Transition was the theme of 1981. Personally, I transitioned from a high school student to a college student. Musically, 1981 represented the year that arena rock made its final year of dominance on the charts. Probably the biggest reason why that is was the launch of MTV on August 1. Sure, the AOR artists had videos, but the English new wave artists had the exciting ones. And, as MTV spread throughout the country, a second British would take place. However, in 1981, all of that was in the future. But, at that moment, radio was all about Journey, Styx, Foreigner and the rest.
1981 was also cool because Tom Petty, The Police and The J. Geils Band were all getting their due. Joan Jett, who always seemed destined for rock stardom, had her moment in the sun. Pat Benatar, Styx, Rush, Journey and Stevie Nicks all had number one albums. Ozzy Osbourne made a dramatic comeback. You could feel the music world beginning to rumble. Think about classic rock radio today, and many of the songs on my list are still getting lots of run today.
Perhaps the song that has had the longest legs of all would have to be Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'”. That song has taken on a life of its own over the years, thanks in no part to its use on the pilot of the TV sensation Glee. That show exposed so many of the songs of early Gen X lives to the millennials, but Journey’s signature song is the one that has become one of the most streamed and downloaded songs of the digital age. And, as great of a song it is, I simply love other songs better. Yet, they will never capture the imagination of generations like that Journey song.
So, let’s get this thing started! Here’s my 100 favorite songs of 1981.
100. “Arthur” – Christopher Cross
99. “Who’s Crying Now” – Journey
98. “Miss Sun” – Boz Scaggs
97. “Destroyer” – The Kinks
96. “Turn Your Love Around” – George Benson
95. “Baby, Come to Me” – Patti Austin & James Ingram
94. “Never Too Much” – Luther Vandross
93. “Freeze Frame” – The J. Geils Band
92. “Spirits in the Material World” – The Police
91. “She’s a Bad Mamma Jamma (She’s Built, She’s Stacked)” – Carl Carlton
90. “Ceremony” – Joy Division
89. “Stars on 45 Medley” – Stars on 45
88. “Girls on Film” – Duran Duran
87. “Take Off” – Bob & Doug McKenzie with Geddy Lee
86. “Gemini Dream” – The Moody Blues
85. “Lunatic Fringe” – Red Rider
84. “Endless Love” – Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
83. “Absolute Beginners” – The Jam
82. “I Ain’t Gonna Stand for It” – Stevie Wonder
81. “This Time” – John Cougar
80. “I Love You” – Climax Blues Band
79. “9 to 5” – Dolly Parton
78. “A Woman Needs Love (Just like You Do)” – Raydio
77. “Oh No” – The Commodores
76. “Young Turks” – Rod Stewart
75. “Just Between You and Me” – April Wine
74. “To Hell with Poverty” – Gang of Four
73. “T.V. Party” – Black Flag
72. “Gloria” – U2
71. “Boy from New York City” – The Manhattan Transfer
70. “All These Years Ago” – George Harrison
69. “How ‘Bout Us?” – Champaign
68. “You Better, You Bet” – The Who
67. “Turn Me Loose” – Loverboy
66. “Just Can’t Get Enough” – Depeche Mode
65. “When She Was My Girl” – The Four Tops
64. “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheel of Steel” – Grandmaster Flash
63. “Ghost Town” – The Specials
62. “Lady (You Bring Me Up)” – The Commodores
61. “Slow Hand” – The Pointer Sisters
60. “Get Down on It” – Kool & the Gang
59. “Hold on Loosely” – .38 Special
58. “This Little Girl” – Gary “U.S.” Bonds
57. “Abacab” – Genesis
56. “Winning” – Santana
55. “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” – AC/DC
54. “Hold on Tight” – Electric Light Orchestra
53. “Pretty in Pink” – The Psychedelic Furs
52. “Being with You” – Smokey Robinson
51. “Harden My Heart” – Quarterflash
50. “Controversy” – Prince
49. “On the Loose” – Saga
48. “Burnin’ for You” – Blue Öyster Cult
47. “Games People Play” – Alan Parsons Project
46. “Waiting for a Girl like You” – Foreigner
45. “Celebration” – Kool & the Gang
44. “Too Much Time on My Hands” – Styx
43. “Tom Sawyer” – Rush
42. “Shake It Up” – The Cars
41. “Walking on Thin Ice” – Yoko Ono
40. “The Breakup Song” – Greg Kihn Band
39. “A Woman in Love (It’s Not Me)” – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
38. “Time” – Alan Parsons Project
37. “The Voice” – The Moody Blues
36. “Limelight” – Rush
35. “Talk of the Town” – The Pretenders
34. “Edge of Seventeen” – Stevie Nicks
33. “While You See a Chance” – Steve Winwood
32. “Same Old Lang Syne” – Dan Fogelberg
31. “Ain’t Even Done with the Night” – John Cougar
30. “Bette Davis Eyes” – Kim Carnes
29. “Jessie’s Girl” – Rick Springfield
28. “Magic Power” – Triumph
27. “I’ve Done Everything for You” – Rick Springfield
26. “Start Me Up” – The Rolling Stones
25. “Don’t Stop Believin'” – Journey
24. “Waiting on a Friend” – The Rolling Stones
23. “Private Eyes” – Daryl Hall & John Oates
22. “Our Lips Are Sealed” – The Go-Go’s
21. “Let’s Groove” – Earth, Wind & Fire
20. “You Make My Dreams” – Daryl Hall & John Oates
19. “Give It to Me Baby” – Rick James
18. “The Stroke” – Billy Squier
17. “Urgent” – Foreigner
16. “Tempted” – Squeeze
15. “Crazy Train” – Ozzy Osbourne
14. “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” – Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
13. “Kiss on My List” – Daryl Hall & John Oates
12. “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” – Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
11. “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” – Daryl Hall & John Oates
10. “Double Dutch Bus” – Frankie Smith
9. “Dancing with Myself” – Billy Idol
8. “Centerfold” – The J. Geils Band
7. “I Know What Boys Like” – The Waitresses
6. “Genius of Love” – Tom Tom Club
5. “Super Freak” – Rick James
4. “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” – The Police
3. “In the Air Tonight” – Phil Collins
2. “Under Pressure” – Queen & David Bowie
1. “The Waiting” – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
If My Records Could Talk 