1981 - Browse By Year

1981 was a year of striking visuals and bold sonic experiments. It was the moment the New Romantic movement truly blossomed, bringing a flamboyant sense of style to the charts, while the raw energy of post-punk began to mutate into something more electronic and accessible. Our 1981 collection captures the spirit of a year where the synthesiser became king and the music video changed everything.

This was the year The Human League defined synth-pop perfection with Dare, and Depeche Mode arrived with their debut Speak & Spell. It was a time for heavy hitters too, as Rush delivered their prog-rock masterpiece Moving Pictures, and The Rolling Stones proved their enduring power with Tattoo You. Meanwhile, the underground was thriving, with Siouxsie and the Banshees releasing the dark, atmospheric Juju, and Kraftwerk influencing the future of electronic music with Computer World.

On vinyl, these records possess a unique character. The analogue format brings out the warmth of those early electronic textures and the punch of the rhythm sections, offering a listening experience that is both dynamic and deeply nostalgic. It connects you directly to the dawn of the MTV era.

Explore our 1981 collection below and relive the year that set the tempo for the eighties.