1980: THE 200 GREATEST SONGS. 
This post: #80-71. Continues: tomorrow.

Caffè Lattè presents…

1980

THE 200 GREATEST SONGS

In 1980, TV audiences tuned in for the answer to the question who shot J.R. on “Dallas”; Moscow hosted the Summer Olympic Games which were boycotted by many nations; war broke out between Iran and Iraq; Ronald Reagan was elected President of the United States and the world mourned after John Lennon was assassinated outside his Dakota apartment in New York City.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder contributed to the campaign to mark Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday as a national holiday with this single. The disc peaked at #2 in the UK. President Ronald Reagan approved the holiday in 1983. Since 1986, the third Monday in January each year commemorates MLK.

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ROCK LOBSTER The B-52s

One of the most unusual songs of the year was actually issued in 1978. It finally hit the charts in 1980, peaking at #37 in Britain, #1 in Canada and #3 in Australia.

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THE WANDERER Donna Summer

The pioneering dance artist co-wrote this, the title track from her 1980 album, with Giorgio Moroder. The latter produced the song with Pete Bellotte. In America, the disc reached #3. It was also a Top 10 hit in Canada, Australia, parts of Europe, New Zealand and South Africa.

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WHITE LADY WHITE POWDER Elton John

The prolific English entertainer entered the 1980s with the new album ’21 at 33’. Around this time, he was writing with others but some songs he had collaborated on with Bernie Taupin made the LP. This album trackwas one of them.

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TENDERNESS Diana Ross

The first major act Chic’s Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers wrote and produced was Diana Ross. The result was the Motown singer’s best sales to date. “Tenderness” is a funky album track.

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ITA Cold Chisel

A tribute to the much-respected Australian journalist and businesswoman Ita Buttrose performed by one of the leading rock groups in Australia. This was a track on the band’s ‘East’ album.

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THE TIDE IS HIGH Blondie

A cover of The Paragons’ rocksteady song from 1967. Blondie’s remake injected more reggae into the single lifted off ‘Autoamerican’. The disc topped the charts in America, Britain, Canada and New Zealand. Another version by Atomic Kitten in 2002 reached #1 in the UK.

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LOVELY ONE The Jacksons

Motown denied The Jackson 5 greater control over their recording output, so the group switched over to Epic Records. This single lifted off ‘Triumph’ was written by brothers Michael and Randy Jackson. The group produced the track which reached #12 on Billboard’s US Pop Hot 100, #2 Soul and #1 on the Disco chart.

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MAKE IT LIKE A MEMORY Barbra Streisand

Written by Barry Gibb with Albhy Galuten, this track on ‘Guilty’ served as the B-side of the fourth and final single from that album: “Promises”.

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YOU SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG AC/DC

Fans of the hard rock Australian group were introduced to its new lead vocalist Brian Johnson via this single lifted off ‘Back In Black’. It only reached the lower rungs of the Top 40 in the U.S.A. and Britain, but peaked at #8 in Australia.