On this day in 1980: Diana Ross was enjoying her second of four weeks at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Upside Down.” It was written and produced by Chic members Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. The song was issued as a single through the Motown label in 1980, as the lead single from her tenth studio album, ‘Diana.’ “Upside Down” hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and held the top spot for 4 weeks. It also hit number one on the Billboard Disco and Soul charts. The single was released a full four weeks after the album was released.
“Upside Down” was also a big hit internationally, topping the singles charts in Sweden, Italy, Norway, and Switzerland, while reaching number five in Canada. It also rose to number two on the U.K. singles chart. “Upside Down” is listed at #77 on Billboard‘s “Greatest Hot 100 Songs of All Time”
Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic wrote the song. In a 2011 interview, Nile Rodgers said “Diana Ross was the first big star we ever worked with and we took it very seriously.” Rodgers and Edwards interviewed her for several days. “This was the first time in her life somebody cared about who she was; what she was — everyone previously had got her in and said ‘Sing this’. We took a more personal approach.”
Let’s take a look at the entire Top 20 on the U.S. singles chart from this day back in 1980:
1 1 UPSIDE DOWN –•– Diana Ross (Motown)-10 (2 weeks at #1) (1)
2 4 ALL OUT OF LOVE –•– Air Supply (Arista)-14 (2)
3 3 EMOTIONAL RESCUE –•– The Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones)-11 (3)
4 5 FAME –•– Irene Cara (RSO)-14 (4)
5 2 SAILING –•– Christopher Cross (Warner Brothers)-14 (1)
6 7 GIVE ME THE NIGHT –•–George Benson (Warner Brothers / Qwest)-11 (6)
7 9 LATE IN THE EVENING –•– Paul Simon (Warner Brothers)-6 (7)
8 10 LOOKIN’ FOR LOVE –•– Johnny Lee (Full Moon)-10 (8)
9 23 ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST –•– Queen (Elektra)-5 (9)
10 13 DRIVIN’ MY LIFE AWAY –•– Eddie Rabbitt (Elektra)-13 (10)
11 11 INTO THE NIGHT –•– Benny Mardones (Polydor)-14 (11)
12 27 I’M ALRIGHT –•– Kenny Loggins (Columbia)-10 (12)
13 6 MAGIC –•– Olivia Newton-John (MCA)-17 (1)
14 17 YOU’RE THE ONLY WOMAN (You & I) –•– Ambrosia (Warner Brothers)-10 (14)
15 16 ONE IN A MILLION YOU –•– Larry Graham (Warner Brothers)-12 (15)
16 18 YOU’LL ACCOMP’NY ME –•– Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band (Capitol)-8 (16)
17 26 XANADU –•– Olivia Newton-John / Electric Light Orchestra (MCA)-6 (17)
18 21 ALL OVER THE WORLD –•– Electric Light Orchestra (MCA)-7 (18)
19 19 BOULEVARD –•– Jackson Browne (Asylum)-11 (19)
20 22 HOT ROD HEARTS –•– Robbie Dupree (Elektra)-9 (20)
