Music to My Years: 1980

We are entering the 1980’s here on Music to My Years and, as it is getting even harder to choose, I have decided to stretch it into a Top 20 because….well…why not?! We were still living in Horsell although this was the year that my sister, Cressida was born. I can recall Christmases and birthdays and a real family feel to my childhood.

At first, I thought this year was kind of what I would class as ‘boring’ music. It is hard to explain what I mean by that but it is really run of the mill. It doesn’t stop the fact that there are some real corkers in there though!

Once again any of the honourable mentions could have been put into my chart. Here are this weeks:

• Barbra Streisand – Woman In Love
• Abba Super – Trouper
• Odyssey – Use It Up And Wear It Out
• The Detroit Spinners – Working My Way Back To You / Forgive Me Girl
• Kenny Rogers – Coward Of The County
• Blondie – The Tide Is High
• Ottawan – DISCO
• Sheena Easton – 9 To 5
• Blondie – Atomic
• John Lennon – (Just Like) Starting Over
• Status Quo – What You’re Proposing
• The Vapors – Turning Japanese
• Madness – My Girl
• Roxy Music – Over You
• Dr Hook – Sexy Eyes
• Michael Jackson – She’s Out Of My Life
• Madness – Embarrassment
• Abba – I Have A Dream
• KC & The Sunshine – Band Please Don’t Go
• Sheena Easton – Modern Girl
• Adam & The Ants – Dog Eat Dog
• Cliff Richard – Carrie
• Spandau Ballet – To Cut A Long Story Short
• The Beat Mirror – In The Bathroom
• The Lambrettas – Poison Ivy
• Jermaine Jackson – Let’s Get Serious
• Kool & The Gang – Celebration
• Joe Jackson – It’s Different For Girls
• Keith Michell – Captain Beaky / Wilfred The Weasel
• Roxy Music – Oh Yeah (On The Radio)

As I am now a radio presenter on Radio Ninesprings, and I will be sharing my Top 10 all week and sharing 1 track from the list each day, Monday to Friday, on my show from 3pm. Plus, there is now a compilation show on Sunday’s at 6pm.

So, from the year I was born taking me right up to 2021, I am going to be sharing my top 10 chart songs from the year in question.

20. Special Brew By Bad Manners

This song completely reminds me of my brother! He used to turn into the Incredible Hulk behind the sofa by removing his top and socks and coming back out in his trousers. He would then pretend to be Buster Bloodvessel and sing this song!

19 Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometimes By The Korgis

This song was covered a few years back by The Army of Lovers – one of Ross’ favourite groups – but the original is still the best in my opinion!

18 Dance YourSElf Dizzy By Liquid Gold

I have a really vivid memory of walking along the lane next to our house in Horsell and singing this song!

17. Enola Gay by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

I have always had a fascination with World War II and this totally relates to this. Plus, I love OMD’s music (especially a song they did for Pretty in Pink called ‘If You Leave’). Back in 1995, I visited The National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC and saw the original Enola Gay – which was a pretty special moment for me.

16. Games Without Frontiers By Peter Gabriel

I can remember sitting in the car in Horsell Village waiting for my mum to come back from the shops and hearing this song. Very different – but very good!

15. Dreamin’ By Cliff Richard

Cliff had quite a few hits during this time – We Don’t Talk Anymore and Carrie – but this is just as good and much less remembered!

14. I’m In The Mood For Dancing By The Nolans

Such an upbeat tune and so very eighties! I loved the fact that they were all sisters – and years later, I really felt like I could relate to them!

13. UPSIDE DOWN BY DIANA ROSS

This is probably my most favourite of all Diana Ross’ tracks. Chain Reaction was good – but this one has more staying power!

12. Geno By Dexy’s Midnight Runners

It is hard to believe that Dexy’s were a ‘thing’ before Come on Eileen! This was the band’s second single and their first UK number one, staying at the top of the chart for two weeks. A great chant along song, it was written about Geno Washington – the chants come from his 1960s performances, when the shows’ compères would excite the audience before he took to the stage.

11. I Could Be SO Good For You By Dennis WaterMan

We always used to watch Minder in our house – and this was the theme song! Dennis Waterman sung the song and also played Terry in the show.

The song was written by Gerard Kenny and Patricia Waterman which would often lead people to mis-credit Dennis as co-writer. It reached No.3 in the UK charts.

Dennis Waterman also sang the theme songs to other programmes he starred in, including On the Up, Stay Lucky, and New Tricks, and this led to a parody in Little Britain where Dennis Waterman played by David Walliams is offered acting work; he always assumes he will also “write the theme tune, sing the theme tune.. It always amused me!

