Billboard Hot 100 — January 17, 1981
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week of January 17, 1981. "(Just Like) Starting Over" by John Lennon held #1 for a 4th straight week, on its way to 5 weeks on top. 6 songs entered the chart this week; the highest new entry was "Woman" by John Lennon at #36, which would go on to peak at #2. The biggest climber was "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It" by Stevie Wonder, up 17 places from #49 to #32.
Chart highlights
- At #1: "(Just Like) Starting Over" by John Lennon — 4 weeks at the top so far, 12 weeks on the chart since debuting November 1, 1980.
- New in the top 10: "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" by The Police (up from #11 to #10).
- Highest debut: "Woman" by John Lennon at #36; it would spend 20 weeks on the chart and peak at #2.
- Biggest fall: "What Can You Get A Wookiee For Christmas (When He Already Owns A Comb?)" by The Star Wars Intergalactic Droid Choir & Chorale, down 22 places from #69 to #91.
- Longest run on this week's chart: "Upside Down" by Diana Ross, 28 weeks and counting (peak #1).
TW = this week, LW = last week (NEW = first week on the chart), Peak = highest position reached up to this week, Wks = weeks on the chart up to this week.
| TW | LW | Peak | Wks | Song / Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | (Just Like) Starting Over John Lennon |
| 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 | Love On The Rocks Neil Diamond |
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 | Guilty Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb |
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 | The Tide Is High Blondie |
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 11 | Hungry Heart Bruce Springsteen |
| 6 | 6 | 6 | 13 | Every Woman In The World Air Supply |
| 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | Passion Rod Stewart |
| 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | Tell It Like It Is Heart |
| 9 | 9 | 1 | 16 | Lady Kenny Rogers |
| 10 | 11 | 10 | 13 | De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da The Police |
| 11 | 13 | 11 | 13 | It's My Turn Diana Ross |
| 12 | 15 | 12 | 11 | I Love A Rainy Night Eddie Rabbitt |
| 13 | 14 | 13 | 9 | I Made It Through The Rain Barry Manilow |
| 14 | 16 | 14 | 13 | Celebration Kool & The Gang |
| 15 | 17 | 15 | 8 | Hey Nineteen Steely Dan |
| 16 | 12 | 9 | 16 | Hit Me With Your Best Shot Pat Benatar |
| 17 | 10 | 2 | 17 | More Than I Can Say Leo Sayer |
| 18 | 19 | 18 | 9 | Time Is Time Andy Gibb |
| 19 | 22 | 19 | 7 | Giving It Up For Your Love Delbert McClinton |
| 20 | 21 | 20 | 13 | Suddenly Olivia Newton-John & Cliff Richard |
| 21 | 25 | 21 | 8 | Miss Sun Boz Scaggs |
| 22 | 26 | 22 | 8 | 9 To 5 Dolly Parton |
| 23 | 27 | 23 | 11 | Together Tierra |
| 24 | 24 | 24 | 9 | One Step Closer The Doobie Brothers |
| 25 | 30 | 25 | 9 | The Winner Takes It All ABBA |
| 26 | 31 | 26 | 6 | Same Old Lang Syne Dan Fogelberg |
| 27 | 18 | 5 | 18 | Master Blaster (Jammin') Stevie Wonder |
| 28 | 34 | 28 | 8 | Keep On Loving You REO Speedwagon |
| 29 | 35 | 29 | 5 | Seven Bridges Road Eagles |
| 30 | 20 | 1 | 23 | Another One Bites The Dust Queen |
| 31 | 28 | 1 | 20 | Woman In Love Barbra Streisand |
| 32 | 49 | 32 | 6 | I Ain't Gonna Stand For It Stevie Wonder |
| 33 | 37 | 33 | 8 | Cold Love Donna Summer |
| 34 | 38 | 34 | 9 | Killin' Time Fred Knoblock & Susan Anton |
| 35 | 40 | 35 | 7 | Heartbreak Hotel The Jacksons |
| 36 | NEW | 36 | 1 | Woman John Lennon |
| 37 | 39 | 37 | 9 | He Can't Love You Michael Stanley Band |
