1981: The Year In Music

1981 – Ronald Reagan is inaugurated as the 40th President of the United States of America. IBM introduces its first Personal Computer. The first Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies) take place. The music video cable channel MTV debuts with the Buggles song “Video Killed The Radio Star”. All in all, a more positive year in history than some of the others!

I’ll be looking at the popular and highest-rated songs / albums of the year, giving my opinions on their musicality and longevity as well as an overall verdict for the year as a whole.

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Billboard Top 10 (Popular) Singles

Source: Wikipedia

10 – Keep on Loving You (REO Speedwagon)

REO Speedwagon were the masters of 80’s Arena Rock … This may be a hot take, but “Keep on Loving You” is quite boring.

I much prefer other powerful hits like “Can’t Fight This Feeling”, as this one feels like it has nothing to say.

9 – 9 To 5 (Dolly Parton)

I wasn’t sure how some of these Country artists were going to adapt to the 80’s style, but Dolly Parton knocked it out of the park.

“9 to 5” is easily one of her best bops, with an infectious energy and some highly relatable lyrics.

8 – I Love a Rainy Night (Eddie Rabbitt)

“I Love a Rainy Night” is another kind of Country song, although it’s not as catchy.

The 80’s production makes it stand out a little more, but this kind of Country has never been my favourite.

7 – Kiss on My List (Hall & Oates)

I knew it wouldn’t be long until we got to the proper 80’s cheese!

Hall & Oates are one of my guilty pleasure 80’s artists, and “Kiss on My List” is nothing if not fun.

6 – Celebration (Kool & the Gang)

Disco may have been dead, but Funk was still alive and kicking.

“Celebration” is as jubilant as you’d expect – it’s probably the feel-good song of 1981.

5 – Jessie’s Girl (Rick Springfield)

Rock is a genre that’s rare to come by in the 80’s, so I’ll take any drop of guitar shredding I can get!

Rick Springfield’s vocals on “Jessie’s Girl” are packed full of emotion, and the production is loads of fun.

4 – (Just Like) Starting Over (John Lennon)

The world sadly lost John Lennon in 1980, but luckily we were graced with some posthumous songs to remember him by.

I’ve always wondered what kind of music Lennon would’ve made if he’d lived through the 80’s, but “(Just Like) Starting Over” is a prime example of his ability to keep his songwriting timeless.

3 – Lady (Kenny Rodgers)

Kenny Rodgers is very much an artist of his time, but I liked his soft ballad “Lady” for its sincerity.

2 – Endless Love (Diana Ross & Lionel Richie)

A classic duet between two titans of 80’s music.

“Endless Love” isn’t the most exciting song, but Ross and Richie’s chemistry make up for it.

1 – Bette Davis Eyes (Kim Carnes)

That synth riff is immediately recognisable, and the songwriting across “Bette Davis Eyes” keeps it fresh.

I go back and forth on whether I like Kim Carnes’ raspy vocals, but for now I can dig it.

FAVOURITE – (Just Like) Starting Over (John Lennon)

LEAST FAVOURITE – I Love a Rainy Night (Eddie Rabbitt)

Top-Rated Songs

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

10 – Youth Of America (Wipers)

Not many know of Wipers in this day and age, and that’s a damn shame.

They have one of the most unique, visceral sounds of the era, and “Youth Of America” is ten minutes of glorious insanity.

9 – YYZ (Rush)

“YYZ” doesn’t get nearly the love it deserves – I think it has a good shout of being the best song on “Moving Pictures”!

It’s purely instrumental, which is maybe why some people pass over it, but the performances from all three members of Rush are flawless.

8 – Burnin’ For You (Blue Oyster Cult)

I’d somehow never heard of “Burnin’ For You”, despite it being Blue Oyster Cult’s second-most famous song, but I really like it!

It’s 80’s Rock at its catchiest, and I love how pronounced the bassline is.

7 – Down Under (Men At Work)

What seems like a stereotypical song about Australia at first becomes quite catchy when you fully buy into it.

“Down Under” isn’t exactly a masterpiece, but there’s fun to be had.

6 – Super Freak (Rick James)

It’s a shame that “Can’t Touch This” ended up eclipsing “Super Freak” by using the same riff, as I think Rick James’ original is the better of the two.

The aforementioned riff is super catchy, and I love all the groovy twists and turns the song takes.

5 – Limelight (Rush)

“Limelight” might be the broadest, most widely-accessible Rush song, so it’s amazing how complex it still is.

It toys with time signatures for fun, and the guitar riffs are as fantastic as always.

4 – Edge Of Seventeen (Stevie Nicks)

Stevie Nicks moved away from the softer sounds of Fleetwood Mac to harder hitting Rock for her solo stint, and “Edge Of Seventeen” is definitely her best.

The guitar riff is already super intense and engrossing, and her vocals are very powerful.

3 – Tom Sawyer (Rush)

The production immediately lets you know that “Tom Sawyer” will be a song like no other, and the band all individually smash it.

The time signature changes, the riffs, the vocals … Yep, I’ve decided this is my favourite Rush song.

2 – In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins)

“In The Air Tonight” is all about the build-up.

Collins’ lyrics are intriguing, the music is soft and rousing, and then the drum fill is one of the most euphoric musical moments of the 80’s.

1 – Golden Brown (The Stranglers)

“Golden Brown” is weird for a hit song in that it’s in three-time with the occasion four-beat bar thrown in for flavour, and it works better than you’d expect.

The lazy vocals and old-timey production add to the strange aura of it all. Long story short, I can’t believe they pulled it off.

BEST SONG OF 1981 – “Tom Sawyer” (Rush)

Top-Rated Albums

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

5 – My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts (Brian Eno & David Byrne)

After Talking Heads’ “Remain In Light”, Eno and Byrne came together for one more ground-breaking musical project in “My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts”.

They fully lean into their absurdist ideas, and it’s nothing if not entertaining.

4 – Juju (Siouxsie And The Banshees)

We haven’t had many Rock-leaning tracks in 1981, so here comes Siouxsie And The Banshees to save the day!

I can hear Post-Punk / Joy Division influences on songs like “Spellbound” and “Arabian Knights”, but the second half of the album isn’t as focused.

3 – Discipline (King Crimson)

“Discipline” isn’t one of King Crimson’s most well-known works, but I think it’s quite underrated.

Their eccentric style combined with 80’s production aesthetics leads to some really interesting music.

2 – Computerwelt (Kraftwerk)

Kraftwerk are an … acquired taste, to put it mildly. I really like the techno, inhuman music they were going for.

If I had to pick a favourite, it would probably be the closing track “It’s More Fun to Compute”.

1 – Moving Pictures (Rush)

These other four high-rated albums in 1981 have been fun, but they’ve got nothing on Rush’s magnum opus.

“Moving Pictures” is staggering in both its performances and songwriting, and tracks like “Tom Sawyer”, “Limelight” and “YYZ” remain Rock masterpieces forty years later.

BEST ALBUM OF 1981 – “Moving Pictures” (Rush)

Final Thoughts

1981 had some good songs and albums here and there, but it was nothing sensational.

Overall Grade: B-

Aaaaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: