1981 in music

See also:

Other significant singles of the year

• "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
• "Shake It Up" - The Cars
• "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
• "Europa And The Pirate Twins" - Thomas Dolby
• "Planet Earth" - Duran Duran
• "Take It To The Limit(Live) - The Eagles
• "Let's Groove" - Earth Wind and Fire
• "For Your Eyes Only" - Sheena Easton
• "When He Shines" - Sheena Easton
• "Hold On Tight" - Electric Light Orchestra
• "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" - Renee 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
• "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
• "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" - Mentals
• "Too Many Times" - Mentals
• "Good Thing Going" - Sugar Minott
• "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
• "Ceremony" - New Order
• "Procession/Everything's Gone Green" - New Order
• "Angel Of The Morning" - Juice Newton
• "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" - Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• "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
• "Pretty In Pink" - The Psychedelic Furs
• "Hip, Shake, Jerk" - The Quick
• "Runaround Sue" - Racey
• "I Surrender" - Rainbow
• "Wired For Sound" - Cliff Richard
• "Start Me Up" - The Rolling Stones
• "Waiting On A Friend" - The Rolling Stones
• "It's My Turn" - Diana Ross
• "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" - Diana Ross
• "And The Bands Played On" - Saxon
• "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
• "One In Ten" - UB40
• "All Stood Still" - Ultravox
• "Vienna" - Ultravox
• "It's Gonna Happen" - The Undertones
• "Gloria" - U2
• "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