1981 in music

The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (November 2009)

See also:

• Timeline of musical events

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1981.

Events

January–April

• January 10 – A revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance opens at Broadway's Uris Theatre, starring Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith.
• January 24 – Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler is injured in a motorcycle crash that leaves him hospitalized for two months.
• February 14 – Billy Idol leaves the band Generation X to begin a solo career.
• March 14 – Suffering from bleeding ulcers, Eric Clapton is admitted to United Hospital in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Clapton's 60-city tour of the US is cancelled, and he remains in hospital for a month.
• April 1 - The Go-Go's sign to IRS Records.
• April 4 – British pop group Bucks Fizz wins the 26th Eurovision Song Contest, held at the RDS Simmonscourt Pavilion, Dublin, with the song "Making Your Mind Up".
• April 11 – Van Halen's lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen marries actress Valerie Bertinelli.
• April 18 – Yes announce that they are breaking up. (They would reunite frequently in years to come).
• April 20 – The Mamas & the Papas' John Phillips is sentenced to five years in jail after pleading guilty to drug possession charges. Phillips' sentence would be suspended after thirty days in exchange for 250 hours of community service.
• April 22 – Eric Clapton is taken to the hospital suffering from bruised ribs and a lacerated shin, following a car accident in Seattle, Washington.
• April 27 – Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach marry, in London, England.

May–August

• May 2 – British vocalist Sheena Easton hits No. 1 in the US with "Morning Train (9 to 5)" following a swift rise to fame as the result of a reality TV show.
• May 14 – Diana Ross signs with RCA Records (EMI internationally), leaving Motown Records, her label of two decades. The $20,000,000 deal is the most lucrative recording contract in history at that time.
• May 15 – A riot breaks out at The Ritz rock club in New York when Public Image Ltd plays behind a videoscreen while completely different music plays over the club's speakers.
• June 4 – U2 appears on the Tomorrow show with Tom Snyder, their first U.S. television appearance.
• June 5 - The TV series Night Flight, a variety show featuring music documentaries and videos, premieres on the USA Network.
• June 6 - Kerrang! magazine publishes its first issue. Angus Young of AC/DC is on the cover.
• June 30 – Jerry Lee Lewis is rushed to hospital in Memphis for emergency surgery for a tear in his stomach. Despite being given less than a 50% chance of survival, he eventually pulls through.
• August 1 – MTV debuts on cable television in the United States, playing music videos 24 hours a day.
• August – the success of Stars On 45 leads to a short-lived medley craze. The most successful imitator of the Stars On 45 format is, rather unexpectedly, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra whose "Hooked On Classics (Parts 1&2)" reaches number two in the charts.
• August 23 – The Violent Femmes are discovered by members of The Pretenders busking outside a Milwaukee venue and are invited to play a 10-minute acoustic set as a second opening act in the Pretenders' show that night.

September–December

• September 19 – Simon & Garfunkel perform a free reunion concert in New York City's Central Park attended by over 500,000 fans.
• September 25 – The Rolling Stones open their US tour in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• October 26 - Iron Maiden plays its first show with Bruce Dickinson as the new lead singer in Bologna, Italy.
• October 28 - British Phonographic Industry chairman Chris Wright unveils the UK music industry's new slogan: "Home Taping Is Killing Music".
• October 31 - Punk band Fear makes a memorable appearance on Saturday Night Live. A group of fans storm the stage and damage TV equipment while moshing, resulting in the show cutting to commercial.
• November 18 – While sitting in Tom's Restaurant in New York City, Suzanne Vega composes the song "Tom's Diner".
• December 18 - An estimated 35 million people around the world watch a live satellite transmission of a Rod Stewart concert at the Los Angeles Forum. It is the first broadcast of its kind since Elvis Presley's "Aloha from Hawaii" special in 1973.
• December 31 – The tenth annual New Year's Rockin' Eve special airs on ABC, with appearances by Four Tops, Rick Springfield, Barry Manilow, Alabama and Rick James.

Also in 1981

• The organ at the famous Heinävesi Church in Finland is renewed, using locks from the original organ.
• Ozzy Osbourne bites the head off a dove at a record label gathering.
• Alice Cooper drastically changes his appearance, leaving behind his trademark make-up and donning a military uniform.
• Synth pop enjoys mainstream popularity in the UK, with groups such as Ultravox, Depeche Mode, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and The Human League releasing hit singles and albums.
• Menudo's golden era (1981–1985) begins in Latin America, parts of Europe and Asia.
• Brad Whitford leaves Aerosmith and is replaced by Rick Dufay.
• Phil Collins releases his first solo album (but will not leave the band Genesis until 1995).
• Hal Willner "invents" the modern tribute album with Amacord Nino Rota.

