1981

Off The Chart: 21 June 1981

Off The Chart: 14 June 1986

It may be the longest day of the year but this week’s Off The Chart is just about its regular length. Don’t worry though, we’ll still manage to fit in our regular quota of obscure, forgotten and neglected hits from this day in 1981, as well of three of the week’s new albums, a round-up of the day’s events, a track from the New Zealand chart, the UK’s top five in full and some exciting news for all listeners, so make sure you stick with us right to the end!

  • Which hit single inspired a film which inspired a new version of the original hit?
  • Which top three hit was recorded in the basement of a motel?
  • And who failed to reach the destination mentioned in the title of their hit album?

Tune in and find out!



Listen to Off The Chart on Noisebox Radio at 9pm every Tuesday! And don’t forget to tweet along using the hashtag #OffTheChart. If you’re not around, you can hear the show again on Noisebox Radio at 11am on Friday, or catch up on Mixcloud after that.

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Our subscribers also get access to exclusive shows including Further Off The Chart in which we play some of the records that come up in conversation on the regular shows. You can even download shows to listen offline in the Mixcloud app! Please consider backing us – we really appreciate it and your subscription allows us to keep producing a new episode every single week.

Spotify playlists

If you’ve missed a previous edition they’re all on our Mixcloud page, or for a taster of the music we play, listen to our Spotify playlist Way Off The Chart including one track from each show!

We also have a Spotify playlist for our #ICEOTWF feature, including all (well, most) of the international hits we’ve played since the feature began in March 2017. There are all sorts of oddities in here, all of which were hits somewhere in the world but not in the UK!

More from 1981

Off The Chart: 12 April 1981

Off The Chart: 12 April 1981

It’s an unusually violent edition of Off The Chart this week as we get dragged all the way back to this day 1981! We’ll be bombarded with obscure, forgotten and neglected hits from that week’s chart, pummelled with three of … read more

Off The Chart: 1 February 1981

Off The Chart: 1 February 1981

White rabbits! No Jefferson Airplane or Chas & Dave on this first of the month Off The Chart, but we are going back to brutally dissect the UK singles chart from this day in 1981. We’ll have the usual brace … read more

Off The Chart: 23 November 1981

Off The Chart: 23 November 1981

Not to make you feel old or anything, but we’re going back a full forty years on this week’s Off The Chart to revisit the UK singles chart from this day in 1981. Sorry about that. But we’ll attempt to … read more

Off The Chart: 14 September 1981

Off The Chart: 14 September 1981

Brace yourselves, we’re going back a full forty years to this day in 1981 on this week’s Off The Chart! We’ll bring the usual mix of obscure and forgotten hits, three of the week’s new albums, a round-up of the … read more

Off The Chart: 29 June 1981

Off The Chart: 29 June 1981 (with a red triangle in the top left corner)

Listeners are advised that this week’s Off The Chart includes strong language and scenes of a sexual nature. Yes, even more so than usual. It also includes a brace of obscure hits from this day in 1981, as well as … read more

Off The Chart: 20 April 1981

Off The Chart: 20 April 1981

It’s another weird time travel experience on Off The Chart this week, as we go back exactly forty years and find that it’s Easter Monday. Join us for two hours of forgotten and obscure hits from that week’s chart, as … read more

Off The Chart: 9 February 1981

Off The Chart: 9 February 1981

Brace yourselves, Barnsley, we’re heading back to this day in 1981 for another edition of Off The Chart! As usual we’ve got two hours of obscure and forgotten hits, plus the day’s eye-watering news headlines, three of the week’s new … read more

Off The Chart: 1 December 1981

Off The Chart: 1 December 1981

Hiding behind the first door of your Off The Chart Advent Calendar today: a trip back to 1981 for the usual two hours of forgotten and half-remembered hits, three of the week’s new albums, a look at the day’s other … read more

Off The Chart: 22 September 1981

Off The Chart: 22 September 1981

It’s another voyage back into time as we revisit this day in 1981 on Off The Chart! Along the way we’ll collect a dozen or so hits that you might not remember, take in three of the week’s new albums, … read more

Off The Chart: 14 July 1981

Off The Chart: 14 July 1981

We’re on a road trip back to the summer of 1981 on this week’s Off The Chart, picking up a carload of forgotten and half-remembered hits on the way, and squeezing in three of the week’s new albums; grabbing a … read more

Off The Chart: 5 May 1981

Off The Chart: 5 May 1981

You thought the news was grim these days? Join us for this week’s Off The Chart and you’ll be elated to discover things were just as grim on this day in 1981, if not more so. But at least the … read more