List of UK top-ten singles in 1981
The UK Singles Chart is one of many music charts compiled by the Official Charts Company that calculates the best-selling singles of the week in the United Kingdom.[1] Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical singles.[2][3] This list shows singles that peaked in the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart during 1981, as well as singles which peaked in 1980 and 1982 but were in the top 10 in 1981. The entry date is when the single appeared in the top 10 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).
| 1980s in music in the UK |
| Events |
|---|
One-hundred and forty-five singles were in the top ten in 1981. Ten singles from 1980 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "Ant Rap" by Adam and the Ants, "I'll Find My Way Home" by Jon and Vangelis, "It Must Be Love" by Madness, "The Land of Make Believe" by Bucks Fizz and "Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)" by Dollar were released in 1981 but did not reach their peak until 1982. "Antmusic" by Adam and the Ants, "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" by John Lennon, Yoko Ono, the Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Center Choir and "Imagine" by John Lennon were the singles from 1980 to reach their peak in 1981. Thirty artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1981. Duran Duran, The Human League, Kim Wilde, Shakin' Stevens and Ultravox were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1981.
The 1980 Christmas number-one, "There's No One Quite Like Grandma" by St. Winifred's School Choir remained at number-one for the first week of 1981. The first new number-one single of the year was "Imagine" by the late former Beatles singer John Lennon. Overall, twenty different singles peaked at number-one in 1981, with Adam and the Ants, John Lennon and Shakin' Stevens (2) having the joint most singles hit that position.
Background
Multiple entries
One-hundred and forty-five singles charted in the top 10 in 1981, with one-hundred and thirty-three singles reaching their peak this year.
Thirty artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1981. Adam and the Ants secured the record for most top 10 hits in 1981 with six hit singles.
Soft Cell were one of a number of artists with two top-ten entries, including the number-one single "Tainted Love". Bucks Fizz, Diana Ross, Kim Wilde, Queen and Ultravox were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1981.
Chart debuts
Forty-nine artists achieved their first top 10 single in 1981, either as a lead or featured artist. Of these, six went on to record another hit single that year: Bucks Fizz, Chas & Dave, Kim Wilde, Soft Cell, Starsound and Ultravox. The Human League and Toyah both had two more entries in 1981. Shakin' Stevens had three other entries in his breakthrough year.
The following table (collapsed on desktop site) does not include acts who had previously charted as part of a group and secured their first top 10 solo single.
- Notes
Phil Collins had his first solo credit independent of Genesis with "In the Air Tonight", peaking at number two. Headgirl was a collaboration between Motörhead and Girlschool, the former having recorded a top 10 single previously, "The Golden Years (EP)", with the latter making their top ten debut.
Graham Bonnet's only top 10 single as a solo artist, "Night Games", reached number 6 in 1981. He had scored hit singles as a member of Rainbow and in the duo The Marbles with Trevor Gordon. Lionel Richie's official chart debut on his own came this year when "Endless Love" peaked at number 7. He had previously made an impression on the top 10 with the group Commodores.
Godley and Creme had scored top 10 hits in the 1970s as members of the groups Hotlegs and 10cc. They achieved their first top 10 as a duo in 1981 with "Under Your Thumb", which peaked at number three.
Songs from films
Original songs from various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included "Flash" (Flash Gordon), "Chi Mai" (The Professional) and "For Your Eyes Only" (For Your Eyes Only).
Best-selling singles
Soft Cell had the best-selling single of the year with "Tainted Love". The single spent seven weeks in the top 10 (including two weeks at number one) and sold over 1.04 million copies and was certified gold by the BPI. "Stand and Deliver" by Adam and the Ants came in second place, selling more than 975,000 copies and losing out by around 29,000 sales. Adam and the Ants' "Prince Charming", "This Ole House" from Shakin' Stevens and "Vienna" by Ultravox made up the top five. Singles by Michael Jackson, Bucks Fizz, Joe Dolce Music Theatre, The Tweets and Shakin' Stevens ("You Drive Me Crazy") were also in the top ten best-selling singles of the year.
