1980 in British Music

The Story of 1980

Post-punk reached its artistic peak, and a new decade began in turmoil. Joy Division released 'Closer', a stark, beautiful masterpiece, weeks before Ian Curtis took his own life in May. His death was a devastating blow, but from its ashes came New Order, who would reinvent British dance music. The Specials' 'Too Much Too Young' and 'Ghost Town' captured the racial tensions and unemployment of Thatcher's Britain. Madness were the kings of the charts – 'Baggy Trousers', 'Embarrassment' and 'My Girl' making ska the sound of British youth. David Bowie's 'Ashes to Ashes' was a stunning comeback, complete with the most expensive music video ever made. The Human League released their breakthrough with 'Dare' still in development. The Police's 'Don't Stand So Close to Me' was the year's biggest seller. But synth-pop was the rising tide – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Ultravox and Japan were all charting. The post-punk era was giving way to something more electronic, more polished and more commercial. The political climate was dark, but British music was producing extraordinary art in response.