Billboard Hot 100 — August 29, 1981
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week of August 29, 1981. "Endless Love" by Diana Ross & Lionel Richie held #1 for a 3rd straight week, on its way to 9 weeks on top. 5 songs entered the chart this week; the highest new entry was "Private Eyes" by Daryl Hall John Oates at #68, which would go on to peak at #1. The biggest climber was "Start Me Up" by The Rolling Stones, up 26 places from #61 to #35.
Chart highlights
- At #1: "Endless Love" by Diana Ross & Lionel Richie — 3 weeks at the top so far, 8 weeks on the chart since debuting July 11, 1981.
- New in the top 10: "Urgent" by Foreigner (up from #15 to #8); "Who's Crying Now" by Journey (up from #11 to #10).
- Biggest fall: "Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through" by Jim Steinman, down 35 places from #40 to #75.
- Longest run on this week's chart: "A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)" by Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio, 26 weeks and counting (peak #4).
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 | 8 | Endless Love Diana Ross & Lionel Richie |
| 2 | 4 | 2 | 14 | Slow Hand The Pointer Sisters |
| 3 | 2 | 2 | 17 | Theme From "Greatest American Hero" (Believe It or Not) Joey Scarbury |
| 4 | 6 | 4 | 6 | Stop Draggin' My Heart Around Stevie Nicks With Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers |
| 5 | 5 | 1 | 23 | Jessie's Girl Rick Springfield |
| 6 | 8 | 6 | 14 | Queen Of Hearts Juice Newton |
| 7 | 9 | 7 | 10 | (There's) No Gettin' Over Me Ronnie Milsap |
| 8 | 15 | 8 | 9 | Urgent Foreigner |
| 9 | 10 | 9 | 11 | Lady (You Bring Me Up) Commodores |
| 10 | 11 | 10 | 7 | Who's Crying Now Journey |
| 11 | 3 | 3 | 12 | I Don't Need You Kenny Rogers |
| 12 | 7 | 7 | 15 | Boy From New York City The Manhattan Transfer |
| 13 | 12 | 8 | 15 | Hearts Marty Balin |
| 14 | 13 | 5 | 16 | Elvira The Oak Ridge Boys |
| 15 | 18 | 15 | 9 | Cool Love Pablo Cruise |
| 16 | 23 | 16 | 6 | Step By Step Eddie Rabbitt |
| 17 | 20 | 17 | 15 | The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em) Greg Kihn Band |
| 18 | 21 | 18 | 9 | Really Wanna Know You Gary Wright |
| 19 | 22 | 19 | 7 | Fire And Ice Pat Benatar |
| 20 | 14 | 14 | 14 | It's Now Or Never John Schneider |
| 21 | 28 | 21 | 6 | Hold On Tight Electric Light Orchestra |
| 22 | 24 | 22 | 13 | Feels So Right Alabama |
| 23 | 25 | 23 | 8 | That Old Song Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio |
| 24 | 30 | 24 | 6 | The Beach Boys Medley The Beach Boys |
| 25 | 31 | 25 | 4 | The Voice The Moody Blues |
| 26 | 26 | 26 | 8 | Don't Give It Up Robbie Patton |
| 27 | 27 | 27 | 9 | You're My Girl Franke & The Knockouts |
| 28 | 29 | 28 | 11 | Love On A Two Way Street Stacy Lattisaw |
| 29 | 35 | 29 | 6 | For Your Eyes Only Sheena Easton |
| 30 | 34 | 30 | 5 | I Could Never Miss You (More Than I Do) Lulu |
| 31 | 51 | 31 | 3 | Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) Christopher Cross |
| 32 | 32 | 32 | 10 | Everlasting Love Rex Smith/Rachel Sweet |
| 33 | 36 | 33 | 8 | Breaking Away Balance |
| 34 | 42 | 34 | 4 | In Your Letter REO Speedwagon |
| 35 | 61 | 35 | 2 | Start Me Up The Rolling Stones |
| 36 | 43 | 36 | 4 | Draw Of The Cards Kim Carnes |
| 37 | 19 | 19 | 14 | In The Air Tonight Phil Collins |
| 38 | 17 | 17 | 16 | The Stroke Billy Squier |
| 39 | 44 | 39 | 6 | You Could Take My Heart Away Silver Condor |
| 40 | 41 | 40 | 10 | Nicole Point Blank |
| 41 | 46 | 41 | 12 | Some Days Are Diamonds (Some Days Are Stone) John Denver |
| 42 | 48 | 42 | 6 | Chloe Elton John |
| 43 | 52 | 43 | 4 | Super Freak (Part I) Rick James |
| 44 | 49 | 44 | 6 | General Hospi-tale The Afternoon Delights |
| 45 | 16 | 16 | 11 | Touch Me When We're Dancing Carpenters |
| 46 | 33 | 1 | 16 | The One That You Love Air Supply |
| 47 | 39 | 30 | 16 | Double Dutch Bus Frankie Smith |
| 48 | 68 | 48 | 2 | The Night Owls Little River Band |
| 49 | 54 | 49 | 6 | I'm In Love Evelyn King |
| 50 | 57 | 50 | 4 | Straight From The Heart The Allman Brothers Band |
| 51 | 60 | 51 | 5 | We're In This Love Together Al Jarreau |
| 52 | 53 | 52 | 5 | Tempted Squeeze |
| 53 | 37 | 15 | 20 | Time The Alan Parsons Project |
| 54 | 56 | 54 | 6 | Square Biz Teena Marie |
| 55 | 65 | 55 | 3 | Backfired Debbie Harry |
| 56 | 58 | 56 | 5 | The Sensitive Kind Santana |
| 57 | 38 | 1 | 23 | Bette Davis Eyes Kim Carnes |
| 58 | 59 | 58 | 6 | Heavy Metal (Takin' A Ride) Don Felder |
| 59 | 45 | 5 | 18 | You Make My Dreams Daryl Hall John Oates |
| 60 | 72 | 60 | 3 | Just Once Quincy Jones Featuring James Ingram |
| 61 | 69 | 61 | 3 | All I Have To Do Is Dream Andy Gibb & Victoria Principal |
| 62 | 62 | 62 | 5 | We Can Get Together Icehouse |
| 63 | 71 | 63 | 4 | The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore Nielsen/Pearson |
| 64 | 47 | 19 | 18 | Sweet Baby Stanley Clarke/George Duke |
| 65 | 79 | 65 | 2 | I've Done Everything For You Rick Springfield |
| 66 | 76 | 66 | 3 | When She Was My Girl Four Tops |
| 67 | 77 | 67 | 3 | Burnin' For You Blue Oyster Cult |
| 68 | NEW | 68 | 1 | Private Eyes Daryl Hall John Oates |
| 69 | 70 | 69 | 4 | Dedicated To The One I Love Bernadette Peters |
| 70 | 73 | 70 | 4 | A Heart In New York Art Garfunkel |
| 71 | 78 | 71 | 3 | Silly Deniece Williams |
| 72 | NEW | 72 | 1 | Hard To Say Dan Fogelberg |
| 73 | 75 | 73 | 4 | Shake It Up Tonight Cheryl Lynn |
| 74 | 74 | 74 | 4 | Falling In Love Again Michael Stanley Band |
| 75 | 40 | 32 | 14 | Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through Jim Steinman |
| 76 | 83 | 76 | 2 | The Theme From Hill Street Blues Mike Post featuring Larry Carlton |
| 77 | 86 | 77 | 2 | She's A Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked) Carl Carlton |
| 78 | 80 | 78 | 3 | La-Di-Da Sad Cafe |
| 79 | 89 | 79 | 2 | Not Fade Away Eric Hine |
| 80 | 55 | 55 | 8 | You Don't Know Me Mickey Gilley |
| 81 | 50 | 41 | 9 | Nightwalker Gino Vannelli |
| 82 | 64 | 12 | 13 | Gemini Dream The Moody Blues |
| 83 | 63 | 24 | 12 | Don't Let Him Go REO Speedwagon |
| 84 | 66 | 48 | 8 | Stranger Jefferson Starship |
| 85 | 67 | 42 | 11 | Fly Away Blackfoot |
| 86 | 82 | 35 | 11 | Don't Want To Wait Anymore The Tubes |
| 87 | 81 | 2 | 15 | All Those Years Ago George Harrison |
| 88 | NEW | 88 | 1 | Alien Atlanta Rhythm Section |
| 89 | NEW | 89 | 1 | Love All The Hurt Away Aretha Franklin And George Benson |
| 90 | NEW | 90 | 1 | Our Lips Are Sealed Go-Go's |
| 91 | 84 | 18 | 17 | Modern Girl Sheena Easton |
| 92 | 92 | 92 | 3 | Very Special Debra Laws |
| 93 | 85 | 4 | 26 | A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do) Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio |
| 94 | 96 | 94 | 2 | I Love My Truck Glen Campbell |
| 95 | 87 | 22 | 19 | Seven Year Ache Rosanne Cash |
| 96 | 88 | 79 | 5 | A Woman In Love (It's Not Me) Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers |
| 97 | 91 | 44 | 13 | Tom Sawyer Rush |
| 98 | 94 | 40 | 14 | Give It To Me Baby Rick James |
| 99 | 93 | 54 | 8 | Nothing Ever Goes As Planned Styx |
| 100 | 100 | 1 | 21 | Medley Stars On 45 |
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