Their debut album really caught the spirit of the mod revival, with the single ‘Geno’ – a reference to the most popular ‘sixties British r&b band, Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band – topping the singles charts.
Album: Searching for the Young Soul Rebels
Artist: Dexys Midnight Runners
Released: 17th July 1980
Weeks in UK Album Chart: 10
Highest Chart Position: 6
Their first album with Midge Ure as their lead singer, and also their most successful commercially. The title track has the dubious distinction of being held off the top slot in the singles charts for four weeks by Joe Dolce’s ‘Shutuppa ya Face’!
Album: Vienna
Artist: Ultravox
Released: 11th July 1980
Weeks in UK Album Chart: 72
Highest Chart Position: 3
Their only number one album in a ten year period between News of the World in 1976 and A Kind of Magic in 1986, but probably their best in terms of all round work.
Album: The Game
Artist: Queen
Released: 30th June 1980
Weeks in UK Album Chart: 18
Number of Weeks at No.1: 2
The Cure’s second album, and the one that set them up for their chart success with later, and maybe not quite so cutting-edge, productions.
Album: Seventeen Seconds
Artist: The Cure
Released: 22nd April 1980
Weeks in UK Album Chart: 10
Highest Chart Position: No.20
Although the band had been at the forefront of alternative electronic music for more than a decade, this was the album that, unsurprisingly, propelled them to world fame.
Album: Violator
Artist: Depeche Mode
Released: 19th March 1990
Weeks in UK Album Chart: 30
Highest Chart Position: No.2