WPGC Aircheck - Jim Elliott & Scott Woodside - 12/30/80 - 1/01/81

When Disco burned out in an amazingly short time as the '70's ended, a void was created on the music scene. No one rightfully expected that the biggest icon associated with Disco on the screen, John Travolta would also become the spokesperson for the next trend in music with the release of the film, 'Urban Cowboy'. Travolta traded in his mirror ball for a Stetson and the Country craze was underway. While some artists such as Kenny Rogers, Anne Murray and Eddie Rabbit had already enjoyed crossover success on the Pop charts, a slew of acts from the ranks of C&W found a home with more mainstream audiences.

To be fair, the soundtrack to the film was also stockpiled with artists who simply were not Country at all like Joe Walsh, Bob Seger and Dan Fogelberg in an obvious attempt to maximize sales. Other Pop artists with crossover potential such as the Eagles and Jimmy Buffet joined the ranks with bonafide singers from the Country realm such as Mickey Gilley, Charlie Daniels and newcomer, Johnny Lee whose, 'Lookin' For Love' became an unofficial anthem for the film, quickly entering the popular lexicon. The calculated amalgam of both genres guaranteed multi-format support with significant album sales resulting accordingly. Even artists not heard from in a very long time such as the Dirt Band (of the Nitty Gritty variety) and Pure Prairie League had hits again thanks to the movie, though they were not associated directly with it.

The post-Disco period also had implications for the most successful act of that time. Pent up negative reaction to mass overexposure of Bee Gees product in all its incarnations was enough for the group to wisely take a breather. All but for Barry Gibb however, who produced and sang on Barbra Streisand's album, 'Guilty'. The title track as well as, 'Woman In Love' and, 'What Kind Of Fool' enjoyed widespread airplay throughout 1980. Nevertheless, there were a few carryover dance records that year which could easily have been smashes in Disco's heyday, notably Lipps, Inc.'s, 'Funkytown', the S.O.S. Band's, 'Take Your Time (Do It Right)' and of course, Donna Summer's final hit before her own hiatus, 'On The Radio'.

Music from films played a big role beyond 'Cowboy' as the new decade began. The soundtrack to 'Xanadu' enjoyed bigger success than the movie itself, thanks to Travolta's partner in 'Grease', Olivia Newton-John. 'Magic' was one of her biggest hits yet and duets with Cliff Richard on, 'Suddenly' as well as ELO on the title track plus the group's other hits from the album stimulated many to see what the fuss was about on the big screen. Bette Midler earned high praise for her acting role in, 'The Rose' which was loosely based on the life of Janis Joplin. Originally to be called, 'Pearl' after Joplin's final album, the name was changed after her family declined the rights to her story. The title cut was destined to be a #1 hit from day one. New kid on the block, Irene Cara also received a similar favorable reaction for her role in, 'Fame', the film inspired by the New York High School For Performing Arts.

But it was another film, 'American Gigolo' that contained what would become the #1 song of the year with Blondie's, 'Call Me'. Produced by a veteran of the Disco era, Georgio Moroder, the tune spent 6 weeks at #1 nationally and acted as a huge impetus to the burgeoning New Wave movement. By then, Blondie had had several hits though none as massive as 'Call Me'. New Wave had been bubbling under since the late '70's, as evidenced by bands such as the Cars and isolated hits by 'M' and the Buggles. In 1980, though still not achieving mainstream status in part due to confusion by Pop audiences with Punk Rock, the movement had several breakthrough moments, not the least of which was Gary Numan with, 'Cars' and set the stage for what was to come in the early '80's and the MTV generation.

'Money' had been the last time Pink Floyd had appeared on the WPGC survey in 1973. But that all changed in 1980 with the release of the, 'Another Brick In the Wall' album. A concept LP in the vein of a Rock opera, the title cut was actually three separate pieces of music based on a common theme which cumulatively ran over 9 minutes long. The single released by Columbia ran a mere 3:21 but WPGC ran an extended mix over 5 minutes in duration. It was that version which ended the year as the #2 single from the #1 album of the year on WPGC's listings. Pudding has never been the same...