Bands formed

• See Musical groups established in 1981

Bands disbanded

• Amon Düül II
• Bay City Rollers
• The Buzzcocks (they reform in 1989)
• City Boy
• Cluster (they reform in 1989)
• Generation X
• Klaatu
• The Knack (reformed in 1991, onwards)
• Luv' (they reform in 1989, 1993 and 2005)
• MFSB
• Raydio
• Rockpile
• Sam & Dave
• The Slits
• Starland Vocal Band
• State of Alert
• Steely Dan (They reform in 1993)
• Throbbing Gristle
• Toots & the Maytals (they reform in the early 90s)
• Paul McCartney & Wings

Albums released

January – March

April – June

July – September

October – December

Release Date Unknown

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1981.

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart Entries
1	Kim Carnes	Bette Davis Eyes	1981		US BB 1 – April 1981, Canada 1 – April 1981, France 1 – June 1981, Switzerland 1 – June 1981, Norway 1 – June 1981, Germany 1 – June 1981, Australia 1 for 5 weeks May 1982, Grammy in 1981, US CashBox 2 of 1981, Austria 2 – July 1981, South Africa 2 of 1981, Sweden (alt) 4 – May 1981, Italy 5 of 1981, Australia 6 of 1981, UK 10 – May 1981, Holland 16 – May 1981, RYM 16 of 1981, Germany 18 of the 1980s, OzNet 45, Scrobulate 66 of 80s, RIAA 268, Acclaimed 738
2	Soft Cell	Tainted Love	1981		UK 1 – August 1981, Canada 1 – November 1981, France 1 – August 1981, Australia 1 for 3 weeks January 1983, Austria 2 – December 1981, Switzerland 2 – November 1981, Germany 2 – January 1982, Scrobulate 2 of 80s, Australia 3 of 1982, Sweden (alt) 4 – October 1981, RYM 4 of 1981, Holland 5 – October 1981, South Africa 5 of 1982, US BB 8 – May 1982, US BB 15 of 1982, POP 18 of 1982, Germany 37 of the 1980s, KROQ 38 of 1982, Virgin 41, US CashBox 50 of 1982, Party 142 of 2007, Acclaimed 163, Belgium 242 of all time, OzNet 451, WXPN 745
3	Phil Collins	In the Air Tonight	1981		Holland 1 – February 1981, Sweden (alt) 1 – February 1981, Austria 1 – April 1981, Switzerland 1 – April 1981, UK 2 – January 1981, France 2 – March 1981, Germany 2 – March 1981, Canada 3 – June 1981, Norway 4 – March 1981, OzNet 7, Poland 12 – August 1982, Europe 13 of the 1980s, RYM 15 of 1981, POP 16 of 1981, US BB 19 – July 1981, Australia 23 of 1981, Italy 23 of 1981, US BB 27 of 1981, Germany 44 of the 1980s, Scrobulate 60 of pop, TheQ 87, Belgium 230 of all time, Acclaimed 1238
4	John Lennon	Woman	1981		UK 1 – January 1981, Canada 1 – January 1981, Éire 1 – February 1981, New Zealand 1 for 5 weeks February 1981, US BB 2 – January 1981, Switzerland 2 – March 1981, Austria 4 – March 1981, Norway 5 – February 1981, France 7 – March 1981, Germany 7 – February 1981, US CashBox 16 of 1981, Sweden (alt) 18 – February 1981, Holland 21 – March 1981, RYM 22 of 1981, US BB 30 of 1981, Italy 34 of 1981, POP 34 of 1981, Virgin 59, OzNet 139, Germany 213 of the 1980s
5	Stars On 45	Stars On 45	1981		US BB 1 – May 1981, Holland 1 – January 1981, Austria 1 – May 1981, Switzerland 1 – May 1981, Germany 1 – March 1981, New Zealand 1 for 7 weeks June 1981, Australia 1 for 4 weeks June 1982, UK 2 – April 1981, Australia 2 of 1981, Germany 5 of the 1980s, Sweden (alt) 7 – June 1981, US CashBox 13 of 1981, Italy 54 of 1981

Chronological table of US and UK Number One hit singles

Chronological table of US and UK Number One hit albums

Other significant singles of the year

• "A Life of Illusion" – Joe Walsh
• "A Lucky Guy" – Rickie Lee Jones
• "A Woman Needs Love(Just Like You Do)" – Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio
• "A.D. 1928/Rockin' the Paradise" – Styx
• "Abacab" – Genesis
• "Absolute Beginners" – The Jam
• "The Adultress" – The Pretenders
• "African and White" – China Crisis
• "After the Glitter Fades" – Stevie Nicks
• "Aie a Mwana" – Bananarama
• "Ain't Even Done With the Night" – John Cougar
• "All Stood Still" – Ultravox
• "Always" – Tom Verlaine
• "America" – Neil Diamond
• "And The Band Played On" – Saxon
• "Angel of the Morning" – Juice Newton
• "Animal Crackers" – Kid Creole and the Coconuts
• "Antmusic" – Adam & the Ants
• "Back in Black" – AC/DC
• "Backfired" – Debbie Harry
• "Bambou" – Alain Chamfort
• "Beautiful World" – Devo
• "The Best of Times" – Styx
• "Better Things" – The Kinks
• "Big Science" – Laurie Anderson
• "Black Limousine" – The Rolling Stones
• "Body Talk" – Imagination
• "Boys and Girls" – The Human League
• "The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em) – The Greg Kihn Band
• "Burnin' For You" – Blue Öyster Cult
• "Cambodia" – Kim Wilde
• "Can You Feel It" – The Jacksons
• "Can't Get Enough of You" – Eddy Grant
• "Centerfold (song)" – The J. Geils Band
• "Ceremony" – New Order
• "Chant No.1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)" – Spandau Ballet
• "Chariots of Fire" – Vangelis
• "Charlotte Sometimes" – The Cure
• "Chemistry" – Mondo Rock
• "Chequered Love" – Kim Wilde
• "Chi Mai" – Ennio Morricone
• "Chloe" – Elton John
• "Christmas Wrapping" – The Waitresses
• "Coldest Night of the Year" – Bruce Cockburn
• "Coming in Hot" – Peter Tosh
• "Computer Love" – Kraftwerk
• "Cool Love" – Pablo Cruise
• "Cool Night" – Paul Davis
• "Cool World" – Mondo Rock
• "Controversy" – Prince
• "Counting The Beat" – The Swingers
• "Crazy Train" – Ozzy Osbourne
• "Crying" – Don McLean
• "The Crusher" – The Cramps
• "Daddy's Home" – Cliff Richard
• "Dancing With Myself" – Billy Idol
• "Days Are OK" – The Motels
• "Der Kommissar" – Falco
• "Destroyer" – The Kinks
• "Do Me, Baby" – Prince
• "Don't Let Him Go" – REO Speedwagon
• "Don't Stop Believin'" – Journey
• "Don't Stop the Music" – Yarborough and Peoples
• "Don't Want To Wait Anymore" – The Tubes
• "Don't You Want Me" – The Human League
• "Double Dutch Bus" – Frankie Smith
• "Dumb Waiters" – The Psychedelic Furs
• "Edge of Seventeen" – Stevie Nicks
• "Electro-Cuties" – Funkadelic
• "Elvira" – The Oak Ridge Boys
• "Errol" – Australian Crawl
• "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" - The Police
• "Every Woman in the World" – Air Supply
• "Everybody Salsa" – Modern Romance
• "Fade to Grey" – Visage
• "Fascist Architecture" – Bruce Cockburn
• "Find Your Way Back" – Jefferson Starship
• "Fire (song)" – U2
• "Fire and Ice" – Pat Benatar
• "Fits Ya Good" – Bryan Adams
• "Five Guys Named Moe" – Joe Jackson
• "Fly Away" – Peter Allen
• "Flying High Again" – Ozzy Osbourne
• "Fools Die" – Peter Tosh
• "For Beauties Sake" – Marianne Faithfull
• "For Those About To Rock We Salute You – AC/DC
• "For Your Eyes Only" – Sheena Easton
• "Funeral Pyre" – The Jam
• "Funk Gets Stranger" – Funkadelic
• "Games People Play" – Alan Parsons Project
• "Geisha Boys and Temple Girls" – Heaven 17
• "Gemini Dream" – The Moody Blues
• "Generals and Majors" – XTC
• "Genius of Love" – Tom Tom Club
• "Get Tough" – Kleeer
• "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie" – Black Flag
• "Girls On Film" – Duran Duran
• "Give It Too Me Baby" – Rick James
• "Gloria" – U2
• "God morgon" – Chips
• "Going Back to My Roots" – Odyssey
• "Going Places" – Kid Creole and the Coconuts
• "Goo Goo Muck" – The Cramps
• "Good Thing Going" – Sugar Minott
