Harmonic Convergence, 1975; 1980 Addendum

While slaving over the research that eventually developed into the "Harmonic Convergence, 1975" posting, I had an early suspicion that The Who, Rush, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd were again all active to some degree in 1980 [they were] and that, furthermore, both The Police and U2 might have been recording and/or touring.  Upon opening the Pandora's Box of 1980 album releases I couldn't resist a compilation of that year's most notable vinyl.  Herewith, a distillation of that list beginning where the last posting left off:

It is worth noting that 35 years ago, in 1980, a similar if not quite as spectacular Harmonic Convergence [sic] occurred.  The Big Four of The Who, Rush, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd toured once again (although, among them, only Rush released a studio album that year; the masterful Permanent Waves).  Also releasing studio albums and/or touring that year were, arguably, the two leading bands that came to define the 1980s (and 1990s for one):

The Police (Zenyatta Mondata, #1 in the UK, #5 In the US)
U2 (Boy, #52 UK, #63 US)

1980 was a memorable year in music (weren't they all?) - a year that saw competing and disparate styles of music rivaling one another for popular preeminence:

The Clash (Communista! Sandinista!, #19 UK, #24 US)
The Pretenders (Pretenders, #1 UK, #9 US)
Christopher Cross (Christopher Cross, #6 US)
Journey (Departures, #8 US)
Van Halen (Women and Children First, #6 US)
Genesis (Duke, unknown chart positions)
Billy Joel (Glass Houses, #1 US, #9 UK)
Pete Townshend (Empty Glass, #5 US)
Judas Priest (British Steel, #4 UK, #34 US)
Waylon Jennings (Music Man, #36 US)
Devo (Freedom of Choice, #22 US, #47 UK)
AC/DC (Back in Black, #1 UK, #4 US)
Hall & Oates (Voices, #17 US)
Johnny Cougar (Nothin' Matters and What If It Did, #37 US)
Ozzy Osbourne (Blizzard of Ozz)
Kool & the Gang (Celebrate!, #10 US)
Talking Heads (Remain in Light, #19 U, #21 UK)
Bruce Springsteen (The River, #1 US, #2 UK)
Dire Straits (Making Movies, #4 UK, #9 US)
Motorhead (Ace of Spades)
REO Speedwagon (Hi Infidelity, #1 US)
The Jam (Sound Affects)
Blondie (Autoamerican, #3 UK, #7 US)
The Blues Brothers (Made in America)

For those of you who think I'm far too harsh on two of the better-known British Invasion bands and their individual membership, feast your senses on this junk from '80:

Rolling Stones (Emotional Rescue; Ronnie Wood deserves so much better)
I can't bring myself to identify by name this garbage.

Roll the credits!