The Ledge #410: UK Punk 1980

After quite a few shows devoted to 1979 in the last 12 months, it's predictable that this new year will see a similar move with music from 1980. Tonight's is the first of such a show and it's devoted to the UK punk scene. It's in many respects a strange year for punk. A large percentage of the original UK punk acts had broken up, and few new bands were replacing them in the charts. The music had gone back underground, which led to a new, louder sound that's represented by a few of the tracks on this show.

But there were still a few of the old faves hanging around, although their sound was clearly moving beyond what initially made them famous. Three of those acts (The Undertones, The Jam, The Clash) are represented by an in-depth look at their 1980 album releases. The Clash in particular completely threw away the rulebook with their landmark album, Sandinista, which not only included the usual bangers but also had high doses of funk, dub, and other R&B.

After listening, please go purchase those tracks you enjoy! You can find this show at almost any podcast site, including iTunes and Stitcher...or

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!


1. The Clash, Bankrobber
2. Professionals, Little Boys In Blue
3. Sham 69, Tell The Children
4. Ruts, Staring at the Rude Boys
5. Damned, Hit Or Miss
6. The Undertones, My Perfect Cousin
7. The Undertones, More Songs About Chocolate and Girls
8. The Undertones, Hypnotised
9. The Undertones, Under the Boardwalk
10. Tenpole Tudor, What's In A Word
11. Crime, Johnny Come Home
12. Charge, Rather B Crazy
13. Killing Joke, The Wait
14. The Jam, Going Underground
15. The Jam, Pretty Green
16. The Jam, Start!
17. The Jam, That's Entertainment
18. Siouxsie & The Banshees, Trophy
19. Poison Girls, Pretty Polly
20. The Vice Squad, Last Rockers
21. Red Rage, Total Control
22. The Stiffs, Volume Control
23. Newtown Neurotics, Oh No
24. UK Subs, Warhead
25. The Clash, The Magnificent Seven
26. The Clash, Somebody Got Murdered
27. The Clash, Police on My Back
28. Cockney Rejects, The Greatest Cockney Rip Off
29. Dirty Girls, Love Or Lust
30. Rivals, Here Comes the Night
31. Crass, Bloody Revolutions