• "Good Year for the Roses" – Elvis Costello and the Attractions
• "Gotta Pull Myself Together" – The Nolans
• "Grey Day" – Madness
• "HA HA HA" – Flipper
• "Hang Fire" – The Rolling Stones
• "Happy Birthday" – Altered Images
• "Hard Act to Follow" – Split Enz
• "Harden My Heart" - Quarterflash
• "Hearts" – Marty Balin
• "Hearts of Fire" – Randy Meisner
• "Hell is For Children" – Pat Benatar
• "Hello Again" – Neil Diamond
• "Hell's Bells" – AC/DC (released in 1980)
• "Henry Hudson" – Nico
• "Her Town Too" – James Taylor and J.D. Souther
• "Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You) – Air Supply
• "Heroes" – Nico
• "History Never Repeats" – Split Enz
• "Hold on Tight" – Electric Light Orchestra
• "How 'Bout Us" – Champaign
• "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)" – Haircut One Hundred
• "Hip, Shake, Jerk" – The Quick UK
• "I Surrender" – Rainbow
• "Theme from The Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)" – Joey Scarbury
• "Home Computer" – Kraftwerk
• "Homosapien" – Pete Shelley
• "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It" – Stevie Wonder
• "I Am" – Kid Creole and the Coconuts
• "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" – Hall and Oates
• "I Could Be Happy" – Altered Images
• "I Don't Need You" – Kenny Rogers
• "I Don't Wanna Dance" – Split Enz
• "I Fall Down" – U2
• "I Go to Sleep" – The Pretenders
• "I Love You" – Climax Blues Band
• "I Made It Through The Rain" – Barry Manilow
• "I Missed Again" – Phil Collins
• "I Shot the Sheriff" – Light of the World
• "I Threw a Brick Through a Window" – U2
• "I Want To Be Free" – Toyah
• "I Wouldn't Have Missed It For the World" – Ronnie Milsap
• "I'm Gonna Follow You" – Pat Benatar
• "I'm in Love" – Evelyn King
• "I've Done Everything For You" – Rick Springfield
• "Icka Prick" – Funkadelic
• "If I Was a Dancer (Dance Pt. 2)" – The Rolling Stones
• "If Leaving Me Is Easy" – Phil Collins
• "If You Leave...Can I Come Too" – Mental As Anything
• "In the Air Tonight" – Phil Collins
• "Imagine/Woman" (medley) – The Shadows
• "In the Dark" – Billy Squier
• "Intrigue" – Marianne Faithfull
• "Intuition" – Linx
• "Invisible Sun" – The Police
• "Is That Love" – Squeeze
• "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby" – Joe Jackson
• "Isotope Soap" – Geza X
• "It Must Be Love" – Madness
• "It's a Tough Life" – Pat Benatar
• "It's Gonna Happen" – The Undertones
• "It's More Fun to Compute" – Kraftwerk
• "Jack on Fire" – The Gun Club
• "Jack, Your Dead" – Joe Jackson
• "Jerkin' Back 'n' Forth" – Devo
• "Jessie's Girl" – Rick Springfield
• "Jimmie Jones" – The Vapors
• "Johnny Blue" – Lena Valaitis
• "Jukebox Hero" – Foreigner
• "Just Between You and Me" – April Wine
• "Just Can't Get Enough" – Depeche Mode
• "Just Like Belgium" – Elton John
• "Just Like Gold" – Aztec Camera
• "Just the Two of Us" – Grover Washington, Jr.
• "Keep It Dark" – Genesis
• "Kick in the Eye" – Bauhaus
• "Kids in America" – Kim Wilde
• "The Kid Is Hot Tonight – Loverboy
• "Kings of the Wild Frontier" – Adam and the Ants
• "Kiss is on my List" – Hall and Oates
• "Labelled With Love" – Squeeze
• "The Land of Make Believe" – Bucks Fizz
• "Latin Music" – Kid Creole and the Coconuts
• "La voix du bon Dieu" – Céline Dion
• "Leather and Lace" – Stevie Nicks and Don Henley
• "Leila" – Z Z Top
• "Lets All Make a Bomb" – Heaven 17
• "Let's Get It Up" – AC/DC
• "Let's Groove" – Earth, Wind & Fire
• "Limelight" – Rush
• "A Little in Love" – Cliff Richard
• "Little T&A" – The Rolling Stones
• "Livin' Inside Myself" – Gino Vannelli
• "Living It Up" – Rickie Lee Jones
• "Lock Up Your Daughters" – Slade
• "Lonely Is the Night" – Billy Squier
• "Love Action (I Believe in Love)" – The Human League
• "Love Games" – Level 42
• "Love is Alright Tonight" – Rick Springfield
• "Love On a Two Way Street" – Stacy Lattisaw
• "Lunatic Fringe" – Red Rider
