New entry: 23
Banana Republic - The Boomtown Rats
https://youtu.be/OfMwWLnpgGw?is=N2ihcAliSERx83Cq
Peak: 3 | Weeks: 11
Album: Mondo Bongo
A major return to the Top 10 for the Boomtown Rats — and their fifth and final UK Top 10 hit. Banana Republic was a sharp, politically charged song and marked the end of the band's run of major British chart successes.
A chart recap follows tomorrow. 👍
New entry: 31
Embarrassment - Madness
https://youtu.be/P23Gqn6y8AI?is=A7PSqdwzhgySx1fX
Peak: 4 | Weeks: 12
Album: Absolutely
One of Madness's most important early singles. Beneath the catchy ska-pop sound was a serious story about a family dealing with an unexpected pregnancy, showing that Madness could tackle more thoughtful subjects without losing their distinctive style.
New entry: 40
Don't Walk Away - Electric Light Orchestra
https://youtu.be/9irvGJ9KRZ0?is=CEqzj6qBhFC5iPgT
Peak: 21 | Weeks: 10
Album: Xanadu
Another major ELO hit from the Xanadu project. Although the film itself was not a huge success, its soundtrack produced several memorable chart hits, with Don't Walk Away becoming another Top 25 entry for ELO.
New entry: 47
There's No One Quite Like Grandma - St. Winifred's School Choir
https://youtu.be/vhE0rTseZ1w?is=Pyy9trgjUnPslukW
Peak: 1 | Weeks: 11
Album: N/A
One of the most unexpected chart-toppers of 1980! St. Winifred's School Choir scored a huge Christmas hit with this sentimental school song. It was their only UK Top 75 hit, making them a genuine one-hit wonder.
New entry: 50
Looking For Clues - Robert Palmer
https://youtu.be/92wCPfqyVbg?is=LD6sgE7HwMGqX696
Peak: 33 | Weeks: 9
Album: Clues
Palmer was moving in a much more modern direction here, blending rock, pop and new wave influences. Looking For Clues became another sizeable UK hit and showed just how versatile Palmer was becoming.
New entry: 56
Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City - Whitesnake
https://youtu.be/9-0AiRqvpMw?is=gFF4383see9EgOfG
Peak: 51 | Weeks: 4
Album: Live...In The Heart Of The City
A live recording of the 1974 Bobby “Blue” Bland song. Whitesnake were becoming increasingly prominent in the UK rock scene, and this helped keep their momentum going.
New entry: 57
Hungry Heart - Bruce Springsteen
https://youtu.be/boJhWtw-6Gg?is=WIuFXmRmmvxk4d8x
Peak: 44 | Weeks: 4
Album: The River
Springsteen makes his UK chart debut with one of his most enduring songs. Taken from the huge double album The River, Hungry Heart would go on to become a much-loved Springsteen classic.
New entry: 62
Girls Can Get It - Dr. Hook
https://youtu.be/I6Q7rCCumns?is=xcvrOIVTvk3KSbXH
Peak: 40 | Weeks: 5
Album: Sometimes You Win
Another Top 40 hit for Dr. Hook, following their considerable run of British successes. It would prove to be one of their final significant UK chart appearances.
New entry: 65
Official Secrets - M
https://youtu.be/ohYuwgkGTDY?is=sh_LeGJ2Q-oIUBp0
Peak: 64 | Weeks: 2
Album: The Official Secrets Act
A rather poignant final chart appearance for M. After the huge number 2 success of Pop Muzik in 1979, they followed it with hits including Moonlight And Muzak earlier in 1980. By the end of the year, however, their brief spell at the centre of the UK pop scene was fading.
New entry: 66
Life Is For Living - Barclay James Harvest
https://youtu.be/WD2utw8X17w?is=Y_sadTEHrVsy9jfq
Peak: 66 | Weeks: 1
Album: Turn Of The Tide
Definitely not a one-hit wonder. Barclay James Harvest had already reached the Top 50 in 1977 and had another chart entry with Love On The Line earlier in 1980. Life Is For Living was a much smaller success, but the band would return to the Top 75 again in 1983.
New entry: 67
She's A Groovy Freak - The Real Thing
https://youtu.be/dHzrcpwWNK4?is=oenushZY9E-aB_ju
Peak: 52 | Weeks: 4
Album: Non album single
Another chart appearance from The Real Thing, who had enjoyed considerably bigger success in the previous decade. By 1980 however, their chart presence was becoming much more sporadic.
New entry: 70
Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers - Motörhead
https://youtu.be/Ae91Nr-fUpI?is=3YUdHe6R3U2tWY-1
Peak: 43 | Weeks: 4
Album: Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers EP
Originally a ZZ Top song, recorded for their 1973 album Tres Hombres.
This is a typically hard-and-fast Motörhead offering. It gave the band another UK chart appearance during a particularly busy period for them, following their breakthrough success with Ace Of Spades, which is still inside the top 40 at this point.
New entry: 74
I Live For The Weekend - Triumph
https://youtu.be/SPt_xmKmgNs?is=KU_5xn5hA4ZSj4aS
Peak: 59 | Weeks: 2
Album: Progressions Of Power
A short-lived UK chart appearance for the Canadian rock trio. Triumph were much bigger in North America than they were in Britain, making this a rather brief UK chart adventure.
New entry: 75
Whip It - Devo
https://youtu.be/j_QLzthSkfM?is=i4nmzO4VOTDZWTj_
Peak: 51 | Weeks: 7
Album: Freedom Of Choice
Following four minor hits in 1978, Devo return with this breakthrough UK hit and easily their best-known song. This song would become their signature track. The American new wave band would have one more top 100 hit in 1983, before calling it a day.
This song was regularly played on Retromix on Saturday nights in Toronto, during the 90s and 2000s. The shows went live on air from The Joker Nightclub. (A bit of a digression there lol).
🎬 The Shining (1980)
Released in UK cinemas in late 1980 following its summer US debut, Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s 1977 novel threw cold water on the traditional monster-and-jump-scare tropes of '70s horror. Replacing dark cellars with bright, oppressive corridors and sprawling snowscapes, The Shining transformed atmospheric dread into a high-art box office juggernaut. Jack Nicholson’s unhinged performance as Jack Torrance instantly produced iconic pop-culture moments—none more enduring than his ad-libbed, Johnny Carson-inspired "Here's Johnny!" door-axe scene.
🇬**🇧UK top 4**0
**1. The Tide Is High - Blondie(LW 5)(W 2)**
**2. Woman In Love - Barbra Streisand(LW 1)(W 7)**
**3. Special Brew - Bad Manners(LW 3)(W 8)**
**4. I Could Be So Good For You - Dennis Waterman(LW 19)(W 4)**
**5. What You're Proposing - Status Quo(LW 2)(W 6)**
**6. Fashion - David Bowie(LW 8)(W 3)**
**7. Dog Eat Dog - Adam and the Ants(LW 4)(W 6)**
**8. Enola Gay - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark(LW 9)(W 7)**
**9. Never Knew Love Like This Before - Stephanie Mills(LW 18)(W 5)**
**10. If You're Looking For A Way Out - Odyssey(LW 7)(W 10)**
**11. When You Ask About Love - Matchbox(LW 6)(W 8)**
**12. The Same Old