List of number-one singles of 1981 (Canada)

Last updated

Diana Ross (1981).jpg
LionelRichie0995-1000.jpg
Diana Ross (left) and Lionel Richie (right) spent the most published issues at number one with "Endless Love", the third-most-successful single of the year. [1]

RPM was a Canadian magazine that published the best-performing singles of Canada from 1964 to 2000. A total of sixteen singles reached number one on the RPM Singles Chart in 1981. The year began with "(Just Like) Starting Over" by John Lennon at the top spot and ended with Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" at the summit. Eleven of the sixteen artists earned their first Canadian chart-topper this year; those who did so prior to 1981 were John Lennon, Blondie, Styx, The Moody Blues, and Olivia Newton-John. Lennon became the only artist this year to attain the number-one spot with more than one single, and no Canadians topped their home county's chart this year.

Contents

The best-performing single of the year in Canada was "Stars on 45 Medley" (also known as "Medley") by Dutch novelty act Stars on 45. Because no RPM issues were published between 11 July and 22 August, it remained at number one for 12 weeks, preventing the second-most-successful single of the year, "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes, from taking the position. The song that spent the most published issues at number one, six, was "Endless Love" by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie, becoming Richie's first Canadian number-one hit and Ross's only chart-topper in Canada outside the Supremes. The singer who stayed at number one for the most weeks this year was John Lennon, whose singles "(Just Like) Starting Over" and "Woman" gave him seven weeks at the summit. The other acts that remained at number one for at least three weeks were Blondie, Kool & the Gang, and Juice Newton.

Key
Dagger-14-plain.png Indicates best-performing single of 1981

Chart history

John Lennon occupied the number-one position for seven weeks in 1981 with two records: "(Just Like) Starting Over" and "Woman". John Lennon passport photo (cropped).jpg
John Lennon occupied the number-one position for seven weeks in 1981 with two records: "(Just Like) Starting Over" and "Woman".
American funk band Kool & the Gang topped the chart for three weeks with "Celebration". Kool & the Gang - Leverkusener Jazztage 2017-1963 (cropped).jpg
American funk band Kool & the Gang topped the chart for three weeks with "Celebration".
Singer Juice Newton had a Canadian number-one hit in 1981 with "Angel of the Morning". JuiceNewtonByPhilKonstantin.jpg
Singer Juice Newton had a Canadian number-one hit in 1981 with "Angel of the Morning".
English band the Moody Blues spent a week atop the chart with "Gemini Dream" in August. MoodyBluesCollage-1000cropped.jpg
English band the Moody Blues spent a week atop the chart with "Gemini Dream" in August.
Jon Anderson (pictured), collaborating with Greek composer Vangelis, topped the chart for five weeks with "The Friends of Mr. Cairo". Jon Anderson.jpg
Jon Anderson (pictured), collaborating with Greek composer Vangelis, topped the chart for five weeks with "The Friends of Mr. Cairo".
Issue dateSongArtistReference
3 January [upper-alpha 1] "(Just Like) Starting Over" John Lennon [2]
10 January [upper-alpha 1]
17 January [upper-alpha 1]
24 January [3]
31 January [4]
7 February"The Tide Is High" Blondie [5]
14 February [6]
21 February [7]
28 February[ citation needed ]
7 March"The Best of Times" Styx [ citation needed ]
14 March"Woman"John Lennon [8]
21 March [8]
28 March"Celebration" Kool & the Gang [9]
4 April [10]
11 April [10]
18 April"9 to 5" Dolly Parton [11]
25 April [12]
2 May"Morning Train (9 to 5)" Sheena Easton [13]
9 May [14]
16 May"Angel of the Morning" Juice Newton [15]
23 May [16]
30 May [17]
6 June"Stars on 45 Medley"Dagger-14-plain.png [1] Stars on 45 [18]
13 June [19]
20 June [20]
27 June [21]
4 July [22]
11 July [upper-alpha 2]
18 July
25 July
1 August
8 August
15 August
22 August
29 August"Gemini Dream" The Moody Blues [23]
5 September"Sausalito Summernight" Diesel [24]
12 September"Urgent" Foreigner [25]
19 September [26]
26 September"Endless Love" Diana Ross and Lionel Richie [27]
3 October [28]
10 October [29]
17 October [30]
24 October [31]
31 October [32]
7 November"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" The Police [32]
14 November"The Friends of Mr. Cairo" Jon and Vangelis [33]
21 November [34]
28 November [35]
5 December [36]
12 December [37]
19 December"Physical" Olivia Newton-John [38]
26 December [39]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Due to a four-week break in publication over the 1980/1981 Christmas/New Year period, the weeks of 3 January, 10 January and 17 January are inferred.
  2. ↑ No charts were published between 11 July and 22 August, so a seven-week gap is inferred.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Physical (Olivia Newton-John song)</span> 1981 single by Olivia Newton-John

"Physical" is a song recorded by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John for her 1981 eleventh studio album of the same name. It was released as the album's lead single on 28 September 1981. The song was produced by John Farrar and written by Steve Kipner and Terry Shaddick, who had originally intended to offer it to Rod Stewart. The song had also been offered to Tina Turner by her manager Roger Davies, but when Turner declined, Davies gave the song to Newton-John, another of his clients.