• "The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)" – Fun Boy Three
• "Macho City" – Steve Miller Band
• "Mad Eyed Screamer" – The Creatures
• "The Magnificent Seven" – The Clash
• "Make That Move" – Shalamar
• "Maljčiki" – Idoli
• "Mattress of Wire" – Aztec Camera
• "Me No Pop I" – Kid Creole and the Coconuts
• "Mean Street" – Van Halen
• "Mental Hopscotch" – Missing Persons
• "Message of Love" – The Pretenders
• "Messed Around" – Squeeze
• "The Model" – Kraftwerk
• "Modern Girl" – Sheena Easton
• "Moral Majority" – Dead Kennedys
• "More Than I Can Say" – Leo Sayer
• "Motorhead (live)" – Motörhead
• "Musclebound/Glow" – Spandau Ballet
• "Nazi Punks Fuck Off!" – Dead Kennedys
• "Neighbours" – The Rolling Stones
• "Never Too Much" – Luther Vandross
• "Nightgames" – Graham Bonnet
• "The Night Owls" – Little River Band
• "No Reply at All" – Genesis
• "No Use in Crying" – The Rolling Stones
• "Nobody Wins" – Elton John
• "Nothing Ever Goes As Planned" – Styx
• "O Superman" – Laurie Anderson
• "October (song)" – U2
• "Oh No" – The Commodores
• "Once in a Lifetime" – Talking Heads
• "One in Ten" – UB40
• "One of Us" – ABBA
• "One Step Ahead" – Split Enz
• "Our Lips Are Sealed" – The Go-Go's
• "Open Arms" – Journey
• "Open Your Heart" – The Human League
• "Over the Mountain" – Ozzy Osbourne
• "Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag" – Pigbag
• "Party on the Patio" – Z Z Top
• "Pearl Necklace" – Z Z Top
• "Penthouse and Pavement" – Heaven 17
• "Perdido en mi habitación" – Mecano
• "Physical" - Olivia Newton-John
• "Pirates (So Long Lonely Avenue)" – Rickie Lee Jones
• "Plan B" – Dexy's Midnight Runners
• "Plan B Escape" – Fraeon
• "Planet Earth" – Duran Duran
• "Pocket Calculator" – Kraftwerk
• "Police Story" – Black Flag
• "Precious Time" – Pat Benatar
• "Predictable" – The Kinks
• "Pretty in Pink" – The Psychedelic Furs
• "Primary" – The Cure
• "Procession/Everything's Gone Green" – New Order
• "A Promise" – Echo & the Bunnymen
• "Promises in the Dark" – Pat Benatar
• "Purple Lips" – Nico
• "Push Comes to Shove" – Van Halen
• "Put the Finger on You" – AC/DC
• "Queen of Hearts (song)" – Juice Newton
• "Quiet Life" – Japan
• "Radio Free Europe" (original Hib-Tone version) - R.E.M.
• "Rastafari Is" – Peter Tosh
• "Rawhide" – Dead Kennedys
• "Razzamatazz" – Quincy Jones
• "Really Want To Know You" – Gary Wright
• "Reggaemylitis" – Peter Tosh
• "Rejoice" – U2
• "Religious Vomit" – Dead Kennedys
• "Reward" – The Teardrop Explodes
• "Rise Above" – Black Flag
• "The River" – Bruce Springsteen
• "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" – AC/DC
• "Rock This Town" – The Stray Cats
• "Romeo and Juliet" – Dire Straits
• "Runaround Sue" – Racey
• "Sailing" – Christopher Cross
• "Same Old Lang Syne" – Dan Fogelberg
• "Sat In Your Lap" – Kate Bush
• "Say Good Bye to Hollywood" – Billy Joel
• "Say I Love You" – Renee Geyer
• "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)" – David Bowie
• "Secret Journey" – The Police
• "Sex Beat" – The Gun Club
• "Sex Bomb" – Flipper
• "Shake It Up" – The Cars
• "She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)" – Carl Carlton
• "She's Got a Way" – Billy Joel
• "She's Like Heroin to Me" – The Gun Club
• Shine So Hard EP – Echo & the Bunnymen
• "Shockwave" – Funkadelic
• "Should I Do It" – The Pointer Sisters
• "Show Me" – Dexy's Midnight Runners
• "Shut Up" – Madness
• "(Si Si) Je Suis un Rock Star" – Bill Wyman
• "Silly" – Deniece Williams
• "Since You're Gone" – The Cars
• "Six Pack" – Black Flag
• "Sixty/Forty" – Nico
• "Slave" – The Rolling Stones
• "Slow Hand" – The Pointer Sisters
• "Slow Motion" – Ultravox
• "Snake Eyes" – Alan Parsons Project
• "Snowballed" – AC/DC
• "So This Is Love?" – Van Halen
• "Soul Warfare" – Heaven 17
• "The Sound of the Crowd" – The Human League
• "Southern Freez" – Freez
• "Souvenir" – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