Top-ten singles
- Key
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ‡ | Single peaked in 1980 but still in chart in 1981. |
| ♦ | Single released in 1981 but peaked in 1982. |
| (#) | Year-end top-ten single position and rank |
| Entered | The date that the single first appeared in the chart. |
| Peak | Highest position that the single reached in the UK Singles Chart. |
| Entered (week ending) |
Weeks in top 10 |
Single | Artist | Peak | Peak reached (week ending) |
Weeks at peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singles in 1980 | ||||||
| 22 November 1980 | 8 | "Super Trouper" ‡ | ABBA | 1 | 29 November 1980 | 3 |
| 29 November 1980 | 7 | "(Just Like) Starting Over" ‡ [B] | John Lennon | 1 | 20 December 1980 | 1 |
| 6 December 1980 | 6 | "Embarrassment" ‡ | Madness | 4 | 6 December 1980 | 2 |
| 13 December 1980 | 5 | "There's No One Quite Like Grandma" ‡ | St. Winifred's School Choir | 1 | 27 December 1980 | 2 |
| 6 | "Stop the Cavalry" ‡ | Jona Lewie | 3 | 13 December 1980 | 5 | |
| 6 | "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" ‡ | The Police | 5 | 20 December 1980 | 1 | |
| 4 | "Runaway Boys" ‡ | Stray Cats | 9 | 20 December 1980 | 1 | |
| 20 December 1980 | 9 | "Antmusic" | Adam and the Ants | 2 | 17 January 1981 | 2 |
| 27 December 1980 | 4 | "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" [B] | John Lennon & Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Center Choir | 2 | 10 January 1981 | 1 |
| 8 | "Imagine" [B] | John Lennon | 1 | 10 January 1981 | 4 | |
| Singles in 1981 | ||||||
| 10 January 1981 | 3 | "Flash" | Queen | 10 | 10 January 1981 | 3 |
| 17 January 1981 | 2 | "Do Nothing"/"Maggie's Farm" | The Specials | 4 | 17 January 1981 | 1 |
| 2 | "Too Nice to Talk To" | The Beat | 7 | 17 January 1981 | 2 | |
| 1 | "Rabbit" | Chas & Dave | 8 | 17 January 1981 | 1 | |
| 24 January 1981 | 6 | "Woman" [C] | John Lennon | 1 | 7 February 1981 | 2 |
| 5 | "In the Air Tonight" | Phil Collins | 2 | 7 February 1981 | 1 | |
| 3 | "I Am the Beat" | The Look | 6 | 24 January 1981 | 1 | |
| 3 | "Don't Stop the Music" | Yarbrough and Peoples | 7 | 31 January 1981 | 2 | |
| 31 January 1981 | 3 | "Rapture" | Blondie | 5 | 31 January 1981 | 2 |
| 8 | "Vienna" (#5) | Ultravox | 2 | 14 February 1981 | 4 | |
| 2 | "Young Parisians" | Adam and the Ants | 9 | 31 January 1981 | 2 | |
| 1 | "I Ain't Gonna Stand for It" | Stevie Wonder | 10 | 31 January 1981 | 1 | |
| 7 February 1981 | 1 | "Fade to Grey" | Visage | 8 | 7 February 1981 | 1 |
| 14 February 1981 | 6 | "Shaddap You Face" (#8) | Joe Dolce Music Theatre | 1 | 21 February 1981 | 3 |
| 4 | "I Surrender" | Rainbow | 3 | 28 February 1981 | 1 | |
| 3 | "The Oldest Swinger in Town" | Fred Wedlock | 6 | 21 February 1981 | 1 | |
| 4 | "The Return of the Los Palmas 7" | Madness | 7 | 21 February 1981 | 2 | |
| 21 February 1981 | 1 | "Romeo and Juliet" | Dire Straits | 8 | 21 February 1981 | 1 |
| 1 | "Rock This Town" | Stray Cats | 9 | 21 February 1981 | 1 | |
| 1 | "We'll Bring the House Down" | Slade | 10 | 21 February 1981 | 1 | |
