Continuando com a nossa viagem pelos anos 80, anos após ano, conheceremos agora os principais acontecimentos de 1981, no mundo da música, cultura, política e acontecimentos gerais.

1981

14 de fevereiro - Billy Idol abandona a banda Generation X para iniciar sua carreira solo;

15 de fevereiro| – o guitarrista de Blues Mike Bloomfield é encontrado morto em São Francisco. A causa da morte foi atribuída a uma overdose de medicamentos.

14 de março – Eric Clapton dá entrada no United Hospital em Saint Paul, Minnesota. A turnê de Eric Clapton por 60 cidades dos EUA foi cancelada.

4 de abril – o grupo pop britânico Bucks Fizz ganha o prêmio do Eurovision Song Contest com "Making Your Mind Up".

11 de abril – o guitarrista Eddie Van Halen (da banda Van Halen) casou-se com a atriz Valeria Bertinelli.

17 de abril – Eric Clapton recebe alta do Saint Paul Hospital em Minnesota e inicia um longo tratamento para sua úlcera.

18 de abril – a banda Yes anuncia sua separação (Eles voltaram a se reunir com frequência em anos posteriores).

20 de abril – John Phillips do ‘The Mamas and the Papas' foi sentenciado a 5 anos de prisão, por porte de drogas. Após 30 dias de cumprimento da sentence a pena foi trocada por 250 horas de trabalhos comunitários.

22 de abril – Eric Clapton novamente dá entrada no hospital após um acidente de carro em Seattle, Washington.

25 de abril – a banda de suporte de Paul McCartney, Wings, anuncia sua separação;

11 de maio – o Musical Cats inicia suas 8.949 apresentações no oeste de londres.

20 de maio – nasce a filha de Alice Cooper – Calico Cooper.

1 de agosto – a MTV americana inicia sua apresentação nos EUA via cabo, o canal começa a passer videos musicais 24 horas por dia.

19 de setembro - Simon e Garfunkel realizam um concerto livre no Central Park em Nova York, o concerto teve a presença de 500.000 fãs.

25 de setembro – os Rolling Stones iniciam sua tour pelos EUA em Filadélfia – Pensilvânia.

18 de novembro – enquanto jantava no Tom’s Restaurant em Nova York, Suzanne Veja compôs a música “Tom’s Diner”;
Alice Cooper muda drasticamente sua aparência, deixando para trás a tradicional maquiagem e adotando um Uniforme Militar.

O gênero musical Synthpop alcança enorme popularidade no Reino Unido, com grupos como Ultravox, Depeche Mode, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark e Human League gravando seus álbuns e singles.

A era de ouro dos Menudos tem início (1981-1985) na América Latina, parte da Europa e Asia.

U2 aparece no programa Tomorrow show com Tom Snyder, esta foi sua primeira aparição num programa de televisão dos EUA;

Phil Collins grava seu primeiro álbum solo, ele não deixou a banda Genesis até 1995;

Segue uma lista de algumas bandas que foram formadas em 1981:

• Bananarama
  
• Bucks Fizz
  
• Fun Boy Three
  
• Wham!
  
• Pet Shop Boys
  

Segue uma lista de algumas bandas que se separaram em 1981:

• The Buzzcocks (voltando em 1989)
  
• Cluster (voltaram em 1989)
  
• Josef K
  
• Generation X
  
• Good Rats
  
• Ian Dury and the Blockheads
  
• Toots & The Maytals (voltaram no íncio dos anos 90)
  
• Klaatu
  
• Rockpile
  

Alguns álbuns gravados em 1981:

