What songs held the number one spot for the longest in 1980?
The musical mosaic that soundtracked the 1980s‘ first year was a kaleidoscopic frisson of disparate eclecticism sparked by punk’s meteoric cultural impact a few years prior. Ushering in a new wave in the truest sense—beyond a surface aesthetic or lazy label for a band using keyboards—the patchwork of varied acts that would grace Top of the Pops or American Bandstand saw music at its most colourful since psychedelia’s heyday.
Synthpop, ska, goth, post-punk, hardcore, power pop, new wave of British heavy metal, disco, and the emerging hip-hop scene smattered the 1980s, making for a dazzling year in pop. New wave began to seriously splinter in 1980, emboldened by punk’s DIY fuel and its ephemeral urgency, allowing acts to go down whatever creative road they desired. With such a vibrant stew of exciting movements, 1980 could boldly make the claim as one of pop’s finest music years on either side of the Atlantic.
Singles came back in a big way, too. After the album had dominated the 1970s as the ultimate artistic statement, the Billboard 200 replaced its Hot 100 singles version as every band’s prized top spot. While not obliterating the importance of the LP, punk’s fury burned at such a fantastic pace that a precedent was set where the big hits echoed the allure of the 45″ from way back at the dawn of rock ‘n’ roll.
The eve of MTV’s launch, and ending with John Lennon’s assassination in December 1980, was a year of transition in music, anticipating the new dawn in pop but untainted by its later corporate death grip that would squeeze the life out of the stars of the day.
So, what song held the number one spot for the longest in 1980?
One of the biggest acts to transcend new wave and truly dominate the mainstream was The Police. While critical reception to Zenyatta Mondatta was cooler than their previous two records, its lead single was a British monster, spending four weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart following its September release.
Stateside, two singles tied for the year’s record with a respectable six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100’s top spot. One was country star Kenny Rogers’ ‘Lady’, the soul number that promoted his greatest hits package. Written by Lionel Richie, an attempt to blend his sturdy Texan soft rock with the former Commodores songsmith more than paid off, standing as one of Rogers’ most-loved numbers and propelling his best-of to an eventual 12x platinum seller.
Sharing the six-week title was also Blondie’s neon pop thriller ‘Call Me’. Helped by being the theme of American Gigolo, the Giorgio Moroder-produced thumper captures the New York new wave outfit at its most effortlessly cool and exciting. It’s a perfect meld of Debbie Harry’s laconic commanding vocals and Moroder’s propulsive sonic touch.
Originally offered to Stevie Nicks during a stint away from her Fleetwood Mac day job, ‘Call Me’s’ crossing paths must have been guided by providence. Cutting one of the decade’s greatest pop songs, the band gifted themselves their second number-one with this after 1978’s ‘Heart of Glass’.
