) NEVER MIND THE PRESENTS The Barron Knights

74 ( NEW ) RABBIT Chas & Dave

75 ( 66 ) ARMY DREAMERS Kate Bush

TV 13th-19th Dec 1980

1 Film: THE LAST PICTURE SHOW

2 Parkinson

3 Star Trek: The Way To Eden

4 The Outer Limits

5 The Professionals

6 TISWAS

7 Horizon

8 Not The 9 O’Clock News

9 Film ’80

10 Top Of The Pops

11 The Goodies & The Beanstalk

12 The Stanley Baxter Picture Show

13 Question Time

14 Doctor Who

15 The Two Ronnies

23rd December 1980

It's 2 weeks on top as the late John Lennon dominates into the Christmas period, Starting Over sounding bitterly sad after what happened. There is a sprinkle of new Christmas with Kate Bush getting her 8th top 10 in a row, and one of the greatest christmas records ever made is back in at 9 for John & Yoko. It is invariably in the top 20 each year in the 2020's, but that version isn't the original that was still charting for me in 1980, having topped my charts in 1972, when I first bought it, 1974, 1975 and now threatening a 4th run on top. This version has the lovely whispered intro from John and Yoko to their children from previous marriages. That added a charm that the remixed and edited version lacks.

The Specials miss out on a top 10 slot at 11, as other ska acts climb too, and Mac Davis gets his first chart action since 1972 with the novelty song Hard To Be Humble, which is minor amusing at 39. Gary Numan debuts This Wreckage at 53, as he clearly signals he's had enough of pop song hits and goes for a more obscure vibe with nary a hook in sight. It'll be 5 years till the next great tune, and apart from that it'll mostly be core-fan-appeal Indie Synth/Metal non-commercial vibes for the next 45 years.

In other new entry news: Mike Berry has a pleasant soundalike follow-up, Racey resort to covering Dion's Runaround Sue for a hit, Elvis Costello drops the long-forgotten Clubland, not quite up there with New Amsterdam or other 1980 hits, Earth, Wind & Fire stop having hits for now with Back On The Road Again at 71, and Sad Cafe scrape another new entry at 73 with I'm In Love Again.

1 ( 1 ) (JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER John Lennon

2 ( 2 ) SUPER TROUPER ABBA

3 ( 3 ) EMBARRASSMENT Madness

4 ( 9 ) ANTMUSIC Adam & The Ants

5 ( 6 ) DE DO DO DO DE DA DA DA The Police

6 ( 5 ) RUNAWAY BOYS The Stray Cats

7 ( 10 ) FLASH Queen

8 ( 12 ) DECEMBER WILL BE MAGIC Kate Bush

9 ( NEW ) HAPPY XMAS (WAR IS OVER) John & Yoko & The Harlem Community Choir

10 ( 4 ) STOP THE CAVALRY Jona Lewie

11 ( 40 ) DO NOTHING The Specials

12 ( 7 ) DO YOU FEEL MY LOVE Eddy Grant

13 ( 8 ) BANANA REPUBLIC The Boomtown Rats

14 ( 11 ) THE TIDE IS HIGH Blondie

15 ( 19 ) LIES Status Quo

16 ( 25 ) LOVE ON THE ROCKS Neil Diamond

17 ( 22 ) LOOKING FOR CLUES Robert Palmer

18 ( 17 ) LADY Kenny Rogers

19 ( 23 ) WHAT YOUR MAMA DON’T SEE Gary Glitter

20 ( 13 ) KISS ON MY LIST Daryl Hall & John Oates

21 ( 18 ) CELEBRATION Kool & The Gang

22 ( 14 ) TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT Spandau Ballet

23 ( 46 ) TOO NICE TO TALK TO The Beat

24 ( 16 ) FASHION David Bowie

25 ( 20 ) HUNGRY HEART Bruce Springsteen

26 ( 15 ) NOBODY TAKES ME SERIOUSLY ANYMORE Split-Enz

27 ( 36 ) THERE’S NO-ONE QUITE LIKE GRANDMA St. Winifred’s School Choir

28 ( 32 ) GUILTY Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb

29 ( 35 ) LOVE ME TO SLEEP Hot Chocolate

30 ( 24 ) DON’T WALK AWAY E.L.O.

