Adult Contemporary is a chart published by Billboard ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the adult contemporary music (AC) market. In 1980, 20 songs topped the chart, based on playlists submitted by radio stations. [1]
The first number one of the year was " Send One Your Love" by Stevie Wonder, which retained its position from the final chart of 1979, [2] and held the top spot for the first two weeks of 1980. In the issue of Billboard dated January 19, it was replaced at number one by " Déjà Vu" by Dionne Warwick, who would return to the number one position in the fall with " No Night So Long" and was the only act to achieve more than one AC chart-topper in 1980. Solo vocalists dominated the top of the chart during the year; male soloists spent 21 weeks at number one and female soloists 20 weeks. The remainder of the year featured a duet between female singer Teri DeSario and KC, lead vocalist of KC and the Sunshine Band, and just two chart-toppers by groups. Three of the year's AC number ones also topped Billboard's all-genres chart, the Hot 100: " Woman in Love" by Barbra Streisand, [3] Olivia Newton-John's " Magic", [4] and " Lady" by Kenny Rogers. [5] "Lady", written by Lionel Richie, was a triple chart-topper for Rogers, as it also reached number one on the Hot Country Singles listing. [5]
Four songs tied for the longest unbroken run at number one during the year, each spending five weeks in the top spot. " Lost in Love" by Air Supply was the first to achieve the feat in April and May, and was immediately followed at the top of the chart by " The Rose" by Bette Midler, which held the position for the same length of time. Midler's song came from the film of the same name, in which she played a self-destructive rock star based loosely on Janis Joplin, [6] and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. [7] Later in the year two other female vocalists had five-week runs at number one: Olivia Newton-John with "Magic" and Barbra Streisand with "Woman in Love". "Lost in Love" by Air Supply also had a separate spell of a single week at number one, and its total of six weeks atop the chart was the most by a song during the year and meant that Air Supply had the highest total number of weeks in the top spot by an act in 1980. A second track to have two spells at number one was " Give It All You Got" by jazz trumpeter Chuck Mangione, the official theme tune of the 1980 Winter Olympics. [8] The final AC number one of the year was " More Than I Can Say" by British vocalist Leo Sayer.
† | Indicates best-performing AC song of 1980 [9] |
Adult Contemporary is a chart published by Billboard ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the adult contemporary music (AC) market. In 1980, 20 songs topped the chart, based on playlists submitted by radio stations. [1]
The first number one of the year was " Send One Your Love" by Stevie Wonder, which retained its position from the final chart of 1979, [2] and held the top spot for the first two weeks of 1980. In the issue of Billboard dated January 19, it was replaced at number one by " Déjà Vu" by Dionne Warwick, who would return to the number one position in the fall with " No Night So Long" and was the only act to achieve more than one AC chart-topper in 1980. Solo vocalists dominated the top of the chart during the year; male soloists spent 21 weeks at number one and female soloists 20 weeks. The remainder of the year featured a duet between female singer Teri DeSario and KC, lead vocalist of KC and the Sunshine Band, and just two chart-toppers by groups. Three of the year's AC number ones also topped Billboard's all-genres chart, the Hot 100: " Woman in Love" by Barbra Streisand, [3] Olivia Newton-John's " Magic", [4] and " Lady" by Kenny Rogers. [5] "Lady", written by Lionel Richie, was a triple chart-topper for Rogers, as it also reached number one on the Hot Country Singles listing. [5]
Four songs tied for the longest unbroken run at number one during the year, each spending five weeks in the top spot. " Lost in Love" by Air Supply was the first to achieve the feat in April and May, and was immediately followed at the top of the chart by " The Rose" by Bette Midler, which held the position for the same length of time. Midler's song came from the film of the same name, in which she played a self-destructive rock star based loosely on Janis Joplin, [6] and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. [7] Later in the year two other female vocalists had five-week runs at number one: Olivia Newton-John with "Magic" and Barbra Streisand with "Woman in Love". "Lost in Love" by Air Supply also had a separate spell of a single week at number one, and its total of six weeks atop the chart was the most by a song during the year and meant that Air Supply had the highest total number of weeks in the top spot by an act in 1980. A second track to have two spells at number one was " Give It All You Got" by jazz trumpeter Chuck Mangione, the official theme tune of the 1980 Winter Olympics. [8] The final AC number one of the year was " More Than I Can Say" by British vocalist Leo Sayer.
† | Indicates best-performing AC song of 1980 [9] |