| 28 February 1981 | 3 | "St. Valentine's Day Massacre (EP)" | Headgirl [D] | 5 | 28 February 1981 | 2 |
| 6 | "Jealous Guy" | Roxy Music | 1 | 14 March 1981 | 2 | |
| 6 | "(Do) The Hucklebuck" | Coast to Coast | 5 | 14 March 1981 | 2 | |
| 3 | "Southern Freeez" | Freeez | 8 | 7 March 1981 | 2 | |
| 7 March 1981 | 4 | "Kings of the Wild Frontier" | Adam and the Ants | 2 | 14 March 1981 | 1 |
| 2 | "Something 'Bout You Baby I Like" | Status Quo | 9 | 7 March 1981 | 2 | |
| 14 March 1981 | 5 | "Kids in America" | Kim Wilde | 2 | 28 March 1981 | 2 |
| 8 | "This Ole House" (#4) | Shakin' Stevens | 1 | 28 March 1981 | 3 | |
| 21 March 1981 | 2 | "Reward" | The Teardrop Explodes | 6 | 21 March 1981 | 1 |
| 4 | "Four from Toyah (EP)" | Toyah | 4 | 28 March 1981 | 1 | |
| 2 | "You Better You Bet" | The Who | 9 | 21 March 1981 | 2 | |
| 28 March 1981 | 6 | "Lately" | Stevie Wonder | 3 | 11 April 1981 | 2 |
| 3 | "Capstick Comes Home"/"The Sheffield Grinder" | Tony Capstick and the Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band | 3 | 4 April 1981 | 1 | |
| 4 April 1981 | 7 | "Making Your Mind Up" (#7) [E] | Bucks Fizz | 1 | 18 April 1981 | 3 |
| 5 | "Einstein a Go-Go" | Landscape | 5 | 11 April 1981 | 2 | |
| 3 | "Intuition" | Linx | 7 | 11 April 1981 | 1 | |
| 11 April 1981 | 3 | "It's a Love Thing" | The Whispers | 9 | 11 April 1981 | 3 |
| 1 | "D-Days" | Hazel O'Connor | 10 | 11 April 1981 | 1 | |
| 18 April 1981 | 6 | "Chi Mai (Theme from the TV series The Life and Times of David Lloyd George)" [F] | Ennio Morricone | 2 | 25 April 1981 | 2 |
| 3 | "Night Games" | Graham Bonnet | 6 | 18 April 1981 | 1 | |
| 4 | "Good Thing Going" | Sugar Minott | 4 | 25 April 1981 | 2 | |
| 4 | "Can You Feel It" | The Jacksons | 6 | 2 May 1981 | 1 | |
| 25 April 1981 | 2 | "Attention to Me" [G] | The Nolans | 9 | 9 May 1981 | 1 |
| 2 May 1981 | 6 | "Stars on 45" | Starsound [H] | 2 | 9 May 1981 | 1 |
| 4 | "Grey Day" | Madness | 4 | 16 May 1981 | 1 | |
| 9 May 1981 | 7 | "Stand and Deliver" (#2) | Adam and the Ants | 1 | 9 May 1981 | 5 |
| 7 | "You Drive Me Crazy" (#10) | Shakin' Stevens | 2 | 16 May 1981 | 4 | |
| 1 | "Musclebound"/"Glow" | Spandau Ballet | 10 | 9 May 1981 | 1 | |
| 16 May 1981 | 3 | "Keep On Loving You" | REO Speedwagon | 7 | 16 May 1981 | 2 |
| 3 | "Ossie's Dream (Spurs Are on Their Way to Wembley)" [I] | Tottenham Hotspur FA Cup Final Squad [J] | 5 | 23 May 1981 | 2 | |
| 4 | "Chequered Love" | Kim Wilde | 4 | 23 May 1981 | 2 | |
| 4 | "Swords of a Thousand Men" | Tenpole Tudor | 6 | 23 May 1981 | 2 | |
| 23 May 1981 | 2 | "Bette Davis Eyes" | Kim Carnes | 10 | 23 May 1981 | 2 |
| 30 May 1981 | 7 | "Being With You" | Smokey Robinson | 1 | 13 June 1981 | 2 |
| 3 | "I Want to Be Free" | Toyah | 8 | 6 June 1981 | 1 | |
| 6 June 1981 | 2 | "Funeral Pyre" | The Jam | 4 | 6 June 1981 | 2 |
| 5 | "How 'Bout Us" | Champaign | 5 | 20 June 1981 | 1 | |
| 4 | "Will You?" | Hazel O'Connor | 8 | 20 June 1981 | 1 | |
| 13 June 1981 | 4 | "More Than in Love" | Kate Robbins and Beyond | 2 | 13 June 1981 | 1 |
