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Music box office · 1981

Music Box Office 1981: Highest-Grossing Music Movies

The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981) is the highest-grossing music movie released in 1981, with $14.9M worldwide, ahead of Zoot Suit (1981) at $3.3M and This Is Elvis (1981) at $2M. 5 music films released in 1981 report a worldwide gross, $20.3M in all, 100% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 92% on 1980, whose releases took $262.6M. By language, English leads with $20.3M across 5 music releases.

1981 releases with a gross
5
combined worldwide
$20.3M
The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981), the #1
$14.9M
vs 1980
−92%
Top 5

What Were the Biggest Music Hits of 1981?

The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981) leads with $14.9M, 73% of the total. The top 5 together took $20.3M, almost all of what the 5 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

  1. The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981) movie poster Number 1
    $14.9M The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981)
    $14.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. Zoot Suit (1981) movie poster Number 2
    $3.3M Zoot Suit (1981)
    $3.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. This Is Elvis (1981) movie poster Number 3
    $2M This Is Elvis (1981)
    $2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. Dance Craze (1981) movie poster Number 4
    $97.2K Dance Craze (1981)
    No US & Canada figure reported
  5. The Decline of Western Civilization (1981) movie poster Number 5
    $440 The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)
    No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Music Release of 1981, Ranked by Worldwide Gross

Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in 1981.

  1. 1 The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981) movie poster
    The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981) Jun 5, 1981 · English · Drama, Music $14.9M worldwide
    Jun 5, 1981 US and Canada: $14.9M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $14.9M
  2. 2 Zoot Suit (1981) movie poster
    Zoot Suit (1981) Oct 2, 1981 · English · Drama, Music $3.3M worldwide
    Oct 2, 1981 US and Canada: $3.3M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $3.3M
  3. 3 This Is Elvis (1981) movie poster
    This Is Elvis (1981) Apr 10, 1981 · English · Biography, Music, Documentary $2M worldwide
    Apr 10, 1981 US and Canada: $2M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $2M
  4. 4 Dance Craze (1981) movie poster
    Dance Craze (1981) Feb 10, 1981 · English · Documentary, Music $97.2K worldwide
    Feb 10, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $97.2K
  5. 5 The Decline of Western Civilization (1981) movie poster
    The Decline of Western Civilization (1981) Jul 5, 1981 · English · History, Music, Documentary $440 worldwide
    Jul 5, 1981 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $440
US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1981?

Of the top 5, The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while This Is Elvis (1981) made 0% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $20.2M (100%) came from the US & Canada. 2 films of the top 5 report no US & Canada figure.

  1. 1 The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981) $14.9M
    $14.9M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  2. 2 Zoot Suit (1981) $3.3M
    $3.3M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  3. 3 This Is Elvis (1981) $2M
    $2M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
  4. 4 Dance Craze (1981) $97.2K
    No US & Canada figure reported
  5. 5 The Decline of Western Civilization (1981) $440
    No US & Canada figure reported
By release month

Which Month of 1981 Earned the Most?

June releases took the most, $14.9M from 1 film, led by The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981). July was the quietest month ($440). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

  1. January Jan No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  2. February Feb Dance Craze (1981) $97.2K Dance Craze (1981)
  3. March Mar No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  4. April Apr This Is Elvis (1981) $2M This Is Elvis (1981)
  5. May May No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  6. June Jun The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981) $14.9M The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981)
  7. July Jul The Decline of Western Civilization (1981) $440 The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)
  8. August Aug No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  9. September Sep No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  10. October Oct Zoot Suit (1981) $3.3M Zoot Suit (1981)
  11. November Nov No reported grosses – No reported grosses
  12. December Dec No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Last 10 years

How Does 1981 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1980 earned the most: $262.6M from 13 films, led by The Blues Brothers (1980). 1981 took $20.3M.

Year Films Worldwide Change Biggest film
1972 2 films 2 $671.2K – Elvis on Tour (1972) $587.8K
1973 5 films · −70% 5 $204.1K −70% Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) $102K
1974 2 films · −50% 2 $102.6K −50% A Poem Is a Naked Person (1974) $96.8K
1975 3 films · +9684% 3 $10M +9684% Nashville (1975) $10M
1976 3 films · +697% 3 $80M +697% A Star Is Born (1976) $80M
1977 7 films · +217% 7 $254M +217% Saturday Night Fever (1977) $237.1M
1978 7 films · −73% 7 $69M −73% Up in Smoke (1978) $44.4M
1979 7 films · +17% 7 $80.8M +17% All That Jazz (1979) $37.8M
1980 13 films · +225% 13 $262.6M +225% The Blues Brothers (1980) $115.2M
1981 5 films · −92% 5 $20.3M −92% The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981) $14.9M
Archive

Music Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1925 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2018 leads with $2B, led by Bohemian Rhapsody (2018).

2020s 7 years · $2.9B
2010s 10 years · $7B
2000s 10 years · $6B
1990s 10 years · $2.2B
1980s 10 years · $1.3B
1970s 10 years · $686.3M
1960s 8 years · $3.8M
1950s 10 years · $4.1M
1940s 4 years · $514.2K
1930s 3 years · $951.7K
1920s 1 year · $4.4K
FAQ

Music Box Office 1981: Questions & Answers

The chart's numbers in short: the #1 film, the total, the billion-dollar hits and the US & Canada share, answered from the same 5 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing music movie in 1981?

The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981) leads with $14.9M worldwide, $14.9M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Zoot Suit (1981) at $3.3M and This Is Elvis (1981) at $2M.

How much did music movies released in 1981 earn?

5 music films released in 1981 report a worldwide gross, $20.3M in all, or $4.1M per film on average. 1980 releases took $262.6M.

How many music movies released in 1981 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981), earned $14.9M.

How much of the 1981 Music box office came from the US and Canada?

$20.2M of the $20.3M total, or 100%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 2 films of the 5 report no domestic figure.

How is the 1981 music box office chart ranked and where do the numbers come from?

Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide gross in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation, and grouped by their release date in 1981. The figures are the reported box office grosses in our database. A gross that looks misattributed, such as one figure shared by two unrelated films or a blockbuster total on an obscure title, is left out rather than shown as a fact.

How often is the 1981 music box office chart updated?

Grosses change while films are in theaters and whenever a new figure is reported; this chart reads the latest numbers in our database, so an older film can still move after a re-release.