Billboard Top 40 of 1981

The following songs made their debut in the Billboard Top 40 in 1981;^[1] they are listed in alphabetical order.

• Ah! Leah! – Donnie Iris (#29)
• Ai No Corrida (I-No-Ko-ree-da) – Quincy Jones featuring Dune (#28)
• Ain't Even Done with the Night – John Cougar Mellencamp (#17)
• Alien – Atlanta Rhythm Section (#29)
• All Those Years Ago – George Harrison (#2)
• America – Neil Diamond (#8)
• Angel of the Morning – Juice Newton (#4)
• Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) – Christopher Cross (#1)
• Atlanta Lady (Something About Your Love) – Marty Balin (#27)
• Back in Black – AC/DC (#37)
• The Beach Boys Medley – The Beach Boys (#12)
• Being with You – Smokey Robinson (#2)
• The Best of Times – Styx (#3)
• Bette Davis Eyes – Kim Carnes (#1)
• Blessed Are the Believers – Anne Murray (#34)
• The Boy from New York City – The Manhattan Transfer (#7)
• Breaking Away – Balance (#22)
• The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em) – Greg Kihn Band (#15)
• Burning for You – Blue Oyster Cult (#40)
• Castles in the Air – Don McLean (#36)
• Centerfold – J. Geils Band (#1)
• Chariots of Fire – Vangelis (#1) (instrumental)
• Chloe – Elton John (#34)
• Come Go With Me – Beach Boys (#12)
• Comin' In and Out of Your Life – Barbra Streisand (#11)
• Cool Love – Pablo Cruise (#13)
• Cool Night – Paul Davis (#11)
• Crying – Don McLean (#5)
• Don't Give It Up – Robbie Patton (#26)
• Don't Let Him Go – REO Speedwagon (#24)
• Don't Stand So Close to Me – The Police (#10)
• Don't Stop Believin' – Journey (#9)
• Don't Stop the Music – Yarbrough & Peoples (#19)
• Don't Want to Wait Anymore – The Tubes (#35)
• Double Dutch Bus – Frankie Smith (#30)
• Draw of the Cards – Kim Carnes (#28)
• Elvira – Oak Ridge Boys (#5)
• Endless Love – Diana Ross & Lionel Richie (#1)
• Everlasting Love – Rex Smith & Rachel Sweet (#32)
• Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic – The Police (#3)
• Every Woman in the World – Air Supply (#5)
• Fade Away – Bruce Springsteen (#20)
• Feels So Right – Alabama (#20)
• Find Your Way Back – Jefferson Starship (#29)
• Fire and Ice – Pat Benatar (#17)
• Fool in Love with You – Jim Photoglo (#25)
• For Your Eyes Only – Sheena Easton (#4)
• Games People Play – Alan Parsons Project (#16)
• Gemini Dream – The Moody Blues (#12)
• General Hospi-Tale – The Afternoon Delights (#33)
• Give It to Me Baby – Rick James (#40)
• Guitar Man – Elvis Presley (#28)
• Hard To Say – Dan Fogelberg (#7)
• Harden My Heart – Quarterflash (#3)
• Heart Like a Wheel – Steve Miller Band (#24)
• Heartbreak Hotel – The Jacksons (#22)
• Hearts – Marty Balin (#8)
• Hearts on Fire – Randy Meisner (#19)
• Hello Again – Neil Diamond (#6)
• Her Town Too – James Taylor & J.D. Souther (#11)
• Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You) – Air Supply (#5)
• He's A Liar – Bee Gees (#30)
• Hold on Loosely – 38 Special (#27)
• Hold on Tight – Electric Light Orchestra (#10)
• Hooked on Classics – The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (#10) (instrumental)
• How 'Bout Us – Champaign (#12)
• I Can Take Care of Myself – Billy & The Beaters (Billy Vera) (#39)
• I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) – Daryl Hall & John Oates (#1)