| 38 | 23 | 18 | 15 | Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime The Korgis |
| 39 | 41 | 39 | 9 | My Mother's Eyes Bette Midler |
| 40 | 43 | 40 | 9 | I Need Your Lovin' Teena Marie |
| 41 | 45 | 41 | 10 | Shine On L.T.D. |
| 42 | 46 | 42 | 8 | Smoky Mountain Rain Ronnie Milsap |
| 43 | 53 | 43 | 6 | A Little In Love Cliff Richard |
| 44 | 48 | 44 | 7 | Games People Play The Alan Parsons Project |
| 45 | 47 | 45 | 8 | Love T.K.O. Teddy Pendergrass |
| 46 | 52 | 46 | 5 | Who's Making Love Blues Brothers |
| 47 | 29 | 12 | 17 | You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling Daryl Hall John Oates |
| 48 | 33 | 14 | 21 | Whip It Devo |
| 49 | 32 | 24 | 17 | I Believe In You Don Williams |
| 50 | 36 | 15 | 15 | Never Be The Same Christopher Cross |
| 51 | 58 | 51 | 6 | Fool That I Am Rita Coolidge |
| 52 | 61 | 52 | 6 | Ah! Leah! Donnie Iris |
| 53 | 42 | 21 | 19 | Theme From The Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys) Waylon |
| 54 | 63 | 54 | 5 | Back In Black AC/DC |
| 55 | 44 | 44 | 8 | Need Your Loving Tonight Queen |
| 56 | 50 | 5 | 20 | I'm Coming Out Diana Ross |
| 57 | 54 | 34 | 12 | Girls Can Get It Dr. Hook |
| 58 | 51 | 51 | 9 | Teacher Teacher Rockpile |
| 59 | 57 | 48 | 9 | You Earth, Wind & Fire |
| 60 | 67 | 60 | 4 | United Together Aretha Franklin |
| 61 | 68 | 61 | 5 | Full Of Fire Shalamar |
| 62 | 72 | 62 | 5 | Skateaway Dire Straits |
| 63 | 55 | 23 | 12 | Sequel Harry Chapin |
| 64 | 73 | 64 | 4 | (Ghost) Riders In The Sky Outlaws |
| 65 | 56 | 42 | 10 | Turn And Walk Away The Babys |
| 66 | 60 | 3 | 18 | The Wanderer Donna Summer |
| 67 | 59 | 47 | 10 | Gotta Have More Love Climax Blues Band |
| 68 | NEW | 68 | 1 | Treat Me Right Pat Benatar |
| 69 | 62 | 62 | 6 | Breakfast In America Supertramp |
| 70 | 65 | 10 | 19 | Dreaming Cliff Richard |
| 71 | 66 | 22 | 14 | Deep Inside My Heart Randy Meisner |
| 72 | 64 | 27 | 17 | This Time John Cougar |
| 73 | 70 | 70 | 7 | Fashion David Bowie |
| 74 | 74 | 3 | 26 | He's So Shy The Pointer Sisters |
| 75 | 71 | 71 | 6 | Set The Night On Fire Oak |
| 76 | 80 | 76 | 4 | Got To Rock On Kansas |
| 77 | 88 | 77 | 2 | Fly Away Peter Allen |
| 78 | 76 | 6 | 24 | Never Knew Love Like This Before Stephanie Mills |
| 79 | NEW | 79 | 1 | Flash's Theme Aka Flash Queen |
| 80 | 84 | 80 | 4 | Don't Want No-Body J.D. Drews |
| 81 | 75 | 36 | 17 | Turning Japanese The Vapors |
| 82 | 77 | 42 | 11 | The Horizontal Bop Bob Seger |
| 83 | 86 | 83 | 2 | Toccata Sky (Arista) |
| 84 | 79 | 62 | 9 | Easy Love Dionne Warwick |
| 85 | 78 | 12 | 17 | Lovely One The Jacksons |
| 86 | 85 | 1 | 28 | Upside Down Diana Ross |
| 87 | 87 | 43 | 22 | Switchin' To Glide/This Beat Goes On The Kings |
| 88 | 81 | 52 | 11 | Could I Be Dreaming The Pointer Sisters |
| 89 | 90 | 48 | 11 | Stop This Game Cheap Trick |
| 90 | NEW | 90 | 1 | Watching You Slave |
| 91 | 69 | 69 | 6 | What Can You Get A Wookiee For Christmas (When He Already Owns A Comb?) The Star Wars Intergalactic Droid Choir & Chorale |
| 92 | 93 | 89 | 10 | Remote Control The Reddings |
| 93 | 83 | 20 | 19 | Without Your Love Roger Daltrey |
| 94 | NEW | 94 | 1 | Somebody's Knockin' Terri Gibbs |
| 95 | 92 | 21 | 24 | Let Me Be Your Angel Stacy Lattisaw |
| 96 | 96 | 20 | 20 | On The Road Again Willie Nelson |
| 97 | NEW | 97 | 1 | Long Time Lovin' You McGuffey Lane |
| 98 | 97 | 73 | 8 | Trickle Trickle The Manhattan Transfer |
| 99 | 99 | 27 | 17 | I'm Happy That Love Has Found You Jimmy Hall |
| 100 | 100 | 19 | 23 | Out Here On My Own Irene Cara |
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