Events in 1980
- Deep Purple’s “Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple” reached No. 1 on the UK album chart on August 2, 1980, becoming the band’s third album to reach the top of the UK charts.
- “Magic” by Olivia Newton-John, from the soundtrack to the film “Xanadu,” reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on August 2, 1980.
- The Clash released the single “Bank Robber,” which had previously been available only as an import. Their record label, CBS, had initially rejected its release, considering the song insufficiently commercial.
- Blue Öyster Cult performed at the Mary E. Sawyer Auditorium in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
- Pink Floyd began a five-show run at Earls Court in London as part of The Wall tour. The production featured a massive wall that was gradually built throughout the performance, eventually separating the band from the audience.
- John Lennon and Yoko Ono began recording the album “Double Fantasy” at The Hit Factory in New York, Lennon’s final studio album.
- Pat Benatar released her second studio album, “Crimes of Passion.” It was her first Top 10 album and later reached No. 2 on the U.S. albums chart. It also featured her first Top 10 single, “Hit Me with Your Best Shot.”
- The Osmonds ended their career after 20 years.
- Fleetwood Mac performed at the Hollywood Sportatorium in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
- John Lennon and Yoko Ono began recording the album “Double Fantasy.”
- John Lennon a Yoko Ono začali po pětileté přestávce nahrávat album „Double Fantasy“ ve studiu The Hit Factory v New Yorku. Album vyšlo v listopadu, dostalo se na první místo v USA, stalo se celosvětovým komerčním úspěchem a získalo Grammy za album roku.
- The Allman Brothers Band byli hlavními hvězdami koncertu v Greek Theatre v Los Angeles.
- The Greater London Council banned The Plasmatics from blowing up a car on stage during their British live debut at the Hammersmith Odeon.
- AC/DC achieved their first UK No. 1 album with “Back In Black.” It was the band’s first album recorded without original vocalist Bon Scott, who died on February 19, 1980, and the album was dedicated to him. It was also the band’s first album with Brian Johnson. In August 2024, it was certified 27× platinum in the US by the RIAA, representing 27 million certified units.
- Ten original drawings by Gerald Scarfe created for Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” were stolen from the foyer of Earls Court in London, where they were on display.
- Black Sabbath performed at the Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut.
- Johnny Cash performed the duet “Jackson” with Miss Piggy on The Muppet Show. He also “insulted” Rowlf the Dog with his song “Dirty Old Egg-Sucking Dog.”
- The Allman Brothers Band performed at the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, Indiana, a suburb of Chicago.
- Four masked robbers broke into his home in Woodstock, New York. Rundgren, his girlfriend, and three guests were tied up and robbed. The perpetrators reportedly believed that rock stars kept cocaine at home and threatened Rundgren.
- A statue of Elvis Presley was unveiled at Elvis Presley Plaza in Memphis. It was later moved inside the Memphis Welcome Centre.
- The unknown rock band appeared as the opening act for Hall & Oates in Maryland. During the performance, the audience discovered that the singer was Cher.
- His autobiography I, Me, Mine was published, making him the first member of The Beatles to publish an autobiography. John Lennon later criticized the book for almost completely ignoring his influence on Harrison's life.
- Bob Hardy, bassist for the Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand, was born.
- The first edition of the Monsters of Rock festival took place at Castle Donington in England.
- American singer, songwriter and pianist Vanessa Carlton was born in Milford, Pennsylvania. She is best known for the song "A Thousand Miles".
- Grateful Dead performed at the Municipal Auditorium Arena in Kansas City, Missouri.
- At the Toledo Speedway Jam II concert in Toledo, Ohio, ZZ Top were the headliners, while AC/DC, Sammy Hagar and Humble Pie were among the other performers. For AC/DC, it was their final appearance as an opening act until 2003, when they opened for The Rolling Stones.
- Yes released the album Drama, on which Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes of The Buggles joined the group as replacements for Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman.
- After a long delay following the opening act, concert organizers at CNE Grandstand in Toronto announced that Alice Cooper could not perform due to illness. Angry fans began tearing out folding chairs and throwing them onto the stage, sparking a riot involving around 1,400 people. Damage was estimated at $20,000 to $25,000, 31 people were arrested, and 12 people were hospitalized. A year later, Cooper said he had cancelled the concert because of an asthma attack, which he claimed he had not experienced since he was six years old.
- Singer Darius was born. In 2001, he appeared on the British television show Popstars and became known for his version of Britney Spears’ “...Baby One More Time”. In 2002, he had the UK number one single “Colourblind”. He later played Billy Flynn in the West End production of Chicago and the lead role of Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls. Darius was found unresponsive in his apartment in Rochester, Minnesota, on August 11, 2022, and was pronounced dead later that day.
