1983 in British music

List of years in British music
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This is a summary of 1983 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.

Events

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Charts

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Number one singles

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[1]

Chart date
(week ending)
Song Artist(s) Weeks
1 January "Save Your Love" Renée and Renato 2
8 January
15 January "You Can't Hurry Love" Phil Collins 2
22 January
29 January "Down Under" Men at Work 3
5 February
12 February
19 February "Too Shy" Kajagoogoo 2
26 February
5 March "Billie Jean" Michael Jackson 1
12 March "Total Eclipse of the Heart" Bonnie Tyler 2
19 March
26 March "Is There Something I Should Know?" Duran Duran 2
2 April
9 April "Let's Dance" David Bowie 3
16 April
23 April
30 April "True" Spandau Ballet 4
7 May
14 May
21 May
28 May "Candy Girl" New Edition 1
4 June "Every Breath You Take" The Police 4
11 June
18 June
25 June
2 July "Baby Jane" Rod Stewart 3
9 July
16 July
23 July "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" Paul Young 3
30 July
6 August
13 August "Give It Up" KC and the Sunshine Band 3
20 August
27 August
3 September "Red Red Wine" UB40 3
10 September
17 September
24 September "Karma Chameleon" Culture Club 6
1 October
8 October
15 October
22 October
29 October
5 November "Uptown Girl" Billy Joel 5
12 November
19 November
26 November
3 December
10 December "Only You" The Flying Pickets 4
17 December
24 December
31 December

Number one albums

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[2]

Chart date
(week ending)
Album Artist(s) Weeks
1 January The John Lennon Collection John Lennon 2
8 January
15 January Raiders of the Pop Charts Various Artists 2
22 January
29 January Business as Usual Men at Work 5
5 February
12 February
19 February
26 February
5 March Thriller Michael Jackson 1
12 March War U2 1
19 March Thriller Michael Jackson 1
26 March The Hurting Tears for Fears 1
2 April The Final Cut Pink Floyd 2
9 April
16 April Faster Than the Speed of Night Bonnie Tyler 1
23 April Let's Dance David Bowie 3
30 April
7 May
14 May True Spandau Ballet 1
21 May Thriller Michael Jackson 5
28 May
4 June
11 June
18 June
25 June Synchronicity The Police 2
2 July
9 July Fantastic Wham! 2
16 July
23 July You and Me Both Yazoo 2
30 July
6 August The Very Best of the Beach Boys The Beach Boys 2
13 August
20 August 18 Greatest Hits Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 3
27 August
3 September
10 September The Very Best of the Beach Boys The Beach Boys 1
17 September No Parlez Paul Young 1
24 September Labour of Love UB40 1
1 October No Parlez Paul Young 2
8 October
15 October Genesis Genesis 1
22 October Colour by Numbers Culture Club 3
29 October
5 November
12 November Can't Slow Down Lionel Richie 1
19 November Colour by Numbers Culture Club 2
26 November
3 December Seven and the Ragged Tiger Duran Duran 1
10 December No Parlez Paul Young 1
17 December Now 1 Various Artists 3
24 December
31 December

Year-end charts

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Note: The year-end charts published in Music Week on 7 January 1984 only covered the period 4 January to 17 December 1983 – the BPI Year Book 1984 included the complete charts to the end of 1983.

Best-selling singles

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[3]

