1980 in music

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1980 in music

By location
United Kingdom Norway
By genre
country heavy metal hip hop jazz Latin
By topic
List of albums released

List of years in music (table)
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This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1980.

Specific locations[]

• 1980 in British music
• 1980 in Norwegian music

Specific genres[]

• 1980 in country music
• 1980 in heavy metal music
• 1980 in hip hop music
• 1980 in jazz

Events[]

January–March[]

• January 1
  • Cliff Richard is appointed an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
  • The Zorros audition drummer Greg Pedley.
• January 5 – Donna Summer Brings her 3 double album in a 14-month period, to the top of the Billboard Albums charts; when Greatest Hits: On the Radio; Vol 1 & 2; reaches the top spot.
• January 7 – At the age of 44, 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 14 – Rush release Permanent Waves, which eventually becomes the band's fifth platinum album.
• January 16 – Paul McCartney is arrested in Tokyo for possession of a half pound of marijuana. The remaining part of McCartney's and Wings' tour was then canceled.
• January 19 – The first UK Indie Chart is published in Record Week, with Spizzenergi's "Where's Captain Kirk" topping the singles chart, and Adam and the Ants' Dirk Wears White Sox topping the album chart.^[1]
• January 25 – Paul McCartney is released from a Japanese jail and ejected from the country by Japanese authorities.
• February 7 – Pink Floyd's The Wall Tour opens at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.
• 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 is listed as "Acute alcohol poisoning" and "Death by Misadventure".
• February 23 – Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones and his wife are arrested for cocaine possession on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. They are set free after spending five days in custody due to the inability of authorities to prove the cocaine in the apartment belonged to either of them.
• February 27 – The 22nd Annual Grammy Awards are presented in Los Angeles, hosted by Kenny Rogers. Billy Joel's 52nd Street wins Album of the Year, while the Doobie Brothers' "What a Fool Believes" wins both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Rickie Lee Jones wins Best New Artist.
• February 29 – Buddy Holly's trademark glasses and the Big Bopper's wristwatch are "rediscovered" in old police files by the Mason City, Iowa, sheriff (both were killed in a plane crash on February 3, 1959, along with singer Ritchie Valens).
• 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. Other items auctioned included four American dollar bills autographed by the Beatles, for £220 and a collection of personal letters belonging to the Rolling Stones, also for £220.
• March 8–16 – Tbilisi Rock Festival (1980): the first state-sanctioned rock music festival in the Soviet Union.
• March 14 – Record producer Quincy Jones receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• March 19 – Elvis Presley's autopsy was subpoenaed during the trial of Dr. George Nichopoulous, who would later be found guilty of over-prescribing drugs to Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and other clients.
• March 20 – Radio Caroline shuts down in the UK after radio ship Mi Amigo sinks in a storm.

April–June[]

• April 1 – Brian Johnson is made the new lead singer of AC/DC replacing the late Bon Scott.
• 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.
  • Iron Maiden release their self-titled debut album.
• 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 19 – Johnny Logan wins the 25th Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland, with the song "What's Another Year".
• April 25 – Black Sabbath release Heaven and Hell, their first album to feature Ronnie James Dio on vocals.
• April 30 – The Roger Daltrey film, McVicar, opens in London.
• May 4 – America's Top 10, the television version of radio's American Top 40 and hosted by Casey Kasem, debuts this week in syndication.
• May 18 – Ian Curtis, vocalist of pioneering post-punk group Joy Division, hangs himself in his Macclesfield home, just one day before Joy Division are scheduled to begin their first U.S. tour.
• June 25
  • 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.
  • The Sony Walkman goes on sale in the United States.
  • Kiss plays its first show with new drummer Eric Carr at the New York Palladium.
• June 27 – John Lydon and Keith Levene of Public Image Ltd make an appearance on The Tomorrow Show with host Tom Snyder. In a famously uncomfortable interview, Lydon gives curt and vague responses to most of Snyder's questions.

July–September[]

• July 11 – Ultravox release their fourth studio album, Vienna. Their first album with new lead singer Midge Ure following the departures of frontman John Foxx and guitarist Robin Simon, Vienna marks a radical shift in Ultravox's direction and image, transforming the former post-punk band into a more sophisticatedly-oriented new wave/synthpop group. Despite this stylistic shift alienating fans and critics who were more favorable towards the Foxx-led incarnation of the band, Vienna would go on to become Ultravox's most successful studio album to date.
• July 18 – The documentary and concert film No Nukes opens in New York.
• July 25 – Over five months after the death of lead singer Bon Scott, AC/DC release Back in Black, their first album with replacement singer Brian Johnson, who would remain with the band until 2016. The album's success would lead it to become the second-highest-selling album of all time and the highest-selling studio album by any band to date.
• July 29 – Over two months after the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis, the surviving members of Joy Division regroup as a new band and debut anonymously live at Manchester's Beach Club; the group would adopt the moniker "New Order" the following year.
• July 31 – The Eagles end their tour with a contentious show in Long Beach, California. They would not play together again until 1994.
• August 4 – John Lennon and Yoko Ono begin the recording of the Double Fantasy album.
• August 16
  • The first Monsters of Rock heavy metal festival is held at Donington Park in England. Rainbow headlines, and Judas Priest, Scorpions, April Wine, Saxon, Riot and Touch also perform.
  • Several bands lose members in one day; bass player Jah Wobble leaves Public Image, Ltd.; drummer Cozy Powell leaves Rainbow; keyboard player Jools Holland leaves Squeeze; and drummer Bill Ward leaves Black Sabbath.
• August 19 – Fans at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto stage a riot after Alice Cooper cancels because of illness.
• August 23 – The Heatwave festival near Toronto features The B-52's, Talking Heads, The Pretenders, Elvis Costello and many others.
• August 26 – Pete Comita replaces Tom Petersson in Cheap Trick.
• August 31 – Karen Carpenter marries Thomas Burris. "Because We Are in Love" is played at their wedding.
• September 13
  • Solid Gold, a new music television series, premieres in syndication.
  • Elton John plays a free concert for 400,000 people in New York's Central Park. He performs the encore in a Donald Duck costume.
• September 25 – John Bonham, drummer of Led Zeppelin, is found dead by bandmate John Paul Jones.

