I thought it would be a good idea to start threads on individual years of music, starting with 1980. Anyone can start them and we can add different songs that we like, agree with other folk, or disagree politely. Thought I would kick of with 1980.

 

At the start of a new decade there was a change in both the music of the 70’s and the artists. Out with disco, punk and glam and in with ska, new wave and metal. Some of the new stars of the 80’s had appeared in the previous year.

 

Some of the hits from 1980 included:

 

David Bowie… he was still around writing classic songs like Ashes to ashes a number one. Great video.

 

Blondie with Atomic (one of my all time favourites) and Call me were taking off, The Police were singing about don’t stand so close to me and so lonely.

 

Ska gave us great music with Madness with hits like Baggy trousers, My girl and embarassment. The Beat with Mirror in the bathroom, Too nice to talk to and Hand’s off she’s mine. The Specials with classics like Rat race, stereotype and Too much too young.

 

A one hit wonder in the year that was one of my favourites was Martha and the Muffins and Echobeach.

 

Dexy’s midnight runners gave us Geno, the Jam had 2 no. 1’s Going underground and Start.

 

Spandau Ballet arrived on the scene and started the new romantic sound with Too cut a long story short; they would become one of the biggest bands of the early 80’s.

 

Other great songs from 1980 included

 

Vapours-Turning Japanese

Korgis-everybody’s got to learn sometime

Undertones- my perfect cousin

OMD - Enola Gay

 

A great year to start a new decade in music, ending with the death of John Lennon, one of the all time greats. Can you remember where you were when you heard he was dead? I was sitting an exam.

strangely enough id been contemplating such a thread myself but due to time restrictions never thought it through so well done brian!

 

indeed 1980 was a good year with mixed music. i liked the two-tone ska thing, i liked the new wave although both of those were at their best the previous year.

 

dexys were for me the act of the year, geno was superb but 'dance stance' , their first hit, was better. i also liked their follow up 'there there my dear' and 'searching for the young sould rebels' was imho the album of the year.

 

old favourites like abba were fading, blondie too was producing some tripe! lol i hate their cover of 'the tide is high' (yeah it wasnt theirs!).

 

kate bush was producing quality... 'breathing' often overlooked but brilliant.

 

martha and the muffins 'echo beach' was a superb single, i also liked 'was ezo' their second follow up (after siagon).

 

teardrop explodes had their first release that failed to chart... 'when i dream'.. brilliant stuff.

 

eurythmics too 'im never gonna cry again'.. their best but overlooked.

 

the end of the year saw the emergance of some new groups that would feature highly in the new 'new romantic' scene.... spandau ballet and adam and the ants. 'to cut a long story short' and 'dog eat dog'... good pop!

1980 My Top 30 (One song per act)

 

1. David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes

2. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

3. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb

4. Bob Marley & Wailers - Redemption Song

5. Specials - Too Much Too Young

6. Madness - Baggy Trousers

7. Jam - Going Underground

8. Kate Bush - Babooshka

9. Cure - A Forest

10. Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers

11. Martha & The Muffins - Echo Beach

12. Blondie - Atomic

13. Split Enz - I Got You

14. Adam & The Ants - Dog Eat Dog

15. Abba - The Winner Takes It All

16. Dexys Midnight Runners - Geno

17. John Lennon - (Just Like) Starting Over

18. Bow Wow Wow - C30, C60, C90 Go

19. Michael Jackson - Rock With You

20. Paul McCartney - Coming Up

21. Diana Ross - Upside Down

22. Pretenders - Brass In Pocket

23. Olivia Newton-John & ELO - Xanadu

24. OMD - Enola Gay

25. Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me

26. Korgis - Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime

27. Motorhead - Ace Of Spades

28. Hazel O'Connor - Will You?

29. AC\DC - You Shook Me All Night Long

30. The Clash - Bank Robber

Highlights of 1980 for me would be

 

Going Underground and Start – Jam

Another One Bites The Dust – Queen

Ashes To Ashes and Fashion – David Bowie

Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Division

Geno – Dexys Midnight Runners

Beat – Mirror In The Bathroom

Police - Don’t Stand So Close To Me

Elvis Costello – I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down

Martha And The Muffins – Echo Beach

Spandau Ballet – To Cut A Long Story Short

Pretenders – Brass In Pocket

Korgis - Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime

Michael Jackson – Rock with You and She’s Out Of My Life

Kate Bush – Babooshka

Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers

John Lennon - (Just Like) Starting Over

Genesis – Turn It On Again

George Benson – Give Me The Night

 

ABBA were not 'fading' in 1980. They had their first Number 1 UK Singles since, 'Take A Chance On Me', (1978) - 2 of them - 'The Winner Takes It All', & 'Super Trouper'.

