Genesis Duke released

Duke Genesis

Released: March 28, 1980 Peak: 11 US, 12 UK, 13 CN, 22 AU, 8 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.3 UK, 5.0 world (includes US + UK), 7.00 EAS Genre: classic rock

Tracks: Behind the Lines [5:31] (23 DF) Duchess [6:40] (5/9/80, 42 CL, 46 UK) Guide Vocal [1:18] Man of Our Times [5:35] (39 DF) Misunderstanding [3:11] (5/10/80, 14 US, 14 CB, 9 HR, 3 RR, 32 AC, 3 CL, 42 UK, 1 CN, 3 DF) Heathaze [5:00] Turn It on Again [3:50] (3/3/80, 58 US, 55 CB, 60 HR, 5 CL, 8 UK, 2 AU, 4 DF) Alone Tonight [3:54] (37 DF) Cul-de-Sac [5:02] Please Don’t Ask [4:00] Duke’s Travels [8:41] Duke’s End [2:04] Total Running Time: 55:06 The Players: Phil Collins (vocals, drums, percussion) Mike Rutherford (guitar, bass, backing vocals) Tony Banks (keyboards, backing vocals)

Rating: 3.898 out of 5.00 (average of 21 ratings)

About the Album Genesis returned in 1980 with Duke. “Gone were all of the progressive rock elements that had been present in their music since 1970, and in their place was a slickly commercial pop/rock sound. The public responded in kind by lofting it to the number one spot in England, a first for the band, while it reached number 11 in America. “If And Then There Were Three suggested that Genesis were moving toward pop, Duke is where they leaped into the fray. Not that it was exactly a head-first leap;” AM “there was still a heavy dose of prog, as the concluding ‘Duke’ suite made clear,” AM “with Gabriel-style Genesis, with fanfare-like keyboards, martial drumrolls and the old opulence.” JP However, “Guide Vocal, has lyrics that give Gabriel a definitive kiss-off” JP and this is album is more “modernist art rock, quite dissimilar to the fragile, delicate [Gabriel-era] Selling England by the Pound.” AM Generally, though, “the band…have peppered the album with pop songs” AM in which “the music usually stays upbeat…and every so often the hazy instrumental passages clear up for the kind of straightforward songs that would define latter-day Genesis.” JP That “new signature sound” AM is clearest on the singles. “Misunderstanding” “is a light, nearly soulful, heartache song” AM while “Turn It on Again” “is a thunderous arena rocker.” AM The pair of songs “showcase the new version of Genesis at its absolute best. The rest of the record comes close to matching them” AM on this “schizoid but invigorating album.” JP Resources/References: AM AllMusic.com review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine JP Jon Pareles, Blender magazine (10/07). Pages 118-9. Related DMDB Pages: First posted 3/3/2010; last updated 9/14/2025.

Pink Floyd hit #1 with “Another Brick in the Wall”

Another Brick in the Wall (Part II) Pink Floyd

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The Jam’s “Going Underground” debuted at #1 in the UK

Going Underground The Jam

Writer(s): Paul Weller (see lyrics here) Released: March 10, 1980 First Charted: March 22, 1980 Peak: 17 CL, 2 CO, 13 UK, 50 AU, 7 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): 0.25 UK Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 13.9 video, 37.85 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: The Jam were an English punk rock/new wave band which formed in 1972 and released six studio albums before their breakup in 1982. Their first chart single was 1977’s “In the City” from their debut album of the same name. Their success steadily grew until their tenth chart entry, “Going Underground,” debuted atop the UK charts. It was the first song to do so in six years. KL Despite The Jam’s success in their homeland, they never reached the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The Jam were actually touring the United States when they found at “Going Underground” hit #1. Drummer Rick Buckler said, “It was a shock when we got to #1, otherwise we wouldn’t have been in the states…We had a good drink that night. However, everyone wanted to be back in Britain. We made out we had all come down with a virus. We canceled the rest of the tour of the States. We flew back to Britain on Concorde to record ‘Going Underground’ on Top of the Pops for the following week.” SF The song wasn’t intended as a single. It was supposed to be the B-side of “Dreams of Children,” but “Going Underground” became the hit. “Striking the right balance aggressive punk posturing, Beatlesque guitar and catching singalong pop to create perfect harmony, the single would become The Jam’s defining release.” XFM “Going Underground” might appear to be about London’s tube rail system, but it wasn’t. KL Singer Paul Weller wrote it in protest of the British Conservative government’s policy to spend taxpayers’ money on building their nuclear arsenal instead of funding other government programs. SF The song references the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979. KL Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for The Jam KL Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh (2005). 1000 UK Number One Hits: The Stories Behind Every Number One Single Since 1952. London, Great Britain: Omnibus Press. Page 259. SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia XFM Mike Walsh (editor) (2010). The XFM Top 1000 Songs of All Time. Elliott & Thompson Limited: London, England. Page 205. First posted 10/13/2021; last updated 11/12/2022.

Billy Joel’s Glass Houses released

First posted 3/6/2011; updated 9/22/2020.

Glass Houses Billy Joel

Released: March 12, 1980 Peak: 16 US, 9 UK, 17 CN, 2 AU Sales (in millions): 7.0 US, 0.1 UK, 11.2 world (includes US and UK) Genre: pop/rock singer-songwriter

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. You May Be Right (3/15/80, 7 US, 2 CL, 48 AC, 6 CN, 28 AU, gold single) Sometimes a Fantasy (10/11/80, 36 US, 12 CL, 21 CN) Don’t Ask Me Why (8/2/80, 36 US, 8 CL, 1 AC, 4 CN) It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me (5/13/80, 1 US, 1 CL, 45 AC, 14 UK, 1 CN, 10 AU, 2x platinum single) All for Leyna (4/12/80, 17 CL, 40 UK) I Don’t Want to Be Alone Sleeping with the Television On C’Etait Toi (You Were the One) Close to the Borderline (25 CL) Through the Long Night Total Running Time: 35:06

Rating: 3.653 out of 5.00 (average of 12 ratings) Quotable: “The closest Joel ever got to a pure rock album.” – Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Awards:

About the Album: “The back-to-back success of The Stranger and 52nd Street may have brought Billy Joel fame and fortune, even a certain amount of self-satisfaction, but it didn’t bring him critical respect, and it didn’t dull his anger. If anything, being classified as a mainstream rocker – a soft rocker – infuriated him, especially since a generation of punks and new wave kids were getting the praise that eluded him.” STE “Instead of turning out to be a fiery rebuttal to his detractors, the album is a remarkable catalog of contemporary pop styles, from McCartney-esque whimsy (Don’t Ask Me Why) and arena rock (All for Leyna) to soft rock (C’etait Toi [You Were the One]).” STE “Comparatively a harder-rocking album than either of its predecessors, with a distinctly bitter edge, Glass Houses still displays the hallmarks of Billy Joel the pop craftsman and Phil Ramone the world-class hitmaker. Even its hardest songs – the terrifically paranoid Sometimes a Fantasy, Sleepin’ with the Television On, Close to the Borderline” STE and “the snarl of the motorcycle-ridingt You May Be Right” DB “have bold, direct melodies and clean arrangements, ideal for radio play.” STE “Plenty of panicked mainstream rock stars were trying to ‘go New Wave’ at the time. Thanks to his innate brattiness and gift for stylistic wandering, Joel was able to pull it off better than just about anyone.” DB With a sound that “ironically is closer to new wave pop than rock,” STEJoel showed on the “Cars-imitating It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” DB that it “came naturally to him.” DB “The Stranger and 52nd Street were fine albums in their own right, but it’s nice to hear Joel scale back his showman tendencies and deliver a solid pop/rock record… [that is] the closest Joel ever got to a pure rock album.” STE

Resources and Related Links: Billy Joel’s DMDB Encyclopedia entry DB David Browne (6/07). Blender magazine. Pages 114-5. STE Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

50 years ago: “Happy Days Are Here Again” goes to #1

Happy Days Are Here Again Ben Selvin

Writer(s): Milton Ager, Jack Yellen (see lyrics here) First Charted: March 1, 1930 Peak: 12 US, 11 GA, 3 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, -- world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, -- streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: “Happy Days” was originally written for the movie Chasing Rainbows and sung by Charles King and Bessie Love. JA It accompanied a scene where World War I soldiers learn the war has ended. TY Unfortunately, the song was cut from the film. When movie producer Irving Thalberg heard the song played at Hollywood’s Roosevelt Hotel, he wanted to know why such a great song wasn’t in the movies. When he found out it had been cut from one of his own films, he immediately had it put back. Unfortunately, the movie was a failure. RCG However, the “bright and tuneful” RCG song which urged everyone to “sing a song of cheer again” found life beyond the film. The publishers took it to George Olsen, whose orchestra played it at the Pennsylvania Hotel Ballroom in Manhattan a few days after the October 1929 stock market crash. RCG Jack Yellen, the song’s lyricist, recalled the dining room being populated with “gloom-stricken diners.” Olsen directed his singers to “sing it for the corpses” and, according to Yellen, “after a couple of choruses, the corpses joined in…[and] before the night was over, the hotel lobby resounded with what had become the theme song of ruined stock speculators as they leaped from hotel windows.” SS The song became an unofficial anthem for the Great Depression. Franklin D. Roosevelt used it in his 1932 Presidential campaign and it was adopted by the Democratic party SB as their “unofficial theme song for years to come,” WK being used again in campaigns by Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy. RCG Three versions of the song charted in 1930. Ben Selvin and Benny Meroff each took it to the top; Leo Reisman’s orchestra, with a vocal from Lou Levin, hit #3. Judy Garland adopted the song as an allegory of her life. RCG The song has been featured on more than 70 commercially-released albums and in more than 80 films. WK Some of the notable recordings were by Mitch Miller and Barbra Streisand. WK Resources: JA David A. Jasen (2002). A Century of American Popular Music: 2000 Best-Loved and Remembered Songs (1899-1999). Routledge: Taylor & Francis, Inc. Page 69. RCG RimChiGuy.com The Old Songs (1900-1929) SB Songbook1.wordpress.com SS Steve Sullivan (2013). Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings (Volumes I & II). Scarecrow Press: Lanham, Maryland. Page 364. TY Don Tyler (1985). Hit Parade 1920-1955. New York, NY: Quill. Page 47. Related Links: First posted 3/8/2016; last updated 7/25/2022.

