The

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

is one of many music charts compiled by the

Official Charts Company The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...

that calculates the best-selling singles of the week in the United Kingdom. Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical singles. This list shows singles that peaked in the Top 10 of the

during

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

, as well as singles which peaked in

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

and

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

but were in the top 10 in 1980. The entry date is when the single appeared in the top 10 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced). One-hundred and forty-seven singles were in the top ten in 1980. Ten singles from 1979 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "

Antmusic "Antmusic" is a song by English rock band Adam and the Ants, released as the third single in the UK from the album ''Kings of the Wild Frontier''. "Antmusic" (often stylised as 'Antmusic') peaked at No. 2 in the UK in January 1981, being held ...

" by Adam and the Ants, "

Imagine Imagine may refer to: * Imagination Music Albums * ''Imagine'' (Armin van Buuren album), 2008 * ''Imagine'' (Eva Cassidy album), 2002 * ''Imagine'' (Janice Vidal album), 2012 * ''Imagine'' (John Lennon album), 1971 ** ''Imagine: John Lennon' ...

" by

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

and " Happy Xmas (War is Over)" by John Lennon,

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...

, the

Plastic Ono Band The Plastic Ono Band was a rock band formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1969 for their collaborative and solo projects based on their 1968 Fluxus conceptual art project of the same name. Lennon and Ono began a personal and artistic relati ...

with the Harlem Community Center Choir were all released in 1980 but did not reach their peak until 1981. "

Day Trip to Bangor (Didn't We Have a Lovely Time) "Day Trip to Bangor (Didn't We Have a Lovely Time)" is a single by the folk group Fiddler's Dram. The novelty song was released in 1979 and peaked at number 3 at the start of 1980. The song was written by Debbie Cook and recorded by the lead sin ...

" by

Fiddler's Dram Fiddler's Dram were a British folk band of the late 1970s, most widely known for their 1979 hit single, " Day Trip to Bangor (Didn't We Have a Lovely Time)", which reached no. 3 on the UK Singles Chart. Band members The full-time members of Fi ...

, "

Wonderful Christmastime "Wonderful Christmastime" is a Christmas song by English musician Paul McCartney. Recorded during the sessions for his solo album ''McCartney II'' (1980), it was released in November 1979 following Wings' final album ''Back to the Egg'' earlie ...

" by

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

and " Brass in Pocket" by

The Pretenders Pretenders are an English–American rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete Fa ...

were the singles from 1979 to reach their peak in 1980. Twenty-eight artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1980. Adam and the Ants, Dexys Midnight Runners,

Sheena Easton Sheena Shirley Easton (; born 27 April 1959) is a Scottish singer and actress. Easton came into the public eye in an episode of the first British musical reality television programme '' The Big Time: Pop Singer'', which recorded her attempts to ...

Spandau Ballet Spandau Ballet () were an English new wave band formed in Islington, London, in 1979. Inspired by the capital's post-punk underground dance scene, they emerged at the start of the 1980s as the house band for the Blitz Kids, playing "European Da ...

and

UB40 UB40 are an English reggae and pop band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the ...

were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1980. The 1979

Christmas number-one In the United Kingdom, Christmas number ones are singles that top the UK Singles Chart in the week in which Christmas Day falls. The singles have often been novelty songs, charity songs or songs with a Christmas theme. Historically, the volume ...

, " Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" by

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...

, remained at number-one for the first two weeks of 1980. The first new number-one single of the year was " Brass in Pocket" by

. Overall, twenty-five different singles peaked at number-one in 1980, with Blondie,

The Jam The Jam were an English mod revival/ punk rock band formed in 1972 at Sheerwater Secondary School in Woking, Surrey. They released 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in December 198 ...

and

ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's ...

(2) having the joint most singles hit that position.

Background

Multiple entries

One-hundred and forty-seven singles charted in the top 10 in 1980, with one-hundred and thirty-seven singles reaching their peak this year. Twenty-eight artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1980.

Madness Madness or The Madness may refer to: Emotion and mental health * Anger, an intense emotional response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat * Insanity, a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns * ...

and

The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Police ...

shared the record for most top 10 hits in 1980 with four hit singles each. Seven artists recorded three singles which reached the top 10 this year:

, The Beat, Blondie,

The Specials The Specials, also known as The Special AKA, are an English Two-tone (music genre), 2 tone and ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry. After some early changes, the first stable lineup of the group consisted of Terry Hall (singer), Terr ...

and

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

was one of a number of artists with two top 10 entries, including the number-one single " Ashes to Ashes". Adam and the Ants,

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

and

Roxy Music Roxy Music are an English rock music, rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry—who became the band's lead vocalist and principal songwriter—and bassist Graham Simpson (musician), Graham Simpson. The other longtime members are Phil Manzanera ...

were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1980.

Chart debuts

Fifty-six artists achieved their first top 10 single in 1980, either as a lead or featured artist. Of these, six went on to record another hit single that year: Adam and the Ants, Dexys Midnight Runners, George Benson,

Liquid Gold Liquid Gold was an English disco group, from Brackley in Northamptonshire. Their biggest success came in 1980 with "Dance Yourself Dizzy", which peaked at number two on the UK chart. Career Liquid Gold was formed by Ray Knott and Ellie Hope, wh ...

The Nolans The Nolans are an Anglo-Irish girl group who formed in Blackpool in 1974 as the Nolan Sisters, before changing their name in 1980. Often referred to as Ireland's ''First Family of Music'', they were the first Irish performing family to achie ...

and

. The Beat and

both had two other entries in their breakthrough year. The following table (collapsed on desktop site) does not include acts who had previously charted as part of a group and secured their first top 10 solo single. ;Notes

Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...

made his first top 10 appearance this year since his departure from

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...

