Billboard Hot 100 — January 31, 1981
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week of January 31, 1981. "The Tide Is High" by Blondie climbed from #3 to take over the #1 spot from "(Just Like) Starting Over" by John Lennon, which had held it for 5 weeks. 8 songs entered the chart this week; the highest new entry was "Hello Again" by Neil Diamond at #32, which would go on to peak at #6. The biggest climber was "Hearts On Fire" by Randy Meisner, up 15 places from #65 to #50.
Chart highlights
- At #1: "The Tide Is High" by Blondie — 1 week at the top so far, 12 weeks on the chart since debuting November 15, 1980.
- New in the top 10: "Celebration" by Kool & The Gang (up from #12 to #3); "9 To 5" by Dolly Parton (up from #18 to #8); "I Made It Through The Rain" by Barry Manilow (up from #11 to #10).
- Highest debut: "Hello Again" by Neil Diamond at #32; it would spend 16 weeks on the chart and peak at #6.
- Biggest fall: "The Wanderer" by Donna Summer, down 20 places from #73 to #93.
- Longest run on this week's chart: "Another One Bites The Dust" by Queen, 25 weeks and counting (peak #1).
- Gone from the chart: "Upside Down" by Diana Ross after 29 weeks (peak #1); "Never Knew Love Like This Before" by Stephanie Mills after 25 weeks (peak #6).
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 | 3 | 1 | 12 | The Tide Is High Blondie |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 14 | (Just Like) Starting Over John Lennon |
| 3 | 12 | 3 | 15 | Celebration Kool & The Gang |
| 4 | 8 | 4 | 13 | I Love A Rainy Night Eddie Rabbitt |
| 5 | 6 | 5 | 15 | Every Woman In The World Air Supply |
| 6 | 7 | 6 | 11 | Passion Rod Stewart |
| 7 | 2 | 2 | 14 | Love On The Rocks Neil Diamond |
| 8 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 9 To 5 Dolly Parton |
| 9 | 9 | 9 | 15 | It's My Turn Diana Ross |
| 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | I Made It Through The Rain Barry Manilow |
| 11 | 16 | 11 | 9 | Giving It Up For Your Love Delbert McClinton |
| 12 | 14 | 12 | 10 | Hey Nineteen Steely Dan |
| 13 | 4 | 3 | 14 | Guilty Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb |
| 14 | 19 | 14 | 8 | Same Old Lang Syne Dan Fogelberg |
| 15 | 15 | 15 | 11 | Time Is Time Andy Gibb |
| 16 | 17 | 16 | 10 | Miss Sun Boz Scaggs |
| 17 | 27 | 17 | 3 | Woman John Lennon |
| 18 | 21 | 18 | 11 | The Winner Takes It All ABBA |
| 19 | 23 | 19 | 10 | Keep On Loving You REO Speedwagon |
| 20 | 22 | 20 | 13 | Together Tierra |
| 21 | 26 | 21 | 8 | I Ain't Gonna Stand For It Stevie Wonder |
| 22 | 31 | 22 | 2 | The Best Of Times Styx |
| 23 | 25 | 23 | 7 | Seven Bridges Road Eagles |
| 24 | 5 | 5 | 13 | Hungry Heart Bruce Springsteen |
| 25 | 30 | 25 | 9 | Heartbreak Hotel The Jacksons |
| 26 | 10 | 10 | 15 | De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da The Police |
| 27 | 37 | 27 | 2 | Crying Don McLean |
| 28 | 34 | 28 | 8 | A Little In Love Cliff Richard |
| 29 | 32 | 29 | 11 | Killin' Time Fred Knoblock & Susan Anton |
| 30 | 13 | 8 | 11 | Tell It Like It Is Heart |
| 31 | 36 | 31 | 10 | Smoky Mountain Rain Ronnie Milsap |
| 32 | NEW | 32 | 1 | Hello Again Neil Diamond |
| 33 | 35 | 33 | 11 | He Can't Love You Michael Stanley Band |
| 34 | 40 | 34 | 9 | Games People Play The Alan Parsons Project |
| 35 | 20 | 1 | 18 | Lady Kenny Rogers |
| 36 | 50 | 36 | 3 | Treat Me Right Pat Benatar |
| 37 | 38 | 37 | 11 | I Need Your Lovin' Teena Marie |
| 38 | 24 | 20 | 15 | Suddenly Olivia Newton-John & Cliff Richard |
