The End

It's the last day, the last hour and the last minute of the year 2020, and this will be the final Lost In Music post. Thanks for reading and keeping up with us over the years.

Goodbye.

40 Years On: Down the Hill Backwards - a 1980 playlist

 As we say goodbye to 1980 (and good riddance to 2020) here's a final playlist of selected tracks from the year, in reverse chronological order:

1. Visage - Visage
2. Spandau Ballet - To Cut a Long Story Short
3. OMD - Enola Gay
4. Kate Bush - Army Dreamers
5. XTC - Towers of London
6. David Bowie - Fashion
7. Madness - Baggy Trousers
8. Adam & The Ants - Dog Eat Dog
9. The Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me
10. The Skids - Circus Games
11. The Jam - Start!
12. David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes
13. Gary Numan - I Die: You Die
14. Sheena Easton - Modern Girl
15. Ultravox - Sleepwalk
16. Bow Wow Wow - C30, C60, C90 Go!
17. ABBA - The Winner Takes It All
18. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
19. OMD - Messages
20. The Human League - Being Boiled (Holiday '80)
21. John Foxx - Underpass

Friday's 40th five (no.52/80)

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. And here's the final five for this year. 

It's Christmas week. We won't mention the number one, but instead try and pick out the best of the rest.

1. Adam & The Ants - Cartrouble. In the wake of recent success with Antmusic etc., the group's back catalogue (ca.1978) is being revisited and this one is at the top of the Indie charts this week.

2. The Look - I Am The Beat. Another one that's "bubbling under" this week, and will finally get into higher ground in the new year.

3. The Fall - How I Wrote Elastic Man. John Peel begins his festive Fifty this week. This one is at no.26 and the man himself pronounces it as his favourite single of the year.

4. The Undertones - Whizz Kids. Smash Hits was a request only edition this week, but as this one was included we'll put it in too as one that may have slipped through our radar, from their 1980 album Hypnotised.

5.  John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band - Happy Xmas (War Is Over). Several Lennon songs in the charts this week, understandably, and this one is up at no.4.

Happy Christmas 1980/2020.

Friday's 40th five (no.51/80)

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. The Beat - Too Nice To Talk To In a fairly stagnant chart (with John Lennon outselling everything by several miles) this is the highest new entry this week down at no.31, and opening this week's Top of the Pops.

2. Specials - Do Nothing. Another new entry at no.34 and also on Top of the Pops this week.

3. The Clash - The Magnificent Seven. Their triple album Sandinista is a new entry this week at no.19 (Super Trouper manages to hold back John Lennon, dec.) 

4. In Camera - Co-Ordinates. Quirky indie track of the week, recorded for Peel session broadcast 16/12. Signed to 4AD.

5. Gary Numan - Photograph. Numan was back in the charts, and on TOTP, this week with the single This Wreckage, lifted from the Telekon album. This is the previously unreleased B side.

Friday's 40th five (no.50/80)

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. John Lennon - Imagine Lennon was brutally murdered outside his home in New York this week in 1980. His signature song was naturally being played everywhere.

2. The Police - De Do Do Do De Da Da Da. Sting 'n' pals' new single was the highest new entry in the charts this week, from Top 10 album Zenyatta Mondatta. 

3. The Nolans -Who's Gonna Rock You. Ireland's finest siblings are still in the mood for dancing and getting even raunchier with this new single in at no.40.

4. Magazine - A Song From Under the Floorboards. From the group's live album Play which entered the lower reaches of the charts this week, only te disappear again thus guaranteeing cult status.

5. Orange Juice - Simply Thrilled Honey. Postcard release fom Glasgow newcomers highest new entry on RM indie chart this week.

Friday's 40th five (no.49/80)

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:

Adam & The Ants - Antmusic Follow-up to the Dog Eat Dog breakthrough hit, another tarck from the Kings of the Wild Frontier album. 

Jona Lewie - Stop the Cavalry. This perhaps unintended Christmas song was the highest new entry on the charts this week at no.15 and remains a "classic" of the yuletide genre.

Stay Cats - Runaway Boys. US rockabilly nostalgics get their first UK hit this week with thsi one entering the Top 40 at no.23.

The Jam - Pretty Green. Only ABBA could stop this album entering the charts at no.1, and they did. Opening track from The Jam's new long-player Sound Affects.

Queen - Flash The British rockers' theme to the new Flash Gordon movie, written and mostly played by Brian May. Released this week.