| 1 | Missing Persons | Mental Hopscotch | Missing Persons (EP) (1980) |
| 2 | Adam and The Ants | Antmusic | Kings of the Wild Frontier (1980) |
| 3 | The Go-Go's | We Got the Beat | Beauty and the Beat (1981) |
| 4 | Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin | It's My Party | Non-album Single (1981) |
| 5 | Josie Cotton | Johnny, Are You Queer? | Convertible Music (1982) |
| 6 | Oingo Boingo | On the Outside | Only a Lad (1981) |
| 7 | The Rolling Stones | Start Me Up | Tattoo You (1981) |
| 8 | Romeo Void | Never Say Never | Never Say Never (EP) (1981) |
| 9 | The Ramones | We Want the Airwaves | Pleasant Dreams (1981) |
| 10 | The Penetrators | I'm with the Guys | Non-album Single (1981) |
| 11 | Adam and The Ants | Stand and Deliver | Prince Charming (1981) |
| 12 | Suburban Lawns | Janitor | Suburban Lawns (1981) |
| 13 | Pete Shelley | Homosapien | Homosapien (1981) |
| 14 | The Pretenders | The Adulteress | Pretenders II (1981) |
| 15 | Sparks | Funny Face | Whomp That Sucker (1981) |
| 16 | X | White Girl | Wild Gift (1981) |
| 17 | Devo | Jerkin' Back and Forth | New Traditionalists (1981) |
| 18 | Lene Lovich | New Toy | New Toy (EP) (1981) |
| 19 | The Go-Go's | Lust to Love | Beauty and the Beat (1981) |
| 20 | The Rolling Stones | Waiting on a Friend | Tattoo You (1981) |
| 21 | U2 | I Will Follow | Boy (1980) |
| 22 | The Police | Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic | Ghost in the Machine (1981) |
| 23 | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | Electricity | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (1980) |
| 24 | Adam and The Ants | Prince Charming | Prince Charming (1981) |
| 25 | Duran Duran | Girls on Film | Duran Duran (1981) |
| 26 | Bow Wow Wow | W.O.R.K. (N.O. Nah No No My Daddy Don't) | See Jungle! See Jungle! (1981) |
| 27 | The Waitresses | I Know What Boys Like | Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful? (1982) |
| 28 | Sparks | Upstairs | Whomp That Sucker (1981) |
| 29 | Spandau Ballet | To Cut a Long Story Short | Journeys to Glory (1981) |
| 30 | Jon & Vangelis | The Friends of Mr. Cairo | The Friends of Mr. Cairo (1981) |
| 31 | The Kinks | Destroyer | Give the People What They Want (1981) |
| 32 | The Go-Go's | Our Lips Are Sealed | Beauty and the Beat (1981) |
| 33 | The Jim Carroll Band | It's Too Late | Catholic Girls (1980) |
| 34 | Generation X | Dancing with Myself | Kiss Me Deadly (1981) |
| 35 | Red Rider | Lunatic Fringe | As Far as Siam (1981) |
| 36 | Caution | UFO | Non-album Single (1981) |
| 37 | Rush | Tom Sawyer | Moving Pictures (1981) |
| 38 | Split Enz | Hard Act to Follow | Waiata (1981) |
| 39 | Iggy Pop | Bang Bang | Party (1981) |
| 40 | Brian Briggs | See You on the Other Side | Non-album Single (1981) |
| 41 | The Specials | Ghost Town | Non-album Single (1981) |
| 42 | Loverboy | Turn Me Loose | Loverboy (1980) |
| 43 | Adam and The Ants | Dog Eat Dog | Kings of the Wild Frontier (1980) |
| 44 | The Pretenders | Bad Boys Get Spanked | Pretenders II (1981) |
| 45 | Stray Cats | Rock This Town | Stray Cats (1981) |
| 46 | The Cure | Primary | Faith (1981) |
| 47 | Heaven 17 | (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang | Penthouse and Pavement (1981) |
| 48 | Queen & David Bowie | Under Pressure | Hot Space (1982) |
| 49 | King Crimson | Elephant Talk | Discipline (1981) |
| 50 | The Go-Go's | This Town | Beauty and the Beat (1981) |
| 51 | The Rolling Stones | Neighbors | Tattoo You (1981) |
| 52 | Joe Walsh | A Life of Illusion | There Goes the Neighborhood (1981) |
| 53 | Devo | Through Being Cool | New Traditionalists (1981) |
| 54 | Plasmatics | Sex Junkie | Beyond the Valley of 1984 (1981) |
