Every UK #1 Single of 1979 Discussion Thread

Me too ace.
Still...amazing how time fly's.....

 

Next up is 'I Don't Like Mondays' by the Boomtown Rats, a number one for 4 weeks, starting the week of 28 July 1979.



B-side: It's All the Rage

 

"I Don't Like Mondays" is a song by Irish band The Boomtown Rats about the 1979 Cleveland Elementary School shooting in San Diego. The song was a number one single in the UK Singles Chart for four weeks during the summer of 1979, and ranks as the sixth biggest hit of the UK in 1979. Written by Bob Geldof, it was the band's second number one single.

The full length version appeared on the group's third album, The Fine Art of Surfacing. It includes a reprise of the first verse, which was edited for the single release.



History
According to Geldof, he wrote the song after reading a telex report at Georgia State University's campus radio station, WRAS, on the shooting spree of 16-year-old Brenda Ann Spencer, who fired at children in a school playground at Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego, California, US on 29 January 1979, killing two adults and injuring eight children and one police officer. Spencer showed no remorse for her crime and her full explanation for her actions was "I don't like Mondays. This livens up the day". Geldof had been contacted by Steve Jobs to play a gig for Apple, inspiring the opening line about a 'Silicon chip'. The song was first performed less than a month later.

Geldof explained how he wrote the song:

I was doing a radio interview in Atlanta with [Johnnie] Fingers and there was a telex machine beside me. I read it as it came out. Not liking Mondays as a reason for doing somebody in is a bit strange. I was thinking about it on the way back to the hotel and I just said 'Silicon chip inside her head had switched to overload'. I wrote that down. And the journalists interviewing her said, 'Tell me why?' It was such a senseless act. It was the perfect senseless act and this was the perfect senseless reason for doing it. So perhaps I wrote the perfect senseless song to illustrate it. It wasn't an attempt to exploit tragedy.

Geldof had originally intended the song as a B-side, but changed his mind after the song was successful with audiences on the Rats' US tour. Spencer's family tried unsuccessfully to prevent the single from being released in the United States. Despite being a major hit in the United Kingdom, it only reached #73 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was played regularly by album-oriented rock format radio stations in the United States throughout the 1980s, although radio stations in San Diego refrained from playing the track for some years in respect to local sensitivities about the shooting.

The strings were arranged by Fiachra Trench. Apart from Geldof, pianist Johnnie Fingers and drummer Simon Crowe are the only members of the group who appear on the recording.

In the UK the song reached Number One on the singles chart in July 1979, and won the Best Pop Song and Outstanding British Lyric categories at the Ivor Novello Awards.

Live performances
On 9 September 1981, Geldof was joined on stage by fellow Boomtown Rat, Johnnie Fingers, to perform the song for The Secret Policeman's Ball sponsored by Amnesty International. A recording of that performance appears on the 1982 album, The Secret Policeman's Other Ball.

The Boomtown Rats performed the song for Live Aid at Wembley Stadium in 1985. This was the band's final major appearance. On singing the line, "And the lesson today is how to die", Geldof paused for 20 seconds while the crowd applauded on the significance to those starving in Africa that Live Aid was intended to help.

At a concert in London in 1995, almost ten years later to the day, Bon Jovi covered the song after being joined on stage by Geldof at Wembley Stadium. This recorded performance features on Bon Jovi's live album One Wild Night Live 1985–2001, as well as on the bonus 2-CD edition of These Days. Bon Jovi was again joined by Geldof for a performance of the song at The O2 Arena on 23 June 2010, the 10th night of their 12-night residency. Geldof himself performed a version of the song while hosting the Live 8 concert in London, on 2 July 2005.

"I Don't Like Mondays" was subsequently covered by Tori Amos on her 2001 album Strange Little Girls and later by G4 on their 2006 album Act Three.

