4 Unforgettable 1980 Hit Singles Delivered by Superstar Solo Female Acts

Looking back at it now, the year 1980 feels like one of those moments in pop music history when all kinds of movements were colliding. New styles were muscling into the picture, while established genres fought tooth and nail to hold their ground.

We’ve collected four tracks from that fateful year that came from solo female artists who well understood how to handle it all. These songs still sound quite sharp today.

“Magic” by Olivia Newton-John

Olivia-Newton John does not get near enough credit for her ability to navigate the ever-changing pop landscape in the 70s and 80s, making only subtle changes in her approach to do so. She took a big swing as an actress by starring in the musical Xanadu. Even though the film took its share of critical hits, the soundtrack was a weird, wild, wondrous thing. ELO contributed several songs, even collaborating with Newton-John on the title track. But “Magic” came from John Farrar, who was behind many of her hits in the 70s. The slinky groove allows Newton-John to deliver some of her sultriest vocals. Everything opens up into a soaring refrain to seal the deal.

“The Rose” by Bette Midler

Bette Midler pushed her career to another level with the film The Rose. Up to that point, she’d mostly been known for her music. Her acting as a Janis Joplin-like character officially pushed her into hyphenate territory. She also rose to the occasion with her biggest ever pop hit to that point with the title track. Amanda McBroom, a somewhat unheralded singer-songwriter at the time, wrote “The Rose”. It ended up in a pile of possibilities that were submitted to be the movie’s closing track. Midler heard greatness in it. She even invited McBroom to sing harmony vocals. The heartfelt ballad made it all the way to the Top 5 in 1980, setting the stage for future Midler weepers to come.

“Upside Down” by Diana Ross

Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers had spearheaded plenty of R&B magic as members of Chic. As the 80s dawned, they began to spread their expertise to other pop stars. Diana Ross entered the 80s trying to redefine her sound after a few years of fair-to-middling efforts. She hired Rodgers and Edwards to add their touch to her 1980 album Diana. The pair wrote all eight songs and produced them as well. And the results were undeniable. “Upside Down”, with Ross playing the frazzled suitor without losing her innate elegance, shot to the top of the charts as the first single. It was followed by another Top 10 hit in “I’m Coming Out”. Both tracks have enjoyed lucrative second lives as sample sources.

“More Love” by Kim Carnes

This is the lone song on the list that’s a cover. Kim Carnes chose wisely when it came to her cover material. Why? Well, because it likely wouldn’t have had the same impact had she selected a Smokey Robinson & The Miracles’ song that had been a bigger hit. Instead, “More Love” was a bit of a deeper Motown cut, only making it to No. 23 in 1967. This was pre-“Bette Davis Eyes” for Carnes, a time when she was still very much riding in a soft-rock lane. And she’s certainly right at home on this track, her distinct vocals capturing all the urgency of Robinson’s lyrics. The saxophone solo comes from Raphael Ravenscroft, known for his famous work on Gerry Rafferty’s “Baker Street”.

(Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)

The post 4 Unforgettable 1980 Hit Singles Delivered by Superstar Solo Female Acts appeared first on American Songwriter.