1234 - Ronnie Wood 4 - Foreigner 7 - Madness 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs - Dolly Parton 81 Demo - Anthrax (band) Alles ist gut - D.A.F. Almost Blue - Elvis Costello Amarcord Nino Rota - Various artists Amy Grant In Concert - Amy Grant And Don't the Kids Just Love It - Television Personalities Another Day/Another Dollar - Gang of Four Another Ticket - Eric Clapton Anthem - Toyah Architecture and Morality - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls - Pat Metheny As Far as Siam - Red Rider The Ascension - Glenn Branca Atomkraft? Nein, Danke! - Earthstar Bad Habits - Billy Field Bad Religion - Bad Religion Bad Reputation - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks - Hanoi Rocks Barbecue King - Jorma Kaukonen The Baron - Johnny Cash Beauty and the Beat - The Go Gos Behind the Gardens-Behind the Walls-Under the Trees - Andreas Vollenweider Being With You - Smokey Robinson Bella Donna - Stevie Nicks The Best of Blondie - Blondie The Best Of Minnie Riperton - Minnie Riperton Beyond the Valley of 1984 - Plasmatics The Beauty and the Beat - The Go-Go's Big City - Merle Haggard Black and White - The Pointer Sisters Black President - Fela Kuti The Blasters - The Blasters Block to Block - De Press Blythe Spirit - Arthur Blythe Bobby & the Midnites - Bobby and the Midnites The Border - Ry Cooder Border Wave - Doug Sahm, Sir Douglas Quintet Brasil (with João Gilberto, Gilberto Gil and Maria Bethânia) - Caetano Veloso Breaker - Accept Breakin' Away - Al Jarreau Brown Rice and Kerosine - Redgum Buchenwald - Whitehouse Bucks Fizz - Bucks Fizz Burning Blue Soul - The The Butt Rockin' - The Fabulous Thunderbirds Captured - Journey The Catherine Wheel - David Byrne Chances Are - Bob Marley and the Wailers Changestwobowie - David Bowie Chariots of Fire - Vangelis The Chieftains 10 : Cotton-Eyed Joe - The Chieftains Circle of Love - Steve Miller Band Coconut Telegraph - Jimmy Buffett A Collection of Great Dance Songs - Pink Floyd The Completion Backward Principle - The Tubes Computer World - Kraftwerk Connections & Disconnections - Funkadelic Controversy - Prince Come an' Get It - Whitesnake Cool Night - Paul Davis Coup de Grace - Mink DeVille Coup de Tete - Kip Hanrahan Cowboy Jubilee - Riders in the Sky Cruisin' For a Bruisin' - Mike Bloomfield Crumbling the Antiseptic Beauty - Felt Curiosum - Cluster Dad Loves His Work - James Taylor Damaged - Black Flag Dangerous Acquaintances - Marianne Faithfull Dare - Human League Dark Continent - Wall of Voodoo Dead Set - The Grateful Dead Deaf - You've Got Foetus On Your Breath The DeBarges - DeBarge Deceit - This Heat Dedicated to Peter Kürten - Whitehouse Dedication - Gary U.S. Bonds The Deep End - The Swimming Pool Qs Defunkt - Defunkt Denim and Leather - Saxon Deuce - Kurtis Blow Devo Live - Devo Diary of a Madman - Ozzy Osbourne Difficult to Cure - Rainbow Directions - Miles Davis Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap - AC/DC Discipline - King