Biggest Singles 1980
The UK's Top 40 best-performing singles in 1980 are listed below. ABBA head the year-end Top 40 for the only time during the Golden Years (1977-85). The Police's Don't Stand So Close To Me has a relatively short chart run and only makes No. 15 - by far the lowest position of any year's best selling single. The hit-making machine called Madness have their highest CHAMP score with Baggy Trousers (No. 25). John Lennon's murder sees his first single in five years reach No. 2 on our year-end chart - he will go one better in 1981.
Singles are ordered by their Chart Measured Performance (CHAMP) scores. A single's peak position and the month it peaked are also provided.
➀ – ➈ NME peak position (if different from official chart)
| Peak Month | Peak | CHAMP | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SUPER TROUPERABBA | November† | 1 | 1,413 |
| 2 | (JUST LIKE) STARTING OVERJohn Lennon | December† | 1 | 1,365 |
| 3 | CRYINGDon Mclean | June | 1 | 1,349 |
| 4 | WOMAN IN LOVEBarbra Streisand | October | 1 | 1,330 |
| 5 | FUNKYTOWNLipps Inc | June | 2➀ | 1,250 |
| 6 | USE IT UP AND WEAR IT OUTOdyssey | July | 1 | 1,209 |
| 7 | THE TIDE IS HIGHBlondie | November† | 1 | 1,205 |
| 8 | FEELS LIKE I'M IN LOVEKelly Marie | September | 1 | 1,196 |
| 9 | GENODexy's Midnight Runners | May | 1 | 1,194 |
| 10 | 9 TO 5Sheena Easton | August | 3 | 1,182 |
| 11 | NO DOUBT ABOUT ITHot Chocolate | May | 2➀ | 1,174 |
| 12 | THEME FROM M*A*S*H (SUICIDE IS PAINLESS)Mash | May | 1 | 1,172 |
| 13 | WORKING MY WAY BACK TO YOUDetroit Spinners | April | 1➂ | 1,165 |
| 14 | D.I.S.C.O.Ottawan | October | 2 | 1,152 |
| 15 | DON'T STAND SO CLOSE TO METhe Police | September | 1 | 1,149 |
| 16 | XANADUOlivia Newton-john And Electric Light Orchestra | July | 1 | 1,135 |
| 17 | TOGETHER WE ARE BEAUTIFULFern Kinney | March | 1 | 1,128 |
| 18 | COWARD OF THE COUNTYKenny Rogers | February | 1 | 1,120 |
| 19 | BRASS IN POCKET ⏹The Pretenders | January | 1 | 1,111 |
| 20 | DANCE YOURSELF DIZZYLiquid Gold | April | 2➀ | 1,105 |
| 21 | ASHES TO ASHES ⏹David Bowie | August | 1 | 1,095 |
| 22 | UPSIDE DOWNDiana Ross | August | 2➀ | 1,090 |
| 23 | STOP THE CAVALRYJona Lewie | December† | 3➀ | 1,075 |
| 24 | GOING UNDERGROUND / DREAMS OF CHILDREN ⏹The Jam | March1 | 1 | 1,035 |
| 25 | BAGGY TROUSERSMadness | October | 3➁ | 1,029 |
| 26 | EMBARRASSMENTMadness | October | 4➂ | 989 |
| 27 | THE WINNER TAKES IT ALLABBA | August | 1 | 987 |
| 28 | ATOMIC ⏹Blondie | March | 1 | 974 |
| 29 | STARTThe Jam | September | 1 | 942 |
| 30 | MASTERBLASTER (JAMMIN')Stevie Wonder | October | 2 | 942 |
| 31 | JUMP TO THE BEATStacy Lattisaw | October | 2 | 928 |
| 32 | WHAT'S ANOTHER YEARJohnny Logan | May | 1 | 922 |
| 33 | THERE'S NO ONE QUITE LIKE GRANDMASt Winifred's School Choir | December | 1➂ | 919 |
| 34 | I'M IN THE MOOD FOR DANCINGThe Nolans | February | 3➃ | 918 |
| 35 | WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSINGStatus Quo | November | 2 | 914 |
| 36 | TAKE THAT LOOK OFF YOUR FACEMarti Webb | August | 3 | 912 |
| 37 | TOO MUCH TOO YOUNG (THE SPECIAL AKA LIVE!) EPThe Specials | February | 1 | 907 |
| 38 | MORE THAN I CAN SAYLeo Sayer | August | 2 | 907 |
| 39 | BACK TOGETHER AGAINRoberta Flack And Donny Hathaway | June | 3 | 907 |
| 40 | BANANA REPUBLICThe Boomtown Rats | December† | 3➁ | 889 |
Chart © Wow Vinyl 2025
➀ – ➈ NME peak position (if different from official chart)
† Part of the chart run was in 1979 or 1981, which has been included in calculating the CHAMP score
⏹ Featured on The Wall for 1981
1 CHAMP score includes re-release in January 1983
Tie-breaker: singles with equal CHAMP scores are ordered by better performance in the official chart