100 Greatest Songs From 1983
Criteria: Songs listed are from Rock 'n' Roll and related sub-genres. Rankings are based on initial and lasting popularity and on acclaim received from critics and musicians.
Note: Yearly song lists go by earliest 'release date' (Single, Album, or Country of first release). Not necessarily the year a song peaked in the U.S. charts.
Note: Yearly song lists go by earliest 'release date' (Single, Album, or Country of first release). Not necessarily the year a song peaked in the U.S. charts.
1. Every Breath You Take
Police
2. Girls Just Want To Have Fun
Cyndi Lauper
3. Jump
Van Halen
4. Flashdance...What a Feeling
Irene Cara
5. All Night Long (All Night)
Lionel Richie
6. Blue Monday
New Order
7. Relax
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
8. Time After Time
Cyndi Lauper
9. Let's Dance
David Bowie
10. Karma Chameleon
Culture Club
11. Holiday
Madonna
12. Rockit
Herbie Hancock
13. She Works Hard For the Money
Donna Summer
14. Love is a Battlefield
Pat Benatar
15. Radio Free Europe (I.R.S. version)
R.E.M.
16. Legs
ZZ Top
17. Sunday, Bloody Sunday
U2
18. Pink Houses
John Cougar Mellencamp
19. Maniac
Michael Sembello
20. Photograph
Def Leppard
21. Burning Down the House
Talking Heads
22. Ain't Nobody
Rufus & Chaka Khan
23. It's Like That
Run-D.M.C.