10. Baggy Trousers By Madness

What a song! I could not believe that Madness released songs so early in the ’80s – and tracks which were so before their time too. This one is still a complete classic.

The lyrics to Baggy Trousers not only remind me of my school, but also of the fictional school ‘Grange Hill’ – probably because they were always fighting with another school called Rodney Bennett!

9. Kool in the Kaftan By B.A. Robertson

I had Bang Bang in my honourable mentions last week by B.A. Robertson. But, to me this is a slightly better track!

Brian Alexander Robertson is a Scottish musician, actor, composer and songwriter. A few facts for you; He wrote the Grammy-nominated and Ivor Novello Award-winning “The Living Years” with Mike Rutherford of Genesis as well as co-wrote ‘Carrie’ and “Wired for Sound” for Cliff Richard, wrote and sang the theme music to the television series Maggie and Multi-Coloured Swap Shop and composed “Down At The Superstore”, the theme to the BBC1 children’s television series Saturday Superstore. A man of many talents!

I love the satire of Kool in the Kaftan!

8. The Winner Takes It All By ABBa

I can recall being really sad when I found out that first Agnetha and Bjorn and then Anna-Fried and Benny were all splitting up as husbands and wives and wondered how they would be able to continue. Bjorn did write this song from this very perspective kind of sums it all up – and was sort of the beginning of the end for them as a group. It put Agnetha in the strange spot of being asked to sing a breakup song written by her ex-husband. It is beautiful though!

7. Don’t Stand So Close to Me By The Police

I can really recall wondering why on earth anyone would fall in love with their teachers! The school I went to had none which were fanciable. Then I found out that Sting – or Gordon Sumner – was a teacher before becoming famous with The Police and it all made sense to me! Still such a great track! A bit stalkery – but great.

6. Babooshka By Kate Bush

Another haunting melody from Kate Bush, this song was released as a single in June and it spent 10 weeks in the UK chart, peaking at number five. As evidenced in the lyrics, it is all about a women who adopts a pen name of Babooshka and sets her husband a trap. She arranges to meet her husband, who is attracted to the character who reminds him of his wife in earlier times, and ruins the relationship due to her paranoia. As you can probably tell by now I love songs with brilliant or clever lyrics!

5. Xanadu By OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN & ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA

3 of my favourites all in one place; Olivia Newton-John, ELO and Gene Kelly! (the latter on rollerskates! and in his last film role). Whilst the movie was a complete bomb, the soundtrack, which contained all songs by Newton-John and The Electric Light Orchestra, was a hit. They spent $20 million for this in 1980! Ridiculous – especially when you consider they spent $11 million on Star Wars just 3 years earlier!

This track is reputedly Jeff Lynne’s favourite he has written. I don’t think I would agree with him on that!

4. Turn It On Again by Genesis

This song was on my Top of the Pops album where Legs & Co (the dance troupe from the show) looked like they were walking in space over the top of planet earth! This was one of the songs I played and never tired of. It has a great beat and Phil’s singing is just fab!

It reached number 8 in the chart and was band’s second top 10 hit. The lyrics, by Mike Rutherford are about someone who does nothing more than watch television. He becomes obsessed with the people he watches on it, believing them to be his friends.

3. I Can’t STand Up For Falling Down By Elvis Costello

What a tune by Elvis Costello! Short but sweet, and yes, it is a cover version but Costello completely rearranged his version! The original was a slow soul ballad from Sam and Dave was turned into an uptempo Northern soul-style dance track. It reached number four on the charts was there for eight weeks.

2. Coming Up by Paul McCartney

This is the song where I realised that Paul McCartney did not take himself too seriously – and had a sense of humour judging by the video! Showing his complete talent, Paul actually did play all the instruments on the song and shared harmonies with his wife, Linda. In 2007, he revealed the characters he played in the video were based on; Hank Marvin (guitarist from the Shadows), Ron Mael of Sparks (keyboards), a ‘Beatlemania-era’ version of himself, and a drummer vaguely inspired by John Bonham from Led Zeppelin.

Apparently, this track inspired John Lennon and it prompted him to return to recording in 1980

1. All Over The World By ELO

Yes, I know, I know. The third week in a row for ELO – but how could I not?! Yet another song which makes you feel amazing and upbeat and all the right things!

The song was written for the film Xanadu (as mentioned above) and played in a sequence with the film’s stars Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly, and Michael Beck. The song mentions loads of countries and, listen carefully, because the last place mentioned on the list is Shard End, the suburb of Birmingham, England where Jeff Lynne was born.

Find my playlist over on Spotify: