Billboard 1980: The Rankdown (Winner Revealed)

[mamooshka]

It was reported that she was at the time the most photographed woman on the planet.

Well done, UH. A lot of work goes into each RD and we appreciate you keeping us entertained. Look forward to 1981.

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[newpower]

I wasn't expecting "Call Me" to get universal acclaim like it did. Well deserved winner.
Thanks Unhinged for another excellent rankdown. Looking forward to 1981.

[Sambalada]

"Call Me" is a great winner!

Now on to the worst year of the decade...

[Unhinged]

Feb 5, 2019 11:52:32 GMT -5 Az Paynter said:

Lucy sticks out BADLY in those rankings for 'Call Me', nothing else worse than an #8 then she beats that by 20 spots lol.

Great winner though, thanks Unhinged!

You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed the winner and thank you for coming along with me/us for all these rankdowns! 

Feb 5, 2019 16:54:18 GMT -5 Red said:

Honestly, I kind of thought "Brick" would get tanked out of the top five. Pleasantly surprised there was only one real tanker to be found, and it didn't keep it out of said top five.

Top two is what I expected, though I wasn't expecting "Call Me" to dominate in the way that it did. Holy crap. That has to be the most universally loved song in a Pulse rankdown ever, right? That's insanity. Totally deserved, of course, but insanity all the same.

Once again, a great 80's rankdown hosted, Unhinged . Let's now try to get the 80's over with.

It's dominance was great to see as I love the song. I was so hoping one song in these rankdowns could grab a spot in everyone's Top 10 and this may be the closest we get.

Slowly but surely we're getting to the end of these! Just 2 to go and then the Big One.

Feb 5, 2019 17:11:48 GMT -5 mamooshka said:

It was reported that she was at the time the most photographed woman on the planet.

Well done, UH. A lot of work goes into each RD and we appreciate you keeping us entertained. Look forward to 1981.

That's an interesting little tidbit about Deborah!

Thanks, it is a lot of work to do these but it's fun and a learning experience for me, too. I've learned so much more about 80's music that I didn't know from hosting these rankdowns.

Feb 5, 2019 17:18:49 GMT -5 newpower said:

I wasn't expecting "Call Me" to get universal acclaim like it did. Well deserved winner.
Thanks Unhinged for another excellent rankdown. Looking forward to 1981.

Thank you sir! I was a little shocked that it got as much love too, but like you said, well deserved! 

Feb 5, 2019 17:25:02 GMT -5 Sambalada said:

"Call Me" is a great winner!

Now on to the worst year of the decade...

Awe man, 1981 is my birth year so I may be a bit biased toward it but I get it, it definitely has some major duds but what would an 80's rankdown be without those? lol

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

#10. Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
Easy top 10 for me on this list. They got that 50's Sha Na Na vibe perfect with this one.

#9. Off The Wall - Michael Jackson
Comon now. This song has way more going on in it than "Rock With You". Both great songs, but I love this one more. One of my top 3 MJ songs ever. Only comes behind "Beat It" and "Thriller".

#8. Heartbreaker - Pat Benatar
Hell yeah! This is what I like. Earth shattering vocals in the top 10. One of my favorite Female rock jams ever. Up there with "Barracuda" and DIAMANTE

#7. Brass In Pocket - The Pretenders
I love this song. I really do, but you know from this first album I gotta go with "Tattooed Love Boys" and "The Wait" which was KROQ's #2 song of 1980. Back when KROQ was cool of course. This whole album is great.

#6. Cars - Gary Numan
A flawless perfect New Wave song in every sense of the word. Not my actual #1 of 1981, but it easily becomes that from this list of songs.

#5. Funkytown - Lipps Inc.
same goes with this one. Flawless Disco song. Who else has the 12' single of this one?

#4. Upside Down - Diana Ross
Great song. I was always more of a Donna Summer type of guy, cuz her Disco vibe was more traditional sounding. 

#3. Another Brick In The Wall - Pink Floyd
Truth be told. I am not a Pink Floyd fan. I find most of their songs over long and boring, and I can think of 10 better bands to blaze up to, but I do love this particular song. The whole rebellious school kids them was awesome. "hey teacher ,leave those kids alone" who doesn't shout that out every time they hear the song.

#2. Rock With You - Michael Jackson
One of my favorite Michael Jackson songs , but not better than "Off The Wall"

#1. Call Me - Blondie
This song has gone up my like level since I first heard it. I discover something great about it everytime I listen to it. It would probably be higher on my own personal chart if I would revamp it again. Great winner

Unhinged

Great job. let's get to 1981. That one is gonna be even more fun.

