Every Gen X music-enjoyer out there got to hear at least a few amazing pop songs hit the airwaves in 1981. If you’re one of them, I bet at least a couple of the following pop classics are still stuck in your head after all these years. Let’s get nostalgic and dive into some pop jams!
“9 To 5 / Morning Train” by Sheena Easton from ‘Take My Time’
Remember this pop jam from Scottish icon Sheena Easton? “9 To 5”, also known as “Morning Train”, was a big hit for the crooner when it dropped in the US in 1981. “9 To 5” topped everything from the Billboard Hot 100 chart to the Canadian Top Singles chart to the Australian charts. Today, it’s still one of Easton’s most famous signature songs.
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“Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes from ‘Mistaken Identity’
This new wave soft rock jam is a classic. And it was one that scored two Grammy Awards after it was released in 1981. “Bette Davis Eyes” remains Kim Carnes’ biggest hit, peaking at No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart. And apparently actress Bette Davis herself was a fan.
“Being With You” by Smokey Robinson from ‘Being With You’
I couldn’t leave off this quiet storm hit from our list. Smokey Robinson had quite a soulful hit with “Being With You”. The R&B tune peaked at No. 1 on the Hot Soul Singles chart and No. 2 on the Hot 100, bested only by Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes”. Today, it’s still Robinson’s highest-ranking solo hit on the Hot 100. And what a song to be known for!
“Woman” by John Lennon from ‘Double Fantasy’
This soft rock hit is probably best known for being the first single released after John Lennon was tragically murdered in 1980. It’s an ode to women, including Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono. And it was a pretty big smash hit on the pop charts. This entry on our list of pop songs from 1981 that every Gen X can remember went all the way to No. 1 on the UK Singles chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Personally, I think it’s Lennon’s greatest love song as a soloist.
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