My Favorite Albums of 1981

Below are an A-Z listing of my favorite albums released in 1981.  Lots of genres, and most likely, even in 2021, lots of albums that I still haven't heard.  All are studio or live, no greatest hits albums.  

AC/DC - For Those About to Rock

Alabama - Feels So Right

Al Jarreau - Breakin' Away

Aretha Franklin - Love All The Hurt Away

Beat - Wha'ppen?

Billy Squier - Don't Say No

Black Flag - Damaged

Blasters - s/t

Blue Oyster Cult - Fire of Unknown Origin

Bobby Womack - Poet

Cars - Shake It Up

Chaka Khan - What Cha' Gonna Do For Me

Change - Miracles

Commodores - In The Pocket

Dan Fogelberg - Innocent Age

Daryl Hall & John Oates - Private Eyes

David Byrne/Brian Eno - My Life In The Bush of Ghosts

dB's - Stands for Decibels

Def Leppard - High 'n' Dry

Deniece Williams - My Melody

Duran Duran - s/t

Earth, Wind & Fire - Raise

Eddie Rabbitt - Step by Step

ELO - Time

Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Trust

Emmylou Harris - Cimarron 

Foreigner - 4

Gang of Four - Solid Gold

Gap Band - III

Genesis - Abacab

George Jones - Still The Same Ole Me

George Strait - Strait Country

Go-Go's - Beauty and the Beat

Grace Jones - Nightclubbing

Heaven 17 - Penthouse and Pavement

Human League - Dare

J. Geils Band - Freeze-Frame

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - I Love Rock 'n Roll 

John Anderson - 2

John Anderson - I Just Came Home To Count The Memories

Johnny Paycheck - Mr. Hag Told My Story

Journey - Escape

Juice Newton - Juice

Kenny Rogers - Share Your Love With Me

Kool & The Gang - Something Special

Kraftwerk - Computer World

Loverboy - Get Lucky

Luther Vandross - Never Too Much

Marvin Gaye - In Our Lifetime

Merle Haggard - Big City

Merle Haggard - Rainbow Stew

Moody Blues - Long Distance Voyager

Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of A Madman

Pat Benatar - Precious Time

Phil Collins - Face Value

Police - Ghost In The Machine

Pretenders II

Ray Parker Jr. - A Woman Needs Love

Prince - Controversy

Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk

Quincy Jones - Dude

Replacements - Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash

Rick James - Street Songs

Rick Springfield - Working Class Dog

Rickie Lee Jones - Pirates

Ricky Skaggs - Waitin' For The Sun To Shine

Roger - Many Facets Of Roger

Rolling Stones - Tattoo You

Ronnie Milsap - There's No Gettin' Over Me

Rosanne Cash - Seven Year Ache

Rush -Moving Pictures

Slave - Show Time

Smokey Robinson - Being With You

Soft Cell - Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret

Squeeze - East Side Story

Stevie Nicks - Bella Donna

Styx - Paradise Theater

Teena Marie - It Must Be Magic

.38 Special - Wild-Eyed Southern Boys

Time - s/t

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Hard Promises

U2 - October

Van Halen - Fair Warning

Who - Face Dances

Willie Nelson - Somewhere Over The Rainbow

X - Wild Gift

ZZ Top - El Loco