In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins
Jesse's Girl/I've Done Everything for You - Rick Springfield
Queen of Hearts - Juice Newton
Take it on the Run - Reo Speedwagon
Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles

That's all I can think of for now!  :)

ohh goody  :)  ...my fav year of the 80's

if i had to pick only one year to define the " true 80's music " ...then this is it !
here's just 10 - from a sh*tload of options  ........in no patricular order : and without duplicating above list

1/.  Ph.D - I Won't let You Down
2/.  Kim Wilde - Kids In America
3/.  Rupert Hine - Misplaced Love
4/.  Mondo Rock - Cool World
5/.  Devo - Beautiful World
6/.  Dave Stewart/Barbara Gaskin - What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted
7/.  Jona Lewie - Louise ( we get it right )
8/.  Ultravox - Vienna         produced in 80' - single in 81                                                                
9/.  Billy Field - You Were'nt In Love With Me   
10/.The Church - Unguarded Moment
some from an Aussie perspective as well as universally known ;)     

http://www.freepgs.com/onehitwonder/Misc%20%20Images/1981%20Rocks%20On.jpg
and a " BONUS LISTING " :  ;D   .....   Fav 1981 Album - Various Artist Compilation - 1981 Rocks On  ( EMI Records Aust - Give 2003 )    ::)

Bette Davis Eyes--Kim Carnes

1981 was not only a great year musicwise -- it was interesting because of the emerging 80's sounds (new wave, etc) were mixing with the still popular 70's sound (singer-songwriter pop, etc). But it's the year I was born! :)

Alot of hit songs that year were still in frequent rotation when I was 5-6 years old so it's safe to say I grew up with them. My random top 20:

1 No Reply at all - Genesis (my ALLTIME favorite of theirs - never gets airplay anymore)
2 Urgent - Foreigner
3 Endless Love - Lionel Richie
4 Kiss on My List - Hall & Oates
5 The Breakup Song - Greg Kihn
6 Young Turks - Rod Stewart
7 Workin' for the Weekend - Loverboy
8 Arthur's Theme - Christopher Cross
9 The Tide is High - Blondie
10 Trouble - Lindsey Buckingham
11 The Waiting - Tom Petty
12 Every Little Thing she Does is Magic - Police
13 While You See a Chance - Steve Winwood
14 Lonely Nights - Bryan Adams (his first hit)
15 Waiting for a Girl Like You - Foreigner
16 Physical - Olivia Newton-John
17 You Better You Bet - The Who
18 Take it on the Run - REO Speedwagon
19 Hold on Loosely - 38 Special

And most of all...

20 Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield (helped my parents pick my name!!). 8)

In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins
Jesse's Girl/I've Done Everything for You - Rick Springfield
Queen of Hearts - Juice Newton
Take it on the Run - Reo Speedwagon
Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles

That's all I can think of for now!  :)


I'm sorry but I have a correction to make. According to my book -- Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual 1955-1999 -- with chart data compiled from Billboard --"Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles peaked at #40 in December 1979.

1981 was not only a great year musicwise -- it was interesting because of the emerging 80's sounds (new wave, etc) were mixing with the still popular 70's sound (singer-songwriter pop, etc). But it's the year I was born! :)

Alot of hit songs that year were still in frequent rotation when I was 5-6 years old so it's safe to say I grew up with them. My random top 20:

1 No Reply at all - Genesis (my ALLTIME favorite of theirs - never gets airplay anymore)
2 Urgent - Foreigner
3 Endless Love - Lionel Richie
4 Kiss on My List - Hall & Oates
5 The Breakup Song - Greg Kihn
6 Young Turks - Rod Stewart
7 Workin' for the Weekend - Loverboy
8 Arthur's Theme - Christopher Cross
9 The Tide is High - Blondie
10 Trouble - Lindsey Buckingham
11 The Waiting - Tom Petty
12 Every Little Thing she Does is Magic - Police
13 While You See a Chance - Steve Winwood
14 Lonely Nights - Bryan Adams (his first hit)
15 Waiting for a Girl Like You - Foreigner
16 Physical - Olivia Newton-John
17 You Better You Bet - The Who
18 Take it on the Run - REO Speedwagon
19 Hold on Loosely - 38 Special

And most of all...