• "Spellbound" – AC/DC
• "Spirits in the Material World" – The Police
• "Splintered in the Head" – The Cure
• "Spray Paint (The Walls)" – Black Flag
• "Square Biz – Teena Marie
• "Star" – Kiki Dee
• "Stars on 45 vol. 2" – Star Sound
• "Start Me Up" – The Rolling Stones
• "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" – Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• "Stop the Game" – Cheap Trick
• "Stranger" – Jefferson Starship
• "Stranger in a Strange Land" – U2
• "Stray Cat Strut" – The Stray Cats
• "The Stroke" – Billy Squier
• "Summer of '81" – Mondo Rock
• "Super Freak" – Rick James
• "Sushi Girl" – The Tubes
• "Swords Of A Thousand Men" – Tenpole Tudor
• "Table Manners" – Kid Creole and the Coconuts
• "Take It on the Run" – REO Speedwagon
• "Take It To The Limit(live)" – The Eagles
• "Talk to Ya Later" – The Tubes
• "Talkin' Baseball" – Terry Cashman
• "Telstar" – The Shadows
• "Tempted" – Squeeze
• "That's Entertainment" – The Jam
• "The Third Man" – The Shadows
• "The Waiting" – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• "There's a Guy Work Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" – Kirsty McColl
• "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me" – Ronnie Milsap
• "The Thin Wall" – Ultravox
• "This is For the Lover in You" – Shalamar
• "This Little Girl" – Gary U.S. Bonds
• "Through Being Cool" – Devo
• "Through the Years" – Kenny Rogers
• "Thrown Away" – The Stranglers
• "Time" – Alan Parsons Project
• "Together" – Tierra
• "Tom Sawyer" – Rush
• "Tomorrow" – U2
• "Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me)" – Rod Stewart
• "Too Fast, Too Loud, Too Young" – The Zorros
• "Too Many Times" – Mental As Anything
• "Too Much Time on My Hands – Styx (released in 1980)
• "Treat Me Right" – Pat Benatar
• "Try It Out" – Gino Soccio
• "Tube Snake Boogie" – Z Z Top
• "Tunnel of Love" – Dire Straits
• "Turn Me Loose" – Loverboy (released in 1980)
• "Turn Your Love Around" – George Benson
• "Turning Japanese" – The Vapors
• "Tuxedo Junction" – Joe Jackson
• "T.V. Party" – Black Flag
• "Two Hearts" – Stephanie Mills and Teddy Pendergrass
• "Unchained" – Van Halen
• "United Together" – Aretha Franklin
• "Up the Hill Backwards" – David Bowie
• "Urgent" – Foreigner
• "Vienna (song)" – Ultravox
• "The Voice" – Moody Blues
• "The Voice" – Ultravox
• "Waiting For a Girl Like You" – Foreigner
• "Waiting on a Friend" – The Rolling Stones
• "Walking on Thin Ice" – Yoko Ono
• "The Wanderer" – Donna Summer
• "Watching the Wheels" – John Lennon
• "Water on Glass"/"Boys" – Kim Wilde
• "Wedding Bells" – Godley and Creme
• "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" – Heaven 17
• "We Got the Beat – The Go-Go's
• "We'll Bring the House Down – Slade
• "We're Going to Live For a Very Long Time" – Heaven 17
• "We're In This Love Together" – Al Jarreau
• "We've Got A Bigger Problem Now" – Dead Kennedys
• "What Are We Doin' In Love" – Kenny Rogers and Dottie West
• "What Kind of Fool" – Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb
• "What's the Use in Getting Sober (When You're Gonna Get Drunk Again)" – Joe Jackson
• "When He Shines" – Sheena Easton
• "When She Was My Girl" – The Four Tops
• "When You Were Sweet Sixteen" – The Fureys with Davey Arthur
• "Whip It" – Devo
• "Who Do You Think We Are" – Alice Cooper
• "Who's Crying Now" – Journey
• "Why Do Fools Fall in Love? – Diana Ross
• "Wild Colonial Boy" – Dr. Hook
• "Wild is the Wind" – David Bowie
• "Will You?" – Hazel O'Connor
• "Winning" – Santana
• "Wired For Sound" – Cliff Richard
• "Woody and Dutch on the Slow Train to Peking" – Rickie Lee Jones
• "Wordy Rappington" – Tom Tom Club
• "Working For the Weekend" – Loverboy
• "Working in a Coalmine" – Devo
• "Yearning For Your Love" – The Gap Band
• "You Better You Bet" – The Who
• "You Could Have Been With Me" - Sheena Easton
• "You Make My Dreams Come True" – Hall and Oates

