1981 in Music - Other Significant Singles of The Year

Other Significant Singles of The Year

• "A Life of Illusion" – Joe Walsh
• "A Lucky Guy" – Rickie Lee Jones
• "A Woman Needs Love(Just Like You Do)" – Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio
• "A.D. 1928/Rockin' the Paradise" – Styx
• "Abacab" – Genesis
• "Absolute Beginners" – The Jam
• "The Adultress" – The Pretenders
• "African and White" – China Crisis
• "After the Glitter Fades" – Stevie Nicks
• "Aie a Mwana" – Bananarama
• "Ain't Even Done With the Night" – John Cougar
• "All Stood Still" – Ultravox
• "Always" – Tom Verlaine
• "America" – Neil Diamond
• "And the Band Played On" – Saxon
• "Angel of the Morning" – Juice Newton
• "Animal Crackers" – Kid Creole and the Coconuts
• "Antmusic" – Adam & the Ants
• "Back in Black" – AC/DC
• "Backfired" – Debbie Harry
• "Bambou" – Alain Chamfort
• "Beautiful World" – Devo
• "The Best of Times" – Styx
• "Being With You" - Smokey Robinson
• "Better Things" – The Kinks
• "Big Science" – Laurie Anderson
• "Black Limousine" – The Rolling Stones
• "Body Talk" – Imagination
• "Boys and Girls" – The Human League
• "The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em) – The Greg Kihn Band
• "Burnin' For You" – Blue Öyster Cult
• "Cambodia" – Kim Wilde
• "Can You Feel It" – The Jacksons
• "Can't Get Enough of You" – Eddy Grant
• "Centerfold (song)" – The J. Geils Band
• "Ceremony" – New Order
• "Chant No.1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)" – Spandau Ballet
• "Chariots of Fire" – Vangelis
• "Charlotte Sometimes" – The Cure
• "Chemistry" – Mondo Rock
• "Chequered Love" – Kim Wilde
• "Chi Mai" – Ennio Morricone
• "Chloe" – Elton John
• "Christmas Wrapping" – The Waitresses
• "Coldest Night of the Year" – Bruce Cockburn
• "Coming in Hot" – Peter Tosh
• "Computer Love" – Kraftwerk
• "Controversy" – Prince
• "Cool Love" – Pablo Cruise
• "Cool Night" – Paul Davis
• "Cool World" – Mondo Rock
• "Counting The Beat" – The Swingers
• "Crazy Train" – Ozzy Osbourne
• "Crying" – Don McLean
• "The Crusher" – The Cramps
• "Daddy's Home" – Cliff Richard
• "Dancing With Myself" – Billy Idol
• "Days Are OK" – The Motels
• "Der Kommissar" – Falco
• "Destroyer" – The Kinks
• "Do Me, Baby" – Prince
• "Don't Let Him Go" – REO Speedwagon
• "Don't Stop Believin'" – Journey
• "Don't Stop the Music" – Yarbrough and Peoples
• "Don't Want To Wait Anymore" – The Tubes
• "Don't You Want Me" – The Human League
• "Double Dutch Bus" – Frankie Smith
• "Dumb Waiters" – The Psychedelic Furs
• "Edge of Seventeen" – Stevie Nicks
• "Electro-Cuties" – Funkadelic
• "Elvira" – The Oak Ridge Boys
• "Errol" – Australian Crawl
• "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" - The Police
• "Every Woman in the World" – Air Supply
• "Everybody Salsa" – Modern Romance
• "Fade to Grey" – Visage
• "Fascist Architecture" – Bruce Cockburn
• "Find Your Way Back" – Jefferson Starship
• "Fire (song)" – U2
• "Fire and Ice" – Pat Benatar
• "Fits Ya Good" – Bryan Adams
• "Five Guys Named Moe" – Joe Jackson
• "Fly Away" – Peter Allen
• "Flying High Again" – Ozzy Osbourne
• "Fools Die" – Peter Tosh
• "For Beauties Sake" – Marianne Faithfull
• "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) – AC/DC
• "For Your Eyes Only" – Sheena Easton
• "Funeral Pyre" – The Jam
• "Funk Gets Stranger" – Funkadelic
• "Games People Play" – Alan Parsons Project