No. Title Artist Peak
position
1 "Karma Chameleon" Culture Club 1
2 "Uptown Girl" Billy Joel 1
3 "Red Red Wine" UB40 1
4 "Let's Dance" David Bowie 1
5 "Total Eclipse of the Heart" Bonnie Tyler 1
6 "True" Spandau Ballet 1
7 "Down Under" Men at Work 1
8 "Billie Jean" Michael Jackson 1
9 "Only You" The Flying Pickets 1
10 "All Night Long (All Night)" Lionel Richie 2
11 "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" Eurythmics 2
12 "You Can't Hurry Love" Phil Collins 1
13 "Too Shy" Kajagoogoo 1
14 "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" Paul Young 1
15 "Love of the Common People" Paul Young 2
16 "Every Breath You Take" The Police 1
17 "Is There Something I Should Know?" Duran Duran 1
18 "Blue Monday" New Order 9
19 "Give It Up" KC and the Sunshine Band 1
20 "I.O.U." Freeez 2
21 "Baby Jane" Rod Stewart 1
22 "Say Say Say" Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson 2
23 "They Don't Know" Tracey Ullman 2
24 "Tonight I Celebrate My Love" Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack 2
25 "Words" F.R. David 2
26 "Bad Boys" Wham! 2
27 "Flashdance... What a Feeling" Irene Cara 2
28 "New Song" Howard Jones 3
29 "Moonlight Shadow" Mike Oldfield 4
30 "My Oh My" Slade 2
31 "Sign of the Times" The Belle Stars 3
32 "Hold Me Now" Thompson Twins 4
33 "Candy Girl" New Edition 1
34 "Temptation" Heaven 17 2
35 "Cry Just a Little Bit" Shakin' Stevens 3
36 "Church of the Poison Mind" Culture Club 2
37 "Electric Avenue" Eddy Grant 2
38 "Mama" Genesis 4
39 "Beat It" Michael Jackson 3
40 "Double Dutch" Malcolm McLaren 3
41 "Africa" Toto 3
42 "Club Tropicana" Wham! 4
43 "(Keep Feeling) Fascination" The Human League 2
44 "Gold" Spandau Ballet 2
45 "Modern Love" David Bowie 2
46 "Let's Stay Together" Tina Turner 6
47 "Come Back and Stay" Paul Young 4
48 "Victims" Culture Club 3
49 "I'm Still Standing" Elton John 4
50 "(Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew" The Rock Steady Crew 6

Best-selling albums

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[4]

No. Title Artist Peak
position
1 Thriller Michael Jackson 1
2 No Parlez Paul Young 1
3 Colour by Numbers Culture Club 1
4 Let's Dance David Bowie 1
5 Fantastic Wham! 1
6 True Spandau Ballet 1
7 Now That's What I Call Music Various Artists 1
8 Stages Elaine Paige 2
9 Genesis Genesis 1
10 Can't Slow Down Lionel Richie 1
11 Synchronicity The Police 1
12 Labour of Love UB40 1
13 Business as Usual Men at Work 1
14 18 Greatest Hits Michael Jackson and The Jackson 5 1
15 Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) Eurythmics 3
16 Too Low for Zero Elton John 7
17 The Luxury Gap Heaven 17 4
18 Snap! The Jam 2
19 The Hurting Tears for Fears 1
20 Rio Duran Duran 3[a]
21 The Very Best of the Beach Boys The Beach Boys 1
22 In Your Eyes George Benson 3
23 The Crossing Big Country 3
24 Seven and the Ragged Tiger Duran Duran 1
25 An Innocent Man Billy Joel 4[b]
26 War U2 1
27 Introducing Richard Clayderman Richard Clayderman 2
28 Chas 'n' Dave's Knees Up: Jamboree Bag No. 2 Chas & Dave 7
29 Hello, I Must Be Going! Phil Collins 3[c]
30 The John Lennon Collection John Lennon 1
31 Faster Than the Speed of Night Bonnie Tyler 1
32 Quick Step and Side Kick Thompson Twins 2
33 Pipes of Peace Paul McCartney 4
34 Under a Blood Red Sky U2 2
35 The Final Cut Pink Floyd 1
36 Touch Eurythmics 8[d]
37 You and Me Both Yazoo 1
38 Voice of the Heart Carpenters 6
39 Toto IV Toto 4
40 Crises Mike Oldfield 6
41 Raiders of the Pop Charts Various Artists 1
42 Formula 30 Various Artists 6
43 Body Wishes Rod Stewart 5
44 Chart Hits '83 Various Artists 6
45 Twice as Kool: The Hits of Kool & the Gang Kool & the Gang 4
46 Heartbreaker Dionne Warwick 4[e]
47 The Essential Jean Michel Jarre Jean Michel Jarre 14
48 Lionel Richie Lionel Richie 9
49 The Two of Us Various Artists 3
50 Kissing to Be Clever Culture Club 10[f]

