1981 in music

List of years in music (Table)
… 1971 ^. 1972 ^. 1973 ^. 1974 ^. 1975 ^. 1976 ^. 1977 … 1978 ^. 1979 ^. 1980 -1981- 1982 ^. 1983 ^. 1984 … 1985 ^. 1986 ^. 1987 ^. 1988 ^. 1989 ^. 1990 ^. 1991 …
Related time period or subjects
… 1978 ^. 1979 ^. 1980 – 1981 – 1982 ^. 1983 ^. 1984 … … 1950s ^. 1960s ^. 1970s – 1980s – 1990s ^. 2000s ^. 2010s … … 19th century – 20th century – 21st century …
Art ^. Archaeology ^. Architecture ^. Literature ^. Music ^. Science ^. more…

See also:

Musical groups established in 1981
Record labels established in 1981
list of 'years in music'

Events

January 10 - Revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance opens at Broadway's Uris Theatre, starring Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith
February 14 - Billy Idol leaves the band Generation X to begin a solo career
February 15 - Blues guitarist Mike Bloomfield is found dead in San Francisco. The cause of death was ruled an accidental drug overdose
March 14 - Suffering from bleeding ulcers, Eric Clapton is admitted to United Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. Clapton's 60 city tour of the US is canceled.
April 4- the Zorros record single "Too Young" at Richmond Recorders Melbourne Australia.
April 7 - Former Who manager Kit Lambert dies after falling down a flight of stairs in his mother's home in London. Lambert managed the band between 1964 and 1967.
April 11 - Van Halen's lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen marries actress Valerie Bertinelli.
April 17 - Eric Clapton is released from St. Paul's Hospital in Minnesota following a month-long treatment for bleeding ulcers.
April 18 - Yes announces that they're breaking up. (They would however reunite frequently in years to come).
April 20 - The Mamas and 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 25 - Paul McCartney's backing band, Wings, breaks up
May 11 - The musical Cats begins its 8949 performance run on London's West End.
May 20 - Alice Cooper's daughter, Calico Cooper, is born.
August 1 - MTV debuts on cable television, playing music videos 24 hours a day.
August, UK - 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 the Milwaukee venue where The Pretenders will be playing, and invited to play a 10-minute acoustic set as a second opening act that night.
September 19 - Simon and Garfunkel perform a free reunion concert in New York City's Central Park attended by over 500,000 fans.
November 18 - While sitting in Tom's Restaurant in New York City, Suzanne Vega composes the song "Tom's Diner".
The organ at the famous Heinävesi Church in Finland is renewed, using locks from the original organ.
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 Human League releasing hit singles and albums.
Menudo's golden era (1981-1985) begins in Latin America, parts of Europe and Asia.
U2 appears on the Tomorrow show with Tom Snyder, their first U.S. television appearance
Phil Collins releases his first solo album (although he won't leave the band Genesis until 1995)
Hal Willner "invents" the modern tribute album with Amacord Nino Rota

Bands formed

Bands disbanded

Cluster (they reform in 1989)
Throbbing Gristle
The Buzzcocks (they reform in 1989)
Josef K
Generation X
Ian Dury and the Blockheads
Toots & The Maytals (they reform in the early 90s)
Klaatu
Rockpile
The Slits
Wings
MFSB
Taveners
Raydio
City Boy

