My Top 100 Singles of 1981
Here's the Spotify playlist:
1. Queen and David Bowie
- "Under Pressure"
2. Frankie Beverly & Maze - "Before I Let Go"
3. Luther Vandross - "Never Too Much"
4. Daryl Hall & John Oates - "You Make My Dreams"
5. Phil Collins - "In The Air Tonight"
6. Rush - "Tom Sawyer"
7. Billy Idol with Generation X - "Dancing With Myself"
8. Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around"
9. Rick James - "Super Freak"
10. The Police - "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"
11. Squeeze - "Tempted"
12. Talking Heads - "Once In A Lifetime"
13. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - "Bad Reputation"
14. The Waitresses - "Christmas Wrapping"
15. The Jacksons - "This Place Hotel"
16. Taana Gardner – “Heartbeat”
17. Blondie - "Rapture"
18. Laurie Anderson - "O Superman"
19. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "The Waiting"
20. Journey - "Don't Stop Believin'"
21. Billy Squier - "The Stroke"
22. Genesis - "No Reply At All"
23. Pat Benatar - "Hit Me With Your Best Shot"
24. Rod Stewart - "Young Turks"
25. John Mellencamp - "Ain't Even Done With The Night"
26. Prince - "Controversy"
27. Rick Springfield - "Jessie's Girl"
28. Foreigner - "Juke Box Hero"
29. Styx - "Too Much Time On My Hands"
30. Van Halen - "Unchained"
31. The Rolling Stones - "Start Me Up"
32. Chaka Khan – “What 'Cha Gonna Do For Me”
33. Daryl Hall & John Oates - "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)"
34. The Go-Go's - "We Got The Beat"
35. Madness - "It Must Be Love"
36. Rick James – “Give It To Me Baby”
37. Depeche Mode - "Just Can't Get Enough"
38. .38 Special - "Hold On Loosely"