24. Here Comes the Rain Again
Eurythmics
25. Cruel Summer
Bananarama
26. Let the Music Play
Shannon
27. White Lines (Don't Do It)
Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel
28. 99 Luftballoons
Nena
29. Owner of a Lonely Heart
Yes
30. Red Red Wine
UB40
31. Somebody's Watching Me
Rockwell
32. New Year's Day
U2
33. This Charming Man
Smiths
34. True
Spandau Ballet
35. Borderline
Madonna
36. Jump (For My Love)
Pointer Sisters
37. One Thing Leads To Another
The Fixx
38. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
Journey
39. Heaven
Bryan Adams
40. Authority Song
John Cougar Mellencamp
41. Hello
Lionel Richie
42. In a Big Country
Big Country
43. Uptown Girl
Billy Joel
44. Rebel Yell
Billy Idol
45. Talking in Your Sleep
Romantics
46. Juicy Fruit
Mtume
47. Faithfully
Journey
48. Hold Me Now
Thompson Twins
49. Lucky Star
Madonna
50. Undercover of the Night
Rolling Stones
51. Modern Love
David Bowie
52. Middle of the Road
Pretenders
53. Islands in the Stream
Kenny Rogers duet with Dolly Parton
54. Sharp Dressed Man
ZZ Top
55. Wrapped Around Your Finger
The Police
56. Gimme All Your Lovin'
ZZ Top
57. Pride and Joy
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
58. Tonight I Celebrate My Love
Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack
59. Church of the Poison Mind
Culture Club
60. Overkill
Men At Work
61. I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues
Elton John
62. China Girl
Davie Bowie
63. Jeopardy
Greg Kihn Band
64. Joanna
Kool & The Gang
65. Big Log
Robert Plant
66. Mama
Genesis
67. Crumblin' Down
John Cougar Mellencamp
68. Between the Sheets
Isley Brothers
69. No Parking (On the Dancefloor)
Midnight Star
70. Stand Back
Stevie Nicks
71. The Heart of Rock and Roll
Huey Lewis & The News
72. Yah Mo B There
James Ingram and Michael McDonald
73. That's All
Genesis
74. Eyes Without a Face
Billy Idol
75. King of Pain
Police
76. Nobody Told Me
John Lennon
77. Rock of Ages
Def Leppard
78. Cuts Like a Knife
Bryan Adams
79. Cum on Feel the Noize
Quiet Riot
80. Sister Christian
Night Ranger
81. Mr. Roboto
Styx
82. Just Be Good To Me
S.O.S. Band
83. Everyday I Write the Book
Elvis Costello
84. In the Mood
Robert Plant
85. Sunglasses At Night
Corey Hart
86. Break My Stride
Matthew Wilder
87. New Song
Howard Jones
88. I Want a New Drug
Huey Lewis & The News
89. Bang Your Head (Metal Health)
Quiet Riot
90. Automatic
Pointer Sisters
91. Cold Blooded
Rick James
92. Dance Hall Days
Wang Chung
93. Synchronicity II
The Police
94. What Is Love?
Howard Jones
95. Rainbow in the Dark
Dio
96. Lawyers in Love
Jackson Browne
97. This Is Not a Love Song
Public Image Ltd.
98. All Night Long
Mary Jane Girls
99. Moments in Love
Art of Noise
100. Sucker MCs
Run-D.M.C.
Police
2. Girls Just Want To Have Fun
Cyndi Lauper
3. Jump
Van Halen
4. Flashdance...What a Feeling
Irene Cara
5. All Night Long (All Night)
Lionel Richie
6. Blue Monday
New Order
7. Relax
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
8. Time After Time
Cyndi Lauper
9. Let's Dance
David Bowie
10. Karma Chameleon
Culture Club
11. Holiday
Madonna
12. Rockit
Herbie Hancock
13. She Works Hard For the Money
Donna Summer
14. Love is a Battlefield
Pat Benatar
15. Radio Free Europe (I.R.S. version)
R.E.M.
16. Legs
ZZ Top
17. Sunday, Bloody Sunday
U2
18. Pink Houses
John Cougar Mellencamp
19. Maniac
Michael Sembello
20. Photograph
Def Leppard
21. Burning Down the House
Talking Heads
22. Ain't Nobody
Rufus & Chaka Khan
23. It's Like That
Run-D.M.C.
