See also: 1980 in music, other events of 1981, 1982 in music, 1980s in music and the list of 'years in music'

Events

• January 10 - Revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance opens at Broadway's Uris Theatre, starring Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith
• February 14 - Billy Idol leaves the band Generation X to begin a solo career
• February 15 - Blues guitarist Mike Bloomfield is found dead in San Francisco. The cause of death was ruled an accidental drug overdose
• March 14 - Suffering from bleeding ulcers, Eric Clapton is admitted to United Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. Clapton's 60 city tour of the US is canceled.
• April 7 - Former Who manager Kit Lambert dies after falling down a flight of stairs in his mother's home in London. Lambert managed the band between 1964 and 1967.
• April 11 - Van Halen's lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen marries actress Valerie Bertinelli.
• April 17 - Eric Clapton is released from St. Paul's Hospital in Minnesota following a month-long treatment for bleeding ulcers.
• April 18 - Yes announces that they're breaking up. (They would however reunite frequently in years to come).
• April 20 - The Mamas and the Papas' John Phillips is sentenced to five years in jail after pleading guilty to drug possession charges. Phillips' sentence would be suspended after thirty days in exchange for 250 hours of community service.
• April 22 - Eric Clapton is taken to the hospital suffering from bruised ribs and a lacerated shin, following a car accident in Seattle, Washington.
• April 25 - Paul McCartney's backing band, Wings, breaks up
• May 11 - The musical Cats begins its 8949 performance run on London's West End.
• August 1 - MTV debuts on cable television, playing music videos 24 hours a day.
• August, UK - the success of Stars On 45 leads to a short-lived medley craze. The most successful imitator of the Stars On 45 format is, rather unexpectedly, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra whose "Hooked On Classics (Parts 1&2)" reaches number two in the charts.
• September 19 - Simon and Garfunkel perform a free reunion concert in New York City's Central Park attended by over 500,000 fans.
• November 18 - While sitting in Tom's Restaurant in New York City, Suzanne Vega composes the song "Tom's Diner".
• Synth pop enjoys mainstream popularity in the UK, with groups such as Ultravox, Depeche Mode, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark and Human League releasing hit singles and albums.
• Menudo's golden era (1981-1985) begins in Latin America, parts of Europe and Asia.
• U2 appears on the Tomorrow show with Tom Snyder, their first U.S. television appearance
• Phil Collins releases his first solo album (although he won't leave the band Genesis until 1995)
• Joe Walsh leaves the Eagles
• Christian Death forms
• Culture Club forms
• Hunters & Collectors forms
• Metallica forms
• Mötley Crüe forms
• Sonic Youth forms
• Metallica forms
• Throbbing Gristle split up
• Social Distortion's career starts