| 6 | "One Day in Your Life" (#6) | Michael Jackson | 1 | 27 June 1981 | 2 | |
| 6 | "Going Back to My Roots" | Odyssey | 4 | 4 July 1981 | 1 | |
| 20 June 1981 | 3 | "Teddy Bear" | Red Sovine | 4 | 20 June 1981 | 2 |
| 2 | "All Stood Still" | Ultravox | 8 | 27 June 1981 | 1 | |
| 27 June 1981 | 7 | "Ghost Town" | The Specials | 1 | 11 July 1981 | 3 |
| 4 | "Memory (from Cats)" | Elaine Paige | 6 | 4 July 1981 | 1 | |
| 4 July 1981 | 6 | "Can Can" | Bad Manners | 3 | 4 July 1981 | 4 |
| 5 | "Body Talk" | Imagination | 4 | 18 July 1981 | 1 | |
| 11 July 1981 | 5 | "Stars on 45 (Vol. 2)" | Starsound [H] | 2 | 18 July 1981 | 2 |
| 2 | "No Woman, No Cry (Live)" | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 8 | 18 July 1981 | 1 | |
| 3 | "Wordy Rappinghood" | Tom Tom Club | 7 | 18 July 1981 | 1 | |
| 18 July 1981 | 2 | "Motorhead (Live)" | Motörhead | 6 | 18 July 1981 | 2 |
| 25 July 1981 | 4 | "Chant No. 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)" | Spandau Ballet | 3 | 1 August 1981 | 1 |
| 2 | "Lay All Your Love on Me" | ABBA | 7 | 25 July 1981 | 1 | |
| 5 | "Happy Birthday" | Stevie Wonder | 2 | 8 August 1981 | 1 | |
| 2 | "Dancing on the Floor (Hooked on Love)" | Third World | 10 | 25 July 1981 | 2 | |
| 1 August 1981 | 6 | "Green Door" | Shakin' Stevens | 1 | 1 August 1981 | 4 |
| 6 | "Hooked on Classics" | Louis Clark conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | 2 | 15 August 1981 | 2 | |
| 8 August 1981 | 2 | "Walk Right Now" | The Jacksons | 7 | 8 August 1981 | 1 |
| 2 | "For Your Eyes Only" | Sheena Easton | 8 | 8 August 1981 | 1 | |
| 4 | "Back to the Sixties" | Tight Fit | 4 | 15 August 1981 | 1 | |
| 15 August 1981 | 3 | "Girls on Film" | Duran Duran | 5 | 22 August 1981 | 1 |
| 6 | "Love Action (I Believe in Love)" | The Human League | 3 | 22 August 1981 | 2 | |
| 6 | "Hold On Tight" | Electric Light Orchestra | 4 | 5 September 1981 | 1 | |
| 22 August 1981 | 5 | "Japanese Boy" | Aneka | 1 | 29 August 1981 | 1 |
| 7 | "Tainted Love" (#1) [K] | Soft Cell | 1 | 5 September 1981 | 2 | |
| 3 | "The Caribbean Disco Show" | Lobo | 8 | 29 August 1981 | 1 | |
| 29 August 1981 | 3 | "One in Ten" | UB40 | 7 | 5 September 1981 | 1 |
| 5 September 1981 | 2 | "She's Got Claws" | Gary Numan | 6 | 5 September 1981 | 1 |
| 1 | "Abacab" | Genesis | 9 | 5 September 1981 | 1 | |
| 12 September 1981 | 6 | "Prince Charming" (#3) | Adam and the Ants | 1 | 19 September 1981 | 4 |
| 3 | "Wired for Sound" | Cliff Richard | 4 | 12 September 1981 | 1 | |
| 2 | "Start Me Up" | The Rolling Stones | 7 | 12 September 1981 | 1 | |
| 5 | "Souvenir" | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | 3 | 19 September 1981 | 1 | |
| 19 September 1981 | 5 | "Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)" | Ottawan | 3 | 26 September 1981 | 2 |
| 4 | "Pretend" | Alvin Stardust | 4 | 3 October 1981 | 1 | |
| 26 September 1981 | 3 | "Endless Love" | Diana Ross and Lionel Richie | 7 | 26 September 1981 | 1 |
| 7 | "The Birdie Song (Birdie Dance)" (#9) | The Tweets | 2 | 10 October 1981 | 2 | |