| 55 | Foreigner | Urgent | 4 (1981) |
| 56 | Wall of Voodoo | Red Light | Dark Continent (1981) |
| 57 | The Police | Spirits in the Material World | Ghost in the Machine (1981) |
| 58 | Human Sexual Response | What Does Sex Mean to Me? | Fig. 14 (1980) |
| 59 | Sparks | I Married a Martian | Whomp That Sucker (1981) |
| 60 | The Who | You Better You Bet | Face Dances (1981) |
| 61 | The Pretenders | Pack It Up | Pretenders II (1981) |
| 62 | Dave Edmunds | Almost Saturday Night | Twangin... (1981) |
| 63 | Oingo Boingo | What You See | Only a Lad (1981) |
| 64 | Devo | Working in the Coal Mine | Non-album Single (1981) |
| 65 | The Cars | Shake It Up | Shake It Up (1981) |
| 66 | X | The Once Over Twice | Wild Gift (1981) |
| 67 | Sparks | Tips for Teens | Whomp That Sucker (1981) |
| 68 | David Lindley | Mercury Blues | El Rayo-X (1981) |
| 69 | 20/20 | Nuclear Boy | Non-album Single (1981) |
| 70 | Bow Wow Wow | Chihuahua | See Jungle! See Jungle! (1981) |
| 71 | Siouxsie and The Banshees | Spellbound | Juju (1981) |
| 72 | Missing Persons | I Like Boys | Missing Persons (EP) (1980) |
| 73 | Spider | Better Be Good to Me | Spider (1981) |
| 74 | Novo Combo | City Bound (E Train) | Novo Combo (1981) |
| 75 | Rick James | Super Freak | Street Songs (1981) |
| 76 | Human Sexual Response | Jackie Onassis | Fig. 14 (1980) |
| 77 | Adam and The Ants | Friends | Kings of the Wild Frontier (1980) |
| 78 | Devo | Goin' Under | New Traditionalists (1981) |
| 79 | Killing Joke | Follow the Leaders | What's THIS For...! (1981) |
| 80 | AC/DC | Problem Child | Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1981) |
| 81 | Plasmatics | Lunacy | Beyond the Valley of 1984 (1981) |
| 82 | Billy Idol | Mony Mony | Don't Stop (EP) (1981) |
| 83 | Foreigner | Juke Box Hero | 4 (1981) |
| 84 | Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers | Nightwatchman | Hard Promises (1981) |
| 85 | Gang of Four | What We All Want | Solid Gold (1981) |
| 86 | Genesis | Abacab | Abacab (1981) |
| 87 | The Go-Go's | How Much More | Beauty and the Beat (1981) |
| 88 | Joan Jett and The Blackhearts | I Love Rock 'n' Roll | I Love Rock 'n' Roll (1981) |
| 89 | The Pretenders | Day After Day | Pretenders II (1981) |
| 90 | Squeeze | Tempted | East Side Story (1981) |
| 91 | The Rolling Stones | Slave | Tattoo You (1981) |
| 92 | The Boomtown Rats | Up All Night | Mondo Bongo (1981) |
| 93 | Polyphonic Size | Mother's Little Helper | Non-album Single (1981) |
| 94 | The Jim Carroll Band | People Who Died | Catholic Girls (1980) |
| 95 | Elvis Costello & The Attractions | From a Whisper to a Scream | Trust (1981) |
| 96 | The Cars | A Dream Away | Shake It Up (1981) |
| 97 | Depeche Mode | Just Can't Get Enough | Speak & Spell (1981) |
| 98 | The Beat | Mirror in the Bathroom | I Just Can't Stop It (1980) |
| 99 | Eye Protection | Take Her Where the Boys Are | Non-album Single (1981) |
| 100 | Billy Squier | The Stroke | Don't Say No (1981) |
| 101 | Ry Cooder | Little Sister | Bop till You Drop (1979) |
| 102 | The Plimsouls | Now | The Plimsouls (1981) |
| 103 | The Greg Kihn Band | Can't Stop Hurting Myself | RocKihnRoll (1981) |
| 104 | The Police | One World (Not Three) | Ghost in the Machine (1981) |
| 105 | X | Adult Books | Wild Gift (1981) |
| 106 | The Adolescents | Amoeba | Adolescents (1981) |
| 106.7 | The Jetsons | The Jetsons Theme | Non-album Single (1981) |
About 1981
In 1981, KROQ embraced the burgeoning new wave scene, with synth-driven hits from Depeche Mode and The Human League gaining traction. Punk influences persisted, while local acts like The Go-Go's brought a fresh energy to LA’s airwaves.