1980 in Music

See also:

• Musical groups established in 1980
• Record labels established in 1980
• other events of 1980
• list of 'years in music'
• 1980s in music

 

January

• January 1 - Cliff Richard is appointed an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II. The only other pop music acts to be created MBEs are the Beatles and Elton John
• January 7 - At the age of 45, songwriter Larry Williams is found dead in his Los Angeles, California home of a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators are never able to determine whether his death was a murder or suicide.
• January 13 - The Beach Boys, Grateful Dead, and Jefferson Starship perform at a benefit concert at Oakland Coliseum for the people of Kampuchea.
• January 16 - Paul McCartney is arrested in Tokyo for possession of a half pound of marijuana. The remaining part of McCartney's tour had to be canceled.
• January 25 - Paul McCartney is released from a Japanese jail and is kicked out of the country by Japanese authorities.
• January - Daniel Amos and Randy Stonehill wrap up the first part of the Amos and Randy Tour in Toronto. Both artists are joined on stage by Larry Norman for an encore. The event makes the news on local television and newspapers.
• January - The Buggles created their Music video for their song Living in the Plastic Age.

February

• February 8 - David Bowie and his wife of nearly 10 years, Angie, file for divorce. Bowie gets custody of their 9 year old son, Zowie
• February 14 - Lou Reed marries Sylvia Morales in New York City's Greenwich Village
• February 19 - Bon Scott, lead singer of AC/DC, dies in London. Although common folklore cites pulmonary aspiration of vomit as the cause of his death, the official cause was listed as "Acute alcohol poisoning" and "Death by Misadventure".
• February 29 - Buddy Holly's trademark eyeglasses and the Big Bopper's wristwatch are "rediscovered" in old police files by the Mason City, Iowa Sheriff. Holly and the Big Bopper were killed in a plane crash on February 3, 1959 along with singer Ritchie Valens.

March

• March 1 - Patti Smith marries former MC5 member Fred Sonic Smith
• March 3 - Sotheby's Auction house in London auctions off a Rivera Hotel, Las Vegas napkin signed by Elvis Presley for 500 pounds. Other items auctioned included four American dollar bills autographed by the Beatles, for 220 pounds and a collection of personal letters belonging to the Rolling Stones, also for 220 pounds
• March 14 - Record producer Quincy Jones receives a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame
• March 19 - Elvis Presley's autopsy is subpoenaed during the trial of Dr. George Nichopoulous, who would later be found guilty of overprescribing drugs to Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and other clients.

April–December

• April 13 - The Broadway musical Grease closes its run of 3,388 performances, making it the longest running show on Broadway up until that time.
• April 14 - A member of the New Jersey State assembly introduces a resolution to make Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" the official state song.
• April 17 - As the "official guests of State", Bob Marley and the Wailers perform at Zimbabwe's Independence festival. Marley calls the event the "greatest honor of my life."
• April 30 - The Roger Daltrey film, McVicar, opens in London.
• May 18 - Ian Curtis, vocalist of pioneering post-punk group Joy Division, hangs himself in his Macclesfield home. His death comes just days before Joy Division are scheduled to begin their first U.S. tour.
• June - Rock and Roll pioneer Bill Haley performs for the last time during a tour of South Africa. After this tour, his health deteriorates and he dies in February 1981. July 1980 marks the 25th anniversary of Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" reaching No. 1 on the American singles charts.
• August 23 – The Heatwave festival near Toronto featured The B-52's, the Talking Heads, The Pretenders, Elvis Costello and many others.
• September 25 - Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham found dead at age 32. The night previous Bonham had spent on a drinking binge leading to his passing out at Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page's country estate in Windsor, Berkshire. Sometime during the night, Bonham choked on his own vomit and died. He was found dead the next morning by Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones. Led Zeppelin officially broke up in December of that year as a result, never to reunite. They are second only to The Beatles in terms of albums sold.
• November 21 - The Eagles' Don Henley is arrested when cocaine, Quaaludes, and marijuana were found in his hotel room after a nude 16 year old prostitute had drug-related seizures. Henley is also subsequently charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
• December - Duran Duran signs with EMI after finalizing its lineup and touring as a support act for Hazel O'Connor
• December 8 - John Lennon is shot dead outside of his apartment building in New York City.

