A Year in the 80’s – 1981 No. 1’s

A Quick Look Back

Population: 229,465,714
Life expectancy: 74.1 years
New Home: $68,900
New Car: $7,500
Median Income: $13,773
Stamp: $ .18
Regular Gas: $1.13
Bread: $ .54
Gal of Milk: $1.69

 And here are the Number One’s for 1981!

Movies

Oscars
Best Picture: Chariots of Fire
Best Director: Warren Beatty, Reds
Best Actor: Henry Fonda, On Golden Pond
Best Actress: Katharine Hepburn, On Golden Pond

Highest Grossing Films
1. Raiders of the Lost Ark ($212,222,025)
2.  On Golden Pond ($119,285,432)
3.  Superman II ($108,185,706)
4.  Arthur ($95,461,682)
5.  Stripes ($85,297,000)

Remember These Movies?
Taps
The Cannonball Run
Continental Divide
Endless Love
The Fan
The Four Seasons
The Howling
Absence of Malice
Sharky’s Machine
Pennies from Heaven

Music

Grammy Awards:
Album of the Year: Christopher Cross for Christopher Cross
Record of the Year: Christopher Cross for Sailing
Best New Artist: Christopher Cross
*The only Artist (so far) to sweep all categories in the same year

Pop Female Vocal: Bette Midler for The Rose
Pop Male Vocal: Kenny Loggins for This Is It
Pop Duo/Group: Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb for Guilty

Rock Female Vocal: Pat Benatar for Crimes of Passion
Rock Male Vocal: Billy Joel for Glass Houses
Rock Duo/Group: Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band for Against the Wind

Country Female Vocal: Anne Murray for Could I Have This Dance?
Country Male Vocal: George Jones for He Stopped Loving Her Today
Country Duo/Group: Emmylou Harris & Roy Orbison for That Lovin’ You Feelin’ Again

Billboard Top Singles
1.  Bette Davis Eyes – Kim Carnes
2.  Endless Love – Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
3.  Lady – Kenny Rogers
4.  (Just Like) Starting Over – John Lennon
5.  Jessie’s Girl – Rick Springfield

Remember These Songs?
Morning Train (Nine to Five) by Sheena Easton
Queen of Hearts by Juice Newton
Elvira by The Oak Ridge Boys
Passion by Rod Stewart
Somebody’s Knockin by Terri Gibbs
America by Neil Diamond
Another One Bites the Dust by Queen
Don’t Stand So Close to Me by The Police
Hungry Heart by Bruce Springsteen

Television

Emmy Awards
Outstanding Drama: Hill Street Blues (NBC)
Best Actor, Drama: Daniel J. Travanti as Captain Frank Furillo, Hill Street Blues (NBC)
Best Actress, Drama: Barbara Babcock as Grace Gardner, Hill Street Blues (NBC)

Outstanding Comedy: Taxi, (ABC)
Best Actor, Comedy: Judd Hirsch as Alex Reiger, Taxi (ABC)
Best Actress, Comedy: Isabel Sanford as Louise Jefferson, The Jeffersons (CBS)

Top Shows
1981 – 1982    (Households with TV: 81,500,000)

1. Dallas (CBS) 23,146,000
2. 60 Minutes (CBS) 22,575,500
3. The Jeffersons (CBS) 19,071,000
4. Three’s Company (ABC) 18,989,500
5. Alice (CBS) 18,500,500
6. The Dukes of Hazzard (CBS) 18,419,000
7. Too Close for Comfort (ABC) 18,419,000
8. ABC Monday Night Movie (ABC) 18,337,500
9. M*A*S*H (CBS) 18,174,500
10. One Day at a Time (CBS) 17,930,000

Remember These Shows?
Lewis & Clark (81 – 82)
The Two of Us (81 – 82)
Father Murphy (81- 83)
Bret Maverick (81 – 82)
Flamingo Road (81 – 82)
Harper Valley P.T.A. (81 – 82)
Strike Force (81 – 82)
McClain’s Law (81 – 82)
Private Benjamin (81 – 83)
Walt Disney (81 – 83)
Greatest American Hero (81 – 83)
Fall Guy (81 – 86)
Gimme a Break (81- 87)
Simon and Simon (81 – 95)

What else do you remember from 1981?

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References:
Music Outfitters
The Cost of Living
1980’s Flashback
In the 80’s
Classic TV Hits

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