Crimson Don't Say No - Billy Squier Don't Stop - Billy Idol Drama of Exile - Nico Dreamtime - Tom Verlaine Duran Duran - Duran Duran Earthshaker - Y&T East Side Story - Squeeze El Loco - ZZ Top Electric Rendezvous - Al Di Meola Electronic Eden - The Brains Escape - Journey Escape Artist - Garland Jeffreys The Electric Spanking of War Babies - Funkadelic El Rayo X - David Lindley Exit...Stage Left (live album) - Rush Extended Play - The Pretenders Evangeline - Emmylou Harris Face Dances - The Who Face Value - Phil Collins Fair Warning - Van Halen Faith - The Cure Fancy Free - The Oak Ridge Boys Fire of Love - The Gun Club Fire of Unknown Origin - Blue Öyster Cult Fiyou on the Bayou - The Neville Brothers Flowers of Romance - Public Image Ltd. For Those About to Rock We Salute You - AC/DC For Those Who Think Young - Rough Trade The Fox - Elton John Freelancing - James Blood Ulmer Freetime - Spyro Gyra Freeze Frame - J. Geils Band French Record - Kate and Anna McGarrigle Fresh Fruit in Foreign Places - Kid Creole and the Coconuts Friday Night in San Francisco - John McLaughlin with Al Di Meola and Paco DeLucia From the Lion's Mouth - The Sound Frozen Alive! - Albert Collins Fuck 'Em if They Can't Take a Joke - The Dictators Generic Flipper - Flipper Get Lucky - Loverboy Ghost in the Machine - The Police Give the People What They Want - Jimmy Cliff Give the People What They Want - The Kinks Go for It - Shalamar The Golden Age of Wireless - Thomas Dolby Golden Down - Willie Nile Gonna Ball - The Stray Cats Gospel according to the meninblack- The Stranglers Great American Music - Good Rats Great gonzos : the Best Of Ted Nugent - Ted Nugent Handful Of Earth - Dick Gaughan Happy Birthday - Altered Images Hard N' Heavy - Anvil Hard Promises - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Hardware - Krokus Healing - Todd Rundgren Heaven Up Here - Echo and the Bunnymen Herbie Hancock Trio - Herbie Hancock Trio Here Comes the Night - David Johansen High 'N' Dry - Def Leppard Higher Plane - Al Green Hooligans - The Who Honi Soit - John Cale Hot! Live and Otherwise - Dionne Warwick I Could Rule The World If I Could Only Get The Parts - The Waitresses I Love Rock 'n' Roll - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts Icehouse - Icehouse If I Should Love Again - Barry Manilow In Concert Volume Two - Amy Grant In God We Trust, Inc. - Dead Kennedys In Our Lifetime - Marvin Gaye In the Garden - Eurythmics In the Pocket - The Commodores Individuellos - La Düsseldorf Inner City Front - Bruce Cockburn The Innocent Age - Dan Fogelberg Insect and Individual Silenced - Nurse With Wound Intensities in 10 Cities (live) - Ted Nugent Invictus Means Unconquered - David Allan Coe It's Time To Love - Teddy Pendergrass The Jacksons Live! - The Jacksons Jane Siberry - Jane Siberry Joy - The Minutemen (band) The Judgement of Paris - Kevin Dunn and the Regiment of Women Juice - Juice Newton Juju - Siouxie and the Banshees Jumpin' Jive - Joe Jacksonbr>