unknown dates

• The single "Groovy Ghost Show" by Casper is the first recorded hip hop music from Chicago, Illinois
• The Hee Bee Gee Bees release cutting parody of Bee Gees' disco-style single. Though not a hit in the UK, it is a huge success elsewhere, particularly in Australia, and helps to encourage the Gibb brothers to diversify stylistically
• Network Riddum Band's Breaking Out is the first occurrence of the term rapso as the musical genre continues its popularization
• Seals & Crofts break up
• Bachman-Turner Overdrive break up (they reform periodically over the years)
• The Eagles break up (they reform in 1994)
• The Germs break up
• George Clinton dissolves Parliament
• Horslips break up
• Gentle Giant break up
• The Buggles break up
• Boys Next Door disband and become The Birthday Party
• Wire disband (they reform in 1985)
• Mercyful Fate forms
• Minor Threat forms
• The Sisters of Mercy forms
• Phil Collins signs a contract with Atlantic Records to distribute his solo records in the US and in Europe outside the UK (on WEA label)
• Hüsker Dü forms, and signs a contract with SST Records

Albums released

• A - Jethro Tull
• Absolutely - Madness
• Ace of Spades - Motörhead
• After Dark - Andy Gibb
• All Shook Up - Cheap Trick
• Animal Magnetism - Scorpions
• Argybargy - Squeeze
• Autoamerican - Blondie
• Avoid Freud - Rough Trade
• Back in Black - AC/DC
• Back On The Streets - Donnie Iris
• The Birthday Party - The Birthday Party
• Blizzard of Ozz - Ozzy Osbourne (solo debut)
• Boy - U2 (debut)
• British Steel - Judas Priest
• Burning Blue Soul - Matt Johnson
• Camellia III and Camellia IV - Ebiet G. Ade
• Catholic Boy - Jim Carroll Band
• Chicago XIV - Chicago
• Christopher Cross - Christopher Cross
• Closer - Joy Division
• Come Upstairs - Carly Simon
• Common One - Van Morrison
• Crazy Rhythms - The Feelies
• Departure - Journey
• diana - Diana Ross
• Dirty Mind - Prince
• Dome 1 - Dome
• Don't Fight It - Red Rider
• Double Fantasy - John Lennon & Yoko Ono
• Dream After Dream - Journey
• Duke - Genesis
• East - Cold Chisel
• Eat to the Beat - Blondie
• Empty Glass - Pete Townshend
• End of the Century - The Ramones
• Flush the Fashion - Alice Cooper
• Freedom of Choice - Devo
• Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables - Dead Kennedys
• The Game - Queen
• Gaucho - Steely Dan
• Grace and Danger - John Martyn
• Greatest Hits - Kenny Rogers
• Group Sex - The Circle Jerks (debut)
• Growing Up in Public - Lou Reed
• Get Happy!! - Elvis Costello
• Glass Houses - Billy Joel
• Guilty - Barbra Streisand
• Habibi Ana - Samir Al-Ajani
• Hanx - Stiff Little Fingers
• Head Games - Foreigner
• Head On - Samson
• Heathen Earth - Throbbing Gristle
• Heaven and Hell - Black Sabbath
• Hold Out - Jackson Browne
• Humans - Bruce Cockburn
• Hotter than July - Stevie Wonder
• Ikite Itemo Iidesuka - Miyuki Nakajima
• Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden(debut)
• Immer nur träumen - Die Flippers
• Inside Job - Dion DiMucci
• The Inside Story - Robben Ford
• I Just Can't Stop It - The English Beat
• I'm a Rebel - Accept
• It's Whats Inside That Counts - Critical Mass
• Jazziz- John Serry
• Joe's Garage Acts II and III - Frank Zappa
• Just One Night - Eric Clapton
• Kurtis Blow - Kurtis Blow
• Kings of the Wild Frontier - Adam and the Ants
• Keeping Our Love Warm - Captain & Tennille
• Lightning to the Nations - Diamond Head
• Live - The Eagles (2-record set)
• Live at Last - Black Sabbath
• Live...im the Heart of the City - Whitesnake
• Longest Road - Seals & Crofts (final album)
• Loud N" Clear - Sammy Hagar
• Love Lives Forever - Minnie Riperton
• Making Movies - Dire Straits
• McCartney II - Paul McCartney
• Metal-rendez-vous - Krokus
• Mekons - The Mekons
• More Specials - The Specials
• Neutronica - Donovan
• Never Alone - Amy Grant
• On Through the Night - Def Leppard (debut)
• Operation Radication - Yellowman
• Panorama - The Cars
• Paul Davis - Paul Davis
• Permanent Waves - Rush
• Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel
• Pretenders - The Pretenders
• The Psychedelic Furs - The Psychedelic Furs
• Ready an' Willin' - Whitesnake
• Reign Of Terror/Throne Of Blood - Laughing Clowns
• Remain in Light - Talking Heads
• The River - Bruce Springsteen
• Romance Dance - Kim Carnes
• The Romantics - The Romantics
• Roses in the Snow - Emmylou Harris
• Sandinista! - The Clash (triple album)
• Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)- David Bowie
• Scream Dream - Ted Nugent
• Searching For The Young Soul Rebels - Dexy's Midnight Runners
• Seventeen Seconds - The Cure
• Shadows and Light - Joni Mitchell
• Snap Crackle and Bop - John Cooper Clarke]
• Something Better Change - D.O.A.
• Sound Affects - The Jam
• Stations of the Crass - Crass
• Strong Arm of the Law - Saxon
• Super Trouper - ABBA
• Trilogy: Past Present Future - Frank Sinatra
• Trombipulation - Parliament
• Ultra Wave - Bootsy Collins
• Urban Cowboy soundtrack - various artists
• Unmasked - KISS
• Voices - Daryl Hall & John Oates
• The Wanderer - Donna Summer
• Warm Leatherette - Grace Jones
• Wheels of Steel - Saxon
• Willie Nile - Willie Nile (debut)
• Women and Children First - Van Halen
• Xanadu (soundtrack by Olivia Newton-John, Electric Light Orchestra)
• Zapp - Zapp
• Zenyatta Mondatta - The Police

