| 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 | Non-album Single (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 embraced the burgeoning new wave and punk scenes, with hits like Devo’s “Whip It” and The Clash’s “Train in Vain.” The station also supported local acts like X, blending raw energy with mainstream rock from bands like The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd, cementing its role as a tastemaker for alternative music.