These are the 80 best songs of the year 1981. The year in which Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes” was the absolute #1 hit of the year, and three songs by John Lennon appeared on the Year-End Hot 100.
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But what are the ultimate hits of 1981? We’ve rounded up the top 80 for you. They were compiled based on their performance on the major music charts and our expertise and preferences. This makes the list a little different from everyone else’s.
Below is the complete list of the 80 best songs from 1981. You can also listen to all the songs directly in our 1981 Spotify playlist!
80 Best Songs of 1981
| # | Title - Artist |
|---|---|
| 1 | Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes |
| 2 | Endless Love - Diana Ross & Lionel Richie |
| 3 | Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) - Christopher Cross |
| 4 | The One That You Love - Air Supply |
| 5 | Who's Crying Now - Journey |
| 6 | The Best Of Times - Styx |
| 7 | Woman - John Lennon |
| 8 | Private Eyes - Daryl Hall & John Oates |
| 9 | Keep On Loving You - REO Speedwagon |
| 10 | Slow Hand - Pointer Sisters |
| 11 | Just The Two Of Us - Grover Washington Jr. |
| 12 | Theme From "Greatest American Hero" (Believe It Or Not) - Joey Scarbury |
| 13 | Being With You - Smokey Robinson |
| 14 | Kiss On My List - Daryl Hall & John Oates |
| 15 | All Those Years Ago - George Harrison |
| 16 | I Don't Need You - Kenny Rogers |
| 17 | Morning Train (Nine To Five) - Sheena Easton |
| 18 | Living Inside Myself - Gino Vannelli |
| 19 | Take It On The Run - REO Speedwagon |
| 20 | Hard To Say - Dan Fogelberg |
| 21 | 9 To 5 - Dolly Parton |
| 22 | While You See A Chance - Steve Winwood |
| 23 | Waiting For A Girl Like You - Foreigner |
| 24 | Lady (You Bring Me Up) - Commodores |
| 25 | The Night Owls - Little River Band |
| 26 | Watching The Wheels - John Lennon |
| 27 | Hearts - Marty Balin |
| 28 | Stop Draggin' My Heart Around - Stevie Nicks w/Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers |
| 29 | Queen Of Hearts - Juice Newton |
| 30 | Medley - Stars On 45 |
| 31 | (There's) No Gettin' Over Me - Ronnie Milsap |
| 32 | Hello Again - Neil Diamond |
| 33 | The Tide Is High - Blondie |
| 34 | Step By Step - Eddie Rabbitt |
| 35 | A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do) - Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio |
| 36 | Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You) - Air Supply |
| 37 | You Make My Dreams - Daryl Hall & John Oates |
| 38 | For Your Eyes Only - Sheena Easton |
| 39 | Her Town Too - James Taylor & J.D. Souther |
| 40 | Rapture - Blondie |
| 41 | Celebration - Kool & The Gang |
| 42 | Hey Nineteen - Steely Dan |
| 43 | Angel Of The Morning - Juice Newton |
| 44 | I Love You - Climax Blues Band |
| 45 | Urgent - Foreigner |
| 46 | Start Me Up - Rolling Stones |
| 47 | Cool Love - Pablo Cruise |
| 48 | I Love A Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbitt |
| 49 | Crying - Don McLean |
| 50 | The Voice - Moody Blues |
| 51 | America - Neil Diamond |
| 52 | Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - Police |
| 53 | Tryin' To Live My Life Without You - Bob Seger |
| 54 | Hold On Tight - ELO |
| 55 | Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield |
| 56 | This Little Girl - Gary U.S. Bonds |
| 57 | Physical - Olivia Newton-John |
| 58 | What Kind Of Fool - Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb |
| 59 | Too Much Time On My Hands - Styx |
| 60 | A Little In Love - Cliff Richard |
| 61 | Time - Alan Parsons Project |
| 62 | Oh No - Commodores |
| 63 | Gemini Dream - Moody Blues |
| 64 | Boy From New York City - Manhattan Transfer |
| 65 | Sukiyaki - Taste Of Honey |
| 66 | I've Done Everything For You - Rick Springfield |
| 67 | Really Wanna Know You - Gary Wright |
| 68 | Sweetheart - Franke & The Knockouts |
| 69 | We're In This Love Together - Al Jarreau |
| 70 | (Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon |
| 71 | Games People Play - Alan Parsons Project |
| 72 | Just Once - Quincy Jones featuring James Ingram |
| 73 | Passion - Rod Stewart |
| 74 | Don't Stand So Close To Me - Police |
| 75 | Is It You - Lee Ritenour |
| 76 | Same Old Lang Syne - Dan Fogelberg |
| 77 | I Can't Stand It - Eric Clapton |
| 78 | Treat Me Right - Pat Benatar |
| 79 | Share Your Love With Me - Kenny Rogers |
| 80 | I Missed Again - Phil Collins |
<<< Best Songs of 1980 | Best Songs of 1982 >>>
Other Playlists You May Like
Spotify Playlist 1981
Frequently Asked Questions
1 Bette Davis Eyes – Kim Carnes
2 Endless Love – Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
3 Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) – Christopher Cross
4 The One That You Love – Air Supply
5 Who’s Crying Now – Journey
6 The Best Of Times – Styx
7 Woman – John Lennon
8 Private Eyes – Daryl Hall & John Oates
9 Keep On Loving You – REO Speedwagon
10 Slow Hand – Pointer Sisters
According to Billboard’s year-end rankings for 1981, Kim Carnes’s “Bette Davis Eyes” was the No. 1 song. It spent nine weeks at the top spot and gained massive popularity throughout the year.