 

Also, in late 1980, they became the first Act ever, in the UK, to have a Million 'Advance Orders' of an Album - 'Super Trouper'. (This record was broken in 1984, when Frankie Goes To Hollywood had 1,115,000 UK Orders of 'Welcome To The Pleasure Dome').

 

ABBA began to fade in 1982, when they started to try to become more 'mature' in their music, & it was clear that many of their older Fans just were not keen on it. For example, 'The Visitors' Album had 700,000 UK Orders - 300,000 down on 'Super Trouper'.

 

Nor was it helped by the fact that they took 13 Months to release a brand new Single after the 'Super Trouper' Single - your Fans lose a lot of interest if you leave it too long between new material.

 

Plus, 'Lay All Your Love On Me', was released as a 12" only Single, earlier in 1981 - but it was not even Extended or Remixed. It was just a 7" Single on expensive 12" Vinyl. It was seen as poor value for money - hence why it only reached Number 7 in the UK - and Number 26 in West Germany. There was nothing wrong with the Single/Song - it was just that by releasing it on expensive 12" Vinyl, ABBA actually put a lot of people off buying it. It cheated them out of a Top 5 Hit. (Which is exactly what Alan Jones said it would do when he reviewed it in 'Record Mirror', at the time. He called it 'poor value for money').

 

However, in 1980, ABBA reached their highest Peaks, of UK Sales, since 1976 & 1977 - and I hardly call that 'fading'.....

Edited April 29, 200718 yr by zeus555

ABBA were not 'fading' in 1980. They had their first Number 1 UK Singles since, 'Take A Chance On Me', (1978) - 2 of them - 'The Winner Takes It All', & 'Super Trouper'.

 

Also, in late 1980, they became the first Act ever, in the UK, to have a Million 'Advance Orders' of an Album - 'Super Trouper'. (This record was broken in 1984, when Frankie Goes To Hollywood had 1,115,000 UK Orders of 'Welcome To The Pleasure Dome').

 

ABBA began to fade in 1982, when they started to try to become more 'mature' in their music, & it was clear that many of their older Fans just were not keen on it. For example, 'The Visitors' Album had 700,000 UK Orders - 300,000 down on 'Super Trouper'.

 

Nor was it helped by the fact that they took 13 Months to release a brand new Single after the 'Super Trouper' Single - your Fans lose a lot of interest if you leave it too long between new material.

 

Plus, 'Lay All Your Love On Me', was released as a 12" only Single, earlier in 1981 - but it was not even Extended or Remixed. It was just a 7" Single on expensive 12" Vinyl. It was seen as poor value for money - hence why it only reached Number 7 in the UK - and Number 26 in West Germany. There was nothing wrong with the Single/Song - it was just that by releasing it on expensive 12" Vinyl, ABBA actually put a lot of people off buying it. It cheated them out of a Top 5 Hit. (Which is exactly what Alan Jones said it would do when he reviewed it in 'Record Mirror', at the time. He called it 'poor value for money').

 

However, in 1980, ABBA reached their highest Peaks, of UK Sales, since 1976 & 1977 - and I hardly call that 'fading'.....

 

that depends upon whether you are judging them by their record sales or by the actual quality of their material. popularity doesnt equate to good!. super trouper was dire, it was a nursery rhyme in comparison to their earlier works on 'the album' or on 'arrival'. 'the winner takes it all' turned out to be semi autobiographical, but not a technically good track.

 

the problem is with success, acts become lazy and uninspired, losing their hunger for creativity and selling out to make the money...

Well, many Fans regard 'Super Trouper' as one of the better ABBA Albums - and many Fans think that 'The Winner Takes It All' is one of their best Singles - as do many critics. As did the USA - it became their last Top 10 Hit there. (Carl Magnus Palm - the ABBA Writer - regards 'The Winner...' as one of their best ever Singles). I have never heard anyone call the 'Super Trouper' - Album - a 'nursery rhyme' before - I would have used that label for much of what Boney M were coming out with in 1976 to 1979.....

 

So, it is all a matter of opinion, really. 'The Visitors' was too gloomy & serious for many Fans - hence its lower UK Sales, & it only reached Number 29 in the USA, & Number 22 in Australia - their smallest Hit Albums, in those Countries - for Decades.

 

It cannot be blamed on people in 1981 & 1982 going off 'Pop Music' - Bucks Fizz managed to have 1982 Pop Hits, as did Dollar - but, they sounded like they were having fun. (As did Wham! in 1984). ABBA sounded like they were bored.....

 

'Under Attack' sounded like a half hearted Demo to me. It was poorly, & sparsely made, compared to older Tracks like 'Mamma Mia'. Their 1982 Music - Singles - showed that they were no longer interested in making musically complex, & ultra catchy productions, & fun Pop. 'The Day Before You Came' did not even have a Chorus - and catchy Chorus's were what ABBA were famous for.....It was certainly not Singles material.....

 

And those who like to claim that ABBA were 'forgotten' in late 1982 to 1991, forget that ABBA had their 8th UK Number 1 Album in late 1982 - 'The Singles'. Also, that 2 of their UK Budget Albums - released in 1987 & 1988 - had sold 200,000 each in the UK by 1990 - both got UK Gold Disks - ''The Hits 2', & 'The Collection', (a Double Album). 'Forgotten' Groups do not get such Sales, or Sales Awards!

 

It is a Myth that ABBA could not sell Albums in the UK from 1984 to 1991, & that 'Gold', (1992), made them popular again - they never stopped being popular.....

 

I can assure you that those who think 'Super Trouper' was not a good ABBA Album are in a minority - it was Number 1 for 9 Weeks in the UK - as well as being Number 1 in many European Countries.

Edited April 29, 200718 yr by zeus555

'The Day Before You Came' did not even have a Chorus - and catchy Chorus's were what ABBA were famous for.....It was certainly not Singles material.....

 

That is my all-time favourite Abba track.

 

....... But then again two of my favourite bands are The Smiths & Radiohead. :lol:

Well, many Fans regard 'Super Trouper' as one of the better ABBA Albums - and many Fans think that 'The Winner Takes It All' is one of their best Singles - as do many critics. As did the USA - it became their last Top 10 Hit there. (Carl Magnus Palm - the ABBA Writer - regards 'The Winner...' as one of their best ever Singles). I have never heard anyone call the 'Super Trouper' - Album - a 'nursery rhyme' before - I would have used that label for much of what Boney M were coming out with in 1976 to 1979.....

 

So, it is all a matter of opinion, really. 'The Visitors' was too gloomy & serious for many Fans - hence its lower UK Sales, & it only reached Number 29 in the USA, & Number 22 in Australia - their smallest Hit Albums, in those Countries - for Decades.

 

It cannot be blamed on people in 1981 & 1982 going off 'Pop Music' - Bucks Fizz managed to have 1982 Pop Hits, as did Dollar - but, they sounded like they were having fun. (As did Wham! in 1984). ABBA sounded like they were bored.....

 

'Under Attack' sounded like a half hearted Demo to me. It was poorly, & sparsely made, compared to older Tracks like 'Mamma Mia'. Their 1982 Music - Singles - showed that they were no longer interested in making musically complex, & ultra catchy productions, & fun Pop. 'The Day Before You Came' did not even have a Chorus - and catchy Chorus's were what ABBA were famous for.....It was certainly not Singles material.....

 

And those who like to claim that ABBA were 'forgotten' in late 1982 to 1991, forget that ABBA had their 8th UK Number 1 Album in late 1982 - 'The Singles'. Also, that 2 of their UK Budget Albums - released in 1987 & 1988 - had sold 200,000 each in the UK by 1990 - both got UK Gold Disks - ''The Hits 2', & 'The Collection', (a Double Album). 'Forgotten' Groups do not get such Sales, or Sales Awards!

 

It is a Myth that ABBA could not sell Albums in the UK from 1984 to 1991, & that 'Gold', (1992), made them popular again - they never stopped being popular.....

 

I can assure you that those who think 'Super Trouper' was not a good ABBA Album are in a minority - it was Number 1 for 9 Weeks in the UK - as well as being Number 1 in many European Countries.

 

 

i was talking about the single 'st' not the album, as the thread is singles based and not album based :)

 

i take on board what you say, i think that at the time i was one of the 'trendy' people into the new sounds that were emerging, new romantic/electro pop. abba were somewhat old fashioned and by then their fans were not the trendies. there was a fashion explosion then, and the new sounds/fashions were hot, a new generation wanted their own identity and abba were somewhat 'square'.