| 4 | "Invisible Sun" | The Police | 2 | 3 October 1981 | 1 | |
| 1 | "Slow Hand" | The Pointer Sisters | 10 | 26 September 1981 | 1 | |
| 3 October 1981 | 4 | "Under Your Thumb" | Godley and Creme | 3 | 17 October 1981 | 1 |
| 2 | "Shut Up" | Madness | 7 | 10 October 1981 | 1 | |
| 10 October 1981 | 6 | "It's My Party" | Dave Stewart with Barbara Gaskin | 1 | 17 October 1981 | 4 |
| 17 October 1981 | 3 | "Thunder in the Mountains" | Toyah | 4 | 24 October 1981 | 1 |
| 3 | "Open Your Heart" | The Human League | 6 | 17 October 1981 | 2 | |
| 1 | "Just Can't Get Enough" | Depeche Mode | 8 | 17 October 1981 | 1 | |
| 1 | "Walkin' in the Sunshine" | Bad Manners | 10 | 17 October 1981 | 1 | |
| 24 October 1981 | 2 | "O Superman" | Laurie Anderson | 2 | 24 October 1981 | 1 |
| 4 | "Happy Birthday" | Altered Images | 2 | 31 October 1981 | 3 | |
| 3 | "Absolute Beginners" | The Jam | 4 | 31 October 1981 | 1 | |
| 3 | "A Good Year for the Roses" | Elvis Costello | 6 | 7 November 1981 | 1 | |
| 2 | "It's Raining" | Shakin' Stevens | 10 | 24 October 1981 | 2 | |
| 31 October 1981 | 5 | "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" | The Police | 1 | 14 November 1981 | 1 |
| 4 | "Labelled with Love" | Squeeze | 4 | 7 November 1981 | 2 | |
| 7 November 1981 | 3 | "When She Was My Girl" | Four Tops | 3 | 14 November 1981 | 1 |
| 4 | "Joan of Arc" | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | 5 | 14 November 1981 | 2 | |
| 14 November 1981 | 6 | "Begin the Beguine (Volver a Empezar)" | Julio Iglesias | 1 | 5 December 1981 | 1 |
| 5 | "Under Pressure" | Queen and David Bowie | 1 | 21 November 1981 | 2 | |
| 4 | "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)" | Haircut One Hundred | 4 | 21 November 1981 | 2 | |
| 2 | "Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me)" | Rod Stewart | 8 | 21 November 1981 | 1 | |
| 21 November 1981 | 2 | "Physical" | Olivia Newton-John | 7 | 21 November 1981 | 1 |
| 4 | "Let's Groove" | Earth, Wind and Fire | 3 | 28 November 1981 | 2 | |
| 28 November 1981 | 4 | "Bedsitter" | Soft Cell | 4 | 5 December 1981 | 1 |
| 4 | "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" | Diana Ross | 4 | 12 December 1981 | 1 | |
| 2 | "I Go to Sleep" | The Pretenders | 7 | 5 December 1981 | 1 | |
| 5 December 1981 | 6 | "Daddy's Home" | Cliff Richard | 2 | 12 December 1981 | 4 |
| 8 | "Don't You Want Me" [K] | The Human League | 1 | 12 December 1981 | 5 | |
| 1 | "Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey" | Modern Romance | 10 | 5 December 1981 | 1 | |
| 12 December 1981 | 6 | "It Must Be Love" ♦ | Madness | 4 | 9 January 1982 | 1 |
| 6 | "Ant Rap" ♦ | Adam and the Ants | 3 | 9 January 1982 | 1 | |
| 4 | "Wedding Bells" | Godley and Creme | 7 | 26 December 1981 | 2 | |
| 19 December 1981 | 5 | "One of Us" | ABBA | 3 | 19 December 1981 | 3 |
| 9 | "The Land of Make Believe" ♦ | Bucks Fizz | 1 | 16 January 1982 | 2 | |
| 26 December 1981 | 6 | "I'll Find My Way Home" ♦ | Jon and Vangelis | 6 | 23 January 1982 | 1 |
| 2 | "Rock 'n' Roll" | Status Quo | 8 | 26 December 1981 | 2 | |