Published popular music

• "9 To 5" w.m. Dolly Parton from the film Nine to Five
• "All Those Years Ago" w.m. George Harrison
• "Allentown" w.m. Billy Joel
• "Allergies" w.m. Paul Simon
• "America" w.m. Neil Diamond from the film The Jazz Singer
• "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" w. Tom Eyen m. Henry Krieger from the musical Dreamgirls
• "Arthur's Theme" w.m. Carole Bayer Sager, Burt Bacharach, Christopher Cross & Peter Allen from the film Arthur
• "At This Moment" w.m. Billy Vera
• "Baby, Come To Me" w.m. Rod Temperton
• "Being With You" w.m. William "Smokey" Robinson
• "Believe it or Not (Theme From The Greatest American Hero')" w. Stephen Geyer m. Mike Post
• "The Best of Times" w.m. Dennis DeYoung
• "Bette Davis Eyes" w. Donna Weiss m. Jackie DeShannon
• "Black Limousine" w.m. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood
• "Bruce" w.m. Rick Springfield
• "Chariots of Fire" w. Jon Anderson m. Vangelis
• "Dynasty theme song" m. Bill Conti
• "The First Time it Happens" w.m. Joe Raposo, from the film The Great Muppet Caper
• "Good Thing Going (Going Gone)"     w.m. Stephen Sondheim
• "Hill Street Blues theme song" m. Mike Post
• "Key Largo"     w.m. Bertie Higgins & Sonny Limbo
• "Memory w. Trevor Nunn & T. S. Eliot m. Andrew Lloyd Webber. Introduced by Elaine Paige in the musical Cats.
• "One of the Girls" w. Fred Ebb m. John Kander introduced by Lauren Bacall in the musical Woman of the Year

Classical music

• Milton Babbitt – Don for four-hand piano, Ars Combinatoria for small orchestra
• George Crumb – Gnomic Variations for piano
• Peter Maxwell Davies – Piano Sonata
• Joël-François Durand – String Trio
• Lorenzo Ferrero
  • Balletto
  • Arioso II
• Bengt Hambraeus – Voluntary on a Swedish Hymn Tune from Dalecarlia
• George Lloyd – Tenth Symphony (for brass)
• Steve Reich – Tehillim
• Roger Sessions – Concerto for Orchestra (recorded by Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and for which the composer receives the Pulitzer Prize for Music)
• Robert Simpson – Quintet for clarinet and Strings; Symphony No. 8
• Stanislaw Skrowaczewski – Clarinet Concerto

Opera

• Lorenzo Ferrero – La figlia del mago
• Conrad Susa and Richard Street – Black River
• Karlheinz Stockhausen – Donnerstag aus Licht (March 15, La Scala, Milan)

Musical theater

• Barnum     London production opened at the London Palladium on June 11 and ran for 655 performances
• Bring Back Birdie Broadway production
• Cats (Andrew Lloyd Webber) – London production opened at the New London Theatre on May 11 and ran for 8949 performances
• Dreamgirls Broadway production opened on December 20 at the Imperial Theatre and ran for 1522 performances
• March of the Falsettoes     off-Broadway production
• Merrily We Roll Along – Broadway production opened at the Alvin Theatre on November 16 and ran for 16 performances
• The Pirates of Penzance     Broadway revival
• Song and Dance     London production
• Woman of the Year     Broadway production opened at the Palace Theatre on March 29 and ran for 770 performances

Musical films

• Aakkramanam
• American Pop
• The Great Muppet Caper
• Heavy Metal
• Lili Marleen
• Nandu
• Pennies from Heaven
• Shock Treatment

