Back. Another hiatus with these, but I enjoy doing them so I will get them done. It takes time, because those few songs I don’t recognize by title I will listen to on YouTube and usually get reminded of one I know well. I whittle down 400+ songs that were released that year to a list of songs I actually enjoy.
This was also the year that the worst song in history was released. More on that at the end (where it belongs.
In 1983 we had one of Bob Marley’s better songs (and probably his most famous), ZZ Top’s best album came out (with three songs that stick in your head every time you hear them), and this was also the year where everyone was ‘Motorin’!’. But for the most part – the pop genre ruled. There were good pop songs out this year, particularly from women. I’m not the biggest fan of pop music, but in this particular year I admit to being a closet Bonnie Tyler fan – really love her unique voice. And I’ve always enjoyed Cyndi Lauper’s voice and All Through the Night is my favorite song from her. Another guilty pleasure – They Don’t Know by Tracey Ullman.
Unlike most rankings, I won’t be simply tossing these up in a numerical order. Because I know better than anybody that on some days, some songs kick more ass than other songs. A song that is ranked 14th today could very well rank 1st tomorrow, if it suddenly comes on the radio during the perfect moment. So I group them:
Awesome
Great
Pretty Good
Not Bad
…with inter-group splitting.
9 Great Songs that were released in 1983
Rock ‘N Roll Is King – Electric Light Orchestra
Girls Just Want To Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
Hold Me Now – Thompson Twins
It Ain’t Enough – Corey Hart
Safety Dance – Men Without Hats
Straight From The Heart – Bryan Adams
Time After Time – Cyndi Lauper
Union Of The Snake – Duran Duran
Uptown Girl – Billy Joel
11 Truly Awesome Songs from 1983
Buffalo Soldier – Bob Marley & the Wailers
Every Breath You Take – The Police
Gimme All Your Lovin’ – ZZ Top
Red Red Wine – UB40
Sister Christian – Night Ranger
Total Eclipse Of The Heart – Bonnie Tyler
All Through The Night – Cyndi Lauper
Islands in the Stream – Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
Legs – ZZ Top
Sharp Dressed Man – ZZ Top
They Don’t Know – Tracey Ullman
You can listen to these great songs as a playlist on YouTube here
Here is the complete list...
| Awesome – 1 | Buffalo Soldier | – | Bob Marley & the Wailers |
| Awesome – 1 | Every Breath You Take | – | The Police |
| Awesome – 1 | Gimme All Your Lovin’ | – | ZZ Top |
| Awesome – 1 | Red Red Wine | – | UB40 |
| Awesome – 1 | Sister Christian | – | Night Ranger |
| Awesome – 1 | Total Eclipse Of The Heart | – | Bonnie Tyler |
| Awesome – 7 | All Through The Night | – | Cyndi Lauper |
| Awesome – 7 | Islands in the Stream | – | Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton |
| Awesome – 7 | Legs | – | ZZ Top |
| Awesome – 7 | Sharp Dressed Man | – | ZZ Top |
| Awesome – 7 | They Don’t Know | – | Tracey Ullman |
| Great – 12 | Rock ‘N Roll Is King | – | Electric Light Orchestra |
| Great – 12 | Girls Just Want To Have Fun | – | Cyndi Lauper |
| Great – 12 | Hold Me Now | – | Thompson Twins |
| Great – 12 | It Ain’t Enough | – | Corey Hart |
| Great – 12 | Safety Dance | – | Men Without Hats |
| Great – 12 | Straight From The Heart | – | Bryan Adams |
| Great – 12 | Time After Time | – | Cyndi Lauper |
| Great – 12 | Union Of The Snake | – | Duran Duran |
| Great – 12 | Uptown Girl | – | Billy Joel |
| Pretty Good – 21 | All Night Long (All Night) | – | Lionel Richie |
| Pretty Good – 21 | Authority Song | – | John Mellencamp |
| Pretty Good – 21 | Crumblin’ Down | – | John Mellencamp |
| Pretty Good – 21 | Holiday Road | – | Lindsey Buckingham |
| Pretty Good – 21 | I Want A New Drug | – | Huey Lewis & the News |
| Pretty Good – 21 | Karma Chameleon | – | Culture Club |
| Pretty Good – 21 | King Of Pain | – | The Police |
| Pretty Good – 21 | Making Love Out Of Nothing At All | – | Air Supply |
| Pretty Good – 21 | Photograph | – | Def Leppard |
| Pretty Good – 21 | Pride And Joy | – | Stevie Ray Vaughan |
| Pretty Good – 21 | Radio Free Europe | – | R.E.M. |
