We now come to #1 and for all songs released in 1981, there could only be one top song. It has never lost its popularity over the years, the meaning of its lyrics are still debated to this day, and it contains one of if not the most famous drum riffs in all of pop/rock music – the kind that will make you stop whatever you’re doing when it comes up and air drum it. The #1 song that turns 40 years old this year is In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins.
We’re almost to the end and the last song before the top has managed an unbelievable longevity. While initially popular, the song faded away but regained notoriety in a few noted movie scenes and then became hugely popular again thanks to The Sopranos. Since then, it can be heard at sporting events and has since become the band’s biggest song. Coming in at #2 is Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey.
If you wonder why this band has been able to tour stadiums for years, you can thank the next song in my 1981 countdown. My mom loved this song so I heard it quite a bit growing up, and today it ranks up there along with Satisfaction as one of the band’s ultimate staples. Coming in at #3 is Start Me Up by The Rolling Stones.
What many people consider the quintessential song for this band debuted in 1981. The opening E blows up any speaker system, and after Geddy’s introductory vocal, you’re off on a wild ride. Time signature changes, iconic synths, and a drum solo that Neil Peart loved doing every time make this the band’s most popular song. At #4 it’s Tom Sawyer by Rush.
We enter the top 5 with another song that holds a firm place in 80s culture based solely on its sound. It is still a huge song today, almost always in every 80s radio station rotation, and it’s hard not to sing along to every lyric too. Arriving at #5 in my countdown is Don’t You Want Me by Human League.
This is the second tune in this countdown with a personal connection to me. As a child, I loved the movie Arthur and Dudley Moore’s iconic laugh, but it was also the theme song that I loved. I learned how to play the song in my early playing years, and years later I still love the song. Coming in #6 is Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) by Christopher Cross.