Killers - Iron Maiden Let the Power Fall : An Album of Frippertronics - Robert Fripp Let Them Eat Jellybeans - Various Artists from Alternative Tenticles Records Level 42 (debut) - Level 42 Little Lost Girls - The Runaways Live at Lyceum - Cabaret Voltaire Live in Tasmania - John Fahey Living in the Fast Lane - Mike Bloomfield Long Distance Voyager - Moody Blues The Lounge Lizards - The Lounge Lizards Love All the Hurt Away - Aretha Franklin Love Is Only Feeling - Donovan Lustwandel - Hans-Joachim Roedelius Made in America - The Carpenters Magic, Murder and the Weather - Magazine (band) Magic Window - Herbie Hancock Maiden Japan EP - Iron Maiden The Man with the Horn - Miles Davis Mark of the Mole - The Residents Mask - Bauhaus (band) Material - Moebius & Plank Mecca for Moderns - The Manhattan Transfer The Michael Schenker Group - The Michael Schenker Group The Nature of the Beast - April Wine Never Too Late- Status Quo Never Too Much - Luther Vandross New Chapter - Aswad New Traditionalists - Devo Nick Mason's Fictitious Sports - Nick Mason Nightclubbing - Grace Jones Nights (Feel Like Getting Down) - Billy Ocean Nightwalker - Gino Vannelli Nine Tonight - Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band No Sleep 'til Hammersmith - Motörhead Non-Stop! - James Brown Non-stop Erotic Cabaret - Soft Cell October - U2 Odyshape - The Raincoats Of Skins and Heart - The Church Offramp - Pat Metheny One Night at Budokan - The Michael Schenker Group Only a Lad - Oingo Boingo Only Jesus - Dion DiMucci Original Sufferhead - Fela Kuti Out Where the Bright Lights Are Glowing - Ronnie Milsap Paradise Theater - Styx (band) Parlez-Nous a Boire - Beausoleil Party - Iggy Pop Party Mix - The B-52s Passage - William Ackerman Penis Envy - Crass Penthouse and Pavement - Heaven 17 Performance - Ashford and Simpson Physical - Olivia Newton-John Pirates - Rickie Lee Jones Place Without a Postcard - Midnight Oil Play Me Out - Helen Reddy Playing With A Different Sex - The Au Pairs Pleasant Dreams - The Ramones The Plimsouls - The Plimsouls Point of Entry - Judas Priest Positive Touch - The Undertones The Post - Bobby Womack Power of Love - Arlo Guthrie Prayers On Fire - The Birthday Party Precious Time - Pat Benatar Pretenders II - The Pretenders Prince Charming - Adam and the Ants Private Eyes - Daryl Hall & John Oates Psychedelic Jungle - The Cramps Public Service - Bad Religion The Punch Line - The Minutemen (band) Punk's Not Dead - The Exploited (debut) Quarterflash - Quarterflash Quiero Ser - Menudo Rage in Eden - Ultravox Rainbow Stew / Live at Anaheim Stadium - Merle Haggard Raise - Earth, Wind & Fire Re-ac-tor - Neil Young Reckoning - The Grateful Dead Red - Black Uhuru Red Mecca - Cabaret Voltaire Reflections - Gil Scott Heron Restless Eyes - Janis Ian Rit - Lee Ritenour Rock 'n' Groove - Bunny Wailer Rock 'n' Roll Adult - Garland Jeffreys Rock Till You Drop - Raven Rockihnroll - Greg Kihn Band Roman Gods - The Fleshtones Round Trip - The Knack Seduzir - Djavan See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang,Yeah. City All Over! Go Ape Crazy! - Bow Wow Wow Send Me a Lullaby - The Go Betweens Seven Year Itch - Rosanne Cash Shake It Up - The Cars Share Your Love - Kenny Rogers She Shot Me Down - Frank Sinatra Shock Tactics - Samson Shot of Love - Bob Dylan Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar - Frank Zappa Signals, Calls and Marches - Mission of Burma Slates - The Fall Solid Gold - Gang of Four (band) Something Special - Kool and the Gang Somewhere in England - George Harrison Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Willie Nelson Songs for the Mama That Tried - Merle Haggard Songs in the Attic - Billy Joel Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call - Simple Minds Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash - The Replacements (debut) Sound Affects - The Jam Speak & Spell - Depeche Mode Special Forces - Alice Cooper Stahlwerksinfonie - Die Krupps Standing Hampton - Sammy Hagar Standing Together - Midnight Star Stands for Decibels - The DB's Stars on Long Play - Stars on 45 Stray Cats - The Stray Cats Step by Step - Eddie Rabbit Still-Joy Division Street Songs - Rick James Strictly Personal - The Romantics Take It Off - Chic Take My Time - Sheena Easton Take No Prisoners - Molly Hatchet Talk Talk Talk - Psychedelic Furs Tattoo You - The Rolling Stones Teddy Boys Don't Knit - Vivian Stanshall Temporary Music - Material There Goes the Neighborhood - Joe Walsh There Must Be a Better World Somewhere - B.B. King This Heat - Deceit Three Quartets - Chick Corea Time - Electric Light Orchestra The Time - The Time Time Will Tell : A Tribute to Bob Marley - Bunny Wailer Tin Drum - Japan Tinseltown Rebellion - Frank Zappa Tokyo....Live - Al Green Tom Tom Club - Tom Tom Club Tongue Twisters - Shoes (band) Too Fast for Love - Mötley Crüe Too Late the Hero - John Entwistle Torch - Carly Simon Trio - Trio Trombipulation - Parliament Trust - Elvis Costello & the Attractions Turn Back - Toto Underneath the Colours - INXS The Unknown Kurt Weill - Teresa Stratas The Visitors - ABBA Voyeur' - David Sanborn Waiata - Split Enz Walking Under Ladders - Joan Armatrading Wanted Dread and Alive - Peter Tosh Was - Was (Not Was) Welcome to Hell - Venom Wenn Der Südwind Weht - Hans-Joachim Roedelius Wha'ppen? - The English Beat What Cha Gonna Do For Me - Chaka Khan What's THIS For...! - Killing Joke When Two Worlds Collide - Jerry Lee Lewis White Lace & Black Leather - Helix Why Do Fools Fall In Love - Diana Ross Wild-Eyed Southern Boys - .38 Special Wild Gift - X (U.S. band) Wild Things - The Creatures Word of Mouth - Jaco Pastorius Wünsche fliegen übers Meer - Die Flippers Working Class Dog - Rick Springfield World of Stone - Hunters and Collectors You Are What You Is - Frank Zappa You Want It You Got It - Bryan Adams You're the Guy I Want to Share My Money With - Laurie Anderson,William S. Burroughs and John Giorno Zebop! – Santana