Albums released

Alphabetized by artist

• Wild-Eyed Southern Boys - .38 Special
• The Visitors - ABBA
• Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap - AC/DC
• For Those About to Rock We Salute You - AC/DC
• Breaker - Accept
• Hard N' Heavy - Anvil
• Playing With A Different Sex - The Au Pairs
• Precious Time - Pat Benatar
• Prayers On Fire - The Birthday Party
• Damaged - Black Flag
• The Mob Rules - Black Sabbath
• Red - Black Uhuru
• The Best of Blondie - Blondie
• Freelancing - James Blood Ulmer
• Fire of Unknown Origin - Blue Oyster Cult
• The Ascension - Glenn Branca
• My Life in the Bush of Ghosts - David Byrne & Brian Eno
• Mistaken Identity - Kim Carnes
• Made in America - Carpenters
• Face Value - Phil Collins
• Special Forces - Alice Cooper
• Trust - Elvis Costello & the Attractions
• Penis Envy - Crass
• Faith - The Cure
• Olympia 81 - Dalida
• Cool Night - Paul Davis
• High 'N' Dry - Def Leppard
• Speak & Spell - Depeche Mode
• Stahlwerksinfonie - Die Krupps
• Only Jesus - Dion DiMucci
• Breaking the Chains - Dokken
• Love Is Only Feeling - Donovan
• Duran Duran - Duran Duran
• Shot of Love - Bob Dylan
• In the Garden - Eurythmics
• Punk's Not Dead - The Exploited (debut)
• Bad Habits - Bily Field
• 4 - Foreigner
• The Electric Spanking of War Babies - Funkadelic
• Handful Of Earth - Dick Gaughan
• The Beauty and the Beat - The Go-Go's
• Amy Grant In Concert - Amy Grant
• In Concert Volume Two - Amy Grant
• Private Eyes - Daryl Hall & John Oates
• Standing Hampton - Sammy Hagar
• Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks - Hanoi Rocks
• Koo Koo - Debbie Harry
• White Lace & Black Leather - Helix
• Dare - Human League
• Killers - Iron Maiden
• Maiden Japan EP - Iron Maiden
• Freeze Frame - J. Geils Band
• Street Songs - Rick James
• Tin Drum - Japan
• I Love Rock 'N Roll - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
• The Fox - Elton John
• Captured - Journey
• Escape - Journey
• Point of Entry - Judas Priest
• Discipline - King Crimson
• Give The People What They Want - The Kinks
• Music from "The Elder" - KISS
• Kix - Kix
• Hardware - Krokus
• Computer World - Kraftwerk
• Get Lucky - Loverboy
• Chances Are - Bob Marley and the Wailers
• Quiero Ser - Menudo
• Too Fast For Love - Mötley Crüe
• No Sleep 'til Hammersmith - Motörhead
• M.S.G. II - The Michael Schenker Group
• One Night at Budokan - The Michael Schenker Group
• The Michael Schenker Group - The Michael Schenker Group
• Place Without a Postcard - Midnight Oil
• Minor Threat and In My Eyes - Minor Threat
• Month Of Parturition (Ringetsu) - Miyuki Nakajima
• Juice - Juice Newton
• Physical - Olivia Newton-John
• Fiyou on the Bayou - The Neville Brothers
• Bella Donna - Stevie Nicks
• ''Drama Of Exile - Nico
• Movement - New Order
• Intensities in 10 Cities (live) - Ted Nugent
• Great gonzos : the Best Of Ted Nugent - Ted Nugent
• Fancy Free - The Oak Ridge Boys
• Only a Lad - Oingo Boingo
• Architecture and Morality - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
• Blizzard Of Ozz - Ozzy Osbourne
• Diary Of A Madman - Ozzy Osbourne
• 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs - Dolly Parton
• A Collection of Great Dance Songs - Pink Floyd
• Ghost In The Machine - The Police
• Controversy - Prince
• Talk, Talk, Talk - Psychedelic Furs
• Flowers of Romance - Public Image Ltd.
• Quarterflash - Quarterflash
• Difficult to Cure - Rainbow
• Rock Till You Drop - Raven
• Play Me Out - Helen Reddy
• Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash - The Replacements (debut)
• Brown Rice and Kerosene - Redgum
• As Far as Siam - Red Rider
• The Best Of Minnie Riperton - Minnie Riperton
• Share Your Love - Kenny Rogers
• Tattoo You - The Rolling Stones
• For Those Who Think Young - Rough Trade
• Moving Pictures - Rush
• Exit...Stage Left (live album) - Rush
• Shock Tactics - Samson
• Denim And Leather - Saxon
• Torch - Carly Simon
• She Shot Me Down - Frank Sinatra
• Non-stop Erotic Cabaret - Soft Cell
• East Side Story - Squeeze
• Don't Say No - Billy Squier
• Teddy Boys Don't Knit - Vivian Stanshall
• The Unknown Kurt Weill - Teresa Stratas
• Burning Blue Soul - The The
• The Time - The Time
• Tom Tom Club - Tom Tom Club
• October - U2
• Brasil (with João Gilberto, Gilberto Gil and Maria Bethânia) - Caetano Veloso
• Never Too Much - Luther Vandross
• Fair Warning - Van Halen
• Amarcord Nino Rota - Various artists
• Welcome to Hell - Venom
• Come an' Get It - Whitesnake
• Face Dances - The Who
• Earthshaker - Y&T
• Deaf!! - You've Got Foetus On Your Breath