October–December[]

• October 9 – A riot breaks out at a Black Sabbath concert in Milwaukee after bassist Geezer Butler is hit in the head by a bottle and the band quits the stage.
• October 26 – Paul Kantner of Jefferson Starship is rushed to hospital following a cerebral hemorrhage. He soon recovers without surgery, defying medical odds.
• October – Iron Maiden replaces guitarist Dennis Stratton with Urchin guitarist Adrian Smith.
• November 21
  • The Eagles' Don Henley is arrested when cocaine, Quaaludes, and marijuana are found in his hotel room after a 16-year-old prostitute has drug-related seizures. Henley is also subsequently charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.^[2][3][4] After pleading no contest, he was fined $2,500 and put on two years' probation.^[5]
  • Iron Maiden play their first gig with new guitarist Adrian Smith in Uxbridge, London, England.
• December 4
  • Duran Duran signs with EMI after finalizing its lineup and touring as a support act for Hazel O'Connor.
  • Led Zeppelin disbands following the death of drummer John Bonham.
• December 7 – Darby Crash, leader of seminal L.A. punk band the Germs, dies of a heroin overdose in a suicide pact.
• December 8 – John Lennon is shot to death outside his apartment building in New York City at 10:50 pm. Lennon's single, "(Just Like) Starting Over", subsequently becomes a number one hit in many countries, including the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.
• December 14 – Over 100,000 mourners attend a public vigil for John Lennon in Central Park, New York. 10 minutes of silence are observed at 2pm.
• December 31 – The ninth annual New Year's Rockin' Eve special airs on ABC, with appearances by The Charlie Daniels Band, Billy Preston, Syreeta, Chuck Berry and Barry Manilow.

Also in 1980[]

• The Roland Corporation releases the Roland TR-808 drum machine, which became a cornerstone of the emerging electronic, dance, and hip hop genres. The machine went on to become one of the most influential instruments in popular music, comparable to the Fender Stratocaster's influence on rock.^[6][7]
• Record labels established in 1980
• Record labels disestablished in 1980
• The single "Groovy Ghost Show" by Casper is one of the first recorded hip hop songs from Chicago.
• British comedy group The Hee Bee Gee Bees release "Meaningless Songs (in Very High Voices)", a parody of a Bee Gees' disco-style single. Though not a hit in the UK, it is a huge success elsewhere, especially in South Africa, and helps to encourage the Gibb brothers to diversify stylistically.
• 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).

Bands formed[]

See Category:Musical groups established in 1980

Bands disbanded[]

See Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1980

Albums released[]

January[]

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
4	The Romantics	The Romantics
	The Age of Plastic	The Buggles	First released in Australia, was released in the UK on February 4
14	Permanent Waves	Rush	Sometimes claimed to be released on the 1st
18	Just Testing	Wishbone Ash
	Metamatic	John Foxx
19	Pretenders	The Pretenders
28	Love Stinks	The J. Geils Band
30	Air Pocket	Roger Powell
?	God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners	Robert Fripp
	Is This Real?	Wipers
	No Place to Run	UFO
	The Return of the Durutti Column	The Durutti Column
	Rockin' into the Night	38 Special
	Sheer Greed	Girl
	Short Stories	Jon and Vangelis
	Sit Down and Talk to Me	Lou Rawls
	Un Peu de l'Âme des Bandits	Aksak Maboul
	Union Jacks	The Babys

February[]

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
4	End of the Century	Ramones
5	Boys Don't Cry	The Cure
7	Sugarhill Gang	The Sugarhill Gang
12	Bryan Adams	Bryan Adams
14	Bebe le Strange	Heart
	Lady T	Teena Marie
15	Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School	Warren Zevon
	...But the Little Girls Understand	The Knack
	Earth & Sky	Graham Nash
	Get Happy!!	Elvis Costello
	Malice in Wonderland	Nazareth
	Metal for Muthas	Various Artists
22	Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark	Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
	Sheep Farming in Barnet	Toyah	Expanded reissue of 1979 EP
23	Too Much Pressure	The Selecter
25	Against the Wind	Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
	Warm Thoughts	Smokey Robinson
27	Remorse Code	Desperate Bicycles
?	After Dark	Andy Gibb
	Argybargy	Squeeze
	Colossal Youth	Young Marble Giants
	Conquest	Uriah Heep
	Mad Love	Linda Ronstadt
	Soldier	Iggy Pop
	Supercharged	Tavares
	Survivor	Survivor
	That's What You Get Babe	Kevin Ayers
	Willie Nile	Willie Nile

March[]

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
1	Sequel	Harry Chapin
3	Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway	Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
7	Coal Miner's Daughter	Various Artists	Soundtrack
	Nobody's Heroes	Stiff Little Fingers
	The Psychedelic Furs	The Psychedelic Furs
10	Hot Spikes	Myofist	- As Fist[8]
12	Angel Witch	Angel Witch
	Glass Houses	Billy Joel
14	On Through the Night	Def Leppard
	Released	Patti LaBelle
15	Half-Mute	Tuxedomoon
17	Let's Get Serious	Jermaine Jackson
18	Dreams	Grace Slick
21	For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder?	The Pop Group
23	Departure	Journey
24	Keepin' the Summer Alive	The Beach Boys
	Rarities	The Beatles	Compilation
25	Progressions of Power	Triumph
26	Naughty	Chaka Khan
	One Eighty	Ambrosia
	Women and Children First	Van Halen
	Welcome To The Club	Ian Hunter
28	Duke	Genesis
	Look Hear?	10cc
	Loverboy	Loverboy
31	Animal Magnetism	Scorpions
?	Frantic City	Teenage Head
	Let the Music Do the Talking	The Joe Perry Project
	Lost in Love	Air Supply
	Sacred Songs	Daryl Hall
	Reaching For Tomorrow	Switch
	Somebody's Waiting	Anne Murray

April[]

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
3	The Barbara Dickson Album	Barbara Dickson
14	British Steel	Judas Priest
	Iron Maiden	Iron Maiden
18	Solo in Soho	Phil Lynott
	Power	The Temptations
21	Empty Glass	Pete Townshend
	Hypnotised	The Undertones
22	Seventeen Seconds	The Cure
24	Cameosis	Cameo
25	Heaven and Hell	Black Sabbath
26	Dolly, Dolly, Dolly	Dolly Parton
	Los Angeles	X
28	Flush the Fashion	Alice Cooper
	Go to Heaven	Grateful Dead
?	Crazy Rhythms	The Feelies
	Give 'Em Hell	Witchfynde
	Growing Up in Public	Lou Reed
	Holiday '80	The Human League	EP
	Just One Night	Eric Clapton	Live
	Lookin' for Trouble	Toronto
	Marauder	Magnum	Live
	Middle Man	Boz Scaggs
	Ska 'n' B	Bad Manners
	Sky 2	Sky
	Snakes and Ladders	Gerry Rafferty
	Tommy Tutone	Tommy Tutone
	Waters Edge	Sweet