Albums released

4 - Foreigner
7 - Madness
9 to 5 and Odd Jobs - Dolly Parton
Amarcord Nino Rota - Various artists
Amy Grant In Concert - Amy Grant
And Don't the Kids Just Love It - Television Personalities
Architecture and Morality - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
As Far as Siam - Red Rider
The Ascension - Glenn Branca
Atomkraft? Nein, Danke! - Earthstar
Bad Habits - Bily Field
Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks - Hanoi Rocks
Bella Donna - Stevie Nicks
The Best of Blondie - Blondie
The Best Of Minnie Riperton - Minnie Riperton
The Beauty and the Beat - The Go-Go's
Brasil (with João Gilberto, Gilberto Gil and Maria Bethânia) - Caetano Veloso
Breaker - Accept
Brown Rice and Kerosine - Redgum
Buchenwald - Whitehouse
Burning Blue Soul - The The
Captured - Journey
Chances Are - Bob Marley and the Wailers
A Collection of Great Dance Songs - Pink Floyd
Completion Backwards Principle - The Tubes
Computer World - Kraftwerk
Controversy - Prince
Come an' Get It - Whitesnake
Cool Night - Paul Davis
Cowboy Jubilee - Riders in the Sky
Crumbling the Antiseptic Beauty - Felt
Curiosum - Cluster
Damaged - Black Flag
Dare - Human League
Deaf!! - You've Got Foetus On Your Breath
Deceit - This Heat
Dedicated to Peter Kürten - Whitehouse
Denim And Leather - Saxon
Diary of a Madman - Ozzy Osbourne
Difficult to Cure - Rainbow
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap - AC/DC
Discipline - King Crimson
Don't Say No - Billy Squier
Drama Of Exile - Nico
Duran Duran - Duran Duran
Earthshaker - Y&T
East Side Story - Squeeze
Escape - Journey
The Electric Spanking of War Babies - Funkadelic
Exit...Stage Left (live album) - Rush
Face Dances - The Who
Face Value - Phil Collins
Fair Warning - Van Halen
Faith - The Cure
Fancy Free - The Oak Ridge Boys
Fire of Love - The Gun Club
Fire of Unknown Origin - Blue Oyster Cult
Fiyou on the Bayou - The Neville Brothers
Flowers of Romance - Public Image Ltd.
For Those About to Rock We Salute You - AC/DC
For Those Who Think Young - Rough Trade
The Fox - Elton John
Freelancing - James Blood Ulmer
Freeze Frame - J. Geils Band
Get Lucky - Loverboy
Ghost in the Machine - The Police
Give The People What They Want - The Kinks
Golden Down - Willie Nile
Gospel according to the meninblack- The Stranglers
Great gonzos : the Best Of Ted Nugent - Ted Nugent
Handful Of Earth - Dick Gaughan
Hard N' Heavy - Anvil
Hardware - Krokus
Healing - Todd Rundgren
High 'N' Dry - Def Leppard
I Love Rock 'N Roll - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
In Concert Volume Two - Amy Grant
In the Garden - Eurythmics
Individuellos - La Düsseldorf
Insect and Individual Silenced - Nurse With Wound
Intensities in 10 Cities (live) - Ted Nugent
Juice - Juice Newton
Killers - Iron Maiden
King Cool - Donnie Iris
Kix - Kix
Koo Koo - Debbie Harry
Level 42 (debut) - Level 42
Love Is Only Feeling - Donovan
Lustwandel - Hans-Joachim Roedelius
Made in America - Carpenters
Maiden Japan EP - Iron Maiden
Material - Moebius & Plank
The Michael Schenker Group - The Michael Schenker Group
Minor Threat and In My Eyes - Minor Threat
Mistaken Identity - Kim Carnes
The Mob Rules - Black Sabbath
Month Of Parturition (Ringetsu) - Miyuki Nakajima
Movement - New Order
Moving Pictures - Rush
M.S.G. II - The Michael Schenker Group
Music from "The Elder" - Kiss
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts - David Byrne & Brian Eno
Never Too Late- Status Quo
Never Too Much - Luther Vandross
Nick Mason's Fictitious Sports - Nick Mason
Nightwalker - Gino Vannelli
No Sleep 'til Hammersmith - Motörhead
Non-stop Erotic Cabaret - Soft Cell
October - U2
Odyshape - The Raincoats
One Night at Budokan - The Michael Schenker Group
Only a Lad - Oingo Boingo
Only Jesus - Dion DiMucci
Penis Envy - Crass
Physical - Olivia Newton-John
Place Without a Postcard - Midnight Oil
Play Me Out - Helen Reddy
Playing With A Different Sex - The Au Pairs
Point of Entry - Judas Priest
Prayers On Fire - The Birthday Party
Precious Time - Pat Benatar
Prince Charming - Adam and the Ants
Private Eyes - Daryl Hall & John Oates
Punk's Not Dead - The Exploited (debut)
Quarterflash - Quarterflash
Quiero Ser - Menudo
Raise - Earth, Wind & Fire
Red - Black Uhuru
Rock Till You Drop - Raven
Share Your Love - Kenny Rogers
She Shot Me Down - Frank Sinatra
Shock Tactics - Samson
Shot of Love - Bob Dylan
Slates - The Fall
Somewhere In England - George Harrison
Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash - The Replacements (debut)
Speak & Spell - Depeche Mode
Special Forces - Alice Cooper
Stahlwerksinfonie - Die Krupps
Standing Hampton - Sammy Hagar
Still-Joy Division
Street Songs - Rick James
Talk, Talk, Talk - Psychedelic Furs
Tattoo You - The Rolling Stones
Teddy Boys Don't Knit - Vivian Stanshall
Time - Electric Light Orchestra
The Time - The Time
Tin Drum - Japan
Tom Tom Club - Tom Tom Club
Too Fast for Love - Mötley Crüe
Torch - Carly Simon
Trust - Elvis Costello & the Attractions
The Unknown Kurt Weill - Teresa Stratas
The Visitors - ABBA
Welcome to Hell - Venom
White Lace & Black Leather - Helix
Why Do Fools Fall In Love - Diana Ross
Wild-Eyed Southern Boys - .38 Special
Wünsche fliegen übers Meer - Die Flippers
Working Class Dog - Rick Springfield

