The 25 best indie songs of 1980
14 March 2025, 20:19
Radio X spins back the dial 45 years to the era of I Will Follow, Atomic, Going Underground, Happy House and Love Will Tear Us Apart...
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Ramones - Baby I Love You: release date 11th January 1980
End Of The Century was the fifth album from Da Brudders and was produced by the controversial Phil Spector. He'd produced the original, which was recorded by The Ronettes in 1963 and the cover gave the Ramones their biggest UK hit, peaking at Number 8.
Ramones - "Baby, I Love You" - End of the Century
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The Specials - Too Much Too Young: release date 18th January 1980
This was the lead track on an EP subtitled "The Special A.K.A. Live!" and recorded at two shows, with the A-side coming from their Lyceum gig in December 1979; the flip was taped at a date in their hometown of Coventry. The track was the ska band's third single and the first of their two Number 1s - the other was 1981's classic Ghost Town.
The Specials - Too Much Too Young (Live)
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Bauhaus - Dark Entries: release date 18th January 1980
A standalone single from the Northampton goths, released on the Axis label, which would soon become the acclaimed 4AD. The released was followed later in 1980 by the even darker Terror Couple Kill Colonel.
Bauhaus Dark Entries HD
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Elvis Costello & The Attractions - I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down: release date 8th February 1980
A cover of Sam & Dave's 1967 track, this was Costello's second single to break the UK Top 10, following the success of Oliver's Army the previous year. The track appeared on the album Get Happy!, released a week after the single.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions - I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
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Blondie - Atomic: release date 15th February 1980
There's no doubt that Britain went mad for Blondie in the late 1970s. This was the third single from the band's Eat To The Beat album, which went to Number 1 for two weeks in February 1980; their third chart-topper in the UK. In their native America, it peaked at a mere Number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Blondie - Atomic (Official Music Video)
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Magazine - A Song From Under The Floorboards: release date 29th February 1980
Howard Devoto had left the Buzzcocks in early 1977 and quickly formed his own outfit, the much artier Magazine. This excellent track was taken from the band's third album The Correct Use Of Soap and produced by Joy Division mastermind Martin Hannett. Like all of Magazine's singles, it failed to break the UK Top 40, but the song's influence is huge.
A Song From Under The Floorboards (Remastered 2007)
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Dexys Midnight Runners - Geno: release date 7th March 1980
Formed in Birmingham by Kevin Rowland and Kevin Archer, this featured the first line-up of Dexys and was the follow-up to their debut single Dance Stance. Geno - a tribute to the American soul singer Geno Washington - was a UK hit, spending two weeks at Number 1 in April 1980. The accompanying album, Searching For The Young Soul Rebels, also went Top 10, but subsequent releases weren't as successful, causing Rowland to re-think Dexys' image and sound.
Dexys Midnight Runners - Geno Music Video
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Adam & The Ants - Cartrouble: release date 7th March 1980
At the start of 1980, Adam Ant was something of a washed up punk hopeful; his bandmates were poached by ex-Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren to form a new group Bow Wow Wow and they took Adam's sound and image along with them. Adam reformed the Ants with guitarist Marco Pirroni and enlisted future Culture Club drummer Jon Moss to play on this track. It's a new version of a song that featured on Adam's debut album Dirk Wears White Sox and was intended as a final offering for their label Do It. That summer, Adam would sign to major CBS and become the biggest pop star in Britain within a year.
Adam Ant - Car Trouble (1980)
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Siouxsie & The Banshees - Happy House: release date 7th March 1980
The Banshees ended 1979 in chaos, with guitarist John McKay and drummer Kenny Morris quitting the band in the middle of a UK tour. Siouxsie and Steve Severin drafted in Robert Smith of The Cure and Budgie from the band The Slits to help complete the dates, with the latter going on to join the band permanently. The next Banshees album, Kaleidoscope, featured guitarist John McGeoch, whose day job was still as a member of Magazine. Happy House peaked at Number 17 on the UK charts, while the follow-up, Christine, made Number 22 in June 1980.
Siouxsie And The Banshees - Happy House (Official Music Video)
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The Jam - Going Underground: release date 10th March 1980
The Woking trio fronted by Paul Weller had their first of four Number 1 hits with this classic tune, backed with the song Dreams Of Children. The single stayed at the top for three weeks in March 1980.
The Jam - Going Underground
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The Undertones - My Perfect Cousin: release date 28th March 1980
Incredibly, this was the much-loved Northern Irish band's only Top 10 hit, which was taken from their second album Hypnotised. The lyrics even have a dig at Sheffield band The Human League, who were getting nowhere near the Top 10 at this stage of their career...
