All sub 1'45" performances from 1981
| # | Mark | SR | Athlete | IR | Nat | Pos | Venue | Date |
| 1 | 1.41.73 | 1 | Sebastian Coe | | GBR | 1 | Firenze | 10-06-1981 |
| 2 | 1.44.06 | | Sebastian Coe | 2 | GBR | 1 | London | 03-06-1981 |
| 3 | 1.44.3 m | 2 | Joaquim Cruz | | BRA | 1 | Rio de Janeiro | 27-06-1981 |
| 4 | 1.44.31 | 3 | Olaf Beyer | | DDR | 1 | Jena | 08-08-1981 |
| 5 | 1.44.49 | 4 | Mike Boit | | KEN | 1 | Lausanne | 14-07-1981 |
| 6 | 1.44.55 | | Mike Boit | 2 | KEN | 1 | Milano | 08-07-1981 |
| 7 | 1.44.56k | | Sebastian Coe | 3 | GBR | 1 | Oslo | 11-07-1981 |
| 8 | 1.44.63 | 5 | James Robinson | | USA | 1 | Villanova PA | 30-05-1981 |
| 9 | 1.44.81 | 6 | Detlef Wagenknecht | | DDR | 2 | Jena | 08-08-1981 |
| 10 | 1.44.93 | 7 | Mark Enyeart | | USA | 2 | Villanova PA | 30-05-1981 |
| 11 | 1.44.95 | | James Robinson | 2 | USA | 1 | Oslo | 11-07-1981 |
| 12 | 1.44.96 | 8 | Harald Schmid | | GER | 2 | Oslo | 11-07-1981 |
| 13 | 1.44.99 | | James Robinson | 3 | USA | 1 | Luxembourg | 30-08-1981 |