I Don't Like Mondays - Wikipedia

 

The UK Chart for the week of 28 July 1979, when 'I Don't Like Mondays' reached the top spot:

 

The UK Singles Chart for the other 3 weeks:

Week Ending 04 August 1979

(weeks on chart - chart position the previous week - chart position)
03 - 01 - 01 - Boomtown Rats - I DON'T LIKE MONDAYS
10 - 15 - 02 - Police - CAN'T STAND LOSING YOU
08 - 05 - 03 - Dooleys - WANTED
06 - 04 - 04 - Dave Edmunds - GIRLS TALK
04 - 12 - 05 - Abba - ANGELEYES / VOULEZ VOUS
09 - 03 - 06 - Janet Kay - SILLY GAMES
12 - 02 - 07 - Tubeway Army - ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC
06 - 06 - 08 - Knack - MY SHARONA
06 - 10 - 09 - Supertramp - BREAKFAST IN AMERICA
03 - 21 - 10 - Sparks - BEAT THE CLOCK
08 - 13 - 11 - Patrick Hernandez - BORN TO BE ALIVE
06 - 07 - 12 - Chic - GOOD TIMES
07 - 20 - 13 - Korgis - IF I HAD YOU
03 - 23 - 14 - Cliff Richard - WE DON'T TALK ANYMORE
05 - 14 - 15 - Donna Summer - BAD GIRLS
06 - 08 - 16 - Sex Pistols - C'MON EVERYBODY
03 - 27 - 17 - Electric Light Orchestra - THE DIARY OF HORACE WIMP
08 - 09 - 18 - Beach Boys - LADY LYNDA
08 - 17 - 19 - Ruts - BABYLON BURNING
07 - 18 - 20 - Rickie Lee Jones - CHUCK E'S IN LOVE
12 - 16 - 21 - Thom Pace - MAYBE
03 - 32 - 22 - Darts - DUKE OF EARL
1 - NEW - 23 - Sham 69 - HERSHAM BOYS
08 - 19 - 24 - Thin Lizzy - DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO
08 - 11 - 25 - Amii Stewart - LIGHT MY FIRE / 137 DISCO HEAVEN
02 - 55 - 26 - Earth Wind And Fire - AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE
04 - 30 - 27 - Judie Tzuke - STAY WITH ME TILL DAWN
05 - 26 - 28 - Public Image Limited - DEATH DISCO
03 - 43 - 29 - Spyro Gyra - MORNING DANCE
03 - 37 - 30 - Gibson Brothers - OOH WHAT A LIFE
02 - 50 - 31 - Showaddywaddy - SWEET LITTLE ROCK N' ROLLER
03 - 35 - 32 - Buzzcocks - HARMONY IN MY HEAD
04 - 36 - 33 - Pretenders - KID
03 - 39 - 34 - Undertones - HERE COMES THE SUMMER
03 - 33 - 35 - Real Thing - BOOGIE DOWN
03 - 31 - 36 - David Bowie - DJ
02 - 66 - 37 - Olympic Runners - THE BITCH
11 - 28 - 38 - Gerry Rafferty - NIGHT OWL
03 - 41 - 39 - Telex - ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK
03 - 46 - 40 - Diana Ross - THE BOSS
02 - 74 - 41 - Special AKA - GANGSTERS
1 - NEW - 42 - Randy Vanwarmer - JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST
10 - 29 - 43 - Squeeze - UP THE JUNCTION
02 - 69 - 44 - BA Robertson - BANG BANG
1 - NEW - 45 - Ian Dury And The Blockheads - REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL (PART 3)
05 - 38 - 46 - Art Garfunkel - SINCE I DON'T HAVE YOU
08 - 25 - 47 - Slick - SPACE BASS
10 - 24 - 48 - Eddy Grant - LIVING ON THE FRONT LINE
03 - 45 - 49 - Dickies - PARANOID
07 - 34 - 50 - UK Subs - STRANGLEHOLD
03 - 47 - 51 - Billie Jo Spears - I WILL SURVIVE
02 - 51 - 52 - Cars - LET'S GO
02 - 63 - 53 - Dire Straits - LADY WRITER
02 - 54 - 54 - Nazareth - STAR
02 - 67 - 55 - Jolly Brothers - CONSCIOUS MAN
02 - 71 - 56 - Me And You - YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT
04 - 62 - 57 - Billy Paul - BRING THE FAMILY BACK

