These take 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 the year that the worst song in history was released. More on that at the end (where it belongs).
In 1983 the compact disc first arrived in the USA after starting off in Japan. And the entertainment industry was fighting something called “piracy”? Apparently, people were taping music off the radio! (Okay fine, I did that too). Just goes to show you that the battle is endless and if you truly want to stomp it out then make the music more affordable – with only a tiny cut going to producers and distributors. The Rolling Stones were signed to the biggest recording contract in history at $28 million – and the last song I liked by this great band was in 1981. So that $28 million went to crap. Also in 1983 – Paul Simon married Princess Leia!
During this year 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.
10 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
Heart and Soul – Huey Lewis & the News
12 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
Follow me on Spotify for more great playlists
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 |
| Awesome – 7 | New Moon On Monday | – | Duran Duran |
| Great – 13 | Rock ‘N Roll Is King | – | Electric Light Orchestra |
| Great – 13 | Girls Just Want To Have Fun | – | Cyndi Lauper |
| Great – 13 | Hold Me Now | – | Thompson Twins |
| Great – 13 | It Ain’t Enough | – | Corey Hart |
| Great – 13 | Safety Dance | – | Men Without Hats |
| Great – 13 | Straight From The Heart | – | Bryan Adams |
| Great – 13 | Time After Time | – | Cyndi Lauper |
| Great – 13 | Union Of The Snake | – | Duran Duran |
| Great – 13 | Uptown Girl | – | Billy Joel |
| Great – 13 | Heart And Soul | – | Huey Lewis & the News |
| Solid – 23 | All Night Long (All Night) | – | Lionel Richie |
| Solid – 23 | Authority Song | – | John Mellencamp |
| Solid – 23 | Crumblin’ Down | – | John Mellencamp |
| Solid – 23 | Holiday Road | – | Lindsey Buckingham |
| Solid – 23 | I Want A New Drug | – | Huey Lewis & the News |
| Solid – 23 | Karma Chameleon | – | Culture Club |
| Solid – 23 | King Of Pain | – | The Police |
| Solid – 23 | Making Love Out Of Nothing At All | – | Air Supply |
| Solid – 23 | Photograph | – | Def Leppard |
| Solid – 23 | Pride And Joy | – | Stevie Ray Vaughan |
| Solid – 23 | Radio Free Europe | – | R.E.M. |
| Solid – 23 | Say Say Say | – | Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson |
| Solid – 35 | Blue Monday | – | New Order |
| Solid – 35 | Cruel Summer | – | Bananarama |
| Solid – 35 | Cuts Like A Knife | – | Bryan Adams |
| Solid – 35 | Hello | – | Lionel Richie |
| Solid – 35 | Here Comes The Rain Again | – | Eurythmics |
| Solid – 35 | Human Nature | – | Michael Jackson |
| Solid – 35 | I’m Still Standing | – | Elton John |
| Solid – 35 | Is There Something I Should Know? | – | Duran Duran |
| Solid – 35 | Keeping The Faith | – | Billy Joel |
| Solid – 35 | Little Red Corvette | – | Prince |
| Solid – 35 | Modern Love | – | David Bowie |
| Solid – 35 | Talk About the Passion | – | R.E.M. |
| Solid – 35 | Tell Her About It | – | Billy Joel |
| Solid – 35 | The Longest Time | – | Billy Joel |
| Solid – 35 | The Reflex | – | Duran Duran |
| Solid – 35 | Thriller | – | Michael Jackson |
| Solid – 35 | Who’s That Girl | – | Eurythmics |
| Solid – 35 | Wrapped Around Your Finger | – | The Police |
| Solid – 35 | Talking In Your Sleep | – | The Romantics |
| Solid – 35 | That’s All | – | Genesis |
| Solid – 35 | Break My Stride | – | Matthew Wilder |
| Not Bad – 56 | Cum on Feel the Noize | – | Quiet Riot |
| Not Bad – 56 | Tonight I Celebrate My Love | – | Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack |
| Not Bad – 56 | Old Emotions | – | Spoons |
| Not Bad – 56 | 1999 | – | Prince |
| Not Bad – 56 | Bang the Drum All Day | – | Todd Rundgren |
| Not Bad – 56 | Borderline | – | Madonna |
| Not Bad – 56 | Flashdance… What a Feeling | – | Irene Cara |
| Not Bad – 56 | Holiday | – | Madonna |
| Not Bad – 56 | How Can I Fall? | – | Breathe |
| Not Bad – 56 | I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues | – | Elton John |
| Not Bad – 56 | Illegal Alien | – | Genesis |
| Not Bad – 56 | Jeopardy | – | Greg Kihn Band |
| Not Bad – 56 | Joanna | – | Kool & the Gang |
| Not Bad – 56 | Jump (For My Love) | – | The Pointer Sisters |
| Not Bad – 56 | Lake Of Fire | – | Meat Puppets |
| Not Bad – 56 | Love Struck Baby | – | Stevie Ray Vaughan |
| Not Bad – 56 | Mad World | – | Tears for Fears |
| Not Bad – 56 | New Year’s Day | – | U2 |
| Not Bad – 56 | P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) | – | Michael Jackson |
| Not Bad – 56 | Sunglasses At Night | – | Corey Hart |
| Not Bad – 56 | This Time | – | Bryan Adams |
| Not Bad – 56 | What Is Love? | – | Howard Jones |
| Not Bad – 56 | You Can’t Hurry Love | – | Phil Collins |
| Not Bad – 56 | Everyday I Write the Book | – | Elvis Costello & The Attractions |
| Not Bad – 80 | All Right | – | Christopher Cross |
| Not Bad – 80 | Rise Up | – | Parachute Club |
| Not Bad – 80 | Let’s Dance | – | David Bowie |
| Not Bad – 80 | Lick It Up | – | Kiss |
| Not Bad – 80 | Lucky Star | – | Madonna |
| Not Bad – 80 | Major Tom (I’m Coming Home) | – | Peter Schilling |
| Not Bad – 80 | Maniac | – | Michael Sembello |
| Not Bad – 80 | Mr. Roboto | – | Styx |
| Not Bad – 80 | On The Dark Side | – | John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band |
| Not Bad – 80 | Puttin’ On the Ritz | – | Taco |
| Not Bad – 80 | In A Big Country | – | Big Country |
| Not Bad – 80 | Say It Isn’t So | – | Hall & Oates |
| Not Bad – 80 | Stand Back | – | Stevie Nicks |
| Not Bad – 80 | Sunday Bloody Sunday | – | U2 |
| Not Bad – 80 | The Heart of Rock & Roll | – | Huey Lewis & the News |
| Not Bad – 80 | Synchronicity II | – | The Police |
| Not Bad – 80 | True | – | Spandau Ballet |
| Not Bad – 80 | One Thing Leads to Another | – | The Fixx |
| Not Bad – 80 | Original Sin | – | INXS |
| Not Bad – 80 | Pale Shelter | – | Tears for Fears |
| Not Bad – 80 | She Bop | – | Cyndi Lauper |
| Not Bad – 80 | She Works Hard For The Money | – | Donna Summer |
| Not Bad – 80 | Smalltown Boy | – | Bronski Beat |
| Not Bad – 80 | (She’s) Sexy & 17 | – | Stray Cats |
| Not Bad – 80 | Never Gonna Let You Go | – | Sergio Mendes |
| Not Bad – 80 | Human Race | – | Red Rider |
| Not Bad – 80 | Moments In Love | – | Art of Noise |
| 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! This would never have gotten play if Yes were brand new. 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.
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