1980

Overview . Events . Releases . Sessions

Notable Releases

• Jan 9: UK Decay release their second single, the "Black 45" EP on Plastic records.
• Jan 16: Bauhaus release "Dark Entries" on Axis records via Beggars Banquet. Axis records is shortly to become 4AD.
• Mar 6: Siouxsie and the Banshees release "Happy House"
• Mar 6: Killing Joke release "Wardance/Pssyche"
• Mar 18: Joy Division release "Licht und Blindheit", a single limited to 1578 copies and featuring "Atmosphere" and "Dead Souls".
• April 3: The Cure release "A Forest"
• April 17: The Cure release "Seventeen Seconds" (LP)
• April 18: Joy Division release a free flexi-disc, "Incubation/Komakino"
• May 26: Crisis release their "Hymns of Faith" EP. Tony Wakeford and Douglas Pearce later go on to form Death In June.
• May 27: Einsturzende Neubauten release their first single, "Fur Den Untergang/Stahlversion" on Monogram Records.
• May 29: The Birthday Party release their first LP as such, the self-titled The Birthday Party, which is available only in Australia. It includes some tracks recorded as The Boys Next Door.
• May 30: Siouxsie and the Banshees release "Christine/"Eve White, Eve Black".
• Jun 19: Modern English release "Swans on Glass"/"Incident" on 4AD.
• Jun 20: Joy Division release "Love Will Tear Us Apart".
• Jun 28: The Birthday Party release "Mr Clarinet"/"Happy Birthday" in the UK on 4AD. It was previously available in Australia on Missing Link.
• Jul 17: Joy Division release "Closer"
• Jul 18: Echo and the Bunnymen release their first LP, "Crocodiles"
• Jul 25: Adam and the Ants release "Kings of the Wild Frontier" (single). It features two drummers, and Adam goes on at length about his "tribal" sound in an interview with Sounds.
• Jul 31: Bauhaus release "Terror Couple Kill Colonel" on 4AD. The inspiration for the song is taken from a newspaper headline.
• Aug 1: Siouxsie and the Banshees release their third LP, "Kaleidoscope"
• Aug 27: UK Decay release "For My Country"/"Unwind" on Fresh records.
• Aug 30: The Lemon Kittens, now just Karl Blake and Danielle Dax, release their debut album, "We Buy A Hammer For Daddy" on United Dairies records.
• Sep 9: Fad Gadget releases "Fireside favourites"/"Insecticide".
• Sep 28: New Model Army have a 5-track cassette available
• Sep 29: Demons (formerly Demon Preacher) release "Action By Example"/"I Wish I Woz A Dog". Singer Nick Wade later went on to form Alien Sex Fiend, and "I Wish I Woz A Dog" would resurface on their first album .
• Oct 1: Killing Joke release "Requiem"/"Change"
• Oct 2: Echo and the Bunnymen release "The Puppet"/"Do It Clean"
• Oct 3: Adam and the Ants release "Dog Eat Dog"/"You're So Physical", which is their first big hit, peaking at No.4.
• Oct 4: Joy Division release "She's Lost Control"/"Atmosphere" on American import.
• Oct 8: Soft Cell release their debut EP, "Mutant Moments"
• Oct 11: The Birthday Party release "The Friend Catcher" on 4AD.
• Oct 13: Killing Joke release their self-titled debut LP on Malicious Damage.
• Nov 1: Theatre of Hate release their first single, "Original Sin"/"Legion".
• Nov 5: Fad Gadget releases his first LP, "Fireside Favourites", on Mute.
• Nov 5: Bauhaus release their debut album, "In the Flat Field" and "Telegram Sam"(single).
• Nov 5: The Sisters of Mercy release their debut single, "Damage Done"/"Watch".
• Nov 6: Adam and the Ants release their second LP, "Kings of the Wild Frontier"
• Nov 12: Modern English release "Gathering Dust" (single) on 4AD.
• Nov 28: Siouxsie and the Banshees release "Israel"/"Red OverWhite"