Chronological Table of US and UK Number One Hit Singles

Other significant singles of the year

• "Antmusic" - Adam + The Ants #1
• "Kings Of The Wild Frontier" - Adam and the Ants
• "Happy Birthday" - Altered Images
• "I Could Be Happy" - Altered Images
• "Every Woman In The World - Air Supply
• "Errol - Australian Crawl
• "This Little Girl" - Gary U.S. Bonds
• "Night Games" - Graham Bonnet
• "Scary Monsters And Super Creeps" - David Bowie
• "Up The Hill Backwards" - David Bowie
• "Wild Is The Wind" - David Bowie
• "The Land of Make Believe" - Bucks Fizz
• "Sat In Your Lap" - Kate Bush
• "Plan B Escape" - Fraeon
• "Shake It Up" - The Cars
• "How 'Bout Us" - Champaign
• "The Magnificent Seven" - The Clash
• "This Is Radio Clash" - The Clash
• "In The Air Tonight" - Phil Collins
• "Good Year For The Roses" - Elvis Costello and the Attractions
• "Sailing" - Christopher Cross
• "Charlotte Sometimes" - The Cure
• "Cool Night" - Paul Davis
• "Star" - Kiki Dee
• "Just Can't Get Enough" - Depeche Mode
• "Plan B" - Dexy's Midnight Runners
• "Show Me" - Dexy's Midnight Runners
• "Romeo And Juliet" - Dire Straits
• "Tunnel Of Love" - Dire Straits
• "Wild Colonial Boy" - Dr Hook
• "Europa And The Pirate Twins" - Thomas Dolby
• "Planet Earth" - Duran Duran
• "Take It To The Limit(Live) - The Eagles
• "Let's Groove" - Earth Wind and Fire
• "For Your Eyes Only" - Sheena Easton
• "When He Shines" - Sheena Easton
• "Hold On Tight" - Electric Light Orchestra
• "Bad Habits" - Billy Field
• "You Weren't In Love With Me" - Billy Field
• "Juke Box Hero" - Foreigner
• "Urgent" - Foreigner
• "When She Was My Girl" - The Four Tops
• "Southern Freeez" - Freeez
• "The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum" - Fun Boy Three
• "Say I Love You" - Renee Geyer
• "Abacab" - Genesis
• "Keep It Dark" - Genesis
• "Under Your Thumb" - Godley and Creme
• "Wedding Bells" - Godley and Creme
• "Can't Get Enough Of You" - Eddy Grant
• "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) - Haircut 100
• "Backfired" - Debbie Harry
• "Penthouse And Pavement" - Heaven 17
• "Your Love Still Brings Me To My Knees" - Marcia Hines
• "Love Action (I Believe In Love)" - Human League
• "Body Talk" - Imagination
• "Can You Feel It" - The Jacksons
• "Absolute Beginners" - The Jam
• "Funeral Pyre" - The Jam
• "That's Entertainment" - The Jam
• "Super Freak" - Rick James
• "Quiet Life" - Japan
• "Nobody Wins" - Elton John
• "Razzamatazz" - Quincy Jones
• "Watching The Wheels" - John Lennon
• "I Shot The Sheriff" - Light Of The World
• "Intuition" - Linx
• "There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" - Kirsty MacColl
• "Grey Day" - Madness
• "It Must Be Love" - Madness
• "Only Crying" - Keith Marshall
• "If You Leave...Can I Come Too" - Mentals
• "Too Many Times" - Mentals
• "Good Thing Going" - Sugar Minott
• "Mental Hopscotch" - Missing Persons
• "Everybody Salsa" - Modern Romance
• "Cool World" - Mondo Rock
• "Chemistry" - Mondo Rock
• "Summer Of '81" - Mondo Rock
• "Chi Mai" - Ennio Morricone
• "Days Are OK" - The Motels
• "Motörhead (live)" - Motörhead
• "Ceremony" - New Order
• "Procession/Everything's Gone Green" - New Order
• "Angel Of The Morning" - Juice Newton
• "Queen of Hearts" - Juice Newton
• "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" - Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• "Gotta Pull Myself Together" - Nolans
• "She's Got Claws" - Gary Numan
• "Will You?" - Hazel O'Connor
• "Going Back To My Roots" - Odyssey
• "Souvenir" - OMD
• "Over The Mountain" - Ozzy Osbourne
• "Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag" - Pigbag
• "Invisible Sun" - The Police
• "Spirits In The Material World" - The Police
• "I Go To Sleep" - The Pretenders
• "Pretty In Pink" - The Psychedelic Furs
• "Hip, Shake, Jerk" - The Quick
• "Runaround Sue" - Racey
• "I Surrender" - Rainbow
• "Wired For Sound" - Cliff Richard
• "Start Me Up" - The Rolling Stones
• "Waiting On A Friend" - The Rolling Stones
• "It's My Turn" - Diana Ross
• "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" - Diana Ross
• "And The Bands Played On" - Saxon
• "Homosapien" - Pete Shelley
• "Chant No.1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)" - Spandau Ballet
• "Musclebound/Glow" - Spandau Ballet
• "History Never Repeats" - Split Enz
• "The River" - Bruce Springsteen
• "Is That Love" - Squeeze
• "Labelled With Love" - Squeeze
• "Tempted" - Squeeze
• "Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me)" - Rod Stewart
• "Thrown Away" - The Stranglers
• "Rock This Town" - The Stray Cats
• "Stars On 45 Vol.2" - Starsound
• "Alone With You" - Sunnyboys
• "Counting The Beat" - Swingers
• "Once In A Lifetime" - Talking Heads
• "Reward" - The Teardrop Explodes
• "Swords Of A Thousand Men" - Tenpole Tudor
• "I Want To Be Free" - Toyah
• "One In Ten" - UB40
• "All Stood Still" - Ultravox
• "Vienna" - Ultravox
• "It's Gonna Happen" - The Undertones
• "Gloria" - U2
• "Chariots Of Fire-Titles" - Vangelis
• "Jimmie Jones" - The Vapors
• "Fade To Grey" - Visage
• "Just The Two Of Us" - Grover Washington, Jr.
• "You Better You Bet" - The Who
• "Cambodia" - Kim Wilde
• "Kids In America" - Kim Wilde
• "(Si Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star" - Bill Wyman
• "Sgt. Rock Is Going To Help Me" - XTC
• "Don't Stop The Music" - Yarborough and Peoples