- Kurtis Blow became the first hip-hop artist whose single received an RIAA gold certification when “The Breaks” sold more than 500,000 copies. The song also reached number 4 on the Billboard R&B chart.
- John Lennon began recording his final album, “Double Fantasy”. The album was released on November 17 by the newly established Geffen Records and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart three weeks later. In February 1982, it won Album of the Year at the 24th Grammy Awards.
- Queen performed at the Civic Centre in Hartford, Connecticut, during their North American tour.
- Blue Öyster Cult performed at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado.
- Linda Ronstadt performed as Mabel in an open-air production of Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta “The Pirates of Penzance” as part of the New York Shakespeare Festival at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park, New York City. The production later moved to Broadway, where it premiered in January 1981. Ronstadt reprised the role in the 1983 film adaptation and received a Tony Award nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for the film.
- Queen performed at The Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during their North American tour.
- “Ashes to Ashes” reached number one on the UK Official Singles Chart, where it remained for two weeks. For David Bowie, it was his second UK number-one single and his first since “Space Oddity” in 1975. The song came from the album “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)” and continued the story of Major Tom from “Space Oddity”. At the time of its release, it was his fastest-selling single. The video cost £250,000, making it the most expensive music video ever made at that time.
- Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, The B-52's, The Pretenders, Rockpile and The Rumour performed at the Heatwave Festival in Toronto, Canada. Tickets cost $30, the festival attracted 50,000 people, and the organizers suffered a loss of more than one million dollars.
- Among those performing at the Heatwave Festival, known as “New Wave Woodstock”, at Mosport Park near Toronto were Elvis Costello, The B-52s, The Pretenders and Talking Heads. Talking Heads performed songs from their forthcoming album “Remain In Light” and also introduced a new touring lineup featuring keyboardist Bernie Worrell and guitarist Adrian Belew.
- Queen released the single “Another One Bites the Dust”.
- On the Saturday program of the Reading Festival, Broken Home, Grand Prix, Iron Maiden, Pat Travers Band, Quartz, Samson, UFO and White Spirit performed.
- Roxy Music reached number one on the UK album chart with their seventh studio album “Flesh and Blood”. The album also reached number one in New Zealand and the Top 10 in five other countries.
- According to Cashbox, the best-selling song in America that week was “Take Your Time (Do It Right)” by The SOS Band. The song reached number three on the Hot 100. The Atlanta, Georgia group took its name from the abbreviation Sounds Of Success and was fronted by Mary Davis.
- David Bowie released the single “Ashes to Ashes”.
- Tom Petersson left Cheap Trick because of burnout and personal and musical differences. He was replaced by Pete Comita. Petersson returned to the group in 1988 for the album “Lap of Luxury”, which contained their comeback hit “The Flame”.
- David Desrosiers, bassist for Simple Plan, was born in Sept-Îles, Quebec, Canada.
- Jethro Tull released the album "A", one of the albums commemorated as part of the musical anniversaries for this day.
- Kiss embarked on a joint tour with the then little-known heavy metal band Iron Maiden. For the young British band, it was its first major experience of a large concert tour.
- Queen performed at the Forum in Montreal.
- The Grateful Dead played the first of two nights at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- UB40 released their debut album "Signing Off". The album reached No. 2 on the UK chart and became the first reggae album to reach such a high position. In 2010, to mark the band's 30th anniversary and the album's influence, the band performed the album in its entirety during a series of intimate concerts across the UK.
- Television star Valerie Bertinelli attended a Van Halen concert in Shreveport, Louisiana, and got backstage to meet Eddie Van Halen, whom she found very attractive. Their relationship developed into love: they married less than a year later, and their son Wolfgang was born in 1991. They separated in 2001 and finalized their divorce in 2007.
- Barclay James Harvest performed beside the Berlin Wall in a concert titled “A Concert For The People” before an audience of approximately 250,000 people.
- David Bowie released “Ashes to Ashes”, which reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart. The song continued the story of the character Major Tom.
- Cher made an unannounced appearance as a singer with Black Rose during a concert in Central Park, New York.
- Christopher Cross’s “Sailing” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for one week. The following spring, it won Grammy Awards for Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Arrangement of the Year, and also helped Cross win the award for Best New Artist. The song also reached No. 1 in Canada.
- Fleetwood Mac concluded their Tusk world tour with a major concert in Los Angeles.
- Karen Carpenter married 39-year-old property developer Thomas James Burris in the Crystal Room of the Beverly Hills Hotel. The marriage quickly deteriorated, and Carpenter later filed for divorce.
- They concluded an eleven-month world tour with a performance at the Hollywood Bowl. Lindsey Buckingham announced from the stage that it would be their last concert for a long time. The group did not return to the concert stage until nearly two years later during the Mirage tour.