24. Here Comes the Rain Again
Eurythmics
25. Cruel Summer
Bananarama
26. Let the Music Play
Shannon
27. White Lines (Don't Do It)
Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel
28. 99 Luftballoons
Nena
29. Owner of a Lonely Heart
Yes
30. Red Red Wine
UB40
31. Somebody's Watching Me
Rockwell
32. New Year's Day
U2
33. This Charming Man
Smiths
34. True
Spandau Ballet
35. Borderline
Madonna
36. Jump (For My Love)
Pointer Sisters
37. One Thing Leads To Another
The Fixx
38. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
Journey
39. Heaven
Bryan Adams
40. Authority Song
John Cougar Mellencamp
41. Hello
Lionel Richie
42. In a Big Country
Big Country
43. Uptown Girl
Billy Joel
44. Rebel Yell
Billy Idol
45. Talking in Your Sleep
Romantics
46. Juicy Fruit
Mtume
47. Faithfully
Journey
48. Hold Me Now
Thompson Twins
49. Lucky Star
Madonna
50. Undercover of the Night
Rolling Stones
51. Modern Love
David Bowie
52. Middle of the Road
Pretenders
53. Islands in the Stream
Kenny Rogers duet with Dolly Parton
54. Sharp Dressed Man
ZZ Top
55. Wrapped Around Your Finger
The Police
56. Gimme All Your Lovin'
ZZ Top
57. Pride and Joy
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
58. Tonight I Celebrate My Love
Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack
59. Church of the Poison Mind
Culture Club
60. Overkill
Men At Work
61. I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues
Elton John
62. China Girl
Davie Bowie
63. Jeopardy
Greg Kihn Band
64. Joanna
Kool & The Gang
65. Big Log
Robert Plant
66. Mama
Genesis
67. Crumblin' Down
John Cougar Mellencamp
68. Between the Sheets
Isley Brothers
69. No Parking (On the Dancefloor)
Midnight Star
70. Stand Back
Stevie Nicks
71. The Heart of Rock and Roll
Huey Lewis & The News
72. Yah Mo B There
James Ingram and Michael McDonald
73. That's All
Genesis
74. Eyes Without a Face
Billy Idol
75. King of Pain
Police
76. Nobody Told Me
John Lennon
77. Rock of Ages
Def Leppard
78. Cuts Like a Knife
Bryan Adams
79. Cum on Feel the Noize
Quiet Riot
80. Sister Christian
Night Ranger
81. Mr. Roboto
Styx
82. Just Be Good To Me
S.O.S. Band
83. Everyday I Write the Book
Elvis Costello
84. In the Mood
Robert Plant
85. Sunglasses At Night
Corey Hart
86. Break My Stride
Matthew Wilder
87. New Song
Howard Jones
88. I Want a New Drug
Huey Lewis & The News
89. Bang Your Head (Metal Health)
Quiet Riot
90. Automatic
Pointer Sisters
91. Cold Blooded
Rick James
92. Dance Hall Days
Wang Chung
93. Synchronicity II
The Police
94. What Is Love?
Howard Jones
95. Rainbow in the Dark
Dio
96. Lawyers in Love
Jackson Browne
97. This Is Not a Love Song
Public Image Ltd.
98. All Night Long
Mary Jane Girls
99. Moments in Love
Art of Noise
100. Sucker MCs
Run-D.M.C.
20 more worth mentioning.
101. I Love L.A.
Randy Newman
102. The Reflex
Duran Duran
103. Say, Say, Say
Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson
104. Love Wars
Womack & Womack
105. Get the Balance Right
Depeche Mode
106. Neutron Dance
Pointer Sisters
107. Say It Isn't So
Daryl Hall & John Oates
108. The Politics of Dancing
Re-Flex
109. Tell Her About It
Billy Joel
110. Original Sin
INXS
111. Never Gonna Let You Go
Sergio Mendes
112. On the Dark Side
John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band
113. Tour De France
Kraftwerk
114. Institutionalized
Suicidal Tendencies
115. Hand in Glove
Smiths
116. Shipbuilding
Elvis Costello
117. Screaming in the Night
Krokus
118. Confusion
New Order
119. Clear
Cybotron feat. Juan Atkins
120. So Many Men, So Little Time
Miquel Brown
Randy Newman
102. The Reflex
Duran Duran
103. Say, Say, Say
Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson
104. Love Wars
Womack & Womack
105. Get the Balance Right
Depeche Mode
106. Neutron Dance
Pointer Sisters
107. Say It Isn't So
Daryl Hall & John Oates
108. The Politics of Dancing
Re-Flex
109. Tell Her About It
Billy Joel
110. Original Sin
INXS
111. Never Gonna Let You Go
Sergio Mendes
112. On the Dark Side
John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band
113. Tour De France
Kraftwerk
114. Institutionalized
Suicidal Tendencies
115. Hand in Glove
Smiths
116. Shipbuilding
Elvis Costello
117. Screaming in the Night
Krokus
118. Confusion
New Order
119. Clear
Cybotron feat. Juan Atkins
120. So Many Men, So Little Time
Miquel Brown
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1983
An unheralded great record from 1983
Jeff's choice:
Greatest Single Re-entry:
* Please Please Me (#29 UK)
Beatles
Jeff's choice:
* Promises, Promises
Naked Eyes
Lew's choice:
* Texas
Chris Rea
Bruce's choice:
* Down Home Blues
Denise LaSalle
Brett's choice:
* What Is A DJ If He Can't Scratch?
The Egyptian Lover
Ryan's choice:
* Cattle and Cane
The Go-Betweens
Jeff's choice:
Greatest Single Re-entry:
* Please Please Me (#29 UK)
Beatles
Jeff's choice:
* Promises, Promises
Naked Eyes
Lew's choice:
* Texas
Chris Rea
Bruce's choice:
* Down Home Blues
Denise LaSalle
Brett's choice:
* What Is A DJ If He Can't Scratch?
The Egyptian Lover
Ryan's choice:
* Cattle and Cane
The Go-Betweens
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Edited By: Jeff B.
Last Updated: 2014-02-25
Last Updated: 2014-02-25