Alguns singles gravados em 1981:

"Abacab" - Genesis (band)	"One of Us" - ABBA
"African and White" - China Crisis	"All Stood Still" - Ultravox
"Antmusic" - Adam & the Ants	"Back in Black" - AC/DC
"Beautiful World" - Devo	"The Best of Times" - Styx
"Black Limousine" - The Rolling Stones	"Body Talk" - Imagination
"Boys and Girls" - The Human League	"Burnin' For You" - Blue Öyster Cult
"Cambodia" - Kim Wilde	"Can You Feel It" - The Jacksons
"Can't Get Enough of You" - Eddy Grant	"Centerfold" - The J. Geils Band
"Ceremony" - New Order	"Chant No.1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)" - Spandau Ballet
"Chariots of Fire" - Vangelis	"Charlotte Sometimes" - The Cure
"Chequered Love" - Kim Wilde	"Chi Mai" - Ennio Morricone
"Coming in Hot" - Peter Tosh	"Computer Love" - Kraftwerk
"The Crusher" - The Cramps	"Dancing With Myself" - Billy Idol
"Demolition Man" - The Police	"Do Me, Baby" - Prince
"Don't Stand So Close to Me" - The Police	"Don't Stop Believin'" - Journey
"Don't You Want Me" - The Human League	"Every Woman in the World" - Air Supply
"Fade to Grey" - Visage	"Fire (song)" - U2
"For Beauties Sake" - Marianne Faithfull	"For Those About To Rock We Salute You - AC/DC
"For Your Eyes Only" - Sheena Easton	"Games People Play" - Alan Parsons Project
"Geisha Boys and Temple Girls" - Heaven 17	",Genius of Love" - Tom Tom Club
"Girls On Film" - Duran Duran	"Gloria" - U2
"Hang Fire" - The Rolling Stones	"Hold on Tight" - Electric Light Orchestra
"Home Computer" - Kraftwerk	"Hungry For You" - The Police
"I Ain't Gonna Stand For It" - Stevie Wonder	"I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" - Hall and Oates
"I Could Be Happy" - Altered Images	"I Fall Down" - U2
"I Go to Sleep" - The Pretenders	"I Made It Through The Rain" - Barry Manilow
"I Missed Again" - Phil Collins	"I Shot the Sheriff" - Light of the World
"I Threw a Brick Through a Window" - U2	"If Leaving Me Is Easy" - Phil Collins
"In the Air Tonight" - Phil Collins	"Invisible Sun" - The Police
"It's More Fun to Compute" - Kraftwerk	"Jack, Your Dead" - Joe Jackson
"Jerkin' Back 'n' Forth" - Devo	"Juke Box Hero" - Foreigner
"Just Can't Get Enough" - Depeche Mode	"Just Like God" - Aztec Camera
"Keep It Dark" - Genesis (band)	"Kick in the Eye" - Bauhaus (band)
"Kings of the Wild Frontier" - Adam and the Ants	"Kiss is on my List" - Hall and Oates
"The Land of Make Believe" - Bucks Fizz	"Leila" - ZZ Top
"Let's Get It Up" - AC/DC	"Love Action (I Believe in Love)" - The Human League
"The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)" - Fun Boy Three	"Macho City" - Steve Miller Band
"The Magnificent Seven" - The Clash	"Make That Move" - Shalamar
"Mattress of Wire" - Aztec Camera	"Mean Streets" - Van Halen
"Message of Love" - The Pretenders	"Mental Hopscotch" - Missing Persons
"The Model" - Kraftwerk	"Moral Majority" - Dead Kennedys
"Musclebound/Glow" - Spandau Ballet	"Nazi Punks Fuck Off!" - Dead Kennedys
