Top Songs of 1981
Rank▼ All Time Rank▼ Artist▼ Song▼ Genres▼
A Number of Names Sharevari Electro, Electro-Disco
99
6811
 ABC Tears Are Not Enough New Romantic
38
2792
 AC/DC For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) Hard Rock
47
3567
 Adam and The Ants Stand and Deliver New Romantic
Afrika Bambaataa & The Jazzy 5 Jazzy Sensation (Bronx Version) Disco Rap, East Coast Hip Hop
Alice Per Elisa Italo Pop, New Wave
78
5713
 Altered Images Happy Birthday New Wave, Pop
122
8554
 Altered Images I Could Be Happy New Wave, Twee Pop
Altered Images Dead Pop Stars Post-Punk
Anti-Nowhere League So What Oi!
134
9571
 Bauhaus Kick in the Eye Gothic Rock, Post-Punk
Bauhaus The Passion of Lovers Gothic Rock, Post-Punk
Bill Wyman (Si Si) Je suis un Rock Star Dance-Pop, New Wave, Synthpop
101
6927
 Billy Idol and Gen X Dancing with Myself New Wave, Power Pop
Billy Squier The Stroke Hard Rock
13
1131
 Black Flag Rise Above Hardcore Punk
58
4555
 Black Flag TV Party Hardcore Punk
Black Flag Police Story Hardcore Punk
Black Uhuru Sponji Reggae Roots Reggae
Blue Öyster Cult Burnin' for You AOR, Hard Rock
29
1905
 Bob Dylan Every Grain of Sand Christian Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Soft Rock
Bob Dylan The Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar Pop Rock, Singer/Songwriter
Bobby Womack If You Think You're Lonely Now Soul
Boys Town Gang Cruisin' the Streets Disco
105
7362
 Brian Eno - David Byrne America Is Waiting Art Punk, Art Rock, Experimental Rock
Brian Eno - David Byrne The Jezebel Spirit Art Rock, Experimental Rock
Bush Tetras You Can't Be Funky Dance-Punk, No Wave
Camarón de la Isla Como el agua Flamenco Nuevo
Carl Carlton She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked) Boogie, Contemporary R&B, Synth Funk
106
7410
 Chagrin d'amour Chacun fait (c'qui lui plaît) Disco Rap, French Hip Hop, French Pop, Pop Rap
Change Paradise Disco
102
7067
 Charlélie Couture Comme un avion sans ailes French Pop
China Crisis African and White New Wave, Synthpop
118
8431
 Christopher Cross Arthur's Theme (The Best That You Can Do) Film Soundtrack, Soft Rock, Yacht Rock
Clock DVA 4 Hours Post-Punk
Comateens Late Night City New Wave, Pop Rock, Synthpop
125
8772
 D Train You're the One for Me Boogie, Synth Funk
20
1422
 Daryl Hall & John Oates I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) Pop Rock, Pop Soul
86
6218
 Daryl Hall & John Oates Private Eyes Pop Rock
96
6494
 Dead Kennedys Too Drunk to Fuck Hardcore Punk
Dead Kennedys Nazi Punks Fuck Off! Hardcore Punk
120
8468
 Def Leppard Bringin' On the Heartbreak Hard Rock
Defunkt The Razor's Edge Jazz-Funk
123
8607
 Department S Is Vic There? New Wave, Post-Punk
15
1153
 Depeche Mode Just Can't Get Enough Synthpop
103
7224
 Depeche Mode New Life Synthpop
Depeche Mode Dreaming of Me Synthpop
57
4532
 Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft Der Mussolini EBM, Neue Deutsche Welle, Synth Punk
72
5464
 Dinosaur L #5 (Go Bang!) Disco
Discharge Why? D-Beat
Divinyls Boys in Town New Wave, Pub Rock
30
1907
 Duran Duran Girls on Film New Romantic, Synthpop
82
5869
 Duran Duran Planet Earth New Romantic, Synthpop
69
5383
 Earth, Wind & Fire Let's Groove Disco, Synth Funk
Echo and the Bunnymen Over the Wall Post-Punk
Echo and the Bunnymen A Promise Post-Punk
Einstürzende Neubauten Kollaps Industrial, Post-Punk
Eloy Point of No Return Progressive Rock, Space Rock
Elvis Costello Good Year for the Roses Country Pop
128
9163
 Elvis Costello and The Attractions Psycho Country, Country Rock
Eric Clapton I Can't Stand It Blues Rock
