| 1 | Devo | Whip It | Freedom of Choice (1980) |
| 2 | Pretenders | The Wait | Pretenders (1980) |
| 3 | Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers | Refugee | Damn the Torpedoes (1979) |
| 4 | The Rolling Stones | She's So Cold | Emotional Rescue (1980) |
| 5 | The B-52's | Give Me Back My Man | Wild Planet (1980) |
| 6 | Pink Floyd | Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 | The Wall (1979) |
| 7 | The Cars | Touch and Go | Panorama (1980) |
| 8 | The Police | De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da | Zenyatta Mondatta (1980) |
| 9 | Talking Heads | Once in a Lifetime | Remain in Light (1980) |
| 10 | The Clash | Train in Vain | London Calling (1979) |
| 11 | Oingo Boingo | Only a Lad | Only a Lad (1980) |
| 12 | John Lennon | Cleanup Time | Double Fantasy (1980) |
| 13 | AC/DC | What Do You Do for Money Honey | Back in Black (1980) |
| 14 | The Vapors | Turning Japanese | New Clear Days (1980) |
| 15 | Dead Kennedys | Holiday in Cambodia | Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980) |
| 16 | X | Los Angeles | Los Angeles (1980) |
| 17 | Devo | Freedom of Choice | Freedom of Choice (1980) |
| 18 | The Romantics | What I Like About You | The Romantics (1980) |
| 19 | Pretenders | Mystery Achievement | Pretenders (1980) |
| 20 | Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers | Don't Do Me Like That | Damn the Torpedoes (1979) |
| 21 | Van Halen | And the Cradle Will Rock | Women and Children First (1980) |
| 22 | Queen | Another One Bites the Dust | The Game (1980) |
| 23 | Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band | Her Strut | Against the Wind (1980) |
| 24 | David Bowie | Ashes to Ashes | Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (1980) |
| 25 | Peter Gabriel | Games Without Frontiers | Peter Gabriel (Melt) (1980) |
| 26 | The Rolling Stones | Let Me Go | Emotional Rescue (1980) |
| 27 | Pink Floyd | Comfortably Numb | The Wall (1979) |
| 28 | The Cars | Up and Down | Panorama (1980) |
| 29 | Gary Numan | Cars | The Pleasure Principle (1979) |
| 30 | Alice Cooper | Clones (We're All) | Flush the Fashion (1980) |
| 31 | The B-52's | Private Idaho | Wild Planet (1980) |
| 32 | Genesis | Misunderstanding | Duke (1980) |
| 33 | Rod Stewart | Foolish Behaviour | Foolish Behaviour (1980) |
| 34 | Pat Benatar | Hit Me with Your Best Shot | Crimes of Passion (1980) |
| 35 | Pretenders | Tattooed Love Boys | Pretenders (1980) |
| 36 | The Police | Don't Stand So Close to Me | Zenyatta Mondatta (1980) |
| 37 | Talking Heads | Crosseyed and Painless | Remain in Light (1980) |
| 38 | The Clash | Clampdown | London Calling (1979) |
| 39 | Heart | Even It Up | Bébé le Strange (1980) |
| 40 | The Motels | Danger | Motels (1979) |
| 41 | Bruce Springsteen | Ramrod | The River (1980) |
| 42 | Pete Townshend | Rough Boys | Empty Glass (1980) |
| 43 | Elvis Costello & The Attractions | Five Gears in Reverse | Get Happy!! (1980) |
| 44 | Surf Punks | My Beach | My Beach (1980) |
| 45 | David Bowie | Fashion | Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (1980) |
| 46 | Rockpile | Teacher Teacher | Seconds of Pleasure (1980) |
| 47 | Oingo Boingo | Ain't This the Life | Oingo Boingo (EP) (1980) |
| 48 | Devo | Girl U Want | Freedom of Choice (1980) |
| 49 | Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers | Here Comes My Girl | Damn the Torpedoes (1979) |
| 50 | The Rolling Stones | Emotional Rescue | Emotional Rescue (1980) |
| 51 | The Cars | Misfit Kid | Panorama (1980) |
| 52 | AC/DC | You Shook Me All Night Long | Back in Black (1980) |
| 53 | Robin Trower | Victims of the Fury | Victims of the Fury (1980) |
| 54 | Queen | Rock It (Prime Jive) | The Game (1980) |
| 55 | Roger Daltrey | Free Me | McVicar (1980) |
| 56 | Pat Travers Band | Snortin' Whiskey | Crash and Burn (1980) |
