Since 1980 all music phoned in

1980 unsurpassed. Music fans said "oh no disco dead (as the dead 'go to heaven' DISCO! music SUCKS WTF is this new crap?

Back when you listened to ALBUMS as whole artistic statements the dance tracks were allowed to grow on you.
http://www.oldielyrics.com/1980.html
1980 rocked like NO OTHER YEAR!!!

Clash (sandinista Ivan meets GI Joe WTF?))
Springsteen (the river- mawkish cliche machine sounds better'n'better CADILLAC)
TalkingHeads (remain in light WTF?)
Blondie (autoamerican My tide stayed high)
Iggy Pop (soldier dogfood indeed)
Ono/Lennon (double fantasy)
Bowie (scary monsters-- up the hill backwards WTF?)
Cure (Boys don't cry someone else's train WTF?)
Peter Gabriel (3/melt Biko WTF?)
Dead Kennedys (fresh fruit for rotting vegetables WTF?)
AC/DC back in black (you shook me WTF?)

The list goes on and on. No other year necessary to ROCK!

Somethings I'd like to add:

1. Oingo Boingo released their EP which launched their career (and established what I consider to be the first American band to play Ska). The LA Time's called it the worst ten inch ever to be released.

2. The Tide Is High is a Rocksteady cover of John Holt/The Parragons from 1968 (though Blondie really did make the song their own).

3. The Nips break up, giving way to the forthcoming Irish folk band, The Pogues.

4. The Specials tour the US for the first time.

5. Iron Maiden releases it's first album.

6. Ian Curtis commits suicide. New Order is formed.

As much as I like New Order, I like Joy Division much more.

Part of me says Joy Division is a one trick pony but we'll never really know since they didn't have many years to progress. In honesty, I'm not the biggest fan of Ian Curtis' voice. And New Order's Love Vigilantes is one of the greatest songs ever. So it doesn't keep me up at night.

Eh, guess we'll never know what was to be, right?

"she used me for an ashtray heart-crushed me whilst I was burning out.." RUN PAINT! 1980)

The Specials totally rock! Ian Dury rocks!
The pogues were absolutely HAUNTED! they rock. I will miss Kirsty too. Joe Strummer toured for wretched (temp) McGowan in early 90s. Saw Mojo Nixon open for Pogues hells ditch tour under bush regime one (Mojo f****ng rocks: he brought us into a sing-along picturing barbara bush and "Louisiana Lip lock on *y love por*chop!" that *ucking MELTED! Mojo probably rocked in 1980--i think he was in britain then
All that 2Tone and stiff and island stuff rocked.
George Thorogood hadn't left Rounder Records yet and in 1980 released More.... For folk Rounder ROCKed!
pretenders rock too.

Reggae was entrenched by 1980-- all the bands had a hook or three. Something very dancy and punky about reggae and derivatives and etc. the dance-hall, rock steady and other supposedly pure forms being all mashed up in a sweaty sunburn. Simon and Garfunkle (cecelia etc.), Clapton shot the sheriff, Zep had been to "d'yer mak'er" years before, there was an island sound coming from nassau with anything Chris Blackwell touched (tom-tom club? WTF?!)
http://www.compasspointstudios.com/
http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/chris-blackwell

But I have to keep moving forward and hear new stuff. I could never survive on any one year's music. I already have ten things from this year that keep me rockin'! :)