| 5 | "Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)" ♦ | Dollar | 4 | 16 January 1982 | 1 | |
Entries by artist
.jpg.webp)
The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1981, including singles that reached their peak in 1980 or 1982. The figures include both main artists and featured artists, while appearances on ensemble charity records are also counted for each artist. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 1981 is also shown.
Notes
- a "The Land of Make Believe" reached its peak of number-one on 16 January 1982 (week ending).
- b "Imagine", "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" and "(Just Like) Starting Over" all re-entered the top 10 following John Lennon's murder on 8 December 1980. "Imagine" was first released as a single in the UK in 1975 and peaked at number 6. "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" was first released as a single in the UK in 1972 and peaked at number 4. Both singles reached new peaks of numbers 1 and 2, respectively, following Lennon's death.
- c "Woman" was the first official Lennon single released after his death.
- d Headgirl was a supergroup made up of Motörhead and Girlschool.
- e "Making Your Mind Up" was the United Kingdom's winning entry at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981.
- f “Chi Mai” was used as the theme song for the BBC television series ‘’The Life and Times of David Lloyd George’’.
- g "Attention to Me" re-entered the top 10 at number 9 on 2 May 1981 (week ending).
- h Starsound were known as Stars on 45 in their home country, the Netherlands.
- i "Ossie's Dream (Spurs Are On Their Way to Wembley)" was released by Tottenham Hotspur F.C. to celebrate reaching the FA Cup Final in 1981.
- j Chas & Dave's appearance on "Ossie's Dream (Spurs Are On Their Way to Wembley)" is uncredited but is counted in their discography.
- k "Don't You Want Me" is sometimes noted as the best-selling single of 1981 ahead of "Tainted Love", however the cut-off date for the year end chart was 12 December 1981, when "Don't You Want Me" was in 21st place.
- l Figure includes song that first charted in 1980 but peaked in 1981.
- m Figure includes song that peaked in 1982.
- n Figure includes song that peaked in 1980.
- o Figure includes uncredited appearance on Tottenham Hotspur FA Cup Final Squad's "Ossie's Dream (Spurs Are on Their Way to Wembley)".
- p Figure includes the group project "St Valentine's Day Massacre (EP)" with Girlschool.
References
General
- "Six decades of singles charts". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
Specific
- "The Official UK Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
- Roberts, David (2005). Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles and Albums (18th edition). Guinness World Records Limited. p. 14. ISBN 1-904994-00-8.
- "New singles formats to save the charts". BBC News. 16 October 2003. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
External links
- 1981 singles chart archive at the Official Charts Company (click on relevant week)