List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1981

These are the Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits of 1981. The longest running number-one single of 1981 is "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John which stayed at the top of the chart for six weeks in 1981 and then for four additional weeks in 1982, with a total of 10 weeks at number-one. This also makes "Physical" the longest running number-one single of the 1980s.

That year, 10 acts hit number one for the first time, such as Kool & the Gang, Dolly Parton, Eddie Rabbitt, REO Speedwagon, Sheena Easton, Kim Carnes, Stars on 45, Air Supply, and Rick Springfield. Lionel Richie, already having hit number one with The Commodores, also receives his first number one song as a solo act. Blondie and Daryl Hall and John Oates were the only acts to hit number one more than once, with both acts hitting twice.

Chart history

"9 to 5" by Dolly Parton reached the top spot for two non-consecutive weeks on February 21 and March 14, 1981, sandwiched with two weeks of "I Love a Rainy Night" by Eddie Rabbitt. Sheena Easton's No. 1 hit "9 to 5" was retitled "Morning Train" to avoid confusion.

Key

The yellow background indicates the No. 1 song on Billboard's 1981 Year-End Chart of Pop Singles.

An asterisk (*) by a date indicates an unpublished, "frozen" week, due to the special double issues that Billboard published in print at the end of the year for their year-end charts.

No.	Issue date	Song	Artist(s)	Ref.
495	January 3*	"(Just Like) Starting Over"	John Lennon	[1]
	January 10			[2]
	January 17			[3]
	January 24			[4]
496	January 31	"The Tide Is High"	Blondie	[5]
497	February 7	"Celebration"	Kool & the Gang	[6]
	February 14			[7]
498	February 21	"9 to 5"	Dolly Parton	[8]
499	February 28	"I Love a Rainy Night"	Eddie Rabbitt	[9]
	March 7			[10]
re	March 14	"9 to 5"	Dolly Parton	[11]
500	March 21	"Keep On Loving You"	REO Speedwagon	[12]
501	March 28	"Rapture"	Blondie	[13]
	April 4			[14]
502	April 11	"Kiss on My List"	Daryl Hall and John Oates	[15]
	April 18			[16]
	April 25			[17]
503	May 2	"Morning Train (Nine to Five)"	Sheena Easton	[18]
	May 9			[19]
504	May 16	"Bette Davis Eyes"	Kim Carnes	[20]
	May 23			[21]
	May 30			[22]
	June 6			[23]
	June 13			[24]
505	June 20	"Stars on 45"	Stars on 45	[25]
re	June 27	"Bette Davis Eyes"	Kim Carnes	[26]
	July 4			[27]
	July 11			[28]
	July 18			[29]
506	July 25	"The One That You Love"	Air Supply	[30]
507	August 1	"Jessie's Girl"	Rick Springfield	[31]
	August 8			[32]
508	August 15	"Endless Love"	Diana Ross and Lionel Richie	[33]
	August 22			[34]
	August 29			[35]
	September 5			[36]
	September 12			[37]
	September 19			[38]
	September 26			[39]
	October 3			[40]
	October 10			[41]
509	October 17	"Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"	Christopher Cross	[42]
	October 24			[43]
	October 31			[44]
510	November 7	"Private Eyes"	Daryl Hall and John Oates	[45]
	November 14			[46]
511	November 21	"Physical"	Olivia Newton-John	[47]
	November 28			[48]
	December 5			[49]
	December 12			[50]
	December 19			[51]
	December 26			[52]

Number-one artists

List of number-one artists by total weeks at number one

Position	Artist	Weeks at No. 1
1	Kim Carnes	9
	Diana Ross
	Lionel Richie
4	Olivia Newton-John	6
5	Daryl Hall and John Oates	5
6	John Lennon	4
7	Blondie	3
	Christopher Cross
9	Kool & the Gang	2
	Eddie Rabbitt
	Dolly Parton
	Sheena Easton
	Rick Springfield
14	REO Speedwagon	1
	Stars on 45
	Air Supply

See also

• 1981 in music
• Cashbox Top 100 number-one singles of 1981
• List of Billboard number-one singles
• List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 1981
• List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of the 1980s

References

1. "January 3, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
2. "January 10, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
3. "January 17, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
4. "January 24, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
5. "January 31, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
6. "February 7, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
7. "February 14, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
8. "February 21, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
9. "February 28, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
10. "March 7, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
11. "March 14, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
12. "March 21, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
13. "March 28, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
14. "April 4, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
15. "April 11, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
16. "April 18, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
17. "April 25, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
18. "May 2, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
19. "May 9, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
20. "May 16, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
21. "May 23, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
22. "May 30, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
23. "June 6, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
24. "June 13, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
25. "June 20, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
26. "June 27, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
27. "July 4, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
28. "July 11, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
29. "July 18, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
30. "July 25, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
31. "August 1, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
32. "August 8, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
33. "August 15, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
34. "August 22, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
35. "August 29, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
36. "September 5, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
37. "September 12, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
38. "September 19, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
39. "September 26, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
40. "October 3, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
41. "October 10, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
42. "October 17, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
43. "October 24, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
44. "October 31, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
45. "November 7, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
46. "November 14, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
47. "November 21, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
48. "November 28, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
49. "December 5, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
50. "December 12, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
51. "December 19, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.
52. "December 26, 1981". Billboard Hot 100.

Sources

• Fred Bronson's Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits, 5th Edition (ISBN 0-8230-7677-6)
• Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2008, 12 Edition (ISBN 0-89820-180-2)
• Joel Whitburn Presents the Billboard Hot 100 Charts: The Eighties (ISBN 0-89820-079-2)
• Additional information obtained can be verified within Billboard's online archive services and print editions of the magazine.