1983: The Year In Music

1983 – A record 125 million people watch the final TV episode of “M*A*S*H”. The videogame “Mario Bros.” is released as a Nintendo arcade game in Japan. The first mobile phones are introduced to the public by the Motorola Company. 26 million pounds worth of gold, diamonds and cash are stolen from Brink’s-Mat warehouse at Heathrow Airport. Crazy year for news … and the music was insane too!

I’ll be looking at the popular and highest-rated songs / albums of the year, giving my opinions on their musicality and longevity as well as an overall verdict for the year as a whole.

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Billboard Top 10 (Popular) Singles

Source: Wikipedia

10 – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (Eurhythmics)

We’re not even a song in and we’ve already been treated to a classic.

“Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” is an Electronic bop, with glorious 80’s synth production and some fantastically catchy vocals by Annie Lennox.

9 – Maniac (Michael Sembello)

The verses of “Maniac” are a little boring, but the choruses make up for it.

8 – Baby, Come to Me (Patti Austin and James Ingram)

Quincy Jones’ silky production is definitely the best part of “Baby, Come to Me”, as otherwise it’s a standard, soulful ballad.

7 – Maneater (Hall & Oates)

You can’t have an 80’s playlist without Hall & Oates, and more often than not it’s “Maneater” that makes the cut.

It’s lots of fun with a great chorus, but the echoed saxophone segment tends to get on my nerves.

6 – Total Eclipse of the Heart (Bonnie Tyler)

There aren’t many more dramatic Pop songs than “Total Eclipse of the Heart”.

Bonnie Tyler’s grand performance is ear-catching, and the whole thing is bombastic to the point of pure entertainment.

5 – Beat It (Michael Jackson)

One of the strange things about doing these year-by-year retrospectives is that sometimes a song released one year won’t make the Billboard Hits until the following year, and that’s exactly what happened with some of Michael Jackson’s biggest hits.

“Beat It” featured on 1982‘s highest-rated list so I won’t talk about it again, but know that it’s a banger.

4 – Down Under (Men at Work)

Is “Down Under” stereotypical? Maybe, but it’s also a whole lot of fun.

Its verses are cheeky, and the choruses are super catchy.

3 – Flashdance … What a Feeling (Irene Cara)

“Maniac” from the same film soundtrack also made the Billboard Top 10, so now it’s the title track’s time in the spotlight.

“Flashdance … What a Feeling” might not be the most creatively constructed track, but it does its crowd-pleasing job well.

2 – Billie Jean (Michael Jackson)

“Billie Jean” is another Michael Jackson song that I already talked about in 1982, so it’s disqualified from 1983’s “Favourite Song” category.

It’s an absolute classic, though, and probably would have won if eligible.

1 – Every Breath You Take (The Police)

Not only does “Every Breath You Take” have the best underlying groove and songwriting of the year, but the disturbing undertones in the lyrics make it worth the repeat listen.

It was a bold move to make such an outwardly creepy song, but it paid off in dividends.

FAVOURITE – “Every Breath You Take” (The Police)

LEAST FAVOURITE – “Baby, Come to Me” (Patti Austin and James Ingram)

Top-Rated Songs

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

10 – Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper)

Cyndi Lauper’s other hit “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” can be a little grating, but “Time After Time” has no such problems.

It’s a gorgeous ballad with surprisingly heartfelt lyrics and some great 80’s production.

9 – Radio Free Europe (R.E.M.)

Every fantastic album needs a fantastic opener, and “Radio Free Europe” is exactly that to R.E.M.’s “Murmur”.

It has hints of Punk and a dollop of Alternative Rock, with energetic verses and a rousing chorus.

8 – Burning Down The House (Talking Heads)

“Burning Down The House” was one of Talking Heads’ biggest hits, barely cracking the top ten – which goes to show how underappreciated they were in their time.

It’s an 80’s bop with some classic, erratic vocals from Byrne to tie the whole thing together.

7 – New Year’s Day (U2)

1983 was the year that U2 finally began making a name for themselves.

“New Year’s Day” is confrontational and accusatory, but with hints of a love song sprinkled throughout.

6 – The Trooper (Iron Maiden)

Iron Maiden are unique in this era of 80’s Rock, and “The Trooper” is a personal favourite.

It’s dramatic and energetic, with a surprisingly catchy chorus.

5 – Every Breath You Take (The Police)

Hey, it’s the creepy stalker song again!

This is the first time in ages that the biggest hit of the year is also one of the best critically. Well done general audiences in 1983 for backing the right horse!

4 – Sunday Bloody Sunday (U2)

“New Year’s Day” had hints of aggression, but “Sunday Bloody Sunday” is an all-out rebellion.

It sheds light on one of Ireland’s darkest days, and the energy throughout is superb.

3 – Blister In The Sun (Violent Femmes)

Compared to everything else in 1983, “Blister In The Sun” by Violent Femmes is a breath of fresh air.

It’s acoustic for a start, and the strained vocals and groovy guitar breaks are unlike anything else you’ll hear from the era – and I love it.

2 – Age Of Consent (New Order)

After Ian Curtis’s tragic death, many assumed that Joy Division would be no more. Out of nothing, however, came New Order – a new project by the surviving band members.

“Age Of Consent” bridges the gap between the Punk sounds of Joy Division and the electronica of later New Order, and it slaps.

1 – This Must Be The Place (Naïve Melody) (Talking Heads)

Talking Heads may not have got their dues in their time, but I’m glad critics collectively agree these days that they were awesome.

“This Must Be The Place” is intentionally simple and repetitive, with non-sequitur lyrics that make no sense even in context … but that’s what makes it so romantic and endearing.

BEST SONG OF 1983 – “Blister In The Sun” (Violent Femmes)

Top-Rated Albums

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

5 – Synchronicity (The Police)

I’m not that familiar with Police albums as I tend to stick to the hits, so “Synchronicity” came as a huge surprise.

“Every Breath You Take” was fantastic, obviously, but the two title tracks, “King of Pain” and “Wrapped Around Your Finger” shocked me with how complex and catchy they were.

4 – War (U2)

“War” is much more bitter and visceral than U2’s later work – any album that starts with “Sunday Bloody Sunday” is bound to grab my attention.

“New Year’s Day” and “Two Hearts Beat As One” are stand-outs, but I think the best of U2 is still to come.

3 – Power, Corruption & Lies (New Order)

New Order needed to make a bold statement to the public in the wake of Joy Division’s dissolvement, and “Power, Corruption & Lies” was exactly what the doctor ordered.

The Opener “Age Of Consent” is a strong start, and other songs like “Your Silent Face” and “Leave Me Alone” do the job.

2 – Violent Femmes (Violent Femmes)

“Blister In The Sun” was my favourite song of 1983, so you can imagine how highly I regard Violent Femmes’ debut album.

It still sounds as fresh now as it did 40 years ago, and every track here has its own charm.

1 – Murmur (R.E.M.)

This has been a great year for album openers – “Radio Free Europe” is instantly my favourite song on “Murmur”, and the rest of the album is great too!

It doesn’t sound as ground-breaking and fresh as some of the other albums I’ve heard, but I can appreciate the craftsmanship.

BEST ALBUM OF 1983 – “Synchronicity” (The Police)

David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” and Talking Heads’ “Speaking in Tongues” are also fun personal favourites from 1983. All in all, a great year!

Final Thoughts

This has been my favourite year in a while. The hits and critically acclaimed songs / albums all hit the spot, and I found some new material that I’ll be listening to on repeat for the next few weeks.

Overall Grade: A-

Aaaaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: