Friday's 40th five (no.45/80)

Week by week we're listing 5 tracks which were big music news in the charts, on your radio or even in your record collection 40 years ago, this week in 1980:

1. Blondie - The Tide Is High. Blondie are back with a surprising cover version of a 1969 Jamaican reggae number. Hisghest new entry this week in 1980 at no.5

2. John Lennon  - Just Like Starting Over. Another comeback although we've waited even longer for new material than we had with Blondie. More tinges of rock n roll nostalgia in Lennon's ode to both his wife and his career in music. Into the charts at 30.

3. Rod Stewart - Passion. Another lead single from another upcoming new album, Foolish Beahviour, Rod's tenth. A fairly modest new entry at 37 but would go higher.

4. Motorhead - Ace of Spades. The heavy metal revival starts here, with the album and its title track both in the charts this week. Saxon and Whitesnake were also coming out with new material around this time.

5. Modern English - Gathering Dust. Rock of a different kind for this band's new single release on burgeoning independent 4AD label. They also recorded their first Peel session later in the month (listen here).