. His debut solo single "

Solsbury Hill Little Solsbury Hill (more commonly known as Solsbury Hill) is a small flat-topped hill and the site of an Iron Age hill fort, above the village of Batheaston in Somerset, England. The hill rises to above the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon ...

" missed the top 10 in 1979, but he took " Games Without Frontiers" to number 4.

Jermaine Jackson Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and bassist. He is best known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of The Jackson ...

achieved six previous top 10 hits as part of the

Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...

, but " Let's Get Serious" was his first top 10 appearance as a solo artist. Actor Mike Berry scored a top 10 hit - " Don't You Think It's Time" (6) - with his backing group The Outlaws in 1963. "

The Sunshine of Your Smile "The Sunshine of Your Smile" is a British popular song published in London in 1913 just before the World War I, First World War by Francis, Day and Hunter. The lyrics were by Leonard Cooke and the music by Lilian Ray. It became a top ten hit in ...

" was his first and only independent top 10 hit.

Songs from films

Original songs from various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included "

With You I'm Born Again "With You I'm Born Again" is a 1979 duet written by Carol Connors and David Shire that originated on the soundtrack of the 1979 motion picture ''Fast Break''. It was performed by Motown recording artists Billy Preston and Syreeta Wright (credited ...

" (from '' Fast Break''), " Call Me" (''

American Gigolo ''American Gigolo'' is a 1980 American neo-noir crime drama film written and directed by Paul Schrader, and starring Richard Gere and Lauren Hutton. It tells the story about a high-priced escort in Los Angeles (Gere) who becomes romantically ...

''), " Theme from M*A*S*H* (Suicide Is Painless)" ('' MASH'') and "

Xanadu Xanadu may refer to: * Shangdu, the ancient summer capital of Kublai Khan's empire in China * a metaphor for opulence or an idyllic place, based upon Coleridge's description of Shangdu in his poem ''Kubla Khan'' Other places * Xanadu (Titan), ...

" (''

'').

Best-selling singles

had the best-selling single of the year with " Don't Stand So Close to Me". The single spent six weeks in the top 10 (including four weeks at number one) and was certified gold by the BPI. " Woman in Love" by

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

came in second place.

Kelly Marie Kelly Marie (born Jacqueline McKinnon; 16 October 1957) is a Scottish singer, best known for the song "Feels Like I'm in Love", a No. 1 hit in the UK in 1980. Early career Born to Alex and Jeanette McKinnon, Kelly Marie began training for a pe ...

's "

Feels Like I'm in Love "Feels Like I'm in Love" is a song written and recorded by Ray Dorset with his band Mungo Jerry. It was a number-one hit on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in September 1980 for Scottish singer Kelly Marie. Original version Written by Ray ...

", " Super Trouper" from

and "

D.I.S.C.O. "D.I.S.C.O." is a song by the French band Ottawan, written by Daniel Vangarde and Jean Kluger and produced by Daniel Vangarde. Ottawan originally recorded it in French. It was first released in 1979 and reached number two in the UK Singles Ch ...

" by

Ottawan Ottawan is a French pop music duo, who had the hit singles "D.I.S.C.O." and "Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)" in the early 1980s. Fronted by Patrick Jean-Baptiste and Annette Eltice, they were masterminded through a cooperation between French prod ...

made up the top five. Singles by Blondie, Dexys Midnight Runners,

Fern Kinney Fern Kinney (born Fern Kinney-Lewis, July 11, 1949), is an American R&B and disco singer, who is best remembered for her releases, " Groove Me" and "Together We Are Beautiful". Career Born in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, Kinney origin ...

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted mo ...

and

The Detroit Spinners The Spinners are an American rhythm and blues vocal group that formed in Ferndale, Michigan, United States, in 1954. They enjoyed a string of hit singles and albums during the 1960s and 1970s, particularly with producer Thom Bell. The group cont ...

were also in the top ten best-selling singles of the year.

Top-ten singles

;Key

Entries by artist

The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1980, including singles that reached their peak in 1979 or 1981. The figures include both main artists and featured artists, while appearances on ensemble charity records are also counted for each artist. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 1980 is also shown.

Notes

* "Antmusic" reached its peak of number two on 17 January 1981 (week ending). * "Take That Look Off Your Face" was written for the

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...

musical ''

Tell Me On a Sunday ''Tell Me on a Sunday'' is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Don Black. A one-woman show, it has been performed by a number of female singers/actors, most notably Marti Webb and Bernadette Peters. A one-act song cycle, ...

''. * "What's Another Year" was

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

's winning entry at the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...

. * "It's Only Love" was originally released on its own without its double A-side "Beyond the Reef" in 1971 and charted in the US but not in the UK. * "I Could Be So Good for You" was the theme song to the television series ''

Minder A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who " minds". Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are of ...

''. * "(Just Like) Starting Over" re-entered the top 10 at number-one on 20 December 1980 (week ending), one week after John Lennon's murder. * "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" was first released as a single in the UK in 1972 and made the top 10, peaking at number 4. It re-entered the top 10 following John Lennon's death in December 1980, reaching its new peak of number 2 in January 1981. * "Imagine" was first released as a single in the UK in 1975 and made the top 10, peaking at number 6. It re-entered the top 10 following John Lennon's death in December 1980, reaching its new peak of number-one in January 1981. * Figure includes single that peaked in 1979. * Figure includes single that peaked in 1981. * Figure includes single that first charted in 1979 but peaked in 1980.

References

General * Specific

External links

1980 singles chart archive
at the

(click on relevant week)
The Official Top 50 best-selling songs of 1980
at the

{{UK Music Charts

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

Top 10 singles

Background

Multiple entries

Chart debuts

Songs from films

Best-selling singles

Top-ten singles

Entries by artist

Notes

See also

References

External links