Notes:

  1. ^ Reached number 2 in 1982
  2. ^ Reached number 2 in 1984
  3. ^ Reached number 2 in 1982
  4. ^ Reached number 1 in 1984
  5. ^ Reached number 3 in 1982
  6. ^ Reached number 5 in 1982

Classical music

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New works

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  • David Bedford
    • Five Diversions, for two flutes
    • The Valley Sleeper, the Children, the Snakes and the Giant, for orchestra
  • Richard Rodney Bennett
    • Concerto for Wind Quintet
    • Guitar Sonata
    • Letters to Lindbergh, for female voices and piano duet
    • Memento, for flute and string orchestra
    • Seachange, for unaccompanied chorus
  • Michael Berkeley
    • Cello Concerto
    • Or Shall We Die, oratorio
  • Harrison Birtwistle
    • Deowa, for soprano and clarinet
    • Duets for Storab, for two flute
  • David BlakeRise, Dove, for baritone and orchestra
  • Edward Cowie
    • Ancient Voices, for four voices
    • Missa Brevis
    • String Quartet No. 3, Creative Arts Quartet
    • String Quartet No. 4, Australia II
  • Gordon CrosseWave Songs, for cello and piano
  • Peter Maxwell Davies
    • Birthday Music for John, trio for flute, viola and cello
    • Into the Labyrinth, cantata
    • Sinfonietta Accademica, for chamber orchestra
  • Brian FerneyhoughAdagissimo, for string quartet
  • Michael Finnissy
    • Australian Sea Shanties, for voices, recorders and piano
    • Ouraa, for ensemble (1982-83)
    • Soda Fountain, for voices and cymbals
    • Vaudeville, for mezzo, baritone and ensemble
  • Alun HoddinottQuodlibet on Welsh Nursery Tunes - arr. for brass quintet
  • Robin Holloway
    • Second Idyll for small orchestra
    • Serenade in E flat, for wind quintet and string quintet
  • Elizabeth Maconchy
    • L'Horloge, for soprano, clarinet and piano
    • Tribute, for violin and woodwinds
  • William Mathias
    • Alleluja! Christ is Risen!, anthem
    • Angelus, for women's voices
    • Horn Concerto
    • Let us Now Praise Famous Men, for chorus and orchestra
    • Missa Brevis
    • Organ Concerto
    • Symphony No. 2, Op.90 (Summer Music)
    • Tantum Ergo, for choir and organ
    • Violin Sonata No. 2
  • Dominic Muldowney
    • The Duration of Exile, for mezzo and ensemble
    • Piano Concerto
    • A Second Show, for contralto and ensemble
  • Paul PattersonMass of the Sea, for soli, chorus and orchestra
  • John PickardNocturne in Black and Gold
  • Priaulx RainierGrand Duo for cello and piano
  • John Tavener
    • He Hath Entered the Heven, for unaccompanied trebles
    • To a Child Dancing in the Wind, for soprano, flute, harp and viola
  • Michael Tippett
    • Festal Brass with Blues, for brass ensemble
    • The Mask of Time (1980-83) for soli, chorus and orchestra

Opera

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Musical films

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Births

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Deaths

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Music awards

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Brit Awards

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The 1983 Brit Awards winners were:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "1983 The Number One Singles". The Official Charts Company.
  2. ^ "1983 The Number One Albums". The Official Charts Company.
  3. ^ Scaping, Peter, ed. (1984). "Top 100 singles: 1983". BPI Year Book 1984. British Phonographic Industry. pp. 42–43. ISBN 0-906154-04-9.
  4. ^ Scaping (1984). "Top 100 LPs: 1983". pp. 44–45
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