• "Geisha Boys and Temple Girls" – Heaven 17
• "Gemini Dream" – The Moody Blues
• "Generals and Majors" – XTC
• "Genius of Love" – Tom Tom Club
• "Get Tough" – Kleeer
• "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie" – Black Flag
• "Girls On Film" – Duran Duran
• "Give It Too Me Baby" – Rick James
• "Gloria" – U2
• "God morgon" – Chips
• "Going Back to My Roots" – Odyssey
• "Going Places" – Kid Creole and the Coconuts
• "Goo Goo Muck" – The Cramps
• "Good Thing Going" – Sugar Minott
• "Good Year for the Roses" – Elvis Costello and the Attractions
• "Gotta Pull Myself Together" – The Nolans
• "Grey Day" – Madness
• "HA HA HA" – Flipper
• "Hang Fire" – The Rolling Stones
• "Happy Birthday" – Altered Images
• "Hard Act to Follow" – Split Enz
• "Harden My Heart" - Quarterflash
• "Hearts" – Marty Balin
• "Hearts of Fire" – Randy Meisner
• "Hell is For Children" – Pat Benatar
• "Hello Again" – Neil Diamond
• "Hell's Bells" – AC/DC (released in 1980)
• "Henry Hudson" – Nico
• "Her Town Too" – James Taylor and J.D. Souther
• "Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You) – Air Supply
• "Heroes" – Nico
• "History Never Repeats" – Split Enz
• "Hold on Tight" – Electric Light Orchestra
• "How 'Bout Us" – Champaign
• "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)" – Haircut One Hundred
• "Hip, Shake, Jerk" – The Quick UK
• "I Surrender" – Rainbow
• "Theme from The Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)" – Joey Scarbury
• "Home Computer" – Kraftwerk
• "Homosapien" – Pete Shelley
• "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It" – Stevie Wonder
• "I Am" – Kid Creole and the Coconuts
• "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" – Hall and Oates
• "I Could Be Happy" – Altered Images
• "I Don't Need You" – Kenny Rogers
• "I Don't Wanna Dance" – Split Enz
• "I Fall Down" – U2
• "I Go to Sleep" – The Pretenders
• "I Love You" – Climax Blues Band
• "I Made It Through The Rain" – Barry Manilow
• "I Missed Again" – Phil Collins
• "I Shot the Sheriff" – Light of the World
• "I Threw a Brick Through a Window" – U2
• "I Want to Be Free" – Toyah
• "I Wouldn't Have Missed It For the World" – Ronnie Milsap
• "I'm Gonna Follow You" – Pat Benatar
• "I'm in Love" – Evelyn King
• "I've Done Everything For You" – Rick Springfield
• "Icka Prick" – Funkadelic
• "If I Was a Dancer (Dance Pt. 2)" – The Rolling Stones
• "If Leaving Me Is Easy" – Phil Collins
• "If You Leave...Can I Come Too" – Mental As Anything
• "In the Air Tonight" – Phil Collins
• "Imagine/Woman" (medley) – The Shadows
• "In the Dark" – Billy Squier
• "Intrigue" – Marianne Faithfull
• "Intuition" – Linx
• "Invisible Sun" – The Police
• "Is That Love" – Squeeze
• "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby" – Joe Jackson
• "Isotope Soap" – Geza X
• "It Must Be Love" – Madness
• "It's a Tough Life" – Pat Benatar
• "It's Gonna Happen" – The Undertones
• "It's More Fun to Compute" – Kraftwerk
• "Jack on Fire" – The Gun Club
• "Jack, Your Dead" – Joe Jackson
• "Jerkin' Back 'n' Forth" – Devo
• "Jessie's Girl" – Rick Springfield
• "Jimmie Jones" – The Vapors
• "Johnny Blue" – Lena Valaitis
• "Jukebox Hero" – Foreigner
• "Just Between You and Me" – April Wine
• "Just Can't Get Enough" – Depeche Mode
• "Just Like Belgium" – Elton John
• "Just Like Gold" – Aztec Camera
• "Just the Two of Us" – Grover Washington, Jr.
