Hello everyone! Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving and all the food and football that came along with it! Today, much like last week, I am going to list my top 100 songs of the year 1981. So, without further ado, here we go:
100. Winning by Santana--407 pts (#110 BB, #91 R/R)
99. How 'Bout Us by Champaign--425 pts (#80 BB, #118 R/R)
98. Treat Me Right by Pat Benatar--435 pts (#107 BB, #86 R/R)
97. The Old Songs by Barry Manilow--444 pts (#104 BB, #85 R/R)
96. Is It You by Lee Ritenour--445 pts (#113 BB, #82 R/R)
95. Games People Play by Alan Parsons Project--451 pts (#115 BB, #80 R/R)
94. Somebody's Knockin' by Terri Gibbs--457 pts (#85 BB, #99 R/R)
93. Just Once by Quincy Jones w/James Ingram--461 pts (#103 BB, #83 R/R)
92. What Are We Doin' In Love by Dottie West & Kenny Rogers--469 pts (#76 BB, #103 R/R)
91. Share Your Love With Me by Kenny Rogers--470 pts (#97 BB, #87 R/R)
90. When She Was My Girl by The Four Tops--471 pts (#77 BB, #101 R/R)
89. Really Wanna Know You by Gary Wright--474 pts (#119 BB, #75 R/R)
88. I Ain't Gonna Stand For It by Stevie Wonder--477 pts (#73 BB, #114 R/R)
87. Guilty by Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb--511 pts (#64 BB, #124 R/R)
86. We're In This Love Together by Al Jarreau--525 pts (#92 BB, #78 R/R)
85. I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) by Hall & Oates--531 pts (#94 BB, #76 R/R)
84. Let's Groove by Earth, Wind, and Fire--532 pts (#59 BB, #133 R/R)
83. Don't Stop Believin' by Journey--552 pts (#93 BB, #73 R/R)
82. Same Old Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg--561 pts (#72 BB, #88 R/R)
81. Harden My Heart by Quarterflash--572 pts (#83 BB, #74 R/R)
80. Time by Alan Parsons Project--588 pts (#89 BB, #68 R/R)
79. A Little In Love by Cliff Richard--598 pts (#95 BB, #63 R/R)
78. Trouble by Lindsay Buckingham--599 pts (#91 BB, #65 R/R)
77. Don't Stand So Close To Me by The Police--613 pts (#70 BB, #81 R/R)
76. The Winner Takes It All--618 pts (#51 BB, #127 R/R)
75. The Voice by The Moody Blues--651 pts (#100 BB, #54 R/R)
74. Sweetheart by Franke & The Knockouts--655 pts (#65 BB, #77 R/R)
73. Giving It Up For Your Love by Delbert McClinton--656 pts (#57 BB, #93 R/R)
72. I Can't Stand It by Eric Clapton--658 pts (#61 BB, #79 R/R)
71. What Kind Of Fool by Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb--663 pts (#75 BB, #61 R/R)
70. Gemini Dream by The Moody Blues--676 pts (#96 BB, #67 R/R)
69. I've Done Everything For You by Rick Springfield--697 pts (#62 BB, #71 R/R)
68. Too Much Time On My Hands by Styx--698 pts (#66 BB, #69 R/R)
67. Every Women In The World by Air Supply--708 pts (#55 BB, #84 R/R)
66. Love On The Rocks by Neil Diamond--713 pts (#54 BB, #90 R/R)*
65. Leather & Lace by Stevie Nicks & Don Henley--713 pts (#88 BB, #50 R/R)*
64. Cool Love by Pablo Cruise--716 pts (#86 BB, #51 R/R)
63. This Little Girl by Gary US Bonds--723 pts (#67 BB, #64 R/R)
62. Hold On Tight by ELO--733 pts (#71 BB. #59 R/R)
61. Why Do Fools Fall In Love by Diana Ross--766 pts (#63 BB, #60 R/R)
60. Her Town Too by James Taylor and J. D. Souther--797 pts (#84 BB, #40 R/R)
59. Boy From New York City by Manhattan Transfer--838 pts (#49 BB, #70 R/R)
58. Elvira by Oak Ridge Boys--869 pts (#35 BB, #105 R/R)
...pause here for obvious reasons...
...now on with our countdown...