| 57 | John Lennon | (Just Like) Starting Over | Double Fantasy (1980) |
| 58 | The B-52's | Strobe Light | Wild Planet (1980) |
| 59 | Pretenders | Talk of the Town | Non-album Single (1980) |
| 60 | Pink Floyd | Run Like Hell | The Wall (1979) |
| 61 | The Police | Canary in a Coalmine | Zenyatta Mondatta (1980) |
| 62 | XTC | Generals and Majors | Black Sea (1980) |
| 63 | The J. Geils Band | Love Stinks | Love Stinks (1980) |
| 64 | Genesis | Turn It on Again | Duke (1980) |
| 65 | Talking Heads | Houses in Motion | Remain in Light (1980) |
| 66 | Devo | Gates of Steel | Freedom of Choice (1980) |
| 67 | The Clash | London Calling | London Calling (1979) |
| 68 | Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band | Betty Lou's Gettin' Out Tonight | Against the Wind (1980) |
| 69 | The Cars | Gimme Some Slack | Panorama (1980) |
| 70 | Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers | Even the Losers | Damn the Torpedoes (1979) |
| 71 | The Rolling Stones | Send It to Me | Emotional Rescue (1980) |
| 72 | Van Halen | Everybody Wants Some!! | Women and Children First (1980) |
| 73 | Queen | Dragon Attack | The Game (1980) |
| 74 | Rod Stewart | Gimme Wings | Foolish Behaviour (1980) |
| 75 | Elvis Costello & The Attractions | I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down | Get Happy!! (1980) |
| 76 | David Bowie | Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) | Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (1980) |
| 77 | Heart | Bebe le Strange | Bébé le Strange (1980) |
| 78 | Alice Cooper | Pain | Flush the Fashion (1980) |
| 79 | Peter Gabriel | Not One of Us | Peter Gabriel (Melt) (1980) |
| 80 | Siouxsie and The Banshees | Christine | Kaleidoscope (1980) |
| 81 | Huey Lewis and The News | Who Cares? | Huey Lewis and the News (1980) |
| 82 | AC/DC | Hells Bells | Back in Black (1980) |
| 83 | The Police | Driven to Tears | Zenyatta Mondatta (1980) |
| 84 | Pretenders | Brass in Pocket | Pretenders (1980) |
| 85 | Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers | Don't Bring Me Down | Damn the Torpedoes (1979) |
| 86 | Gary Myrick & The Figures | She Talks in Stereo | Gary Myrick & The Figures (1980) |
| 87 | The Cars | Don't Tell Me No | Panorama (1980) |
| 88 | Joe Walsh | All Night Long | Urban Cowboy (Soundtrack) (1980) |
| 89 | Paul McCartney | Temporary Secretary | McCartney II (1980) |
| 90 | The Romeos | Seriously Affected (Rock and Roll and Love and Death) | Non-album Single (1980) |
| 91 | Elvis Costello & The Attractions | Getting Mighty Crowded | Get Happy!! (1980) |
| 92 | Surf Punks | My Wave | My Beach (1980) |
| 93 | Cheap Trick | High Priest of Rhythmic Noise | All Shook Up (1980) |
| 94 | The Kingbees | My Mistake | The Kingbees (1980) |
| 95 | Journey | Any Way You Want It | Departure (1980) |
| 96 | Dave Davies | Nothin' More to Lose | Dave Davies (AFL1-3603) (1980) |
| 97 | Heart | Rockin' Heaven Down | Bébé le Strange (1980) |
| 98 | Queen | Crazy Little Thing Called Love | The Game (1980) |
| 99 | Rod Stewart | Passion | Foolish Behaviour (1980) |
| 100 | Pretenders | Cuban Slide | Non-album Single (1980) |
| 101 | The Plimsouls | Zero Hour | Zero Hour (EP) (1980) |
| 102 | Squeeze | Pulling Mussels (from the Shell) | Argybargy (1980) |
| 103 | Cheap Trick | Just Got Back | All Shook Up (1980) |
| 104 | The Babys | Too Far Gone | Union Jacks (1980) |
| 105 | Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers | What Are You Doin' in My Life? | Damn the Torpedoes (1979) |
| 106 | Cheap Trick | Everything Works If You Let It | Roadie (Soundtrack) (1980) |
| 106.7 | KROQ | Theme | Non-album Single (1980) |
About 1980
In 1980, KROQ was at the forefront of the new wave movement, with punk and post-punk sounds dominating the airwaves. Bands like Devo and The Clash defined the era, setting the stage for alternative rock’s rise in LA.