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The 25 best Classic Rock tracks of 1981
18 September 2026, 19:00
Let's look back at the year of big tunes by The Police, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Genesis, Foreigner and Queen & David Bowie.
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Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight: release date 9th January 1981
The debut single from the Genesis drummer/frontman was a huge success, peaking at Number 2 in Britain and breaking the Top 20 in America. The track features what was to become Collins' "signature" drum break, effectively creating the sound of the 1980s in the process.
Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight (Official Music Video)
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Rainbow - I Surrender: release date 23rd January 1981
From the album Difficult To Cure, this song was originally written by Russ Ballard for a band called Head East, but Rainbow took it to Number 3 in February 1981, with a vocal by Joe Lynn Turner.
Rainbow - I Surrender
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Slade - We'll Bring the House Down: release date 23rd January 1981
The glam rock legends had something of a revival in the early 1980s when the metal fraternity took them to their hearts, with an appearance at the 1980 Reading Rock Festival. We'll Bring The House Down was the band's first Top 10 hit in six years.
Slade - We'll Bring the House Down
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Blondie - Rapture: release date 23rd January 1981
The New York new wave band had something of a change of sound for this single from their Autoamerican album. After the reggae cover The Tide Is High, this tune introduced a lot of listeners to the genre of rap, with Harry referencing the legendary Fab Five Freddy. Rapture peaked at Number 5 in the UK and became the first US chart-topper to feature rap vocals.
Blondie - Rapture (Official Music Video)
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Roxy Music - Jealous Guy: release date 6th February 1981
Bryan Ferry paid tribute to the late John Lennon, who had died in December 1980, with a cover of a track from the ex-Beatle's Imagine album from 1971. It was Roxy's first - and only - Number 1 hit in the UK.
Roxy Music - Jealous Guy
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Pretenders - Message Of Love: release date 8th February 1981
Later included on the Extended Play EP in March and the album Pretenders II in August of 1981, this was the follow-up single to Talk Of The Town.
Pretenders - Message Of Love (Official Music Video)
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Motörhead And Girlschool - St. Valentine's Day Massacre (EP): release date 13th February 1981
Alternatively billed as "Headgirl", this was a collaboration between Lemmy and the lads and their labelmates Girlschool, an all-female metal band. The lead track was a cover of Johnny Kidd And The Pirates' Please Don't Touch, first released in 1959. Headgirl took the single to Number 5 in the UK.
Motörhead & Girlschool - St Valentines Day Massacre - Please Don't Touch - HD Video
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The Who - You Better You Bet: release date 27th February 1981
The opening track of Face Dances, the first of The Who's albums with drummer Kenney Jones, this proved to be the band's final Top 10 album, peaking at Number 9.
The Who - You Better You Bet (Promo Video)
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Graham Bonnet - Night Games: release date 6th March 1981
The ex-Rainbow vocalist had a Number 6 hit with this track from his third solo album Line-Up.
Graham Bonnet - Night Games video (1981)
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REO Speedwagon - Keep On Loving You: release date 6th March 1981
The Illinois AOR superstars had a Billboard Number 1 with this soft rock classic. It peaked at Number 7 in the UK and is taken from their album Hi Infidelity.
REO Speedwagon - Keep on Loving You (Video Version)
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Whitesnake - Don't Break My Heart Again: release date 20th March 1981
Frontman David Coverdale penned the first single from the band's album Come An' Get It. The track reached Number 17 on the UK chart.
Whitesnake - Don't Break My Heart Again (Official Music Video)
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Hazel O'Connor - Will You?: release date 15th May 1981
O'Connor played the lead role in the British rags-to-riches rock drama Breaking Glass and this Tony Visconti-produced power ballad was a highlight. The single peaked at Number 8 in June 1981.
Hazel O'Connor - Will You?
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George Harrison - All Those Years Ago: release date 22nd May 1981
The Quiet One's tribute to his fallen colleague John Lennon, who was shot dead in December 1980. It was George's biggest hit since 1973, peaking at Number 13 in the UK.
George Harrison 'All Those Years Ago' (Official Video)
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ELO - Hold On Tight: releaase date 17th July 1981
Jeff Lynne and co had their final Top 10 entry with this old school tune, taken from the album Time. It made Number 4 in August 1981 thanks to what was then "the most expensive video ever made".
Electric Light Orchestra - Hold On Tight (Official Video)
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U2 - Fire: release date 24th July 1981
The Irish band's first chart hit in the UK (Number 35) and gave them their first appearance on Top Of The Pops. It was taken from the U2's second album Fire.
Fire (Remastered 2008)
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The Rolling Stones - Start Me Up: release date 7th August 1981
One of the Stones' all-time classics, taken from their album Tattoo You. Start Me Up made Number 7 in the UK and Number 2 in the USA.
The Rolling Stones - Start Me Up - Official Promo
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Genesis - Abacab: release date 14th August 1981
Following Phil Collins' emergence as a solo artist earlier in 1981, it was back to the day job for the singer/drummer on the band's eleventh studio album. The title track broke to Top 10, peaking at Number 9 in the UK.
Genesis - Abacab (Official Music Video)
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Daryl Hall & John Oates - Private Eyes: release date 25th September 1981
Taken from the album of the same name, which spawned two US Number 1 hits in the title track and I Can't Go For That (No Can Do). Private Eyes only made Number 32 in Britain.
Daryl Hall & John Oates - Private Eyes (Official HD Video)
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Rod Stewart - Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me): releaase date 2nd October 1981
The title track of Rod's eleventh album peaked at Number 8 in the UK, but only made Number 20 on the Billboard 100.
Rod Stewart - Tonight I'm Yours (Official Video)
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The Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic: release date 16th October 1981
The trio's fourth UK Number 1 was taken from their Ghosts In The Machine album and peaked at Number 3 in America. The video was shot at George Martin's AIR studios on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, where much of the LP was recorded.
The Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (Official Music Video)
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Rush - Tom Sawyer (live): release date 16th October 1981
Originally released on the album Moving Pictures, this live version was taken from the album Exit... Stage Left, released in October 1981. The single made Number 25 in the UK.
Rush - Tom Sawyer (Live From The Montreal Forum / 1981)
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Queen & David Bowie - Under Pressure: release date 30th October 1981
One of the all-time greatest rock collaborations, this track was Queen's second UK Number 1 after Bohemian Rhapsody and Bowie's third after Space Oddity and Ashes To Ashes. Released at the same time as Freddie Mercury and co's huge-selling Greatest Hits album, Under Pressure wouldn't actually appear on an LP until Hot Space the following year.
Queen - Under Pressure (Official Video)
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Meat Loaf - Dead Ringer For Love: release date 13th November 1981
Bat Out Of Hell genius Jim Steinman wrote this song for the rock singer, which was a high-powered duet with Cher. It made Number 5 in the UK in January 1982.
Meat Loaf - Dead Ringer for Love (Video)
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Status Quo - Rock 'N' Roll: release date 20th November 1981
The Quo had their fourteenth Top 10 hit with this tune, taken from their album Just Supposin' - the track Something 'Bout You Baby I Like also broke the Top 10 in 1981.
Status Quo - Rock 'n' Roll, Multi-Coloured Swap Shop | December 1981
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Foreigner - Waiting For A Girl Like You: release date 4th December 1981
From the classic album Foreigner 4, this was the British-American rock band's biggest UK hit until I Want To Know What Love Is topped the charts in December 1984. Waiting For A Girl Like You peaked at Number 8 in Britain, but went as far as Number 2 in America.
Waiting for a Girl like You