57. I Love You by Climax Blues Band--875 pts (#68 BB, #56 R/R)
56. America by Neil Diamond--876 pts (#58 BB, #52 R/R)
55. Trying To Live My Life Without You by Bob Seger--892 pts (#53 BB, #57 R/R)
54. Young Turks by Rod Stewart--893 pts (#60 BB, #43 R/R)
53. Passion by Rod Stewart--912 pts (#44 BB, #62 R/R)
52. Hey Nineteen by Steely Dan--919 pts (#74 BB, #31 R/R)
51. Watching The Wheels by John Lennon--929 pts (#81 BB, #27 R/R)
50. Oh No by The Commodores--1053 pts (#48 BB, #38 R/R)
49. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic by The Police--1072 pts (#47 BB, #36 R/R)
48. Hello Again by Neil Diamond--1098 pts (#52 BB, #32 R/R)
47. Crying by Don McLean--1114 pts (#37 BB, #47 R/R)**
46. Hearts by Marty Balin--1114 pts (#50 BB, #30 R/R)**
45. Sukiyaki by A Taste Of Honey--1123 pts (#28 BB, #72 R/R)
44. Hard To Say by Dan Fogelberg--1127 pts (#69 BB #18 R/R)
43. You Make My Dreams by Hall & Oates--1137 pts (#42 BB, #39 R/R)
42. The Night Owls by Little River Band--1159 pts (#45 BB, #29 R/R)
41. For Your Eyes Only by Sheena Easton--1163 pts (#40 BB, #37 R/R)
40. While You See A Chance by Steve Winwood--1192 pts (#56 BB, #21 R/R)
39. Lady (You Bring Me Up) by The Commodores--1195 pts (#46 BB, #26 R/R)
38. (Just Like) Starting Over by John Lennon--1202 pts (#29 BB, #53 R/R)
37. A Woman Needs Love by Ray Parker, Jr.--1203 pts (#34 BB, #42 R/R)
36. Step By Step by Eddie Rabbitt--1214 pts (#38 BB, #35 R/R)
35. There's No Getting Over Me by Ronnie Milsap 1215 pts (#32 BB, #44 R/R)
34. Here I Am by Air Supply--1218 pts (#43 BB, #28 R/R)
33. Angel Of The Morning by Juice Newton--1225 pts (#31 BB, #45 R/R)
32. Urgent by Foreigner--1269 pts (#24 BB #55 R/R)
31. Take It On The Run by REO Speedwagon--1360 pts (#39 BB, #22 R/R)
30. Living Inside Myself by Gino Vanelli--1366 pts (#41 BB, #20 R/R)
29. Rapture by Blondie--1368 pts (#21 BB, #48 R/R)
28. Celebration by Kool & the Gang--1373 pts (#22 BB, #46 R/R)
27. Queen Of Hearts by Juice Newton--1440 pts (#19 BB, #41 R/R)
26. I Love A Rainy Night by Eddie Rabbitt--1444 pts (#11 BB, #49 R/R)
25. Start Me Up by The Rolling Stones--1448 pts (#8 BB, #58 R/R)
24. Medley by Stars on 45--1509 pts (#18 BB, #33 R/R)
23. All Those Years Ago by George Harrison--1518 pts (#36 BB, #16 R/R)
22. The Tide Is High by Blondie--1530 pts (#23 BB, #25 R/R)
21. Stop Draggin' My Heart Around by Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty--1551 pts (#15 BB, #34 R/R)
20. I Don't Need You by Kenny Rogers--1589 pts (#30 BB, #17 R/R)
19. Morning Train by Sheena Easton--1591 pts (#25 BB, #19 R/R)
18. Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield--1629 pts (#3 BB, #66 R/R)
17. Physical by Olivia Newton-John--1697 pts (#13 BB, #23 R/R)
16. 9 To 5 by Dolly Parton--1776 pts (#7 BB, #24 R/R)
15. Kiss On My List by Hall & Oates--1798 pts (#17 BB, #15 R/R)
14. Who's Crying Now by Journey--1848 pts (#33 BB, #4 R/R)
13. Slow Hand by The Pointer Sisters--1915 pts (#14 BB, #12 R/R)
12. Keep On Loving You by REO Speedwagon--1942 pts (#16 BB, #10 R/R)
11. The Best Of Times by Styx--1958 pts (#20 BB, #7 R/R)
10. Being With You by Smokey Robinson--1961 pts (#6 BB, #14 R/R)^
9. Waiting For A Girl Like You by Foreigner--1961 pts (#26 BB, #6 R/R)^
8. Just The Two Of Us by Grover Washington, Jr. w/Bill Withers--1974 pts (#10 BB, #13 R/R)
7. Private Eyes by Hall & Oates--1988 pts (#12 BB, #9 R/R)^^
6. The One That You Love by Air Supply--1988 pts (#27 BB, #3 R/R)^^
5. Theme From "Greatest American Hero" by Joey Scarbury--2002 pts (#9 BB, #11 R/R)
4. Woman by John Lennon--2216 pts (#4 BB, #8 R/R)
3. Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) by Christopher Cross--2293 pts (#5 BB, #5 R/R)
2. Endless Love by Diana Ross & Lionel Richie--2982 pts (#2 BB, #2 R/R)
...and the number one song of 1981 was...
1. Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes--3157 pts (#1 BB, #1 R/R)
A few thoughts about this list. First, there was a consensus number one as "Bette Daivs Eyes" was #1 on both Billboard and Radio & Records. Not only that, but there was a consensus #2 also ("Endless Love"). In fact, I can remember as a little kid listening to "America's Top 40" with Casey Kasem and hearing that the number one song of 1981 would either be "Bette Davis Eyes" or "Endless Love." My memory sometimes astounds me. Also, there were FOUR ties in my top 100, so I may as well depict them:
*-"Leather And Lace" had 473 pts from the R/R charts, whereas "Love on The Rocks" had 469 pts from the Billboard charts, so "Leather and Lace" wins the tiebreaker.
**-"Hearts" had 634 pts from R/R, whereas "Crying" had 633 pts from Billboard.
^-"Waiting For A Girl Like You" had 1141 points from R/R, where as "Being With You" had 1065 points from Billboard
^^-"The One That You Love" had 1172 points from R/R, whereas "Private Eyes" had 1020 points also from R/R.
All of the songs on this list appeared on both charts during 1981. In fact, only one song, "It's My Turn" by Diana Ross, made the Top 100 from one chart's (BB) data without appearing on the other chart (R/R). That song wound up 127th on the list.
Also, there were a LOT of artists on the 1981 top 100 that were crossovers from country music. Including Dolly Parton's smash "9 To 5" from the movie of the same name. Other artists include Kenny Rogers, Ronnie Milsap (who was a cousin of my childhood neighbors from Orlando), Juice Newton, Oak Ridge Boys, and the late Eddie Rabbitt. Most of those artists also appear on next year's chart. Speaking of Dolly:
Kind of amazing that a 77-year old primarily country artist is almost as popular as Taylor Swift these days. Such is the state of Pop music in 2023.
Well, that wraps up my review of 1981. 1982 should be coming within the next week, along with other entries. As always, take care.
CT
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