39. Rush - "Limelight"
40. Yoko Ono – “Walking On Thin Ice”
41. Kool & The Gang – “Get Down On It”
42. Stevie Wonder - "Happy Birthday"
43. The Cars - "Shake It Up"
44. ZZ Top - "Pearl Necklace"
45. Steely Dan - "Time Out Of Mind"
46. Ozzy Osbourne - "Flying High Again"
47. Phil Collins - "I Missed Again"
48. U2 - "I Will Follow"
49. Daryl Hall & John Oates - "Private Eyes"
50. George Jones - "If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)"
51. Pretenders - "Message Of Love"
52. The B-52's - "Private Idaho"
53. Billy Squier - "Lonely Is The Night"
54. Grover Washington, Jr. & Bill Withers - "Just The Two Of Us"
55. Blue Oyster Cult - "Burnin' For You"
56. Foreigner - "Urgent"
57. Men At Work - "Who Can It Be Now?"
58. Kim Carnes - "Bette Davis Eyes"
59. The Gap Band – “Yearning For Your Love”
60. Split Enz - "History Never Repeats"
61. Pat Benatar - "You Better Run"
62. Bruce Springsteen - "The River"
63. Luther Vandross - "A House Is Not A Home"
64. Duran Duran - "Girls On Film"
65. Roger Troutman – “So Ruff, So Tuff”
66. The Ramones - "We Want The Airwaves"
67. Billy Squier - "In The Dark"
68. Lakeside - "Fantastic Voyage"
69. The Police - "Spirits In The Material World"
70. Deniece Williams - "Silly"
71. Olivia Newton-John - "Physical"
72. The Clash - "The Magnificent Seven"
73. Daryl Hall & John Oates - "Kiss On My List"
74. The Rolling Stones - "Waiting On A Friend"
75. Prince - "Let's Work"
76. The Go-Go's - "Our Lips Are Sealed"
77. Devo - "Working In The Coalmine"
78. Phil Collins - "If Leaving Me Is Easy"
79. The Who - "You Better You Bet"
80. The B-52's - "Party Out Of Bounds"
81. Stevie Wonder - "All I Do"
82. Christopher Cross - "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"
83. Sheena Easton – “Morning Train (Nine To Five)”
84. The Police - "Invisible Sun"
85. Gleaming Spires - "Are you Ready For The Sex Girls"
86. The Specials - "Ghost Town"
87. Frankie Smith - "Double Dutch Bus"
88. Joey Scarbury – “Theme from The Greatest American Hero (Believe It Or Not)”
89. Foreigner - "Waiting For A Girl Like You"
90. Men At Work - "Down Under"
91. Van Halen - "So This Is Love?"
92. Stevie Wonder - "Lately"
93. The Jacksons - "Can You Feel It"
94. Devo - "Through Being Cool"
95. Genesis - "Abacab"
96. Little Feat – “Rock And Roll Doctor”
97. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "A Woman In Love (It's Not Me)"
98. Billy Squier - "My Kinda Lover"
99. Kool & The Gang - "Celebration"
100. John Lennon - "Watching The Wheels"
2. Frankie Beverly & Maze - "Before I Let Go"
3. Luther Vandross - "Never Too Much"
4. Daryl Hall & John Oates - "You Make My Dreams"
5. Phil Collins - "In The Air Tonight"
6. Rush - "Tom Sawyer"
7. Billy Idol with Generation X - "Dancing With Myself"
8. Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around"
9. Rick James - "Super Freak"
10. The Police - "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"
11. Squeeze - "Tempted"
12. Talking Heads - "Once In A Lifetime"
13. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - "Bad Reputation"
14. The Waitresses - "Christmas Wrapping"
15. The Jacksons - "This Place Hotel"
16. Taana Gardner – “Heartbeat”
17. Blondie - "Rapture"
18. Laurie Anderson - "O Superman"
19. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "The Waiting"
20. Journey - "Don't Stop Believin'"
21. Billy Squier - "The Stroke"
22. Genesis - "No Reply At All"
23. Pat Benatar - "Hit Me With Your Best Shot"
24. Rod Stewart - "Young Turks"
25. John Mellencamp - "Ain't Even Done With The Night"
26. Prince - "Controversy"
27. Rick Springfield - "Jessie's Girl"
28. Foreigner - "Juke Box Hero"
29. Styx - "Too Much Time On My Hands"
30. Van Halen - "Unchained"
31. The Rolling Stones - "Start Me Up"
32. Chaka Khan – “What 'Cha Gonna Do For Me”
33. Daryl Hall & John Oates - "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)"
34. The Go-Go's - "We Got The Beat"
35. Madness - "It Must Be Love"
36. Rick James – “Give It To Me Baby”
37. Depeche Mode - "Just Can't Get Enough"
38. .38 Special - "Hold On Loosely"
39. Rush - "Limelight"
40. Yoko Ono – “Walking On Thin Ice”
41. Kool & The Gang – “Get Down On It”
42. Stevie Wonder - "Happy Birthday"
43. The Cars - "Shake It Up"
44. ZZ Top - "Pearl Necklace"
45. Steely Dan - "Time Out Of Mind"
46. Ozzy Osbourne - "Flying High Again"
47. Phil Collins - "I Missed Again"
48. U2 - "I Will Follow"
49. Daryl Hall & John Oates - "Private Eyes"
50. George Jones - "If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)"
51. Pretenders - "Message Of Love"
52. The B-52's - "Private Idaho"
53. Billy Squier - "Lonely Is The Night"
54. Grover Washington, Jr. & Bill Withers - "Just The Two Of Us"
55. Blue Oyster Cult - "Burnin' For You"
56. Foreigner - "Urgent"
57. Men At Work - "Who Can It Be Now?"
58. Kim Carnes - "Bette Davis Eyes"
59. The Gap Band – “Yearning For Your Love”
60. Split Enz - "History Never Repeats"
61. Pat Benatar - "You Better Run"
62. Bruce Springsteen - "The River"
63. Luther Vandross - "A House Is Not A Home"
64. Duran Duran - "Girls On Film"
65. Roger Troutman – “So Ruff, So Tuff”
66. The Ramones - "We Want The Airwaves"
67. Billy Squier - "In The Dark"
68. Lakeside - "Fantastic Voyage"
69. The Police - "Spirits In The Material World"
70. Deniece Williams - "Silly"
71. Olivia Newton-John - "Physical"
72. The Clash - "The Magnificent Seven"
73. Daryl Hall & John Oates - "Kiss On My List"
74. The Rolling Stones - "Waiting On A Friend"
75. Prince - "Let's Work"
76. The Go-Go's - "Our Lips Are Sealed"
77. Devo - "Working In The Coalmine"
78. Phil Collins - "If Leaving Me Is Easy"
79. The Who - "You Better You Bet"
80. The B-52's - "Party Out Of Bounds"
81. Stevie Wonder - "All I Do"
82. Christopher Cross - "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"
83. Sheena Easton – “Morning Train (Nine To Five)”
84. The Police - "Invisible Sun"
85. Gleaming Spires - "Are you Ready For The Sex Girls"
86. The Specials - "Ghost Town"
87. Frankie Smith - "Double Dutch Bus"
88. Joey Scarbury – “Theme from The Greatest American Hero (Believe It Or Not)”
89. Foreigner - "Waiting For A Girl Like You"
90. Men At Work - "Down Under"
91. Van Halen - "So This Is Love?"
92. Stevie Wonder - "Lately"
93. The Jacksons - "Can You Feel It"
94. Devo - "Through Being Cool"
95. Genesis - "Abacab"
96. Little Feat – “Rock And Roll Doctor”
97. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "A Woman In Love (It's Not Me)"
98. Billy Squier - "My Kinda Lover"
99. Kool & The Gang - "Celebration"
100. John Lennon - "Watching The Wheels"
A tremendous year. It would be hard for me to every call one thing my favorite song of all time, but if I ever really had to narrow it down to one, "Under Pressure" is a top candidate. Queen and Bowie are two of the artists I play on shuffle the most while my family eats dinner, so we hear "Under Pressure" a lot and I never get sick of it.