On this day in 1980: Billy Joel started a two week run at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with “It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me.” It was released as a single off his 7x Platinum ‘Glass Houses’ album. It is one of four Top 40 hits off the album.

The song spent 11 weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and was the 7th biggest hit of 1980 according to American Top 40. Billboard would rank it the #9 song of 1980 on their year-end chart. The song is an examination of the themes of a musician’s declining fame and changing public tastes that were expressed in his 1975 hit “the Entertainer.” The single eventually reached platinum status from the RIAA for sales of over 1 million copies in the United States.

Here’s a look at the Top 20 on the U.S. singles chart from this day back in 1980:

1 2 IT’S STILL ROCK AND ROLL TO ME –•– Billy Joel (Columbia)-9 (1 week at #1) (1)
2 1 COMING UP (Live At Glasgow) / COMING UP –•– Paul McCartney and Wings (Columbia)-13 (1)
3 4 LITTLE JEANNIE –•– Elton John (MCA)-12 (3)
4 5 CUPID / I’VE LOVED YOU FOR A LONG TIME (Medley) –•– The Spinners (Atlantic)-10 (4)
5 11 SHINING STAR –•– The Manhattans (Columbia)-13 (5)
6 6 STEAL AWAY –•– Robbie Dupree (Elektra)-15 (6)
7 8 MAGIC –•– Olivia Newton-John (MCA)-9 (7)
8 3 THE ROSE –•– Bette Midler (Atlantic)-18 (3)
9 9 LET’S GET SERIOUS –•– Jermaine Jackson (Motown)-17 (9)
10 10 LET ME LOVE YOU TONIGHT –•– The Pure Prairie League (Casablanca)-11 (10)

11 19 TAKE YOUR TIME (Do It Right) (Part 1) –•– The S.O.S. Band (Tabu)-8 (11)
12 13 TIRED OF TOEIN’ THE LINE –•– Rocky Burnette (EMI-America)-11 (12)
13 14 ONE FINE DAY –•– Carole King (Capitol)-10 (13)
14 15 IN AMERICA –•– The Charlie Daniels Band (Epic)-8 (14)
15 17 MORE LOVE –•– Kim Carnes (EMI-America)-8 (15)
16 16 I’M ALIVE –•– Electric Light Orchestra (MCA)-9 (16)
17 22 EMOTIONAL RESCUE –•– The Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones)-3 (17)
18 21 LOVE THE WORLD AWAY –•– Kenny Rogers (United Artists)-5 (18)
19 20 GIMME SOME LOVIN’ –•– The Blues Brothers (Atlantic)-8 (19)
20 7 FUNKYTOWN –•– Lipps, Inc. (Casablanca)-17 (1)

On this day in 1986: Genesis went to #1 on the U.S. singles chart with ‘Invisible Touch’. The band’s former lead singer Peter Gabriel was at #2 with ‘Sledgehammer’. ‘Invisible Touch’ would spend one week in the top spot before being replaced by ‘Sledgehammer.’

“Invisible Touch” is the title track and first single from the 1986 album of the same name by the English rock band Genesis. The song is a group composition which featured lyrics written by drummer and singer Phil Collins.

It was their first and only #1 single in the United States. The song was the first of five consecutive U.S. top five singles from the album of the same name.  It also reached #4 in Canada and #15 in the United Kingdom.

Genesis members Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford have both spoken highly of the song in retrospect. Collins has called it his “favourite Genesis song” and Rutherford has called it “a wonderful song: upbeat, fun to play, always a strong moment in any gig”.  As the band’s only Billboard Hot 100 number one, the song is included in Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era.

Here’s a look at the complete Top 20 on the U.S. singles chart from this day back in 1986:

1 2 INVISIBLE TOUCH –•– Genesis (Atlantic)-8 (1 Week at #1) (1)
2 6 SLEDGEHAMMER –•– Peter Gabriel (Geffen)-11 (2)
3 4 NASTY –•– Janet Jackson (A&M)-10 (3)
4 7 DANGER ZONE –•– Kenny Loggins (Columbia)-11 (4)
5 1 HOLDING BACK THE YEARS –•– Simply Red (Elektra)-16 (1)
6 5 WHO’S JOHNNY –•– El DeBarge (Gordy)-13 (3)
7 11 GLORY OF LOVE –•– Peter Cetera (Full Moon / Warner Brothers)-7 (7)
8 3 THERE’LL BE SAD SONGS –•– Billy Ocean (Jive)-14 (1)
9 9 YOUR WILDEST DREAMS –•– Moody Blues (Polydor)-14 (9)
10 17 LOVE TOUCH –•– Rod Stewart (Warner Brothers)-8 (10)

11 18 MAD ABOUT YOU –•– Belinda Carlisle (I.R.S.)-10 (11)
12 24 PAPA DON’T PREACH –•– Madonna (Sire)-4 (12)
13 16 OPPORTUNITIES (Let’s Make Lots Of Money) –•– Pet Shop Boys (EMI-America)-8 (13)
14 14 WHEN THE HEART RULES THE MIND –•– GTR (Arista)-11 (14)
15 19 MODERN WOMAN –•– Billy Joel (Columbia)-7 (15)
16 12 LIKE A ROCK –•– Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (Capitol)-9 (12)
17 22 WE DON’T HAVE TO TAKE OUR CLOTHES OFF –•– Jermaine Stewart (Arista)-10 (17)
18 21 DIGGING YOUR SCENE –•– Blow Monkeys (RCA)-12 (18)
19 8 NO ONE IS TO BLAME –•– Howard Jones (Elektra)-15 (4)
20 10 TUFF ENUFF –•– Fabulous Thunderbirds (CBS Associated)-14 (10)