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

Feb 5, 2019 17:11:48 GMT -5 mamooshka said:

It was reported that she was at the time the most photographed woman on the planet.

Well done, UH. A lot of work goes into each RD and we appreciate you keeping us entertained. Look forward to 1981.

She was hot. I have that stupid movie "Roadie" with Meatloaf and Alice Cooper. She looks hot in that one too. 

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

Sorry guys. I thought I had posted this. I also got a lot of songs from KROQ. They were more Rock N' Roll back then.
KROQ Top 106.7 songs of 1980

1. Whip It - Devo
2. The Wait - Pretenders
3. Refugee - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
4. She's So Cold - Rolling Stones
5. Give Me Back My Man - B-52's
6. Another Brick In The Wall Part II - Pink Floyd
7. Touch And Go - Cars
8. De Do Do Do De Da Da Da - Police
9. Once In A Lifetime - Talking Heads
10. Train In Vain - Clash
11. Only A Lad - Oingo Boingo
12. Clean Up Time - John Lennon & Yoko Ono
13. What Do You Do For Money Honey - AC/DC
14. Turning Japanese - Vapours
15. Holiday In Cambodia - Dead Kennedy's
16. Los Angeles - X
17. Freedom Of Choice - Devo
18. What I Like About You - Romantics
19. Mystery Achievement - Pretenders
20. Don't Do Me Like That - Tom Petty
21. And The Cradle Will Rock - Van Halen
22. Another One Bites The Dust - Queen
23. Her Strut - Bob Seger
24. Ashes To Ashes - David Bowie
25. Games Without Frontiers - Peter Gabriel
26. Let Me Go - Rolling Stones
27. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd
28. Up And Down - Cars
29. Cars - Gary Newman
30. Clones - Alice Cooper
31. Private Idaho - B-52's
32. Misunderstanding - Genesis
33. Foolish Behavior - Rod Stewart
34. Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benatar
35. Tattooed Love Boys - Pretenders
36. Don't Stand So Close To Me - Police
37. Crosseyed And Painless - Talking Heads
38. Clampdown - Clash
39. Even It Up - Heart
40. Danger - Motels
41. Ramrod - Bruce Springsteen
42. Rough Boys - Pete Townsend
43. Five Gears In Reverse - Elvis Costello
44. My Beach - Surf Punks
45. Fashion - David Bowie
46. Teacher Teacher - Rockpile
47. Ain't This The Life - Oingo Boingo
48. Girl U Want - Devo
49. Here Comes My Girl - Tom Petty
50. Emotional Rescue - Rolling Stones
51. Misfit Kid - Cars
52. You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
53. Victims Of The Fury - Robin Trower
54. Rock It (Prime Jive) - Queen
55. Free Me - Roger Daltry
56. Snortin' Whiskey - Pat Travers Band
57. Starting Over - John Lennon
58. Strobe Light - B-52's
59. Talk Of The Town - Pretenders
60. Run Like Hell - Pink Floyd
61. Canary In A Coalmine - Police
62. Generals & Majors - XTC
63. Love Stinks - J. Geils Band
64. Turn It On Again - Genesis
65. Houses In Motion - Talking Heads
66. Gates Of Steel - Devo
67. London Calling - Clash
68. Betty Lou's Gettin' Out - Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
69. Gimmie Some Slack - Cars
70. Even The Losers - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
71. Send It To Me - Rolling Stones
72. Everybody Wants Some - Van Halen
73. Dragon Attack - Queen
74. Gim'me Wings - Rod Stewart
75. I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down - Elvis Costello
76. Scary Monsters - David Bowie
77. Bebe Le Strange - Heart
78. Pain - Alice Cooper
79. Not One Of Us - Peter Gabriel
80. Christine - Siouxsie & The Banshees
81. Who Cares - Huey Lewis And The News
82. Hells Bells - AC/DC
83. Driven To Tears - Police
84. Brass In Pocket - Pretenders
85. Don't Bring Me Down - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
86. She Talks In Stereo - Gary Myrick & Figures
87. Don't Tell Me No - Cars
88. All Night Long - Joe Walsh
89. Temporary Secretary - Paul McCartney
90. Seriously Affected - Romeos
91. Gettin' Mighty Crowed - Elvis Costello
92. My Wave - Surf Punks
93. High Priest Of Rhythmic Noise - Cheap Trick
94. My Mistake - Kingbees
95. Anyway You Want It - Journey
96. Nothin More To Lose - Dave Davies
97. Rockin Heaven Down - Heart
98. Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
99. Passion - Rod Stewart
100. Cuban Slide - Pretenders
101. Zero Hour - Plimsouls
102. Pulling Muscles from the Shell - Squeeze
103. Just Got Back - Cheap Trick
104. Too Far Gone - Babys
105. What Are You Doing In My Life - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
106. Everything Works If You Let It - Cheap Trick
106.7 KROQ Theme

[rowellfarm490]

WOW! That's the first time I've seen a song almost receive only top 10 rankings. Definitely cannot argue with results like that! I'm really happy that "Funkytown" made it all the way to the top 5. It did much better than I had anticipated it would.