31 ( 39 ) OVER THE RAINBOW/YOU BELONG TO ME Matchbox

32 ( 21 ) I LIKE (WHAT YOU’RE DOING TO ME) Young & Co

33 ( 56 ) WHO’S GONNA ROCK YOU The Nolans

34 ( 28 ) LONELY TOGETHER Barry Manilow

35 ( 30 ) WOMAN IN LOVE Barbra Streisand

36 ( 29 ) BLUE MOON Showaddywaddy

37 ( 54 ) LORRAINE Bad Manners

38 ( 60 ) I AIN’T GONNA STAND FOR IT Stevie Wonder

39 ( NEW ) HARD TO BE HUMBLE Mac Davis

40 ( 31 ) ENOLA GAY Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

41 ( 41 ) ASHES TO ASHES David Bowie

42 ( 27 ) SAME OLD SCENE Roxy Music

43 ( 45 ) BOOM BOOM Black Slate

44 ( 37 ) BAGGY TROUSERS Madness

45 ( 42 ) DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME The Police

46 ( 26 ) DREAMER Supertramp

47 ( 38 ) THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING UB40

48 ( 49 ) THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL Abba

49 ( 63 ) I AM THE BEAT The Look

50 ( RE ) THE CALL-UP The Clash

51 ( 51 ) WONDERFUL LAND Mike Oldfield

52 ( 52 ) WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES Aretha Franklin

53 ( NEW ) THIS WRECKAGE Gary Numan

54 ( 33 ) ISRAEL Siouxsie & The Banshees

55 ( 34 ) WHIP IT Devo

56 ( 50 ) ALL OUT OF LOVE Air Supply

57 ( 57 ) MONKEES EP (LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE/ I’M A BELIEVER/ A

LITTLE BIT ME A LITTLE BIT YOU/ DAYDREAM BELIEVER) The Monkees

58 ( 43 ) PASSION Rod Stewart

59 ( 72 ) HEARTBREAK HOTEL The Jacksons

60 ( 47 ) SPECIAL BREW Bad Manners

61 ( 64 ) MASTERBLASTER (JAMMIN’) Stevie Wonder

62 ( 59 ) ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST Queen

63 ( NEW ) IF I COULD ONLY MAKE YOU CARE Mike Berry

64 ( 48 ) ROCK’N’ROLL AIN’T NOISE POLLUTION AC/DC

65 ( 74 ) RABBIT Chas & Dave

66 ( NEW ) RUNAROUND SUE Racey

67 ( 44 ) ACE OF SPADES Motorhead

68 ( NEW ) CLUBLAND Elvis Costello

69 ( 58 ) DOG EAT DOG Adam & The Ants

70 ( 65 ) STEREOTYPES The Specials

71 ( NEW ) BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN Earth, Wind & Fire

72 ( 73 ) NEVER MIND THE PRESENTS The Barron Knights

73 ( NEW ) I’M IN LOVE AGAIN Sad Cafe

74 ( 71 ) I GOT YOU Split-Enz

75 ( 69 ) I NEED YOUR LOVING Teena Marie

TV 20th Dec-26th Dec 1980 Christmas TV top shows in my view then.

In Festive TV viewing blockbuster films in those days didn't get TV slots for 5 years from release, so the big holiday films were all from 1974 and 1975, and big faves like Towering Inferno, Earthquake, Airport '75 for the Disaster-movie genre which was dying out by 1980, The Bond fave The Man With The Golden Gun, The Wizard Of Oz (of course, though it had only been 11 years since I last saw it at the cinema), a great Billy Wilder comedy The Fortune Cookie, and the sad X-rated Midnight Cowboy.