20 Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield (helped my parents pick my name!!). 8)


As a music collector (always making sure to know when the songs I get are from), I both agree & disagree. I feel that music commonly associated with the 80's (including new wave) really started in the late-70's with the other sounds remaining popular as well, this musically-mixed time lasting through part of the '80's.

I'm sorry but I have a correction to make. According to my book -- Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual 1955-1999 -- with chart data compiled from Billboard --"Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles peaked at #40 in December 1979.


Yeah, I heard that it came out in '79 as well, but I think with MTV airing it (it was their first ever video!) it re-charted so it's thought of as a 1981 song.

some more faves:

Celebration - Kool & the Gang (late '80-early '81 hit)
Our Lips Are Sealed - The Go-Go's
Stop Draggin My Heart Around - Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty
Leather & Lace - Stevie Nicks and Don Henley
Rapture - Blondie
I Love a Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbitt

In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins
Jesse's Girl/I've Done Everything for You - Rick Springfield
Queen of Hearts - Juice Newton
Take it on the Run - Reo Speedwagon
Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles

That's all I can think of for now!  :)


I can't believe you guys haven't mentioned John Lennon's "Imagine". That is a classic.

In terms of pop, I will have to say Oliva Newton John's "Physical". It reached number 7 in the uk singles chart.

I can't believe you guys haven't mentioned John Lennon's "Imagine". That is a classic.

In terms of pop, I will have to say Oliva Newton John's "Physical". It reached number 7 in the uk singles chart.
The reason why I had not mentioned John Lennon's Imagine, is because it is a favourite record of mine from 1975.

Christopher Cross baby! 

one of my favorite Styx songs came out that year - 'Too Much Time on My Hands'  :)

8)


Blondie "Rapture"
Talking Heads "Once In A Lifetime"
Daryl Hall & John Oates "Private Eyes"
Rick James "Super Freak"
Holly & The Italians "Tell That Girl To Shut Up"

8)

Blondie "Rapture"
Talking Heads "Once In A Lifetime"
Daryl Hall & John Oates "Private Eyes"
Rick James "Super Freak"
Holly & The Italians "Tell That Girl To Shut Up"



Oh geez, I forgot Hall & Oates had two albums out that year (picking between "Kiss on My List" and the singles from Private Eyes is hard!).

Actually I think "Kiss" came out in 1980 but was a single in '81, whereas the Private Eyes album itself came out in '81. The title track and "Did It in a Minute" are my faves off that, followed close by the Survivor-ish album track "Head Above Water."

Another 1981 song I forgot to put is "Come on Over Tonight" from Paul Davis - I'm probably the only guy on this board who would admit to liking it (it's a little sappy but that's what makes it a great song!). ;)

Chihuahua  -Bow Wow Wow
I Love Rock 'n Roll -Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Spellbound -Siouxsie & The Banshees
Never Gonna Cry Again -Eurythmics

Also:
Bucks Fizz -Making Your Mind Up

Just some of my favourite songs from 1981;

Dance - Gary Numan,
She's Got Claws - Gary Numan,
Cry, The Clock Said - Gary Numan,
Picasso Visita El Planeta De Los Simios - Adam & The Ants,
Stand & Deliver - Adam & The Ants,
The Thin Wall - Ultravox,
We Stand Alone - Ultravox.

Er...that's all I can think of right now.  :-\\

I have two favourite songs from '81. They are:

Rapture - Blondie
Girls On Film - Duran Duran

A fabulous year for music, my top songs for 81 are: 1. Vienna -Ultravox

2. The voice- Ultravox

3. Fade to grey- Visage

4. Planet earth- duran duran

5. Being with you- Smokie Robinson

6. Quiet life- Japan

7. Thin wall- Ultravox  yes, I didn't dress like one, but at heart I was and still am a New Romantic!!!

Private Eyes ~ Daryl Hall & John Oates

The Boy from New York City ~ The Manhattan Transfer  < but, i never liked it much.