<i>Xanadu</i> (soundtrack) 1980 soundtrack album by Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra

Xanadu is the soundtrack to the 1980 musical film of the same name, featuring the Australian singer Olivia Newton-John and the British group Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It was released in June 1980 on MCA Records in the United States and July 1980 by Jet Records in the United Kingdom. The original LP release featured on side one the songs of Newton-John, and on side two the songs of ELO. In 2008 the soundtrack album was digitally remastered as a bonus CD as part of the film's DVD release titled Xanadu: Magical Musical Edition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria (Blondie song)</span> 1999 song by Blondie

"Maria" is a song by American rock band Blondie. The song was written by Blondie keyboardist Jimmy Destri and produced by Craig Leon. Taken from their seventh album, No Exit (1999), it was Blondie's first new release since 1982. "Maria", issued as a single in Europe on January 11, 1999, reached number one in the United Kingdom; Blondie's sixth UK chart-topper. The song also topped the charts of Greece and Spain, becoming a top-20 hit across Europe and in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angel of the Morning</span> 1967 song written by Chip Taylor

"Angel of the Morning" is a popular song written by Chip Taylor, originally recorded by Evie Sands, but first charting by Merrilee Rush. The song has been covered by many artists including P. P. Arnold, Connie Eaton, Mary Mason, Guys 'n' Dolls, Melba Montgomery, Olivia Newton-John, Bettye Swann and, most recognizably, by Juice Newton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You're the One That I Want</span> Single by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John

"You're the One That I Want" is a song performed by American actor and singer John Travolta and Anglo-Australian singer, songwriter and actress Olivia Newton-John for the 1978 film version of the musical Grease. It was written and produced by John Farrar, and released in May 1978 as the second single from Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture. The song is one of the best-selling singles in history to date, having sold over 4 million copies in the United States and the United Kingdom alone, with estimates of more than 15 million copies sold overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stars on 45 (song)</span> Single by Stars on 45

"Stars on 45" is a song medley issued in January 1981 by Dutch studio group Stars on 45. In some countries, including the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, the band was credited as 'Starsound' and only the medley itself was named "Stars on 45".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hopelessly Devoted to You</span> Single by Olivia Newton-John

"Hopelessly Devoted to You" is a song recorded by British-Australian singer, songwriter and actress Olivia Newton-John for Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture (1978). It was written and produced by John Farrar and originally performed by Newton-John in the film version of the musical Grease (1978). The song was released in Australia in August 1978 and peaked at number two. It reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number seven on the Adult Contemporary chart. On the country chart, "Hopelessly Devoted to You" peaked at number 20 and was her first top 20 country hit in two years. Newton-John performed the song at the 21st Grammy Awards in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady (Kenny Rogers song)</span> 1980 single by Kenny Rogers

"Lady" is a song written by Lionel Richie and first recorded by American country music artist Kenny Rogers. It was released in September 1980 on the album Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magic (Olivia Newton-John song)</span> 1980 single by Olivia Newton-John

"Magic" is a song recorded by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John for the soundtrack to the 1980 musical fantasy film, Xanadu. Written and produced by John Farrar, the song was released as the lead single from the album in May 1980. It peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks beginning on August 2, 1980. On August 30, it was displaced from the top by Christopher Cross's "Sailing".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Make a Move on Me</span> 1982 single by Olivia Newton-John

"Make a Move on Me" is a song recorded by singer Olivia Newton-John for her eleventh studio album. Physical (1981). It was written by John Farrar and Tom Snow, and produced by the former. The follow-up single to the number-one hit "Physical", it was released in January 1982 and peaked at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 that April. It also became her twelfth and final single to be certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Little More Love (Olivia Newton-John song)</span> 1978 single by Olivia Newton-John

"A Little More Love" is a song recorded by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John for her tenth studio album, Totally Hot (1978). Written and produced by Newton-John's long-time record producer John Farrar, the song was released as the lead single from Totally Hot in October 1978 and became a worldwide top-ten hit single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Is Alive (Gary Wright song)</span> 1976 single by Gary Wright

"Love Is Alive" is a song by Gary Wright taken from the 1975 album The Dream Weaver. It features Wright on vocals and keyboards and Andy Newmark on drums, with all music except for the drums produced on the keyboards. The album's title cut and "Love Is Alive" both peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. "Love Is Alive" spent 27 weeks on the chart, seven weeks longer than "Dream Weaver". Billboard ranked "Love Is Alive" as the No. 9 song of 1976.

References

  1. 1 2 "Top 100 Singles of 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  2. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – December 20, 1980". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  3. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – January 24, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  4. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – January 31, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  5. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – February 7, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  6. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – February 14, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  7. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – February 21, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  8. 1 2 "RPM 50 Singles – March 21, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  9. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – March 28, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  10. 1 2 "RPM 50 Singles – April 4, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  11. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – April 18, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  12. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – April 25, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  13. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – May 2, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  14. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – May 9, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  15. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – May 16, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  16. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – May 23, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  17. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – May 30, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  18. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – June 6, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  19. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – June 13, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  20. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – June 20, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  21. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – June 27, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  22. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – July 4, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  23. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – August 29, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  24. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – September 5, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  25. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – September 12, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  26. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – September 19, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  27. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – September 26, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  28. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – October 3, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  29. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – October 10, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  30. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – October 17, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  31. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – October 24, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  32. 1 2 "RPM 50 Singles – November 7, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  33. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – November 14, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  34. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – November 21, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  35. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – November 28, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  36. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – December 5, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  37. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – December 12, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  38. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – December 19, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  39. ↑ "RPM 50 Singles – December 26, 1981". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 4 April 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.