• I Can't Stand It – Eric Clapton & His Band (#10)
• I Could Never Miss You (More Than I Do) – Lulu (#18)
• I Don't Need You – Kenny Rogers (#3)
• I Love You – Climax Blues Band (#12)
• I Loved 'Em Every One – T.G. Sheppard (#37)
• I Missed Again – Phil Collins (#19)
• I Want You, I Need You – Chris Christian (#37)
• I Wouldn't Have Missed It for the World – Ronnie Milsap (#20)
• I'm in Love – Evelyn "Champagne" King (#40)
• I've Done Everything for You – Rick Springfield (#8)
• In the Air Tonight – Phil Collins (#19)
• In the Dark – Billy Squier (#35)
• In Your Letter – REO Speedwagon (#20)
• Is It You – Lee Ritenour (#15)
• It's a Love Thing – The Whispers (#28)
• It's Now or Never – John Schneider (#14)
• Jessie's Girl – Rick Springfield (#1)
• Jones vs. Jones – Kool & The Gang (#39)
• Just Between You and Me – April Wine (#21)
• Just Once – Quincy Jones featuring James Ingram (#17)
• Just So Lonely – Get Wet (#39)
• Just the Two of Us – Grover Washington, Jr. with Bill Withers (#2)
• Kiss on My List – Daryl Hall & John Oates (#1)
• Lady (You Bring Me Up) – Commodores (#8)
• Leader of the Band – Dan Fogelberg (#9)
• Leather and Lace – Stevie Nicks and Don Henley (#6)
• Let's Groove – Earth, Wind & Fire (#3)
• A Life of Illusion – Joe Walsh (#34)
• A Little in Love – Cliff Richard (#17)
• Living in a Fantasy – Leo Sayer (#23)
• Living Inside Myself – Gino Vannelli (#6)
• Love Is Alright Tonite – Rick Springfield (#20)
• Love on a Two-Way Street – Stacy Lattisaw (#26)
• Love You Like I Never Loved Before – John O'Banion (#24)
• Me (Without You) – Andy Gibb (#40)
• Mister Sandman – Emmylou Harris (#37)
• Modern Girl – Sheena Easton (#18)
• More Than Just the Two of Us – Sneaker (#34)
• Morning Train (Nine to Five) – Sheena Easton (#1)
• My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone) – Chilliwack (#22)
• Never Too Much – Luther Vandross (#33)
• Nicole – Point Blank (#39)
• The Night Owls – Little River Band (#6)
• No Reply at All – Genesis (#29)
• Nobody Wins – Elton John (#21)
• Oh No – Commodores (#4)
• The Old Songs – Barry Manilow (#15)
• The One That You Love – Air Supply (#1)
• Our Lips Are Sealed – Go-Gos (#20)
• Physical – Olivia Newton-John (#1)
• The Party's Over (Hopelessly in Love) – Journey (#34)
• Poor Man's Son – Survivor (#33)
• Precious to Me – Phil Seymour (#22)
• Private Eyes – Daryl Hall & John Oates (#1)
• Promises in the Dark – Pat Benatar (#38)
• Queen of Hearts – Juice Newton (#2)
• Rapture – Blondie (#1)
• Really Wanna Know You – Gary Wright (#16)
• (Ghost) Riders in the Sky – The Outlaws (#31)
• Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through – Jim Steinman (#32)
• Sausalito Summernight – Diesel (#25)
• Say Goodbye to Hollywood – Billy Joel (#17)
• Say What – Jesse Winchester (#32)
• Say You'll Be Mine – Christopher Cross (#20)
• Seven Bridges Road – Eagles (#21)
• Seven Year Ache – Rosanne Cash (#22)
• Shake It Up – The Cars (#6)
• Share Your Love with Me – Kenny Rogers (#14)
• She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked) – Carl Carlton (#22)
• She's Got a Way – Billy Joel (#23)
• Since I Don't Have You – Don McLean (#23)
• Slow Hand – Pointer Sisters (#2)
• Some Days Are Diamonds (Some Days Are Stone) – John Denver (#36)
