The year in music
Best Songs of 1981
MTV goes on air. Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love”, the Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me”, Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”, and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’”.
Play 1981
46 songs
Girls on Film
Duran Duran
Planet Earth
Duran Duran
Start Me Up
The Rolling Stones
Physical
Olivia Newton-John
The KKK Took My Baby Away
Ramones
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
AC/DC
Turn Your Love Around
George Benson
Computer Love
Kraftwerk
Don’t Stop Believin’
Journey
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
The Police
Just Can't Get Enough
Depeche Mode
Open Arms
Journey
Pocket Calculator
Kraftwerk
Spirits in the Material World
The Police
Endless Love
Lionel Richie
Limelight
Rush
Tom Sawyer
Rush
YYZ
Rush
Living Inside Myself
Gino Vannelli
Nazi Punks Fuck Off
Dead Kennedys
Too Drunk to Fuck
Dead Kennedys
Under Your Thumb
Godley & Creme
Ceremony
New Order
Don’t You Want Me
The Human League
In the Air Tonight
Phil Collins
Love Action (I Believe in Love)
The Human League
Prince Charming
Adam and the Ants
Stand and Deliver
Adam and the Ants
If I Needed You
Emmylou Harris
Palco
Gilberto Gil
Spellbound
Siouxsie and the Banshees
We're in This Love Together
Al Jarreau
Who Can It Be Now?
Men at Work
Bette Davis Eyes
Kim Carnes
I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)
Daryl Hall & John Oates
I Love Rock ’n’ Roll
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Lady (You Bring Me Up)
Commodores
Love Has Come Around
Donald Byrd & 125th Street N.Y.C.
Moody
ESG
Never Too Much
Luther Vandross
One Hundred Ways
Quincy Jones featuring James Ingram
Pretty in Pink
The Psychedelic Furs
Super Freak
Rick James
Tainted Love
Soft Cell
The Stroke
Billy Squier
Under Pressure
Queen & David Bowie
1981 on Music By Decade
The catalogue holds 46 songs first released in 1981. Rock, Pop and New Wave lead the year. Rush, Adam and the Ants and Dead Kennedys are among the voices of 1981.
Artists of 1981
- Rush3
- Adam and the Ants2
- Dead Kennedys2
- Duran Duran2
- Journey2
- Kraftwerk2
- The Human League2
- The Police2
- AC/DC
- Al Jarreau
- Billy Squier
- Commodores
- Daryl Hall & John Oates
- Depeche Mode
- Donald Byrd & 125th Street N.Y.C.
- Emmylou Harris
- ESG
- George Benson
- Gilberto Gil
- Gino Vannelli
- Godley & Creme
- Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
- Kim Carnes
- Lionel Richie