Billy Joel “You May Be Right” released

You May Be Right Billy Joel

Writer(s): Billy Joel (see lyrics here) Released: March 7, 1980 First Charted: March 14, 1980 Peak: 7 BB, 8 CB, 2 GR, 7 HR, 2 RR, 48 AC, 2 CL, 6 CN, 28 AU 2 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 30.7 video, -- streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Billy Joel became a superstar with his 1977 ten-million-selling album The Stranger. He maintained that mega-platinum status on his next two releases, both #1 albums which sold seven million copies. The latter album, 1980’s Glass Houses, also gave Joel his first chart-topping song with “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me.” The lead single from the album, however, was “You May Be Right.” It was Joel’s third top-10 hit and reached platinum status. Cash Box called the song “witty, urbane, and energetic” WK and features hard guitar playing “reminiscent of Chuck Berry and the Rolling Stones.” WK Record World said “Joel’s rock energy blends well with his pop melodies on this smashing cut.” WK Joel himself considers it one of his top 5 songs. SF The song is sung from the perspective of a man being told he is reckless. The character “confirms the suspicion, admitting that he is crazy and extolling the virtues of a more carefree, but dangerous existence.” SF The song is marked by the sound of breaking glass at the beginning. It was the first sound heard on the Glass Houses album and corresponded with the album cover depicting Joel about to throw a rock at an all-glass house. It was a statement to his critics that people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. SF Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Billy Joel SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 9/15/2023.

Air Supply’s Lost in Love released

Lost in Love Air Supply

Released: March 3, 1980 Peak: 22 US, -- UK, -- CN, 21 AU Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, -- UK, 3.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: adult contemporary

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Lost in Love (2/9/80, 3 US, 1 AC, 13 AU, airplay: 2 million) All Out of Love (6/14/80, 2 US, 11 UK, 5 AC, 9 AU, sales: 1 million, airplay: 2 million) Every Woman in the World (10/25/80, 5 US, 2 AC, 8 AU, sales: 2 million) Just Another Woman Having You Near Me American Hearts Chances Old Habits Die Hard I Can’t Get Excited My Best Friend Total Running Time: 36:37 The Players: Russell Hitchcock (vocals) Graham Russell (vocals, rhythm guitar) David Moyse (guitars) Dave Green (bass) Frank Esler-Smith (keyboards) Ralph Cooper (drums)

Rating: 3.388 out of 5.00 (average of 5 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: Air Supply had released four albums from 1976 to 1979 without much impact. Even in their native Australia, they’d really only found success with one top-ten hit, 1976’s “Love and Other Bruises.” The group’s fate changed, however, when they signed a new contract with Arista Records. Producer Clive Davis, a future Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, helped Air Supply finally break into the U.S. market. During the early ‘80s, they had “a successful run of soft pop love songs” AMG yielding ten top 40 hits over the next three albums. “Graham Russell’s overly poetic, overly romantic lyrics were usually accompanied by the fragile plucking of an acoustic guitar or the soft tinkling of piano.” AMG “Throughout every album their insipid musical style never strayed” AMG from their “faithful allegiance to their sentimentally flavored tastes.” AMG The title song hit #3 in the U.S. and is often considered the group’s signature song and Russell Hitchcock has said it is his favorite. WK An earlier version was released in Australia in 1979 on their Life Support album. The rerecorded version, however, is what gave the band its first taste of international fame. The second single, All Out of Love, is “regarded as their most famous song,” WK reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was followed by Every Woman in the World, giving the band its third top-five hit from the album. “The rest of the tracks on Lost in Love are carbon copies of the hits.” AMG While never released as a single, Chances became one of the group’s better-known songs, thanks to its inclusion on multiple compilations of the group’s hits. Also of note – Just Another Woman was first recorded – as a disco song – for the Life Support album. It was a hit in Malaysia. WK

Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Air Supply AMG Mike DeGagne, All Music Guide WK Wikipedia Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 1/18/2009; last updated 9/3/2021.