1983 in music: Encyclopedia - 1983 in music

1983 in music

See also: 1982 in music, other events of 1983, 1984 in music, 1980s in music and the list of 'years in music'

1983 in music - Events

The most long-term influential release of 1983 is probably Head over Heels by the Cocteau Twins, which sold poorly upon its initial release. In the ensuing years, the album's eclectic assortment of alternative rock, New Wave and synth pop influences became a cornerstone of later alternative rock groups, most especially in the United Kingdom, where the Cocteau Twins' mix of airy textures and breathless vocals (dream pop) mutated into genres like twee pop, space rock and shoegazing, and eventually hit mainstream success with a psychedelic-influenced form, Britpop.

Another album that eventually became enormously influential is Kill 'Em All by Metallica. This, their debut, is often considered the first purely thrash metal album, and helped lead the way for the diversification of heavy metal genres in the later part of the decade. Kill 'Em All 's popular success was quite limited, though it received rave reviews from metal critics and fans for its then-unique blend of earlier heavy metal pioneers, especially the New Wave of British heavy metal like Judas Priest, and hardcore punk, such as The Ramones.

Quiet Riot's Metal Health was enormously popular in 1983, and was the first heavy metal album to go to #1 on the pop charts. The lead single, "Cum on Feel the Noize" (cover of Slade) was also a huge hit, and set the stage for the mainstream crossover of later hair metal bands like Guns n' Roses and Def Leppard. Metal Health is also the only album in Quiet Riot's catalogue to achieve much success critically or popularly.

The country music legend Kenny Rogers records his 23rd studio album "We've Got Tonight," which is his last album for Liberty records. He signs to RCA for a guaranteed sum of no less than $20 million for 6 albums, the biggest record deal of all-time up to that point. His earnings for those recordings will amount to even more, but no details have ever been made public.

Some releases from 1983 deserve special mention:

• The Police's Synchronicity was their final release together before breaking up, and was enormously popular, including one of their more popular songs, "Every Breath You Take"
• Culture Club's Kissing to Be Clever was their popular breakthrough, and included one of their most well-known songs, the hit single "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me"
• Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) was also their breakthrough success, and included their signature tune, the title track
• Mötley Crüe's Shout at the Devil was their breakthrough, and included "Looks That Kill", though they would go on to greater popular and critical success in the later part of the decade after recovering from the shock of member Vince Neil's near-fatal car accident
• Tom Waits' Swordfishtrombones was his first album for Island Records, and the first in a series of three thematically and stylistically linked albums that established him as a critical darling and cult favorite
• New Order's Power, Corruption & Lies released. In some countries, it included the best-selling 12" record of all time, "Blue Monday"; the album was the second since forming from the ashes of Joy Division (after the suicide of Ian Curtis) and the first to achieve critical or popular success, as it was a stylistically innovative mix of synth vocals and dance-heavy beats
• Duran Duran scored hits from three separate albums in this year (Rio, the reissue of Duran Duran, and Seven and the Ragged Tiger)
• Merle Haggard began a run of chart success in this year, which continued for about two years. His duet album with Willie Nelson, Pancho & Lefty, was an enormous critical and popular success and did much to revitalize the careers of both entertainers, especially the hit title track
• Stevie Ray Vaughan's Texas Flood was more popular than any blues album since the late 1960s, and did much to establish country-blues as a commercially viable genre
• George Strait's Right or Wrong sold extremely well, and is a pivotal album in the development of the honky tonk revival during the rest of the decade.

• Publication of A Generative Theory of Tonal Music by Fred Lerdahl and Ray Jackendoff.
• February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Let's Spend the Night Together opens in New York
• November - first Now That's What I Call Music! compilation released in the UK.
• Diana Ross performs in Central Park in the pouring rain
• The Police breakup
• Highest point of the 1981-1985 Menuditis and Menudomania all over Latin America.
• Run DMC releases their debut single, "It's Like That"/"Sucker M.C.'s"
• The Dust Brothers form
• The Misfits break up; Glenn Danzig forms Samhain
• A-Ha forms in Norway
• Death forms
• Dinosaur Jr. forms
• Megadeth form
• Phish forms
• Red Hot Chili Peppers form
• Youth Choir forms (later called The Choir)
• Budgie breaks up
• The UK singles chart starts to use electronic terminals in selected stores to gather sales information. The old "sales diary" method will be gradually phased out over the next few years.

