1981
- March 21 - Eric Clapton - "I Can't Stand It" - 2 weeks
- April 4 - The Who - "You Better You Bet" - 5 weeks
- May 9 - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "The Waiting" - 6 weeks
- June 20 - Joe Walsh - "A Life of Illusion" - 1 week
- June 27 - The Moody Blues - "The Voice" - 4 weeks
- July 25 - Foreigner - "Urgent" - 4 weeks
- August 22 - Blue Öyster Cult - "Burnin' for You" - 2 weeks
- September 5 - The Rolling Stones - "Start Me Up" - 13 weeks
- December 5 - Foreigner - "Waiting for a Girl Like You" - 1 week
- December 12 - The Police - "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" - 2 weeks
- December 26 - Quarterflash - "Harden My Heart" - 3 weeks
Read more about this topic: List Of Number-one Mainstream Rock Hits (United States)