Biggest Artists 1980
The UK's Top 20 best-performing artists in 1980 are listed below. Despite a hat-trick of No. 1s, Blondie have to settle for second place behind Madness, whose four Top 10 hits (including an unofficial No. 1) rack up 35 weeks on the Top 40, substantially more than the US group. Police and ABBA again do well, as do UB40, who achieve the highest placing of any reggae group during the Golden Years (1977-85). The Jam, Dexy's Midnight Runners, The Specials, The Beat and The Pretenders all appear for the first time. Surprisingly, only the first two return in subsequent years.
Artists are ranked by their Chart-Measured Performance (CHAMP) totals for the year. Singles are listed per artist in chronological order (from left to right) with a symbol denoting peak position. Key to icons: ★No. 1 ●Top Ten ○Top 40 (all on official chart) ☆Unofficial No. 1 (i.e. No. 1 only on NME Chart)
WKS: total weeks spent on the official Top 40
| WKS | CHAMP | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MADNESS☆My Girl ●Night Boat To Cairo ●Baggy Trousers ●Embarrassment | 35 | 3,383 |
| 2 | BLONDIE★Atomic ★Call Me ★The Tide Is High | 24 | 2,885 |
| 3 | THE POLICE●So Lonely ○Six Pack ★Don't Stand So Close To Me ●De Do Do Do De Da Da Da | 25 | 2,554 |
| 4 | ABBA★The Winner Takes It All ★Super Trouper | 18 | 2,400 |
| 5 | DAVID BOWIE○John I’m Only Dancing (Again) ○Alabama Song ★Ashes To Ashes ●Fashion | 25 | 2,355 |
| 6 | DIANA ROSS○It’s My House ☆Upside Down ●My Old Piano ○I’m Coming Out | 31 | 2,270 |
| 7 | SHEENA EASTON●9 To 5 ●Modern Girl ○One Man Woman | 28 | 2,154 |
| 8 | UB40●Food For Thought ●My Way Of Thinking ○Earth Dies Screaming | 27 | 2,114 |
| 9 | ODYSSEY★Use It Up And Wear It Out ●If You’re Lookin’ For A Way Out | 22 | 2,069 |
| 10 | THE JAM★Going Underground ★Start! | 18 | 1,997 |
| 11 | THE NOLANS●I’m In The Mood For Dancing ○Don’t Make Waves ●Gotta Pull Myself Together | 27 | 1,975 |
| 12 | THE BEAT●Tears Of A Clown ●Hands Off She’s Mine ●Mirror In The Bathroom ○Stand Down Margaret | 29 | 1,973 |
| 13 | THE SPECIALS★Too Much Too Young ○Rat Race ○Stereotype | 19 | 1,808 |
| 14 | DETROIT SPINNERS★Working My Way Back To You ●Cupid – I’ve Loved You For A Long Time (Medley) ○Body Language | 19 | 1,802 |
| 15 | KENNY ROGERS★Coward Of The County ○Lady | 19 | 1,740 |
| 16 | DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS○Dance Stance ★Geno ●There There My Dear | 19 | 1,692 |
| 17 | ROXY MUSIC●Over You ●Oh Year (On The Radio) ○Same Old Scene | 21 | 1,645 |
| 18 | PAUL McCARTNEY●Wonderful Christmastime ●Coming up ●Waterfalls | 18 | 1,644 |
| 19 | THE PRETENDERS★Brass In Pocket ●Talk Of The Town | 18 | 1,623 |
| 20 | LIQUID GOLD★Dance Yourself Dizzy ●Substitute ○The Night The Wine And The Roses | 21 | 1,612 |
Chart © Wow Vinyl 2024
★No.1 ●Top Ten ○Top 40 (all on official chart) ☆Unofficial No. 1 (i.e. No. 1 only on NME Chart)
TOP 40: total weeks spent on the official Top 40