May[]

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
5	Totale's Turns	The Fall
	Wheels of Steel	Saxon
8	The Golden Years	Motörhead	EP
9	Bass Culture	Linton Kwesi Johnson
	Warm Leatherette	Grace Jones
13	21 at 33	Elton John
16	Freedom of Choice	Devo
	McCartney II	Paul McCartney
17	Bad Reputation	Joan Jett	Self-titled album released in 1980. Re-released as Bad Reputation in Jan 1981
20	Unmasked	Kiss
22	Diana	Diana Ross
23	Flesh and Blood	Roxy Music
	Peter Gabriel	Peter Gabriel	Third Album
	Travelogue	The Human League	Second Album
	The Up Escalator	Graham Parker
28	Tight Shoes	Foghat
31	Ready an' Willing	Whitesnake
?	Can't Stop the Music	Village People	Soundtrack
	The Correct Use of Soap	Magazine
	I Just Can't Stop It	The Beat
	The Magic of Boney M. – 20 Golden Hits	Boney M.	Compilation
	Music Man	Waylon Jennings
	Quicksand Shoes	Streetheart
	Roses in the Snow	Emmylou Harris
	Songs the Lord Taught Us	The Cramps
	Sportscar	Judy Tzuke
	Suicide: Alan Vega and Martin Rev	Suicide
	Tangram	Tangerine Dream
	The Tale of the Tape	Billy Squier
	Three Mantras	Cabaret Voltaire
	What's the Word	The Fabulous Thunderbirds
	Woman Love	Burton Cummings

June[]

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
2	Found All the Parts	Cheap Trick	EP
	I'm a Rebel	Accept
4	East	Cold Chisel
	One for the Road	The Kinks	Live
6	The Blue Meaning	Toyah
7	New Clear Days	The Vapors
10	Uprising	Bob Marley & The Wailers
14	Cultösaurus Erectus	Blue Öyster Cult
15	Chipmunk Punk	The Chipmunks
16	Come Upstairs	Carly Simon
20	The Blues Brothers	Various Artists	Soundtrack
	Emotional Rescue	The Rolling Stones
	Rise Up	Peter Frampton	Brazil
21	Danger Zone	Sammy Hagar
23	Saved	Bob Dylan
24	Hold Out	Jackson Browne
25	Huey Lewis and the News	Huey Lewis and the News
	True Colours	Split Enz
27	Xanadu	Various Artists	Soundtrack
28	Underwater Moonlight	The Soft Boys
30	Demolition	Girlschool
	The Game	Queen
	Metal Rendez-vous	Krokus
	Real People	Chic
?	The Art of Walking	Pere Ubu
	Heroes	Commodores
	Defector	Steve Hackett
	Endangered Species	Klaatu
	Head On	Samson
	I've Got Something to Say	David Allan Coe
	Romance Dance	Kim Carnes
	Scream Dream	Ted Nugent
	There & Back	Jeff Beck
	Tomcattin'	Blackfoot
	Urban Cowboy Soundtrack	Various Artists	Soundtrack

July[]

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
1	John Anderson	John Anderson
11	Searching for the Young Soul Rebels	Dexys Midnight Runners
	Vienna	Ultravox
15	Back on the Streets	Donnie Iris
16	Garden of Love	Rick James
18	Closer	Joy Division
	Crocodiles	Echo & the Bunnymen
	Full Moon	Charlie Daniels Band
	Honeysuckle Rose	Willie Nelson	Soundtrack
	Live Seventy Nine	Hawkwind
	No Night So Long	Dionne Warwick
21	Chicago XIV	Chicago
25	Back in Black	AC/DC
	TP	Teddy Pendergrass
28	Zapp	Zapp
29	Voices	Hall & Oates
?	Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple	Deep Purple	Compilation
	Hot on the One	James Brown	Live
	Live at Last	Black Sabbath	Live 1973
	Playing for Keeps	Eddie Money
	Sinsemilla	Black Uhuru
	The Voice of America	Cabaret Voltaire
	Seeds of Change	Kerry Livgren

August[]

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
1	The Affectionate Punch	Associates
	Kaleidoscope	Siouxsie & the Banshees
5	Crimes of Passion	Pat Benatar
9	Give Me the Night	George Benson
13	S.O.S.	The S.O.S. Band
14	Give Love at Christmas	The Temptations	Christmas
15	Alibi	America
	Panorama	The Cars
18	Drama	Yes
	No More Dirty Deals	Johnny Van Zant
20	24 Carrots	Al Stewart
21	Black Rose	Cher
23	Wild Cat	Tygers of Pan Tang
27	Wild Planet	The B-52's
29	A	Jethro Tull
	Signing Off	UB40
?	Common One	Van Morrison
	Doc at the Radar Station	Captain Beefheart
	Gamma 2	Gamma
	Jealous Again	Black Flag	EP
	Living in a Fantasy	Leo Sayer
	The Michael Schenker Group	Michael Schenker Group
	Neutronica	Donovan
	Off the Coast of Me	Kid Creole and the Coconuts
	One-Trick Pony	Paul Simon
	Reach for the Sky	The Allman Brothers Band
	Special Things	The Pointer Sisters
	Stand Up and Fight	Quartz
	The Swing of Delight	Carlos Santana
	Xanadu	Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra	Soundtrack

September[]

