Top 40 songs of the 80s

1980 was a tumultuous year for pop music. While exciting moments included Kate Bush becoming the first British female artist to score a Number 1 album, and Ozzy Osbourne released his breakthrough debut Blizzard Of Ozz, the year also saw the tragic deaths of Joy Division's Ian Curtis and John Lennon.

It was also a busy year at the top end of the Official Singles Chart, with 24 songs reaching the summit across 12 months. The longest-running Number 1 of the year, at four weeks, was Don't Stand So Close To Me by The Police, and ranks as the UK's best-selling song of 1980 with estimates sales of 808,000, according to the Official Charts Company.

As revealed on new Channel 5 series Britain's favourite 80s songs, The Police's third UK Number 1 easily claimed 1980's top seller, finishing 28,000 ahead of its closest competitor, Barbra Streisand's Woman In Love [780k]. The singer's track, written by Bee Gees brothers Barry and Robin Gibb, was her first and only UK Number 1 single, logging three weeks at the summit across October and November.

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In third is Scottish singer Kelly Marie with Feels Like I'm In Love [760k]. The track, which spent two weeks at Number 1 in September that year, was originally intended for Elvis Presley, who recorded it in 1977 but died before it was released. Close behind in fourth is ABBA's Super Trouper [709k], the band's ninth and final UK chart-topping single, while French duo Ottawan round out the Top 5 with D.I.S.C.O [706k], a hit across Europe and a Number 2 smash in the UK.

Further down the Top 50, there are multiple entries for Blondie, who scored a trio of chart-toppers that year with The Tide Is High [6] and Atomic [21] and Call Me [48], while Madness also make three entries despite failing to bag a Number 1 that year, with Baggy Trousers [12], My Girl [45], and Embarrassment [50].

Other big Number 1s from 1980 in the Top 50 best-sellers include Geno by Dexy's Midnight Runners at 7, Kenny Rogers' Coward Of The County at 9, and David Bowie's Ashes To Ashes at 13.

The UK's Official Top 50 best-selling singles from 1980

©2021 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

Please note, this chart may differ from previously published charts as it is compiled using the very latest Official Charts Company sales information now available for the 1980s period.Read more on how the Official Charts were compiled back in the 1980s here.