List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1981 (U.S.)
Encyclopedia
These are the Billboard
adult contemporary chart
number-one hits of 1981.
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
adult contemporary chart
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
number-one hits of 1981.
| Issue Date | Song | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| January 3 | "More Than I Can Say More Than I Can Say "More Than I Can Say" is a song written by Sonny Curtis and Jerry Allison, both former members of Buddy Holly's band The Crickets and was recorded by their band in 1959 soon after Holly's death and was released in 1960. Their original version hit #42 on British Record Retailer Chart on 5/12/60... " |
Leo Sayer Leo Sayer Leo Sayer is a British singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades. Sayer became a naturalised Australian citizen in 2009. Sayer was a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s... |
| January 10 | ||
| January 17 | "I Love a Rainy Night I Love a Rainy Night "I Love a Rainy Night" is a rock song by Eddie Rabbitt. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Country Singles, and Adult Contemporary Singles charts in 1981... " |
Eddie Rabbitt Eddie Rabbitt Edward Thomas "Eddie" Rabbitt was an American singer-songwriter and musician. His career began as a songwriter in the late 1960s, springboarding to a recording career after composing hits such as "Kentucky Rain" for Elvis Presley in 1970 and "Pure Love" for Ronnie Milsap in 1974... |
| January 24 | ||
| January 31 | ||
| February 7 | "The Winner Takes It All The Winner Takes It All "The Winner Takes It All" is a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA. Released as the first single from the group's Super Trouper album on July 21, 1980, it is a ballad in the key of F-sharp major, reflecting the end of a romance... " |
ABBA ABBA ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog... |
| February 14 | ||
| February 21 | "Smoky Mountain Rain Smoky Mountain Rain "Smoky Mountain Rain" is a song made famous by country music singer Ronnie Milsap. Originally released in 1980, the song became one of his best-known songs.... " |
Ronnie Milsap Ronnie Milsap Ronnie Lee Milsap is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country’s most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s... |
| February 28 | "9 to 5 9 to 5 (Dolly Parton song) "9 to 5" is a song written and originally performed by Dolly Parton for the 1980 film comedy Nine to Five, starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Parton in her film debut.... " |
Dolly Parton Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk... |
| March 7 | ||
| March 14 | "What Kind of Fool What Kind of Fool "What Kind of Fool" is the title of a vocal duet from 1981 by singers Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb. The songwriters for "What Kind of Fool" are Gibb and Albhy Galuten.... " |
Barbra Streisand Barbra Streisand Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,... and Barry Gibb Barry Gibb Barry Alan Crompton Gibb, CBE , is a singer, songwriter and producer. He was born in the Isle of Man to English parents. With his brothers Robin and Maurice, he formed The Bee Gees, one of the most successful pop groups of all time. The trio got their start in Australia, and found their major... |
| March 21 | ||
| March 28 | ||
| April 4 | ||
| April 11 | "Angel of the Morning Angel of the Morning "Angel of the Morning" is a popular song that has been recorded numerous times, and has been a charting hit single for several artists including Juice Newton, Merrilee Rush, Nina Simone, P.P... " |
Juice Newton Juice Newton Judith Kay "Juice" Newton is an American Pop music and Country singer, songwriter and guitarist... |
| April 18 | ||
| April 25 | ||
| May 2 | "Morning Train (9 to 5) 9 to 5 (Sheena Easton song) "9 to 5" is the title of a popular song written by British songwriter Florrie Palmer and recorded by Sheena Easton in 1980, becoming her biggest hit... " |
Sheena Easton Sheena Easton Sheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop... |
| May 9 | ||
| May 16 | "Sukiyaki Sukiyaki (song) The cover version by A Taste of Honey reached number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also went to number 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart and Soul chart).... " |
A Taste of Honey A Taste of Honey (band) A Taste of Honey was the name of an American recording act, formed in 1971 by associates Perry Kibble and Donald Ray Johnson. In 1978 they had one of the best known chart-toppers of the disco era, "Boogie Oogie Oogie"... |
| May 23 | ||
| May 30 | "How 'Bout Us How 'Bout Us "How 'Bout Us" is a 1981 hit single recorded by R&B music group Champaign and composed by band keyboardist Dana Walden. Originally released on the band's debut album of the same name, the title track peaked at #12 on the Hot 100... " |
Champaign Champaign (band) Champaign was a 1980s United States R&B band with adult contemporary leanings, best known for their 1981 hit, "How 'Bout Us."-Career:The mixed-race septet, who named themselves after their hometown of Champaign, Illinois, included Pauli Carman and Rena Jones on vocals; Michael Day and Dana Walden... |