Births

• January 5 – Carmen Monarcha, operatic soprano
• January 19 - Thaila Zucchi, (allSTARS*)
• January 29 – Jonny Lang, blues artist
• January 31 – Justin Timberlake, singer
• February 5 – Zameer Rizvi, singer/songwriter, composer and record producer
• February 9 - The Rev (Avenged Sevenfold)
• February 11 – Kelly Rowland (Destiny's Child)
• February 27 – Josh Groban, crossover singer and songwriter
• March 7 – Anna Leese, operatic soprano
• March 9– Chad Gilbert, New Found Glory
• March 11
  • Russell Lissack (Bloc Party)
  • LeToya Luckett (Destiny's Child)
• April 1
  • Theresa Sokyrka, Canadian Idol 2 runner-up
  • Hannah Spearritt, singer and actress (S Club 7)
• April 29 – Tom Smith (Editors)
• May 3 – Farrah Franklin (Destiny's Child)
• May 20 - Sean Conlon (5ive)
• May 21 – Stig Van Eijk, singer, composer and lyricist
• June 8 – Alex Band (The Calling)
• June 21 – Brandon Flowers (The Killers)
• June 23 - Antony Costa (Blue)
• July 7 - Synyster Gates (Avenged Sevenfold)
• July 12 - Rebecca Hunter, (allSTARS*)
• July 21 - Blake Lewis, American Idol 6 runner-up
• July 22 - Anthony Santos, singer and composer
• July 31 – M. Shadows (Avenged Sevenfold)
• August 8
  • Vanessa Amorosi, rock singer
  • Bradley McIntosh (S Club 7)
• August 28 – Iracema Trevisan (Cansei de Ser Sexy)
• September 4 – Beyoncé Knowles, singer
• September 14 – Ashley Roberts, The Pussycat Dolls
• September 26 – Christina Milian, singer
• September 29 - Suzanne Shaw, English singer (Hear'Say) and actress
• October 1 – Jamelia, singer
• October 13 – Kele Okereke (Bloc Party)
• October 15 – Nick White (Tilly and the Wall)
• October 31 – Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance)
• November 1 – LaTavia Roberson (Destiny's Child)
• November 17 – Sarah Harding (Girls Aloud)
• November 20 – Kimberley Walsh (Girls Aloud)
• November 22 - Ben Adams (A1)
• November 26 – Natasha Bedingfield, singer-songwriter
• November 30 - Mavado, singer
• December 2 – Britney Spears, singer
• December 11 – Zacky Vengeance (Avenged Sevenfold)
• December 13 – Amy Lee (Evanescence)

Deaths

• January 1 - Hephzibah Menuhin, pianist and human rights campaigner, 60
• January 4 - Ruth Lowe, pianist and songwriter, 66
• January 23 – Samuel Barber, composer, 70
• January 25 – Adele Astaire, US dancer, actress and singer, 84
• February 1
  • Geirr Tveitt, Norwegian composer, 72
  • Ernst Pepping, composer, 79
• February 9 – Bill Haley, rock and roll pioneer, 55 (heart attack)
• February 15 – Mike Bloomfield, blues guitarist, 37 (accidental drug overdose)
• February 21 – Ron Grainer, electronic music pioneer and composer, 58
• February 26 – Howard Hanson, composer, 84
• April 5
  • Bob Hite, vocalist (Canned Heat), 38 (heart attack)
  • Maurice Zbriger, violinist, composer and conductor
• April 7 – Kit Lambert, former manager and producer of The Who, 45 (fell downstairs)
• April 8 – Burt Shevelove, librettist, 66
• April 14 – Ivan Galamian, violin teacher, 78
• April 28 – Steve Currie, bassist of T.Rex, 33 (car crash)
• May 11 – Bob Marley, reggae musician, 36 (cancer)
• May 25 – Roy Brown, blues singer, 55
• May 28 – Mary Lou Williams, jazz pianist, 71
• July 16 – Harry Chapin, US singer-songwriter, 38 (car crash)
• August 18 – Robert Russell Bennett, composer and arranger, 87
• August 26 - Lee Hays, folk singer, 67
• September 2 – Tadeusz Baird, composer, 53
• September 8 – Master Venu, film composer, 65
• September 14 - Furry Lewis, country blues guitarist and songwriter, 88
• September 15 – Chick Bullock, US singer, 72
• October 5 – Sven Gyldmark, film composer, 77
• October 13 – Marius Casadesus, violinist and composer, 88
• October 15 – Elsie Randolph, English actress, dancer and singer, 77
• October 29 – Georges Brassens, singer-songwriter, 60
• November 27 – Lotte Lenya, actress and singer, wife of Kurt Weill, 83
• December 13 – Cornelius Cardew, avant-garde composer, 45 (road accident)
• December 27 – Hoagy Carmichael, pianist, singer and songwriter, 82
• date unknown - Frank Merrick, pianist

Awards

Grammy Awards

• Grammy Awards of 1981

Country Music Association Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1981

Charts

List of No. 1 Hits

• Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1981

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