Following the tragic death of John Lennon in December 1980, the world
was still in mourning after the loss of one of the most influential
musical masterminds of all time. All this did also had impact on the
charts as where his biggest hits "Woman" and "Imagine" could be found
again. Even Roxy Music paid tribute to him by covering "Jealous Guy".
Apart from this, the charts were still dominated by the rising stars of
1980, Adam and the Ants, while The Police had more hits. Human League
re-formed this year, exiting the dark phase and releasing "Don't You Want
Me Baby" which together with Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" helped to
emblem the music style which would in the coming years be known as
Synth-pop.
Along with the increasing popularity of synth driven
music, the New Romantic movement slowly grew to fame as new kids adopted
synths and started wearing lipstick. Perhaps the biggest event of the
year was the launch of MTV, which aired "Video Killed The Radio Star" by
The Buggles. The song became a huge hit and a symbol for the new
platform, which would give the music industry a new face and dimension.
01. Ultravox- Vienna
02. The Cure- Charlotte Sometimes
03. The Human League- Don't You Want Me
04. Siouxsie and the Banshees- Spellbound
05. New Order- Ceremony
06. Soft Cell- Tainted Love
07. Talking Heads- Once in a Lifetime
08. Duran Duran- Planet Earth
09. Ultravox-The Voice
10. Japan- Quiet Life
11. Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough
12. Simple Minds- Love Song
13. Kraftwerk- Computer Love
14. The Specials - Ghost Town
15. Heaven 17 -We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang
16. David Bowie - Up The Hill Backwards
17. Kim Wilde - Kids in America
18. Depeche Mode- New Life
19. Men At Work - Down Under
20. Soft Cell - Memorabilia