"No Reply at All" - Genesis (band)	"Nobody Wins" - Elton John
"Nothing Ever Goes As Planned" - Styx (band)	"October (song)" - U2
"Oh No" - The Commodores	"Omega Man" - The Police
"Once in a Lifetime" - Talking Heads	"One in Ten" - UB40
"One World (Not Three)" - The Police	"Open Your Heart" - The Human League
"Party on the Patio" - ZZ Top	"Pearl Necklace" - ZZ Top
"Penthouse and Pavement" - Heaven 17	"Plan B" - Dexy's Midnight Runners
"Planet Earth" - Duran Duran	"Pocket Calculator" - Kraftwerk
"Primary" - The Cure	"Procession/Everything's Gone Green" - New Order
"Procession/Everything's Gone Green" - New Order	"Push Comes To Shove" - Van Halen
"Razzamatazz" - Quincy Jones	"Rejoice" - U2
"The River" - Bruce Springsteen	"Romeo and Juliet" - Dire Straits
"Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)" - David Bowie	"Secret Journey" - The Police
"Shake It Up" - The Cars	"She's Got a Way" - Billy Joel
"She's Got Claws" - Gary Numan	"Show Me" - Dexy's Midnight Runners
"So This Is Love" - Van Halen	"Soul Warfare" - Heaven 17
"The Sound of the Crowd" - The Human League	"Southern Freez" - Freez
"Souvenir" - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark	"Spirits in the Material World" - The Police
"Splintered in the Head" - The Cure	"Start Me Up" - The Rolling Stones
"Stranger in a Strange Land" - U2	"Stray Cat Strut" - The Stray Cats
"The Thin Wall" - Ultravox	"This is For the Lover in You" - Shalamar
"This is Radio Clash" - The Clash	"This Town" - The Go Go's
"Through Being Cool" - Devo	"Time" - Alan Parsons Project
"Tom Sawyer" - Rush	"Tomorrow" - U2
"Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me)" - Rod Stewart	"Too Much Information" - The Police
"Too Much Time on My Hands - Styx (band) (released in 1980)	"Tunnel of Love" - Dire Straits
"Unchained" - Van Halen	"Up the Hill Backwards" - David Bowie
"Urgent" - Foreigner	"Vienna (song)" - Ultravox
"The Voice" - Ultravox	"Waiting For a Girl Like You" - Foreigner
"Waiting on a Friend" - The Rolling Stones	"Walking on Thin Ice" - Yoko Ono
"The Wanderer" - Donna Summer	"Water on Glass - Kim Wilde
"Watching the Wheels" - John Lennon	"(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thing" - Heaven 17
"We Got the Beat - The Go-Go's	"We're Going to Live For a Very Long Time" - Heaven 17
"When He Shines" - Sheena Easton	"Whip It" - Devo
"Who's Crying Now" - Journey	"Wild is the Wind" - David Bowie
"Working in a Coalmine" - Devo	"Wordy Rappington" - Tom Tom Club
"Winning" - Santana	"You Make My Dreams Come True" - Hall and Oates

Falecimentos em 1981:

9 de fevereiro - Bill Haley, pioneiro do Rock and Roll more de ataque cardíaco. 15 de fevereiro - Mike Bloomfield, guitarrista de blues; 7 de abril - Kit Lambert, ex manager e produtor do The Who; 28 de abril - Steve Currie, 33, baixista do T. Rex 11 de maio- Bob Marley 27 de dezembro - Hoagy Carmichael

Top das paradas nos EUA em 1980