This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1983.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Trends

Events

January–April

May–August

September–December

Bands formed

Bands disbanded

Bands reformed

Albums released

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Release date unknown

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1983.

Top 40 Chart hit singles

Other Chart hit singles

• "A Volar" – Menudo • "Australiana" – Austen Tayshus (# 1 Australia) • "Baby Jane" – Rod Stewart • "Bad Boys" – Wham! • "Beat It" – Michael Jackson • "Big Log" – Robert Plant • "Billie Jean" – Michael Jackson • "Blue Monday" – New Order • "Bop Girl" – Pat Wilson • "Boxerbeat" – JoBoxers • "Breakaway" – Tracey Ullman • "Buffalo Soldier" – Bob Marley & The Wailers • "Burning Down the House" – Talking Heads • "Calling Your Name" – Marilyn • "Candy Girl" – New Edition • "Can't Get Used to Losing You" – The Beat • "Change" – Tears for Fears • "China Girl" – David Bowie • "Church of the Poison Mind" – Culture Club • "Club Tropicana" – Wham! • "Come Back and Stay" – Paul Young • "Come On Eileen" – Dexys Midnight Runners (released in 1982) • "Communication" – Spandau Ballet • "Countdown/New World Man" – Rush • "Crumblin' Down" – John Mellencamp • "Dancing in the Dark" – Kim Wilde • "Dead Giveaway" – Shalamar • "Dear Prudence" – Siouxsie and the Banshees • "Delirious" – Prince • "Der Alpen-Rap" – Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung • "Der Kommissar" – After the Fire • "Din Daa Daa" – George Kranz • "Dirty Laundry" – Don Henley • "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" – Culture Club • "Don't Let It End" – Styx • "Double Dutch" – Malcolm McLaren • "Down Under" – Men at Work • "Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive" – Men At Work • "Drop the Pilot" – Joan Armatrading • "Electric Avenue" – Eddy Grant • "Every Breath You Take" – The Police • "Everything Counts" – Depeche Mode • "Family Man" – Hall & Oates • "Faithfully" – Journey • "Femme" – Dalida • "Gimme All Your Lovin'" – ZZ Top • "Give It Up" – KC and the Sunshine Band • "Gloria" – Laura Branigan (released in 1982) • "Gold" – Spandau Ballet • "Guardian Angel" – Masquerade • "Heart and Soul" – Huey Lewis and the News • "High Life" – Modern Romance • "Holiday" – Madonna • "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" – Laura Branigan • "Human Nature" – Michael Jackson • "Hungry Like the Wolf" (1982) – Duran Duran • "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" – Elton John (feat. Stevie Wonder) • "I'm Still Standing" – Elton John • "In a Big Country" – Big Country • "I.O.U." – Freeez • "Is There Something I Should Know?" – Duran Duran • "Islands in the Stream" – Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton • "It's a Mistake" – Men At Work • "Jeopardy" – The Greg Kihn Band • "Johnny B. Goode" – Peter Tosh • "Karma Chameleon" – Culture Club • "King of Pain" – The Police • "Kiss the Bride" – Elton John • "Let The Music Play" – Shannon • "Let's Dance" – David Bowie • "Little Red Corvette" – Prince • "Long Hot Summer" – The Style Council • "The Love Cats" – The Cure • "Love Is a Battlefield" – Pat Benatar • "Love Is a Stranger" – Eurythmics • "Love of the Common People" – Paul Young • "Love On Your Side" – Thompson Twins • "Mad World"- Tears For Fears • "Major Tom (Coming Home)" – Peter Schilling • "Mama" – Genesis • "Maniac" – Michael Sembello • "Many Rivers to Cross" – UB40 • "Marguerita Time" – Status Quo • "Modern Love" – David Bowie • "Mon ami m'a quittée" – Celine Dion • "Moonlight Shadow" – Mike Oldfield • "Mr. Roboto" – Styx • "My Oh My" – Slade • "Nasty Girl" – Vanity 6 • "Never Gonna Let You Go" – Sergio Mendes • "New Song" – Howard Jones • "New Year's Day" – U2 • "Nobody's Diary" – Yazoo • "Oblivious" – Aztec Camera • "One on One" – Hall & Oates • "One Thing Leads to Another" – The Fixx • "Only for Love" – Limahl • "Only You" – Various • "Our House" – Madness • "Our Lips Are Sealed" – Fun Boy Three • "Over and Over" – Shalamar • "Overkill" – Men at Work • "Owner of a Lonely Heart" – Yes • "Pale Shelter" – Tears for Fears • "Photograph" – Def Leppard • "Physical Attraction"- Madonna • "Pink Houses" – John Mellencamp • "Pipes Of Peace" – Paul McCartney • "Power and the Passion" – Midnight Oil • "Pride and Joy" – Stevie Ray Vaughan • "Promises, Promises" – Naked Eyes • "Puttin' on the Ritz" – Taco • "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" (1982) – Michael Jackson • "Queen of the Broken Hearts" – Loverboy • "Radio Free Europe" (I.R.S. version) – R.E.M. • "Rainbow in