Ah, the morning commute to school. Many kids nowadays get picked up and dropped off, while others still jump on the ol’ school bus. That was the main mode of transportation for 80s kids to head to class, and many kids in the year 1980, specifically, jammed out to their favorite songs of the year on the bus ride to school. If you were one such kid, I bet the following four songs sound very familiar.
“Kiss On My List” by Hall & Oates from ‘Voices’
Hall & Oates went the synth-pop route for this hit song in 1980. “Kiss On My List” was one of the biggest songs from their album Voices, and it remains one of their most memorable No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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“9 To 5” by Dolly Parton from ‘9 To 5 And Odd Jobs’
Did you have a 9:00 am to 5:00 pm job in 1980 when you were just a kid? Probably not. Did you still jam out to this country-pop classic by Dolly Parton? Probably yes. “9 To 5” scored two Grammy Awards, and it remains an iconic soundtrack song for an iconic film of the same name. This disco-tinged Dolly classic peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart, as well as the US country chart.
“It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me” by Billy Joel from ‘Glass Houses’
Billy Joel packed a ton of genre elements into this hit tune, from new wave to rockabilly to even doo-wop. Those classic and new elements played in his favor, as “It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me” became one of the biggest songs of the year. Considering the tune is a criticism of the music industry, I’m surprised this song didn’t invite more controversy. In the end, “It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me” peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart.
“Call Me” by Blondie from ‘American Gigolo’
Is there a more memorable new wave song from the year 1980? I’m not so sure. The chorus of “Call Me” is still burned into the brains of 80s kids who listened to this entry on our list of songs back in 1980 while riding the bus to school. “Call Me” peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and the UK Singles chart.
(Photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns)
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