Top Songs — 1980
▶ Spotify PlaylistBuried in her closet, my mother had a t-shirt that read: "DISCO IS DEAD, ROCK AND ROLL IS HERE TO STAY." It only came out on rare occasions, but whenever it did, it stuck with me. At the time I didn't fully grasp the distinctions between the styles, and I was certainly oblivious to the deeper undertones behind that moment. But what I did understand was that music was never just background noise. It was a battleground of taste, meant to be analyzed, compared, scored like an invisible competition. You were expected to pick sides, to declare winners, even though the game itself was unwinnable. The real divide, I eventually realized, wasn't between the genres at all, but between those who took the contest seriously and those who were just passing through, content with whatever the radio served up. And I knew exactly which camp I belonged to.
1.⭐ Rush — The Spirit Of Radio
2.⭐ The Jam — Going Underground
3.⭐ John Mellencamp — Ain't Even Done With The Night
4.⭐ Talking Heads — Once in a Lifetime
5.⭐ Ozzy Osbourne — Crazy Train
6.⭐ The Professionals — Mods Skins Punks
7.⭐ Split Enz — I Got You
8.⭐ Peter Gabriel — Games Without Frontiers
9.⭐ Billy Idol;Generation X — Dancing With Myself
10.⭐ Pretenders — Mystery Achievement
11.⭐ AC/DC — You Shook Me All Night Long
12.⭐ Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark — Enola Gay
13.⭐ The Clash — Death or Glory
14.⭐ Fischer-Z — So Long
15.⭐ Pink Floyd — Comfortably Numb
16.⭐ Bob Marley & The Wailers — Redemption Song
17.U2 — A Day Without Me
18.DEVO — Whip It
19.The Cure — A Forest
20.The Clash — Train in Vain (Stand by Me)
21.The Teardrop Explodes — Treason
22.Pink Floyd — Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2
23.Daryl Hall & John Oates — You Make My Dreams (Come True)
24.Rush — Entre Nous
25.Joy Division — Love Will Tear Us Apart
26.John Lennon — Watching The Wheels
27.Misfits;Glenn Danzig — Last Caress
28.The Clash — London Calling
29.David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes
30.Squeeze — Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)
31.Nikki and the Corvettes — I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend
32.The Clash — Spanish Bombs
33.The Feelies — Loveless Love
34.The Police — Don't Stand So Close To Me
35.Squeeze — Another Nail In My Heart
36.The B-52's — Private Idaho
37.Television Personalities — Part Time Punks
38.Joy Division — Atmosphere
39.The Soft Boys — I Wanna Destroy You
40.The Professionals — 1 2 3
41.Orange Juice — Blue Boy
42.Queen — Another One Bites The Dust
43.The Clash — Lost in the Supermarket
44.Bruce Springsteen — Wreck on the Highway
45.X — Los Angeles
46.The Jam — That's Entertainment
47.AC/DC — Back In Black
48.Poly Styrene — Dreaming
49.John Lennon — Woman
50.Any Trouble — Second Choice
51.Scientists — Last Night
52.U2 — The Electric Co.
53.Billy Joel — It's Still Rock and Roll to Me
54.Bruce Springsteen — Out In the Street
55.The Kingbees — My Mistake
56.Ramones — Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?
57.U2 — I Will Follow
58.REO Speedwagon — Keep on Loving You
59.John Lennon — (Just Like) Starting Over
60.Rush — Freewill
61.Dead Kennedys — Holiday in Cambodia
62.Pat Benatar — Hit Me With Your Best Shot
63.Prince — When You Were Mine
64.The Clash — Clampdown
65.Bruce Springsteen — Two Hearts
66.Dire Straits — Romeo and Juliet
67.Robert Palmer — Johnny And Mary
68.The Police — De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
69.Billy Joel — Don't Ask Me Why
70.The Jim Carroll Band — People Who Died
71.Pretenders — Brass in Pocket
72.Blondie — Call Me
73.Elton John — Little Jeannie
74.Wipers — Mystery
75.Neil Diamond — America
76.Billy Joel — You May Be Right
77.Robert Palmer — Looking For Clues
78.Martha and the Muffins — Echo Beach
79.The Motels — Danger
80.Daryl Hall & John Oates — Kiss on My List
81.Steely Dan — Hey Nineteen
82.Young Marble Giants — Brand - New - Life
83.AC/DC — Hells Bells
84.Bruce Springsteen — Hungry Heart
85.Squeeze — If I Didn't Love You
86.Pete Townshend — Let My Love Open The Door
87.Joy Division — Dead Souls
88.Queen — Crazy Little Thing Called Love
89.Rockpile — Teacher Teacher
90.Prince — Dirty Mind