Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1983.
For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Unemployment was in excess of 3 million in 1983.
In 1983, wearing seat belts in the front of cars becomes compulsory (though this didn’t sway my Grandad to do this), the CD goes on sale for the first time, the one pound coin is introduced in England & Wales, Margaret Thatcher wins the general election again with a landslide victory, Neil Kinnock is elected leader of the Labour Party, an IRA bomb kills 6 and injures 90 people outside Harrods in London, another IRA bombs explodes on Christmas Day in London, but does not harm anyone and Flashdance is released. And I turned 7 years old.
Again, I’ve omitted a very popular tune this week and that tune is Billie Jean by Michael Jackson. As much as I loved that song and still appreciate it’s a great pop tune, I’ve listened to it too many times and it doesn’t quite carry the same sense of magic for me as it used to. So, here are my personal 10 favourite songs from 1983.
- Karma Chameleon by Culture Club
2. Modern Love by David Bowie
3. This Charming Man by the Smiths
4. Love Cats by the Cure
5. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of These) by Eurythmics
6. Blue Monday by New Order
7. Drop the Pilot by Joan Armatrading
8. Africa by Toto
9. Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler
10. Uptown Girl by Billy Joel
Another strong year for British music, but which is your favourite? Whilst Billy Joel is obviously a very close second, it’s New Order that’s my top tune from this collection of 1983 gems. See you next week for 1984.
Just Another Blog From a Woman 
David Bowie, I loved David Bowie. But the Cure though, love the Cure…New Order, agghh! So much good music!
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I know! I’m like that every week. It’s getting harder and harder to just select 10 songs every week too. Bowie, The Cure, New Order all brilliant though.
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That’s a blast from the past!
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Ha it certainly is!
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Yay…im familiar with three of them… woohoooo…! Lol
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Ha excellent! Let me guess which 3- Billy Joel, Toto aaaaaand Eurythmics?
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Bonnie Tyler… not Toto 🙈… you know… I think Joan Armatrading is from the islands… mine, to be exact and I hardly know her music… 🙈
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Saint Kitts? How lovely! Yes she was born there, but moved to the UK when she was 3yrs old. She’s great. I strongly recommend her.
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Yes… i read something to that extent… ive heard one song of hers… ‘the weakness in me’… she sounds a lot like tracy chapman whom I love… will give her other songs a listen…
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Excellent. Yes she is similar to Tracy Chapman. Love & Affection is another good one of hers too.
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At the time, The Cure would have got my vote. Now I’ll settle for Annie Lennox
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Both excellent songs. Cheers Denzil.
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It just goes to say how tastes change though.
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It does indeed.
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I love Annie Lennox…
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Another week more classic songs. Great list again! I’m sharing this with my dad he’s a big music fan!
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Yay! Excellent. Thanks love. Hope he approves!
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Sure he will talk my ear off all weekend!!
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Oh what a great list Haley. Love Boy George at #1, had posters of them all over my room. Great times. Xx
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I know, that song really takes me back to my childhood. Loved Boy George. Cheers Lorelle x
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❤️
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That’s a love and hate year for me. Eurythmics were and are amazing, love The Cure too but going against the tide, I can’t have Culture Club, and nothing against the tune, but the lyrics of Africa arrrgh, some of the rhymes used to do my head in! Mixed bag 😎
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Haha the lyrics of Africa are pretty awful and barely fit the tune. It’s in my list out of a kind sick affection for it. Eurythmics & the Cure are very good choices. Cheers.
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Africa! I love that song.It’s the opening chords or whatever that’s called that gets me.
Also, dang the IRA violence. A few years back I visited Gallway and Dublin and spent a lot of time in bars where fellows with accents that got thicker as the Guinness poured on told stories of that time. Unfortunately, by the end of the night I couldn’t understand any of them and I still had five Guinness lined up, but that time in history sounds to have been very hard in a lot of ways. The men all had tears in their eyes.
But–I think we can all agree, the music was absolutely amazing. Not a clunker on your list.
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Thanks Angela! I love Africa! I know it’s technically the world’s best song, but I have a lot of affection for it. Eurgh yes they were awful, awful. I remember bomb scares just being a regular thing in the U.K. as a child. I can only imagine how awful it was for the Irish.
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Hard to pick from the top three to be honest, but I think i’ll plump for The Smiths. I didn’t like them back then as I was more into soul and dance, but over the years my tastes have grown. At the time I probably wouldn’t have bought any of these records! Another great list though.
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Thank you! Yes I didn’t get into the Smiths until the mid-90s, so it took me a little while too.
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OMG! This is so good! When I was a kid my sister entered a Boy George lookalike contest and I haven’t thought about that in so long until I saw the video. Love this!
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Hahaha! Did she win?!
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She did not which I’m still bitter about. She looked amazing.
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I’m not surprised. I’d be bitter about it too. Fools.
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I literally cannot choose from this bunch. Saying that, BILLY JOEL. This post is my favorite in the series so far.
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Excellent Lorna! And Billy Joel is an excellent choice x
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Some would say the only choice! Ha!
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Joel and Bowie 😎😎
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Yes and Yes. Both very marvellous.
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At the time it would have been Bonnie Tyler. Now, New Order or the Smiths ☺️
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Love a bit of Bonnie Tyler me. New Order & the Smiths- so bloody good. Expect more Smiths in the near future. Cheers love x
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So many good tunes in the year I was born!! I especially like The Cure ❤️❤️
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The Cure are always winners x
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Eurythmics is classic *calls Alexa to ask for a Eurythmics shuffle*
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Mate, I was literally inspired to do the exact same thing. Have been thoroughly enjoying watching my husband heartily singing along to “Sister Are Doing it For Themselves” this afternoon. Bless.
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I’d have to say “Flashdance” is my favorite. I always want to start dancing like the girl in the video when I hear it!
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Again some brilliant choices, Hayley. I am with you with ‘New Oder’ it was so ahead of its time. I also love David Bowie’ss Modern Love. I think he looked at his prime in the 80s and it was one of my favourite eras of his music. 🙂
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He was most certainly a handsome chap in the 80s and yes New Order were definitely way ahead of their time. Still sounds current now. Cheers Judy x
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Love Africa and Blue Monday but the others weren’t favourites.
In 1983 I loved Safety Dance by Men Without Hats 😉 And Down Under by Men At Work, though that might have been 84!
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Reblogged this on Reblog Mixtape.
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