43
3205
 ESG Moody Dance-Punk
74
5551
 ESG UFO Dance-Punk
124
8621
 ESG You're No Good Dance-Punk
Eurythmics Never Gonna Cry Again New Wave, Synthpop
83
5953
 Fela Coffin for Head of State, Pt. 2 Afrobeat
131
9308
 Fela Original Sufferhead Afrobeat
51
3884
 Flipper Sex Bomb Noise Rock, Post-Punk
Flipper Brainwash Noise Rock, Post-Punk
75
5599
 Foreigner Waiting for a Girl Like You AOR, Soft Rock
90
6422
 Foreigner Urgent AOR, Pop Rock
117
8420
 Foreigner Juke Box Hero AOR, Hard Rock
Fun Boy Three The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum Art Pop, New Wave
50
3842
 Gang of Four To Hell with Poverty! Dance-Punk
135
9618
 Genesis Abacab Pop Rock, Progressive Pop
112
8026
 George Harrison All Those Years Ago Pop Rock, Singer/Songwriter
Gil Scott-Heron "B" Movie Funk, Spoken Word
14
1143
 Go-Go's Our Lips Are Sealed New Wave, Pop Rock
36
2494
 Go-Go's We Got the Beat New Wave, Power Pop
17
1255
 Grace Jones Pull Up to the Bumper Dance-Pop, Synth Funk
79
5779
 Grace Jones I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango) Art Pop, Dub, Sophisti-Pop
93
6451
 Grace Jones Nightclubbing Art Pop, Dub
12
955
 Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel Disco Rap, East Coast Hip Hop, Instrumental Hip Hop, Turntablism
Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five It's Nasty (Genius of Love) Disco Rap, East Coast Hip Hop
Grauzone Eisbär Neue Deutsche Welle, Post-Punk
104
7232
 Haircut 100 Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) New Wave
Hamilton Bohannon Let's Start II Dance Again Disco, Funk
28
1852
 Heaven 17 (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang New Wave, Synthpop
Heaven 17 Penthouse and Pavement New Wave, Synthpop
Hervé Cristiani Il est libre Max French Pop
Icehouse Can't Help Myself New Wave, Pop Rock
Imagination Body Talk Contemporary R&B, Pop Soul, Smooth Soul
Inner Life Ain't No Mountain High Enough Disco
121
8539
 Iron Maiden Wrathchild NWOBHM
J. Walter Negro and the Loose Jointz Shoot the Pump Disco, Disco Rap, Funk
33
2152
 Japan Ghosts Ambient Pop, Art Pop, Progressive Pop
Japan Visions of China Art Pop, New Wave
6
493
 Joan Jett and The Blackhearts I Love Rock 'n Roll Hard Rock
11
951
 Journey Don't Stop Believin' AOR, Pop Rock
Journey Who's Crying Now AOR, Soft Rock
Journey Open Arms AOR, Adult Contemporary, Soft Rock
133
9532
 Junior Giscombe Mama Used to Say Boogie, Contemporary R&B
Kate Bush Sat in Your Lap Art Pop
22
1543
 Kim Carnes Bette Davis Eyes Pop
76
5607
 Kim Wilde Kids in America New Wave, Pop Rock
Kim Wilde Cambodia Synthpop
Kirsty MacColl There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis Country Pop, Rock & Roll
113
8036
 Kool & The Gang Get Down on It Disco, Funk
27
1808
 Kraftwerk Computer Liebe/Computer Love Synthpop
40
3050
 Kraftwerk Nummern/Numbers Electro
71
5388
 Kraftwerk Taschenrechner / Pocket Calculator Synthpop
81
5862
 Kraftwerk Computerwelt / Computer World Synthpop
5
436
 Laurie Anderson O Superman Art Pop, Experimental, Post-Minimalism, Progressive Electronic
Les Civils La crise Soft Rock, Synthpop
136
9830
 Leño Maneras de vivir Boogie Rock, Hard Rock, Rock urbano español
Lindsey Buckingham Trouble Soft Rock
Linx Intuition Dance-Pop, Pop Soul
Lionel Richie and Diana Ross Endless Love Adult Contemporary, Film Soundtrack
Louis Chédid Ainsi Soit-il Chanson
65
4869
 Loverboy Working for the Weekend AOR, Pop Rock
32
2114
 Luther Vandross Never Too Much Pop Soul, Smooth Soul
52
4125
 Madness It Must Be Love 2 Tone, Pop
Madness Cardiac Arrest 2 Tone, New Wave, Pop
Mecano Hoy no me puedo levantar New Romantic, Synthpop
