The Billboard 200, published in Billboard magazine, is a weekly chart that ranks the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States. Before Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991, Billboard estimated the sales for the album charts from a representative sampling of record stores nationwide, which was gathered by telephone, fax or messenger service. [1] The data was based on reports from record stores, who ranked the popularity of the best-selling records but did not provide an actual sales figures. [2] [3]
† | Indicates best performing album of 1981 |
Issue date | Album | Artist(s) | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 3 | Double Fantasy | John Lennon and Yoko Ono | Geffen | [4] |
January 10 | [5] | |||
January 17 | [6] | |||
January 24 | [7] | |||
January 31 | [8] | |||
February 7 | [9] | |||
February 14 | [10] | |||
February 21 | Hi Infidelity † | REO Speedwagon | Epic | [11] |
February 28 | [12] | |||
March 7 | [13] | |||
March 14 | [14] | |||
March 21 | [15] | |||
March 28 | [16] | |||
April 4 | Paradise Theatre | Styx | A&M | [17] |
April 11 | [18] | |||
April 18 | Hi Infidelity † | REO Speedwagon | Epic | [19] |
April 25 | [20] | |||
May 2 | [21] | |||
May 9 | Paradise Theatre | Styx | A&M | [22] |
May 16 | Hi Infidelity † | REO Speedwagon | Epic | [23] |
May 23 | [24] | |||
May 30 | [25] | |||
June 6 | [26] | |||
June 13 | [27] | |||
June 20 | [28] | |||
June 27 | Mistaken Identity | Kim Carnes | EMI America | [29] |
July 4 | [30] | |||
July 11 | [31] | |||
July 18 | [32] | |||
July 25 | Long Distance Voyager | The Moody Blues | Threshold | [33] |
August 1 | [34] | |||
August 8 | [35] | |||
August 15 | Precious Time | Pat Benatar | Chrysalis | [36] |
August 22 | 4 | Foreigner | Atlantic | [37] |
August 29 | [38] | |||
September 5 | Bella Donna | Stevie Nicks | Modern | [39] |
September 12 | Escape | Journey | Columbia | [40] |
September 19 | Tattoo You | The Rolling Stones | Rolling Stones | [41] |
September 26 | [42] | |||
October 3 | [43] | |||
October 10 | [44] | |||
October 17 | [45] | |||
October 24 | [46] | |||
October 31 | [47] | |||
November 7 | [48] | |||
November 14 | [49] | |||
November 21 | 4 | Foreigner | Atlantic | [50] |
November 28 | [51] | |||
December 5 | [52] | |||
December 12 | [53] | |||
December 19 | [54] | |||
December 26 | For Those About to Rock We Salute You | AC/DC | Atlantic | [55] |
The Billboard 200, published in Billboard magazine, is a weekly chart that ranks the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States. Before Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991, Billboard estimated the sales for the album charts from a representative sampling of record stores nationwide, which was gathered by telephone, fax or messenger service. [1] The data was based on reports from record stores, who ranked the popularity of the best-selling records but did not provide an actual sales figures. [2] [3]
† | Indicates best performing album of 1981 |
Issue date | Album | Artist(s) | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 3 | Double Fantasy | John Lennon and Yoko Ono | Geffen | [4] |
January 10 | [5] | |||
January 17 | [6] | |||
January 24 | [7] | |||
January 31 | [8] | |||
February 7 | [9] | |||
February 14 | [10] | |||
February 21 | Hi Infidelity † | REO Speedwagon | Epic | [11] |
February 28 | [12] | |||
March 7 | [13] | |||
March 14 | [14] | |||
March 21 | [15] | |||
March 28 | [16] | |||
April 4 | Paradise Theatre | Styx | A&M | [17] |
April 11 | [18] | |||
April 18 | Hi Infidelity † | REO Speedwagon | Epic | [19] |
April 25 | [20] | |||
May 2 | [21] | |||
May 9 | Paradise Theatre | Styx | A&M | [22] |
May 16 | Hi Infidelity † | REO Speedwagon | Epic | [23] |
May 23 | [24] | |||
May 30 | [25] | |||
June 6 | [26] | |||
June 13 | [27] | |||
June 20 | [28] | |||
June 27 | Mistaken Identity | Kim Carnes | EMI America | [29] |
July 4 | [30] | |||
July 11 | [31] | |||
July 18 | [32] | |||
July 25 | Long Distance Voyager | The Moody Blues | Threshold | [33] |
August 1 | [34] | |||
August 8 | [35] | |||
August 15 | Precious Time | Pat Benatar | Chrysalis | [36] |
August 22 | 4 | Foreigner | Atlantic | [37] |
August 29 | [38] | |||
September 5 | Bella Donna | Stevie Nicks | Modern | [39] |
September 12 | Escape | Journey | Columbia | [40] |
September 19 | Tattoo You | The Rolling Stones | Rolling Stones | [41] |
September 26 | [42] | |||
October 3 | [43] | |||
October 10 | [44] | |||
October 17 | [45] | |||
October 24 | [46] | |||
October 31 | [47] | |||
November 7 | [48] | |||
November 14 | [49] | |||
November 21 | 4 | Foreigner | Atlantic | [50] |
November 28 | [51] | |||
December 5 | [52] | |||
December 12 | [53] | |||
December 19 | [54] | |||
December 26 | For Those About to Rock We Salute You | AC/DC | Atlantic | [55] |