Anniversary Series - 1980!

You'd think with everything shutting down that I'd have more time for this blog, but as it seems, my time and interests have taken me away from here lately.  Of course, I'll still be posting content here when I feel like I've got something together, but things may slow down here for a while.

Meanwhile, it is the middle of April, so it's time to put together another anniversary article, this time for the classic year of 1980.  This really was a big year for rock and metal, with some massive albums that started in January and didn't stop until December!  Let's get into it!

We kick the year off with prog rock bands shifting into more mainstream styles.  Rush released Permanent Waves, the first of their sound-streamlining that would define their sound for the upcoming decade.  The song "Spirit of Radio" was their first major radio hit, and be a staple of many live shows to come.  Fellow proggers Genesis was already mid-shift into pop, as 1980 saw them release Duke, with songs "Turn It On Again" and "Misunderstanding."  Yes even teamed up with new wave stars The Buggles ("Video Killed The Radio Star") to give us Drama, a very underrated album that's only recently been given it's proper due.

This year would also be a boon for heavy metal fans, as several bands released several strong records, many of which were debuts: Scorpions released Animal Magnetism featuring "The Zoo"; Judas Priest had British Steel, galvanizing their sound with tracks like "Living After Midnight" and "Breaking the Law"; Iron Maiden had their raw and noodly self-titled debut; Black Sabbath reformed with Ronnie James Dio on the mic, giving us the titanic Heaven and Hell; Motorhead released Ace of Spades, featuring a title track full of gambling high-energy and drive; Diamond Head debuted with Lightning to the Nations, featuring the iconic "Am I Evil?" which would be famously covered by Metallica; Saxon cranked out both Wheels of Steel and Strong Arm of the Law; and Ozzy Osbourne would pull himself together for his own debut, Blizzard of Ozz, with iconic tracks like "Crazy Train," "I Don't Know," and "Mr. Crowley" proving Ozzy wasn't going away anytime soon.

One that stands out to me, though, is Def Leppard's debut On Through the Night.  It straddles the classic metal sound with the more pop-radio-friendly sound they would be known for, with some really catchy and well-written songs!  I remember giving this one a shot on a lark and was blown away with how much I liked all the songs!  It's like this band was made for the arenas!

Speaking of which, arena rock would also have a good year in 1980.  Journey's Departure provided "Any Way You Want It," Loverboy's debut exploded with "The Kid Is Hot Tonite" and "Turn Me Loose," Queen shook things up with The Game through the funky "Another One Bites the Dust," and the retro "Crazy Little Thing Called Love."

As the year goes on, we get the massive Back in Black by AC/DC, proving that even the death of the legendary Bon Scott couldn't stop this band (though Brian Johnson is no slouch in the vocals!).  I don't even need to tell you how many big tracks came from this album, as half of them are still played on classic rock radio stations around the world!

Towards the end of the year, we got Zenyatta Mondatta from The Police, with the massive hits "Don't Stand So Close To Me" and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da."  The Alan Parsons Project released Turn of a Friendly Card, best known for "Games People Play" and "Time."  And Queen would return to their classic blend of hard rock and pomp by providing the soundtrack to Flash Gordon, the main theme of which remains one of their most iconic compositions, and given who I'm talking about, that's saying something!

I hope you're enjoying these little trips down memory lane, even if I don't have any of these memories myself, technically.  Still, 1980 was a very strong year, and I left a lot of good albums out of the article!  As always, there's a playlist below with even more, and I've missed any, let me know!  Until then, rock on! \m/