- Stevie Wonder performed the first of six sold-out concerts at Wembley Arena.
- Blue Öyster Cult performed at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona.
- Canadian bassist, singer, songwriter and producer Jason “Cone” McCaslin was born in North York, Ontario. He became known as a longtime member of the rock band Sum 41.
- Steve Peregrin Took, percussionist and singer associated with T. Rex, died.
- Dan Miller of the American boy band O-Town was born in Laconia, New Hampshire. The group won the American television show Making the Band and had the number-three US single “All or Nothing” in 2001.
- The new Yes lineup of Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White, Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn began a record three-night sold-out run at Madison Square Garden in New York in support of the album Drama. One source states that Madison Square Garden had a capacity of 19,000.
- Black Sabbath performed at the Lakeland Civic Center in Florida.
- A statue of Buddy Holly was unveiled in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas.
- David Bowie released the album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps).
- Diana Ross remained at number one on the US R&B chart for a fourth week with “Upside Down.”
- English pop singer Kevin Simm was born in Chorley. He became known as a member of Liberty X and Wet Wet Wet.
- Diana Ross scored her fourth solo No. 1 in the U.S. with "Upside Down". The song spent four weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her most successful solo hit, and also reached No. 1 in nine other countries. It also topped the Billboard Top 100 Disco Chart and Hot Soul Singles chart and reached the Top 10 in another 17 countries.
- English singer and television personality Kerry Katona, who was a member of Atomic Kitten, was born. The group had the UK No. 1 hit "Whole Again" in 2000. Katona left the group in 2001 and won the third series of "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!" in 2004.
- The Grateful Dead performed at the State Fairgrounds in Lewiston, Maine.
- The Jam took their eleventh UK single, "Start!", to No. 1 on the UK singles chart. It was the group's second UK chart-topper and the lead single from their fifth album, "Sound Affects".
- U2 began the first leg of their UK Boy Tour in Coventry, England. The tour consisted of 29 concerts.
- Black Sabbath performed at Jai Alai Fronton Hall in Miami, Florida.
- Black Sabbath performed at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago during the tour supporting the album “Heaven and Hell”. The band featured Ronnie James Dio on vocals, with Blue Öyster Cult among the supporting acts.
- The semi-autobiographical film “One Trick Pony”, starring Paul Simon, premiered in New York. The film was also released in US cinemas, and the soundtrack song “Late in the Evening” reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Rush performed at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine.
- Members of First Assembly Church of God in Ankeny, Iowa, burned various books and music albums they considered satanic and works promoting premarital sex, homosexuality, and immorality. Among the recordings burned were the soundtrack to the film Woodstock and albums by Peter Frampton and The Beatles.
- Leaveil Degree of the soul group The Whispers began serving a two-year prison sentence in Boron, California, for his involvement in a diamond robbery.
- Yes performed at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California.
- Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band began The River Tour on October 3, 1980, at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in support of their fifth studio album and their only double album, The River. During the concert, Springsteen forgot part of the lyrics while performing “Born to Run” for the opening time. Eleven songs from the forthcoming The River album were performed during the evening. “Thunder Road” was performed twice, and during the second performance Bob Seger joined Springsteen and the E Street Band. It was the first concert of The River Tour.
- Irish singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of The Script, Daniel “Danny” O’Donoghue, was born in Dublin. He previously performed in the Irish boy band Mytown and later became a coach on the television singing competition The Voice UK. The Script reached No. 1 on the UK chart in 2008 with their self-titled album.
- British heavy metal band Diamond Head released their debut album Lightning to the Nations. The record later became an important influence on another generation of metal bands and had a major impact on Metallica, whose members eventually covered five of the album's seven songs: “Am I Evil?,” “Helpless,” “The Prince,” “It's Electric” and “Sucking My Love.” Other NWOBHM bands, such as Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and Saxon, surpassed Diamond Head in popularity, but Metallica's cover versions demonstrated their influence and secured their place in music history.
- Paul Simon's semi-biographical film One-Trick Pony, in which he also played the lead role, premiered in US cinemas. The film received mixed reviews and became both a critical and commercial failure, grossing less than $150,000 on a budget of approximately $8 million. The soundtrack was more successful – the title song reached No. 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and “Late in the Evening” climbed as high as No. 6.
- The Police released their third studio album Zenyatta Mondatta. The album reached No. 1 in Australia and the UK and No. 5 on the US Billboard 200, giving the group its first US Top 10 album. It featured the hits "Don't Stand So Close to Me" and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" and earned the group two Grammy Awards. The album sold more than 5 million copies worldwide.