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
1	Change of Address	The Shadows
	Strong Arm of the Law	Saxon
2	Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables	Dead Kennedys
5	Telekon	Gary Numan
	Never for Ever	Kate Bush
	Waiting for a Miracle	Comsat Angels
8	Times Square	Various Artists	Soundtrack
12	Black Sea	XTC
	Empires and Dance	Simple Minds
	Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)	David Bowie
15	Nothin' Matters and What If It Did	John Cougar
17	Oingo Boingo	Oingo Boingo	EP
	One Step Closer	The Doobie Brothers
19	White Spirit	White Spirit
20	Blizzard of Ozz	Ozzy Osbourne	UK
23	Greatest Hits	Kenny Rogers	Compilation
	Guilty	Barbra Streisand
24	Deface the Music	Utopia
26	Absolutely	Madness
	Triumph	The Jacksons
29	Celebrate!	Kool & the Gang
	Hotter than July	Stevie Wonder
	Kurtis Blow	Kurtis Blow
30	Aretha	Aretha Franklin
?	The Absolute Game	Skids
	Andy Gibb's Greatest Hits	Andy Gibb
	Audio-Visions	Kansas
	Beatin' the Odds	Molly Hatchet
	Clues	Robert Palmer
	Heartattack and Vine	Tom Waits
	I Am What I Am	George Jones
	I'm No Hero	Cliff Richard
	Kenny Loggins Alive	Kenny Loggins	Live
	Mr. Hands	Herbie Hancock
	Out of Control	Peter Criss
	Paris	Supertramp	Live
	Rev Up	The Rezillos	as The Revillos
	Shadows and Light	Joni Mitchell	Live

October[]

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
1	Group Sex	Circle Jerks
3	Lightning to the Nations	Diamond Head
	Zenyatta Mondatta	The Police
4	More Specials	The Specials
5	Killing Joke	Killing Joke
6	Feel Me	Cameo
8	Dirty Mind	Prince
	Remain in Light	Talking Heads
10	Chance	Manfred Mann's Earth Band
	Chinatown	Thin Lizzy
	Icehouse	Icehouse	as Flowers
	Kilimanjaro	The Teardrop Explodes
13	Avoid Freud	Rough Trade
	INXS	INXS
14	Faces	Earth, Wind & Fire
17	Just Supposin'	Status Quo
	Love Zombies	The Monochrome Set
	Making Movies	Dire Straits
	The River	Bruce Springsteen
20	Boy	U2
	The Wanderer	Donna Summer
24	All Shook Up	Cheap Trick
	Gentlemen Take Polaroids	Japan
	Organisation	Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
25	Aretha	Aretha Franklin
	Beat Crazy	Joe Jackson
27	Drugstore Dancer	Streetheart
	Levitation	Hawkwind
31	Dig It	Klaus Schulze
	QE2	Mike Oldfield
?	Black Market Clash	The Clash	10" mini LP released in U.S. & Canada only
	Borderline	Ry Cooder
	Commercial Album	The Residents
	A-Z	Colin Newman
	The Concert	Creedence Clearwater Revival	Live 1970
	Explorer Suite	New England
	Glory Road	Gillan
	Grace and Danger	John Martyn
	Greatest Hits	Aerosmith	Compilation
	More George Thorogood and the Destroyers	George Thorogood and the Destroyers
	On the Edge	The Babys
	Rockabilly Blues	Johnny Cash
	Seconds of Pleasure	Rockpile
	Ultra Wave	Bootsy Collins
	The Witch of Berkeley	A II Z	Live
	Yellow EP	Gang of Four	EP
	Greener Postures	Snakefinger

November[]

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
1	Live...in the Heart of the City	Whitesnake	Live
	Slade Smashes!	Slade	Compilation
2	Stage Struck	Rory Gallagher	Live
3	Hawks & Doves	Neil Young
	In the Flat Field	Bauhaus
	Super Trouper	ABBA
	The Black Album	The Damned
7	Divine Madness	Bette Midler	Live
	Eagles Live	Eagles	Live
8	Ace of Spades	Motörhead
10	The Jazz Singer	Neil Diamond	Soundtrack
17	Double Fantasy	John Lennon & Yoko Ono
	Grotesque	The Fall
19	Barry	Barry Manilow
21	Foolish Behaviour	Rod Stewart
	Gaucho	Steely Dan
	Hi Infidelity	REO Speedwagon
22	Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers	Motörhead	EP
24	9 to 5 and Odd Jobs	Dolly Parton
	Bird Noises	Midnight Oil
	Yesshows	Yes	Live
28	Laughter	Ian Dury & The Blockheads
	Sound Affects	The Jam
	Toyah!	Toyah	Live
?	Autoamerican	Blondie
	The Birthday Party	The Birthday Party	as The Boys Next Door
	Jeopardy	The Sound
	Kings of the Wild Frontier	Adam and the Ants
	Loonee Tunes!	Bad Manners
	The Paris Collection	Dollar
	Silent Knight	Saga
	Solid Pleasure	Yello
	Song of Seven	Jon Anderson
	Stage Fright	Witchfynde
	Stone Jam	Slave
	This Is My Dream	Switch
	Taking Liberties	Elvis Costello	Compilation
	The Turn of a Friendly Card	The Alan Parsons Project

December[]

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
5	Trombipulation	Parliament
8	Flash Gordon	Queen	Soundtrack
	Live	Fleetwood Mac	Live
	Replay	Crosby, Stills & Nash
10	Dream, After Dream	Journey	Soundtrack
12	Sandinista!	The Clash
26	Stand in the Fire	Warren Zevon	Live
31	Arc of a Diver	Steve Winwood
?	The Decline of Western Civilization	Various Artists	Soundtrack
	I've Always Wanted to Do This	Jack Bruce
	Love Uprising	Tavares
	Made in America	The Blues Brothers	Live
	National Breakout	The Romantics
	Shades of Blue	Lou Rawls

Release date unknown[]

Awards[]

• BBC Young Musician of the Year: Nicholas Daniel, oboist
• Boy Edgar Award:
• Country Music Association Awards
• Eurovision Song Contest 1980
• Grammy Awards of 1980
• Harriet Cohen International Music Award

Biggest hit singles[]

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1980.

