Editing 1981 in music (section)

===January–April===
*[[January]] – Nearly a year after the suicide of [[Ian Curtis]], the surviving members of [[Joy Division]] plus Gillian Gilbert, now under the name [[New Order (band)|New Order]], release their debut single [[Ceremony (New Order song)|"Ceremony"]]; the single and its B-side, "In a Lonely Place", are both re-recordings of songs originally written and performed by Curtis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.neworder.com/newordernow/2018/12/19/movement-definitive-edition.html|title=New Order - New Order - Movement 'Definitive Edition'|access-date=February 23, 2019|archive-date=September 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913171424/http://www.neworder.com/newordernow/2018/12/19/movement-definitive-edition.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The single's release marks the band's first public use of the "New Order" moniker, which they would retain for the remainder of their career.
*[[10 January]] – A revival of the [[Gilbert and Sullivan]] [[operetta]] ''[[The Pirates of Penzance]]'' opens at Broadway's [[Gershwin Theatre|Uris Theatre]], starring [[Linda Ronstadt]] and [[Rex Smith (entertainer)|Rex Smith]].
*[[11 January]] – Country singer [[Hank Williams Jr.]] releases his 32nd album, ''[[Rowdy (Hank Williams Jr. album)|Rowdy]]''. It is certified Gold by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]].
*[[18 January]] – [[Wendy O. Williams]] of [[Plasmatics|The Plasmatics]] is arrested in [[Milwaukee]] for simulating masturbation with a sledgehammer on stage. In a scuffle with the police Williams is pinned to the floor and receives a cut above the eye requiring twelve stitches.<ref name="Rock Yearbook 1982">{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=The Rock Yearbook 1982 |url=https://archive.org/details/rockyearbook198200newy/page/22 |location=New York |publisher=Virgin Books Ltd. |page=[https://archive.org/details/rockyearbook198200newy/page/22 22] |date=1981 |isbn=0-312-68784-2 |url-access=registration }}</ref>
*[[24 January]] – [[Aerosmith]] lead singer [[Steven Tyler]] is injured in a motorcycle crash that leaves him hospitalized for two months.
*[[9 February]] – [[Phil Collins]] releases his first solo album, ''[[Face Value (album)|Face Value]]'', whose opening track "[[In the Air Tonight]]" popularizes the [[gated reverb]] drum sound that would become ubiquitous for the next ten years; while the album would end up a smash success, Collins would remain a member of [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]] until 1995.
*[[12 February]] – [[Rush (band)|Rush]] release the highly regarded album [[Moving Pictures (Rush album)|''Moving Pictures'']] which eventually becomes the band's sixth platinum album.
*[[14 February]]
**[[Ultravox]] reach number 2 on the UK Singles Chart with "[[Vienna (Ultravox song)|Vienna]]", but despite huge radio play and massive sales it is subsequently held off the top position for two consecutive weeks by [[Joe Dolce]]'s novelty song "[[Shaddup You Face]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/18593/ultravox/ |title=Ultravox |publisher=Official Charts }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/ultravox-1267134 |title=Ultravox's 'Vienna' tops poll of greatest No 2 singles |date=1 January 2013 |publisher=nme.com}}</ref>
**[[Billy Idol]] leaves the band [[Generation X (band)|Generation X]] to begin a solo career.
*[[25 February]] – The [[23rd Annual Grammy Awards]] are presented in [[New York City|New York]], hosted by [[Paul Simon]]. [[Christopher Cross]], with his [[Christopher Cross (album)|self-titled debut album]] and its single "[[Sailing (Christopher Cross song)|Sailing]]", becomes the first artist to win all four General Field awards in a single ceremony, controversially beating [[Pink Floyd]]'s ''[[The Wall (album)|The Wall]]'' for [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]].
*[[14 March]] – Suffering from bleeding ulcers, [[Eric Clapton]] is admitted to United Hospital in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]], USA. Clapton's 60-city tour of the US is cancelled, and he remains in hospital for a month.
*[[21 March]] – [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]] release their fourth studio album, ''[[BGM (album)|BGM]]''; the album is the first to make use of the [[Roland TR-808]] [[drum machine]], which would go on to become an influential device in both [[electronic dance music]] and [[hip hop music]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.factmag.com/2015/01/22/the-essential-yellow-magic-orchestra/|title=The Essential... Yellow Magic Orchestra|last=Jones|first=Mikey IQ|date=22 January 2015|website=[[Fact (UK magazine)|FACT Magazine]]|access-date=24 August 2017}}</ref>
*[[27 March]] – [[Ozzy Osbourne]] bites the head off a dove at a [[Columbia Records|CBS]] record label gathering in Los Angeles.<ref name="Melody Maker 4/11/81">{{cite journal |author=[[David Fricke|Fricke, David]] |title=One Ahead For Ozzy |journal=[[Melody Maker]] |publisher=IPC Magazines Ltd. |date=April 11, 1981 |page=4}}</ref>
*[[1 April]] – [[The Go-Go's]] sign to [[IRS Records]].
*[[4 April]] – British pop group [[Bucks Fizz (band)|Bucks Fizz]] wins the 26th [[Eurovision Song Contest 1981|Eurovision Song Contest]], held at the [[Royal Dublin Society|RDS Simmonscourt Pavilion]], Dublin, with the song "[[Making Your Mind Up]]".
*[[11 April]] – [[Van Halen]]'s lead guitarist [[Eddie Van Halen]] marries actress [[Valerie Bertinelli]].
*[[12 April]] – Soviet orchestral conductor [[Maxim Shostakovich]] (son of Dmitri) defects while on tour in [[West Germany]] with his son.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/28/arts/russians-call-defection-of-shostakovich-personal.html|title=Russians Call Defection Of Shostakovich 'Personal'|newspaper=The New York Times|date=28 April 1981}}</ref>
*[[18 April]] – [[Yes (band)|Yes]] announce that they are breaking up. (They would reunite frequently in years to come).
*[[20 April]] – [[The Mamas & the Papas]]' [[John Phillips (musician)|John Phillips]] is sentenced to five years in jail after pleading guilty to drug possession charges. Phillips' sentence would be suspended after thirty days in exchange for 250 hours of community service.
*[[22 April]] – [[Eric Clapton]] is taken to the hospital suffering from bruised ribs and a lacerated shin, following a car accident in [[Seattle|Seattle, Washington]].
*[[26 April]]/[[27 April]]/[[28 April]] – [[Gary Numan]] performs three sold out 'farewell concerts' at [[Wembley Arena]], following his announcement to retire from live work at the height of his popularity. (He would return to live performance less than two years later.)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dangerousminds.net/comments/gary_numans_1981_farewell_concerts |title=GARY NUMAN'S 1981 'FAREWELL' CONCERTS |date=July 17, 2014 |publisher=Dangerous Minds }}</ref>
*[[27 April]] – [[Ringo Starr]] and [[Barbara Bach]] marry, in London, England.