Every song that charted in 1981

Combined ranking of all 106 songs from the alternative rock year-end countdowns of 1981. ← Top 100 of 1981

#	Song	Strength	Lists	Best	#1s
1	Mental Hopscotch Missing Persons	100	1	#1	1
2	Antmusic Adam & the Ants	99	1	#2	–
3	We Got the Beat The Go-Go's	98	1	#3	–
4	It's My Party Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin	97	1	#4	–
5	Johnny Are You Queer? Josie Cotton	96	1	#5	–
6	On the Outside Oingo Boingo	95	1	#6	–
7	Start Me Up The Rolling Stones	94	1	#7	–
8	Never Say Never Romeo Void	93	1	#8	–
9	We Want The Airwaves The Ramones	92	1	#9	–
10	I'm With the Guys The Penetrators	92	1	#10	–
11	Stand and Deliver Adam & the Ants	91	1	#11	–
12	Janitor Suburban Lawns	90	1	#12	–
13	Homosapien Pete Shelley	89	1	#13	–
14	Adultress The Pretenders	88	1	#14	–
15	Funny Face Sparks	87	1	#15	–
16	White Girl X	86	1	#16	–
17	Jerkin' Back and Forth Devo	85	1	#17	–
18	New Toy Lene Lovich	84	1	#18	–
19	Lust to Love The Go-Go's	83	1	#19	–
20	Waiting on a Friend The Rolling Stones	82	1	#20	–
21	I Will Follow U2	81	1	#21	–
22	Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic The Police	80	1	#22	–
23	Electricity Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark	79	1	#23	–
24	Prince Charming Adam & the Ants	78	1	#24	–
25	Girls on Film Duran Duran	77	1	#25	–
26	W.O.R.K. (N.O. Nah, No No My Daddy Don't) Bow Wow Wow	76	1	#26	–
27	I Know What Boys Like The Waitresses	75	1	#27	–
28	Upstairs Sparks	75	1	#28	–
29	To Cut a Long Story Short Spandau Ballet	74	1	#29	–
30	The Friends of Mr. Cairo Jon Anderson & Vangelis	73	1	#30	–
31	Destroyer The Kinks	72	1	#31	–
32	Our Lips Are Sealed The Go-Go's	71	1	#32	–
33	It's too late Jim Carroll	70	1	#33	–
34	Dancin' With Myself Generation X	69	1	#34	–
35	Lunatic Fringe Red Rider	68	1	#35	–
36	U.F.O. Caution	67	1	#36	–
37	Tom Sawyer Rush	66	1	#37	–
38	Hard Act to Follow Split Enz	65	1	#38	–
39	Bang Bang Iggy Pop	64	1	#39	–
40	See You on the Other Side Brian Briggs	63	1	#40	–
41	Ghost Town The Specials	62	1	#41	–
42	Turn Me Loose Loverboy	61	1	#42	–
43	Dog Eat Dog Adam & the Ants	60	1	#43	–
44	Bad Boys Get Spanked The Pretenders	59	1	#44	–
45	Rock This Town The Stray Cats	58	1	#45	–
46	Primary The Cure	58	1	#46	–
47	Fascist Groove Thing Heaven 17	57	1	#47	–
48	Under Pressure David Bowie/Queen	56	1	#48	–
49	Elephant Talk King Crimson	55	1	#49	–
50	This Town The Go-Go's	54	1	#50	–
51	Neighbors The Rolling Stones	53	1	#51	–
52	Life of Illusion Joe Walsh	52	1	#52	–
53	Through Being Cool Devo	51	1	#53	–
54	Sex Junkie The Plasmatics	50	1	#54	–
55	Urgent Foreigner	49	1	#55	–
56	Red Light Wall of Voodoo	48	1	#56	–
57	Spirits In The Material World The Police	47	1	#57	–
58	What Does Sex Mean to Me? Human Sexual Response	46	1	#58	–
59	I Married a Martian Sparks	45	1	#59	–
60	You Better You Bet The Who	44	1	#60	–
61	Pack It Up The Pretenders	43	1	#61	–
62	Almost Saturday Night Dave Edmunds	42	1	#62	–
63	What You See Oingo Boingo	42	1	#63	–
64	Working In A Coal Mine Devo	41	1	#64	–
65	Shake It Up The Cars	40	1	#65	–
66	The Once Over Twice X	39	1	#66	–
67	Tips for Teens Sparks	38	1	#67	–
68	Mercury Blues David Lindley	37	1	#68	–
69	Nuclear Boy 20/20	36	1	#69	–
70	Chihuahua Bow Wow Wow	35	1	#70	–
71	Spellbound Siouxsie and the Banshees	34	1	#71	–
72	I Like Boys Missing Persons	33	1	#72	–
73	Better Be Good to Me Spider	32	1	#73	–
74	City Bound E Train Novo Combo	31	1	#74	–
75	Superfreak Rick James	30	1	#75	–
76	Jackie O Human Sexual Response	29	1	#76	–
77	Friends Adam & the Ants	28	1	#77	–
78	Goin' Under Devo	27	1	#78	–
79	Follow the Leader Killing Joke	26	1	#79	–
80	Problem Child AC/DC	25	1	#80	–
81	Lunacy The Plasmatics	25	1	#81	–
82	Mony Mony Billy Idol	24	1	#82	–
83	Jukebox Hero Foreigner	23	1	#83	–
84	Nightwatchman Tom Petty	22	1	#84	–
85	What We All Want Gang of Four	21	1	#85	–
86	Abacab Genesis	20	1	#86	–
87	How Much More The Go-Go's	19	1	#87	–
88	I Love Rock-N-Roll Joan Jett	18	1	#88	–
89	Day After Day The Pretenders	17	1	#89	–
90	Tempted Squeeze	16	1	#90	–
91	Slave The Rolling Stones	15	1	#91	–
92	Up All Night Boomtown Rats	14	1	#92	–
93	Mothers Little Helper P.S.	13	1	#93	–
94	People Who Died Jim Carroll	12	1	#94	–
95	From a Whisper to a Scream Elvis Costello & the Attractions	11	1	#95	–
96	Dream Away The Cars	10	1	#96	–
97	Just Can't Get Enough Depeche Mode	9	1	#97	–
98	Mirror in the Bathroom The English Beat	8	1	#98	–
99	Take Her Where The Boys Are Eye Protection	8	1	#99	–
100	The Stroke Billy Squier	7	1	#100	–
101	Little Sister Rockpile	6	1	#101	–
102	Now The Plimsouls	5	1	#102	–
103	Can't Stop Hurting Myself Greg Kihn	4	1	#103	–
104	One World (Not Three) The Police	3	1	#104	–
105	Adult Books X	2	1	#105	–
106	Amoeba The Adolescents	1	1	#106	–