Numerous artists made comebacks in 1980. Perhaps none was as welcome as Elton John with a new, softer sound on, 'Little Jeannie' which foreshadowed his Adult Contemporary leanings musically ever since. Diana Ross teamed up with two of the most significant figures from the days of Disco, Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards for a pair of dance inspired hits, 'Upside Down' and, 'I'm Coming Out'. Smokey Robinson took time off from being VP for Motown on, 'Cruisin'. The Spinners worked their way up the chart with, 'Working My Way Back To You', a song they performed that year at WPGC's annual 'Toys For Tots' concert at the Capital Centre. Billy Preston came back with a duet with Syreeta Wright, one time wife of Stevie Wonder on, 'With You I'm Born Again'. The song appeared in the film, 'Fast Break' which might have been better titled as, 'Fast Flop'. But the song was anything but. Ray, Goodman & Brown also returned, though few knew they had been the Moments who had formed in the mid '60's in DC with, 'Special Lady'.

A new decade brought with it new acts such as Christopher Cross whose debut album earned him five Grammy Awards including, 'Album Of the Year'. The first single off it, 'Ride Like the Wind' featured the Doobie Brothers', Michael McDonald on backing vocals, a role he would also play on Robbie Dupree's breakthrough hit, 'Steal Away'. So similar sounding was the tune to the Doobies', 'What A Fool Believes', he was ridiculed as having ripped off their song. To make matters worse, on his follow up, 'Hot Rod Hearts' he was accused of 'stealing' from his first song. A local guy from Severn, Maryland made good as Benny Mardones hit first on WPGC with, 'Into the Night', a tune which would be remixed and re-released in 1989 since it was never as big a hit anywhere else as it had been in DC. Though no one knew it at the time, an innocent song called, 'Lost In Love' kicked off a long string of syrupy ballads for Australia's, 'Air Supply', causing many to wish they had just become lost altogether. And hard to believe as it may be now, a new artist on the scene received only modest attention at the time when the singularly named, 'Prince' made the WPGC airwaves for the first time with, 'I Wanna Be Your Lover'.

By far and away the single biggest loss of the year, indeed in Rock & Roll was the tragic murder of John Lennon. Away from the music scene for five years while raising their son, Sean, John re-emerged with the, 'Double Fantasy' album. The first single, '(Just Like) Starting Over' perfectly captured the moment in time for he and Yoko as they reacquainted themselves with fans eager to learn what they had been up to. That reunion was to be short-lived however, as on 12/08/80 after returning from a radio interview with RKO, John was shot in the back four times by a mentally unstable fan who earlier in the day asked for and received Lennon's autograph. Thousands learned of the 'unspeakable tragedy' from Howard Cosell, a friend of John's on 'Monday Night Football'. Grief on a level not seen since the death of JFK gripped the nation. The world over mourned the loss of one of the greatest poets ever in popular music. Vigils were held everywhere in his memory.

WPGC and virtually all contemporary stations immediately went into all Beatles mode as details of his assassination arrived slowly. Mark David Chapman pled guilty and was sentenced to 20 years to life. In 2022 he was denied parole for the 12th time. Though Lennon had long since moved on past his days in the Fab Four, the generation John and the Beatles were the voices of found itself staring blankly at the uncomfortable notion of its own inevitable day of reckoning. Symbolically, their collective youth in the '60's & '70's and all that those decades came to represent for the Baby Boomers came to an abrupt end. A lasting memorial to John appropriately dedicated, 'Strawberry Fields' in Central Park was built across the street from the Dakota apartment building where he lived.

1980 then was a transitional year musically, bridging the end of Vietnam, Watergate and the Disco era in the '70's with the video age that was to come in the '80's.