Chronological table of US and UK #1 hit singles

US #1 Singles and Artist (Weeks at #1)

UK #1 Singles and Artist (Weeks at #1)

"Please Don't Go" - KC & The Sunshine Band (1) "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" - Rupert Holmes (2 weeks in 1979 + 1 week in 1980) "Rock with You" - Michael Jackson (4) "Do That To Me One More Time" - The Captain & Tennille (1) "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" - Queen (4) "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II" - Pink Floyd (4) "Call Me" - Blondie (6), best selling single of the year "Funkytown" - Lipps Inc (4) "Coming Up (Live At Glasgow)" - Paul McCartney (3) "It's Still Rock n' Roll To Me" - Billy Joel (2) "Magic" - Olivia Newton-John (4) "Sailing" - Christopher Cross (1) "Upside Down" - Diana Ross (4) "Another One Bites the Dust" - Queen (3) "Woman in Love" - Barbra Streisand (3) "Lady" - Kenny Rogers (6) "(Just Like) Starting Over" - John Lennon (1 week in 1980 + 2 weeks in 1981)

"Another Brick in the Wall Part II" - Pink Floyd (3 weeks in 1979 + 2 weeks in 1980) "Brass in Pocket" - Pretenders (2) "The Special AKA Live EP - Too Much Too Young" - Specials featuring Rico (2) "Coward Of The County" - Kenny Rogers (2) "Atomic" - Blondie (2) "Together We Are Beautiful" - Fern Kinney (1) "Going Underground/The Dreams Of Children" - The Jam (3) "Working My Way Back To You - Forgive Me Girl" - Detroit Spinners (2) "Call Me" - Blondie (1) "Geno" - Dexy's Midnight Runners (2) "What's Another Year" - Johnny Logan (2) "Suicide Is Painless (Theme From M*A*S*H)" - M*A*S*H (3) "Crying" - Don McLean (3) "Xanadu" - Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra (2) "Use It Up And Wear It Out" - Odyssey (2) "The Winner Takes It All" - ABBA (2) "Ashes To Ashes" - David Bowie (2) "Start" - The Jam (1) "Feels Like I'm in Love" - Kelly Marie (2) "Don't Stand So Close to Me"- The Police (4), best selling single of the year "Woman in Love" - Barbra Streisand (3) "The Tide Is High" - Blondie (2) "Super Trouper" - ABBA (3) "(Just Like) Starting Over" - John Lennon (1) "There's No One Quite Like Grandma" - St Winifred's School Choir (1 week in 1980 + 1 week in 1981)