1 - NEW - 58 - Merton Parkas - YOU NEED WHEELS
02 - 75 - 59 - Hot Chocolate - GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS
08 - 22 - 60 - Village People - GO WEST
06 - 61 - 61 - Kiss - I WAS MADE FOR LOVIN' YOU
10 - 44 - 62 - Anita Ward - RING MY BELL
1 - NEW - 63 - Kandidate - GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS
05 - 42 - 64 - Siouxsie and The Banshees - PLAYGROUND TWIST
05 - 56 - 65 - Teena Marie And Rick James - I'M A SUCKER FOR YOUR LOVE
1 - NEW - 66 - Joe Jackson - IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM
06 - 58 - 67 - Bonnie Tyler - MARRIED MEN
1 - NEW - 68 - Flying Lizards - MONEY
10 - 40 - 69 - Quantum Jump - THE LONE RANGER
06 - 49 - 70 - John Stewart - GOLD
12 - 53 - 71 - Dollar - WHO WERE YOU WITH IN THE MOONLIGHT
12 - 68 - 72 - Blondie - SUNDAY GIRL
13 - 52 - 73 - Earth Wind And Fire With The Emotions - BOOGIE WONDERLAND
04 - 60 - 74 - Doobie Brothers - MINUTE BY MINUTE
11 - 65 - 75 - Edwin Starr - HAPPY RADIO


Week Ending 11 August 1979

(weeks on chart - chart position the previous week - chart position)
04 - 01 - 01 - Boomtown Rats - I DON'T LIKE MONDAYS
04 - 14 - 02 - Cliff Richard - WE DON'T TALK ANYMORE
05 - 05 - 03 - Abba - ANGELEYES / VOULEZ VOUS
11 - 02 - 04 - Police - CAN'T STAND LOSING YOU
09 - 03 - 05 - Dooleys - WANTED
02 - 45 - 06 - Ian Dury And The Blockheads - REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL (PART 3)
02 - 23 - 07 - Sham 69 - HERSHAM BOYS
04 - 17 - 08 - Electric Light Orchestra - THE DIARY OF HORACE WIMP
07 - 04 - 09 - Dave Edmunds - GIRLS TALK
09 - 11 - 10 - Patrick Hernandez - BORN TO BE ALIVE
04 - 10 - 11 - Sparks - BEAT THE CLOCK
07 - 08 - 12 - Knack - MY SHARONA
07 - 09 - 13 - Supertramp - BREAKFAST IN AMERICA
03 - 26 - 14 - Earth Wind And Fire - AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE
07 - 12 - 15 - Chic - GOOD TIMES
08 - 13 - 16 - Korgis - IF I HAD YOU
04 - 22 - 17 - Darts - DUKE OF EARL
05 - 27 - 18 - Judie Tzuke - STAY WITH ME TILL DAWN
13 - 07 - 19 - Tubeway Army - ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC
10 - 06 - 20 - Janet Kay - SILLY GAMES
06 - 15 - 21 - Donna Summer - BAD GIRLS
09 - 18 - 22 - Beach Boys - LADY LYNDA
04 - 29 - 23 - Spyro Gyra - MORNING DANCE
03 - 41 - 24 - Special AKA - GANGSTERS
04 - 30 - 25 - Gibson Brothers - OOH WHAT A LIFE
07 - 16 - 26 - Sex Pistols - C'MON EVERYBODY
03 - 44 - 27 - BA Robertson - BANG BANG
08 - 20 - 28 - Rickie Lee Jones - CHUCK E'S IN LOVE
03 - 31 - 29 - Showaddywaddy - SWEET LITTLE ROCK N' ROLLER
02 - 66 - 30 - Joe Jackson - IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM
02 - 42 - 31 - Randy Vanwarmer - JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST
1 - NEW - 32 - Roxy Music - ANGEL EYES
04 - 32 - 33 - Buzzcocks - HARMONY IN MY HEAD
04 - 39 - 34 - Telex - ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK
05 - 33 - 35 - Pretenders - KID
09 - 25 - 36 - Amii Stewart - LIGHT MY FIRE / 137 DISCO HEAVEN
04 - 35 - 37 - Real Thing - BOOGIE DOWN
03 - 37 - 38 - Olympic Runners - THE BITCH
1 - NEW - 39 - Boney M - GOTTA GO HOME / EL LUTE
13 - 21 - 40 - Thom Pace - MAYBE
02 - 63 - 41 - Kandidate - GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS
04 - 40 - 42 - Diana Ross - THE BOSS
02 - 58 - 43 - Merton Parkas - YOU NEED WHEELS
1 - NEW - 44 - Angelic Upstarts - TEENAGE WARNING
04 - 34 - 45 - Undertones - HERE COMES THE SUMMER
03 - 55 - 46 - Jolly Brothers - CONSCIOUS MAN
02 - 68 - 47 - Flying Lizards - MONEY
03 - 56 - 48 - Me And You - YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT
04 - 49 - 49 - Dickies - PARANOID
09 - 19 - 50 - Ruts - BABYLON BURNING
03 - 53 - 51 - Dire Straits - LADY WRITER
09 - 47 - 52 - Slick - SPACE BASS
03 - 59 - 53 - Hot Chocolate - GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS
09 - 24 - 54 - Thin Lizzy - DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO
1 - NEW - 55 - B-52's - ROCK LOBSTER
04 - 36 - 56 - David Bowie - DJ
04 - 51 - 57 - Billie Jo Spears - I WILL SURVIVE

