The best selling album in 1981 in Austria was HIGH LIFE - ORIGINAL TOP HITS [1981-2] by HIGH LIFE SERIES.
| Rank | Artist | Album | Released |
| 1 | HIGH LIFE SERIES | HIGH LIFE - ORIGINAL TOP HITS [1981-2] | 1981 |
| 2 | JOHN LENNON & YOKO ONO | DOUBLE FANTASY | 1980 |
| 3 | STEVIE WONDER | HOTTER THAN JULY | 1980 |
| 4 | ABBA | SUPER TROUPER | 1980 |
| 5 | ALAN PARSONS | THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD | 1980 |
| 6 | ABBA | A WIE ABBA | 1981 |
| 7 | VARIOUS ARTISTS | POWER PLAY | 1981 |
| 8 | BARBRA STREISAND | GUILTY | 1980 |
| 9 | THE SMURFS (DIE SCHLÜMPFE - DEUTSCH) | HITPARADE DER SCHLÜMPFE | 1980 |
| 10 | STARS ON 45 | STARS ON LONG PLAY | 1981 |
| 11 | JOHN LENNON | SHAVED FISH | 1975 |
| 12 | JEAN-MICHEL JARRE | MAGNETIC FIELDS | 1981 |
| 13 | QUEEN | FLASH GORDON (SOUNDTRACK) | 1980 |
| 14 | WOLFGANG AMBROS, MANFRED TAUCHEN & JOESI PROKOPETZ | AUGUSTIN | 1981 |
| 15 | PHIL COLLINS | FACE VALUE | 1981 |
| 16 | ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA | TIME | 1981 |
| 17 | VARIOUS ARTISTS | HIT RIDER | 1981 |
| 18 | DAVID BOWIE | CHRISTIANE F. - WIR KINDER VOM BAHNHOF ZOO | 1981 |
| 19 | SKY | SKY 3 | 1981 |
| 20 | FRANK DUVAL | ANGEL OF MINE | 1981 |
Source: Ö3 Austria