1 Film: THE TOWERING INFERNO

2 Film: THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN

3 Film: THE FORTUNE COOKIE

4 Film: THE WIZARD OF OZ

5 Film: MIDNIGHT COWBOY

6 Film: EARTHQUAKE

7 An Audience With Dame Edna Everage

8 Fawlty Towers

9 Film: AIRPORT ’75

10 Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads

11 Top Of The Pops

12 The Morecambe & Wise Christmas Special

13 Film: FREEBIE AND THE BEAN

14 TISWAS

15 Film: ARE YOU BEING SERVED

30th December 1980

It's the final chart of the year and John Lennon takes Happy Xmas to a 4th christmas as a number one song, and for a 5th week in total, knocking himself off the top spot as Imagine is the highest new entry at 3 - 1 place lower than it peaked in 1975 when it was already originally out in 1975 as an album track. Happy Xmas came out that year too in the USA, but the UK had to wait another year to get it. Over the Christmas and January birthday season I would get record tokens to spend on Double Fantasy, Zenyatta Mondatta and Absolutely albums - so that'll be a boost for Lennon, Police and Madness in the New Year, maybe.

The Specials grab a 4th top 10, Neil Diamond is threatening his first since 1972, and Heatwave return with a new album and single, Rod Temperton keeping some of his own songs for his own band, and Johnny Wilder Jr now having to record while paralysed from the neck down following his 1979 car crash. So all things considered, Gangsters Of The Groove was a triumphal comeback of sorts at 36, and a great disco-funk track with more of an 80's vibe than the classic Boogie Nights and co.

Not The 9'Clock News topical comedy show starred Rowan Atkinson long before Black Adder and Mr Bean, Mel Smith, and Pamela Stephenson, future Mrs Billy Connolly, so there's at least 3 hit records amongst that lot (see future Mel & Kim Rocking Around The Christmas Tree, with Kim Wilde, and Billy's 1975 chart-topper and follow-up) - but here there is a spin-off from the TV show as they parody the new Iran Ayotollah at 43. Sadly it wasnt hilarious enough to depose the overthrowers and save the population from 45 years of repression and terrorism funding, but there is a poorly reported uprising currently going on in 2025 from the population belatedly.

In a quiet week, Elvis manages to chart one of his old christmas album track songs, Santa Claus Is Back In Town, proving being 3-years dead no drawback to having hits. New at 63, and quite 50's Bluesy actually, and much preferable to the Usual Crooners blocking up the annual Christmas charts in the 21st century. If you'd said Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Burl Ives, Dean Martin, Andy Williams, and Bobby Helms would be in the top 40 every bloody year in the 2015 to 2025 period I would have called you insane. Now, Wizzard, Slade, John & Yoko, Elton, Greg Lake, Jona Lewie, Paul McCartney, Boney M would have been far less surprising to me. Not that I dont love Andy, Dean & co - but they just seemed so ancient and not relevant by 1980 that anything other than White Christmas charting would have been unthinkable.

1 ( 9 ) HAPPY XMAS (WAR IS OVER) John & Yoko & The Harlem Community Choir

2 ( 1 ) (JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER John Lennon

3 ( NEW ) IMAGINE John Lennon

4 ( 2 ) SUPER TROUPER ABBA

5 ( 4 ) ANTMUSIC Adam & The Ants

6 ( 3 ) EMBARRASSMENT Madness

7 ( 7 ) FLASH Queen

8 ( 5 ) DE DO DO DO DE DA DA DA The Police

9 ( 11 ) DO NOTHING The Specials

10 ( 10 ) STOP THE CAVALRY Jona Lewie

11 ( 6 ) RUNAWAY BOYS The Stray Cats

12 ( 16 ) LOVE ON THE ROCKS Neil Diamond

13 ( 8 ) DECEMBER WILL BE MAGIC Kate Bush

14 ( 18 ) LADY Kenny Rogers

15 ( 19 ) WHAT YOUR MAMA DON’T SEE Gary Glitter

16 ( 12 ) DO YOU FEEL MY LOVE Eddy Grant

17 ( 17 ) LOOKING FOR CLUES Robert Palmer

18 ( 14 ) THE TIDE IS HIGH Blondie

19 ( 13 ) BANANA REPUBLIC The Boomtown Rats

20 ( 15 ) LIES Status Quo

21 ( 23 ) TOO NICE TO TALK TO The Beat

22 ( 27 ) THERE’S NO-ONE QUITE LIKE GRANDMA St. Winifred’s School Choir

23 ( 28 ) GUILTY Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb

24 ( 25 ) HUNGRY HEART Bruce Springsteen

25 ( 20 ) KISS ON MY LIST Daryl Hall & John Oates

26 ( 31 ) OVER THE RAINBOW/YOU BELONG TO ME Matchbox

27 ( 33 ) WHO’S GONNA ROCK YOU The Nolans

28 ( 29 ) LOVE ME TO SLEEP Hot Chocolate

29 ( 21 ) CELEBRATION Kool & The Gang

30 ( 53 ) THIS WRECKAGE Gary Numan

31 ( 39 ) HARD TO BE HUMBLE Mac Davis

32 ( 37 ) LORRAINE Bad Manners

33 ( 22 ) TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT Spandau Ballet

34 ( 30 ) DON’T WALK AWAY E.L.O.

