Squeeze's "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)" is from 1980. And you should be owning that anyway.
Also Pete Townsend's excellent solo record Empty Glass with his HoYayful "Rough Boys."
'Safe'
There's a lady plays her fav'rite records/On the jukebox ev'ry day/All day long she plays the same old songs/And she believes the things that they say/She sings along with all the saddest songs/And she believes the stories are real/She lets the music dictate the way that she feels.
Squeeze's "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)" is from 1980. And you should be owning that anyway.
Also Pete Townsend's excellent solo record Empty Glass with his HoYayful "Rough Boys."
Leftover doughnut --
Fame soundtrack. Urban Cowboy was also big that year -- was it Mickey Gilley who covered "Stand by Me"? And for glossy ballads, there's Boz Scaggs' "Look What You Done to Me." And the perfect first-dance song for the couple at any wedding reception, Anne Murray's "Could I Have This Dance."
Dude, "Hot Lunch Jam" is the hit to pick off that sdtrk.
What-evah. It's all about lighting up the sky like a flame, or possibly celebrating the me yet to come.
Another 1980 folk/folk-influenced release:
Butch Hancock, Diamond Hill (with "The Ghost of Give & Take Avenue")
And the perfect first-dance song for the couple at any wedding reception, Anne Murray's "Could I Have This Dance."
Fred, you may NOT be my wedding coordinator.
Fortunately, my birth year produced a Ray Charles classic. Also Del Shannon.
I am laughing at how eager we all are to throw out our suggestions.
I forgot two:
Joe Jackson and David Bowie. Bowie put out Scary Monsters in 1980 which is fan-freaking-tastic.
We are NOT YOUNG, dammit. (I mean, young enough for all reasonable purposes, but not so freakishly young that we should make others feel old.)
Yeah! Damn the man!
tina, I'm not opposed to reggae, and I like "Redemption Song" (though it was ruined for me a bit by being part of an unintentionally hilarious scene in The Beach ). I looked at my copy of "Legend" but thought it gave a different date for the song. Will have to do some more research.
joe, I listen to a lot of international music (mostly African these days), some musicals, some folk music, some pop, and the LOTR soundtracks are in heavy rotation too.
Steph, I didn't realize it until my brother and his wife used it.
Of course, if I were a wedding coordinator, I wouldn't allow anybody to use "Every Breath You Take" or "I Will Always Love You." Unless they can explain to me exactly what the song is about.
Fortunately, my birth year produced a Ray Charles classic.
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music here. And the first big Four Seasons hits.