As 1980 began, I had no idea that it would be the year my life turned around. I spent the first semester of 1980 hitching rides to and from school with my cousins and dating one of my sister's friends who just happened to be an absolute bitch.  By the time the fall rolled around, I had bought a 4-year old Triumph TR-7 and although it had a lot of problems, it was a great fun to drive and boy, did I get looks. It turns out that  my wife to be, without  knowing whose car it was, had already decided to meet whoever it was that drove it.  The funny part was that she and my sister were best friends. My good fortune was that after a date that went badly, she just so happened to be spending the night at my house. We stayed up all night talking and started dating around Halloween or so. By April of 1981, we were engaged (I sold my Stratocaster to pay for the rings) and we tied the knot August of the same year. It was definately a leap of faith because neither one of us had a job and I had decided to change majors and colleges (GO CAJUNS). . Anyway, here's my list of songs for 1980 :

Call Me, Blondie - not that I particularly like the music, I just loved her attitude
Another Brick In The Wall, Pink Floyd - These guys were always about 5-10 years ahead of their time - go back and listen to "Dark Side of the Moon"
Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Queen - got to see them August of 1980 and my daughter still wears the t-shirt
It's Still Rock And Roll To Me, Billy Joel - this is were he started turning to the dark side
Cars, Gary Numan - A new wave classic
Longer, Dan Fogelberg - Sentimental reasons- If any song could be "our song" this would be it
Brass In Pocket, Pretenders - One word - Moxy
Against The Wind, Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band
Don't Do Me Like That, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
Fire Lake, Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band
You May Be Right, Billy Joel - How is this song and "It's still Rock and Roll" on the same record?
Take The Long Way Home, Supertramp
Jo Jo, Boz Scaggs - The beginning of the end - I just love this guy
Give Me The Night, George Benson - I think this was his last pop charting song
Breakdown Dead Ahead, Boz Scaggs
All Night Long, Joe Walsh - who doesn't love this guy? He's got that "I'm going to do my own thing and I don't give a shit if you like it or not" attitude
Refugee, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers - Might be his best song, this was before he adopted the "Bob Dylan" vocal delivery

Here's my best albums of 1980 - As you can tell the Tide's beginning to turn back toward "Real Music"

Remain in Light - Talking Heads - "Once in a Lifetime" was the only single to break on this album but it signalled the direction they were going
Back in Black - Their first album after the death of Bon Scott - I think it's the last good album they made
Pretenders - Pretenders  - Who knew a girl could sneer  like that. This was before the lead guitarist died.
Get Happy!! - Elvis Costello and the Attractions - The more I listen to this guy, the better he gets (and he married Diana Krall!!)
Scary Monsters - David Bowie - This is the album that was his last "weird" record. From here on out, he was pretty poppy
Sandinista! - The Clash - Where does a "Punk" band get off, making music like this. It's all over the place, musically
Boy -U2 - A hint of things to come
Zenyatta Mondatta - The Police - Taking it up another notch - just before their MTV days
Double Fantasy - John Lennon and Yoko Ono - I can remeber the day he died and after listening to the album, thinking that the world was going to miss so much from him and his music. He and George Harrison were the two real "artists" in The Beatles. McCartney can write great pop songs but the lyrical content of Lennon is head and shoulders above Paul.
Making Movies - I still listen to this record - Every track stands on it's own, especially the title track.
Black Sea - XTC - A band I got into a little later. Punk with melody and charm
Arc of a Diver - Steve Winwood - Real Class, this guy has been involved with the development of rock and jazz rock from the very beginning.
Argybargy - Squeeze - a great melodic band that would be one of the mainstays of early MTV
Wild Planet - The B52's - an outstanding sophomore effort
The Blues Brothers - The Blues Brothers - Never again will so many of the cornerstones of American music come together for an album like this. I'm very lucky to have been able to see the genius of Belushi and Ackroyd when it was in their prime.
Freedom of Choice - DEVO - This band absolutely typified the new wave movement and was committed to their concept of De-evolution ( I think they hit the nail on the head). This is the album with "Whip It".

 

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