1980s in music in the UK |
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This is a summary of 1981 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
Issue Date | Song | Artist(s) |
---|---|---|
3 January | "There's No One Quite Like Grandma" | St Winifred's School Choir |
10 January | "Imagine" | John Lennon |
17 January | ||
24 January | ||
31 January | ||
7 February | "Woman" | |
14 February | ||
21 February | "Shaddap You Face" | Joe Dolce Music Theatre |
28 February | ||
7 March | ||
14 March | "Jealous Guy" | Roxy Music |
21 March | ||
28 March | "This Ole House" | Shakin' Stevens |
4 April | ||
11 April | ||
18 April | "Making Your Mind Up" | Bucks Fizz |
25 April | ||
2 May | ||
9 May | "Stand and Deliver" | Adam and the Ants |
16 May | ||
23 May | ||
30 May | ||
6 June | ||
13 June | "Being with You" | Smokey Robinson |
20 June | ||
27 June | "One Day in Your Life" | Michael Jackson |
4 July | ||
11 July | "Ghost Town" | The Specials |
18 July | ||
25 July | ||
1 August | "Green Door" | Shakin' Stevens |
8 August | ||
15 August | ||
22 August | ||
29 August | "Japanese Boy" | Aneka |
5 September | "Tainted Love" | Soft Cell |
12 September | ||
19 September | "Prince Charming" | Adam and the Ants |
26 September | ||
3 October | ||
10 October | ||
17 October | "It's My Party" | Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin |
24 October | ||
31 October | ||
7 November | ||
14 November | "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" | The Police |
21 November | "Under Pressure" | Queen and David Bowie |
28 November | ||
5 December | "Begin the Beguine" | Julio Iglesias |
12 December | "Don't You Want Me" | The Human League |
19 December | ||
26 December |
Issue Date | Title | Artist(s) |
---|---|---|
3 January | Super Trouper | ABBA |
10 January | ||
17 January | ||
24 January | Kings of the Wild Frontier | Adam and the Ants |
31 January | ||
7 February | Double Fantasy | John Lennon and Yoko Ono |
14 February | ||
21 February | Face Value | Phil Collins |
28 February | ||
7 March | ||
14 March | Kings of the Wild Frontier | Adam and the Ants |
21 March | ||
28 March | ||
4 April | ||
11 April | ||
18 April | ||
25 April | ||
2 May | ||
9 May | ||
16 May | ||
23 May | Stars on 45 | Starsound |
30 May | ||
6 June | ||
13 June | ||
20 June | ||
27 June | No Sleep 'til Hammersmith | Motörhead |
4 July | Disco Daze and Disco Nites | Various Artists |
11 July | Love Songs | Cliff Richard |
18 July | ||
25 July | ||
1 August | ||
8 August | ||
15 August | The Official BBC Album of the Royal Wedding | Various Artists |
22 August | ||
29 August | Time | Electric Light Orchestra |
5 September | ||
12 September | Dead Ringer | Meat Loaf |
19 September | ||
26 September | Abacab | Genesis |
3 October | ||
10 October | Ghost in the Machine | The Police |
17 October | ||
24 October | ||
31 October | Dare | The Human League |
7 November | Shaky | Shakin' Stevens |
14 November | Greatest Hits | Queen |
21 November | ||
28 November | ||
5 December | ||
12 December | Chart Hits '81 | Various Artists |
19 December | The Visitors | ABBA |
26 December |
The tables below include sales between 1 January and 31 December 1981: the year-end charts reproduced in the issue of Music Week dated 26 December 1981 and played on Radio 1 on 3 January 1982 only include sales figures up until 12 December 1981.
At the end of 1981, the official year-end charts provided by the UK's chart provider, the British Market Research Bureau, stated that the best-selling single of the year was "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell. [1] [2] However, in March 2021, the Official Charts Company announced that new research had shown that "Don't You Want Me" by the Human League, previously thought to be the year's 21st-biggest seller, was in fact the biggest-selling single of 1981 with over one million sales, and the year-end charts were adjusted accordingly. [3]
Notes:
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1980.
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in 1981.
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1983.
Events in the year 1889 in music.
This is a summary of 1995 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
This is a summary of 1982 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
This is a summary of 1979 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year. 1979 saw the beginning of several trends in British music. Electropop reached number one in both the singles and albums charts in the form of Gary Numan and Tubeway Army, and synthesiser bands began to gather momentum which would come to dominate music in the early 1980s. The first rap hit in the UK came from the Sugar Hill Gang. The 2 Tone movement also emerged, with early work from bands such as The Specials and Madness. Disco music was still the most popular music of the year, although it showed signs of dying out in the year's later months. 1979 remains the year when physical-format singles hit their sales peak in the UK.
This is a summary of 1988 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
This is a summary of 1985 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
This is a summary of 1980 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
This is a summary of 1978 in music in the United Kingdom.
This is a summary of 1958 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
This is a summary of 1976 in music of all genres in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
This is a summary of 1961 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
This is a summary of 1962 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
This is a summary of 1949 in music in the United Kingdom.
This is a summary of 1937 in music in the United Kingdom.
This is a summary of 1934 in music in the United Kingdom.
This is a summary of 1932 in music in the United Kingdom.
This is a summary of 1915 in music in the United Kingdom.