34
2251
 Men at Work Down Under Pop Reggae, Pop Rock
77
5661
 Men at Work Who Can It Be Now? New Wave, Pop Rock
42
3099
 Minor Threat Straight Edge Hardcore Punk
132
9375
 Minor Threat Minor Threat Hardcore Punk
Minor Threat In My Eyes Hardcore Punk
19
1347
 Mission of Burma That's When I Reach for My Revolver Post-Punk
107
7490
 Mötley Crüe Live Wire Glam Metal, Heavy Metal
Motörhead / Girlschool Please Don't Touch Hard Rock, Heavy Metal
18
1310
 New Order Ceremony Post-Punk
108
7492
 New Order Everything's Gone Green Post-Punk, Synthpop
New Order Procession Post-Punk
Odyssey Going Back to My Roots Disco
114
8098
 Olivia Newton-John Physical Pop Rock
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Joan of Arc Art Pop, Synthpop
Ozzy Osbourne Diary of a Madman Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal
Ozzy Osbourne Flying High Again Hard Rock, Heavy Metal
59
4560
 Paolo Conte Via con me Jazz Pop
Pata Negra Los mánagers Andalusian Rock, Flamenco Nuevo
92
6430
 Pete Shelley Homosapien New Wave, Synthpop
7
549
 Phil Collins In the Air Tonight Ambient Pop, Art Pop, Pop Rock
48
3575
 Pigbag Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag Dance-Punk
73
5480
 Pretenders Message of Love New Wave, Pop Rock
137
9958
 Pretenders I Go to Sleep Pop Rock
31
2026
 Prince Controversy Synth Funk
Public Image Ltd. Flowers of Romance Experimental Rock, Post-Punk
4
415
 Queen & David Bowie Under Pressure Pop Rock
Quincy Jones Ai No Corrida Disco
Rainbow I Surrender AOR, Hard Rock, Pop Rock
Red Rider Lunatic Fringe AOR, Hard Rock
9
792
 Rick James Super Freak Synth Funk
94
6485
 Rick James Give It to Me Baby Disco, Synth Funk
Rick Springfield Jessie's Girl Power Pop
Riot Swords and Tequila Heavy Metal
Rita Marley One Draw Reggae
Roberto Torres y su Charanga Vallenata Caballo Viejo Salsa, Son Cubano
98
6669
 Rod Stewart Young Turks New Wave, Pop Rock
55
4308
 Romeo Void Never Say Never New Wave
63
4803
 Rosanne Cash Seven Year Ache Country Pop, Singer/Songwriter
127
9060
 Roxy Music Jealous Guy Adult Contemporary, Soft Rock
25
1713
 Rush Tom Sawyer Progressive Rock
Rush Limelight Progressive Rock
Rush Red Barchetta Progressive Rock
Rush YYZ Progressive Rock
Sammy Hagar There's Only One Way to Rock Hard Rock
41
3061
 Scritti Politti The Sweetest Girl Art Pop, New Wave
Sheena Easton For Your Eyes Only Adult Contemporary, Film Soundtrack
Simple Minds Theme for Great Cities New Wave, Post-Punk
Simple Minds Love Song New Wave, Post-Punk
116
8230
 Siouxsie and The Banshees Spellbound Gothic Rock, Post-Punk
Siouxsie and The Banshees Arabian Knights Gothic Rock, Post-Punk
115
8210
 Slime Deutschland Deutschpunk
54
4189
 Smokey Robinson Being with You Contemporary R&B, Pop Soul, Smooth Soul
2
178
 Soft Cell Tainted Love New Wave, Synthpop
68
5156
 Soft Cell Say Hello, Wave Goodbye New Wave, Synthpop
Soft Cell Memorabilia Synthpop
Soft Cell Bedsitter New Wave, Synthpop
95
6491
 Spandau Ballet Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On) New Romantic
Spandau Ballet Glow New Romantic
37
2747
 Squeeze Tempted Pop Rock
Stan Rogers Northwest Passage Canadian Maritime Folk
24
1654
 Stevie Nicks Edge of Seventeen (Just Like the White Winged Dove) Pop Rock
56
4387
 Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Stop Draggin' My Heart Around Pop Rock
60
4588
 Stray Cats Stray Cat Strut Rockabilly
67
5103
 Stray Cats Rock This Town Rockabilly
Strikers Body Music Boogie
130
9278
 Sunnyboys Alone With You Jangle Pop, Power Pop
Swingers Counting the Beat New Wave, Power Pop
23
1624
