Philip Oakey (pictured in 2011) and his band The Human League had the best-selling single of 1981 with "Don't You Want Me", which spent five weeks at number-one and also became the year's Christmas number-one single. The group had two other singles in the top 10 this year.Soft Cell (lead singer Marc Almond pictured in 2010) secured two top 10 singles this year, including "Tainted Love", which spent two weeks at number-one and became the second best selling single of the year.Adam and the Ants (lead singer Adam Ant pictured in 2019) had six top 10 singles in 1981, the most of any artist this year. Two of these reached number-one: "Stand and Deliver" and "Prince Charming", which became the third and fourth best selling singles of the year respectively.
The UK Singles Chart is one of many music charts compiled by the Official Charts Company that calculates the best-selling singles of the week in the United Kingdom.[1] Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical singles.[2][3] This list shows singles that peaked in the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart during 1981, as well as singles which peaked in 1980 and 1982 but were in the top 10 in 1981. The entry date is when the single appeared in the top 10 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).[citation needed]
The following table (collapsed on desktop site) does not include acts who had previously charted as part of a group and secured their first top 10 solo single.
Graham Bonnet's only top 10 single as a solo artist, "Night Games", reached number 6 in 1981. He had scored hit singles as a member of Rainbow and in the duo The Marbles with Trevor Gordon. Lionel Richie's official chart debut on his own came this year when "Endless Love" peaked at number 7. He had previously made an impression on the top 10 with the group Commodores.
Godley & Creme had scored top 10 hits in the 1970s as members of the groups Hotlegs and 10cc. They achieved their first top 10 as a duo in 1981 with "Under Your Thumb", which peaked at number three.
Shakin' Stevens (pictured in 2013) was one of the UK's most successful acts of this year, scoring four top 10 singles, including the number-one hits "This Ole House" and "Green Door".The Specials achieved two top 10 singles in 1981, including their biggest hit, the protest song "Ghost Town", which spent three weeks at the top of the chart in July. It was also the last single recorded by the original seven members of the group before their split later that year, with Specials bandmates Terry Hall, Lynval Golding and Neville Staple going on to form Fun Boy Three.Julio Iglesias made the UK top 10 for the first time in November of this year with his cover version of "Begin the Beguine", which reached number-one for one week.
The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1981, including singles that reached their peak in 1980 or 1982. The figures include both main artists and featured artists, while appearances on ensemble charity records are also counted for each artist. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 1981 is also shown.
a "The Land of Make Believe" reached its peak of number-one on 16 January 1982 (week ending).
b "Imagine", "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" and "(Just Like) Starting Over" all re-entered the top 10 following John Lennon's murder on 8 December 1980. "Imagine" was first released as a single in the UK in 1975 and peaked at number 6. "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" was first released as a single in the UK in 1972 and peaked at number 4. Both singles reached new peaks of numbers 1 and 2, respectively, following Lennon's death.
c "Woman" was the first official Lennon single released after his death.
Ultravox were a British new wave band, formed in London in April 1974 as Tiger Lily. Between 1980 and 1986, they scored seven Top Ten albums and seventeen Top 40 singles in the UK, the most successful of which was their 1981 hit "Vienna".
"Vienna" is a song by British new wave band Ultravox from their 1980 fourth studio album of the same name. It was released as the album's third single on 9 January 1981 by Chrysalis Records and features Midge Ure singing the lead vocal.
"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" is a Christmas song released in 1971 as a single by John & Yoko/The Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir. It was the seventh single release by John Lennon outside his work with the Beatles. The song reached number four in the UK, where its release was delayed until November 1972, and has occasionally re-emerged on the UK Singles Chart, most notably after Lennon's murder in December 1980, when it peaked at number two.
"Marie Marie" is a song by American rock and roll band the Blasters. It became an international success after being covered by Welsh rock and roll singer Shakin' Stevens.
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