Biggest hit singles

The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in 1981.

#	Artist	Title	Year	Chart Entries
1	Kim Carnes	Bette Davis Eyes	1981	UK 10 - May 1981, US BB 1 - Apr 1981, US CashBox 2 of 1981, Canada 1 - Apr 1981, Holland 16 - May 1981, Australia 06 of 1981, Germany 18 of the 1980s, Germany 01 - Jun 1981, France 46 of all time, South Africa 2 of 1981, Grammy in 1981, RYM 16 of 1981, RIAA 268, Scrobulate 66 of 80s, Acclaimed 738
2	Phil Collins	In the Air Tonight	1981	UK 2 - Jan 1981, US BB 19 - Jul 1981, US BB 27 of 1981, Canada 3 - Jun 1981, Holland 1 - Feb 1981, Australia 23 of 1981, Germany 44 of the 1980s, Germany 02 - Mar 1981, Europe 13 of the 1980s, Belgium 230 of all time, RYM 15 of 1981, POP 16 of 1981, Scrobulate 60 of pop, Acclaimed 1238
3	John Lennon	Woman	1981	UK 1 - Jan 1981, US BB 2 - Jan 1981, US BB 30 of 1981, US CashBox 16 of 1981, Canada 1 - Jan 1981, Holland 21 - Mar 1981, Germany 213 of the 1980s, Germany 07 - Feb 1981, Éire 1 - Feb 1981, New Zealand 1 for 5 weeks Feb 1981, Virgin 59, RYM 22 of 1981, POP 34 of 1981
4	The Police	Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic	1981	UK 1 - Oct 1981, US BB 3 - Oct 1981, US BB 25 of 1981, US CashBox 35 of 1981, Canada 1 - Sep 1981, Holland 1 - Sep 1981, Éire 1 - Nov 1981, RYM 29 of 1981, POP 51 of 1981, Scrobulate 59 of new wave, Acclaimed 2178
5	Kool & The Gang	Celebration	1981	UK 7 - Nov 1980, US BB 1 - Nov 1980, US BB 15 of 1981, US CashBox 10 of 1981, Holland 2 - Dec 1980, Germany 26 - Jan 1981, New Zealand 1 for 3 weeks Aug 1981, South Africa 16 of 1981, RYM 200 of 1980, POP 9 of 1981, RIAA 214, Scrobulate 17 of disco, Acclaimed 1668, Party 9 of 2007