| 39 | 42 | 39 | 7 | Who's Making Love Blues Brothers |
| 40 | 41 | 40 | 12 | Shine On L.T.D. |
| 41 | 28 | 9 | 18 | Hit Me With Your Best Shot Pat Benatar |
| 42 | 29 | 2 | 19 | More Than I Can Say Leo Sayer |
| 43 | 33 | 33 | 10 | Cold Love Donna Summer |
| 44 | 48 | 44 | 8 | Ah! Leah! Donnie Iris |
| 45 | 49 | 45 | 7 | Back In Black AC/DC |
| 46 | 46 | 46 | 8 | Fool That I Am Rita Coolidge |
| 47 | 44 | 44 | 10 | Love T.K.O. Teddy Pendergrass |
| 48 | 54 | 48 | 6 | (Ghost) Riders In The Sky Outlaws |
| 49 | 45 | 5 | 20 | Master Blaster (Jammin') Stevie Wonder |
| 50 | 65 | 50 | 2 | Hearts On Fire Randy Meisner |
| 51 | 39 | 39 | 11 | My Mother's Eyes Bette Midler |
| 52 | 64 | 52 | 3 | Flash's Theme Aka Flash Queen |
| 53 | 43 | 24 | 11 | One Step Closer The Doobie Brothers |
| 54 | 47 | 1 | 25 | Another One Bites The Dust Queen |
| 55 | 69 | 55 | 2 | Kiss On My List Daryl Hall John Oates |
| 56 | 58 | 56 | 6 | United Together Aretha Franklin |
| 57 | 59 | 57 | 7 | Full Of Fire Shalamar |
| 58 | 60 | 58 | 7 | Skateaway Dire Straits |
| 59 | 51 | 1 | 22 | Woman In Love Barbra Streisand |
| 60 | 75 | 60 | 2 | Too Tight ConFunkShun |
| 61 | NEW | 61 | 1 | Rapture Blondie |
| 62 | 52 | 18 | 17 | Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime The Korgis |
| 63 | 67 | 63 | 4 | Fly Away Peter Allen |
| 64 | 53 | 12 | 19 | You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling Daryl Hall John Oates |
| 65 | 77 | 43 | 8 | Guitar Man Elvis Presley |
| 66 | 55 | 14 | 23 | Whip It Devo |
| 67 | 78 | 67 | 2 | Precious To Me Phil Seymour |
| 68 | 56 | 24 | 19 | I Believe In You Don Williams |
| 69 | 57 | 15 | 17 | Never Be The Same Christopher Cross |
| 70 | 81 | 70 | 2 | Staying With It Firefall |
| 71 | 61 | 21 | 21 | Theme From The Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys) Waylon |
| 72 | NEW | 72 | 1 | What Kind Of Fool Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb |
| 73 | 84 | 73 | 3 | Somebody's Knockin' Terri Gibbs |
| 74 | 85 | 74 | 2 | Living In A Fantasy Leo Sayer |
| 75 | 62 | 44 | 10 | Need Your Loving Tonight Queen |
| 76 | 87 | 76 | 2 | I Don't Want To Know Your Name Glen Campbell |
| 77 | 89 | 77 | 2 | Seasons Charles Fox |
| 78 | 88 | 78 | 2 | Wynken, Blynken And Nod The Doobie Brothers |
| 79 | 80 | 79 | 3 | Watching You Slave |
| 80 | 90 | 80 | 2 | Lipstick Suzi Quatro |
| 81 | NEW | 81 | 1 | Ain't Even Done With The Night John Cougar |
| 82 | 63 | 5 | 22 | I'm Coming Out Diana Ross |
| 83 | NEW | 83 | 1 | Dreamer The Association |
| 84 | 66 | 34 | 14 | Girls Can Get It Dr. Hook |
| 85 | NEW | 85 | 1 | Fantastic Voyage Lakeside |
| 86 | 68 | 51 | 11 | Teacher Teacher Rockpile |
| 87 | NEW | 87 | 1 | Turn Me Loose Loverboy |
| 88 | 70 | 48 | 11 | You Earth, Wind & Fire |
| 89 | 71 | 23 | 14 | Sequel Harry Chapin |
| 90 | 72 | 42 | 12 | Turn And Walk Away The Babys |
| 91 | 93 | 91 | 3 | Long Time Lovin' You McGuffey Lane |
| 92 | NEW | 92 | 1 | Don't You Know What Love Is Touch |
| 93 | 73 | 3 | 20 | The Wanderer Donna Summer |
| 94 | 74 | 47 | 12 | Gotta Have More Love Climax Blues Band |
| 95 | 76 | 62 | 8 | Breakfast In America Supertramp |
| 96 | 79 | 79 | 6 | Don't Want No-Body J.D. Drews |
| 97 | 82 | 10 | 21 | Dreaming Cliff Richard |
| 98 | 83 | 22 | 16 | Deep Inside My Heart Randy Meisner |
| 99 | 86 | 70 | 9 | Fashion David Bowie |
| 100 | 91 | 89 | 12 | Remote Control The Reddings |
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