List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 1981

The Billboard 200, published in Billboard magazine, is a weekly chart that ranks the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States.

Before Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991, Billboard estimated the sales for the album charts from a representative sampling of record stores nationwide, which was gathered by telephone, fax or messenger service.

[1] The data was based on reports from record stores, who ranked the popularity of the best-selling records but did not provide an actual sales figures.

[2][3]

Hi Infidelity by REO Speedwagon was the best-selling album of 1981, and spent 15 non-consecutive weeks at number one.