| The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1981 |
| TOP 100 POP ALBUMS (As published in the December 26, 1981, issue) |
| POS | TITLE – Artist (Label) |
| 1 | HI INFIDELITY – REO Speedwagon (Epic) |
| 2 | PARADISE THEATER – Styx (A&M) |
| 3 | GREATEST HITS – Kenny Rogers (Liberty) |
| 4 | 4 – Foreigner (Atlantic) |
| 5 | DOUBLE FANTASY – John Lennon & Yoko Ono (Geffen) |
| 6 | ESCAPE – Journey (Columbia) |
| 7 | THE JAZZ SINGER – Original Soundtrack/Neil Diamond (Capitol) |
| 8 | CRIMES OF PASSION – Pat Benatar (Chrysalis) |
| 9 | LONG DISTANCE VOYAGER – The Moody Blues (Threshold) |
| 10 | TATTOO YOU – The Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones) |
| 11 | MOVING PICTURES – Rush (Mercury) |
| 12 | BELLA DONNA – Stevie Nicks (Modern) |
| 13 | PRECIOUS TIME – Pat Benatar (Chrysalis) |
| 14 | STREET SONGS – Rick James (Gordy) |
| 15 | GUILTY – Barbra Streisand (Columbia) |
| 16 | DIRTY DEEDS DONE CHEAP – AC/DC (Atlantic) |
| 17 | MISTAKEN IDENTITY – Kim Carnes (EMI America) |
| 18 | ARC OF A DIVER – Steve Winwood (Island) |
| 19 | AUTOAMERICAN – Blondie (Chrysalis) |
| 20 | HARD PROMISES – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (Backstreet) |
| 21 | ZENYATTA MONDATTA – The Police (A&M) |
| 22 | RAISE! – Earth, Wind & Fire (ARC) |
| 23 | BACK IN BLACK – AC/DC (Atlantic) |
| 24 | DON’T SAY NO – Billy Squier (Capitol) |
| 25 | NINE TONIGHT – Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (Capitol) |
| 26 | WINELIGHT – Grover Washington Jr. (Elektra) |
| 27 | THE INNOCENT AGE – Dan Fogelberg (Full Moon) |
| 28 | GAUCHO – Steely Dan (MCA) |
| 29 | PHYSICAL – Olivia Newton-John (MCA) |
| 30 | SHARE YOUR LOVE – Kenny Rogers (Liberty) |
| 31 | CHRISTOPHER CROSS (Warner Bros.) |
| 32 | GHOST IN THE MACHINE – The Police (A&M) |
| 33 | FACE VALUE – Phil Collins (Atlantic) |
| 34 | FACE DANCES – The Who (Warner Bros.) |
| 35 | HOTTER THAN JULY – Stevie Wonder (Tamla) |
| 36 | ZEBOP! – Santana (Columbia) |
| 37 | WORKING CLASS DOG – Rick Springfield (RCA) |
| 38 | ENDLESS LOVE – Original Soundtrack (Mercury) |
| 39 | PRIVATE EYES – Daryl Hall & John Oates (RCA) |
| 40 | BREAKIN’ AWAY – Al Jarreau (Warner Bros.) |
| 41 | SONGS IN THE ATTIC – Billy Joel (Columbia) |
| 42 | DAD LOVES HIS WORK – James Taylor (Columbia) |
| 43 | PIRATES – Rickie Lee Jones (Warner Bros.) |
| 44 | ANOTHER TICKET – Eric Clapton (RSO) |
| 45 | FAIR WARNING – Van Halen (Warner Bros.) |
| 46 | BEING WITH YOU – Smokey Robinson (Tamla) |
| 47 | THE ONE THAT YOU LOVE – Air Supply (Arista) |
| 48 | CELEBRATE! – Kool & The Gang (De-Lite) |
| 49 | IN THE POCKET – The Commodores (Motown) |
| 50 | CAPTURED – Journey (Columbia) |
| 51 | ABACAB – Genesis (Atlantic) |
| 52 | THE RIVER – Bruce Springsteen (Columbia) |
| 53 | STARS ON LONG PLAY (Radio Records) |
| 54 | FOOLISH BEHAVIOUR – Rod Stewart (Warner Bros.) |
| 55 | HEAVY METAL – Original Soundtrack (Asylum) |
| 56 | EAGLES LIVE – The Eagles (Asylum) |
| 57 | THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD – The Alan Parsons Project (Arista) |
| 58 | SOMETHING SPECIAL – Kool & The Gang (De-Lite) |
| 59 | FANCY FREE – The Oak Ridge Boys (MCA) |
| 60 | EXIT...STAGE LEFT – Rush (Mercury) |
| 61 | THE GAME – Queen (Elektra) |
| 62 | GAP BAND III – The Gap Band (Mercury) |
| 63 | GREATEST HITS/LIVE – Heart (Epic) |
| 64 | BLACK & WHITE – The Pointer Sisters (Planet) |
| 65 | A WOMAN NEEDS LOVE – Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio (Arista) |
| 66 | THE DUDE – Quincy Jones (A&M) |
| 67 | IF I SHOULD LOVE AGAIN – Barry Manilow (Arista) |
| 68 | FEELS SO RIGHT – Alabama (RCA) |
| 69 | WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE – Diana Ross (RCA) |
| 70 | PRETENDERS II – The Pretenders (Sire) |
| 71 | SOMEWHERE IN ENGLAND – George Harrison (Dark Horse) |
| 72 | EL LOCO – ZZ Top (Warner Bros.) |
| 73 | IT MUST BE MAGIC – Teena Marie (Gordy) |
| 74 | LIVE – Fleetwood Mac (Warner Bros.) |
| 75 | 9 TO 5 AND ODD JOBS – Dolly Parton (RCA) |
| 76 | WHAT CHA’ GONNA DO FOR ME – Chaka Khan (Warner Bros.) |
| 77 | NEVER TOO MUCH – Luther Vandross (Epic) |
| 78 | IT’S TIME FOR LOVE – Teddy Pendergrass (Philadelphia Int’l) |
| 79 | SUPER TROUPER – Abba (Atlantic) |
| 80 | SHAKE IT UP – The Cars (Elektra) |
| 81 | BARRY – Barry Manilow (Arista) |
| 82 | HORIZON – Eddie Rabbitt (Elektra) |
| 83 | TONIGHT I’M YOURS – Rod Stewart (Warner Bros.) |
| 84 | JUICE – Juice Newton (Capitol) |
| 85 | THE FOX – Elton John (Geffen) |
| 86 | LOVERBOY (Columbia) |
| 87 | THE TWO OF US – Yarbrough & Peoples (Mercury) |
| 88 | THE NATURE OF THE BEAST – April Wine (Capitol) |
| 89 | GREATEST HITS (& Some That Will Be) – Willie Nelson (Columbia) |
| 90 | BLIZZARD OF OZZ – Ozzy Osbourne (Jet) |
| 91 | NIGHTWALKER – Gino Vannelli (Arista) |
| 92 | SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW – Willie Nelson (Columbia) |
| 93 | GREATEST HITS – Anne Murray (Capitol) |
| 94 | TIME EXPOSURE – The Little River Band (Capitol) |
| 95 | CONTROVERSY – Prince (Warner Bros.) |
| 96 | FANTASTIC VOYAGE – Lakeside (Solar) |
| 97 | LOST IN LOVE – Air Supply (Arista) |
| 98 | WILD-EYED SOUTHERN BOYS – 38 Special (A&M) |
| 99 | GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT – The Kinks (Arista)
|
| 100 | KNIGHTS OF THE SOUND TABLE – Cameo (Chocolate City) |
