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1980: THE 200 GREATEST SONGS. 
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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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SPACE INVADERS Player 1

Space Invaders arrived in 1978. This 1980 song was all about the video game and performed by an Australian act. The single peaked at #3 in Australia. In the same year, Pac-Man was launched.

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TOO HOT Kool & The Gang

This single reached #5 Pop and Disco as well as #3 Soul in America. It also climbed to #23 in the UK.

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ROCKET LOVE Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder enjoyed commercial and critical success in the 1970s. His sole misstep was the poorly received 1979 soundtrack ‘Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants’. In 1980, follow-up album ‘Hotter Than July’ -which contained this track- set him back on track.

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NEED YOUR LOVING TONIGHT Queen

Queen began a second decade with a strong new album entitled ‘The Game’ which included this track. The song was penned by group member John Deacon.

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I LOVE YOU TO DEATH Village People

After the global smash hit “Y.M.C.A.”, a film vehicle for the disco /pop group sounded like a great idea. Sadly, the resulting motion picture ‘Can’t Stop The Music’ was universally panned. It wasn’t that bad, mostly because its soundtrack album did contain some fun tracks such as this one.

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ENOLA GAY Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

OMD’s anti-war song is named after the aircraft that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The single peaked at #8 in Britain and fared well across Europe.

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I DON’T WANT TO BE ALONE Billy Joel

Billy Joel was showered with Grammy Awards for “Just The Way You Are” (from ‘The Stranger’ LP) and its follow-up ‘52nd Street’. The emergence of new wave gave new album release ‘Glass Houses’ a harder edge, as demonstrated on this track.

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A LOVER’S HOLIDAY Change

This club-leaning single charted in Europe, the U.S.A., Britain and New Zealand. The group was created by 2 producers: Guadeloupian Jacques Fred Petrus and Italian Mauro Malavasi. The group’s sound was similar in style to Chic and Change did feature, as did the group formed by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, Luther Vandross on vocals.

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IS IT OKAY IF I CALL YOU MINE? Paul McCrane

Best remembered for his role as Dr. Robert Romano in the hit TV series “E.R.”, the actor / singer performed this touching ballad in the film ‘Fame’. He portrayed a young gay male who comes out to his classmates.

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COULD I HAVE THIS DANCE Anne Murray

The Canadian singer scored a North American Country Chart #1 that also crossed over to the Adult Contemporary and Pop listings. This ballad was featured in the 1980 hit film ‘Urban Cowboy’ which starred John Travolta.