 

dont get me wrong though, i like abba, i have the greatest respect for them as musicians/composers.

 

my favs were 'the eagle' , 'move on' and 'the name of the game'.

'The Day Before You Came' did not even have a Chorus - and catchy Chorus's were what ABBA were famous for.....It was certainly not Singles material.....

 

:o :o :o :o The Day Before You Came was ABBA's finest ever moment! Head and shoulders above anything they'd done before - lyrically and musically, an absolute masterpiece - I can understand why fans of ABBA's more flimsy, cheesy material like Dancing Queen or I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do may not quite 'get' it, though. I thought it was definitely single material - but it was too lengthy, and it simply didn't fit with the musical trends of that time. ABBA were always uncool - but never moreso than this period when New Romantics and UK electro was in vogue.

 

And whilst the singles from Super Trouper (especially the ghastly title track) were pretty humdrum affairs bar the genius-like Winner Takes It All, the album itself was a hmmmm.... ok one. Happy New Year, though, was absolutely gorgeous. But fluff like Andante Andante and throwaway nonsense like Me and I mared it for me. I actually bought it on the day of release, though, as I did with all the ABBA albums from Arrival onwards (I never, ever invest on the cheap, tacky cash-in Best Ofs that ABBA seem so keen to tarnish their name with, though - The Singles The First 10 Years is, literally, the only one you need, end of).

 

Also, The Visitors album, I think, is their finest album..... ABBA were always far more entertaining when they were maudlin..... and this album encapsulates them at their darkest. The title track is superb - and should have been a UK single instead of the horrible 'One of Us', which was simply ABBA-by-numbers.

 

Fully agree about Under Attack, though, what a limp way to round off an illustrious career.... :(

.. ABBA were always far more entertaining when they were maudlin.....

 

oh well said! :) couldnt agree more!

 

God has no-one even mentioned the first no 1 of the new decade - the brilliant Brass in Pocket. And not only was there Ashes to Ashes but Fashion was a top ten hit for Bowie as well. Then there was The Lambrettas, The Tourists, Dexy's with Geno, Night Boat to Cairo, Bad Manners Lip Up Fatty, UB40 were actually good, Funky Town, I even liked Suicide is Painless.

 

Ooops sorry Tilly you got there first with the Pretenders.

Edited May 3, 200718 yr by grebo69

Brass in Pocket was a great single.... but I preferred some of the other Pretenders singles, especially Kid, 2000 Miles and Talk of the Town.

Brass in Pocket was a great single.... but I preferred some of the other Pretenders singles, especially Kid, 2000 Miles and Talk of the Town.

 

 

agreed... 'talk of the town' and 'stop your sobbing' were my favs

My fav Pretenders album was Learning to Crawl - which had some great songs that didn't even chart! Middle of the Road wasn't even Top 75 and Thin Line Between Love and Hate was ace as well.

God has no-one even mentioned the first no 1 of the new decade - the brilliant Brass in Pocket.

 

in the Q quiz book they word the q of what was the first #1 of the 1980s as being the one that was #1 in the first week rather than the first new #1 of the decade. the answer being Pink Floyd. same for Rolf Harris and Two Little Boys which was a last #1 of the 1969s in the pub quiz the other week but is the answerto the first #1 of the 70s here

in the Q quiz book they word the q of what was the first #1 of the 1980s as being the one that was #1 in the first week rather than the first new #1 of the decade. the answer being Pink Floyd. same for Rolf Harris and Two Little Boys which was a last #1 of the 1969s in the pub quiz the other week but is the answerto the first #1 of the 70s here

 

Did mean to add the word "new" in the middle of the sentence I wrote. Pink Floyd definitely belong to 1979 for me. The time when I was really becoming aware of pop music just as I was beginning secondary school.

 

Did mean to add the word "new" in the middle of the sentence I wrote. Pink Floyd definitely belong to 1979 for me. The time when I was really becoming aware of pop music just as I was beginning secondary school.

 

my mate tryes to memorize all the years from the hit singles book so we can win loads of beer, but doesnt memorize the months so we are alway caught out by records charting in Dec and then climbing (its still quite a new thing for us to see records not to go in at #4 and drop like 20 places the next week :lol: )