In 1981 I was seven years old. Solo debuts from Phil Collins and Billy Idol are released, three young teens in New York get together for the first time and later decide to call themselves the Beastie Boys… and a little venture called MTV made its debut.
My memories of 1981 involve music playing on the little radio in the kitchen every morning before school. And I remember the older kids at our campground always playing I Love Rock And Roll, as well as Jesse’s Girl. I can also remember Elvira playing on TV (probably HeeHaw or Sha-na-na or something like that). MTV debuted on the air on August 1, 1981 with a 1979 song called Video Killed the Radio Star (The Buggles).
Unlike most rankings, I won’t be simply tossing these up in a numerical order. Because I know better than anybody that on some days, some songs kick more ass than other songs. A song that is ranked 14th today could very well rank 1st tomorrow, if it suddenly comes on the radio during the perfect moment. So I’ll group them:
Awesome
Great
Solid
Not Bad
…with inter-group splitting.
First, video clips of my favorites from 1981.
23 Solid Songs from 1981
Waiting For A Girl Like You – Foreigner
Bette Davis Eyes – Kim Carnes
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic – The Police
Just Between You and Me – April Wine
Mickey – Toni Basil
Shake It Up – The Cars
The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em) – Greg Kihn Band
Just Can’t Get Enough – Depeche Mode
Rock This Town – Stray Cats
Our Lips Are Sealed – The Go-Gos
Private Eyes – Hall & Oates
Spirits In The Material World – The Police
Tainted Love – Soft Cell
Waiting On A Friend – The Rolling Stones
The Stroke – Billy Squier
All Those Years Ago – George Harrison
The Waiting – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Juke Box Hero – Foreigner
Stray Cat Strut – Stray Cats
I remember learning this song in music class waaay back in grade 5 or 6…
One of Us – ABBA
You Make My Dreams – Hall & Oates
This one makes an odd choice as the goal song for the Toronto Maple Leafs
More Than I Can Say – Leo Sayer
At This Moment – Billy Vera
16 Great Songs from 1981
Elvira – The Oak Ridge Boys
Leather And Lace – Stevie Nicks and Don Henley
Take It On The Run – REO Speedwagon
Angel Of The Morning – Juice Newton
Every Woman In the World – Air Supply
Probably my favorite from one of the, let’s face it, sappiest bands out there. The kings of the love song.
Mony Mony – Billy Idol
Centerfold – J. Geils Band
Don’t You Want Me – The Human League
The One That You Love – Air Supply
Beatles Medley – Stars On 45
Here is the long version…because who doesn’t want more Beatles?
Tom Sawyer – Rush
Freeze-Frame – J. Geils Band
Under Pressure – Queen
Invisible Sun – The Police
6 Truly Awesome Songs from 1981
Queen Of Hearts – Juice Newton
Never played in any circle of friends I’ve been in. I don’t even think my parents played it. I have no idea why I’ve known it and grown to like Queen Of Hearts so much. But I do.
Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
Big song had a big resurgence thanks to the series finale of The Sopranos. Now it’s played everywhere and anywhere.
I Love Rock And Roll – Joan Jett
Written and performed by The Arrows, Joan Jett took this version of the song to another level. I remember living on a court in Stratford and I was eight years old. The 10- or 11-year-olds on the other side of the court played this song constantly through the summer. Loud enough to be heard on my side. I remember one of those kids over there was named Caroline. Today she’s a he, and his name is Mike. The only person I have ever met, as far as I know, to have a sex change. This song reminds me of this. I know it’s an odd thing to remember or think about, but it is what it is.
Jessie’s Girl – Rick Springfield
Start Me Up – The Rolling Stones
One of my favorite songs by The Stones. And man do I wish I had an outfit like Mick’s here. No really. Okay, not really.
In The Air Tonight – Phil Collins
If you want to skip ahead to the awesome drum part (my kids get a kick out of it today), go to 3:10…
I put the above songs on a YouTube playlist here.