Scene - Roxy Music(LW 29)(W 2)**
**13. Super Trouper - ABBA(LW New Entry)(W 1)**
**14. The Earth Dies Screaming / Dream A Lie - UB40(LW 25)(W 3)**
**15. Ace Of Spades - Motorhead(LW 21)(W 3)**
**16. Gotta Pull Myself Together - The Nolans(LW 11)(W 10)**
**17. Suddenly - Olivia Newton-John & Cliff Richard(LW 15)(W 4)**
**18. One Man Woman - Sheena Easton(LW 14)(W 4)**
**19. All Out Of Love - Air Supply(LW 12)(W 8)**
**20. (Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon(LW 30)(W 2)**
**21. D.I.S.C.O. - Ottawan(LW 10)(W 10)**
**22. Celebration - Kool & The Gang(LW 33)(W 3)**
**23. Baggy Trousers - Madness(LW 13)(W 10)**
**24. Loving Just For Fun - Kelly Marie(LW 22)(W 5)**
**25. Army Dreamers - Kate Bush(LW 17)(W 7)**
**26. Passion - Rod Stewart(LW 37)(W 2)**
**27. Love X Love - George Benson(LW 20)(W 7)**
**28. Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Hearts - Showaddywaddy(LW 23)(W 8)**
**29. What's In A Kiss - Gilbert O'Sullivan(LW 26)(W 8)**
**30. I Like What You're Doing To Me - Young & Co.(LW 39)(W 3)**
**31. Don't Stand So Close To Me - The Police(LW 16)(W 8)**
**32. The Night, The Wine And The Roses - The Specials(LW 38)(W 3)**
**33. Bourgie Bourgie - Gladys Knight & The Pips(LW 60)(W 2)**
**34. I'm Coming Out - Diana Ross(LW New Entry)(W 1)**
**35. Women In Uniform - Iron Maiden(LW 52)(W 2)**
**36. Lovely One - The Jacksons(LW 31)(W 4)**
**37. Falcon - RAH Band(LW 47)(W 3)**
**38. Casanova - Coffee(LW 24)(W 8)**
**39. Inherit The Wind - Wilton Felder(LW 43)(W 3)**
**40. Lonely Together - Barry Manilow(LW 67)(W 2)**
Top 10 review
The Tide Is High - Blondie
https://youtu.be/fAb8Q9X2xAc?is=DsvseudMavoBrMBL
Woman In Love - Barbra Streisand
https://youtu.be/IX6AKNzeZ40?is=altw3Mk8iHWxkWYM
Special Brew - Bad Manners
https://youtu.be/gCi\_irINkBc?is=urU4SdjQyK6qe2J8
I Could Be So Good For You - Dennis Waterman
https://youtu.be/rl6f\_U72izI?is=QmX09SKUhkqddfxc
What You're Proposing - Status Quo
https://youtu.be/9sivblqJGN4?is=fGPhklFPOLLavo7g
Fashion - David Bowie
https://youtu.be/F-z6u5hFgPk?is=17JssVOAxSIcqZC9
Dog Eat Dog - Adam and the Ants
https://youtu.be/USiXysSPcvk?is=-6QCiHwWLTKcf2Mz
Enola Gay - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
https://youtu.be/d5XJ2GiR6Bo?is=EcsDlhgB5XG3TT5I
Never Knew Love Like This Before - Stephanie Mills
https://youtu.be/47EaWCcvP-c?is=Awwudz4q0IP1IMCf
If You're Looking For A Way Out - Odyssey
https://youtu.be/kyRVTNsp2gs?is=W7X1UtWtVtukzcLK
Blondie take the number one spot with The Tide Is High, climbing from number 5 last week. Barbra Streisand drops to number 2 with Woman In Love, while Bad Manners hold firm at number 3 with Special Brew.
The biggest mover in the Top 10 is Dennis Waterman, shooting from 19 to 4 with I Could Be So Good For You. Status Quo slip from 2 to 5, while David Bowie climbs to 6 with Fashion. Adam and the Ants fall from 4 to 7, and OMD move up from 9 to 8 with Enola Gay.Stephanie Mills makes a strong climb from 18 to 9 with Never Knew Love Like This Before.
