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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  • 8 January – The UK singles chart is tabulated from this week forward by The Gallup Organization and the BMRB manual diary method was ended. Electronic dataport machines were used in selected stores and Gallup would automatically dial up the terminals via telephone lines to gather the sales information.
  • 10 February – John McCabe's Concerto for Orchestra is given its first performance by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Georg Solti.
  • 14 May – The Symphony No 2 Summer Music by William Mathias is performed for the first time by the Liverpool Philharmonic Society
  • 30 May – Elton John releases his album Too Low for Zero, marking the beginning of his mid-1980s comeback after several albums disappointed in sales.
  • 31 May – Nigel Osborne's Sinfonia No 2 is performed for the first time by the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra.
  • 3 June – The opera Raleigh's Dream by Iain Hamilton is performed for the first time in Durham, North Carolina
  • 17 July – The Cello Concerto by Lennox Berkeley, composed in 1939, is performed for the first time in Manchester.
  • 27 July – The Piano Concerto by Dominic Muldowney is performed for the first time in London.
  • 20 August – The Rolling Stones sign a new $28 million contract with CBS Records, the largest recording contract in history up to this time.
  • 1 September – Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon of The Clash issue a press statement announcing that Mick Jones has been fired from the group.
  • 20 September – The first ARMS Charity Concert is held at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
  • 3 October – The first performance of the opera Marching Song by Benjamin Frankel, left in short score at the time of the composer's death ten years earlier, is broadcast by the BBC.
  • 9 November – The Blue Guitar for solo guitar by Michael Tippett is performed for the first time, at the Ambassador Auditorium, Pasadena, California.
  • 28 November – The first Now album is released.
  • 15 December – The broadcast premiere of Elisabeth Lutyens’ Music for Orchestra 1V is given by the City of London Sinfonia, conducted by Richard Hickox.

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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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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