Other significant singles

• "Ace of Spades" - Motörhead
• "All Night Long" - Rainbow
• "All Out of Love" - Air Supply
• "All Over the World" - Electric Light Orchestra
• "All The Way From America" - Joan Armatrading
• "Another Nail In My Heart" - Squeeze
• "Ant Music" - Adam & the Ants
• "Atomic" - Blondie
• "Babooshka" - Kate Bush
• "Baggy Trousers" - Madness
• "Bankrobber" - The Clash
• "Behind the Groove" - Teena Marie
• "Boxed Set Singles 1963-1969" - Rolling Stones
• "By The Author Of Psycho" - The Couch (proto-Drum and bass)
• "Can't Help Myself" - Flowers
• "Celebration" - Kool and the Gang
• "Cheap Wine" - Cold Chisel
• "Chinatown" - Thin Lizzy
• "Coming Up" - Paul McCartney
• "Could I Have This Dance" - Anne Murray
• "Could You Be Loved" - Bob Marley and the Wailers
• "Coward Of The County" - Kenny Rogers
• "Crazy Train" - Ozzy Osbourne's Blizzard of Oz
• "Clones {We're All}" - Alice Cooper
• "Cruisin'" - Smokey Robinson
• "Cupid/I've Loved You for a Long Time" - The Spinners
• "Dance Stance" - Dexy's Midnight Runners
• "Dancing With Myself" - Generation X
• "Desire" - Andy Gibb
• "Do You Dream In Colour?" - Bill Nelson
• "Do You Remember Rock And Roll Radio?" - Ramones
• "Don't Ask Me Why" - Billy Joel
• "Don't Do Me Like That" - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• "Don't Fall In Love With a Dreamer" - Kenny Rogers & Kim Carnes
• "Don't Stand So Close to Me" - The Police
• "Dream About Fun" - Mark White
• "Echo Beach" - Martha and the Muffins
• "Eighth Day" - Hazel O'Connor
• "Embarrassment" - Madness
• "Enola Gay" - OMD
• "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" - The Korgis
• "Fade To Grey" - Visage
• "Fame" - Irene Cara
• "Fantastic Voyage" - Lakeside
• "Fashion" - David Bowie
• "Fool For Your Loving" - Whitesnake
• "Games Without Frontiers" - Peter Gabriel
• "Geno" - Dexy's Midnight Runners
• "Going Underground/The Dreams Of Children" - The Jam
• "Guilty" - Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb
• "Heartbreaker" - Pat Benatar
• "He's So Shy" - Pointer Sisters
• "Hey Nineteen" - Steely Dan
• "Him" - Rupert Holmes
• "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" - Pat Benatar
• "Hot Rod Hearts" - Robbie Dupree
• "How Do I Make You" - Linda Ronstadt
• "Hungry Heart" - Bruce Springsteen
• "Hurt So Bad" - Linda Ronstadt
• "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down" - Elvis Costello
• "I Got You" - Split Enz
• "I'm Coming Out" - Diana Ross
• "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" - Anne Murray
• "I Made It Through the Rain" - Barry Manilow
• "I Never Knew Love Like This Before" - Stephanie Mills
• "I Wanna Be Sedated" - The Ramones
• "I Want To Be Straight" - Ian Dury and the Blockheads
• "In America" - Charlie Daniels Band
• "Ita" - Cold Chisel
• "It's Different For Girls" - Joe Jackson
• "It's My Turn" - Diana Ross
