This is a list of notable events in music from 1982, a year in which Madonna made her debut and Michael Jackson released Thriller, which holds the title for the world's best selling album.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

January–March

April–August

September–December

Bands formed

Bands disbanded

Albums released

In the US, the RIAA stated that 2,630 albums, 2,710 cassettes and 2,285 singles were released.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Release date unknown

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Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1982.

Chronological table of US and UK and Japan number one hit singles

Japanese Oricon number one singles and artist   (weeks at number one)

Top 40 Chart hit singles

Other Chart hit singles

• "3×3" (EP) – Genesis • "All Quiet on the Western Front" – Elton John • "Almost with You" – The Church (# 21 Australia) • "Another Sleepless Night" – Anne Murray (# 44 US) • "Back on the Chain Gang" – The Pretenders • "Being Boiled" – Human League • "Best Years of Our Lives" – Modern Romance • "Blue Eyes" – Elton John • "Body + Soul" – Jo Kennedy (#5 Australia) • "Body Language" – Queen (#3 Canada, Poland) • "Break It to Me Gently" – Juice Newton • "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" – David Bowie (#1 Finland, Norway, Sweden, NZ • "Caught Up in You" – 38 Special (#9 Canada, #10 US) • "Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White)" – Modern Romance • "Confidences sur la Fréquence" – Dalida • "Countdown" – Rush • "Crimson and Clover" – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts (#4 Canada, #6 Australia) • "Dancing in the Street" – Van Halen • "Danza" – Dalida • "The Day Before You Came" – ABBA • "Dirty Laundry" – Don Henley • "Do Ya Wanna Funk" – Sylvester • "Do You Believe in Love" – Huey Lewis and the News • "Don't Leave Me Now" – Supertramp • "Don't Stop Believin'" (1981) – Journey • "Down Under" – Men At Work • "Džuli" (English language version "Julie") – Daniel Popović • "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)" – Elton John • "Enough Is Enough" – April Wine • "Everybody" – Madonna • "Fantastic Day" – Haircut One Hundred (#9 UK) • "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" – Elkie Brooks • "Forever Now" – Cold Chisel • "Forget Me Nots" – Patrice Rushen • "Freeze Frame" (1981) – J. Geils Band • "Ghosts" – Japan • "Girls on Film" (1981) – Duran Duran • "Glittering Prize" – Simple Minds • "Gloria" – Laura Branigan • "Goin' Down" – Greg Guidry • "Great Southern Land" – Icehouse • "Gypsy" – Fleetwood Mac • "Hand to Hold On To" – John Cougar • "Harden My Heart" (1981) – Quarterflash • "Head over Heels" – ABBA • "Heart Attack" – Olivia Newton-John • "Heart of the Night" – Juice Newton • "Heartbreaker" – Dionne Warwick • "Heartlight" – Neil Diamond • "Heat of the Moment" – Asia • "Here Is the News/Ticket to the Moon" – Electric Light Orchestra • "Hey Little Girl" – Icehouse • "Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do" – Huey Lewis and the News • "Hot in the City" – Billy Idol • "Hungry Like the Wolf" – Duran Duran (#1 Canada, #3 US) • "Hurts So Good" – John Cougar • "I Can Make You Feel Good" – Shalamar • "I Love It Loud" – Kiss • "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" (1981) – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts • "I Melt with You" – Modern English • "I Ran (So Far Away)" – A Flock of Seagulls • "I Want Candy" – Bow Wow Wow • "I Will Always Love You" – Dolly Parton • "If You Can't Stand the Heat" – Bucks Fizz • "Iron Fist" – Motörhead • "Irmão De Côr" – Catui • "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" – Deniece Williams • "It's Raining Again" – Supertramp • "It's Raining Men" – The Weather Girls • "Jack and Diane" – John Cougar • "Jambo Bwana" – Them Mushrooms • "Jouez Bouzouki" – Dalida • "Landslide" – Olivia Newton-John • "Let's Get It Up" – AC/DC • "Listen" – Stiff Little Fingers • "Little Town – Cliff Richard • "Living on the Ceiling" – Blancmange • "Love Come Down" – Evelyn "Champagne" King • "Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)" – Donna Summer • "Love My Way" – The Psychedelic Furs • "Love Will Turn You Around" – Kenny Rogers • "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me" – Juice Newton • "Maid