Events in 1981
- Marques Houston, singer and actor known in part as a member of the group Immature, was born in Los Angeles.
- Bruce Springsteen performed at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland.
- Olivia Newton-John received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- Stevie Nicks released her first solo album, “Bella Donna,” which contained four U.S. Top 40 hits: “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” with Tom Petty, “Leather and Lace” with Don Henley, “Edge of Seventeen” and “After the Glitter Fades.”
- Travis “Travie” McCoy, singer of Gym Class Heroes, was born in Geneva, New York.
- Bruce Springsteen vystoupil v Capital Centre v Landoveru v Marylandu.
- Animovaný sci-fi film „Heavy Metal“ měl premiéru. Jeho soundtrack obsahoval skladby interpretů včetně Sammyho Hagara, Devo, Blue Öyster Cult, Cheap Trick, Journey a Black Sabbath a film se později stal kultovní klasikou.
- British rapper, singer and producer Bradley McIntosh was born in London. He became known as a member of the pop group S Club 7.
- Joey Scarbury reached No. 1 on the Cash Box Best Sellers chart with “Theme From The Greatest American Hero”.
- MTV broadcast its first stereo concert, featuring REO Speedwagon in Denver during their tour for the album “Hi Infidelity”.
- Rick Springfield's “Jessie's Girl” remained at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart.
- The Allman Brothers Band performed at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin.
- The Moody Blues spent their third week at No. 1 on the album chart with “Long Distance Voyager”.
- The Pretenders began their second U.S. tour in Fort Pierce, Florida.
- Australian singer Vanessa Joy Amorosi was born. In 2009, she had the Australian No. 1 hit “This Is Who I Am”.
- ZZ Top performed at Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska.
- Kansas performed at Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan.
- Scottish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alexandria “Sandi” Thom was born in Banff. She became known primarily for the 2006 UK and Australian hit “I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair).”
- Columbia Records released his 21st studio album, “Shot of Love,” which reached No. 6 in the UK and No. 33 in the US; its religious themes drew mixed critical reactions.
- Grateful Dead performed at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Soft Cell performed their hit “Tainted Love” on the British television program Top Of The Pops. Marc Almond wore distinctive makeup and jewelry; the appearance created a striking visual style that influenced electronic music and helped pave the way for Culture Club.
- Judge Joseph Evans ruled that Elvis's estate no longer had to make further payments to Colonel Tom Parker, ending his 36-year control over a large part of Elvis's finances. The question of Parker's identity and citizenship was also revealed for the first time.
- The BBC recording of the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana reached number one on the UK album chart.
- They performed at the Alabama Jam 2 festival at Ladd Memorial Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.
- “Endless Love” began a nine-week reign at No. 1 on the US singles chart. The song was the title track of the film of the same name starring Brooke Shields. Because of scheduling difficulties, they completed the duet at 5 a.m. in a studio in Reno after a Diana Ross concert, while Lionel Richie was also working with The Commodores and Kenny Rogers.
- Her third studio album “Precious Time” reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200, becoming her first and only album to top the chart.
- The BBC recording documenting the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer reached No. 1 on the UK albums chart. It included the procession, wedding vows, speeches and hymns.
- Van Halen performed at the Hollywood Sportatorium in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
- Blue Öyster Cult performed at Queensway Hall in Dunstable, England.
- Bruce Springsteen performed at the Los Angeles Sports Arena at a benefit concert for the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation and the Los Angeles Mental Health Center. After the concert, he personally donated $100,000, which was credited with helping save the VVA organization from financial collapse.
- Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy appeared before Kingston Crown Court in London, where he was fined £200 for possession of cocaine. He later publicly expressed great concern about how the case and sentence would affect his career.
- The Allman Brothers Band performed at the Cape Cod Coliseum in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts.
- Bon Jovi were the main attraction at the Monsters of Rock festival in Donington Park, Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England.
- The Diana Ross and Lionel Richie duet “Endless Love” was at No. 1 on the R&B chart.
- “Girls On Film” reached No. 5 on the British chart and gave Duran Duran their breakthrough hit in Britain. Upon its release in the U.S., the song did not enter the chart, but its popularity increased sharply after the music video was placed in heavy rotation on MTV. The video, directed by Godley and Creme, had to be heavily edited for television broadcast because it was originally intended only for nightclubs and contained adult themes and nudity.
- British-American rock band Foreigner reached No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with their fourth studio album “4”, after just five weeks. Stevie Nicks was at No. 3 with “Bella Donna”, Journey at No. 4 with “Escape”, and the Moody Blues at No. 5 with “Long Distance Voyager”.
- The Carpenters achieved their 15th No. 1 hit on the Adult Contemporary chart with “Touch Me When We're Dancing”.
- Natalie Horler, singer of the German dance group Cascada, was born. The group had the 2007 hit “Everytime We Touch”, for which they received a World Music Award, and the 2009 UK number-one single “Evacuate the Dancefloor”.
- Jiro Wang, Taiwanese singer in Fahrenheit, was born.
- Mark David Chapman, who murdered John Lennon outside the Dakota building in New York on December 8, 1980, was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. His parole requests were repeatedly denied.
- The Rolling Stones released their 18th studio album „Tattoo You“ on their own Rolling Stones Records label. The album consisted largely of previously recorded outtakes and topped the charts for nine weeks. „Start Me Up“ became a major hit; the band had first recorded it in 1977 in a reggae rhythm but reworked it into a rock version for the album. The album reached No. 1 in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, France, New Zealand and the U.S.
- American folk singer and songwriter Lee Hays, co-founder of the influential folk quartet The Weavers and co-writer of “If I Had a Hammer”, died at the age of 67. He died at Phelps Memorial Hospital in Tarrytown, New York, from a heart attack. After he was cremated, his friends, following his final wishes, mixed his ashes with compost in his garden in Croton-on-Hudson.
- Ottawa Mayor Marion Dewar and the city council proclaimed “Paul Anka Day” in honor of his 25 years in show business and also named a street Paul Anka Drive after him. The Canadian singer and songwriter had written more than 900 songs at the time, including “My Way”.
- Foreigner’s album “4” was released in the United Kingdom.
- Guy Stevens, British musician, producer, and manager, died at the age of 38 after overdosing on prescription medication he was taking to reduce his dependence on alcohol. He worked with Mott The Hoople, Free, and The Clash and produced The Clash’s third album “London Calling”. He was president of the Chuck Berry Appreciation Society and brought Chuck Berry to the UK for his first tour. Procol Harum and Mott The Hoople also owed their distinctive names to Stevens.
- Aneka's song "Japanese Boy" reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart. The song also reached No. 1 in Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland, Sweden, and Switzerland, and sold more than five million copies worldwide.
- Endless Love by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie reached its third week at No. 1.
- Electric Light Orchestra's ninth studio album "Time" began a two-week run at No. 1 on the UK album chart. The album is a concept story about a man from the 1980s who travels through time to the year 2095.
- Foreigner's album "4" spent its second consecutive week at No. 1 on the US album chart.
- The two-day Rock on the Tyne festival began in Gateshead, England. Performers included Ian Dury, Elvis Costello, U2, Rory Gallagher, Doll By Doll, Wang Chung, Becket, Dr Feelgood, The Gingers Nutters with Ginger Baker, Trimmer and Jenkins, and Lindisfarne.
- Soft Cell reached No. 1 on the UK chart with "Tainted Love".
- The Grateful Dead performed at the Aladdin Hotel Theater in Las Vegas, Nevada.