- January 10 - Revival of the Gilbert And Sullivan Operetta '' The Pirates Of Penzance '' opens at Broadway 's Uris Theatre, starring Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith
- February 14 - Billy Idol leaves the band Generation X to begin a solo career
- February 15 - Blues guitarist Mike Bloomfield is found dead in San Francisco . The cause of death was ruled an accidental drug overdose
- March 14 - Suffering from bleeding ulcers, Eric Clapton is admitted to United Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota . Clapton's 60 city tour of the US is canceled.
- April 7 - Former Who manager Kit Lambert dies after falling down a flight of stairs in his mother's home in London . Lambert managed the band between 1964 and 1967 .
- April 11 - Van Halen 's lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen marries actress Valerie Bertinelli .
- April 17 - Eric Clapton is released from St. Paul's Hospital in Minnesota following a month-long treatment for bleeding ulcers.
- April 18 - Yes announces that they're breaking up. (They would however reunite frequently in years to come).
- April 20 - The Mamas And The Papas ' John Phillips is sentenced to five years in jail after pleading guilty to drug possession charges. Phillips' sentence would be suspended after thirty days in exchange for 250 hours of community service.
- April 22 - Eric Clapton is taken to the hospital suffering from bruised ribs and a lacerated shin, following a car accident in Seattle, Washington .
- April 25 - Paul McCartney 's backing band, Wings , breaks up
- May 11 - The musical '' Cats '' begins its 8949 performance run on London's West End .
- May 20 - Alice Cooper 's daughter, Calico Cooper , is born.
- August 1 - MTV debuts on Cable Television , playing Music Video s 24 hours a day.
- August, UK - the success of Stars On 45 leads to a short-lived medley Craze . The most successful imitator of the Stars On 45 format is, rather unexpectedly, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra whose "Hooked On Classics (Parts 1&2)" reaches number two in the charts.
- August 23 - The Violent Femmes are discovered by members of The Pretenders busking outside the Milwaukee venue where The Pretenders will be playing, and invited to play a 10-minute acoustic set as a second opening act that night.
- September 19 - Simon And Garfunkel perform a free reunion concert in New York City 's Central Park attended by over 500,000 fans.
- November 18 - While sitting in Tom's Restaurant in New York City , Suzanne Vega composes the song " Tom's Diner ".
- The organ at the famous Heinävesi Church in Finland is renewed, using locks from the original organ.
- Alice Cooper drastically changes his appearance, leaving behind his trademark make-up and donning a Military uniform.
- Synth Pop enjoys mainstream popularity in the UK, with groups such as Ultravox , Depeche Mode , Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark and Human League releasing hit singles and albums.
- Menudo 's golden era (1981- 1985 ) begins in Latin America , parts of Europe and Asia .
- U2 appears on the ''Tomorrow'' show with Tom Snyder , their first U.S. television appearance
- Phil Collins releases his first solo album (although he won't leave the band Genesis until 1995 )
- Hal Willner "invents" the modern Tribute Album with ''Amacord Nino Rota''
The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in 1981.
- January 5 - Carmen Monarcha , operatic soprano
- January 29 - Jonny Lang , blues artist
- January 31 - Justin Timberlake , former member of boy band ---NSYNC
- February 11 - Kelly Rowland , member of Destiny's Child
- February 27 - Josh Groban , David Foster prodigy
- March 9 - Chad Gilbert , New Found Glory
- March 11 - Russell Lissack , Bloc Party
- April 1 - Theresa Sokyrka , Canadian Idol 2 runner-up
- June 8 - Alex Band , The Calling
- June 21 - Brandon Flowers , The Killers
- July 21 - Blake Lewis , American Idol 6 runner-up
- August 28 - Iracema Trevisan , Cansei De Ser Sexy
- September 4 - Beyoncé Knowles , member of Destiny's Child
- September 14 - Ashley Roberts , member of The Pussycat Dolls
- September 26 - Christina Milian , US Singer
- October 1 - Jamelia , British singer
- October 13 - Kele Okereke , Bloc Party
- October 15 - Nick White , Tilly And The Wall
- November 17 - Sarah Harding , Girls Aloud
- November 20 - Kimberley Walsh , Girls Aloud
- November 26 - Natasha Bedingfield , British singer
- December 2 - Britney Spears
- December 13 - Amy Lee , Evanescence
- January 23 - Samuel Barber
- January 25 - Adele Astaire , US dancer, actress and singer
- February 1
- --- Geirr Tveitt , Norwegian composer
- --- Ernst Pepping , composer
- February 9 - Bill Haley , Rock And Roll pioneer, Heart Attack
- February 15 - Mike Bloomfield , Blues Guitarist
- April 5
- --- Bob Hite , Canned Heat , heart attack
- --- Maurice Zbriger , violinist, composer and conductor
- April 7 - Kit Lambert , former manager and producer for The Who
- April 8 - Bert Shevelove , Librettist
- April 14 - Ivan Galamian , violin teacher
- April 28 - Steve Currie , 33, Bassist for T. Rex
- May 11 - Bob Marley
- July 16 - Harry Chapin , US singer, automobile accident
- August 18 - Robert Russell Bennett , composer and arranger
- September 15 - Chick Bullock , US singer
- October 13 - Marius Casadesus , violinist and composer
- October 15 - Elsie Randolph , English actress, dancer and singer
- October 29 - Georges Brassens , singer-songwriter
- November 27 - Lotte Lenya , actress and singer, wife of Kurt Weill
- December 13 - Cornelius Cardew , Avant-garde composer
- December 27 - Hoagy Carmichael
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