Of Orleans" – OMD • "Make a Move on Me" (1981) – Olivia Newton-John • "Man on the Corner" (1981) – Genesis • "Memory" – Barbra Streisand • "The Message" – Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five • "Mexican Radio" – Wall of Voodoo • "Mickey" – Toni Basil • "Mirror Man" – Human League (charted in late-1983 in the U.S.) • "Mirror Mirror" – Diana Ross • "Muscles" – Diana Ross • "Never Give Up on a Good Thing" – George Benson • "Never Say Never" – Romeo Void • "New World Man" – Rush • "Nobody" – Sylvia • "Nova Heart" – Spoons • "The Number of the Beast" – Iron Maiden • "Old Town" – Phil Lynott • "One Perfect Day" – Little Heroes • "Only the Lonely" – The Motels • "Only Time Will Tell" – Asia • "The Only Way Out" – Cliff Richard • "Party Fears Two" – The Associates • "Personally" – Karla Bonoff • "Planet Rock" – Afrika Bambaataa • "Pressure" – Billy Joel • "Pretty Woman" – Van Halen • "Princess" – Elton John • "Promised You a Miracle" – Simple Minds (charted in 1983 in the U.S.) • "Restless" – Gillan • "Right Before Your Eyes" – America • "Rio" – Duran Duran • "Rock the Casbah" – The Clash • "Roll Me Away" – Bob Seger • "Run to the Hills" – Iron Maiden • "The Safety Dance" – Men Without Hats (charted in 1983 in the U.S.) • "Save a Prayer" – Duran Duran • "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" – Soft Cell • "Senses Working Overtime" – XTC • "She's Got a Way" – Billy Joel • "Should I Stay or Should I Go" – The Clash • "Shy Boy" – Bananarama • "Since You're Gone" – The Cars • "Situation" – Yazoo • "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" – Split Enz • "Sole Survivor" – Asia • "Solid Rock" – Goanna • "Somebody's Always Saying Goodbye" – Anne Murray • "Somebody's Baby" – Jackson Browne • "Southern Cross" – Crosby, Stills, and Nash • "Spread a Little Happiness" – Sting • "State of Independence" – Donna Summer • "Steppin' Out" – Joe Jackson • "Still They Ride" (1981) – Journey • "Sweet Dreams" (1981) – Air Supply • "That Girl" – Stevie Wonder • "Theme from Hill Street Blues" – Mike Post and Larry Carlton • "Theme from Harry's Game" – Clannad • "Theme from 'Missing'" – The Shadows • "There It Is" – Shalamar • "Thru These Walls" – Phil Collins • "Time (Clock of the Heart)" – Culture Club • "Tony" – Dalida • "Treat Me Nice" – The Shadows • "Trouble" (1981) – Lindsey Buckingham • "The One Thing" – INXS • "The Trouble with Me Is You" – Hank Marvin • "Twilight Zone (Golden Earring song)" – Golden Earring • "Under Pressure" – Queen and David Bowie • "US Forces" – Midnight Oil • "Vacation" – The Go-Go's • "Valley Girl" – Frank Zappa • "View from a Bridge" – Kim Wilde • "Waiting for a Girl Like You" – Foreigner • "What About Me" – Moving Pictures • "When the Tigers Broke Free" – Pink Floyd • "When The War Is Over" – Cold Chisel • "Where Do We Go from Here" – Cliff Richard • "White Boy" – Culture Club • "White Wedding" – Billy Idol • "Why" – Carly Simon • "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" by A Flock of Seagulls • "Without You (Not Another Lonely Night)" – Franke and the Knockouts • "Work That Body" – Diana Ross • "Yellow Pearl" – Phil Lynott • "Yesterday's Songs" – Neil Diamond • "You and I" – Eddie Rabbitt and Crystal Gayle • "You Can Do Magic" – America • "You Can't Hurry Love" – Phil Collins • "You Don't Want Me Anymore" – Steel Breeze • "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" – The Gap Band • "You Got Lucky" – Tom Petty • "You Need a Friend" – Sunnyboys • "You Should Hear How She Talks About You" – Melissa Manchester • "Young Guns (Go for It)" – Wham! • "Young Turks" (1981) – Rod Stewart

Notable singles

Other Notable singles

• "The Boiler" – Special AKA • "Dirty Creature" – Split Enz • "I Didn't Mean To Be Mean" – Mental As Anything • "Private Life" – Oingo Boingo • "Someone Somewhere in Summertime" – Simple Minds • "The Telephone Always Rings" – Fun Boy Three • "The More I See (The Less I Believe)" – Fun Boy Three • "Vanessa Vacillating" – Slow Children • "You Need a Friend" – Sunnyboys

Published popular music

Classical music

Ballet

See List of 1982 ballet premieres

Opera

Jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Musical television

Births

Deaths

Awards

Grammy Awards

Country Music Association Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

Charts

List of No. 1 Hits