Top songs of 1981: the meme

I did what I was told, and kept the meme alive. Actually, after visiting this site and looking up the Top 100 hits of 1981 (the year I graduated high school), I was anxious to go through the list and mark those I loved in bold, those I loathed and despised with a satisfying cross-through. It was a form of closure for me. (George? I know your 1981 picks will be quite different.)

1. Bette Davis Eyes, Kim Carnes
2. Endless Love, Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
3. Lady, Kenny Rogers
4. (Just Like) Starting Over, John Lennon
5. Jessie's Girl, Rick Springfield
6. Celebration, Kool and The Gang
7. Kiss On My List, Daryl Hall and John Oates
8. I Love A Rainy Night, Eddie Rabbitt *
9. 9 To 5, Dolly Parton
10. Keep On Loving You, REO Speedwagon
11. Theme From "Greatest American Hero", Joey Scarbury
12. Morning Train (Nine To Five), Sheena Easton
13. Being With You, Smokey Robinson
14. Queen Of Hearts, Juice Newton
15. Rapture, Blondie
16. A Woman Needs Love, Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio
17. The Tide Is High, Blondie
18. Just The Two Of Us, Grover Washington Jr.
19. Slow Hand, Pointer Sisters
20. I Love You, Climax Blues Band
21. Woman, John Lennon
22. Sukiyaki, A Taste Of Honey
23. The Winner Takes It All, Abba
24. Medley, Stars On 45
25. Angel Of The Morning, Juice Newton
26. Love On The Rocks, Neil Diamond
27. Every Woman In The World, Air Supply
28. The One That You Love, Air Supply
29. Guilty, Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb
30. The Best Of Times, Styx
31. Elvira, Oak Ridge Boys
32. Take It On The Run, REO Speedwagon
33. No Gettin' Over Me, Ronnie Milsap
34. Living Outside Myself, Gino Vannelli
35. Woman In Love, Barbra Streisand
36. Boy From New York City, Manhattan Transfer
37. Urgent, Foreigner
38. Passion, Rod Stewart
39. Lady (You Bring Me Up), Commodores
40. Crying, Don Mclean
41. Hearts, Marty Balin
42. It's My Turn, Diana Ross
43. You Make My Dreams, Daryl Hall and John Oates
44. I Don't Need You, Kenny Rogers
45. How 'Bout Us, Champaign
46. Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Pat Benatar
47. The Breakup Song, Greg Kihn Band
48. Time, Alan Parsons Project
49. Hungry Heart, Bruce Springsteen
50. Sweetheart, Franke and The Knockouts
51. Someone's Knockin', Terri Gibbs
52. More Than I Can Say, Leo Sayer
53. Together, Tierra
54. Too Much Time On My Hands, Styx
55. What Are We Doin' In Love, Dottie West
56. Who's Crying Now, Journey
57. De Do Do Do, De Da Da, Police
58. This Little Girl, Gary U.S. Bonds
59. Stop Draggin' My Heart Around, Stevie Nicks With Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
60. Giving It Up For Your Love, Delbert McClinton
61. A Little In Love, Cliff Richard
62. America, Neil Diamond
63. Ain't Even Done With The Night, John Cougar
64. Arthur's Theme, Christopher Cross
65. Another One Bites The Dust, Queen
66. Games People Play, Alan Parsons Project
67. I Can't Stand It, Eric Clapton
68. While You See A Chance, Steve Winwood
69. Master Blaster, Stevie Wonder
70. Hello Again, Neil Diamond
71. Don't Stand So Close To Me, Police
72. Hey Nineteen, Steely Dan
73. I Ain't Gonna Stand For It, Stevie Wonder
74. All Those Years Ago, George Harrison
75. Step By Step, Eddie Rabbitt
76. The Stroke, Billy Squier
77. Feels So Right, Alabama
78. Sweet Baby, Stanley Clarke and George Duke
79. Same Old Lang Syne, Dan Fogelberg **
80. Cool Love, Pablo Cruise
81. Hold On Tight, ELO
82. It's Now Or Never, John Schneider
83. Treat Me Right, Pat Benatar
84. Winning, Santana
85. What Kind Of Fool, Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb
86. Watching The Wheels, John Lennon
87. Tell It Like It Is, Heart
88. Smoky Mountain Rain, Ronnie Milsap
89. I Made It Through The Rain, Barry Manilow
90. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', Daryl Hall and John Oates
91. Suddenly, Olivia Newton-John and Cliff Richard

