KROQ-FM • THE ROQ OF THE 80s

KROQ-FM Top Songs
of 1981

The ROQ continues.

Revisit the 1981 KROQ-FM Top Songs list, from Missing Persons’ “Mental Hopscotch” at number one through 106 ranked tracks and the 106.7 bonus entry. Explore the full countdown below.

1981 / TOP 106.7

No. 1: “Mental Hopscotch” by Missing Persons

THE 1981 COUNTDOWN

A Year on the ROQ

The 1981 ranking includes Missing Persons, Adam & the Ants, the Go-Go’s, Oingo Boingo, Devo, Duran Duran and more. Browse every position below, then continue to the next year in the archive.

THE FULL LIST • 1981

KROQ-FM Top Songs of 1981

Ranked from number 1 through number 106, with the original 106.7 “Jetsons Theme” entry preserved at the end.

01 – 027

Mental Hopscotch
Missing Persons
Ant Music
Adam & the Ants
We Got The Beat
Go-Go’s
It’s My Party
Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin
Johnny Are You Queer?
Josie Cotton
On The Outside
Oingo Boingo
Start Me Up
Rolling Stones
Never Say Never
Romeo Void
We Want The Airwaves
Ramones
I’m With The Guys
Penetrators
Stand And Deliver
Adam & the Ants
Janitor
Suburban Lawns
Homo Sapien
Peter Shelly
Adulteress
Pretenders
Funny Faces
Sparks
White Girl
X
Jerkin’ Back And Forth
Devo
New Toy
Lena Lovich
Lust To Love
Go-Go’s
Waiting On A Friend
Rolling Stones
I Will Follow
U2
Every Little Thing
Police
Electricity
OMD
Prince Charming
Adam & the Ants
Girls On Film
Duran Duran
Work
Bow Wow Wow
I Know What Boys Like
Waitresses

28 – 054

Upstairs
Sparks
Long Story
Spandau Ballet
Friends Of Mr. Cairo
Jon & Vangelis
Destroyer
Kinks
Our Lips Are Sealed
Go-Go’s
It’s Too Late
Jim Carroll
Dancin’ With Myself
Generation X
Lunatic
Red Rider
U.F.O.
Caution
Tom Sawyer
Rush
Hard Act
Split Enz
Bang Bang
Iggy Pop
See You On The Other Side
Brian Briggs
Ghost Town
Specials
Turn Me Lose
Loverboy
Dog Eat Dog
Adam & the Ants
Bad Boys
Pretenders
Rock This Town
Stray Cats
Primary
Cure
Fascist Groove Thing
Heaven 17
Under Pressure
David Bowie and Queen
Elephant Talk
King Crimson
This Town
Go-Go’s
Neighbors
Rolling Stones
Life Of Illusion
Joe Walsh
Through Being Cool
Devo
Sex Junkie
Plasmatics

55 – 080

Urgent
Foreigner
Red Light
Wall Of Voodoo
Spirits in the Material World
Police
What Does Sex Mean To Me?
Human Sexual Response
Martian
Sparks
You Better You Bet
Who
Pack It Up
Pretenders
Almost Saturday Night
Dave Edmunds
What You See
Oingo Boingo
Workin’ In A Coal Mine
Devo
Shake It Up
Cars
Once Over
X
Tips For Teens
Sparks
Mercury Blues
David Lindley
Nuclear Boy
20/20
Chihuahua
Bow Wow Wow
Spellbound
Siouxsie & Banshees
I Like Boys
Missing Persons
Better Be Good To Me
Spider
City Bound
Novo Combo
Superfreak
Rick James
Jackie Onassis
Human Sexual Response
Friends
Adam & Ants
Goin’ Under
Devo
Follow The Leaders
Killing Joke
Problem Child
AC/DC

81 – 106

Lunacy
Plasmatics
Mony Mony
Billy Idol
Jukebox Hero
Foreigner
Nightwatchman
Tom Petty
What We Want
Gang Of Four
Abacab
Genesis
How Much More
Go-Go’s
I Love Rock And Roll
Joan Jett
Day After Day
Pretenders
Tempted
Squeeze
Slave
Rolling Stones
Up All Night
Boomtown Rats
Mothers Little Helper
Polyphonic Size
People Who Died
Jim Carroll
Whisper
Elvis Costello
Dream Away
Cars
Just Can’t Get Enough
Depeche Mode
Mirror In The Bathroom
English Beat
Take Her Where The Boys Are
Eye Protection
Stroke
Billy Squire
Little Sister
Various
Now
Plimsouls
Can’t Stop Hurting Myself
Gregg Kihn
One World
Police
Adult Books
X
Amoeba
Adolescents

106.7 Jetsons Theme

CONTINUE THE DECADE

More KROQ-FM Archives

Move to the 1982 song list, browse all ten years, or listen to KROQ-FM off-air recordings from the 1980s.

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