1983 in music - Albums released

• Restless and Wild - Accept
• Flick of the Switch - AC/DC
• No Parole From Rock & Roll - Alcatrazz
• Forged in Fire - Anvil
• Lesson Well Learned EP - Armored Saint (first release)
• High Land, Hard Rain - Aztec Camera
• Into the Unknown - Bad Religion
• Live From Earth - Pat Benatar
• The Crossing - Big Country
• Live Evil - Black Sabbath
• Let's Dance - David Bowie
• Johnny 99 - Johnny Cash
• Hello, I Must Be Going! - Phil Collins
• Colour By Numbers - Culture Club
• Head over Heels - Cocteau Twins
• Punch the Clock - Elvis Costello & the Attractions
• Da Da - Alice Cooper
• Yes Sir, I Will - Crass
• Japanese Whispers - The Cure
• Les p'tits mots - Dalida
• Ton prénom dans mon coeur - Dalida
• Canterbury - Diamond Head
• Pyromania - Def Leppard
• Construction Time Again - Depeche Mode
• Holy Diver - Dio
• I Put Away My Idols - Dion DiMucci
• Breaking the Chains - Dokken (major label debut), (rerelease)
• Seven and the Ragged Tiger - Duran Duran
• Zeichnungen des Patienten O. T. (Drawings of Patient O. T.) - Einstürzende Neubauten
• Europe - Europe
• Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Eurythmics
• Touch - The Eurythmics
• Let's Start A War (Said Maggie One Day) - The Exploited
• Fastway - Fastway
• Out For Blood - Lita Ford (solo debut)
• What Funk? - Grand Funk Railroad
• Samurai - Grand Prix
• Ageless Medley EP - Amy Grant
• A Christmas Album - Amy Grant
• Heart to Heart - Merle Haggard
• Pancho & Lefty - Merle Haggard & Willie Nelson
• That's the Way Love Goes - Merle Haggard
• Rock 'n' Soul, Part 1 - Hall & Oates
• Back to the Mystery City - Hanoi Rocks
• Self-Destruction Blues Hanoi Rocks
• The Luxury Gap - Heaven 17
• No Rest For The Wicked - Helix
• Riding with the King - John Hiatt
• Feel My Soul - Jennifer Holliday
• Metal Circus - Hüsker Dü
• Piece of Mind - Iron Maiden
• Night And Day - Joe Jackson
• Waylon & Company - Waylon Jennings
• Take It to the Limit - Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson
• Too Low for Zero - Elton John
• Shine On - George Jones
• Frontiers - Journey
• Pipes of Peace - Paul McCartney
• Lick It Up - KISS
• Headhunter - Krokus
• Madness - Madness
• Into Glory Ride - Manowar
• Script for a Jester's Tear - Marillion
• Confrontation - Bob Marley and the Wailers
• We Are One - Maze featuring Frankie Beverly
• Behind the Scene - Reba McEntire
• Business As Usual - Men At Work
• A Volar - Menudo
• Kill 'Em All - Metallica (debut)
• Offramp - The Pat Metheny Group
• Travels(Live) - The Pat Metheny Group
• 31 July: Oriental Towers - The Modern Art
• Shout at the Devil - Mötley Crüe
• Another Perfect Day - Motörhead
• Sound Elixir - Nazareth
