** = funk/disco/soul/hiphop/jazz/reggae/world/ska/or combinations
no stars = something else
# = guilty pleasures

My top 14 of favorite songs of the year 1981 (out of 26 listed here):

1. The Stranglers – Golden brown
2. The Specials – Ghost town
3. Daryl Hall & John Oates – I can’t go for that **
4. Afrosound – Tiro El Blanco **
5. The Pretenders – Message of love
6. Paolo Conte – Via con me
7. Pigbag – Papa’s got a brand new pigbag **
8. Rose Royce – R.r. express **
9. Carl Carlton – She’s a bad mama jama **
10. Doe Maar – Bella donna **
11. Madness – Grey day **
12. Earth, Wind And Fire – Let’s groove **
13. Soft Cell – Tainted love
14. Al Jarreau – Roof garden **

My other favorites, the ‘subtop’ part (above is the potential ‘all time top 500′ stuff):

• BZN – The old calahan (live) #
• Doe Maar – Smoorverliefd **
• Duran Duran – Girls on film
• Fehlfarben – Ein jahr (Es geht voran) **
• Grace Jones – I’ve seen that face before
• The Human League – Don’t you want me
• Kool & The Gang – Ooh la la la (Let’s go dancing) **
• Michel Sardou – Etre une femme #
• Modern Romance – Everybody salsa **
• Rick James – Give it to me baby **
• Serge Gainsbourg – Overseas telegram
• Vaughan Mason & Butch Dayo – Jammin’ big guitar **