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart entries
1	Pink Floyd	Another Brick in the Wall (part 2)	1980		UK 1 – Dec 1979, US BB 1 – Feb 1980, Canada 1 – Jan 1980, Sweden (alt) 1 – Feb 1980, France 1 – Feb 1980, Austria 1 – Feb 1980, Switzerland 1 – Jan 1980, Norway 1 – Jan 1980, Germany 1 – Jan 1980, Republic of Ireland 1 – Dec 1979, Poland 1 of all time, US CashBox 3 of 1980, Netherlands 3 – Dec 1979, Australia 4 of 1980, KROQ 6 of 1980, POP 7 of 1980, South Africa 8 of 1980, Germany 9 of the 1980s, Europe 11 of the 1970s, Italy 12 of 1980, US BB 15 of 1980, RYM 18 of 1979, TheQ 28, Virgin 39, Belgium 50 of all time, Scrobulate 51 of live, RIAA 296, Rolling Stone 375, Acclaimed 392, OzNet 594
2	Barbra Streisand	Woman in Love	1980		UK 1 – Oct 1980, US BB 1 – Sep 1980, Netherlands 1 – Sep 1980, Sweden (alt) 1 – Oct 1980, Austria 1 – Dec 1980, Switzerland 1 – Oct 1980, Norway 1 – Nov 1980, Germany 1 – Jan 1981, Republic of Ireland 1 – Oct 1980, Australia 1 for 2 weeks Sep 1981, South Africa 2 of 1980, Italy 3 of 1981, France 7 – Oct 1980, US CashBox 9 of 1980, Australia 21 of 1980, Germany 36 of the 1980s, RYM 157 of 1980
3	John Lennon	(Just Like) Starting Over	1980		UK 1 – Nov 1980, US BB 1 – Nov 1980, Canada 1 – Nov 1980, Switzerland 1 – Dec 1980, Australia 1 for 4 weeks Dec 1981, Austria 2 – Feb 1981, Norway 2 – Dec 1980, Sweden (alt) 3 – Nov 1980, Germany 6 – Jan 1981, France 9 – Nov 1980, US BB 12 of 1980, Australia 18 of 1981, Italy 29 of 1981, RYM 32 of 1980, POP 49 of 1980, US CashBox 57 of 1980, Germany 298 of the 1980s, OzNet 683, Acclaimed 1637
4	Lipps Inc	Funkytown	1980		US BB 1 – Apr 1980, Netherlands 1 – Apr 1980, Austria 1 – Jul 1980, Switzerland 1 – May 1980, Norway 1 – Jul 1980, Germany 1 – Jun 1980, UK 2 – May 1980, Sweden (alt) 2 – Jun 1980, US BB 4 of 1980, POP 5 of 1980, Scrobulate 7 of disco, Australia 9 of 1980, US CashBox 10 of 1980, Germany 14 of the 1980s, Italy 30 of 1980, RYM 73 of 1979, Acclaimed 520
5	Diana Ross	Upside Down	1980		US BB 1 – Aug 1980, Sweden (alt) 1 – Aug 1980, France 1 – Aug 1980, Switzerland 1 – Aug 1980, Norway 1 – Aug 1980, New Zealand 1 for 3 weeks Oct 1980, Australia 1 for 4 weeks Aug 1981, UK 2 – Jul 1980, Netherlands 2 – Jul 1980, Austria 2 – Oct 1980, US CashBox 4 of 1980, Germany 4 – Sep 1980, Canada 8 – Sep 1980, Italy 8 of 1980, South Africa 11 of 1980, Australia 15 of 1980, POP 22 of 1980, US BB 30 of 1980, Scrobulate 42 of disco, RYM 83 of 1980, Germany 87 of the 1980s, Acclaimed 1364

US and UK #1 hit singles[]

(in chronological order)

Other major hits[]

Song title	Artist(s)	Release date(s)	Highest chart position
"Against The Wind"	Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band	April 1980	5
"Ah! Leah!"	Donnie Iris	October 1980	6 (Canada)
"All Out Of Love"	Air Supply		2
"Amigo"	Black Slate	September 1980	9 (UK, NZ)
"Amoureux solitaires"	Lio		1 (FRA)
"An American Dream"	Nitty Gritty Dirt Band		3 (Can, NL)
"Another One Bites the Dust"	Queen		5 (UK)
"Antmusic"	Adam and the Ants		1 (Australia)
"Army Dreamers"	Kate Bush		2 (Israel)
"Ashes To Ashes"	David Bowie	August 1980	1 (UK)
"Babooshka"	Kate Bush	June 1980	2 (Australia)
"Back Together Again"	Roberta Flack featuring Donny Hathaway		3 (UK)
"Baggy Trousers"	Madness	September 1980	3 (UK, NZ)
"Better Love Next Time"	Dr. Hook		7 (IRL)
"Biggest Part of Me"	Ambrosia	March 1980	3
"Boulevard"	Jackson Browne	June 1980	4 (CAN)
"Breakdown Dead Ahead"	Boz Scaggs	March 1980	8 (CAN)
"Can You Feel It"	The Jacksons		1 (BEL)
"Cruisin'"	Smokey Robinson		1 (NZ)
"Cupid/I've Loved You For A Long Time"	The Spinners		4
"Desire"	Andy Gibb	January 1980	4
"Don't Ask Me Why"	Billy Joel		4 (CAN)
"Don't Do Me Like That"	Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers	November 1979	3 (CAN)
"Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer"	Kenny Rogers and Kim Carnes		1 (CAN)
"Dreamin'"	Cliff Richard	September 1980	2 (BEL)
"Drivin' My Life Away"	Eddie Rabbitt	June 1980	5
"Emotional Rescue"	The Rolling Stones	June 1980	3
"Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime"	The Korgis	May 1980	1 (FRA)
"Fire Lake" – Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band		3 (CAN)
"Give Me the Night"	George Benson	June 1980	3 (FRA)
"He's So Shy"	The Pointer Sisters	July 1980	1 (NZ)
"Hey!"	Julio Iglesias		1 (SPA)
"High School Confidential"	Rough Trade		1 (CAN)
"Him"	Rupert Holmes	January 1980	4 (CAN)
"Hungry Heart"	Bruce Springsteen	October 1980
"Hurt So Bad"	Linda Ronstadt		8
"I Can't Tell You Why"	Eagles		8
"I Got You"	Split Enz	December 1979	1 (AUS, NZ)
"I Pledge My Love"	Peaches & Herb	January 1980	1 (NZ)
"I Wanna Be Your Lover"	Prince		3
"Il jouait du piano debout"	France Gall		1 (FRA)
"It's Hard to Be Humble"	Mac Davis	March 1980	3 (NZ)
"It's Only Love"	Elvis Presley		3 (UK)
"Killer on the Loose"	Thin Lizzy	September 1980	5 (IRL)
"Köppäbävisan"	Bengt Pegefelt		1 (SWE)
"La Quiero a Morir"	Francis Cabrel		1 (Spain)
"Let My Love Open The Door"	Pete Townshend	June 1980	5 (CAN)
"Let's Get Serious"	Jermaine Jackson		9
"Little Jeannie"	Elton John	May 1980	1 (CAN)
"The Long Run"	Eagles	November 1979	8
"Longer"	Dan Fogelberg	December 1979	2
"Lost In Love"	Air Supply	January 1980	3 (BEL)
"Misunderstanding"	Genesis		1 (CAN)
"More Love"	Kim Carnes		10
"Never Knew Love Like This Before"	Stephanie Mills	August 1980	1 (NL)
"Off the Wall"	Michael Jackson		4 (NOR)
"On and On and On"	ABBA		1 (AUS)
"On the Radio"	Donna Summer	November 1979	2 (CAN)
"Pearlydumm"	BZN		1 (NL)
"Pilot of the Airwaves"	Charlie Dore		3 (CAN)
"Real Love"	The Doobie Brothers	August 1980	5
"Refugee"	Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers	January 1980	2 (CAN)
"Ride Like The Wind"	Christopher Cross	February 1980	3 (UK)
"Santa Maria"	Roland Kaiser		1 (GER, NL)
"Sara"	Fleetwood Mac	December 1979	7
"Send One Your Love"	Stevie Wonder	November 1979	4
"Sexy Eyes"	Dr. Hook		1 (NZ)
"She's Out Of My Life"	Michael Jackson		3 (UK)
"Shining Star"	The Manhattans	February 1980	2 (NZ)
"Steal Away"	Robbie Dupree	April 1980	6
"Stomp!"	The Brothers Johnson	February 1980	1 (NZ)
"Take Your Time (Do It Right)"	The S.O.S. Band	March 1980	3
"The Second Time Around"	Shalamar	October 1979	8
"The Wanderer"	Donna Summer	September 1980	3
"This Is It"	Kenny Loggins	October 1979	9 (CAN)
"Tired of Toein' the Line"	Rocky Burnette	May 1980	1 (AUS)
"Too Hot"	Kool & the Gang	January 1980	5
"Turn It On Again"	Genesis	March 1980	8 (Italy)
"Turn Me Loose"	Loverboy		3 (AUS)
"Tusk"	Fleetwood Mac	September 1979	3 (AUS)
"Vis Ta Vie"	Jeane Manson		1 (FRA)
"Weekend"	Earth and Fire	November 1979	1 (NL)
"With You I'm Born Again"	Billy Preston and Syreeta	December 1979	2 (UK)
"Yes, I'm Ready"	Teri DeSario and K.C.	December 1979	2
"You Decorated My Life"	Kenny Rogers	September 1979	7
"You May Be Right"	Billy Joel	March 1980	6 (CAN)
"You're Only Lonely"	J.D. Souther	September 1979	7