• Take it to the River - Willie Nelson
• Tougher than Leather - Willie Nelson
• Without a Song - Willie Nelson
• Dazzle Ships - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
• Power, Corruption & Lies - New Order
• Trouble in Paradise - Randy Newman
• American Made - The Oak Ridge Boys
• Dreamgirls - Original Broadway Cast Album
• Bark At the Moon - Ozzy Osbourne
• Metal Magic - Pantera
• Principle of Moments - Robert Plant
• Urban Dance Floor Guerillas - P-Funk All Stars
• The Final Cut - Pink Floyd
• Works - Pink Floyd
• Everywhere at Once - The Plimsouls
• Break Out - The Pointer Sisters
• Synchronicity - The Police
• Queensrÿche EP - Queensrÿche
• Metal Health - Quiet Riot (American debut)
• Bent Out of Shape - Rainbow
• Subterranean Jungle - The Ramones
• Ratt EP - Ratt
• All for One - Raven
• Neruda - Red Rider
• Imagination - Helen Reddy
• Hootenanny - The Replacements
• Murmur - R.E.M. (full length debut)
• Can't Slow Down - Lionel Richie
• We've Got Tonight - Kenny Rogers
• Eyes That See In The Dark - Kenny Rogers
• In Heat - The Romantics
• Assault Attack - The Michael Schenker Group
• Built to Destroy - The Michael Schenker Group
• Hearts and Bones - Paul Simon
• Show No Mercy - Slayer
• Mommy's Little Monster - Social Distortion
• Confusion Is Sex - Sonic Youth (debut)
• Southern Death Cult EP - Southern Death Cult (first release by the band to eventually be known as The Cult)
• Works - Status Quo
• All the Best - Stiff Little Fingers
• Right or Wrong - George Strait
• Steeler - Steeler (Yngwie Malmsteen & Ron Keel's 1st band, This band's only release)
• Yentl (soundtrack) - Barbra Streisand
• Suicidal Tendencies - Suicidal Tendencies (debut)
• She Works Hard For The Money - Donna Summer
• Speaking in Tongues - Talking Heads
• The Hurting - Tears for Fears (debut)
• Life - Thin Lizzy
• Thunder and Lightning - Thin Lizzy
• Hand of Kindness - Richard Thompson
• Never Surrender - Triumph
• You Can't Stop Rock & Roll - Twisted Sister (major label debut)
• Lost in the Feeling - Conway Twitty
• Merry Twistmas - Conway Twitty
• Faster Than The Speed Of Night - Bonnie Tyler
• Labour Of Love - UB40
• Under A Blood Red Sky - U2
• War - U2
• Peace Thru Vandalism - The Vandals
• 1984- Van Halen
• Flashdance (soundtrack) - Various Artists
• Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan
• At War with Satan - Venom
• Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes (debut)
• Swordfishtrombones - Tom Waits
• The Waterboys - The Waterboys (debut)
• Even the Strong Get Lonely - Tammy Wynette
• Good Love & Heartbreak - Tammy Wynette
• 90125 - Yes
• Mean Streak - Y&T
• No Parlez - Paul Young
• Zebra - Zebra
• Eliminator - ZZ Top

1983 in music - Top hits on record

• "1999" - Prince
• "A Girl Called Johnny" - The Waterboys
• "Add It Up" - Violent Femmes
• "Africa" - Toto
• "All Night Long (All Night)" - Lionel Richie
• "All Time High" - Rita Coolidge
• "Always Something There to Remind Me" - Naked Eyes
• "Another State Of Mind" - Social Distortion
• "Australiana" - Austen Tayshus #1 (a)
• "Baby, Come to Me" - Patti Austin with James Ingram
• "Baby Jane" - Rod Stewart
• "Bad Boys" - Wham!
• "Bad Day" - Carmel
• "Bark At The Moon" - Ozzy Osbourne
• "Beat It" - Michael Jackson
• "Big Log" - Robert Plant
• "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson
• "Blind Vision" - Blancmange
• "Blister In The Sun" - Violent Femmes
• "Bloodstone" - Judas Priest
• "Blue Monday" - New Order
• "Blue World" - The Moody Blues
• "Bop Girl - Pat Wilson #1 (a)
• "Boxerbeat" - JoBoxers
• "Breaking Us In Two" - Joe Jackson
• "Buffalo Soldier" - Bob Marley and the Wailers
• "Buried Treasure" - Kenny Rogers
• "Burning Down The House" - Talking Heads
• "Calling Your Name" - Marilyn
• "Candy Girl" - New Edition
• "Can't Get Used To Losing You" - The Beat
• "Cattle And Cane" - The Go-Betweens
• "Chance" - Big Country
• "Change" - Tears For Fears
• "China Girl" - David Bowie
• "Chinese Cafe" - Joni Mitchell
• "Church of the Poison Mind" - Culture Club
• "Club Tropicana" - Wham!
• "Come Back And Stay" - Paul Young
• "Countdown/New World Man" - Rush
• "Cruel Summer" - Bananarama
• "Cry Me A River" - Mari Wilson
• "Dark Is The Night" - Shakatak
• "Dear Prudence" - Siouxsie and the Banshees
• "Delirious" - Prince
• "Did You Have To Love Me Like You Do?" - The Coconuts
• "Dirty Laundry" - Don Henley
• "Don't Cry" - Asia
• "Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Away" - Phil Collins
• "Don't Talk To Me About Love" - Altered Images
• "Double Dutch" - Malcolm McLaren
• "Down Under" - Men at Work
• "Drop The Pilot" - Joan Armatrading
• "Electric Avenue" - Eddy Grant
• "Every Breath You Take" - The Police
• "Everyday I Write The Book" - Elvis Costello and the Attractions
• "Everything Counts" - Depeche Mode
• "Family Man" - Hall & Oates
• "Femme" - Dalida
• "Fields Of Fire (400 Miles)" - Big Country
• "Flashdance... What a Feeling" - Irene Cara
• "Foolin'" - Def Leppard
• "Garden Party" - Marillion
• "Gimme All Your Lovin'" - ZZ Top
• "Give It Up" - KC and the Sunshine Band
• "Gloria" - Laura Branigan
• "Gold" - Spandau Ballet
• "He Knows You Know" - Marillion
• "Heartache Avenue" - The Maisonettes
• "Hold Me Now" - The Thompson Twins
• "Hungry Like The Wolf" - Duran Duran
• "I Am (I'm Me)" - Twisted Sister
• "I Cannot Believe It's True" - Phil Collins
• "I Don't Care Anymore" - Phil Collins
• "I Don't Remember (Live)" - Peter Gabriel
• "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" - Elton John
• "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" - Culture Club
• "I'm Still Standing" - Elton John
• "In A Big Country" - Big Country
• "In The Neighborhood" - Tom Waits
• "I.O.U." - Freeez
• "Is There Something I Should Know?" - Duran Duran
• "Islands In The Stream" - Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
• "It Don't Matter To Me" - Phil Collins
• "It's Raining Men" - The Weather Girls
• "Johnny B. Goode" - Peter Tosh
• "Jump (For My Love)" - Pointer Sisters
• "Karma Chameleon" - Culture Club
• "Keep Feeling (Fascination)" - The Human League
• "Kiss The Bride" - Elton John
• "Le restaurant italien" - Dalida
• "Les p'tits mots" - Dalida
• "Let The Music Play" - Shannon (singer)
• "Let's Dance" - David Bowie
• "Let's Stay Together" - Tina Turner
• "Lick It Up" - Kiss
• "Listen To The Radio:Atmospherics" - Tom Robinson
• "Little Red Corvette" - Prince
• "Long Hot Summer" - The Style Council
• "Love Blonde" - Kim Wilde
• "Love is a Battlefield" - Pat Benatar
• "Love Is A Stranger" - Eurythmics
• "Love Of The Common People" - Paul Young
• "Love On Your Side" - The Thompson Twins
• "Love Town" - Booker Newberry III
• "Mama" - Genesis
• "Many Rivers To Cross" - UB40
• "Marguerita Time" - Status Quo