Listen to my playlists on Spotify
Here is the complete list:
| Awesome – 1 | Don’t Stop Believin’ | – | Journey |
| Awesome – 1 | I Love Rock And Roll | – | Joan Jett |
| Awesome – 1 | Jessie’s Girl | – | Rick Springfield |
| Awesome – 1 | Start Me Up | – | The Rolling Stones |
| Awesome – 5 | In The Air Tonight | – | Phil Collins |
| Awesome – 5 | Queen Of Hearts | – | Juice Newton |
| Great – 7 | Elvira | – | The Oak Ridge Boys |
| Great – 7 | Leather And Lace | – | Stevie Nicks and Don Henley |
| Great – 7 | Take It On The Run | – | REO Speedwagon |
| Great – 7 | Angel Of The Morning | – | Juice Newton |
| Great – 7 | Every Woman In the World | – | Air Supply |
| Great – 12 | Mony Mony | – | Billy Idol |
| Great – 12 | Centerfold | – | J. Geils Band |
| Great – 12 | Don’t You Want Me | – | The Human League |
| Great – 12 | The One That You Love | – | Air Supply |
| Great – 12 | Beatles Medley | – | Stars On 45 |
| Great – 12 | Tom Sawyer | – | Rush |
| Great – 12 | Freeze-Frame | – | J. Geils Band |
| Great – 12 | Under Pressure | – | Queen |
| Great – 12 | Invisible Sun | – | The Police |
| Great – 12 | Edge of Seventeen | – | Stevie Nicks |
| Great – 12 | Limelight | – | Rush |
| Solid – 23 | Waiting For A Girl Like You | – | Foreigner |
| Solid – 23 | Bette Davis Eyes | – | Kim Carnes |
| Solid – 23 | Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic | – | The Police |
| Solid – 23 | Just Between You and Me | – | April Wine |
| Solid – 23 | Mickey | – | Toni Basil |
| Solid – 23 | Shake It Up | – | The Cars |
| Solid – 23 | The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em) | – | Greg Kihn Band |
| Solid – 30 | Just Can’t Get Enough | – | Depeche Mode |
| Solid – 30 | Rock This Town | – | Stray Cats |
| Solid – 30 | Our Lips Are Sealed | – | The Go-Gos |
| Solid – 30 | Private Eyes | – | Hall & Oates |
| Solid – 30 | Spirits In The Material World | – | The Police |
| Solid – 30 | Tainted Love | – | Soft Cell |
| Solid – 30 | Waiting On A Friend | – | The Rolling Stones |
| Solid – 30 | The Stroke | – | Billy Squier |
| Solid – 30 | All Those Years Ago | – | George Harrison |
| Solid – 30 | The Waiting | – | Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers |
| Solid – 30 | Juke Box Hero | – | Foreigner |
| Solid – 30 | Stray Cat Strut | – | Stray Cats |
| Solid – 30 | One of Us | – | ABBA |
| Solid – 30 | You Make My Dreams | – | Hall & Oates |
| Solid – 30 | More Than I Can Say | – | Leo Sayer |
| Solid – 30 | At This Moment | – | Billy Vera |
| Not Bad – 46 | Ain’t Even Done With the Night | – | John Mellencamp |
| Not Bad – 46 | Der Kommissar | – | Falco |
| Not Bad – 46 | Unchained | – | Van Halen |
| Not Bad – 46 | Believe It or Not | – | Joey Scarbury |
| Not Bad – 46 | Celebration | – | Kool & the Gang |
| Not Bad – 46 | Girls On Film | – | Duran Duran |
| Not Bad – 46 | Gloria | – | U2 |
| Not Bad – 46 | Tempted | – | Squeeze |
| Not Bad – 46 | Urgent | – | Foreigner |
| Not Bad – 46 | YYZ | – | Rush |
| Not Bad – 46 | The Boy From New York City | – | Manhattan Transfer |
| Not Bad – 46 | Flying High Again | – | Ozzy Osbourne |
| Not Bad – 58 | Burnin’ For You | – | Blue Öyster Cult |
| Not Bad – 58 | For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) | – | AC/DC |
| Not Bad – 58 | Lunatic Fringe | – | Red Rider |
| Not Bad – 58 | Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around | – | Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty |
| Not Bad – 58 | Super Freak | – | Rick James |
| Not Bad – 58 | The Voice | – | The Moody Blues |
| Not Bad – 58 | You Better You Bet | – | The Who |
| Not Bad – 58 | Who’s Crying Now | – | Journey |
| Not Bad – 58 | Hold On Tight | – | Electric Light Orchestra |
| Not Bad – 58 | Working For the Weekend | – | Loverboy |
| Not Bad – 58 | Young Turks | – | Rod Stewart |
| Not Bad – 58 | Hang Fire | – | The Rolling Stones |
| Not Bad – 58 | Let’s Get It Up | – | AC/DC |
| Not Bad – 58 | Never Say Never | – | Romeo Void |
| Not Bad – 58 | Fight the Good Fight | – | Triumph |
| Not Bad – 58 | Magic Power | – | Triumph |
Dobber's Take 
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