1980: THE 200 GREATEST SONGS. 
This post: #180-171. 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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TOCCATA Sky

An instrumental based on Bach’s “Fugue in D Minor”. The single peaked at #5 in Britain. Sky's line-up included renowned film scorer John Williams.

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SHE’S SO COLD Rolling Stones

The legendary rock group entered its third decade with the ‘Emotional Rescue’ album. This was its second single. It cracked the Top 40 on both sides of the Atlantic.

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ALL OUT OF LOVE Air Supply

Another ballad hit from the Australian group. It was written by band member Graham Russell and Clive Davis. The latter was also executive producer on the track. It peaked at #2 in America and Canada. On the UK chart, the single reached #11.

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SLEEPING WITH THE TELEVISION ON Billy Joel

‘Glass Houses’, the parent album for this track, was produced by Phil Ramone. This was the third LP by the singer with the same producer as previous releases ‘The Stranger’ and ‘52nd Street’.

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COULD YOU BE LOVED Bob Marley The Wailers.

Written by reggae’s legendary exponent, this single climbed to #5 on the British charts. It also reached the Top 10 across Europe.

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EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (MEDLEY) Meco

As the original ‘Star Wars’ became a box office hit, Meco scored a #1 smash with “Star Wars Theme / Cantina Band”. The sequel premiered in 1980. Meco created a new medley based around John Williams’ score for the second instalment in the franchise.

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HURT SO BAD Linda Ronstadt

In 1964, Little Anthony & The Imperials enjoyed a #10 single with the original version of this song. Linda Ronstadt covered it for her 1980 album ‘Mad Love’. Her remake peaked at #8.

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DESIRE Andy Gibb

This solo hit for the youngest of the Gibb brothers was penned by his older siblings Barry, Robin and Maurice (The Bee Gees). The disc reached #4 in America.

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DAY TRIP TO BANGOR (DIDN’T WE HAVE A LOVELY TIME) Fiddlers Dram

An unusual (for 1980) folk-flavoured single that reached #3 in the UK and #8 in Australia for the one-hit wonder group.

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MISUNDERSTANDING Genesis

Following the departure of Peter Gabriel, the remaining 3 members of Genesis re-invented their sound. The trio would enjoy its most lucrative decade during the 1980s. This single, lifted off the ‘Duke’ album, topped the Canadian chart and reached #14 in America.