Published popular music

• "9 To 5" w.m. Dolly Parton from the film Nine to Five
• "All Those Years Ago" w.m. George Harrison
• "Allentown" w.m. Billy Joel
• "Allergies" w.m. Paul Simon
• "America" w.m. Neil Diamond from the film The Jazz Singer
• "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" w. Tom Eyen m. Henry Krieger from the musical Dreamgirls
• "Arthur's Theme" w.m. Carole Bayer Sager, Burt Bacharach, Christopher Cross & Peter Allen from the film Arthur
• "At This Moment" w.m. Billy Vera
• "Baby, Come To Me" w.m. Rod Temperton
• "Being With You" w.m. William "Smokey" Robinson
• "Believe it or Not (Theme From The Greatest American Hero)" w. Stephen Geyer m. Mike Post
• "The Best Of Times" w.m. Dennis DeYoung
• "Bette Davis Eyes" w. Donna Weiss m. Jackie DeShannon
• "Black Limousine" w.m. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ron Wood
• "Bruce" w.m. Rick Springfield
• "Chariots Of Fire" w. Jon Anderson m. Vangelis
• "Dynasty theme song" m. Bill Conti
• "The First Time it Happens" w.m. Joe Raposo, from the film The Great Muppet Caper
• "Good Thing Going (Going Gone)"     w.m. Stephen Sondheim
• "Hill Street Blues theme song" m. Mike Post
• "Key Largo"     w.m. Bertie Higgins & Sonny Limbo
• "One Of The Girls" w. Fred Ebb m. John Kander introduced by Lauren Bacall in the musical Woman Of The Year

Classical music

• George Crumb - Gnomic Variations for piano
• Joël-François Durand - String Trio
• Bengt Hambraeus - Voluntary on a Swedish Hymn Tune from Dalecarlia
• Steve Reich - Tehillim
• Stanislaw Skrowaczewski - Clarinet Concerto

Opera

• Conrad Susa and Richard Street - Black River

Musical theater

• Barnum     London production opened at the Palladium on June 11 and ran for 655 performances
• Cats (Andrew Lloyd Webber) - London production
• Dreamgirls Broadway production opened on December 20 at the Imperial Theatre and ran for 1522 performances
• March of the Falsettoes     off-Broadway production
• Pirates Of Penzance     Broadway revival
• Song and Dance     London production
• Woman Of The Year     Broadway production
• Merrily We Roll Along - Opened on Broadway

Musical films

• The Great Muppet Caper
• The Jazz Singer
• Pennies from Heaven

Births

• January 29 - Jonny Lang, blues artist
• January 31 - Justin Timberlake, former member of boy band *NSYNC
• February 11 - Kelly Rowland, member of Destiny's Child
• February 27 - Josh Groban, David Foster prodigy
• March 9 - Chad Gilbert, New Found Glory
• April 1 - Theresa Sokyrka, Canadian Idol 2 runner-up
• September 4 - Beyoncé Knowles, member of Destiny's Child
• September 26 - Christina Milian, US singer
• October 1 - Jamelia, British singer
• November 17 - Sarah Harding,Girls Aloud
• November 20 - Kimberley Walsh,Girls Aloud
• November 26 - Natasha Bedingfield, British singer
• December 2 - Britney Spears
• December 13 - Amy Lee, Evanescence

Deaths

• January 23 - Samuel Barber
• January 25 - Adele Astaire, US dancer, actress and singer
• February 9 - Bill Haley, dies of heart attack
• February 15 - Mike Bloomfield, blues guitarist
• April 5 - Bob Hite, Canned Heat, heart attack
• April 7 - Kit Lambert, former manager for The Who
• April 8 - Bert Shevelove, librettist
• May 11 - Bob Marley
• August 18 - Robert Russell Bennett, composer and arranger
• September 15 - Chick Bullock, US singer
• October 15 - Elsie Randolph, English actress, dancer and singer
• November 27 - Lotte Lenya, actress and singer, wife of Kurt Weill
• December 13 - Cornelius Cardew, avant-garde composer
• December 27 - Hoagy Carmichael

Awards

Grammy Awards

• Grammy Awards of 1981

Country Music Association Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1981

Charts

List of No. 1 Hits

• Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1981

KROQ

• KROQ Top 106.7 Countdown of 1981

External Charts

• Pop Culture Madness 1981 Pop Music Chart

1981 in music

1981 en musique | 1981 - muzyka | 1981 в музыке | Musikåret 1981