Posted September 28, 20204 yr Due to the enormous success of my 1990s thread, and pressure from the record company to come out with another best seller, I am going to do it all over again. Hopefully this will even more of a revelation. I'll be back in a few days - once I've tackled 1980s hidden treasures.
September 30, 20204 yr Author 1980 10th place - Dexys Midnight Runners - Geno 3.8 RQO2wEJefjM There's 5 songs battling not to be at the bottom but one of them has to take it. I know this is critically acclaimed but I can't work out why. It sort of lurches from section to section, most of which are irritating. Is he drunk? Are they all drunk? The parping brass does my head in. 7th best seller of 1980 Edited September 30, 20204 yr by Colm
September 30, 20204 yr Author 1980 9th place - Blondie - The Tide it High 3.9 ppYgrdJ0pWk I've always disliked this song. I do love Blondie but this just grates. The verses are not too bad but the chorus sounds like she doesn't give a sh*t about what she's singing. It almost sounds like a novelty song, to me. 6th best seller of 1980 Edited September 30, 20204 yr by Colm
September 30, 20204 yr Author 1980 8th place - Fern Kinney - Together We Are Beautiful 4.0 sY4JnD5yJe4 I reserve the 4.0 mark for songs that are dreary but aren't actually irritating. This is the only song of the 10 that I wasn't familiar with before re-listening. It may be a grower but I doubt it. 8th best seller of 1980
September 30, 20204 yr was that a #1? never heard it before, not even the name rings a bell sounds quite boring and even her voice is borderline annoying :o
September 30, 20204 yr Author It is a literal one-hit-wonder. A number 1 from an artist that had no other top 75 hits.
September 30, 20204 yr Author 1980 7th place - Kenny Rogers - Coward Of The County 4.5 eQgJ_GjfV5s Initially, I had this in 10th place, purely because it's a country song and I can't abide that sort of thing. But in re-listening it doesn't get on my nerves as much as the previous songs. Kenny was quite popular in the UK in the late 70s/early 80s. 9th best seller of 1980 Edited September 30, 20204 yr by Colm
September 30, 20204 yr Author 1980 6th place - John Lennon - (Just Like) Starting Over 5.0 pZCxyOcvp5A This is a bit if a dirge in places but then there's lovely parts too. This is only here because it shot to number 1 immediately following his death, as it had already been a top 10 hit a few weeks previously and jumped from 21 to the top spot. The first of his 3 solo number 1s which all happened in the six week period after his death. 10th best seller of 1980
September 30, 20204 yr Author 1980 5th place - Kelly Marie - Feels Like I'm In Love 5.3 1Wz_9dVJ-Ew A solid disco number, but not one I am ever likely to listen to, by choice again. Amazingly, it was the 3rd best selling single of 1980 with a fairly ordinary chart run. 61-29-16-8-5-3-1-1-4-7-12-27-34-50-58-69
September 30, 20204 yr Author 1980 4th place - The Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me 6.9 KNIZofPB8ZM An anthem for the Covid era - I had this penciled in for a top 2 placing but it took a tumble due to the rising fortunes of the next two songs. Like the Jam and Blondie, they were one of very few rock bands that were a regular fixture at the top of the charts in the early 80s. This was the only time they entered at number 1. Best selling single of 1980.
September 30, 20204 yr Author 1980 3rd place - Barbra Streisand - Woman In Love Video 7.2 CzQPJy8Q6qE From the golden pen of the Gibb brothers, this has slinky, seductive verses and a yearning, irresistible chorus. I've never really appreciated the verses in this song. Her only number 1. 2nd best selling single of 1980.
September 30, 20204 yr Author 1980 2nd place - Ottawan - D.I.S.C.O 7.8 mJpymZpk-t8 Obviously, I am forgiving them the repetitive chorus and focusing mainly on the music. You all know that Daniel Bangalter wrote and produced this and that his son, Thomas Bangalter went on to make disco cool again as part of an obscure French group called Daft Punk. :wub: This was the biggest song that didn't get to number 1 in 1980 - stuck at number 2 behind The Police and then Barbara Streisand. 5th best selling single of 1980.
September 30, 20204 yr Author 1980 1st place - ABBA - Super Trouper 7.9 BshxCIjNEjY As soon as I saw the 1980 list I didn't have much trouble in deciding what would be at the top of a provisional list. With ABBA, it's almost always the backing vocal harmonies that I listen for. Nearly everything about the song is a hook. It is hard to believe that ABBA were derided all the way through the 80s. Notions of what was uncool evaporate with time and pop music gets judged on its own terms by successive generations - who, in the case of ABBA, rightly place that band at the pinnacle of popular music. 4th best selling single of 1980.
September 30, 20204 yr not a big fan of any of those but Im more into late 80s my #1 would probably be The Police and that's just probably a 6/10 for me
September 30, 20204 yr The best three from those would be (Just Like) Starting Over, Don't Stand So Close To Me and Geno. 1980 was a great year for chart music but the top 10 bestsellers don't really reflect that.
September 30, 20204 yr Author Well knowledged chart fans will know who will do well here if I just type three words Shaddap You Face Edited September 30, 20204 yr by Colm
September 30, 20204 yr was that a #1? never heard it before, not even the name rings a bell sounds quite boring and even her voice is borderline annoying :o I love it and bought it.
September 30, 20204 yr 1980 3rd place - Barbra Streisand - Woman In Love Video 7.2 CzQPJy8Q6qE From the golden pen of the Gibb brothers, this has slinky, seductive verses and a yearning, irresistible chorus. I've never really appreciated the verses in this song. Her only number 1. 2nd best selling single of 1980. Great song from the fantastic Guilty album.
September 30, 20204 yr 1980 7th place - Kenny Rogers - Coward Of The County 4.5 eQgJ_GjfV5s Initially, I had this in 10th place, purely because it's a country song and I can't abide that sort of thing. But in re-listening it doesn't get on my nerves as much as the previous songs. Kenny was quite popular in the UK in the late 70s/early 80s. 9th best seller of 1980 Great country story song and another that I bought at the time. His second UK No.1 after Lucille in 1977. Have that GH album too. Edited September 30, 20204 yr by Crazy Chris
October 2, 20204 yr Kenny Rogers def last for me by quite a distance, the story became a film I havent watched. Then Fern Kinney which I like, Ottawan (fun bit of fluff but that's about all), Kelly Marie (fun cheese written by Mungo Jerry's Ray Dorset) Blondie (not their best record but a decent enough cover). So that leaves 5 great singles, Barbra at 5, and 4 that topped my chart: The Police at 4, Dexy's at 3 (I love those horns and his 60's defiant style), John Lennon (legend) at 2 and Abba (on top of their game, but The Winner Takes It All should have been in the list and on top, as should Ashes To Ashes, Xanadu, Going Underground, Crying all better than the bottom 5)
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