brown #
= weekly rock chart peak
blue #
= pop chart peak
| 1 | Start Me Up | 1 | 2 | Aug 1981 |  |
| The Rolling Stones |
| 2 | Stop Draggin' My Heart Around | 1 | 1 | Aug 1981 | |
| Stevie Nicks With Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers |
| 3 | No Reply At All | 1 | 17 | Oct 1981 | |
| Genesis |
| 4 | Keep On Loving You | 1 | 2 | Dec 1980 | |
| REO Speedwagon |
| 5 | Urgent | 1 | 2 | Jul 1981 | |
| Foreigner |
| 6 | Centerfold | 1 | 2 | Dec 1981 | |
| The J. Geils Band |
| 7 | Winning | 1 | 7 | May 1981 | |
| Santana |
| 8 | Burnin' For You | 1 | 23 | Aug 1981 | |
| Blue Oyster Cult |
| 9 | The Voice | 1 | 6 | Jun 1981 | |
| The Moody Blues |
| 10 | In The Air Tonight | 1 | 6 | Apr 1981 | |
| Phil Collins |
| 11 | The Waiting | 1 | 10 | May 1981 | |
| Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers |
| 12 | Crazy Train | 1 | May 1981 | |
| Ozzy Osbourne |
| 13 | While You See A Chance | 1 | 3 | Feb 1981 | |
| Steve Winwood |
| 14 | You Better You Bet | 1 | 12 | Mar 1981 | |
| The Who |
| 15 | I Can't Stand It | 1 | 7 | Mar 1981 | |
| Eric Clapton |
| 16 | Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic | 1 | 2 | Nov 1981 | |
| The Police |
| 17 | Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap | 1 | Apr 1981 | |
| AC/DC |
| 18 | Destroyer | 1 | Oct 1981 | |
| The Kinks |
| 19 | Don't Stand So Close To Me | 1 | 6 | Jan 1981 | |
| The Police |
| 20 | Who's Crying Now | 2 | 1 | Aug 1981 | |
| Journey |
| 21 | Juke Box Hero | 2 | 30 | Sep 1981 | |
| Foreigner |
| 22 | Abacab | 1 | 20 | Nov 1981 | |
| Genesis |
| 23 | The Stroke | 1 | 22 | Jun 1981 | |
| Billy Squier |
| 24 | Tryin' To Live My Life Without You | 1 | 3 | Oct 1981 | |
| Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band |
| 25 | Woman | 1 | 1 | Jan 1981 | |
| John Lennon |