01 | "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore - Nielsen and Pearson"
02 | "Innocence - Harlequin"
03 | "Night Fades Away - Nils Lofgren"

04 | "Arc of A Diver" - Steve Winwood
05 | "Bette Davis Eyes" - Kim Carnes
06 | "Breaking Away" - Balance
07 | "The Breakup Song" - Greg Kihn Band
08 | "Don't Let Him Know" - Prism
09 | "The Friends of Mr. Cairo" - Jon and Vangelis
10 | "Give A Little Bit More" - Cliff Richard
11 | "Happy Birthday Kid" - Geoff Hughes
12 | "Heart Like A Wheel" - Steve Miller
13 | "Hold On" - Ian Thomas
14 | "Hold on Tight" - Electric Light Orchestra
15 | "I Believe in You" - Gary O
16 | "In Your Letter" - REO Speedwagon
17 | "Love Song" - Simple Minds
18 | "The Night Owls" - Little River Band
19 | "Sausalito Summernight" - Diesel
20 | "Talking Out of Turn" - Moody Blues
21 | "Trouble" - Lindsey Buckingham
22 | "What Have You Got to Do (To Get Off Tonight)" - Red Rider
23 | "While You See A Chance" - Steve Winwood
24 | "A Woman's Got the Power" - The A's
25 | "You Can Take My Heart Away" - Silver Condor
26 | "Young Turks" - Rod Stewart

Back in Black - AC-DC
Bringin' on the Heartbreak - Def Leppard
Hold on Loosely - 38 Special
Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield
Burnin' For You - Blue Oyster Cult
Keep on Loving You - REO Speedwagon
Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
Take it on the Run - REO Speedwagon
Every Little Thing She Does is Magic - The Police
Rapture - Blondie
In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins

The One That You Love by Air Supply
Here I Am by Air Supply
Sweet Dreams by Air Supply
Somewhere Down the Road by Barry Manilow
If I Should Love Again by Barry Manilow
For Your Eyes Only by Sheena Easton
Keep On Lovin You by Reo Speedwagon
Private Eyes by Hall & Oats
In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins
Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes

The Boy from New York City ~ The Manhattan Transfer  < but, i never liked it much.


Just because I can't reply to our original thread from 2003, let the record show that you're damn right I remember Manhattan Transfer. 

4SZcoTt4e-8

Three decades after The Manhattan Transfer's 1981 hit The Boy From New York City revived The Ad-Libs' 1964 original (I was unaware of the Beach Boys' response track), we have the voice actress (yes, Michelle Creber was the voice behind Apple Bloom, although in this video, she's been fan-dubbed back in as Sweetie Belle) from a certain early-2010s TV series) bringing it back for yet another generation.

"This has to be cheating somehow. A lip syncing PMV where the song is actually sung by the voice actor, but is completely unrelated to the show that she usually takes part in?! It's like some kind of freaky paradox!"
  - Sethisto, EQD, March 15, 2012

The timeline looks something like this:

1964: Ad-Libs, Boy from New York City (original)
1965: Beach Boys, Girl from New York City (response track)
1981: The Manhattan Transfer, Boy from New York City (cover)
2012: Michelle Creber, Boy from New York City (yo pony, I heard you liked covers, so...)

Mark this post for the decades. Long after the show's forgotten, that kid's gonna go far in music.  You'll remember reading it and be able to tell your friends you heard her when...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phNLASyPsUU

Commodores- Lady You Bring Me Up

Several of them come to mind.

"Don't Stop Believing" by Journey (which still gets widely played on the radio today!)
"For Your Eyes Only" by Sheena Easton
"Burning For You" by Blue Oyster Cult

...among others.