1 - NEW - 58 - Sister Sledge - LOST IN MUSIC
12 - 38 - 59 - Gerry Rafferty - NIGHT OWL
11 - 43 - 60 - Squeeze - UP THE JUNCTION
1 - NEW - 61 - Johnny Mathis - GONE GONE GONE
06 - 65 - 62 - Teena Marie And Rick James - I'M A SUCKER FOR YOUR LOVE
06 - 46 - 63 - Art Garfunkel - SINCE I DON'T HAVE YOU
06 - 28 - 64 - Public Image Limited - DEATH DISCO
03 - 52 - 65 - Cars - LET'S GO
1 - NEW - 66 - Bellamy Brothers - IF I SAID YOU HAD A BEAUTIFUL BODY WOULD YOU HOLD IT AGAINST ME
11 - 48 - 67 - Eddy Grant - LIVING ON THE FRONT LINE
08 - 50 - 68 - UK Subs - STRANGLEHOLD
11 - 62 - 69 - Anita Ward - RING MY BELL
03 - 54 - 70 - Nazareth - STAR
05 - 57 - 71 - Billy Paul - BRING THE FAMILY BACK
1 - NEW - 72 - Frantique - STRUT YOUR FUNKY STUFF
07 - 61 - 73 - Kiss - I WAS MADE FOR LOVIN' YOU
13 - 72 - 74 - Blondie - SUNDAY GIRL
06 - 64 - 75 - Siouxsie and The Banshees - PLAYGROUND TWIST