• "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" - Billy Joel
• "Jesse" - Carly Simon
• "(Just Like) Starting Over" - John Lennon
• "Kill the Poor" - Dead Kennedys
• "Killer On The Loose" - Thin Lizzy
• "Kiss Me In the Rain" - Barbra Streisand
• "Let My Love Open The Door" - Pete Townshend
• "Let's Go Round Again" - Average White Band
• "Lip Up Fatty" - Bad Manners
• "Little Jeannie" - Elton John
• "Living After Midnight" - Judas Priest
• "Lookin' for Love" - Johnny Lee
• "Lost In Love" - Air Supply
• "Love At First Night" - Kim Hart
• "Love the World Away" - Kenny Rogers
• "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Joy Division
• "Masterblaster (Jammin')" - Stevie Wonder
• "Meltdown With The Ramones(EP)" - The Ramones
• "Mirror in the Bathroom" - The Beat
• "Misunderstanding" - Genesis
• "More Love" - Kim Carnes
• "My Baby" - Cold Chisel
• "My Old Piano" - Diana Ross
• "My Perfect Cousin" - The Undertones
• "New Amsterdam" - Elvis Costello
• "No One Driving" - John Foxx
• "No Self Control" - Peter Gabriel
• "Oh Yeah (On The Radio)" - Roxy Music
• "On the Radio" - Donna Summer
• "One Fine Day" - Carole King
• "Pilot of the Airwaves" - Charlie Dore
• "Poison Ivy" - The Lambrettas
• "Police and Thieves" - Junior Murvin
• "Private Life" - Grace Jones
• "Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)" - Squeeze
• "Redemption Song" - Bob Marley and the Wailers
• "Refugee" - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• "Rescue" - Echo and the Bunnymen
• "Ride Like The Wind" - Christopher Cross
• "Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" - AC/DC
• "Running With The Devil" - Van Halen
• "Save Me" - Queen
• "She's Out of My Life" - Michael Jackson
• "Simon Templar/Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps" - Splodgenessabounds
• "Singing In The 80's" - The Monitors
• "Six Pack (EP)" - The Police
• "So Lonely" - The Police
• "The Special AKA Live EP" - The Specials
• "Special Brew" - Bad Manners
• "Special Lady" - Ray, Goodman & Brown
• "Spirit of Radio" - Rush
• "Staring at the Rude Boys" - The Ruts
• "Start" - The Jam
• "State of the Heart" - Mondo Rock
• "Steal Away" - Robbie Dupree
• "Stomp" - Brothers Johnson
• "Stop the Cavalry" - Jona Lewie
• "Strangers on a Train" - The Sports
• "Super Trouper" - ABBA
• "Talk of the Town" - The Pretenders
• "Tell It Like It Is" - Heart
• "Three Little Birds" - Bob Marley and the Wailers
• "The Tide Is High" - Blondie
• "To Cut A Long Story Short" - Spandau Ballet
• "Touch Too Much (Live)" - AC/DC
• "Turn It On Again" - Genesis
• "Turning Japanese" - The Vapors
• "The Wanderer" - Donna Summer
• "We Are Glass" - Gary Numan
• "Whole Lotta Rosie (Live)" - AC/DC
• "With You I'm Born Again" - Billy Preston & Syreeta Wright
• "You May Be Right" - Billy Joel
• "You Shook Me All Night Long" - AC/DC
• "You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties" - Jona Lewie