Billy Squier - In The Dark
Billy Squier - Lonely Is The Night
Chilliwack - My Girl
Deserters - Alien
Diesel - Sausalito Summernight
Don Felder - Heavy Metal (Takin' A Ride)
Genesis - Keep It Dark
Greg Kihn Band - The Breakup Song
Jefferson Starship - Find Your Way Back
Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes
Kim Carnes - Draw of the Cards
Kim Wilde - Kids In America
Little River Band - The Night Owls (3:50 single edit)
Pat Travers Band - My Life Is On The Line
Split Enz - One Step Ahead
Styx - Too Much Time On My Hands
Sue Saad - Looker
The Tubes - Talk To Ya Later
Van Halen - Mean Street

plus a few guilty pleasures...

Bob & Doug McKenzie - Take Off
Shari Ulrich - Romeo
Rosetta Stone - Hiding From Love

1981 is my favorite year for music!  Most of my favorites have already been mentioned, but here's a few more from my favorite albums of that year:

"Over The Mountain"--Ozzy Osbourne
"Diary of a Madman"--Ozzy Osbourne
"Oh No Not You Again"--Australian Crawl
"Resort Girls"--Australian Crawl
"Abacab"--Genesis
"Man on the Corner"--Genesis
"Don't You Want Me"--Human League
"Seconds"--Human League
"Pity You"--Devo
"World Without Heroes"--KISS
"A Subway Called 'You'"--Gary Numan
"Me And My Dad"--Wall of Voodoo
"Love Is An Illness"--Romeo Void
"White Sweater"--Romeo Void
"My Only Friend"--Sunnyboys
"Alone With You"--Sunnyboys
"Boys In Town"--Divinyls
"The Desert Place"--The Twins
"X-Ray Eyes"--The Twins
"Tom Sawyer"--Rush
"Cantonese Boy"--Japan

And other songs I like...

"Waiting"--Dugites
"Falling In and Out"--Mi-Sex
"Shanghaied!"--Mi-Sex
"Your Turn My Turn"--Go-Betweens
"Juke Box Hero"--Foreigner
"Gloria"--U2
"Unchained"--Van Halen
"Stranger"--Jefferson Starship
"Harden My Heart"--Quarterflash
"Slick Trick"--The Belle Stars
"'65 Love Affair"--Paul Davis

I believe these are all from 1981, or at least the albums they're off of are from 1981.
Some were already mentioned by others.

Lady (You Bring Me Up) - The Commodores
In The Dark - Billy Squier
Cool Night - Paul Davis
Children's Song (Love Is Everywhere) - Roberta Flack (from Bustin' Loose movie)
Our Lips Are Sealed - The Go-Go's
The Friends of Mr. Cairo - Jon & Vangelis
The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em) - Greg Kihn Band
Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime - Korgis
Working for the Weekend - Loverboy
Games People Play - The Alan Parsons Project
Limelight - Rush
Make That Move - Shalamar
Bring It Here - Wild Sugar
Trouble - Lindsey Buckingham
Paradise - Change
This is Radio Clash - The Clash

(These are only a few since there were a lot of good songs that year)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG3ixBnes9M
Roberta Flack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YbvCIXdQmw
Change

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCRNDQNjCK4
Lindsey Buckingham

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huNejF17gzg

Sheena Easton- Morning Train (1981)

Wow, gotta be "The voice" by Moody Blues, perhaps "Our lips are sealed" by the lovely and talented Belinda and the Go-go's.

Or wait there, might be Bette Davis eyes.  Or Slow Hand. How about "Don't stop believin" by Journey. Gaad, too many nice songs in 1981.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqiwEafCJ74

Shari Ulrich - Romeo


Guiltier than you!  Not only is Shari Ulrich still performing, but even more astonishingly, I'm not the only one who remembers the San Rafael, CA gal who moved to BC, Canada and never looked back.

Was Talk Around Town (the live TV special, not the album) ever released in audio form? 

I have both studio albums (both 1982's Talk Around Town and 1981's - this is a thread about 1981 - One Step Ahead), but it's been 30 years since I heard Birdman (or 1980's Bad Bad Girl from Long Nights) performed live.  And I doubt that anybody recorded it to VHS (back in the day when "cable TV" meant that you paid for the programming with your subscription, and in return got shows with no commercials), let alone has a tape can read it.

