The 25 best Classic Rock tracks of 1980
6 September 2025, 08:00
Radio X takes a look back at the dawn of the 80s, which brought the world Ace Of Spades, Breaking The Law, Turn It On Again, All Night Long and The Spirit Of Radio.
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Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers: release date 25th January 1980
Taken from the former Genesis man's third self-titled solo album, this classic song featured Kate Bush on backing vocals and peaked at Number 4, making it Gabriel's highest-charting single, equalling Sledgehammer's performance in 1986.
Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers
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Queen - Save Me: release date 25th January 1980
The British rock legends' eighth studio album The Game included this power ballad, alongside the singles Play The Game, Crazy Little Thing Called Love and the US chart topper, Another One Bites The Dust. Save Me made Number 11 on the UK Top 40 and featured a partially-animated video.
Queen - Save Me (Official Video)
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Rainbow - All Night Long: release date 8th February 1980
Down To Earth was the fourth album from former Deep Purple man Ritchie Blackmore's band Rainbow, and also spawned the hit Since You Been Gone. Making the British Top 5, All Night Long features vocals from Graham Bonnet and drums from the legendary Cozy Powell.
Rainbow - All Night Long
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Def Leppard - Hello America: relase date 8th February 1980
Sheffield's biggest heavy metal export issued their debut album, On Through The Night, in 1980 and Hello America was the second single after Wasted. The track made Number 45 in the charts, but would prove to be eerily prescient, as the group would become huge in the US later in the decade.
Def Leppard - Hello America • TopPop
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Rush - The Spirit Of Radio: release date 29th February 1980
"Begin the day with a friendly voice / A companion, unobtrusive..." Geddy Lee's tribute to the world of FM radio took its title from the strapline of Ontario-based station CFNY FM. The track made Number 22 in Rush's native Canada, but reached Number 13 in the UK.
Rush - The Spirit Of Radio
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Genesis - Turn It On Again: release date 7th March 1980
From the British prog rock band's tenth studio album Duke, which proved to be their first UK Number 1. Turn It On Again peaked at Number 8 in March 1980.
Genesis - Turn It On Again (Official Music Video)
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Saxon - 747 (Strangers in the Night): release date 3rd April 1980
The Yorkshire Heavy Metal band fronted by Biff Byford made Number 13 with this aeronautical anthem, taken from their second album, Wheels Of Steel.
747 (Strangers in the Night) (2009 Remaster)
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Paul McCartney - Coming Up: release date 11th April 1980
Pure pop genius from the former Beatle, who recorded his McCartney II album at home shortly before he wound up the band Wings. Coming Up stalled at Number 2 in the charts, being kept from the top spot by Dexys Midnight Runners and Geno. The video garnered lots of attention at the time, with Macca playing a number of different characters, including his hero Buddy Holly, Ron Mael of Sparks and even a 1963-era McCartney.
Paul McCartney - Coming Up (Official Music Video)
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The Korgis - Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime: release date 11th April 1980
The Bristol-based rock band had a career high - and a Top 5 hit - with this single, taken from their second album Dumb Waiters. The track later appeared in the 2004 Jim Carrey movie, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind.
The Korgis - Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime (Official HD Video)
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Iron Maiden - Running Free: release date 8th February 1980
The debut single from the British metal superstars featured Paul Di'Anno on vocals and also appeared on the band's first, self-title album. The picture sleeve featured a low-key early appearance of the group's long-running mascot, Eddie. The single reached Number 34 in the UK charts.
Iron Maiden 1980 - Running Free - Pop And Rock TV Show
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Judas Priest - Breaking The Law: release date 30th May 1980
The pioneering metal band's sixth album British Steel gave the world this classic anthem, which matched the chart performance of their previous single, Living After Midnight: both releases made Number 12.
Judas Priest - Breaking The Law (Official Music Video)
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Roxy Music - Over You: release date 9th May 1980
Roxy's seventh album Flesh And Blood spawned this Top 5 single, alongside the hits Oh Yeah (There's a Band Playing On the Radio) and Same Old Scene.
