- Jan 4 Revival of Leigh, Charlap, Styne, Comden and Green's musical "Peter Pan", starring Sandy Duncan, closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater, NYC, after 578 performances
"The Pirates of Penzance"
Jan 8 Joseph Papp's revival of Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta "The Pirates of Penzance", starring Linda Ronstadt, Rex Smith, and Kevin Kline, opens at the Uris Theater, NYC; runs for 772 performances and wins a Tony Award
- Jan 11 "Tintypes" closes at John Golden Theater NYC after 93 performances
"Woman"
Jan 16 John Lennon's single "Woman" is posthumously released in the UK
- Jan 18 Punk singer Wendy O. Williams arrested in Milwaukee for on-stage obscenity (later cleared)
- Jan 21 "Shakespeare's Cabaret" opens at Bijou Theater New York City for 54 performances
- Jan 28 Revival of Brt Kalmar and Harry Ruby's musical "The Five5 O'Clock Girl" opens at Helen Hayes Theater, NYC; runs for 12 performances
8th American Music Awards
Jan 30 8th American Music Awards: Barbra Streisand & Kenny Rogers win
- Jan 31 "The Tide Is High" by Blondie hits #1
"Sophisticated Ladies"
Feb 1 Duke Ellington's musical "Sophisticated Ladies" premieres in NYC
- Feb 5 "Piaf" opens at Plymouth Theater NYC for 165 performances
Canadian Hall of Fame
Feb 5 Joni Mitchell inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame
"All Those Years Ago"
Feb 6 Beatles George Harrison & Paul McCartney record vocals to a Ringo Starr track written by George, and re-worked as a tribute to John Lennon - "All Those Years Ago" [1]
- Feb 8 "5 O'Clock Girl" closes at Helen Hayes Theater NYC after 12 performances
Brigadoon Revived
Feb 8 Revival of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's musical "Brigadoon" closes at Majestic Theater, NYC, after 133 performances
Music History
Feb 19 George Harrison is ordered to pay ABKCO Music $587,000 for "subconscious plagiarism" of his song "My Sweet Lord" from Ronnie Mack's song "He's So Fine"
- Feb 23 People magazine features drug ordeal of Mackenzie & Papa John Phillips
Grammy Awards
Feb 25 23rd Grammy Awards: "Sailing" - Christopher Cross; and Billy Joel win
- Feb 27 Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder record the single "Ebony & Ivory"
Seven Year Ache
Feb 28 Columbia Records releases "Seven Year Ache", the third studio album by Rosanne Cash; it is her commercial break-through and goes to #1 on the country music chart
- Mar 1 Duke Ellington's musical "Sophisticated Ladies" opens at Lunt-Fontanne, NYC; runs for 767 performances
- Mar 5 Michael Stewart's musical "Bring Back Birdie" opens at Martin Beck Theater, NYC for 4 performances
- Mar 7 Michael Stewart's musical "Bring Back Birdie" closes at Martin Beck Theater, NYC, after 4 performances
- Mar 8 "Shakespeare's Cabaret" closes at Bijou Theater NYC after 54 performances
- Mar 10 "Bette Davis Eyes" single released by Kim Carnes (Billboard Song of the Year 1981)
Marry Me a Little
Mar 12 Stephen Sondheim's musical revue "Marry Me a Little" premieres in NYC
Blizzard of Ozz
Mar 27 "Blizzard of Ozz", the debut solo album by English rock musician Ozzy Osbourne, is released in the United States
- Mar 27 John Lennon's single "Watching the Wheels" released posthumously in UK
- Mar 29 Peter Stone's musical "Woman of the Year" opens at Palace Theater, NYC; runs for 770 performances
- Apr 4 26th Eurovision Song Contest: Bucks Fizz for United Kingdom wins singing "Making Your Mind Up" in Dublin
Street Songs
Apr 7 "Street Songs" 5th studio album by Rick James is released (Billboard Album of the Year 1981)
- Apr 16 "Copperfield" opens at ANTA Theater NYC for 13 performances
Music History
Apr 17 Carl Gottlieb's movie "Caveman", starring Ringo Starr, Shelley Long, Barbara Bach, Dennis Quaid, Jack Gilford, and John Matuszak premieres
- Apr 19 William Finn's musical "March of Falsettos" premieres in NYC
- Apr 20 "Fire and Smoke" single released by Earl Thomas Conley (Billboard Song of the Year 1981)
- Apr 20 Rocker Papa John Phillips arrested for drug possession
- Apr 26 Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn' musical "Copperfield", based on Charles Dickens' novel "David Copperfeild", closes at ANTA Theater, NYC, after 13 performances
- Apr 27 Paul McCartney's rock band Wings breaks-up
- Apr 30 "Can-Can" opens at Minskoff Theater NYC for 5 performances
Academy of Country Music Awards
Apr 30 16th Academy of Country Music Awards: Barbara Mandrell and George Jones win
- May 3 "Can-Can" closes at Minskoff Theater NYC after 5 performances
Cats
May 11 Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical "Cats" (based on poetry by T. S. Eliot) directed by Trevor Nunn, opens at the New London Theatre in the West End, London; runs for 8,949 performances
- May 12 "Lena Horne: Lady, Music" opens at Nederlander, NYC: runs for 333 performances
- May 15 George Harrison releases single "All Those Years Ago" in UK: the song was a tribute to John Lennon, and featured Ringo Starr on drums, and Paul and Linda McCartney on backing vocals [1]
#1 in the Charts
May 16 "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes hits #1 for next 9 weeks
Music History
May 21 Reggae musician Bob Marley receives a Jamaican state funeral
- Jun 5 George Harrison releases "Somewhere in England", his ninth studio album, includes John Lennon tribute "All Those Years Ago" (Featuring Paul and Ringo)
- Jun 8 15th Music City News Country Awards: Mandrell Sisters win
- Jun 14 No Nukes concert at Hollywood Bowl
- Jun 19 Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, England opens: Hawkwind and Ginger Baker headline; other performers include New Order, Taj Mahal, Aswad, Gordon Giltrap, Judie Tzuke, Gong, Matumbi, Robert Hunter, Supercharge, and Talisman
- Jun 20 Guitarist Gerry Cott quits Boomtown Rats
Music History
Jun 21 Donald Fagen and Walter Becker disband their rock group Steely Dan
- Jun 22 Mark David Chapman pleads guilty to killing former Beatle John Lennon
- Jun 23 "This Was Burlesque" opens at Princess Theater NYC for 28 performances
- Jun 28 "Piaf" closes at Plymouth Theater NYC after 165 performances
- Jul 17 "This is Burlesque" closes at Princess Theater NYC after 28 performances
Endless Love
Aug 1 "Endless Love" single released by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie (Billboard Song of the Year 1981, Billboard Greatest Song Duet of All-Time)
- Aug 18 Revival of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's musical "My Fair Lady" opens at Uris Theater, NYC; runs for 119 performances
- Aug 24 Mark David Chapman is sentenced to 20 yrs to life for John Lennon's murder
They're Playing Our Song
Sep 6 Marvin Hamlisch, Carole Bayer Sager, and Neil Simon's musical "They're Playing Our Song", starring Robert Klein and Lucie Arnaz, closes at Imperial Theatre, NYC, after 1082 performances
- Sep 19 Simon & Garfunkel reunite for a concert in Central Park, NYC,
- Sep 25 Rolling Stones begin their 6th US tour (JFK Stadium, Philadelphia)
- Sep 27 Frank Lazarus and Dick Vosburgh's musical double feature "A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine" closes at Royale Theatre, NYC, after 588 performances and 2 Tony Awards
Physical
Sep 28 Olivia Newton-John releases single "Physical" (Billboard Song of the Year 1982)
Music History
Oct 11 Then unknown musician Prince Rogers Nelson opens for The Rolling Stones at the Los Angeles Coliseum
- Oct 12 "Marlowe" opens at Rialto Theater NYC for 48 performances
- Oct 12 15th Country Music Association Awards: Barbara Mandrell & George Jones wins
Concerto for Orchestra
Oct 23 "Concerto for Orchestra" by American composer Roger Sessions premieres with Seiji Ozawa conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Under Pressure
Oct 26 British rock band Queen and David Bowie release their serendipitous collaborative single "Under Pressure"
Wrack My Brain
Oct 27 Ringo Starr releases single "Wrack My Brain", written and produced by George Harrison, and album "Stop and Smell the Roses" in the US
- Nov 10 Donald Driver and Michael Valenti's musical comedy "Oh, Brother!" opens at ANTA Theater, NYC; runs for 3 performances
- Nov 11 Donald Driver and Michael Valenti's musical comedy "Oh, Brother!" closes at ANTA Theater, NYC, after 3 performances
- Nov 13 Ringo Starr releases single "Wrack My Brain", written and produced by George Harrison, in the UK
- Nov 14 "Raise!" 11th studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire is released (Billboard Album of the Year 1982)
- Nov 15 Revival of "Camelot" opens at Winter Garden Theater, NYC; runs for 48 performances
- Nov 16 Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's musical "Merrily We Roll Along", based on George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart's play, opens at Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for 16 performances
- Nov 17 "1st" opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC for 37 performances
- Nov 20 Ringo Starr releases album "Stop and Smell the Roses" in the UK
- Nov 21 Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" single goes #1 & stays for 10 weeks
- Nov 22 Jimmy Horowitz and Leo Rost's rock musical "Marlowe", a fictionalized account of Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe, closes at Rialto Theater, NYC, after 48 performances
- Nov 28 Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's musical "Merrily We Roll Along", based on George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart's play, closes at Alvin Theater, NYC, after 16 performances
- Nov 29 Revival of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's musical "My Fair Lady" closes at Uris Theater, NYC, after 119 performances
- Dec 12 "1st" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 37 performances
- Dec 20 Harry Krieger and Tom Eyen's musical "Dreamgirls" opens at Imperial Theater, NYC; runs for 1522 performances, wins 6 Tony, 5 Drama Desk, and 2 Grammy Awards
That Girl
Dec 30 "That Girl" single released by Stevie Wonder (Billboard Song of the Year -1982)
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