| June 6 | ||
| June 13 | "America America (Neil Diamond song) "America" is the name of a patriotic song written and originally recorded by Neil Diamond, released in 1980 as part of The Jazz Singer soundtrack album... " |
Neil Diamond Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present.... |
| June 20 | ||
| June 27 | ||
| July 4 | "All Those Years Ago All Those Years Ago "All Those Years Ago" is a song written by George Harrison, released as a single from the album Somewhere in England. The song was a personal tribute to former bandmate John Lennon, who was murdered on 8 December 1980... " |
George Harrison George Harrison George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other... |
| July 11 | "I Don't Need You I Don't Need You "I Don't Need You" is the title of a song written by Rick Christian and recorded by American country artist Kenny Rogers. It was released in June 1981 as the lead single from Rogers album Share Your Love.... " |
Kenny Rogers Kenny Rogers Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur... |
| July 18 | ||
| July 25 | ||
| August 1 | ||
| August 8 | ||
| August 15 | ||
| August 22 | "Touch Me When We're Dancing Touch Me When We're Dancing "Touch Me When We're Dancing" is a song written by Terry Skinner, J. L. Wallace and Ken Bell. Skinner and Wallace headed the Muscle Shoals, Alabama session group Bama, who first recorded this song and released it as a single in 1979 reaching the Billboard Easy Listening chart at #42 and ranking on... " |
The Carpenters The Carpenters Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and... |
| August 29 | ||
| September 5 | "Endless Love Endless Love (song) "Endless Love" is a song written by Lionel Richie and originally recorded as a duet between Richie and fellow soul singer Diana Ross. In this ballad, the singers declare their "endless love" for one another. It was covered by soul singer Luther Vandross with R&B singer Mariah Carey and also by... " |
Diana Ross Diana Ross Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway... and Lionel Richie Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records... |
| September 12 | ||
| September 19 | ||
| September 26 | "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) "Arthur's Theme " is a song performed by Christopher Cross, which was the theme to the 1981 film Arthur starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli... " |
Christopher Cross Christopher Cross Christopher Cross is an American singer-songwriter from San Antonio, Texas. His debut album earned him five Grammys. He is perhaps best known for his Top Ten hit songs, "Sailing", "Ride Like the Wind", and "Arthur's Theme ", the last of which he performed for the film Arthur starring Dudley Moore... |
| October 3 | ||
| October 10 | ||
| October 17 | ||
| October 24 | "Share Your Love with Me Share Your Love with Me Aretha Franklin recorded the most successful version of the song for her 1970 album, This Girl's in Love with You. Her single spent five weeks at number-one on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart and peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969. .... " |
Kenny Rogers |
| October 31 | ||
| November 7 | "Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You) Here I Am (Air Supply song) "Here I Am" is the title of a popular song from 1981 by the Australian group Air Supply. It was written by Norman Sallitt and included on the group's album The One That You Love.... " |
Air Supply Air Supply Air Supply is an Australian soft rock duo, consisting of Graham Russell as guitarist and singer-songwriter and Russell Hitchcock as lead vocalist. They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top Ten hits in the United States, in the early 1980s... |
| November 14 | ||
| November 21 | ||
| November 28 | "The Old Songs The Old Songs "The Old Songs" is a song written by David Pomeranz and Buddy Kaye and recorded by Barry Manilow. The song was a track from Manilow's 1981 album, If I Should Love Again. It peaked at number fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Manilow's eleventh number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary... " |
Barry Manilow Barry Manilow Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."... |
| December 5 | ||
| December 12 | ||
| December 19 | "Yesterday's Songs Yesterday's Songs "Yesterday's Songs" is a 1981 single by Neil Diamond from his album On the Way to the Sky. The song was a major adult contemporary hit reaching #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. On the Billboard Hot 100, it peaked at #11.-See also:... " |
Neil Diamond |
| December 26 | ||
See also
- 1981 in music1981 in musicSee also:* Timeline of musical eventsThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1981.-January–April:*January 10 – A revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance opens at Broadway's Uris Theatre, starring Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith.*January 24 –...
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart