The Best-Charting Rock Single Of 1980 Sounds Even Cooler Today

Rock was in good hands in 1980. Two Queen classics in the form of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Another One Bites the Dust" danced their way to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, while Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II" followed suit. Yet neither band could lay claim to being the best-charting rock single of 1980, since that honor belonged to Blondie's "Call Me."

Debbie Harry and the gang's single entered the Billboard Hot 100 in the middle of February. Two months later, the track climbed to the top spot and stayed there for six weeks, tying with Kenny Rogers' "Lady" for the most time spent at No. 1 that year. "Call Me" would stay on the chart for 25 weeks.

Undoubtedly, the song was further boosted by the fact that it was created for the Paul Schrader film "American Gigolo," starring Richard Gere. The extra Hollywood rub, coupled with the synth-meets-punk fervor, ensured that "Call Me" stood out for all the right reasons. Funnily enough, this Blondie song almost went to Stevie Nicks. Make no mistake, Nicks is talented in her own right, but "Call Me" is all about Harry's delivery, which is why it still stands the test of time today.

What's instantly noticeable about Blondie's "Call Me" is how different it is from the band's other big hits like "Heart of Glass" and "One Way or Another" (and even other underrated Blondie songs). There's a sense of urgency and undeniable swagger in the rhythm that practically commands the listener to turn up the volume and enjoy the ride. It's the type of song that lends itself well to any driving compilation, encouraging everybody to sing along or drum out the beat on the dashboard.

The song also features singer Debbie Harry at the top of her game and unloading lyrical bazookas like "Color me your color, baby, color me your car." According to Ultimate Classic Rock, her lyrics only took two hours to put together. The process was simple: She received the outline of the song from composer Giorgio Moroder, found out what "American Gigolo" was about, and tailored her lyrics around the main character, Julian Kay. Plus, it also helped that "she liked Richard Gere," as per Moroder's collaborator and keyboardist Harold Faltermeyer's comments to the Red Bull Music Academy.

The passion for the project — and likely Richard Gere — comes through in the overall track. Even if somebody has no idea what the song is about, the "Call me" part is as iconic as a chorus then as it is now. As Harry revealed to Rappler, people still sing it out to her when they see her in public.