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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

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