• "Keep It Dark" – Genesis
• "Kick in the Eye" – Bauhaus
• "Kids in America" – Kim Wilde
• "The Kid Is Hot Tonight – Loverboy
• "Kings of the Wild Frontier" – Adam and the Ants
• "Kiss is on my List" – Hall and Oates
• "Labelled With Love" – Squeeze
• "The Land of Make Believe" – Bucks Fizz
• "Latin Music" – Kid Creole and the Coconuts
• "La voix du bon Dieu" – Céline Dion
• "Leather and Lace" – Stevie Nicks and Don Henley
• "Leila" – Z Z Top
• "Lets All Make a Bomb" – Heaven 17
• "Let's Get It Up" – AC/DC
• "Let's Groove" – Earth, Wind & Fire
• "Limelight" – Rush
• "A Little in Love" – Cliff Richard
• "Little T&A" – The Rolling Stones
• "Livin' Inside Myself" – Gino Vannelli
• "Living It Up" – Rickie Lee Jones
• "Lock Up Your Daughters" – Slade
• "Lonely Is the Night" – Billy Squier
• "Love Action (I Believe in Love)" – The Human League
• "Love Games" – Level 42
• "Love is Alright Tonight" – Rick Springfield
• "Love On a Two Way Street" – Stacy Lattisaw
• "Lunatic Fringe" – Red Rider
• "The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)" – Fun Boy Three
• "Macho City" – Steve Miller Band
• "Mad Eyed Screamer" – The Creatures
• "The Magnificent Seven" – The Clash
• "Make That Move" – Shalamar
• "Maljčiki" – Idoli
• "Mattress of Wire" – Aztec Camera
• "Me No Pop I" – Kid Creole and the Coconuts
• "Mean Street" – Van Halen
• "Mental Hopscotch" – Missing Persons
• "Message of Love" – The Pretenders
• "Messed Around" – Squeeze
• "The Model" – Kraftwerk
• "Modern Girl" – Sheena Easton
• "Moral Majority" – Dead Kennedys
• "More Than I Can Say" – Leo Sayer
• "Motorhead (live)" – Motörhead
• "Musclebound/Glow" – Spandau Ballet
• "Nazi Punks Fuck Off!" – Dead Kennedys
• "Neighbours" – The Rolling Stones
• "Never Too Much" – Luther Vandross
• "Nightgames" – Graham Bonnet
• "The Night Owls" – Little River Band
• "No Reply at All" – Genesis
• "No Use in Crying" – The Rolling Stones
• "Nobody Wins" – Elton John
• "Nothing Ever Goes As Planned" – Styx
• "O Superman" – Laurie Anderson
• "October (song)" – U2
• "Oh No" – The Commodores
• "Once in a Lifetime" – Talking Heads
• "One in Ten" – UB40
• "One of Us" – ABBA
• "One Step Ahead" – Split Enz
• "Our Lips Are Sealed" – The Go-Go's
• "Open Arms" – Journey
• "Open Your Heart" – The Human League
• "Over the Mountain" – Ozzy Osbourne
• "Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag" – Pigbag
• "Party on the Patio" – Z Z Top
• "Pearl Necklace" – Z Z Top
• "Penthouse and Pavement" – Heaven 17
• "Perdido en mi habitación" – Mecano
• "Physical" - Olivia Newton-John
• "Pirates (So Long Lonely Avenue)" – Rickie Lee Jones
• "Plan B" – Dexy's Midnight Runners
• "Plan B Escape" – Fraeon
• "Planet Earth" – Duran Duran
• "Pocket Calculator" – Kraftwerk
• "Police Story" – Black Flag
• "Precious Time" – Pat Benatar
• "Predictable" – The Kinks
• "Pretty in Pink" – The Psychedelic Furs
• "Primary" – The Cure
• "Procession/Everything's Gone Green" – New Order
• "A Promise" – Echo & the Bunnymen
• "Promises in the Dark" – Pat Benatar
• "Purple Lips" – Nico
• "Push Comes to Shove" – Van Halen
• "Put the Finger on You" – AC/DC
• "Queen of Hearts (song)" – Juice Newton
• "Quiet Life" – Japan
• "Radio Free Europe" (original Hib-Tone version) - R.E.M.
• "Rastafari Is" – Peter Tosh
• "Rawhide" – Dead Kennedys
• "Razzamatazz" – Quincy Jones
• "Really Want To Know You" – Gary Wright
• "Reggaemylitis" – Peter Tosh
• "Rejoice" – U2
• "Religious Vomit" – Dead Kennedys
• "Reward" – The Teardrop Explodes
• "Rise Above" – Black Flag
• "The River" – Bruce Springsteen
• "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" – AC/DC
• "Rock This Town" – The Stray Cats
• "Romeo and Juliet" – Dire Straits
• "Runaround Sue" – Racey
• "Sailing" – Christopher Cross
• "Same Old Lang Syne" – Dan Fogelberg
• "Sat in Your Lap" – Kate Bush
• "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" – Billy Joel
• "Say I Love You" – Renee Geyer
• "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)" – David Bowie
• "Secret Journey" – The Police
• "Sex Beat" – The Gun Club
• "Sex Bomb" – Flipper
• "Shake It Up" – The Cars
• "She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)" – Carl Carlton
• "She's Got a Way" – Billy Joel
• "She's Like Heroin to Me" – The Gun Club
• Shine So Hard EP – Echo & the Bunnymen
• "Shockwave" – Funkadelic
• "Should I Do It" – The Pointer Sisters
• "Show Me" – Dexy's Midnight Runners
• "Shut Up" – Madness