Week Ending 18 August 1979

(weeks on chart - chart position the previous week - chart position)
05 - 01 - 01 - Boomtown Rats - I DON'T LIKE MONDAYS
05 - 02 - 02 - Cliff Richard - WE DON'T TALK ANYMORE
03 - 06 - 03 - Ian Dury And The Blockheads - REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL (PART 3)
04 - 14 - 04 - Earth Wind And Fire - AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE
06 - 03 - 05 - Abba - ANGELEYES / VOULEZ VOUS
03 - 07 - 06 - Sham 69 - HERSHAM BOYS
12 - 04 - 07 - Police - CAN'T STAND LOSING YOU
10 - 05 - 08 - Dooleys - WANTED
05 - 17 - 09 - Darts - DUKE OF EARL
05 - 08 - 10 - Electric Light Orchestra - THE DIARY OF HORACE WIMP
04 - 27 - 11 - BA Robertson - BANG BANG
05 - 11 - 12 - Sparks - BEAT THE CLOCK
02 - 32 - 13 - Roxy Music - ANGEL EYES
04 - 24 - 14 - Special AKA - GANGSTERS
08 - 09 - 15 - Dave Edmunds - GIRLS TALK
06 - 18 - 16 - Judie Tzuke - STAY WITH ME TILL DAWN
04 - 29 - 17 - Showaddywaddy - SWEET LITTLE ROCK N' ROLLER
10 - 10 - 18 - Patrick Hernandez - BORN TO BE ALIVE
05 - 25 - 19 - Gibson Brothers - OOH WHAT A LIFE
05 - 23 - 20 - Spyro Gyra - MORNING DANCE
09 - 16 - 21 - Korgis - IF I HAD YOU
02 - 39 - 22 - Boney M - GOTTA GO HOME / EL LUTE
03 - 30 - 23 - Joe Jackson - IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM
08 - 13 - 24 - Supertramp - BREAKFAST IN AMERICA
08 - 12 - 25 - Knack - MY SHARONA
08 - 15 - 26 - Chic - GOOD TIMES
03 - 31 - 27 - Randy Vanwarmer - JUST WHEN I NEEDED YOU MOST
07 - 21 - 28 - Donna Summer - BAD GIRLS
02 - 44 - 29 - Angelic Upstarts - TEENAGE WARNING
03 - 47 - 30 - Flying Lizards - MONEY
11 - 20 - 31 - Janet Kay - SILLY GAMES
02 - 58 - 32 - Sister Sledge - LOST IN MUSIC
02 - 66 - 33 - Bellamy Brothers - IF I SAID YOU HAD A BEAUTIFUL BODY WOULD YOU HOLD IT AGAINST ME
03 - 41 - 34 - Kandidate - GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS
02 - 61 - 35 - Johnny Mathis - GONE GONE GONE
04 - 48 - 36 - Me And You - YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT
02 - 55 - 37 - B-52's - ROCK LOBSTER
14 - 19 - 38 - Tubeway Army - ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC
05 - 34 - 39 - Telex - ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK
03 - 43 - 40 - Merton Parkas - YOU NEED WHEELS
05 - 33 - 41 - Buzzcocks - HARMONY IN MY HEAD
05 - 37 - 42 - Real Thing - BOOGIE DOWN
05 - 42 - 43 - Diana Ross - THE BOSS
02 - 72 - 44 - Frantique - STRUT YOUR FUNKY STUFF
06 - 35 - 45 - Pretenders - KID
10 - 22 - 46 - Beach Boys - LADY LYNDA
08 - 26 - 47 - Sex Pistols - C'MON EVERYBODY
1 - NEW - 48 - Stranglers - DUCHESS
04 - 38 - 49 - Olympic Runners - THE BITCH
10 - 36 - 50 - Amii Stewart - LIGHT MY FIRE / 137 DISCO HEAVEN
04 - 46 - 51 - Jolly Brothers - CONSCIOUS MAN
1 - NEW - 52 - Gerry Rafferty - GET IT RIGHT NEXT TIME
04 - 51 - 53 - Dire Straits - LADY WRITER
1 - NEW - 54 - Crusaders - STREET LIFE
04 - 53 - 55 - Hot Chocolate - GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS
14 - 40 - 56 - Thom Pace - MAYBE
1 - NEW - 57 - Bill Lovelady - REGGAE FOR IT NOW

05 - 45 - 58 - Undertones - HERE COMES THE SUMMER
1 - NEW - 59 - Dollar - LOVE'S GOTTA HOLD ON ME
05 - 49 - 60 - Dickies - PARANOID
10 - 50 - 61 - Ruts - BABYLON BURNING
09 - 28 - 62 - Rickie Lee Jones - CHUCK E'S IN LOVE
1 - NEW - 63 - Fat Larry's Band - LOOKIN' FOR LOVE TONIGHT
1 - NEW - 64 - Planets - LINES
10 - 52 - 65 - Slick - SPACE BASS
07 - 62 - 66 - Teena Marie And Rick James - I'M A SUCKER FOR YOUR LOVE
04 - 65 - 67 - Cars - LET'S GO
1 - NEW - 68 - Racey - BOY OH BOY
05 - 57 - 69 - Billie Jo Spears - I WILL SURVIVE
05 - 56 - 70 - David Bowie - DJ
1 - NEW - 71 - Rezillos - I WANNA BE YOUR MAN / I CAN'T STAND MY BABY
13 - 59 - 72 - Gerry Rafferty - NIGHT OWL
1 - NEW - 73 - Bombers - LET'S DANCE
07 - 63 - 74 - Art Garfunkel - SINCE I DON'T HAVE YOU
07 - 64 - 75 - Public Image Limited - DEATH DISCO

 

This was the sixth and last Boomtown Rats single I bought over a two year period, following a rave review in Record Mirror by one Paula Yates of, Looking After No. 1.

For a band that started off with the energy and angry lyrics of the debut, along with Rat Trap this was a far more mature song and a deserved big hit. After the two number one singles, Bob and the Rats didn't ever come close to replicating that success.

 

I Don’t Like Mondays is not only the best Boomtown Rats single, it’s one of the best records of 1979 too. Just a great song. It’s a shame Geldof was never able to follow it and went swiftly down the dumper (musically) soon after. I was heartbroken.

 

In the U.S., "I Don't Like Mondays" was issued on Columbia 1-11117. The B side was the same.

