1980 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1980.

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 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 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 – March 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. 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 18 – The documentary and concert film No Nukes opens in New York. July 25 – AC/DC release Back in Black which later becomes the highest selling album by any band to date. 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. 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. 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 was 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. 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 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. The Hee Bee Gee Bees release a cutting 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). October, Iron Maiden replaces guitarist Dennis Stratton with Urchin guitarist Adrian Smith.

Bands formed
See Category:Musical groups established in 1980

Bands disbanded
See Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1980

Singles

 * 1) Xanadu Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra

Awards

 * BBC Young Musician of the Year: Nicholas Daniel, oboist
 * Boy Edgar Award: Rein de Graaff
 * 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.

US and UK #1 hit singles
(in chronological order)

US Top 40 Hits

 * Billboard Top 40 of 1980