This is a list of Billboard magazine's Top Hot 100 songs of 1981. The Top 100, as revealed in the year-end edition of Billboard dated December 26, 1981, is based on Hot 100 charts from the issue dates of November 1, 1980 through October 31, 1981.
No. Title Artist(s)1 "Bette Davis Eyes" Kim Carnes2 "Endless Love" Diana Ross & Lionel Richie3 "Lady" Kenny Rogers4 "(Just Like) Starting Over" John Lennon5 "Jessie's Girl" Rick Springfield6 "Celebration" Kool & the Gang7 "Kiss on My List" Daryl Hall & John Oates8 "I Love a Rainy Night" Eddie Rabbitt9 "9 To 5" Dolly Parton10 "Keep on Loving You" REO Speedwagon11 "Theme from The Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)" Joey Scarbury12 "Morning Train (Nine to Five)" Sheena Easton13 "Being with You" Smokey Robinson14 "Queen of Hearts" Juice Newton15 "Rapture" Blondie16 "A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)" Raydio17 "The Tide Is High" Blondie18 "Just the Two of Us" Grover Washington, Jr. & Bill Withers19 "Slow Hand" The Pointer Sisters20 "I Love You" Climax Blues Band21 "Woman" John Lennon22 "Sukiyaki" A Taste of Honey23 "The Winner Takes It All" ABBA24 "Stars on 45 Medley" Stars on 4525 "Angel of the Morning" Juice Newton26 "Love on the Rocks" Neil Diamond27 "Every Woman in the World" Air Supply28 "The One That You Love"29 "Guilty" Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb30 "The Best of Times" Styx31 "Elvira" The Oak Ridge Boys32 "Take It on the Run" REO Speedwagon33 "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me" Ronnie Milsap34 "Living Inside Myself" Gino Vannelli35 "Woman in Love" Barbra Streisand36 "The Boy from New York City" The Manhattan Transfer37 "Urgent" Foreigner38 "Passion" Rod Stewart39 "Lady (You Bring Me Up)" Commodores40 "Crying" Don McLean41 "Hearts" Marty Balin42 "It's My Turn" Diana Ross43 "You Make My Dreams" Daryl Hall & John Oates44 "I Don't Need You" Kenny Rogers45 "How 'Bout Us" Champaign46 "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" Pat Benatar47 "The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)" The Greg Kihn Band48 "Time" The Alan Parsons Project49 "Hungry Heart" Bruce Springsteen50 "Sweetheart" Franke and the Knockouts51 "Somebody's Knockin'" Terri Gibbs52 "More Than I Can Say" Leo Sayer53 "Together" Tierra54 "Too Much Time on My Hands" Styx55 "What Are We Doin' in Love" Dottie West & Kenny Rogers56 "Who's Crying Now" Journey57 "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" The Police58 "This Little Girl" Gary U.S. Bonds59 "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty60 "Giving It Up for Your Love" Delbert McClinton61 "A Little in Love" Cliff Richard62 "America" Neil Diamond63 "Ain't Even Done with the Night" John Cougar64 "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" Christopher Cross65 "Another One Bites the Dust" Queen66 "Games People Play" The Alan Parsons Project67 "I Can't Stand It" Eric Clapton68 "While You See a Chance" Steve Winwood69 "Master Blaster (Jammin')" Stevie Wonder70 "Hello Again" Neil Diamond71 "Don't Stand So Close to Me" The Police72 "Hey Nineteen" Steely Dan73 "I Ain't Gonna Stand for It" Stevie Wonder74 "All Those Years Ago" George Harrison75 "Step By Step" Eddie Rabbitt76 "The Stroke" Billy Squier77 "Feels So Right" Alabama78 "Sweet Baby" Stanley Clarke & George Duke79 "Same Old Lang Syne" Dan Fogelberg80 "Cool Love" Pablo Cruise81 "Hold On Tight" Electric Light Orchestra82 "It's Now or Never" John Schneider83 "Treat Me Right" Pat Benatar84 "Winning" Santana85 "What Kind of Fool" Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb86 "Watching the Wheels" John Lennon87 "Tell It Like It Is" Heart88 "Smoky Mountain Rain" Ronnie Milsap89 "I Made It Through the Rain" Barry Manilow90 "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" Daryl Hall & John Oates91 "Suddenly" Olivia Newton-John & Cliff Richard92 "For Your Eyes Only" Sheena Easton93 "The Beach Boys Medley" The Beach Boys94 "Whip It" Devo95 "Modern Girl" Sheena Easton96 "Really Wanna Know You" Gary Wright97 "Seven Year Ache" Rosanne Cash98 "I'm Coming Out" Diana Ross99 "Miss Sun" Boz Scaggs100 "Time Is Time" Andy Gibb
See also 1981 in music Billboard Year-End Hot Soul Singles of 1981 List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1981 List of Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles in 1981
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