| Pretty Good – 21 | Say Say Say | – | Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson |
| Pretty Good – 33 | Blue Monday | – | New Order |
| Pretty Good – 33 | Cruel Summer | – | Bananarama |
| Pretty Good – 33 | Cuts Like A Knife | – | Bryan Adams |
| Pretty Good – 33 | Hello | – | Lionel Richie |
| Pretty Good – 33 | Here Comes The Rain Again | – | Eurythmics |
| Pretty Good – 33 | Human Nature | – | Michael Jackson |
| Pretty Good – 33 | I’m Still Standing | – | Elton John |
| Pretty Good – 33 | Is There Something I Should Know? | – | Duran Duran |
| Pretty Good – 33 | Keeping The Faith | – | Billy Joel |
| Pretty Good – 33 | Little Red Corvette | – | Prince |
| Pretty Good – 33 | Modern Love | – | David Bowie |
| Pretty Good – 33 | Talk About the Passion | – | R.E.M. |
| Pretty Good – 33 | Tell Her About It | – | Billy Joel |
| Pretty Good – 33 | The Longest Time | – | Billy Joel |
| Pretty Good – 33 | The Reflex | – | Duran Duran |
| Pretty Good – 33 | Thriller | – | Michael Jackson |
| Pretty Good – 33 | Who’s That Girl | – | Eurythmics |
| Pretty Good – 33 | Wrapped Around Your Finger | – | The Police |
| Not Bad – 51 | 1999 | – | Prince |
| Not Bad – 51 | Bang the Drum All Day | – | Todd Rundgren |
| Not Bad – 51 | Borderline | – | Madonna |
| Not Bad – 51 | Break My Stride | – | Matthew Wilder |
| Not Bad – 51 | Flashdance… What a Feeling | – | Irene Cara |
| Not Bad – 51 | Holiday | – | Madonna |
| Not Bad – 51 | How Can I Fall? | – | Breathe |
| Not Bad – 51 | I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues | – | Elton John |
| Not Bad – 51 | Illegal Alien | – | Genesis |
| Not Bad – 51 | Jeopardy | – | Greg Kihn Band |
| Not Bad – 51 | Joanna | – | Kool & the Gang |
| Not Bad – 51 | Jump (For My Love) | – | The Pointer Sisters |
| Not Bad – 51 | Lake Of Fire | – | Meat Puppets |
| Not Bad – 51 | Love Struck Baby | – | Stevie Ray Vaughan |
| Not Bad – 51 | Mad World | – | Tears for Fears |
| Not Bad – 51 | New Year’s Day | – | U2 |
| Not Bad – 51 | P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) | – | Michael Jackson |
| Not Bad – 51 | Sunglasses At Night | – | Corey Hart |
| Not Bad – 51 | Talking In Your Sleep | – | The Romantics |
| Not Bad – 51 | That’s All | – | Genesis |
| Not Bad – 51 | This Time | – | Bryan Adams |
| Not Bad – 51 | What Is Love? | – | Howard Jones |
| Not Bad – 73 | Rise Up | – | Parachute Club |
| Not Bad – 73 | Let’s Dance | – | David Bowie |
| Not Bad – 73 | Lick It Up | – | Kiss |
| Not Bad – 73 | Lucky Star | – | Madonna |
| Not Bad – 73 | Major Tom (I’m Coming Home) | – | Peter Schilling |
| Not Bad – 73 | Maniac | – | Michael Sembello |
| Not Bad – 73 | Mr. Roboto | – | Styx |
| Not Bad – 73 | On The Dark Side | – | John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band |
| Not Bad – 73 | Puttin’ On the Ritz | – | Taco |
| Not Bad – 73 | In A Big Country | – | Big Country |
| Not Bad – 73 | Say It Isn’t So | – | Hall & Oates |
| Not Bad – 73 | Stand Back | – | Stevie Nicks |
| Not Bad – 73 | Sunday Bloody Sunday | – | U2 |
| Not Bad – 73 | The Heart of Rock & Roll | – | Huey Lewis & the News |
| Not Bad – 73 | Synchronicity II | – | The Police |
| Not Bad – 73 | True | – | Spandau Ballet |
| Not Bad – 73 | One Thing Leads to Another | – | The Fixx |
| Not Bad – 73 | Original Sin | – | INXS |
| Not Bad – 73 | Pale Shelter | – | Tears for Fears |
| Not Bad – 73 | She Bop | – | Cyndi Lauper |
| Not Bad – 73 | She Works Hard For The Money | – | Donna Summer |
| Not Bad – 73 | Smalltown Boy | – | Bronski Beat |
| HORRIBLE – 1000000 | Owner Of A Lonely Heart | – | Yes |
I can’t picture a music talent scout walking into a bar and hearing “Owner of a Lonely Heart” and thinking that they have to sign such a band! Horrible, ridiculous sound in terms of both music and lyrics. I can’t think of one nice thing to say about it. Please help me understand how this song ever made it to air. I don’t care how established this band was – if they put together a song like this one, feel free to hide it as a bonus track. How did it get on the radio and how much payola was given to DJs to play it?
Worst song in history.
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
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