Published popular music

• "Desire" w.m. Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb & Robin Gibb
• "Do Right" w.m. Paul Davis
• "Fame"     w. Dean Pitchford m. Michael Gore
• "He's So Shy" w. Cynthia Weil m. Tom Snow
• "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" w.m. Sharon Vaughan
• "Never Knew Love Like This Before" w.m. James Mtume & Reginald Lucas
• "No Night So Long" w. Will Jennings m. Richard Kerr
• "The Winner Takes It All"     w.m. Benny Andersson & Bjorn Ulvaeus

Classical music

• George Crumb - A Little Suite for Christmas, A.D. 1979 for piano
• Mario Davidovsky - Consorts for symphonic band
• Mario Davidovsky - String Quartet No. 4
• Trygve Madsen - Sonata for Tuba and Piano
• Krzysztof Penderecki - Symphony No. 2 - "Christmas"

Opera

• Philip Glass - Satyagraha
• Kirke Mechem - Tartuffe
• William Mathias - The Servants (libretto by Iris Murdoch)
• David Warrack - Drummer

Musical theater

• Barnum     Broadway production opened at the St. James Theatre on April 30 and ran for 854 performances
• Brigadoon (Lerner & Loewe) - Broadway revival opened at the Majestic Theatre on October 16 and ran for 133 performances

• Camelot (Lerner & Loewe) - Broadway revival opened at the New York State Theatre on July 8 and ran for 56 performances
• Colette London production opened at the Comedy Theatre on September 24 and ran for 47 performances
• A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine     Broadway production opened at the John Golden Theatre on April 2 and transferred to the Royale Theatre on June 17 for a total run of 588 performances
• Forty-Second Street     Broadway production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on August 25, transferred to the Majestic Theatre on March 30, 1981 and transferred to the St. James Theatre on April 7, 1987 for a total run of 3486 performances
• The Life and Adventures Of Nicholas Nickleby   London production opened at the Aldwych Theatre on June 5
• On The Twentieth Century     London production opened at Her Majesty's Theatre on March 19 and ran for 165 performances
• Sweeney Todd (Stephen Sondheim) - London production opened at the Drury Lane Theatre on July 2 and ran for 157 perofrmances
• The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg London production opened at the Phoenix Theatre on April 10
• West Side Story (Leonard Bernstein) - Broadway revival opened at the Minskoff Theatre on February 14 and ran for 333 performances

 Musical films

• Fame
• Popeye
• Xanadu

Births

• January 25 - Alicia Keys
• January 28 - Nick Carter, The Backstreet Boys
• February 15 - Conor Oberst, Bright Eyes
• February 18 - Regina Spektor
• February 27 - Cyrus Bolooki, New Found Glory
• March 21 - Deryck Whibley, Sum 41
• March 31 - Maaya Sakamoto
• June 20 - Tony Lovato, Mest
• June 26 - Jason Schwartzman, Phantom Planet
• July 10 - Jessica Simpson
• July 20 - Mike Kennerty, The All-American Rejects
• July 26 - Dave Baksh, Sum 41
• September 11 - Mikey Way, My Chemical Romance
• September 13 - Teppei Teranishi, Thrice
• October 5 - Paul Thomas, Good Charlotte
• November 3 - Andrew Bellenie (aka: Mr Strangelove)
• November 17 - Clarke Isaac Hanson, Hanson
• November 18 - Dustin Kensrue, Thrice
• December 5 - Trent McAlister, musician (bassist) / songwriter
• December 10 - Sarah Chang, violinist
• Chris Gaynor, The All-American Rejects
• December 18 - Christina Aguilera

Deaths

• January 2 - Larry Williams
• January 6 - Poley McClintock, jazz musician
• January 7 - Carl White, the Rivingtons
• January 29 - Jimmy Durante US pianist & entertainer
• January 30 - Professor Longhair US pianist
• February 19 - Bon Scott, lead singer of AC/DC, alcohol poisoning
• March 26 - Jon Paulus (32), the Buckinghams, drug overdose
• March 26 - Ted Shapiro, US songwriter & pianist
• March 28 - Dick Haymes, (63), Argentinian-born US singer and actor
• March 30 - Annunzio Mantovani, Italian-born British orchestra leader and composer
• April 28 - Tommy Caldwell, Marshall Tucker Band, car accident
• May 18 - Ian Curtis, lead singer of Joy Division, suicide by hanging
• June 16 - Bob Nolan, country singer and songwriter
• June 20 - Allan Pettersson, Swedish composer
• June 21 - Bert Kaempfert, German composer, bandleader and arranger
• June 27 - Barney Bigard, US jazz clarinetist
• June 28 - Jose Iturbi, pianist
• July 15 - Ben Selvin, The Dean of Recorded Music
• July 23 - Keith Godchaux, Grateful Dead, car accident
• August 17 - Harold Adamson, US lyricist
• September 12 - Lillian Randolph, actress and singer
• September 25 - John Bonham, Led Zeppelin
• October 27 - Steve Peregrin Took, bongo player for Tyrannosaurus Rex, choking
• December 7 - Darby Crash Lead singer of punk rock band, The Germs
• December 8 - John Lennon

Grammy Awards

• Grammy Awards of 1980

Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1980

List of #1 hits

• Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1980