the Dark" – Dio • "Rio" (1982) – Duran Duran • "Rip It Up" – Orange Juice • "Rock 'n' Roll Is King" – Electric Light Orchestra • "Rock of Ages" – Def Leppard • "Rock the Casbah" – The Clash (released in 1982) • "Rockit" – Herbie Hancock • "Run Runaway" – Slade • "Runaway" – Bon Jovi • "The Safety Dance" – Men Without Hats • "Saved by Zero" – The Fixx • "Say Say Say" – Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney • "Screaming for Vengeance" (1982) – Judas Priest • "Send Her My Love" – Journey • "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" – Journey • "Sex (I'm a ...)" – Berlin • "Shame on the Moon" – Bob Seger • "Sharp Dressed Man" – ZZ Top • "She Blinded Me with Science" – Thomas Dolby (released in 1982) • "She Works Hard for the Money" – Donna Summer • "She's a Beauty" – The Tubes • "Shipbuilding" – Robert Wyatt • "Should I Stay or Should I Go" – The Clash • "Shout at the Devil" – Mötley Crüe • "Si la vie est cadeau" – Corinne Hermès • "Solitaire" – Laura Branigan • "Speak Like a Child" – The Style Council • "Stand Back" – Stevie Nicks • "Steppin' Out" – Joe Jackson • "Straight from the Heart" – Bryan Adams • "Suddenly Last Summer" – The Motels • "The Sun and the Rain" – Madness • "The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)" – Level 42 • "Sunday Bloody Sunday" – U2 • "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" – Eurythmics • "Synchronicity II" – The Police • "Talking in Your Sleep" – The Romantics • "Tell Her About It" – Billy Joel • "Tell Her No" – Juice Newton • "Temptation" – Heaven 17 • "Tender Is the Night" – Jackson Browne • "Thank You For The Music" – ABBA (released in 1977) • "That's All" – Genesis • "That's Love" – Jim Capaldi • "Always Something There to Remind Me" – Naked Eyes • "They Don't Know" – Tracey Ullman • "This Charming Man" – The Smiths • "This Time" – Bryan Adams • "Thunder And Lightning" – Thin Lizzy • "Time (Clock of the Heart)" – Culture Club • "Tonight I Celebrate My Love" – Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack • "Too Low For Zero" – Elton John (in US & Australia; not released in the rest of UK and Europe until 1985/86) • "Too Shy" – Kajagoogoo • "Total Eclipse of the Heart" – Bonnie Tyler • "Tour de France" – Kraftwerk • "The Trooper" – Iron Maiden • "True" – Spandau Ballet • "Twilight Zone" – Golden Earring (released in 1982) • "Twist of Fate" – Olivia Newton-John • "Twisting by the Pool" – Dire Straits • "Under Attack" – ABBA • "Undercover of the Night" – The Rolling Stones • "Union of the Snake" – Duran Duran • "Up Where We Belong" – Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes • "Uptown Girl" – Billy Joel • "Vamos a la playa" – Righeira • "Walking in the Rain" – Modern Romance • "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (1982) – Michael Jackson • "The Way He Makes Me Feel" – Barbra Streisand • "We Are Detective" – Thompson Twins • "We've Got Tonight" – Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton • "What Is Love?" – Howard Jones • "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" – Paul Young • "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" – Grandmaster and Melle Mel • "Why Me?" – Irene Cara • "Wings of a Dove" – Madness • "Wishing on a Star" – Rose Royce • "The Word Is Out" – Jermaine Stewart • "Wrapped Around Your Finger" – The Police • "You Are" – Lionel Richie • "You Can't Hurry Love" – Phil Collins (released in 1982) • "Gravity Talks" – Green On Red • "Seance" – The Church • "Fervor" – Jason & The Scorchers

Notable singles

Other Notable singles

• "Crafty Fag" b/w "How to Age" – The Nightingales • "Hope (I Wish You'd Believe Me)" b/w Sleep" – Wah! • "I Hear Motion" – Models • "Listening" – Pseudo Echo • "Nag" b/w "Bits and Pieces" – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Published popular music

Classical music

Premieres

Compositions

Opera

Jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Musical television

Births

January–April births

January

February births

March births

April births

May–August births

May births

June births

July births

August births

September–December births

September births

October births

November births

December births

Birth date unknown

Deaths

January–April deaths

January deaths

February deaths

March deaths

April deaths

May–August deaths

May deaths

June deaths

July deaths

August deaths

September–December deaths

September deaths

October deaths

November deaths

December deaths

Death date unknown

Awards

Grammy Awards

Country Music Association Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

Charts