1980 heralded a musical nexus of heroes reigning (Adam & the Ants, Gary Numan, Joe Jackson, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Ultravox), ripened (Dexy’s Midnight Runners, The English Beat, Iron Maiden, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, The Pretenders, U2) and rebounded (Atomic Rooster, Ozzy Osbourne, Pete Townshend, Sonja Kristina, Steve Winwood, Yes).
Newly fashioned upstarts were assortedly jaunty (The Buggles, Classix Nouveaux, Clive Langer & the Boxes, Cuddly Toys, Pauline Murray & the Invisible Girls) and jagged (Athletico Spizz 80, The Monochrome Set, Patrick D. Martin, The Sound, Steve Miro & the Eyes), lush (The Associates, Berlin Blondes, New Musik, Random Hold, Visage) and lucid (Dalek I, Durutti Column, Fad Gadget, John Foxx, The Passage), firm (Grand Prix, Hazel O’Connnor, Inner City Unit, Nightwing, Original Mirrors) and ferocious (Angel Witch, Diamond Head, Killing Joke, Tygers of Pan Tang, White Spirit), whilst two-tone skanked (Bad Manners, The Selecter, UB40) and the Tarney table shined (Barbara Dickson, Cliff Richard, Leo Sayer).
The Krauts spawned striking chops (Blonker, Ceddo, Freeport, Gravestone, Rousseau, Sun, Virgin’s Dream, Zebulon) and whimsical fops (Abwärts, Der Plan, Die Randierer, Felhfarben, Ideal, Joachim Witt, Korpus Kristi, Rheingold): a contrast echoed amongst Gauls (Abus Dangereux, Agharta, Lievaux-Transfo, Rahmann, Trust | Edith Nylon, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, Moderne, Sapho, Taxi Girl), Nordics (Bridges, Jargon, Kerrs Pink, Kraldjursanstalten, Sarcofagus | The Aller Værste!, Kliche, Morbyligan, Pelle Miljoona Oy, Veslefrikk), Balkans (Exodus, Józef Skrzek, Jutro, Korál | Azra, Laboratorija Zvuka, OGI, Paraf), Flemings (Flairck, Julverne, Present | Doe Maar, Mo, Telex) and Iberians (Ananga-Ranga, Cai, Roxigenio | Lio, Radio Futura, Zombies).
The States were alight in stage-bound heights (707, Airplay, Group 87, Russia, Speedway Blvd), sultry delights (The Motels, Rozetta, Pat Benatar, Spider, Teri DeSario) and standalone might (Al Jarreau, Donnie Iris, Gary Myrick, Ray Kennedy, Tony Sciuto). Urbanites were snappy and vocoderized (Zapp, Prince, Heat, Dynasty, Defunkt); subterraneans trebly and vulcanized (Pink Section, Skafish, Tuxedomoon, The Units, Xex).
Elsewhere, the Mariana Trench was encircled by Australasian austerity (Flowers, INXS, Pyramid, Sherbs, Zaine Griff) and Japanese jollies (Ain Soph, The Films, Hikashu, Halmens, The Plastics).
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