 

As the LP's go, I have #7, 46 and 58. Meanwhile, as to the positions of the four-week period "Don't Like Mondays" was #1, I will go by the July 28 chart and follow its trajectory through Aug. 4, 11 and 18 as to which I have (format #-#-#-#):
#6-8-12-25, #7-12-15-26, #13-11-10-18, #14-15-21-28, #18-20-28-62, #23-14-2-2, #49-70- - , #51-52-65-67, #52-73- - , #55-26-14-4 and #60-74- - .

 

Boomtown Rats - I Don't Like Mondays
I stopped buying their stuff by the time this came out...but there is no denying that this is a classic single.
4/5

favs from this period...
The Knack - My Sherona
Judy Tzuke - Stay With Me Till Dawn
Dire Straits - Lady Writer
The Ruts - Babylons Burning
Special AKA - Gangsters
Flying Lizards - Money
Janet Kay - Silly Games
B52's - Rock Lobster
Stranglers - Dutchess
Buzzcocks - Harmony In My Head

 

Fantastic choices, love all of them.

 

I loved the Boomtown Rats and for me this was the their peak. It was a huge step forward from their previous singles and had a great video to boot.
Unfortunately it was down hill all the way after this. There was just so much great music around at this time and it was quickly about to get a whole lot better. I think maybe the Boomtown Rats suddenly seemed dated amongst the new pop artists. Of course their records got worse as well which never helps

 

Classic!

 

I've always thought this track was very Elvis Costello. Should have been a much bigger hit in America, but then Costello flopped here, too. So...

 

Don't think it helped that he had the same first name as the King of Rock & Roll and the same last name as Bud Abbott's partner . . .

 

Wow, disco sort of just evaporated from those charts. Gary Numan was utterly surrounded by it just a few posts ago.

"I Don't Like Mondays" is a stunner, brilliantly arranged and performed. I agree with all assembled that Mr. Geldof has never topped it.

It's depressing to reflect that there was a time that school shootings didn't happen with sickening regularity here in the States. I recall my classmates and I being utterly stunned, numb with disbelief that a girl our age had done such a thing.

 

This was, after all, after the infamous "Disco Demolition Night" at Comiskey Park in Chicago on July 12, 1979, organized by local radio DJ Steve Dahl (in conjunction with Bill Veeck who was then-owner of the Chicago White Sox baseball team). Disco records were burned at the event, but beyond that such damage was done to the playing field that, being as this was held in-between games in a doubleheader, the second game ended up forfeited to the opposing team. It would appear that the "death" of disco spurred by this event had by this point spread to the UK.

 

This is a bit confusing, because "disco" as such didn't die, after all. Rock and roll didn't become the force the promoters of the DDN wanted. They merely changed the disco elements and rebranded as "dance" music, and it dominated the 80s. In the UK, 1980 was a great year for dance, after all.

 

The stylistic changeover from the '70s to the '80s happened faster than in any other decade I've lived thru. It was like somebody flicked a switch.

Disco absolutely died, and anything that sounded like pre-1980 disco had a very hard time charting - let alone charting high - after the summer of 1980.

"Dance music" ain't disco, although it inherited quite a bit from its predecessor. And "dance music" would never become the kind of chart and cultural force disco had been, although by the end of the '80s it was certainly a major component of the charts.

 

John said it, P.I.L. Death Disco!

 

Donna Summer had her best year in 1979 with the Bad Girls album, duet with Streisand and her On The Radio comp. Was this disco or just dance music? I’m hopelessly confused.

 

Enough is enough regarding the death of disco.

 

Disco was still alive, if not well, by the end of '79. It was by the end of '80 where it had clearly fallen off a cliff.

Something similar happened a couple of years later on the US charts, where country had been staging an impressive Top 10 takeover, and then vanished more quickly than it had come in the wake of The Human League's "Don't You Want Me".

They deserved a Nobel Prize for accomplishing that.

 

Interesting that while the Boomtown Rats and Tubeway Army hits of that year did not really do that big on the Billboard Charts, over time I Don't Like Mondays has been played a lot on alt rock stations and Are Friends Electric? turns up on Sirius digital stations and on PAs at stores. They are played more than many songs that made the US top 40 at the time.

 

I can't stand gobby Geldof, and The Rats were always plastic punks.......but IDLM is undeniably a very classy single. I love the video, especially those Village Of The Damned-like close ups of the bug-eyed kids.