Chronological Table of US and UK Number One Hit Singles

US Number One Singles and Artist (Weeks at Number One)	UK Number One Singles and Artist (Weeks at Number One)
"(Just Like) Starting Over" - John Lennon (3 weeks in 1980+ 2 weeks in 1981) "The Tide Is High" - Blondie (1) "Celebration" - Kool & The Gang (2) "9 To 5" - Dolly Parton (2) "I Love A Rainy Night" - Eddie Rabbitt (2) "Keep On Loving You" REO Speedwagon (1) "Rapture" - Blondie (2) "Kiss On My List" - Daryl Hall & John Oates (3) "Morning Train (9 To 5)" - Sheena Easton (2) "Bette Davis Eyes" - Kim Carnes (9, best selling single of the year) "Stars on 45 Medley" - Stars On 45 (1) "The One That You Love" - Air Supply (1) "Jessie's Girl" - Rick Springfield (2) "Endless Love" - Diana Ross & Lionel Richie (9) "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" - Christopher Cross (3) "Private Eyes" - Daryl Hall & John Oates (2) "Physical" - Olivia Newton-John (6 weeks in 1981 + 4 weeks in 1982)	"There's No One Quite Like Grandma" - St Winifred's School Choir (1 week in 1980 + 1 week in 1981) "Imagine" - John Lennon (4) "Woman" - John Lennon (2) "Shaddup You Face" - Joe Dolce Music Theatre (3) "Jealous Guy"- Roxy Music (2) "This Ole House" - Shakin' Stevens (3) "Making Your Mind Up" - Bucks Fizz (3) "Stand And Deliver" - Adam & The Ants (5) "Being With You" - Smokey Robinson (2) "One Day In Your Life" - Michael Jackson (2) "Ghost Town" - Specials (3) "Green Door"- Shakin' Stevens (4) "Japanese Boy" - Aneka (1) "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell (2 - best selling single of 1981) "Prince Charming" - Adam & The Ants (4) "It's My Party" - Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin (4) "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" - The Police (1) "Under Pressure" - Queen & David Bowie (2) "Begin the Beguine" - Julio Iglesias (1) "Don't You Want Me" - Human League (3 weeks in 1981 + 2 weeks in 1982)

US Number One Singles and Artist
(Weeks at Number One)

UK Number One Singles and Artist
(Weeks at Number One)

"(Just Like) Starting Over" - John Lennon (3 weeks in 1980+ 2 weeks in 1981)
"The Tide Is High" - Blondie (1)
"Celebration" - Kool & The Gang (2)
"9 To 5" - Dolly Parton (2)
"I Love A Rainy Night" - Eddie Rabbitt (2)
"Keep On Loving You" REO Speedwagon (1)
"Rapture" - Blondie (2)
"Kiss On My List" - Daryl Hall & John Oates (3)
"Morning Train (9 To 5)" - Sheena Easton (2)
"Bette Davis Eyes" - Kim Carnes (9, best selling single of the year)
"Stars on 45 Medley" - Stars On 45 (1)
"The One That You Love" - Air Supply (1)
"Jessie's Girl" - Rick Springfield (2)
"Endless Love" - Diana Ross & Lionel Richie (9)
"Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" - Christopher Cross (3)
"Private Eyes" - Daryl Hall & John Oates (2)
"Physical" - Olivia Newton-John (6 weeks in 1981 + 4 weeks in 1982)

