Top R&B Songs of 1981 - Greatest Hits and Chart Singles

charted as Let's Groove/I've Had Enough in US dance charts
[Columbia 02536]
written by Wayne Vaughn & Maurice White

[MCA 51182]
written by Steve Kipner & Terry Shaddick

[Planet 47929]
written by John Bettis & Michael Clark

[RCA 12349]
written by Frankie Lymon, Herman Santiago, George Goldner & Morris Levy

[Casablanca 2338]
written by Marc Blatte & Larry Gottlieb

B side to Steppin' Out ; charted as Take My Heart / Steppin' Out / Get Down on It in US dance charts
[De-Lite 818]
written by Khalis Bayyan, Kool & The Gang & James "J.T." Taylor

featuring Bill Withers
[Elektra 47103]
written by Bill Withers, Ralph MacDonald & William Salter

[Columbia 11433]
written by Dana Walden

[Motown 1512]
written by Sam Brown III & Renée Armand

[Capitol 4953]
written by Rokusuke Ei, Hachidai Nakamura, Abraham Quintanilla Jr. & Pete Astudillo

charted as Flamethrower / Freeze-Frame in US R&B charts
[EMI America 8108]
written by Seth Justman & Peter Wolf

[Motown 1527]
written by Lionel Richie

[Warner 49846]
written by Bill Champlin, Jay Graydon & Steve Lukather

as Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio
[Arista 0592]
written by Ray Parker Jr

[Tamla 54323]
written by Stevie Wonder

charted as It's a Love Thing / Up on Soul Train / I Can Make It Better in US dance charts
[Solar 12154]
written by William Shelby & Dana Meyers

charted as Mirror, Mirror / Work That Body in US dance charts
[RCA 13021]
written by Dennis Matkosky & Michael Sembello

charted as Lady (You Bring Me Up)/Keep On Taking Me Higher in US dance charts
[Motown 1514]
written by Harold Hudson, Shirley King & William King

[Arista 0588]
written by Gino Vannelli

[RCA 12240]
written by Lamont Dozier

charted as Mirror, Mirror / Work That Body in US dance charts
[RCA 13201]
written by Diana Ross, Paul Jabara & Ray Chew

featuring Dune
charted as Ai No Corrida (I-No-Ko-ree-da) / Razzamatazz / Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me in US dance charts
[A&M 2309]
written by Chas Jankel & Kenny Young

charted as Take My Heart / Steppin' Out / Get Down on It in US dance charts
[De-Lite 815]
written by George Brown, Kool & The Gang, Claydes Charles Smith & James "J.T." Taylor

[RCA 12243]
written by Kashif

[Warner 49746]
written by Roger Murrah & Keith Stegall

[Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs #477] charted as Give It to Me Baby / Super Freak / Ghetto Life in US dance charts
[Gordy 7205]
written by Rick James & Alonzo Miller

featuring Patti Austin
charted as Ai No Corrida (I-No-Ko-ree-da) / Razzamatazz / Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me in US dance charts
[A&M 2334]
written by Rod Temperton

[20th Century 2488]
written by Leon Haywood

featuring James Ingram
[A&M 2387]
written by Kathy Wakefield, Ben Wright & Tony Coleman

[uptight everything's alright, my cherie amour, yesterme yesteryou yesterday, master blaster, you are the sunshine of my life, isn't she lovely, sir duke, i wish, i was made to love her, superstition, fingertips]
[Radio 4019]
written by Stevie Wonder, Sylvia Moy, Henry Cosby, Ron Miller, Bryan Wells, Jaap Eggermont, Martin Duiser, Lula Mae Hardaway, Orlando Murden & Clarence Paul

charted as Take My Heart / Steppin' Out / Get Down on It in US dance charts
[De-Lite 816]
written by Robert "Kool" Bell, Kool & The Gang & James "J.T." Taylor

charted as Wordy Rappinghood / Genius of Love in US dance charts
[Sire 49882]
written by Adrian Belew, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, Monte Browne, Tyrone Downie & Uziah "Sticky" Thompson

[Epic 02409]
written by Luther Vandross

featuring James Ingram
[A&M 2357]
written by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil

[A&M 2349]
written by David Jenkins, Cory Lerios & John Pierce

charted as Call Me / When You Touch Me in US dance charts
[Salsoul 2152]
written by Randy Muller

Jones v Jones / Summer Madness was released as a double a-side in the UK
[De-Lite 813]
written by George Brown & Kool & The Gang

vocals by Eric Tagg
[Elektra 47124]
written by Lee Ritenour, Eric Tagg & Eric Champlin

[Columbia 02170]
written by Bunny Clarke

[Epic 01052]
written by George Duke

charted as Give It to Me Baby / Super Freak / Ghetto Life in US dance charts
[Gordy 7197]
written by Rick James

[Cotillion 46015]
written by Burt Keyes & Sylvia Robinson

as Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio
[Arista 0616]
written by Ray Parker Jr

[Prelude 8043]
written by James "D. Train" Williams & Hubert Eaves III

charted as All American Girls / He's Just a Runaway in US dance charts
[Cotillion 46007]
written by Narada Walden, Lisa Walden, Allee Willis & Joni Sledge

charted as Wikka Wrap / All Wrapped Up in US dance charts [novelty]
[SAM 5020]
written by Adrian Sear

charted as Controversy / Let's Work in US dance charts
[Warner 49808]
written by Prince

[Island 49697]
written by Koo Koo Baya, Grace Jones & Dana Mano

[Solar 12192]
written by William Shelby, Ricky Smith & Kevin Spencer

charted as Square Biz / It Must Be Magic in US dance charts
[Gordy 7202]
written by Teena Marie

[Cotillion 46016]
written by Bill Bowersock, Trevor Veitch & Matt Vernon

[Columbia 02102]
written by Mike Sutton & Brenda Sutton

[Capitol 4993]
written by Mauro Malavasi & Paul Slade

charted as Paradise / Hold Tight / Heaven of My Live in US dance charts
[RFC/Atlantic 3809]
written by David Romani & Tanyayette Willoughby

produced by Bernard Edwards & Nile Rodgers
[Chrysalis 2526]
written by Bernard Edwards & Nile Rodgers

charted as What Cha' Gonna Do for Me / I Know You, I Like You / We Can Work It Out in US dance charts
[Warner 49692]
written by Ned Doheny & Hamish Stuart

[Arista 0624]
written by Sam Dees

charted as Can You Handle It / You Got My Love in US dance charts
[Prelude 8024]
written by Willie Lester & Rodney Brown

[Mercury 76101]
written by Oliver Scott & Ronnie Wilson

[Motown 1503]
written by Jermaine Jackson

charted as Controversy / Let's Work in US dance charts
[Warner 50002]
written by Prince

charted as It's a Love Thing / Up on Soul Train / I Can Make It Better in US dance charts
[Solar 12232]
written by Dana Meyers, Stephen Shockley & William Shelby

featuring Teddy Pendergrass
[20th Century 2492]
written by James Mtume & Reggie Lucas

charted as Do You Love Me? / The Genie in US dance charts
[Qwest 49754]
written by Rod Temperton

charted as I Heard It Through the Grapevine / So Ruff So Tuff in US dance charts
[Warner 49786]
written by Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong

[Philadelphia International 02619]
written by Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff

charted as Try It Out / Hold Tight in US dance charts
[RFC/Atlantic 3813]
written by Gino Soccio

charted as Paradise / Hold Tight / Heaven of My Live in US dance charts
[RFC/Atlantic 3832]
written by David Romani & Paul Slade

charted as Don't Stop / Do It Again in US dance charts
[SAM 5018]
written by Geoff Bastow

[A&M 2343]
written by George Johnson & Louis Johnson

as Bohannon featuring Dr. Perri Johnson
[Phase II 02573]
written by Hamilton Bohannon & Perri Johnson

[Capitol 5065]
written by Peabo Bryson

[RCA 12215]
written by Ronald Brown & John Scroggins

charted as Give It to Me Baby / Super Freak / Ghetto Life in US dance charts
[Gordy 7215]
written by Rick James

charted as Walking Into Sunshine / Don't Tell Me / I Need Your Love in US dance charts
[Mercury 76126]
written by Linton Beckles, Lipson Francis & Roy Carter

[novelty] [parody of TV's General Hospital]
[MCA 51148]
written by Harry King & Lisa Tedesco

[Prelude 8034]
written by Andy Gierus & Nicholas Bailey

[Pavillion 02455]
written by Colin Campsie & George McFarlane

[Warner 49744]
written by Larry Graham

[Salsoul 7017]
written by Stephen C. Washington, Curt Jones & Starleana Young

charted as Get It Up / Cool in US dance charts
[Warner 49864]
written by Prince & Dez Dickerson

charted as Snap Shot / Party Lites / Wait for Me in US dance charts
[Cotillion 46022]
written by Mark Adams, Steve Arrington, Charles Carter, Jimmy Douglass & Floyd Miller