1981  

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

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1981 was a common year of the Gregorian calendar, the 1981st year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 981st year of the 2nd millennium, the 81st year of the 20th century, and the 2nd year of the 1980s decade.

Art and culture

• The June 5 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report publishes the cases of five men in what turned out to be the first report of AIDS.
• MTV is launched on August 1.
• Memphis Group presents their first works at the Milan Furniture Fair, introducing postmodern design.
• Radio Nova founded

Literature

Fiction

• The Comfort of Strangers by Ian McEwan
• Cities of the Red Night by William Burroughs
• Lanark: A Life in Four Books by Alasdair Gray
• The White Hotel by D. M. Thomas

Non-fiction

• Cult Movies by Danny Peary
• The Celluloid Closet by Vito Russo
• Danse Macabre by Stephen King
• Literary Machines by Ted Nelson
• Thy Neighbor's Wife by Gay Talese
• Simulacra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard
• Le capitalisme de la séduction by Michel Clouscard
• The End of the Road by John Margolies
• Memphis: The New International Style by Barbara Radice

Visual art

• Bad Boy, a painting by Eric Fischl
• Codex Seraphinianus by Luigi Serafini

Film

• Mommie Dearest by Frank Perry
• Possession by Andrzej Żuławski
• The Evil Dead by Sam Raimi
• Tales of Ordinary Madness by Marco Ferreri
• Ms. 45 by Abel Ferrara
• The Howling by Joe Dante
• Beau Pere by Bertrand Blier
• Coup de Torchon by Bertrand Tavernier
• Pixote by Hector Babenco
• Scanners by David Cronenberg
• Pennies from Heaven by Herbert Ross
• Cutter's Way by Ivan Passer
• Taxi zum Klo by Frank Ripploh
• The Quest for Fire by Jean-Jacques Annaud
• The Beyond by Lucio Fulci
• In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni (1978) by Guy Debord (first shown in 1981)
• My Dinner with Andre by Louis Malle
• Docteur Jekyll et les femmes by Walerian Borowczyk
• Christiane F. by Uli Edel

Music

• The 'Hot Mix 5' first go on air
• For the 1981 Village Voice Pazz and Jop Critics' Poll, Lester Bangs turned in a blank ballot, protesting the worthless state of rock and roll. "New Wave has terminated in thudding hollow Xeroxes of poses that aren't even annoying anymore," he wrote. "Rap is nothing, or not enough. Jazz does not exist as a musical form with anything new to say. And the rest of rock is recycling various formulae forever. I don't know what I'm going to write about - music is the only thing in the world I really care about - but I simply cannot pretend to find anything compelling in the choice between pap and mud."

Singles

• Computer World by Kraftwerk
• Magnificent Dance by The Clash
• Burundi Black by Rusty Egan
• Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Inner Life
• I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) by Hall & Oates
• Funky Sensation by Gwen McCrae
• Weekend (Tonight is Party Time) by Class Action
• Spasticus Autisticus by Ian Dury
• Los Niños del Parque by Liaisons Dangereuses
• How Much Are They? by Jah Wobble, Jaki Liebezeit & Holger Czukay
• Moody by ESG
• I Know You Will by Logg
• Heartbeat by Taana Gardner
• Must Be the Music by Secret Weapon
• Seedy Films by Soft Cell
• Jezebel Spirit by Brian Eno
• Pull Up to the Bumper by Grace Jones
• Sharevari by A Number Of Names
• Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag by Pigbag
• Secret Life by Material
• Bustin' Out by Material
• I Know You, I Live You by Chaka Khan
• The Spirit's in It by Patti LaBelle
• Till You Surrender by Rainbow Brown
• (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang by Heaven 17
• You Got the Floor by Arthur Adams
• Make It Last Forever by Inner Life
• Love Has Come Around by Donald Byrd
• Help Is On the Way by Whatnauts
• Journey by Powerline
• Eisbär by Grauzone
• Der Mussolini by Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft
• Le Elephant by Tom Tom Club
• You'll Never Know by Hi-Gloss
• Happy Days by North End
• Let's Do It by Convertion
• Turned On To You by Eighties Ladies
• You're The One For Me by D Train
• A Little Bit Of Jazz by Nick Straker Band
• Don't Turn Your Back On Me by Frontline Orchestra
• Sure Shot by Tracy Weber
• Guess Who's Coming to Dinner by Black Uhuru

Albums

• Computer World by Kraftwerk
• Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires by Scientist
• Scientist Meets the Space Invaders by Scientist
• Fire of Love by The Gun Club
• Was (Not Was) by Was (Not Was)
• My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Brian Eno and David Byrne
• Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret by Soft Cell
• Memory Serves by Material
• American Songs by Material
• Alles Ist Gut by D.A.F.
• 24 → 24 Music by Dinosaur L
• Neuromantic by Yukihiro Takahashi
• Escape by Jody Harris and Robert Quine
• Lounge Lizards by The Lounge Lizards

Deaths

• January 19 – Francesca Woodman, American photographer (b. 1958)
• March 15 – René Clair, French film director (b. 1898)
• May 9 – Nelson Algren, American author (b. 1909)
• May 11 – Bob Marley, dies aged 36 from cancer.
• June 19 – Anya Phillips, American co-founder of New York City's Mudd Club (b. 1955)
• June 19 – Lotte Reiniger, German-born silhouette animator (b. 1899)
• October 29 – Georges Brassens, French singer and songwriter (b. 1921)
• September 9 – Jacques Lacan, French psychoanalyst (b. 1901)
• September 29 – Frances Yates, British historian (b. 1899)
• November 3 – Jean Eustache, French film director (b. 1938)
• November 10 – Abel Gance, French film director (b. 1889)
• November 27 – Lotte Lenya, Austrian singer and actress (b. 1898)
• November 29 – Natalie Wood, American actress (b. 1938)
• December 28 – Bram van Velde, Dutch painter (b. 1895)