These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1981:
See also: 1981 in music, List of number-one R&B hits (United States)
Indicates best-charting R&B single of 1981 [1] |
Issue Date | Song | Artist |
January 3 | "Celebration" | Kool and the Gang |
January 10 | ||
January 17 | ||
January 24 | ||
January 31 | "Fantastic Voyage" | Lakeside |
February 7 | ||
February 14 | "Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)" | Gap Band |
February 21 | ||
February 28 | "Don't Stop the Music" | Yarbrough & Peoples |
March 7 | ||
March 14 | ||
March 21 | ||
March 28 | ||
April 4 | "Being with You" | Smokey Robinson |
April 11 | ||
April 18 | ||
April 25 | ||
May 2 | ||
May 9 | "Sukiyaki" | A Taste of Honey |
May 16 | "A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)" | Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio |
May 23 | ||
May 30 | "What Cha' Gonna Do for Me" | Chaka Khan |
June 6 | ||
June 13 | "Give It to Me Baby" | Rick James |
June 20 | ||
June 27 | ||
July 4 | ||
July 11 | ||
July 18 | "Double Dutch Bus" | Frankie Smith |
July 25 | ||
August 1 | ||
August 8 | ||
August 15 | "I'm in Love" | Evelyn King |
August 22 | "Endless Love" | Diana Ross & Lionel Richie |
August 29 | ||
September 5 | ||
September 12 | ||
September 19 | ||
September 26 | ||
October 3 | ||
October 10 | "When She Was My Girl" | The Four Tops |
October 17 | ||
October 24 | "Never Too Much" | Luther Vandross |
October 31 | ||
November 7 | "I Heard It Through the Grapevine (Part 1)" | Roger Troutman |
November 14 | ||
November 21 | "Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It)" | Kool and the Gang |
November 28 | "Let's Groove" | Earth, Wind and Fire |
December 5 | ||
December 12 | ||
December 19 | ||
December 26 | ||
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