Odyssey complete the Top 10 at number 10 with If You're Looking For A Way Out, and are now the longest-surviving single in the Top 10, having spent 10 weeks on the chart. The record dropping out of last week's Top 10 is Matchbox's When You Ask About Love, falling from 6 to 11.
Chart Checkpoint
At number 20, John Lennon's Just Like Starting Over climbs from 30 to 20 — a 10-place jump in only its second week.
https://youtu.be/e\_ct\_cfqyO4?is=0R3x40WYhsboxcOT
At number 30, Young & Co.'s I Like What You're Doing To Me rises from 39 to 30 in its third week.
https://youtu.be/ZY3MgLDk07o?is=tQtoDoEpFE2EhpT0
And at number 40, Barry Manilow's Lonely Together climbs from 67 to 40, an impressive 27-place leap.
https://youtu.be/TZJja\_Cpq2k?is=EVbfB-YSVqbAkwbT
Climbers
Dennis Waterman has the standout Top 10 climb, jumping 15 places from 19 to 4. Stephanie Mills also makes a major move, rising 9 places from 18 to 9.
Roxy Music are another big climber, moving from 29 to 12 with The Same Old Scene.
https://youtu.be/vXOgQN1a7bE?is=2ofv9cR2gpSnsZA6
John Lennon jumps 10 places to 20, while Kool & The Gang rise 11 places from 33 to 22 with Celebration. Rod Stewart makes a 11-place leap from 37 to 26 with Passion. Young & Co. climb 9 places to 30, and Barry Manilow's 27-place jump from 67 to 40 is the biggest move into the Top 40 this week.
Long chart runners
Odyssey, The Nolans, Ottawan and Madness are all up to 10 weeks on the chart.
Matchbox, Bad Manners, Air Supply, Showaddywaddy, Gilbert O'Sullivan, The Police and Coffee have all reached 8 weeks. Sheena Easton, Barbra Streisand and George Benson are also building substantial runs, with 4, 7 and 7 weeks respectively.
Gilbert O Sullivan - https://youtu.be/dV7DHNn8b2c?is=7czR6ay-6OFZPdCP
George Benson - https://youtu.be/IGaJVTbKm9U?is=wX0UYdIp4-bwUAGO
And that wraps up mid November 1980. We will cover 22 and 29 November over the next few days.
Have a great weekend.👍
I’ll leave you with this. This comes with a health warning 😆
https://youtu.be/rsXJcIODLtQ?is=2R62SSEU1Z3U3pcJ
And this, to take us into 1981.
New entry: 13
Super Trouper – ABBA
https://youtu.be/BshxCIjNEjY?is=igzZI2SXvJ1Nrpbl
Peak: 1 | Weeks: 15
Album: Super Trouper
ABBA returned with another irresistible pop classic that would soon become their ninth UK number one single. Taken from the album of the same name, it demonstrated that even as the musical landscape was beginning to change, the Swedish quartet remained one of the biggest acts in Britain. This would also be their final number one single.
A chart recap will follow soon.👍
New entry: 34
I'm Coming Out – Diana Ross
https://youtu.be/3pmt-wWzC1E?is=opXT0xmKBt1k2Bxq
Peak: 13 | Weeks: 11
Album: Diana
Produced by Chic's Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, this instantly recognisable anthem became one of Diana Ross's best-loved solo recordings. Although already a superstar by 1980, this marked the beginning of a stylish new chapter in her career. This follows Diana’s massive 1980 hits “Upside Down” and “My Old Piano”.
New entry: 43
To Cut A Long Story Short – Spandau Ballet
https://youtu.be/QUCyXswP0zY?is=4tmK4PrhidlBGCKR
Peak: 5 | Weeks: 11
Album: Journeys To Glory
A hugely important debut single and one of the records that announced the arrival of the New Romantic movement. Emerging from London's Blitz Club scene, Spandau Ballet brought a fresh image and sound to the charts, helping define what would become one of the most influential musical styles of the early 1980s.