• "Market Square Heroes" - Marillion
• "Maxine" - Sharon O'Neil
• "Modern Love" - David Bowie
• "Moonlight Shadow" - Mike Oldfield
• "Mourir sur scène" - Dalida
• "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" - Bananarama
• "New Frontier" - Donald Fagen
• "New Song" - Howard Jones
• "New Year's Day" - U2
• "Nobody's Diary" - Yazoo
• "Oblivious" - Aztec Camera
• "One On One" - Hall & Oates
• "Only For Love" - Limahl
• "Only You" - The Flying Pickets
• "Ooh To Be Ah" - Kajagoogoo
• "Our Lips Are Sealed" - Fun Boy Three
• "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" - Yes
• "Photograph" - Def Leppard
• "Pills And Soap" - The Imposter
• "Pipes Of Peace" - Paul McCartney
• "Radio Free Europe" - R.E.M.
• "Reckless" - Australian Crawl #1
• "Red Red Wine" - UB40
• "Relax" - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
• "Right By Your Side" - The Eurythmics
• "Rio" - Duran Duran
• "Rip It Up" - Orange Juice
• "Rock And Roll Is King" - Electric Light Orchestra
• "Rockit" - Herbie Hancock
• "Rosanna" - Toto
• "Save A Prayer" - Duran Duran
• "Say Say Say" - Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney
• "Screaming for Vengeance" - Judas Priest
• "Send Me An Angel" - Real Life
• "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" - Journey
• "Sharp Dressed Man" - ZZ Top
• "She Works Hard For The Money" - Donna Summer
• "Shiny Shiny" - Haysi Fantazee
• "Shipbuilding" - Robert Wyatt
• "Sign Of The Times" - The Belle Stars
• "Song To The Siren" - This Mortal Coil
• "Soul Inside" - Soft Cell
• "Speak Like A Child" - The Style Council
• "Stand Back" - Stevie Nicks
• "Steppin' Out" - Joe Jackson
• "Street of Dreams" - Rainbow
• "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" - Eurythmics
• "Synchronicity 2" - The Police
• "Talking In Your Sleep" - The Romantics
• "Tell Her About It" - Billy Joel
• "Temptation" - Heaven 17
• "Tender Is The Night" - Jackson Browne
• "That's All" - Genesis
• "The Big Apple" - Kajagoogoo
• "The Border" - America
• "The Celtic Soul Brothers" - Dexy's Midnight Runners
• "The Chinese Way" - Level 42
• "The Cutter" - Echo and the Bunnymen
• "The First Picture Of You" - The Lotus Eaters
• "The Love Cats" - The Cure
• "The Safety Dance" - Men Without Hats
• "The Shape You're In" - Eric Clapton
• "The Story Of The Blues" - The Mighty Wah!
• "The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)" - Level 42
• "The Walk" - The Cure
• "They Don't Know" - Tracey Ullman
• "This Charming Man" - The Smiths
• "This Is The Day" - The The
• "Thriller" - Michael Jackson
• "Thunder And Lightning" - Thin Lizzy
• "Tomorrow's Just Another Day" - Madness
• "Tonight I Celebrate My Love" - Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack
• "Too Shy" - Kajagoogoo
• "Total Eclipse of the Heart" - Bonnie Tyler
• "True" - Spandau Ballet
• "True Love Ways" - Cliff Richard
• "2000 Miles" - The Pretenders
• "Tunnel Of Love" - Fun Boy Three
• "Twilight Zone" - Golden Earring
• "Twisting By The Pool" - Dire Straits
• "Under Attack" - ABBA
• "Undercover Of The Night" - The Rolling Stones
• "Union Of The Snake" - Duran Duran
• "Up Where We Belong" - Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes
• "Uptown Girl" - Billy Joel
• "Vintage '77 (EP)" - The Heartbreakers
• "Vision In Blue" - Ultravox
• "A Volar" - Menudo
• "Walk Out To Winter" - Aztec Camera
• "Walkin' The Line" - Brass Construction
• "Watching You Watching Me" - David Grant
• "Waterfront" - Simple Minds
• "We Are Detective" - The Thompson Twins
• "We've Got Tonight" Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton
• "What Is Love?" - Howard Jones
• "What Kinda Boy You're Lookin' For (Girl)" - Hot Chocolate
• "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" - Paul Young
• "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" - Grandmaster and Melle Mel
• "Who's That Girl?" - The Eurythmics
• "Why Can't It Wait 'Til Morning?" - Phil Collins
• "Wings Of A Dove" - Madness
• "Wrapped Around Your Finger" - The Police
• "You Can't Hurry Love" - Phil Collins

