Billboard Hot 100 — December 26, 1981
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week of December 26, 1981. "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John held #1 for a 6th straight week, on its way to 10 weeks on top. 6 songs entered the chart this week; the highest new entry was "Abacab" by Genesis at #71, which would go on to peak at #26. The biggest climber was "All Our Tomorrows" by Eddie Schwartz, up 13 places from #67 to #54.
Chart highlights
- At #1: "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John — 6 weeks at the top so far, 13 weeks on the chart since debuting October 3, 1981.
- New in the top 10: "Trouble" by Lindsey Buckingham (up from #11 to #10).
- Biggest fall: "We're In This Love Together" by Al Jarreau, down 24 places from #62 to #86.
- Longest run on this week's chart: "Endless Love" by Diana Ross & Lionel Richie, 25 weeks and counting (peak #1).
- Gone from the chart: "Step By Step" by Eddie Rabbitt after 22 weeks (peak #5).
- Stories that mention this week: No Room at the Top: America's Christmas Number Ones, 1958-1990.
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 | 13 | Physical Olivia Newton-John |
| 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 | Waiting For A Girl Like You Foreigner |
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 13 | Let's Groove Earth, Wind & Fire |
| 4 | 6 | 4 | 7 | I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) Daryl Hall John Oates |
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 11 | Young Turks Rod Stewart |
| 6 | 8 | 6 | 11 | Harden My Heart Quarterflash |
| 7 | 7 | 7 | 11 | Why Do Fools Fall In Love Diana Ross |
| 8 | 10 | 8 | 10 | Leather And Lace Stevie Nicks With Don Henley |
| 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | Don't Stop Believin' Journey |
| 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | Trouble Lindsey Buckingham |
| 11 | 23 | 11 | 8 | Centerfold The J. Geils Band |
| 12 | 13 | 12 | 8 | Yesterday's Songs Neil Diamond |
| 13 | 14 | 13 | 7 | Comin' In And Out Of Your Life Barbra Streisand |
| 14 | 15 | 14 | 10 | Turn Your Love Around George Benson |
| 15 | 16 | 15 | 11 | The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known) Juice Newton |
| 16 | 21 | 16 | 9 | Hooked On Classics Royal Philharmonic Orchestra |
| 17 | 18 | 17 | 11 | Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It) Kool & The Gang |
| 18 | 19 | 18 | 8 | Cool Night Paul Davis |
| 19 | 4 | 4 | 14 | Oh No Commodores |
| 20 | 12 | 3 | 14 | Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic The Police |
| 21 | 25 | 21 | 7 | Someone Could Lose A Heart Tonight Eddie Rabbitt |
| 22 | 17 | 5 | 14 | Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You) Air Supply |
| 23 | 27 | 23 | 10 | I Wouldn't Have Missed It For The World Ronnie Milsap |
| 24 | 28 | 24 | 6 | Shake It Up The Cars |
| 25 | 26 | 25 | 16 | Steal The Night Stevie Woods |
| 26 | 30 | 26 | 4 | Waiting On A Friend The Rolling Stones |
| 27 | 20 | 20 | 18 | Our Lips Are Sealed Go-Go's |
| 28 | 32 | 28 | 6 | She's Got A Way Billy Joel |
| 29 | 22 | 22 | 14 | My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone) Chilliwack |
| 30 | 34 | 30 | 6 | Come Go With Me The Beach Boys |
| 31 | 33 | 31 | 8 | Under Pressure Queen & David Bowie |
| 32 | 40 | 32 | 5 | You Could Have Been With Me Sheena Easton |
| 33 | 37 | 33 | 5 | Leader Of The Band Dan Fogelberg |
| 34 | 24 | 24 | 9 | Heart Like A Wheel The Steve Miller Band |
| 35 | 41 | 35 | 4 | Take It Easy On Me Little River Band |
| 36 | 38 | 36 | 9 | Castles In The Air Don McLean |
| 37 | 39 | 37 | 9 | More Than Just The Two Of Us Sneaker |
| 38 | 29 | 1 | 18 | Private Eyes Daryl Hall John Oates |
| 39 | 31 | 2 | 19 | Start Me Up The Rolling Stones |
| 40 | 49 | 40 | 4 | Love Is Alright Tonite Rick Springfield |
| 41 | 44 | 41 | 7 | Working For The Weekend Loverboy |
| 42 | 53 | 42 | 3 | Sweet Dreams Air Supply |
| 43 | 35 | 15 | 12 | The Old Songs Barry Manilow |
| 44 | 48 | 44 | 7 | Love In The First Degree Alabama |
| 45 | 36 | 1 | 20 | Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) Christopher Cross |
| 46 | 50 | 46 | 6 | If I Were You Lulu |
| 47 | 51 | 47 | 7 | Key Largo Bertie Higgins |
| 48 | 52 | 48 | 6 | Let Me Love You Once Greg Lake |
| 49 | 42 | 29 | 14 | No Reply At All Genesis |
| 50 | 47 | 33 | 12 | Never Too Much Luther Vandross |
| 51 | 57 | 51 | 5 | My Kinda Lover Billy Squier |
| 52 | 43 | 38 | 8 | Wrack My Brain Ringo Starr |
| 53 | 46 | 5 | 16 | Tryin' To Live My Life Without You Bob Seger |
| 54 | 67 | 54 | 3 | All Our Tomorrows Eddie Schwartz |
| 55 | 45 | 33 | 11 | Poor Man's Son Survivor |
| 56 | 63 | 56 | 4 | Breakin' Away Al Jarreau |
| 57 | 54 | 10 | 19 | The Theme From Hill Street Blues Mike Post featuring Larry Carlton |
| 58 | 69 | 58 | 4 | Little Darlin' Sheila |
| 59 | 65 | 59 | 6 | Falling In Love Balance |
| 60 | 70 | 60 | 4 | Could It Be Love Jennifer Warnes |
| 61 | 71 | 61 | 3 | Sea Of Love Del Shannon |
| 62 | 55 | 45 | 8 | Living Eyes Bee Gees |
| 63 | 76 | 63 | 2 | Somewhere Down The Road Barry Manilow |
| 64 | 64 | 64 | 5 | Anyone Can See Irene Cara |
| 65 | 74 | 65 | 6 | Wkrp In Cincinnati Steve Carlisle |
| 66 | 56 | 17 | 20 | Just Once Quincy Jones Featuring James Ingram |
| 67 | 79 | 67 | 2 | Feel Like A Number Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band |
| 68 | 78 | 68 | 3 | Keeping Our Love Alive Henry Paul Band |
| 69 | 58 | 8 | 19 | I've Done Everything For You Rick Springfield |
| 70 | 80 | 70 | 7 | Closer To The Heart Rush |
| 71 | NEW | 71 | 1 | Abacab Genesis |
| 72 | 82 | 72 | 2 | Those Good Old Dreams Carpenters |
| 73 | 83 | 73 | 2 | One Hundred Ways Quincy Jones Featuring James Ingram |
| 74 | 59 | 6 | 19 | The Night Owls Little River Band |
| 75 | 85 | 75 | 3 | Every Home Should Have One Patti Austin |
| 76 | 77 | 76 | 4 | The Woman In Me Crystal Gayle |
| 77 | 87 | 77 | 2 | Love Is Like A Rock Donnie Iris |
| 78 | 88 | 78 | 3 | A World Without Heroes KISS |
| 79 | 60 | 11 | 20 | When She Was My Girl Four Tops |
| 80 | NEW | 80 | 1 | Southern Pacific Neil Young / Crazy Horse |
| 81 | 61 | 25 | 16 | Sausalito Summernight Diesel |
| 82 | NEW | 82 | 1 | Through The Years Kenny Rogers |
| 83 | NEW | 83 | 1 | Crazy (Keep On Falling) The John Hall Band |
| 84 | 84 | 84 | 4 | Runaway Rita Leif Garrett |
| 85 | NEW | 85 | 1 | Tonight Tonight Bill Champlin |
| 86 | 62 | 15 | 22 | We're In This Love Together Al Jarreau |
| 87 | 75 | 22 | 19 | She's A Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked) Carl Carlton |
| 88 | 92 | 88 | 3 | Chariots Of Fire - Titles Vangelis |
| 89 | 66 | 66 | 6 | Blaze Of Glory Kenny Rogers |
| 90 | 68 | 4 | 23 | For Your Eyes Only Sheena Easton |
| 91 | NEW | 91 | 1 | Can't Hold Back (Your Loving) Kano |
| 92 | 96 | 92 | 2 | It's My Party Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin |
| 93 | 93 | 93 | 5 | Better Things The Kinks |
| 94 | 72 | 16 | 21 | Super Freak (Part I) Rick James |
| 95 | 73 | 1 | 25 | Endless Love Diana Ross & Lionel Richie |
| 96 | 90 | 7 | 18 | Hard To Say Dan Fogelberg |
| 97 | 81 | 70 | 10 | Controversy Prince |
| 98 | 86 | 37 | 13 | I Want You, I Need You Chris Christian |
| 99 | 89 | 38 | 10 | Twilight Electric Light Orchestra |
| 100 | 91 | 91 | 4 | Sharing The Love Rufus With Chaka Khan |
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