| Dates | Top 10 Gross | %± LW | Overall Gross | %± LW | Releases | #1 Release
| Genre
| Budget
| Running Time
| Week | Long Weekend
|
|---|
| Dec 26-Jan 1, 1981 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 52 | false |
| Dec 19-25 | $6,541,442 | +6,019.2% | $6,541,442 | +6,019.2% | 2 | The Jazz Singer | - | - | - | 51 | false |
| Dec 12-18 | $106,901 | -97.9% | $106,901 | -97.9% | 1 | Raging Bull | - | - | - | 50 | false |
| Dec 5-11 | $5,055,852 | +2,275.6% | $5,055,852 | +2,275.6% | 2 | Flash Gordon | - | - | - | 49 | false |
| Nov 28-Dec 4 | $212,826 | +3.9% | $212,826 | +3.9% | 2 | Raging Bull | - | - | - | 48 | false |
| Nov 21-27 | $204,800 | -5% | $204,800 | -5% | 1 | Raging Bull | - | - | - | 47 | false |
| Nov 14-20 | $215,573 | - | $215,573 | - | 1 | Raging Bull | - | - | - | 46 | false |
| Oct 31-Nov 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 44 | false |
| Oct 24-30 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 43 | false |
| Oct 10-16 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 41 | false |
| Oct 3-9 | $1,559,279 | -70.1% | $1,559,279 | -70.1% | 1 | Somewhere in Time | - | - | - | 40 | false |
| Sep 26-Oct 2 | $5,210,501 | - | $5,210,501 | - | 4 | In God We Trust (or Gimme That Prime Time Religion) | - | - | - | 39 | false |
| Sep 19-25 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 38 | false |
| Sep 12-18 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 37 | false |
| Aug 29-Sep 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 35 | false |
| Aug 22-28 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 34 | false |
| Aug 15-21 | $17,805,900 | +87.3% | $17,805,900 | +87.3% | 1 | Smokey and the Bandit II | - | - | - | 33 | false |
| Aug 8-14 | $9,505,189 | -7.5% | $9,505,189 | -7.5% | 2 | Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back | - | - | - | 32 | false |
| Aug 1-7 | $10,274,074 | -21.3% | $10,274,074 | -21.3% | 1 | Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back | - | - | - | 31 | false |
| Jul 25-31 | $13,060,643 | -36.2% | $13,060,643 | -36.2% | 1 | Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back | - | - | - | 30 | false |
| Jul 18-24 | $20,474,895 | +76.4% | $20,474,895 | +76.4% | 2 | Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back | - | - | - | 29 | false |
| Jul 11-17 | $11,604,693 | -17.1% | $11,604,693 | -17.1% | 2 | Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back | - | - | - | 28 | false |
| Jul 4-10 | $13,995,275 | -22.1% | $13,995,275 | -22.1% | 1 | Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back | - | - | - | 27 | false |
| Jun 27-Jul 3 | $17,961,732 | -42.7% | $17,961,732 | -42.7% | 1 | Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back | - | - | - | 26 | false |
| Jun 20-26 | $31,328,270 | +215.5% | $31,328,270 | +215.5% | 3 | Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back | - | - | - | 25 | false |
| Jun 13-19 | $9,928,806 | - | $9,928,806 | - | 2 | Wholly Moses! | - | - | - | 24 | false |
| Jun 6-12 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 23 | false |
| May 30-Jun 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 22 | false |
| May 23-29 | $10,265,091 | +339.8% | $10,265,091 | +339.8% | 2 | Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back | - | - | - | 21 | false |
| May 16-22 | $2,333,825 | -50% | $2,333,825 | -50% | 1 | Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back | - | - | - | 20 | false |
| May 9-15 | $4,667,811 | - | $4,667,811 | - | 1 | The Nude Bomb | - | - | - | 19 | false |
| May 2-8 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 18 | false |
| Apr 25-May 1 | $2,322,979 | +115.8% | $2,322,979 | +115.8% | 1 | Where the Buffalo Roam | - | - | - | 17 | false |
| Apr 18-24 | $1,076,445 | - | $1,076,445 | - | 1 | North Sea Hijack | - | - | - | 16 | false |
| Apr 4-10 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 14 | false |
| Mar 28-Apr 3 | $1,921,491 | +0.8% | $1,921,491 | +0.8% | 1 | When Time Ran Out... | - | - | - | 13 | false |
| Mar 21-27 | $1,906,710 | - | $1,906,710 | - | 1 | Little Miss Marker | - | - | - | 12 | false |
| Mar 14-20 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 11 | false |
| Mar 7-13 | $4,736,852 | - | $4,736,852 | - | 1 | Coal Miner's Daughter | - | - | - | 10 | false |
| Feb 29-Mar 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 9 | false |
| Feb 15-21 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7 | false |
| Feb 8-14 | $3,168,951 | - | $3,168,951 | - | 1 | The Last Married Couple in America | - | - | - | 6 | false |
| Feb 1-7 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5 | false |
| Jan 25-31 | $2,171,181 | - | $2,171,181 | - | 1 | Guyana: Cult of the Damned | - | - | - | 4 | false |
| Jan 18-24 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | false |
| Jan 4-10 | $7,614,000 | -30.7% | $7,614,000 | -30.7% | 1 | Kramer vs. Kramer | - | - | - | 1 | false |