• "(Si Si) Je Suis un Rock Star" – Bill Wyman
• "Silly" – Deniece Williams
• "Since You're Gone" – The Cars
• "Six Pack" – Black Flag
• "Sixty/Forty" – Nico
• "Slave" – The Rolling Stones
• "Slow Hand" – The Pointer Sisters
• "Slow Motion" – Ultravox
• "Snake Eyes" – Alan Parsons Project
• "Snowballed" – AC/DC
• "So This Is Love?" – Van Halen
• "Soul Warfare" – Heaven 17
• "The Sound of the Crowd" – The Human League
• "Southern Freez" – Freez
• "Souvenir" – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
• "Spellbound" – AC/DC
• "Spirits in the Material World" – The Police
• "Splintered in the Head" – The Cure
• "Spray Paint (The Walls)" – Black Flag
• "Square Biz – Teena Marie
• "Star" – Kiki Dee
• "Stars on 45 vol. 2" – Star Sound
• "Start Me Up" – The Rolling Stones
• "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" – Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• "Stop the Game" – Cheap Trick
• "Stranger" – Jefferson Starship
• "Stranger in a Strange Land" – U2
• "Stray Cat Strut" – The Stray Cats
• "The Stroke" – Billy Squier
• "Summer of '81" – Mondo Rock
• "Super Freak" – Rick James
• "Sushi Girl" – The Tubes
• "Swords Of A Thousand Men" – Tenpole Tudor
• "Table Manners" – Kid Creole and the Coconuts
• "Take It on the Run" – REO Speedwagon
• "Take It To The Limit(live)" – The Eagles
• "Talk to Ya Later" – The Tubes
• "Talkin' Baseball" – Terry Cashman
• "Telstar" – The Shadows
• "Tempted" – Squeeze
• "That's Entertainment" – The Jam
• "The Third Man" – The Shadows
• "The Waiting" – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• "There's a Guy Work Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" – Kirsty McColl
• "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me" – Ronnie Milsap
• "The Thin Wall" – Ultravox
• "This is For the Lover in You" – Shalamar
• "This Little Girl" – Gary U.S. Bonds
• "Through Being Cool" – Devo
• "Through the Years" – Kenny Rogers
• "Thrown Away" – The Stranglers
• "Time" – Alan Parsons Project
• "Together" – Tierra
• "Tom Sawyer" – Rush
• "Tomorrow" – U2
• "Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me)" – Rod Stewart
• "Too Fast, Too Loud, Too Young" – The Zorros
• "Too Many Times" – Mental As Anything
• "Too Much Time on My Hands – Styx (released in 1980)
• "Treat Me Right" – Pat Benatar
• "Try It Out" – Gino Soccio
• "Tube Snake Boogie" – Z Z Top
• "Tunnel of Love" – Dire Straits
• "Turn Me Loose" – Loverboy (released in 1980)
• "Turn Your Love Around" – George Benson
• "Turning Japanese" – The Vapors
• "Tuxedo Junction" – Joe Jackson
• "T.V. Party" – Black Flag
• "Two Hearts" – Stephanie Mills and Teddy Pendergrass
• "Unchained" – Van Halen
• "United Together" – Aretha Franklin
• "Up the Hill Backwards" – David Bowie
• "Urgent" – Foreigner
• "Vienna (song)" – Ultravox
• "The Voice" – Moody Blues
• "The Voice" – Ultravox
• "Waiting For a Girl Like You" – Foreigner
• "Waiting on a Friend" – The Rolling Stones
• "Walking on Thin Ice" – Yoko Ono
• "The Wanderer" – Donna Summer
• "Watching the Wheels" – John Lennon
• "Water on Glass"/"Boys" – Kim Wilde
• "Wedding Bells" – Godley and Creme
• "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang" – Heaven 17
• "We Got the Beat – The Go-Go's
• "We'll Bring the House Down – Slade
• "We're Going to Live For a Very Long Time" – Heaven 17
• "We're In This Love Together" – Al Jarreau
• "We've Got A Bigger Problem Now" – Dead Kennedys
• "What Are We Doin' In Love" – Kenny Rogers and Dottie West
• "What Kind of Fool" – Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb
• "What's the Use in Getting Sober (When You're Gonna Get Drunk Again)" – Joe Jackson
• "When He Shines" – Sheena Easton
• "When She Was My Girl" – The Four Tops
• "When You Were Sweet Sixteen" – The Fureys with Davey Arthur
• "Whip It" – Devo
• "Who Can It Be Now? - Men At Work
• "Who Do You Think We Are" – Alice Cooper
• "Who's Crying Now" – Journey
• "Why Do Fools Fall in Love – Diana Ross
• "Wild Colonial Boy" – Dr. Hook
• "Wild is the Wind" – David Bowie
• "Will You?" – Hazel O'Connor
• "Winning" – Santana
• "Wired For Sound" – Cliff Richard
• "Woody and Dutch on the Slow Train to Peking" – Rickie Lee Jones
• "Wordy Rappington" – Tom Tom Club
• "Working For the Weekend" – Loverboy
• "Working in a Coalmine" – Devo
• "Yearning For Your Love" – The Gap Band
• "You Better You Bet" – The Who
• "You Could Have Been With Me" - Sheena Easton
• "You Make My Dreams Come True" – Hall and Oates