Classical music[]

• George Crumb – A Little Suite for Christmas, A.D. 1979, for piano
• Mario Davidovsky
  • Consorts, for symphonic band
  • String Quartet No. 4
• Peter Maxwell Davies
  • Farewell to Stromness (interlude from The Yellow Cake Review), for piano, Op. 89, No. 1
  • Symphony No. 2, Op. 91
  • A Welcome to Orkney, for ensemble, Op. 90
  • The Yellow Cake Revue, for singer or reciter and piano, Op. 88
  • Yesnaby Ground (interlude from The Yellow Cake Review), for piano, Op. 89, No. 2
• Sofia Gubaidulina – Offertorium («Жертвоприношение»), concerto for violin and orchestra
• Helmut Lachenmann – Ein Kinderspiel, seven little pieces for piano
• Trygve Madsen – Sonata for Tuba and Piano
• Arvo Pärt – De profundis, for accompanied chorus; first performance 1981
• Krzysztof Penderecki – Symphony No. 2: "Christmas"'
• Simeon ten Holt
  • Natalon in E for piano
  • Bi-Ba-Bo for vocal quartet

Opera[]

• Peter Maxwell Davies – Cinderella (children's opera)
• Lorenzo Ferrero – Marilyn
• Philip Glass – Satyagraha
• Kirke Mechem – Tartuffe
• William Mathias – The Servants (libretto by Iris Murdoch)
• Karlheinz Stockhausen – Donnerstag aus Licht
• Mieczysław Weinberg – The Portrait (opera)

Jazz[]

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 Theater 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 performances
• 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[]

• The Blues Brothers
• Can't Stop the Music
• Fame
• The Idolmaker
• The Jazz Singer
• Kallukkul Eeram
• La boum
• One Trick Pony
• Popeye
• Qurbani
• Ram Balram
• Times Square
• Xanadu

Births[]