- During halftime of the USC vs. Arizona State football game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, and Mick Fleetwood performed together with the USC Trojan Marching Band. Nicks twirled a baton, Fleetwood played the bass drum, and Buckingham conducted the band. The 112-member USC marching band had participated in the recording of “Tusk,” and Fleetwood Mac subsequently presented the band with a platinum record for its participation in the recording.
- Results of the Melody Maker readers' poll: Kate Bush was named best female singer, Peter Gabriel best male singer, Ritchie Blackmore best guitarist, Phil Collins best drummer, and Genesis best band. The best single was Pink Floyd's Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2), and Saxon was named the most promising new act.
- NME magazine named Joy Division's “She's Lost Control” its single of the week. The song was inspired by a girl Ian Curtis worked with at a center for people with disabilities who later died from an epileptic seizure.
- Paul Thomas, bassist for the band Good Charlotte, was born in Waldorf, Maryland.
- Yes performed at Selland Arena in Fresno, California.
- Grateful Dead performed at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco.
- Former Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten was arrested in Dublin for taking part in a pub brawl.
- The Bee Gees filed a $136 million lawsuit against their manager Robert Stigwood, accusing him of fraud, withholding royalties and unfairly handling their careers. The group claimed that contracts signed with Stigwood in 1968 were exploitative and that they were too young at the time to fully understand what they were signing. Stigwood filed a $310 million countersuit for libel. The dispute was settled out of court in May 1981, with both sides publicly apologizing.
- Dusty Springfield performed publicly on stage for the first time in eight years, at the Grand Finale club in New York.
- Monty Python's Contractual Obligation Album was released in the US. Among other things, it contains the “Rock Notes” section, which begins with a fictional report about Rex Stardust, the lead electric triangle player of the band Toad the Wet Sprocket. Seven years later, a real band of the same name was formed in California and had hits in the 1990s with “Walk on the Ocean” and “All I Want.”
- Blue Öyster Cult performed at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana.
- Bob Marley collapsed on stage during a performance at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh and was taken to Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York. He then flew to Ethiopia to rest. It was his final concert appearance before his death from cancer in 1981.
- Prince released his third studio album, “Dirty Mind.” The album included the songs “Uptown,” “Do It All Night,” “Head,” and “Sister.” “Uptown” reached No. 5 on the R&B chart.
- Talking Heads released their fourth album, “Remain in Light,” the band's final album produced by Brian Eno. On the album, the group expanded on its experiments with African polyrhythms, which had begun with “I Zimbra” from the previous album Fear of Music. Producer Brian Eno worked with loops, samples, and other experimental techniques. The album sold more than one million copies worldwide and reached No. 19 on the US Billboard 200. The music video for “Once in a Lifetime,” featuring David Byrne's distinctive jerky movements, became popular on MTV.
- Black Sabbath played at the Mecca Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- Bruce Springsteen performed at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
- Despite a long run of hit records in the UK, Gary Glitter declared bankruptcy.
- John Lennon released "Starting Over," his first single in five years. At the end of December it would top the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks and the UK chart for one week.
- The funeral for Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham took place at Rushock Parish Church in Worcestershire, England. Bonham had died at age 32 after asphyxiation following excessive vodka consumption. Among the 250 mourners were Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Denny Laine, Carl Palmer, Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood and Bev Bevan.
- Blue Öyster Cult performed at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky.
- A private funeral service was held for Led Zeppelin drummer John “Bonzo” Bonham in Worcestershire, England. Among the mourners were his bandmates and musicians Jeff Lynne, Denny Laine and Roy Wood. Bonham died at the age of 32 after being found dead at Jimmy Page's house; according to the source, he died from asphyxiation after inhaling vomit as a result of excessive vodka consumption.
- Thin Lizzy released the album Chinatown.
- The Police's third studio album, Zenyatta Mondatta, reached No. 1 on the UK album chart. It included successful songs such as "Don't Stand So Close to Me," "Canary in a Coalmine" and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da."
- During Blood, Sweat & Tears’ performance at the Street Scene festival in Los Angeles, seven audience members are stabbed during a fight. Sound engineers continue recording the interrupted concert, which is released as a live album by Avenue and Rhino in 1994.
- The Doobie Brothers perform at Oakland-Alameda Coliseum Arena in Oakland, California.
- Yes perform at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee.
- American singer, songwriter, and actress Ashanti Douglas, known professionally as Ashanti, was born in Glen Cove, New York. Her hit "Foolish" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and in 2002 she became the first female singer to occupy the chart's top two positions simultaneously with "Foolish" and "What's Luv?". Her debut album earned her three Grammy nominations and the award for Best Contemporary R&B Album.
- Black Sabbath performed at Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York.
- Frank Zappa performed at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona.
- George Jones won Single of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards for "He Stopped Loving Her Today". The award marked the beginning of a new period of success and renewed interest in his work.