Did you know Bruce Springsteen scored his first #1 album on this day in 1980? He topped the charts on this week’s MGK’s Thursday Top 10 Countdown from November 16, 1980.

A the same time, the Phillies were basking in the glory of a World Series victory, the Eagles were on their way to their first Super Bowl appearance. On TV, we’d soon find out who shot J.R. Ewing on Dallas (it was Kristin). Saturday Night Live had a rare disaster season. Lorne Michaels left as producer for one year and the entire cast was new. They were all canned after one season and Michaels returned. Speaking of disasters, Heaven’s Gate, the Kris Kristofferson and Christopher Walken big budget movie, bombed at the box office in November, 1980.

Back in November, 1980 you could buy a decent sized 3 bedroom house for about $70,000. A new car, say, a Datsun, could cost you about $6000. Eggs were 95 cents a dozen and you could buy 4 boxes of Macaroni and Cheese for a buck. If you wanted the latest computer, a new Radio Shack TRS-80 would run you just under a grand.

In the music world, disco was slowly being replaced by rap and rock and roll was all over the charts. Led Zeppelin officially called it quits after the passing of John Bonham. John Lennon and Yoko Ono released Double Fantasy, one month before his murder, and Bruce Springsteen scored his first #1 album today in 1980. Having said all that, here now are MGK’s top 10 rock albums on November 16, 1980.

• 10. Zenyatta Mondatta - The Police

  We kick things off with the third album by the Police. Recorded in just four weeks, and just in time to kick off a world tour, Zenyatta Mondatta was the #10 rock album on November 16, 1980.

• 9. Hold Out - Jackson Browne

  It’s interesting that this album was kind of panned by critics when it first came out, yet it was Jackson Browne’s only album to hit #1. After doing so, Hold Out drops this week to #8 on the countdown.

• 8. Emotional Rescue - The Rolling Stones

  The Stones recorded so many songs for this next album, that four were left over and used on their followup, Tattoo You. On November 16, 1980, Emotional Rescue was the #8 rock album, and here’s the title track.

• 7. Paris - Supertramp

  Supertramp toured the world for a year on the success of Breakfast In America. I’ll never forget seeing the Philly show at the Spectrum on May 25, 1979. The Paris show was recorded and released as Paris, their first live album and #7 on MGK’s Thursday Top 10 Countdown.

• 6. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) - David Bowie

  Adding a bit more electronics to his work, David Bowie returned in 1980 with a strong album called Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps). It peaked here at #6 and contains one of Bowie’s classic tracks, “Fashion.”

• 5. Back In Black - AC/DC

  After peaking at #4, AC/DC’s Back In Black slips one to #5 on the countdown. After this, it went onto be one of the biggest selling albums of all time! Here’s the title track:

• 4. One Step Closer - The Doobie Brothers

  After this album was released, Michael McDonald left The Doobie Brothers for a very successful solo career. The Doobie Brothers’ One Step Closer album peaked here at #4 on November 16, 1980.

• 3. Crimes Of Passion - Pat Benatar

  Pat Benatar bested her debut album’s performance with her followup, Crimes Of Passion. It drops this week to #3, after peaking at #2.

• 2. The Game - Queen

  Not only was this Queen’s one and only album to peak at the top spot in the U.S., it was also their biggest seller over here. On November 16, 1980, the #2 rock album was The Game.

• 1. The River - Bruce Springsteen

  Topping our chart this week is the fifth album by one of our biggest artist in all of classic rock. It started out as a single album, but the artist didn’t feel the songs said exactly what he was trying to get across. His manager talked him into adding more songs and, before long, he had his first double album release, and his first #1. The #1 rock album on November 16, 1980 was The River by Bruce Springsteen.

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