Long as we're on the subject, what were the names of the early (ca. 1982) Canadian Pay TV networks that were probably the only venues that would have known who she was and aired the performance?

1981 appears to have been a good year for music.

More I like from that year...and I do believe they are songs that
were out in 1981, or are from albums that were.

Don't Stop the Music - Yarbrough & Peoples
Living Inside Myself - Gino Vannelli
Castles In The Air - Don McLean
Fantastic Voyage - Lakeside
Say Hello, Wave Goodbye - Soft Cell
We Ride Tonight - The Sherbs
I Have The Skill - The Sherbs
Spirits in the Material World - The Police
Time - The Alan Parsons Project
Ain't Even Done With The Night - John Cougar Mellencamp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6-ecGlJw6w
Gino Vannelli

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTqi7iEZEWA
Don McLean

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrMj8O40u_4
Soft Cell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7pB9oEIscI
The Sherbs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVxk9PW62Vk

Here's some old school rap The Funky Four Plus One-That's The Joint (1981)

Cure    ~ Charlotte sometimes
Police  ~ Darkness
Journey ~ Don't stop Believin'
Police  ~ Every little thing she does is magic
Alan Parsons project  ~ Games People play
Split Enz   ~ Hard act to follow
Split Enz   ~ One step ahead
Climax blues band   ~I love you
Phil Collins    ~ In the air tonight
Genesis  ~ Keep it dark
Stevie Nicks  ~ Leather and lace
Genesis ~ Like it or not
Gino Vanelli  ~  Living inside myself
Triumph ~ Magic power
Genesis ~ Man on the corner
Genesis  ~  No reply at all
Police  ~ Omegaman
Go-Go's ~ Our lips are sealed
Pat Benatar  ~ Promises in the dark
Diesel  ~ Sausalito Summernight
Pointer Sisters  ~ Slow Hand
Rolling Stones  ~ Start me up
Stevie Nicks  ~ Stop Draggin my heart around
Moody Blues  ~ Talkin out of turn
Phil Collins  ~ The roof is leaking 
Alan Parsons project ~ The turn of a friendly card (part 1)
Moody Blues  ~ The Voice
Tom Petty  ~ The waiting
John Lennon  ~ Woman
Sheena Easton  ~You could have been with me

Don't You Want Me

Guiltier than you!  Not only is Shari Ulrich still performing, but even more astonishingly, I'm not the only one who remembers the San Rafael, CA gal who moved to BC, Canada and never looked back.

Was Talk Around Town (the live TV special, not the album) ever released in audio form? 

I have both studio albums (both 1982's Talk Around Town and 1981's - this is a thread about 1981 - One Step Ahead), but it's been 30 years since I heard Birdman (or 1980's Bad Bad Girl from Long Nights) performed live.  And I doubt that anybody recorded it to VHS (back in the day when "cable TV" meant that you paid for the programming with your subscription, and in return got shows with no commercials), let alone has a tape can read it.

Long as we're on the subject, what were the names of the early (ca. 1982) Canadian Pay TV networks that were probably the only venues that would have known who she was and aired the performance?


Shari Ulrich is best known to Canadians not just for her solo career, but as a member of The Hometown Band in the 70s ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgEkXG3Vgf8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtMcZb7Utos

Ozzy Osbourne - I Don't Know

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOVAKoEXRHY

thought I'd look at some of the lists on the first page and see if I might recognize some titles.  I know songs by lyrics better and probably know more.  I like everything

YES!
Journey  ~ Don't stop Believin'
Stevie Nicks  ~ Stop Draggin my heart around
Working for the Weekend - Loverboy
Styx - Too Much Time On My Hands

uh
"Juke Box Hero"--Foreigner                                juice box weirdo
"Burning For You" by Blue Oyster Cult                pack your bags and just leave my site

Bette Davis Eyes

Planet Earth Duran Duran
I Just Can't Get Enough: Depeche Mode