"There's No One Quite Like Grandma" - St Winifred's School Choir (1 week in 1980 + 1 week in 1981)
"Imagine" - John Lennon (4)
"Woman" - John Lennon (2)
"Shaddup You Face" - Joe Dolce Music Theatre (3)
"Jealous Guy"- Roxy Music (2)
"This Ole House" - Shakin' Stevens (3)
"Making Your Mind Up" - Bucks Fizz (3)
"Stand And Deliver" - Adam & The Ants (5)
"Being With You" - Smokey Robinson (2)
"One Day In Your Life" - Michael Jackson (2)
"Ghost Town" - Specials (3)
"Green Door"- Shakin' Stevens (4)
"Japanese Boy" - Aneka (1)
"Tainted Love" - Soft Cell (2 - best selling single of 1981)
"Prince Charming" - Adam & The Ants (4)
"It's My Party" - Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin (4)
"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" - The Police (1)
"Under Pressure" - Queen & David Bowie (2)
"Begin the Beguine" - Julio Iglesias (1)
"Don't You Want Me" - Human League (3 weeks in 1981 + 2 weeks in 1982)

Other significant singles of the year

"Too Fast, Too Loud, Too Young" The Zorros
"Aie a Mwana" - Bananarama
"One of Us" - ABBA
"Antmusic" - Adam + The Ants #1
"Kings Of The Wild Frontier" - Adam and the Ants
"Happy Birthday" - Altered Images
"I Could Be Happy" - Altered Images
"Every Woman In The World - Air Supply
"Errol - Australian Crawl
"This Little Girl" - Gary U.S. Bonds
"Night Games" - Graham Bonnet
"Scary Monsters And Super Creeps" - David Bowie
"Up The Hill Backwards" - David Bowie
"Wild Is The Wind" - David Bowie
"The Land of Make Believe" - Bucks Fizz
"Sat In Your Lap" - Kate Bush
"Plan B Escape" - Fraeon
"Shake It Up" - The Cars
"Talkin' Baseball" - Terry Cashman
"How 'Bout Us" - Champaign
"The Magnificent Seven" - The Clash
"This Is Radio Clash" - The Clash
"In The Air Tonight" - Phil Collins
"Good Year For The Roses" - Elvis Costello and the Attractions
"Sailing" - Christopher Cross
"Charlotte Sometimes" - The Cure
"Cool Night" - Paul Davis
"Star" - Kiki Dee
"Just Can't Get Enough" - Depeche Mode
"Plan B" - Dexy's Midnight Runners
"Show Me" - Dexy's Midnight Runners
"Romeo and Juliet" - Dire Straits
"Tunnel Of Love" - Dire Straits
"Wild Colonial Boy" - Dr Hook
"Europa And The Pirate Twins" - Thomas Dolby
"Planet Earth" - Duran Duran
"Take It To The Limit(Live) - The Eagles
"Let's Groove" - Earth, Wind & Fire
"For Your Eyes Only" - Sheena Easton
"When He Shines" - Sheena Easton
"Hold On Tight" - Electric Light Orchestra
"Who Do You Think We Are" - Alice Cooper
"Bad Habits" - Billy Field
"You Weren't In Love With Me" - Billy Field
"Juke Box Hero" - Foreigner
"Urgent" - Foreigner
"When She Was My Girl" - The Four Tops
"Southern Freeez" - Freeez
"The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum" - Fun Boy Three
"Say I Love You" - Renée Geyer
"Abacab" - Genesis
"Keep It Dark" - Genesis
"Under Your Thumb" - Godley and Creme
"Wedding Bells" - Godley and Creme
"Can't Get Enough Of You" - Eddy Grant
"Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) - Haircut 100
"Backfired" - Debbie Harry
"Penthouse And Pavement" - Heaven 17
"Your Love Still Brings Me To My Knees" - Marcia Hines
"Love Action (I Believe In Love)" - Human League
"Body Talk" - Imagination
"Can You Feel It" - The Jacksons
"Absolute Beginners" - The Jam
"Funeral Pyre" - The Jam
"That's Entertainment" - The Jam
"Super Freak" - Rick James
"Quiet Life" - Japan
"Nobody Wins" - Elton John
"Razzamatazz" - Quincy Jones
"Watching The Wheels" - John Lennon
"I Shot The Sheriff" - Light Of The World
"Intuition" - Linx