Thanks for all the time and effort you give to make these 80's rankdowns possible Unhinged . They are always lots of fun!

[Deleted]

Cars would’ve absolutely been my #1 for this, glad to see it do as well as it did

[craziaskowboi]

Feb 5, 2019 16:15:13 GMT -5 🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 said:

Jan 19, 2019 22:31:06 GMT -5 Alex1901 said:

Just sent.

This year isn't bad, but there is waaaaaaaaaaay too much soft rock which isn't my cup of tea. There are still about 40 good-decent songs.

Agreed, I wasn't too impressed with this year either. Half of this list was like semi decent. I like the mid 80s-late 80s the best.

1980-1981 was the post-disco hangover. Disco dominated the charts in the late 1970s, but people burnt out on it very suddenly, and there wasn't much else going on in terms of popular music trends at the time. There were hints here and there of "the sound of the 1980s," but that sound didn't become ubiquitous until about the summer of 1982, and it lasted until about the fall of 1991, when grunge and gangsta rap set the tone for the 1990s. Sound-wise, 1990 seems like an honorary member of the 1980s.

[craziaskowboi]

Feb 7, 2019 14:27:49 GMT -5 @humanshazam said:

Cars would’ve absolutely been my #1 for this, glad to see it do as well as it did

"Magic" would have been my #1. It has a very dreamy sound to it.

In fact, I might complete this rankdown now that my computer is functioning properly again.

[Juanca]

10. Crazy Little Thing Called Love (6): A yearend top 10 hit back home, with lot of recurrent airplay. A simple, effective, Elvis-like rock-pop song by Freddie. So many memories from this song!! Not in my top 5 Queen songs, but they have far too many gems

9. Off The Wall (37): This is good, but not great to me. Good melody, vocals, and disco vibe, but the melody is not as strong as it should be, and he's had far better songs. It wasn't a big hit back home either --Don't Stop Til You Get Enough and RWY were much more popular.

8. Heartbreaker (21): Another popular song back home, a strong early 80s rock bop, and one of Pat's best for sure. Good to see it this high!

7. Brass In The Pocket (40): I like The Pretenders a lot, but this is not in my top 5 of their songs

6. Cars (8): Certainly one of the most progressive songs of this year, sounding much more like songs that would come later in the decade. Great music and production.

5. Funkytown (7): YES!! One of the yearend top 5 songs back home and one of my favorite 80s disco songs! We had the Casablanca 45 RPM and this was a favorite in family parties at that time. Loved the production, music, the wide range of sounds and layered vocals. Plus, it's one of the 80s songs with infamous lyrics turned into Spanish back home -- "car'e choclo"

4. Upside Down (10): Another great disco classic with good recurrent airplay back home.

3. Another Brick On The Wall (1): I had a hard time deciding between #1 and #2. In the end, I gave the edge to this song for its greater complexity and strong musicality. A big hit back home and one of the defining songs of the decade.

2. Rock With You (3): A classic MJ song, and one of his best tunes for sure. A big classic, with great melody, production, musicality, and dynamic vocals. Exquisite song overall and another great song of the decade.

1. Call Me (2): I LOVE Blondie, and this is one of their strongest songs. Superb rock song with great melody, vocals and instrumentation, Plus that "Llamame" in Spanish sounds great, too! ;-)One of the biggest songs of the year back home, one of my favorites that year, and one of the biggest songs of the decade. AWESOME to see Blondie win a RD, too!!!

[mamooshka]

Feb 4, 2019 1:55:07 GMT -5 Juanca said:

Street Player (Chicago): This made the yearend top 10 in our #1 radio station, and was a favorite of mine in the early 80s. I was very surprised to learn this was a flop in the US (!). I liked the disco, funk, and even rock (listen to the full version) energy that was different from the ballads they would become more known for. The music, melody, and vocals were great, and I'd definitely put in my top half of a 1980 RD. I'm glad that time has sort of vindicated this song, as hits like I Know You Want Me or The Bomb sampled it heavily and contributed to its legacy

Love the Bucketheads' "The Bomb". Had no idea that it sampled Chicago, of all bands. And looking into it, it appears that the Chicago track is a cover of a Rufus song ... but with an emphasis on that jazzy groove.