 Taana Gardner Heartbeat Boogie
Tears for Fears Suffer the Children Synthpop
84
6139
 Teena Marie Square Biz Boogie, Funk, Pop Soul
Television Personalities This Angry Silence Indie Pop, Post-Punk
The Associates Kitchen Person Experimental Rock, Gothic Rock, Post-Punk
61
4591
 The Birthday Party Release the Bats Gothic Rock, Noise Rock
The Birthday Party Nick the Stripper Post-Punk
The Blasters Marie Marie Rockabilly
97
6631
 The Cars Shake It Up New Wave
The Church The Unguarded Moment Jangle Pop, Power Pop
The Clark Sisters You Brought the Sunshine Disco, Gospel
80
5790
 The Clash This Is Radio Clash Dance-Punk, Funk, Funk Rock
The Clean Tally Ho! Dunedin Sound, Indie Pop
64
4852
 The Cramps Goo Goo Muck Psychobilly
The Creatures Mad Eyed Screamer Experimental Rock, Post-Punk
88
6293
 The Cure Charlotte Sometimes Gothic Rock, Post-Punk
126
8991
 The Cure Primary Gothic Rock, Post-Punk
129
9208
 The Cure All Cats Are Grey Gothic Rock, Post-Punk
The Fire Engines Candyskin Post-Punk
39
2958
 The Gun Club Sex Beat Punk Blues
The Gun Club Fire of Love Post-Punk, Punk Blues
The Gun Club Preaching the Blues Psychobilly, Punk Blues
3
224
 The Human League Don't You Want Me Synthpop
35
2483
 The Human League Love Action (I Believe in Love) New Romantic, Synthpop
The Human League The Sound of the Crowd New Wave, Synthpop
49
3746
 The J. Geils Band Centerfold Pop Rock
The Jam Absolute Beginners Mod Revival, Psychedelic Pop
The Lounge Lizards Harlem Nocturne Avant-Garde Jazz, No Wave, Post-Bop
The Mighty Diamonds Pass the Kouchie Roots Reggae
The Moody Blues The Voice Pop Rock
The Names Night Shift Post-Punk
89
6298
 The Passions [UK] I'm in Love with a German Film Star New Wave
66
4930
 The Plimsouls A Million Miles Away Power Pop
111
7858
 The Pointer Sisters Slow Hand Pop Soul
45
3396
 The Police Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic New Wave, Pop Rock
85
6155
 The Police Invisible Sun New Wave, Pop Rock
110
7603
 The Police Spirits in the Material World New Wave, Pop Rock
16
1221
 The Psychedelic Furs Pretty in Pink New Wave, Post-Punk
70
5386
 The Reels Quasimodo's Dream Synthpop
10
919
 The Rolling Stones Start Me Up Hard Rock
46
3422
 The Rolling Stones Waiting on a Friend Pop Rock
The Rolling Stones Worried About You Rock
1
92
 The Specials Ghost Town 2 Tone
26
1721
 The Stranglers Golden Brown Baroque Pop, New Wave
The Teardrop Explodes Tiny Children Neo-Psychedelia, New Wave
The Teardrop Explodes Passionate Friend Neo-Psychedelia, New Wave, Post-Punk
87
6271
 The Who You Better You Bet Pop Rock
Thomas Dolby Europa and the Pirate Twins New Wave, Synthpop
Thomas Leer Tight As a Drum Minimal Synth, Synthpop
Throbbing Gristle Discipline Industrial
91
6426
 Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers The Waiting Heartland Rock, Roots Rock
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers A Woman in Love (It's Not Me) Heartland Rock
8
780
 Tom Tom Club Genius of Love New Wave, Synth Funk
62
4754
 Tom Tom Club Wordy Rappinghood Disco Rap, New Wave
53
4145
 Toni Basil Mickey Bubblegum
Triumph Magic Power AOR, Hard Rock
Triumph Fight the Good Fight Hard Rock
44
3311
 U2 Gloria Post-Punk
119
8467
 UB40 One in Ten Pop Reggae
109
7515
 Van Halen Unchained Hard Rock
Vangelis Chariots of Fire Film Score, Progressive Electronic
Vasco Rossi Siamo solo noi Pop Rock
Vivien Goldman Launderette Post-Punk
100
6840
 Was (Not Was) Out Come the Freaks Disco
Wipers Youth of America Noise Rock, Post-Hardcore, Post-Punk
21
1537
 Yoko Ono Walking on Thin Ice Dance-Punk, New Wave
Z.Z. Hill Down Home Blues Blues