• Somebody's Knockin' – Terri Gibbs (#13)
• Someone Could Lose a Heart Tonight – Eddie Rabbitt (#15)
• Stars on 45 (Medley) – Stars on 45 (#1)
• Start Me Up – The Rolling Stones (#2)
• Staying with It – Firefall (#37)
• Steal the Night – Stevie Woods (#25)
• Step by Step – Eddie Rabbitt (#5)
• Still Right Here in My Heart – Pure Prairie League (#28)
• Stop Draggin' My Heart Around – Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (#3)
• Straight From the Heart – The Allman Brothers Band (#39)
• The Stroke – Billy Squier (#17)
• Stronger Than Before – Carole Bayer Sager (#30)
• Sukiyaki – A Taste of Honey (#3)
• Super Freak (Part 1) – Rick James (#16)
• Sweet Baby – Stanley Clarke & George Duke (#19)
• The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known) – Juice Newton (#7)
• Sweetheart – Franke & The Knockouts (#10)
• Take It Easy on Me – Little River Band (#10)
• Take It on the Run – REO Speedwagon (#5)
• Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It) – Kool & The Gang (#17)
• That Old Song – Ray Parker, Jr. & Raydio (#21)
• The Theme from "Hill Street Blues" – Mike Post (#10) (instrumental)
• Theme from "The Greatest American Hero" (Believe It or Not) – Joey Scarbury (#2)
• (There's) No Gettin' Over Me – Ronnie Milsap (#5)
• This Little Girl – Gary "U.S." Bonds (#11)
• Through the Years – Kenny Rogers (#13)
• Time – Alan Parsons Project (#15)
• Time Is Time – Andy Gibb (#15)
• Time Out of Mind – Steely Dan (#22)
• Too Much Time on My Hands – Styx (#9)
• Too Tight – Con Funk Shun (#40)
• Touch Me When We're Dancing – Carpenters (#16)
• Treat Me Right – Pat Benatar (#18)
• Trouble – Lindsay Buckingham (#9)
• Tryin' to Live My Life Without You – Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (#5)
• Turn Me Loose – Loverboy (#35)
• Turn Your Love Around – George Benson (#4)
• Twilight – Electric Light Orchestra (#38)
• Two Hearts – Stephanie Mills featuring Teddy Pendergrass (#40)
• Under Pressure – Queen and David Bowie (#29)
• Urgent – Foreigner (#4)
• The Voice – The Moody Blues (#15)
• The Waiting – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (#19)
• Waiting for a Girl Like You – Foreigner (#2)
• Waiting on a Friend – The Rolling Stones (#13)
• Wasn't That a Party – The Rovers (The Irish Rovers) (#37)
• Watching the Wheels – John Lennon (#10)
• We're in This Love Together – Al Jarreau (#15)
• What Are We Doin' in Love – Dottie West with Kenny Rogers (#14)
• What Kind of Fool – Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb (#10)
• When She Was My Girl – Four Tops (#11)
• While You See a Chance – Steve Winwood (#7)
• Who Do You Think You're Foolin' – Donna Summer (#40)
• Who's Crying Now – Journey (#4)
• Why Do Fools Fall in Love? – Diana Ross (#7)
• Winning – Santana (#17)
• Woman – John Lennon (#2)
• A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do) – Ray Parker, Jr. & Raydio (#4)
• Wrack My Brain – Ringo Starr (#38)
• Yesterday's Songs – Neil Diamond (#11)
• You Better You Bet – The Who (#18)
• You Could Take My Heart Away – Silver Condor (#32)
• You Make My Dreams – Daryl Hall & John Oates (#5)
• You Saved My Soul – Burton Cummings (#37)
• You're My Girl – Franke & The Knockouts (#27)
• Young Turks – Rod Stewart (#5)

References