The Undertones - My Perfect Cousin (Official Video)
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The Cure - A Forest: release date 5th April 1980
After the release of their debut album Three Imaginary Boys and the failure of their Boys Don't Cry single, original Cure bassist Michael Dempsey was ousted from the band and replaced by Simon Gallup, leaving frontman Robert Smith to plot a new, more "serious" course for the group. The result was the austere album Seventeen Seconds, which despite worries that it wasn't as commercial as the band's earlier material, gave The Cure their first Top 40 hit in A Forest.
The Cure - A Forest
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The Beat - Mirror In The Bathroom: release date 25th April 1980
Taken from the Birmingham ska band's debut album I Just Can't Stop It, this classic track made Number 4 in the UK charts.
English Beat - Mirror In the Bathroom (Remaster)
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Squeeze - Pulling Mussels (From The Shell): release date 2nd May 1980
Another finely-observed slice of life from songwriters Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, this single only peaked at Number 44 on the UK chart and was taken from the excellently-titled album Argybargy.
Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)
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Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart: release date 20th June 1980
By the time this all time indie classic peaked at Number 13 in the British charts, singer Ian Curtis had been dead for two months; he'd taken his own life on 18th May at his home in Macclesfield, Cheshire. The release of this single had been planned for months, as had the subsequent album, Closer, which arrived in July. Both pieces of vinyl remain a fine epitaph for one of Manchester's greatest bands.
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]
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The Clash - Bankrobber: release date 8th August 1980
Issued as a standalone single between the albums London Calling and Sandinista!, this Joe Strummer and Mick Jones tune peaked at Number 12 in the UK charts.
The Clash - Bankrobber (Official Video)
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Split Enz - I Got You: release date 8th August 1980
Released in their native New Zealand in January 1980, this song was written by Neil Finn and would be the new wave band's biggest international hit, topping the charts in Australia and making Number 12 in the UK. Split Enz split in 1984, leaving Finn and bandmate Paul Hester to form Crowded House.
Split Enz - I Got You (Official Video)
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XTC - Generals And Majors: release date 29th August 1980
From the Swindon post-punk band's fourth album Black Sea, this Colin Moulding-penned single peaked at Number 32 in the UK and was their first chart hit in the US.
XTC - Generals And Majors
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Madness - Baggy Trousers: release date 5th September 1980
Armed with an outstanding (and pleasingly low-budget) video, this remains one of the Nutty Boys' best loved songs. Written by singer Suggs and guitarist "Chrissie Boy" Foreman, it made Number 3 in the charts.
Madness - Baggy Trousers (Official 4K Video)
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Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Enola Gay: release date 26th September 1980
Written about the aircraft that delivered the bomb on Hiroshima, this was Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys' first Top 10 hit, making Number 8 in the autumn of 1980.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Enola Gay (Official Music Video)
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Simple Minds - I Travel: release date 17th October 1980
From the Scottish band's post-punk period, this tune was taken from their third album Empires And Dance. It failed to chart - in fact, the band wouldn't break the Top 40 until 1982's Promised You A Miracle.
Simple Minds - I travel 1980
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Devo - Whip It: released November 1980
Issued in August 1980 in the States, the post-punk synth-pop collective found themselves receiving airplay for the second single from their Freedom Of Choice album. It made Number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, but stalled just outside the Top 50 in Britain. The utterly bizarre video definitely contributed to its popularity.
Devo - Whip It (Official Music Video) | Warner Vault
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The Fall - Totally Wired: released September 1980
The song that perhaps sums up the work of Mark E. Smith, this classic single was released on the respected Rough Trade label. The band also released the excellent How I Wrote "Elastic Man" in 1980.
The Fall, Totally Wired.
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U2 - I Will Follow: release date 24th October 1980
The Irish band had spent the earlier part of 1980 working with Joy Division producer Martin Hannett on their song 11 O'Clock Tick Tock, which was released as a standalone single in May. I Will Follow was taken from U2's debut album Boy, but incredibly failed to chart in either Britain or their native Ireland. However, it remains one of their signature songs some 45 years later.
U2 - I Will Follow
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Visage - Fade To Grey: release date 14th November 1980
Frontman Steve Strange had enjoyed some fame earlier in 1980 when he appeared in the video for David Bowie's Ashes To Ashes single, but thanks to a striking video directed by former 10cc men Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, he scored a Top 10 hit with the New Romantic classic Fade To Grey.
Visage - Fade To Grey
