TOP 7 SONGS OF 1981

TOP SEVEN SONGS OF 1981

TOP SONGS OF 1981

1981, the year that MTV debuted. When Members Only jacket paired with parachute pants were in style. When Dukes of Hazard was still rad. Bette Davis Eyes was the year's big music hit!

Betty Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes

This hit song spent nine weeks on the top of the charts. The biggest hit for Kim Carnes in her career. The song subject, Bette Davis, apparenlty liked the song and even thanked Carnes for making her name 'a part of modern times'. 

Betty Davis Eyes

Betty Davis Eyes Lyrics

Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield

This song had a slow, slow, slow rise up the charts. After release it took 19 weeks to make it to the top spot. That's probably the record for longest rise to the top of the chart. It did not keep the number one spot for long, however, this song is still one of the more popular and well played 80s songs of all time - especially in the 'mom' crowd.

Jessie's Girl

Rick Springfield was Jessie's Girl

Hold On Tight - ELO

This song was big worldwide, especially Europe. ELO was riding high in the late 70s and early 80s, so it's no surpise they are on the list of Top Songs of 81...even if I, personally, don't love this song.

Hold On Tight sang ELO - good advise while riding a roller coaster

Every Little Thing She Does - The Police

Almost every chart worldwide had this song as a number one or close to it hit. Funny enough The Police were reluctant to record the song since it was a softer / poppier sound than they were used to playing. Luckily they did a take or two and gave us one of the best songs of 1981.

The Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic renamed Minerva

The Police - music meme

In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins

This is the epic drum solo song that you can't help playing air drums to everytime you hear it. Or is that only me? It was Phil's first solo single during his break from the band Genesis. It quickly rose to the top of the charts everywhere and slowly declined. It's still a standard on every kind of radio station from classic rock to hits-from-every-decade-kind-of-station. It's both atmospheric and rockin, not quite soft but no hard either.

I can feel it coming in the air tonight - Phil Collins on acid rain

I can feel it coming - Lyrics 80s graphic design background

Urgent - Foreigner

Foreigner had a great year in 81 with the release of their album '4' which included huge hits like Urgent and Waiting For A Girl Like You. Both awesome hits. Urgent was the first single off the album and easily hiked up the charts in North America staying near the top for an entire month. Then they did it a few months later with the second single Waiting for a girl like you.

Foreigner - Urgent but patient enough to wait for a girl like you

The Stroke - Billy Squire

This is another one of those songs that almost didn't get recorded. In this case the record label execs told Billy it was no good, but he had an extra spot available on his album so they let him record it. Turned out to be his most popular hit.

Billy Squire The Stroke dork meme

Stroke, Stroke, Stroke. Billy Squire could have led a viking ship

Grumpy Cat doesn't like 80s music

1981 was a great year for music wasn't it? I bet you have the vinyl collection to prove it!

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