Roxy Music - Over You (1980)
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The Rolling Stones - Emotional Rescue: release date 20th June 1980
The Stones' 15th studio album gave us one of their best tunes of the decade in the shape of the title track. It peaked at Number 9 in July 1980.
The Rolling Stones - Emotional Rescue - OFFICIAL PROMO
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Black Sabbath - Neon Knights: release date 20th June 1980
With Ozzy Osbourne's services no longer required, Sabbath now boasted Ronnie James Dio as lead singer, and this was the first material to come out of the Heaven And Hell album. Neon Knights made Number 22, although a reissue of the ten-year-old Paranoid the following month would beat that by hitting Number 14 in September 1980.
Black Sabbath - Neon Knights (Official Music Video)
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Kate Bush - Babooshka: release date 27th June 1980
Never For Ever was the third studio album from the acclaimed singer-songwriter and this tale of loyalty and deceit became Kate's biggest hit since her debut Wuthering Heights, peaking as it did at Number 5.
Kate Bush - Babooshka - Official Music Video
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David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes: release date 8th August 1980
The Thin White Duke embraced the burgeoning New Romantic movement in the stunning video to this self-referential song, which harks back to the musician's first chart hit, 1969's Space Oddity. The incredible video, directed in collaboration with David Mallett, reportedly cost £250,000 - a record sum for a music promo at the time. Ashes To Ashes spent two weeks at Number 1, before being unseated by The Jam's Start.
David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes (Official Video)
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Air Supply - All Out Of Love: release date 22nd August 1980
Impeccable soft rock from the duo of Englishman Graham Russell and Australian Russell Hitchcock. Peaking at Number 11, it was the act's only single to break the UK Top 40.
Air Supply - All Out Of Love (Official HD Video)
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AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long: release date 29th August 1980
Following the death of singer Bon Scott in February 1980, this was the first Acca Dacca single with Brian Johnson on vocals. The accompanying album Back In Black also included the tracks Hell's Bells and Shoot To Thrill.
AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long (Official 4K Video)
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Ozzy Osbourne Blizzard Of Ozz - Crazy Train: release date 29th August 1980
After getting the push from Black Sabbath the previous year, Ozzy went solo with his new project - Crazy Train remained one of his signature songs until his untimely death in July 2025. Despite the song's popularity, it only made at Number 49 in the UK at the time - 45 years later, the track peaked at 25 when digital downloads spiked following Ozzy's passing.
Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train (Official Animated Video)
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The Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me: release date 19th September 1980
Sting's tale of inappropriate classroom behaviour became the trio's third Number 1 after Message In A Bottle and Walking On The Moon. The track appeared on the album Zenyattà Mondatta.
The Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me (Official Music Video)
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Status Quo - What You're Proposing: release date 3rd October 1980
From the Quo's thirteenth album, What You're Proposing was the denim-clad rockers' biggest hit since Down Down topped the charts in 1974, peaking at Number 2 - Barbra Streisand's Woman In Love kept it at bay.
Status Quo - What You're Proposing (1980) Official Video
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Motörhead - Ace Of Spades: release date 17th October 1980
The heavy, heavy rock trio's signature song made it to Number 13 in the UK charts and gave its name to the band's fourth studio album.
Motörhead – Ace Of Spades (Official Video)
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John Lennon - (Just Like) Starting Over: release date 24th October 1980
Lennon's big comeback following five years out of the limelight was hit by tragedy when the former Beatles was murdered outside his home in New York on 8th December 1980. This single had slipped out of the Top 10, but immediately shot to Number 1 in the week following the shocking news. It was taken from the album Double Fantasy.
(JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER. (Ultimate Mix, 2020) - John Lennon (official music video HD)
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Bruce Springsteen - Hungry Heart: release date 31st October 1980
The Boss issued this single from his fifth studio album The River, but it only made Number 44 in the UK - it went Top 5 in the USA.
Bruce Springsteen - Hungry Heart (Official Audio)
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The Boomtown Rats - Banana Republic: release date 14th November 1980
A slightly moodier sound from Bob Geldof and the Dublin punks, taken from the group's fourth album Mondo Bongo. The single made Number 3 in both the UK and in their native Ireland.
The Boomtown Rats - Banana Republic
