1981 Top Ten Music Charts

1981’s Biggest Artists and Songs

Christopher Cross (1980 Best New Artist Grammy Winner & Grammy for Album of the Year, presented in 1981)
Sailing (Grammy for Record of the Year)
New Artists in the Pop Charts Included:
Sheena Easton, Phil Collins (solo), Loverboy, Stevie Nicks (solo),
Lionel Richie, The Oak Ridge Boys, Al Jarreau, Steve Winwood (solo),
The Go-Gos, Billy Squire, Luthor Vandross, Debbie Harry (solo),
Marty Balin (solo) and Lee Ritenour

1981’s Retro Top 10 Hits

1. Betty Davis Eyes – Kim Carnes
2. Flash’s Theme (Flash) – Queen
3. Ah! Leah! – Donnie Iris
4. Queen of Hearts – Juice Newton
5. I Love A Rainy Night – Eddie Rabbitt
6. 9 to 5 – Dolly Parton
7. Private Eyes – Hall and Oates
8. Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne
9. Fire and Ice – Pat Benatar
10. Hearts – Marty Balin

1981’s ‘One Hit Wonders’

1. Double Dutch Bus – Frankie Smith
2. Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through – Jim Steinman
3. Tempted – Squeeze
4. Precious To Me – Phil Seymour
5. Seven Year Ache – Rosanne Cash
6. Teacher Teacher – Rockpile
7. Sausalito Summernight – Diesel
8. Sweet Baby – Stanley Clark & George Duke
9. Shaddap You Face – Joe Dolce
10. A Woman’s Got The Power – The A’s

1981’s Dance Top 10 Hit List

1. Let’s Groove – Earth Wind and Fire
2. When She Was My Girl – Four Tops
3. Double Dutch Bus – Frankie Smith
4. Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It) – Kool and the Gang
5. She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built She’s Stacked) – Carl Carlton
6. Don’t The Music – Yarbrough & Peoples
7. We’re In This Love Together – Al Jarreau
8. Fantastic Voyage – Lakeside
9. A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do) – Ray Parker Jr & Raydio
10. Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me) – Gap Band

1981’s Pop Dance Top 10 Hit List

1. Super Freak – Rick James
2. Celebration – Kool and the Gang
3. Give It To Me Baby – Rick James
4. Physical – Olivia Newton-John
5. Morning Train (9 to 5) – Sheena Easton
6. Our Lips Are Sealed – The Go-Gos
7. Lady (You Bring Me Up) – Commodores
8. Slow Hand – Pointer Sisters
9. Stars On 45 – Stars On 45
10. This Little Girl – Gary U.S. Bonds

1981’s Pop Rock Top 10 Hit List

1. Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
2. Jessie’s Girl – Rick Springfield
3. Back In Black – AC/DC
4. Start Me Up – Rolling Stones
5. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic – The Police
6. Urgent – Foreigner
7. De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da – The Police
8. Rapture – Blondie
9. Fashion – David Bowie
10. Tempted – Squeeze

1981’s Album Rock Top 10 Hit List

1. Don’t Stand So Close To Me – The Police
2. While You See a Chance – Steve Winwood
3. Back In Black – AC/DC
4. The Stroke – Billy Squire
5. Stop Draggin My Heart Around – Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty
6. Skateaway – Dire Straits
7. The Voice – The Moody Blues
8. Burnin For You – Blue Oyster Cult
9. Who’s Makin Love – The Blues Brothers
10. The Waiting – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
More of 1981’s Album Rock
Fade Away – Bruce Springsteen

1981’s Bubblegum Pop Music Top Ten

1. Physical – Olivia Newton-John
2. Morning Train – Sheena Easton
3. De do do do, De Da Da Da – The Police
4. Queen of Hearts – Juice Newton
5. The Tide Is High – Blondie
6. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic – The Police
7. Step By Step – Eddie Rabbitt
8. Shaddap You Face – Joe Dolce
9. My Girl (Gone Gone Gone) – Chilliwack
10. Theme From ‘Greatest American Hero’ – Joey Scarbury

PCM’s 1981 Top 10 Hit List

1. Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
2. Let’s Groove – Earth, Wind and Fire
3. Super Freak – Rick James
4. Give It To Me Baby – Rick James
5. Jessie’s Girl – Rick Springfield
6. Start Me Up – Rolling Stones
7. Back In Black – AC/DC
8. I Love You – Climax Blues Band
9. Celebration – Kool and The Gang
10. She’s A Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked) – Carl Carlton