Listen Wider Challenge 2020

18. A top hit from the year you were born—from a country other than your own.

Another challenge that reveals a bit about the music librarian. Our playlist contains international hits from 1981. Not every country collected chart information in the 1980s, but charts and award lists for many countries are available online, often through information collected and provided through music production industry groups. This week's chart draws includes music that topped charts or awards at some point in 1981 in Canada, the UK, Germany, India, China, Japan, and Sweden.

For this week's challenge, industry data makes a better source than scholarly or journalistic writing. Looking for national and international industry organizations can help you find basic data and figures.