See also: Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1983

1983 in music - Published popular music

• "An Innocent Man" w.m. Billy Joel
• "Karma Chameleon" w.m. George O'Dowd, John Moss, Roy Hay, Mickey Craig & Phil Rickett
• "Uptown Girl" w.m. Billy Joel
• "Total Eclipse of the Heart" - Jim Steinman

1983 in music - Classical music

• Friedrich Cerha - Requiem für Hollensteiner
• George Crumb - Processional for piano
• Jean Daetwyler - Concerto for Alphorn, Flute, Saxophone and Strings no 2
• Mario Davidovsky - Romancero for soprano, flute (piccolo, alto flute), clarinet (bass clarinet), violin and violoncello
• Jacques Hétu - Clarinet Concerto
• John Pickard - Nocturne in Black and Gold
• Iannis Xenakis - Shaar

1983 in music - Opera

• Leonard Bernstein - A Quiet Place
• Oliver Knussen - Where the Wild Things Are (children's)
• Per Nørgård - Det guddommelige Tivoli (The Divine Circus)

1983 in music - Musical theater

• Abbacadabra London production opened at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre on December 8
• Baby     Broadway production
• La Cage aux Folles     Broadway production
• Doonesbury     Broadway production
• Mame (Jerry Herman) - Broadway revival
• Merlin     Broadway production
• Oliver! (Lionel Bart) - London revival
• On Your Toes     Broadway revival
• My One and Only     Broadway production
• Singin' In The Rain     London production
• The Tap Dance Kid     Broadway production
• Zorba     Broadway revival

1983 in music - Musical films

• The Pirates of Penzance
• Staying Alive

1983 in music - Musical television

• Salad Days

1983 in music - Births

• March 14 - Jordan Taylor Hanson, Hanson
• May 2 - Rose Falcon
• June 30 - Cheryl Tweedy,member of Girls Aloud
• July 2 - Michelle Branch, Justincase
• July 11 - Marie Eleonor Serneholt, oldest of A-Teens
• September 17 - Jennifer Peña
• October 29 - Amit Paul, member of A-Teens

1983 in music - Deaths

• February 4 - Karen Carpenter, singer, dies of anorexia nervosa
• February 12 - Eubie Blake (100), pianist
• February 22 - Sir Adrian Boult, conductor
• March 6 - Cathy Berberian, singer and composer
• April 4 - Danny Rapp, Danny and the Juniors, gunshot wound
• April 14 - Pete Farndon, the Pretenders, drug overdose
• April 30 - Muddy Waters (68), heart attack
• April 30 - George Balanchine, choreographer
• May 5 - Clarence Quick (46), the Del Vikings, heart attack
• June 2 - Stan Rogers, musician
• July 5 - Harry James, bandleader
• July 23 - Georges Auric, composer, member of Les Six
• November 7 - Germaine Tailleferre, composer, only female member of Les Six
• December 28 - Dennis Wilson, member of the Beach Boys

1983 in music - Awards

1983 in music - Grammy Awards

• Grammy Awards of 1983

1983 in music - Country Music Association Awards

1983 in music - Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1983

1983 in music - Charts

1983 in music - List of No. 1 Hits

• Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1983

1983 in music - KROQ

• KROQ Top 106.7 Countdown of 1983

Categories: 1983 in music | Years in music

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