3 Iconic Frontwomen Who Hit No. 1 in 1981

Do you remember where you were in 1981? Were you in high school, were you getting your driver’s license, were you starring on the sports team of your dreams? Were you even born?! Well, while 1981 was some time ago and what feels like many dimensions away, the music from the era is still prevalent today, still shining and still remarkable.

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Take the Billboard Hot 100 chart from 1981, for example. The list of songs is littered with big names. And here, we wanted to highlight three of them. We wanted to showcase three female songwriters from the era who not only left indelible marks on culture for decades to come but who also went No. 1 on the Hot 100 during the year. Indeed, these are three iconic frontwomen who hit No. 1 in 1981.

Dolly Parton

In February of 1981, Dolly Parton earned her first (and only solo) No. 1 song with the release of her highly relatable track, “9 to 5”. The offering, which decries the grind of the workweek and was written for a film of the same name that also starred Parton, was a crossover sensation. Pop, country, rock, and movie fans all banded together to get behind this tune. But that is the power of Parton. She is literally the common good and, thus, the enemy of mundane drudgery.

Debbie Harry

Debbie Harry, the frontwoman of the iconic band Blondie, went No. 1 twice in 1981. First for her band’s cover of the reggae song, “The Tide Is High”, and then again a couple of months later for the band’s track, “Rapture”. In total, Blondie spent three weeks at No. 1 in 1981, and “Rapture” also marked the first No. 1 single in the United States to feature rap. In total, Blondie saw four of their songs hit No. 1, including “Call Me” in 1980 and “Heart of Glass” in 1979. For fans of “Rapture”, check out Blondie’s once-lost Christmas song, “Yuletide Throwdown“, which uses the same beat.

Olivia Newton-John

Those who grew up in the late 1970s and early 1980s remember Olivia Newton-John. She was a dynamo. Captivating actress and equally captivating pop performer. And her song, “Physical”, was a mainstay on the radio airwaves in the early 80s. The track provided a chorus that stuck to your ribs and eardrums. A pop sensation, it was yet another success for Newton-John, who boasted five No. 1 songs throughout her career, including “You’re The One That I Want” with John Travolta from the hit film Grease.

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