Biggest Singles 1981
The UK's Top 40 best-performing singles in 1981 are listed below. John Lennon heads the chart - his posthumous re-release of Imagine beats the year's biggest selling single by The Human League into second place. Vienna - the single infamously denied the official No. 1 spot by a dreadful novelty record - is the fifth biggest chart single of the year. Adam And The Ants have three singles inside the Top 20. Ant Music's 16-week run in the Top 40 - the longest of any single this year - helps it secure the No. 3 spot. Adam Ant will be back in 1982.
Singles are ordered by their Chart Measured Performance (CHAMP) scores. A single's peak position and the month it peaked are also provided.
➀ – ➈ NME peak position (if different from official chart)
| Peak Month | Peak | CHAMP | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IMAGINE ⏹John Lennon | January1 | 1 | 1,898 |
| 2 | DON'T YOU WANT ME ⏹The Human League | December† | 1 | 1,515 |
| 3 | ANTMUSICAdam & The Ants | January† | 2 | 1,452 |
| 4 | TAINTED LOVE ⏹Soft Cell | September | 1 | 1,425 |
| 5 | VIENNA ⏹Ultravox | February | 2➀ | 1,412 |
| 6 | THIS OLE HOUSEShakin' Stevens | March | 1 | 1,410 |
| 7 | GHOST TOWN ⏹The Specials | July | 1 | 1,403 |
| 8 | STAND AND DELIVERAdam & The Ants | May | 1 | 1,387 |
| 9 | HAPPY XMAS (WAR IS OVER)John And Yoko And The Plastic Ono Band | January2 | 2 | 1,384 |
| 10 | THE BIRDIE SONG (BIRDIE DANCE)The Tweets | October | 2 | 1,325 |
| 11 | ONE DAY IN YOUR LIFEMichael Jackson | June | 1 | 1,310 |
| 12 | PRINCE CHARMINGAdam & The Ants | September | 1 | 1,300 |
| 13 | MAKING YOUR MIND UPBucks Fizz | April | 1 | 1,249 |
| 14 | DADDY'S HOMECliff Richard | December† | 2 | 1,239 |
| 15 | BEING WITH YOUSmokey Robinson | June | 1 | 1,218 |
| 16 | BEGIN THE BEGUINE (VOLVER A EMPEZAR)Julio Iglesias | December† | 1➁ | 1,166 |
| 17 | IT'S MY PARTYDave Stewart With Barbara Gaskin | October | 1 | 1,165 |
| 18 | GREEN DOORShakin' Stevens | August | 1 | 1,146 |
| 19 | YOU DRIVE ME CRAZYShakin' Stevens | May | 2 | 1,135 |
| 20 | STARS ON 45Star Sound | May | 2➀ | 1,126 |
| 21 | WOMANJohn Lennon | February | 1➁ | 1,123 |
| 22 | JEALOUS GUYRoxy Music | March | 1 | 1,063 |
| 23 | SHADDUP YOU FACEJoe Dolce Music Theatre | February | 1 | 1,055 |
| 24 | CHI MAIEnnio Morricone | April | 2➀ | 1,041 |
| 25 | HOOKED ON CLASSICSRoyal Philharmonic Orchestra | August | 2 | 1,027 |
| 26 | LATELYStevie Wonder | April | 3➁ | 1,021 |
| 27 | UNDER PRESSURE ⏹Queen And David Bowie | November† | 1 | 1,020 |
| 28 | CAN CANBad Manners | July | 3➁ | 1,008 |
| 29 | KIDS IN AMERICAKim Wilde | March | 2➂ | 1,005 |
| 30 | LOVE ACTION (I BELIEVE IN LOVE)The Human League | August | 3➁ | 999 |
| 31 | JAPANESE BOYAneka | August | 1 | 989 |
| 32 | HANDS UP (GIVE ME YOUR HEART)Ottawan | September | 3➃ | 986 |
| 33 | ONE OF USAbba | December† | 3➀ | 982 |
| 34 | HAPPY BIRTHDAYAltered Images | October | 2➀ | 969 |
| 35 | HOLD ON TIGHTElectric Light Orchestra | September | 4➂ | 966 |
| 36 | IN THE AIR TONIGHTPhil Collins | February | 2➀ | 941 |
| 37 | WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVEDiana Ross | December† | 4 | 929 |
| 38 | HAPPY BIRTHDAYStevie Wonder | August | 2➀ | 919 |
| 39 | LET'S GROOVEEarth Wind And Fire | November† | 3 | 918 |
| 40 | BODY TALKImagination | July | 4 | 897 |
Chart © Wow Vinyl 2026
➀ – ➈ NME peak position (if different from official chart)
† Part of the chart run was in 1980 or 1982, which has been included in calculating the CHAMP score
⏹ Featured on The Wall for 1981
1 CHAMP score includes chart run in November 1975
2 CHAMP score includes chart run in December 1972