"There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" - Kirsty MacColl
"Grey Day" - Madness
"It Must Be Love" - Madness
"Only Crying" - Keith Marshall
"If You Leave...Can I Come Too" - Mental As Anything
"Too Many Times" - Mental As Anything
"Good Thing Going" - Sugar Minott
"Mental Hopscotch" - Missing Persons
"Everybody Salsa" - Modern Romance
"Cool World" - Mondo Rock
"Chemistry" - Mondo Rock
"Summer Of '81" - Mondo Rock
"Chi Mai" - Ennio Morricone
"Days Are OK" - The Motels
"Motorhead (live)" - Motörhead
"Ceremony" - New Order
"Procession/Everything's Gone Green" - New Order
"Angel Of The Morning" - Juice Newton
"Queen of Hearts" - Juice Newton
"Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" - Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
"Gotta Pull Myself Together" - Nolans
"She's Got Claws" - Gary Numan
"Will You?" - Hazel O'Connor
"Going Back To My Roots" - Odyssey
"Souvenir" - OMD
"Over The Mountain" - Ozzy Osbourne
"Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag" - Pigbag
"Invisible Sun" - The Police
"Spirits in the Material World" - The Police
"I Go To Sleep" - The Pretenders
"Controversy" - Prince
"Pretty In Pink" - The Psychedelic Furs
"Hip, Shake, Jerk" - The Quick UK
"Runaround Sue" - Racey
"I Surrender" - Rainbow
"Wired For Sound" - Cliff Richard
"What Are We Doin' In Love" - Kenny Rogers and Dottie West
"Start Me Up" - The Rolling Stones
"Waiting On A Friend" - The Rolling Stones
"Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" - Diana Ross
"Limelight" - Rush
"Tom Sawyer" - Rush
"And The Bands Played On" - Saxon
"Theme from The Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)" - Joey Scarbury
"Homosapien" - Pete Shelley
"Chant No.1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)" - Spandau Ballet
"Musclebound/Glow" - Spandau Ballet
"History Never Repeats" - Split Enz
"The River" - Bruce Springsteen
"Is That Love" - Squeeze
"Labelled With Love" - Squeeze
"Tempted" - Squeeze
"Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me)" - Rod Stewart
"Thrown Away" - The Stranglers
"Rock This Town" - The Stray Cats
"Stars On 45 Vol.2" - Starsound
"Alone With You" - Sunnyboys
"Counting The Beat" - Swingers
"Once In A Lifetime" - Talking Heads
"Reward" - The Teardrop Explodes
"Swords Of A Thousand Men" - Tenpole Tudor
"I Want To Be Free" - Toyah
"Talk To Ya Later" - The Tubes
"Don't Want To Wait Anymore" - The Tubes
"One In Ten" - UB40
"All Stood Still" - Ultravox
"Vienna" - Ultravox
"It's Gonna Happen" - The Undertones
"Gloria" - U2
"Livin' Inside Myself" - Gino Vannelli
"Chariots of Fire-Titles" - Vangelis
"Jimmie Jones" - The Vapors
"Fade To Grey" - Visage
"Just the Two of Us" - Grover Washington, Jr.
"You Better You Bet" - The Who
"Cambodia" - Kim Wilde
"Kids In America" - Kim Wilde
"(Si Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star" - Bill Wyman
"Sgt. Rock Is Going To Help Me" - XTC
"Don't Stop The Music" - Yarborough and Peoples

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 Ron 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
"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
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

Conrad Susa and Richard Street - Black River

Musical theater

Barnum London production opened at the 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
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

Births

January 5 - Carmen Monarcha, operatic soprano
January 29 - Jonny Lang, blues artist
January 31 -