• January 14 – Hiroshi Tamaki, Japanese actor, model, and singer
• January 16 – Lin-Manuel Miranda, American playwright, singer, songwriter, rapper and composer
• January 17 – Zooey Deschanel, American actress and singer-songwriter.
• January 18 – Estelle (musician), British singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actress
• January 21 – Nana Mizuki, Japanese voice actress and singer
• January 28
  • Nick Carter (Backstreet Boys)
  • Brian Fallon, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• January 30
  • Wilmer Valderrama, American actor, singer, producer and television personality (Demi Lovato, Mandy Moore)
  • Josh Kelley, American musician
• February 3 – Sarah Lewitinn, American record producer and journalist
• February 7 – William Tell (musician), rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for the piano rock band Something Corporate.
• February 15 – Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes)
• February 17 – Vahe Tilbian, Ethiopian singer
• February 18
  • Cezar, Romanian opera singer and pianist
  • Regina Spektor, Russian-American singer-songwriter^[9]
• February 22
  • Shamari Fears, American singer-songwriter and actress (Blaque)
  • Kang Sung-hoon, South Korean singer
• February 27 – Cyrus Bolooki, (New Found Glory)
• February 26 – Alex Fong Lik-Sun, Hong Kong singer and actor
• March 2
  • Vince Walker, American rock singer (Suburban Legends)
  • Rebel Wilson, Australian actress, writer, comedienne, singer and producer
• March 8 – Charli Robinson, Australian actress, singer and dancer
• March 13 – Flavia Cacace, Italian dancer
• March 19 – Agnes Pihlava, Finnish pop singer
• March 20 – Mikk Murdvee, violinist and conductor
• March 21 – Deryck Whibley, Canadian musician and producer (Sum 41) (Avril Lavigne)
• March 22 – Shannon Bex, American singer, reality show personality, professional dancer (Danity Kane. Dumblonde)
• March 27 – Tai Orathai, Luk Thung singer
• March 28 – Rasmus Seebach, Danish singer-songwriter and record producer
• March 30 – Yalin, Turkish pop singer and songwriter
• March 31 – Maaya Sakamoto, Japanese singer
• April 10 – Bryce Soderberg, Canadian musician (Lifehouse)
• April 12 – Brian McFadden, (Westlife)
• April 14 – Win Butler, American/Canadian musician
• April 15 – Patrick Carney, American musician and producer (The Black Keys) (Michelle Branch)
• April 16 – Jake Andrews, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• April 24 – Danny Gokey, American Idol season 8 finalist
• April 26 – Channing Tatum, American dancer, performer and actor (Jessie J, Jenna Dewan)
• April 29 – Kian Egan (Westlife)
• May 3 – Souleye (hip hop artist), American rapper and hip hop artist (Bassnectar, BLVD, Alanis Morissette)
• May 5 – Maia Hirasawa, Swedish pop singer
  • Hank Green, American singer, songwriter, educator, blogger, entrepreneur and author.
• May 6 – Taebin, Korean hip-hop artist (1TYM)
• May 12 – Romina Arena, Italian-American singer-songwriter
• May 16 – Harmony Samuels, English record producer, composer and songwriter.
• May 17 – Ariën van Weesenbeek, Dutch drummer, screamer, keyboardist, percussion (Epica, MaYaN)
• May 21
  • Gotye, Australian multi-instrumental musician and singer-songwriter (Kimbra)
  • Anika Moa, New Zealand recording artist and television presenter
• May 28
  • Mark Feehily (Westlife)
  • Lindi Ortega, Canadian country singer-songwriter
• May 31 – Andy Hurley, American drummer (Fall Out Boy and The Damned Things)
• June 2 – Orish Grinstead, American R&B singer (died 2008)
• June 5 – Brandi Shearer, American singer-songwriter
• June 6 – Peter Mosely, American bass player (Yellowcard and Inspection 12)
• June 7 – Henkka Seppälä, Finnish bassist (Children of Bodom)
• June 13 – Sarah Connor, German singer
• June 16 – Joey Yung, Hong Kong singer
• June 17 – Kimeru, Japanese singer
• June 18 – Colin Munroe, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
• June 20 – Tony Lovato (Mest)
• June 23 – Jessica Taylor, English singer, television personality, and dancer (Liberty X)
• June 26 – Jason Schwartzman (Phantom Planet)
• June 27 – Jennifer Goodridge, American keyboard player (Your Enemies Friends)
• June 29 – Katherine Jenkins, Welsh soprano
• July 2 – Ciara Sotto, Filipina singer and actress
• July 3 – Kid Sister, American rapper
• July 5
  • Pauly D, American DJ (Britney Spears)
  • Mads Tolling, Danish-American violinist and composer (Turtle Island Quartet)
• July 10 – Jessica Simpson, American singer-songwriter, designer and actress
• July 11 – Jenny Hval, Norwegian singer-songwriter, record producer and musician.
• July 13
  • Corey Clark, American singer
  • Emile Haynie, American record producer (Lana Del Rey, Bruno Mars, Dua Lipa, Florence Welch)
• July 15 – JW-Jones, Canadian blues artist
• July 17 – Kaya (Japanese musician), Japanese visual kei musician, EDM artist
• July 18 – Kristen Bell, American actress, vocal actress and singer
• July 19 – Michelle Heaton, English pop singer, actress, television personality and personal trainer. (Liberty X)
• July 20
  • Dado Dolabella, Brazilian actor and singer
  • Mike Kennerty (The All-American Rejects)
• July 21 – Really Doe, American rapper
• July 22
  • Kate Ryan, Belgian singer-songwriter
  • Tablo, South Korean-Canadian rapper, songwriter, record producer, and author
• July 23 – Michelle Williams, Gospel singer-songwriter (Destiny's Child)
• July 5 – Rebeka Dremelj, Slovenian singer
• July 26 – Dave Baksh (Sum 41)
• July 28
  • Stephen Christian, American Christian rock singer (Anberlin)
  • Noel Sullivan, Welsh singer (Hear'Say) and actor
• July 30 – Diam's, French rapper
• August 12
  • Matt Thiessen, Canadian singer/guitarist
  • Jade Villalon, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress (Sweetbox)
• August 16
  • Vanessa Carlton, American singer-songwriter, musician
  • Øystein Moen, Norwegian pianist and composer (Puma and Jaga Jazzist)
• August 17 – Lene Marlin, Norwegian singer and musician
• August 19
  • Houcine Camara, French singer
  • Darius Danesh, Scottish singer-songwriter & actor
• August 26 – Macaulay Culkin, American actor, author, painter, podcaster, musician and president of Bunnyears
• August 29 – Richa Sharma, playback singer
• August 30 – Alicia Warrington, American drummer (Lillix)
• September 5 – Kevin Simm, English singer (Liberty X)
• September 6 – Kerry Katona, English singer, author, model (Atomic Kitten)
• September 11 – Mikey Way, bassist of My Chemical Romance
• September 13 – Teppei Teranishi (Thrice)
• September 14 – Ayọ, Nigerian-German singer-songwriter and actress
• September 19 – Tegan and Sara Quin (Tegan And Sara), Canadian singer-songwriters, musicians, multi-instrumentalists
• September 24 – Homeboy Sandman, American rapper
• September 25 – T.I., American rapper
• September 29 – Dallas Green (musician), Canadian singer/songwriter
• October 5 – Paul Thomas (Good Charlotte)
• October 8 – Nick Cannon, American actor and rapper
• October 10 – Sherine, Egyptian singer
• October 12 – Soledad Pastorutti, Argentine folklore singer and The Voice coach
• October 13 – Ashanti, American singer-songwriter, actress, dancer
• October 15 – Siiri Nordin, Finnish singer-songwriter
• October 24
  • Kaushiki Chakraborty, Indian classical vocalist
  • Monica, American singer, songwriter, producer and actress
• October 27 – Tanel Padar, Estonian singer-songwriter and guitarist
• October 31 – Isabella Summers, English musician, songwriter, producer, remixer, DJ (Florence and the Machine).
• November 3 – Dan Marsala, American musician
• November 5 – Essaï Altounian, French-Armenian actor, singer-songwriter, keyboardist and music producer
• November 7 – Karthik, playback singer
• November 10 – Calvin Chen, Taiwanese pop singer
• November 12 – Shaun Cooper, American bass player
• November 14 – Matt Brann, Canadian drummer
• November 15 – Ace Young, American singer and reality show finalist
• November 17 – Isaac Hanson (Hanson)
• November 18 – Dustin Kensrue (Thrice)
• November 26 – Satoshi Ohno, Japanese singer
• November 28 – Lisa Middelhauve, German singer (Xandria)
• November 29 – Janina Gavankar, American musician and actress
• December 3 – Jenna Dewan, American dancer, performer, business woman, choreographer, producer, actor and television host
• December 5 – Ibrahim Maalouf, trumpeter
• December 6 – Kei Yasuda, Japanese singer
• December 8 – Kate Voegele, American singer-songwriter and actress
• December 9 – Simon Helberg, American actor, comedian, singer and pianist
• December 10
  • Sarah Chang, American classical violinist
  • Chris Gaynor (The All-American Rejects)
• December 14 – Tata Young, Thai-American singer and actress
• December 16 – Axle Whitehead, Australian singer, musician, TV host and actor
• December 18 – Christina Aguilera, American R&B-Soul singer-songwriter
• December 19 – Verbal Jint, South Korean musician, rapper and record producer
• December 20 – Yangwei Linghua, Chinese singer, member of Phoenix Legend
• December 24 – Tomas Kalnoky, American musician (Streetlight Manifesto)
• December 25 – Park Ji-young, South Korean singer, dancer and actress, former leader of After School
• unknown: Madeleine Sami, New Zealand actress, comedian, movie producer and musician.