35 ( 34 ) LONELY TOGETHER Barry Manilow

36 ( NEW ) GANGSTERS OF THE GROOVE Heatwave

37 ( 24 ) FASHION David Bowie

38 ( 38 ) I AIN’T GONNA STAND FOR IT Stevie Wonder

39 ( 63 ) IF I COULD ONLY MAKE YOU CARE Mike Berry

40 ( 35 ) WOMAN IN LOVE Barbra Streisand

41 ( 41 ) ASHES TO ASHES David Bowie

42 ( 36 ) BLUE MOON Showaddywaddy

43 ( NEW ) AYATOLLAH SONG Not The 9 O’Clock News

44 ( 26 ) NOBODY TAKES ME SERIOUSLY ANYMORE Split-Enz

45 ( 49 ) I AM THE BEAT The Look

46 ( RE ) A WOMAN IN WINTER The Skids

47 ( 45 ) DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME The Police

48 ( 48 ) THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL Abba

49 ( 40 ) ENOLA GAY Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

50 ( 66 ) RUNAROUND SUE Racey

51 ( 32 ) I LIKE (WHAT YOU’RE DOING TO ME) Young & Co

52 ( 52 ) WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES Aretha Franklin

53 ( 44 ) BAGGY TROUSERS Madness

54 ( 59 ) HEARTBREAK HOTEL The Jacksons

55 ( 46 ) DREAMER Supertramp

56 ( 68 ) CLUBLAND Elvis Costello

57 ( 57 ) MONKEES EP (LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE/ I’M A BELIEVER/ A

LITTLE BIT ME A LITTLE BIT YOU/ DAYDREAM BELIEVER) The Monkees

58 ( 42 ) SAME OLD SCENE Roxy Music

59 ( 51 ) WONDERFUL LAND Mike Oldfield

60 ( 56 ) ALL OUT OF LOVE Air Supply

61 ( 47 ) THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING UB40

62 ( 50 ) THE CALL-UP The Clash

63 ( NEW ) SANTA CLAUS IS BACK IN TOWN Elvis Presley

64 ( 43 ) BOOM BOOM Black Slate

65 ( 62 ) ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST Queen

66 ( 55 ) WHIP IT Devo

67 ( 60 ) SPECIAL BREW Bad Manners

68 ( 71 ) BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN Earth, Wind & Fire

69 ( 64 ) ROCK’N’ROLL AIN’T NOISE POLLUTION AC/DC

70 ( 61 ) MASTERBLASTER (JAMMIN’) Stevie Wonder

71 ( 72 ) NEVER MIND THE PRESENTS The Barron Knights

72 ( 65 ) RABBIT Chas & Dave

73 ( 73 ) I’M IN LOVE AGAIN Sad Cafe

74 ( 58 ) PASSION Rod Stewart

75 ( 54 ) ISRAEL Siouxsie & The Banshees

TV 27th Dec- Jan 2nd 1976

In which the top slot into the new year is from the team bringing us the talking gorilla, and Constable Savage.

1 Not The 9 O’Clock News

2 Film ’80

3 The Making Of The Empire Strikes Back

4 Kenny Everett New Year Daze Show

5 Top Of The Pops

6 Best of ’80

7 film: BUGSY MALONE

8 Clapperboard

9 TISWAS

10 film: PAPILLION

11 film: NICKELODEON

12 Birth Of The Beatles

13 Mork In Wonderland

14 The Good Life

15 The Return Of Wonder Woman (TV movie)

16 Wimbledon Men’s Final

17 Some Mother’s Do ‘Ave ‘Em

18 Dennis Norden

19 The Professionals

20 Dad’s Army