Rock music in the year 1980 might be one of the most pivotal years in the genre of all time. At the beginning of the renowned 80s era, these are three of the best rock songs that came out in 1980, songs that still make me smile today.
“Don’t Stand So Close To Me” by The Police
The Police were still relatively new when they released “Don’t Stand So Close To Me”. On Zenyatta Mondatta, the band’s third studio album, ”Don’t Stand So Close To Me” was written by Sting, the band’s lead singer.
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The Top 10 hit is a cautionary tale about an inappropriate relationship between a teacher and student. The chorus says, “Don’t stand, don’t stand so / Don’t stand so close to me / Don’t stand, don’t stand so / Don’t stand so close to me.”
Sting was a teacher before he became a rock star. Still, he insists the song is not autobiographical.
“I was a teacher,” Sting says. “But I never had a relationship with any of my pupils. I wouldn’t want to. You have to remember we were blond bombshells at the time, and most of our fans were young girls, so I started role-playing a bit. Let’s exploit that. And it really worked. You know that single sold a million copies in Britain.”
“Cheap Sunglasses” by ZZ Top
“Cheap Sunglasses” is on ZZ Top’s Degüello record. It was written by Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard, all members of the band.
The uptempo song says, “She had a West Coast strut / That was sweet as molasses / But what really knocked / Me out was her cheap sunglasses.”
Ironically, “Cheap Sunglasses” was not a massive hit at radio, although it remains one of ZZ Top’s most popular songs.
“We wrote that song when we used to tour in cars,” Hill remembers. “And every gas station in the world had a cardboard display of the cheapest and ugliest sunglasses you could imagine. I have bought a thousand pairs of them.”
“Treat Me Right” by Pat Benatar
On Crimes Of Passion, Pat Benatar’s sophomore album, is “Treat Me Right”. A Top 20 hit, Benatar wrote “Treat Me Right” with Doug Lubahn.
An anthem of empowerment, “Treat Me Right” says, “You wanna be lovers / And you wanna be friends / I’m losing my patience / You’re nearing the end / Treat me right / Treat me right.”
Crimes Of Passion also includes “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”, Benatar’s first Top 10 single.
Photo by Gie Knaeps/Getty Images
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