Deaths[]

• January 1 – Adolph Deutsch (82), American composer
• January 2 – J. Mayo Williams (85), African American blues music producer
• January 3 – Amos Milburn (52), African American R&B singer and pianist
• January 6
  • Poley McClintock, jazz musician
  • Georgeanna Tillman (36), pop and R&B singer
• January 7 – Larry Williams (44), singer, songwriter and pianist
• January 13 – Andre Kostelanetz (78), Russian-born conductor and arranger
• January 21 – Elvira de Hidalgo (88), coloratura soprano and singing teacher
• January 29
  • Jimmy Durante (86), pianist & entertainer^[10]
  • Edward Lewis (79), founder of Decca Records
• January 30 – Professor Longhair (61), pianist
• February 17 – Jerry Fielding (57), American conductor and music director (heart failure)
• February 18
  • Muriel Brunskill (80), British contralto
  • Gale Robbins (58), American singer and actress (lung cancer)
• February 19 – Bon Scott (33), lead singer of AC/DC (acute alcohol poisoning)
• February 28 – Dinorá de Carvalho (75), Brazilian pianist, conductor and composer
• March 5 – Winifred Wagner (82), daughter-in-law of Richard Wagner, close friend of Adolf Hitler (born 1897)
• March 14 – Anna Jantar (29), Polish singer (air crash)
• March 18 – Jessica Dragonette (80), American singer
• March 23 – Jacob Miller (27), reggae artist
• March 25 – Walter Susskind (66), Czech conductor^[11]
• March 26
  • Jon Paulus (32), the Buckinghams, drug overdose
  • Ted Shapiro (80), songwriter & pianist
• March 28 – Dick Haymes, (63), Argentinian-born US singer and actor^[10]
• March 29 – Mantovani (74), Italian-born British orchestra leader and composer
• April 4 – Red Sovine (62), American country & folk singer & songwriter
• April 20 – Katherine Kennicott Davis (87), American composer
• April 22 – Jane Froman (72), American singer and actress^[12]
• April 28 – Tommy Caldwell (30), bassist of Marshall Tucker Band (car accident)
• May 4 – Joe "Mr Piano" Henderson (60), pianist (heart attack)^[13]
• May 18 – Ian Curtis (23), lead singer of Joy Division (suicide)
• May 30 – Carl Radle (37), rock bassist
• June 11 – Bolesław Woytowicz (80), Polish pianist and composer
• June 16 – Bob Nolan (72), country singer and songwriter
• June 20 – Allan Pettersson (68), Swedish composer
• June 21 – Bert Kaempfert (56), German composer, bandleader and arranger (stroke)
• June 27 – Barney Bigard (74), jazz clarinetist
• June 28 – José Iturbi (84), pianist^[10]
• July 5 – A. J. Potter (72), Irish composer
• July 9 – Vinicius de Moraes (66), Brazilian lyricist and composer
• July 14 – (26), Lead singer The Ruts (overdose)
• July 15 – Ben Selvin (82), "The Dean of Recorded Music"
• July 23 – Keith Godchaux (32), keyboardist with Grateful Dead (car accident)
• July 25 – Vladimir Vysotsky (42), Russian singer-songwriter, poet, actor (heart failure)
• July 31 – Mohammed Rafi (55), Indian singer (heart attack)^[14]
• August 11 – Jacques Singer (70), conductor
• August 17 – Harold Adamson (73), lyricist
• August 18 – John Sebastian (66), harmonica virtuoso
• August 20 – Joe Dassin (41), singer (heart attack)^[15]
• August 22 – Cosmé McMoon (79), pianist and composer
• August 26 – Miliza Korjus (71), Estonian-Polish opera singer
• September 2 – Marcel Ciampi (89), French pianist and teacher
• September 7 – Arvella Gray (74), blues and folk singer and guitarist
• September 12 – Lillian Randolph (81), actress and singer
• September 15 – Bill Evans (51), jazz pianist
• September 16 – Ludmila Červinková (72), operatic soprano
• September 17 – Waldemar Seidel (87), Australian pianist
• September 18 – Walter Midgley (67), English operatic tenor
• September 25 – John Bonham (32), drummer (Led Zeppelin) (pulmonary aspiration)
• September 30 – Horace Finch (74), pianist and organist
• October 3 – Jerzy Żurawlew (93), pianist, conductor, teacher, and founder of the International Chopin Piano Competition.
• October 25 – Virgil Fox (68), organist (cancer)
• October 27 – Steve Peregrin Took (31), bongo player for Tyrannosaurus Rex later a solo artist/frontman (asphyxiation)
• November 15 – Bill Lee (64), American actor and playback singer
• December 7 – Darby Crash (22), singer of the (Germs) (suicide)
• December 8 – John Lennon (40), singer, guitarist and songwriter (The Beatles) (murdered)
• December 24 – Siggie Nordstrom (87), American model, actress, entertainer, socialite and lead singer (The Nordstrom Sisters)
• December 29 – Tim Hardin (39), singer-songwriter (heroin overdose)
• December 31 – Robert Pete Williams (66), blues singer and guitarist

Notes[]

References[]

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