Lost Notes

In 1980, anti-disco sentiment was at a high and Grace Jones was coming off a trilogy of disco albums. If she stayed stagnant, it felt like her career could be swept away.

Most know Minnie Riperton because of one part in one song. “Lovin’ You” was Riperton’s biggest hit, and she doesn’t sing that magic, piercing note until around the 3-minute mark.

In December of 1980, two exiled artists and freedom fighters attempted return to their home in South Africa for a concert.

Punk singer Darby Crash dreamed of immortality.

In May of 1980, Joy Division lost its lead singer, Ian Curtis. The band decided that they would carry on with a different name.

When one thinks about the greatest rap groups of all time, Sugarhill Gang might be an afterthought, says Lost Notes host Hanif Abdurraqib.

Stevie Wonder released seven albums from 1970 to 1976. It is an impenetrable run of albums and songs, one of the greatest in music history.

This season the poet and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib explores the year 1980.