92. For Your Eyes Only, Sheena Easton
93. The Beach Boys Medley, Beach Boys
94. Whip It, Devo
95. Modern Girl, Sheena Easton ***
96. Really Wanna Know You, Gary Wright
97. Seven Year Ache, Rosanne Cash
98. I'm Coming Out, Diana Ross
99. Miss Sun, Boz Scaggs
100. Time Is Time, Andy Gibb

* After the third straight week hearing it continuously on the radio, I wondered how many f'n times Eddie Rabbitt said the phrase "I love a rainy night" in one song. I counted. The answer was 33. Yeesh! This fact killed any affection I might otherwise have had.

** I didn't want to bold this, but in the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit I always teared up against my will whenever this song played. 'Damn that Fogelburg,' I would whisper brokenly through my tissue. Hey, I was seventeen. Shut up.

*** How could she sing 'Morning Train', which was essentially about a kept woman, and then turn around and convince us she was a 'Modern Girl'? Modern Girl?? Girl, Sheena? It's 1981, Sheena! I hated Sheena Easton with a passion. If I'd had a blog then, this is what I would have complained to you about for at least a month. Shut up.

Comments

[Debra]

I'm doing this on my blog... but it's been 35 years... I don't even remember all the songs on the list.

But the songs that have lasted are true CLASSICS.

[Mikey]

I thought this was fun.

[pops]

I used this post to make a point on my page.

BTW - Sheena Easton's ex husband is part of a drag queen review. He does her doing Morning Train.

[Alistair]

She also came to fame through some proto-reality show that I vaguely remember at the time. Was a frumpy English girl who won the show and got re-invented as a super-sexy nymphette. (Sheena Easton that is)

[scupper]

Didn't Air Supply get listed as banned music in the Geneva Convention after the invasion of Panama, and it's use against Noriega? My recollection was that Air Supply is known to trigger a visceral response leading to uncontrolled violence and seizures.

[pam]

Air Supply certainly had that effect on ME.

[scupper]

I had a momentary vision of Aerojet suits at a CAG meeting wearing Air Supply tour shirts, and your response to them. :)

[Anthony]

Good gravy unto the King of all gay poodles, rarely have I ever seen SO MANY godawful songs on one list (Police, Winwood, Steely Dan and Springsteen excepted of course). Billy Squier? Kim Carnes? Andy Gibb (anyone else out there tempted to call him Adenoid Gibb)? Pablo Cruise? REO SPEEDWAGON?? If I needed a cure for nostalgia this would be it's main ingredient.
Air Supply and Noriega. I remember that little gambit. Can you imagine what fun our troops in Iraq might have had with Sadaam and "Who Let The Dogs Out?" if history had been a little kinder?
Anyone remember "'Lizbeth Taylor Thighs", the not-so-subtle parody of Kim Carnes' anti-masterpiece?

[Jo]

In 1981 I was listening to the clash, the english beat, etc. I was rather proud of my disdain for this particular list, almost in its entirety. I was a total snob with a mohawk.

[Snowball]

It's amazing Jo and I didn't run into one another during our younger days, really, being within 35 miles of one another and listening to the same tunes. Or maybe we did and just didn't know it. But I have the same issues. I'm not familiar at all with the vast majority of stuff on this list. I was listening to The Ramones and The Clash and old New York Dolls and other unsavory stuff.