List of UK top-ten singles in 1983 explained

The UK Singles Chart is one of many music charts compiled by the Official Charts Company that calculates the best-selling singles of the week in the United Kingdom.[1] Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical singles.[2] [3] This list shows singles that peaked in the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart during 1983, as well as singles which peaked in 1982 and 1984 but were in the top 10 in 1983. The entry date is when the single appeared in the top 10 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).

One-hundred and forty-nine singles were in the top ten in 1983. Ten singles from 1982 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "Islands in the Stream" by Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton, "Marguerita Time" by Status Quo and "Tell Her About It" by Billy Joel were all released in 1983 but did not reach their peak until 1984. "A Winter's Tale" by David Essex, "Best Years of Our Lives" by Modern Romance and "You Can't Hurry Love" by Phil Collins were the singles from 1982 to reach their peak in 1983. Thirty-three artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1983. Billy Joel, The Cure, Eurythmics, Paul Young and U2 were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1983.

The 1982 Christmas number-one, "Save Your Love" by Renée and Renato, remained at number-one for the first two weeks of 1983. The first new number-one single of the year was "You Can't Hurry Love" by Phil Collins of Genesis. Overall, eighteen different singles peaked at number-one in 1983, with eighteen unique artists having singles hitting that position.

Background

Multiple entries

One-hundred and forty-nine singles charted in the top 10 in 1983, with one-hundred and thirty-nine singles reaching their peak this year.

Thirty-three artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1983. Michael Jackson secured the record for most top 10 hits in 1983 with five hit singles.

Billy Joel was one of a number of artists with two top-ten entries, including the number-one single "Uptown Girl". Bananarama, David Essex, Heaven 17, Lionel Richie and The Police were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1983.

Chart debuts

Forty-nine artists achieved their first top 10 single in 1983, either as a lead or featured artist. Of these, seven went on to record another hit single that year: Big Country, Billy Joel, Heaven 17, JoBoxers, Malcolm McLaren, The Style Council and Thompson Twins. Three artists achieved two more chart hits in 1983: Kajagoogoo, Paul Young and Tracey Ullman. Eurythmics had three other entries in their breakthrough year.

The following table (collapsed on desktop site) does not include acts who had previously charted as part of a group and secured their first top 10 solo single.

ArtistNumber of top 10sFirst entryChart positionOther entries
Keith Harris and Orville1"Orville's Song"4 -
Men at Work1"Down Under"1 -
Wah!1"The Story of the Blues"3 -
Malcolm McLaren2"Buffalo Gals"9"Double Dutch" (3)
The World's Famous Supreme Team1 -
1"Heartache Avenue"7 -
Kajagoogoo3"Too Shy"1"Ooh to Be Ah" (7), "Big Apple" (8)
1"Sing of the Times"3 -
Laura Branigan1"Gloria"6 -
Echo & the Bunnymen1"The Cutter" 8 -
U21"New Year's Day"10 -
Jennifer Warnes1"Up Where We Belong"7 -
Toto1"Africa"3 -
Eurythmics4"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"2"Love Is a Stranger" (6), "Who's That Girl?" (3), "Right by Your Side" (10)
Thompson Twins2"Love On Your Side"9"We Are Detective" (7)
Forrest1"Rock the Boat"4 -
2"Speak Like a Child"4"Long Hot Summer"/"The Paris Match" (3)
Orange Juice1"Rip It Up"8 -
JoBoxers2"Boxerbeat"3"Just Got Lucky" (7)
Tracey Ullman3"Breakaway"4"They Don't Know" (2), "Move Over Darling" (8)
Kenny Everett1"Snot Rap"9 -
F.R. David1"Words"2 -
Big Country2"Fields of Fire"10"Chance" (9)
Tracie1"The House That Jack Built"9 -
London Philharmonic Orchestra1"True Love Ways"8 -
Heaven 172"Temptation"2"Come Live with Me" (5)
Galaxy1"Dancing Tight"4 -
Phil Fearon
New Edition1"Candy Girl"1 -
Booker Newberry III1"Love Town"6 -
Flash and the Pan1"Waiting for a Train"7 -
Paul Young3"Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)"1"Come Back and Stay" (4), "Love of the Common People" (2)
Funk Masters1"It's Over"8 -
Gary Byrd and the GB Experience1"The Crown" 6 -
Herbie Hancock1"Rockit"8 -
David Grant1"Watching You, Watching Me"10 -
Peabo Bryson1"Tonight, I Celebrate My Love"2 -
Level 421"The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)"10 -
Ryan Paris1"Dolce Vita"5 -
New Order1"Blue Monday"9 -
Howard Jones1"New Song"3 -
Rock Steady Crew1"(Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew"6 -
Black Lace1"Superman"9 -
Billy Joel2"Uptown Girl" 1"Tell Her About It" (4)
Men Without Hats1"The Safety Dance"6 -
1"The Love Cats"7 -
1"Never Never"4 -
Marilyn1"Calling Your Name"4 -
1"Only You"1 -
NotesPhil Everly achieved his first solo top ten single in 1983, his collaboration with Cliff Richard, "She Means Nothing to Me", landing at number nine. With his brother Don, the Everly Brothers had 13 top ten hits between 1957 and 1965. Tom Robinson fronted the Tom Robinson Band from 1976 to 1979, with their biggest hit "2-4-6-8 Motorway" reaching number 5. "War Baby" became his first and only solo top 10 single. Tina Turner's previous recordings were all with her husband Ike under the name Ike & Tina Turner, debuting with the number 3 hit "River Deep Mountain High" in 1966. "Let's Stay Together" marked her first time in the top ten by herself.

Songs from films

Original songs from various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included "Up Where We Belong" (An Officer and a Gentleman) and "Flashdance... What a Feeling" (Flashdance).

Best-selling singles

Culture Club had the best-selling single of the year with "Karma Chameleon". The single spent ten weeks in the top 10 (including six weeks at number one) and sold over 1.39 million copies and was certified platinum by the BPI. "Uptown Girl" by Billy Joel came in second place, selling more than 949,000 copies and losing out by around 390,000 sales. UB40's "Red Red Wine", "Let's Dance" from David Bowie and "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler made up the top five. Singles by Spandau Ballet, Men at Work, Michael Jackson, The Flying Pickets and Lionel Richie were also in the top ten best-selling singles of the year.

Top-ten singles

SymbolMeaning
bgcolor=lightblueSingle peaked in 1982 but still in chart in 1983.
Single released in 1983 but peaked in 1984.
(#)Year-end top-ten single position and rank
EnteredThe date that the single first appeared in the chart.
PeakHighest position that the single reached in the UK Singles Chart.
Entered
(week ending)
Weeks
in
top
10
SingleArtistPeakPeak reached
(week ending)
Weeks
at
peak
Singles in 1982
8bgcolor=lightblue align="left""Save Your Love" ‡Renée and Renato14
5bgcolor=lightblue align="left""Beat Surrender" ‡12
5bgcolor=lightblue align="left""Truly" ‡Lionel Richie63
7bgcolor=lightblue align="left""Time (Clock of the Heart)" ‡Culture Club31
4bgcolor=lightblue align="left""The Shakin' Stevens EP"Shakin' Stevens22
5bgcolor=lightblue align="left""Our House" ‡Madness54
5"Best Years of Our Lives"Modern Romance41
4bgcolor=lightblue align="left""Peace on Earth"/"Little Drummer Boy" ‡David Bowie & Bing Crosby32
8"You Can't Hurry Love"Phil Collins12
5"A Winter's Tale"David Essex21
Singles in 1983
4"Orville's Song"Keith Harris & Orville41
1"All the Love in the World"Dionne Warwick101
4"The Story of the Blues"Wah!31
7"Down Under" (#7)Men at Work13
1"Buffalo Gals"Malcolm McLaren & The World's Famous Supreme Team91
1"If You Can't Stand the Heat"Bucks Fizz101
5"Electric Avenue"Eddy Grant21
3"Steppin' Out"Joe Jackson61
2"Heartache Avenue"72
1"European Female"91
7"Too Shy"Kajagoogoo12
5"Sign of the Times"31
3"Gloria"Laura Branigan62
1"The Cutter"Echo & the Bunnymen81
1"New Year's Day"U2101
4"Change"Tears for Fears42
3"Up Where We Belong"Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes73
3"Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)"Wham!81
2"Oh Diane"Fleetwood Mac91
6"Billie Jean" (#8)Michael Jackson11
5"Africa"Toto31
3"Never Gonna Give You Up"Musical Youth61
3"Tomorrow's (Just Another Day)"/"Madness (Is All in the Mind)"Madness82
6"Total Eclipse of the Heart" (#5)Bonnie Tyler12
6"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"Eurythmics21
2"Love On Your Side"Thompson Twins92
1"The Tunnel Of Love"Fun Boy Three101
4"Rock the Boat"Forrest42
4"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"Bananarama51
4"Speak Like a Child"43
2"High Life"Modern Romance81
1"She Means Nothing to Me"Phil Everly & Cliff Richard91
3"Rip It Up"Orange Juice81
4"Is There Something I Should Know?"Duran Duran12
7"Let's Dance" (#4)David Bowie13
4"Boxerbeat"JoBoxers31
1"Don't Talk to Me About Love"Altered Images71
4"Breakaway"Tracey Ullman41
3"Ooh to Be Ah"Kajagoogoo72
5"Church of the Poison Mind"Culture Club22
2"Snot Rap"Kenny Everett91
4"Beat It"Michael Jackson32
6"Words"F. R. David22
1"Fields of Fire"Big Country101
2"Love Is a Stranger"Eurythmics61
1"The House That Jack Built"Tracie91
7"True" (#6)Spandau Ballet14
4"(Keep Feeling) Fascination"21
1"True Love Ways"Cliff Richard with the London Philharmonic Orchestra81
3"We Are Detective"Thompson Twins71
3"Pale Shelter"Tears for Fears51
4"Dancing Tight"Galaxy featuring Phil Fearon 41
5"Temptation"Heaven 1721
5"Candy Girl"New Edition11
5"Can't Get Used to Losing You"31
3"Our Lips Are Sealed"Fun Boy Three71
1"Blind Vision"Blancmange101
7"Every Breath You Take"14
6"Bad Boys"Wham!22
5"Nobody's Diary"Yazoo31
1"What Kinda Boy You're Looking For (Girl)"Hot Chocolate101
3"Buffalo Soldier"Bob Marley and the Wailers41
2"Just Got Lucky"JoBoxers72
3"Love Town"Booker Newberry III61
4"China Girl"David Bowie21
7"Flashdance... What a Feeling"Irene Cara21
7"Baby Jane"Rod Stewart13
4"I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues"Elton John51
2"Waiting for a Train"Flash and the Pan71
1"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"Michael Jackson81
2"When We Were Young"Bucks Fizz102
5"Moonlight Shadow"Mike Oldfield43
8"I.O.U."Freeez23
2"Dead Giveaway"Shalamar82
7"Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)"Paul Young13
3"War Baby"Tom Robinson61
5"Come Live with Me"Heaven 1751
2"It's Over"Funk Masters81
5"Who's That Girl?"Eurythmics31
6"Double Dutch"Malcolm McLaren31
3"The Crown" Gary Byrd and the GB Experience63
2"Wrapped Around Your Finger"71
2"Cruel Summer"Bananarama81
6"Give It Up"KC and the Sunshine Band13
5"Club Tropicana"Wham!41
4"Long Hot Summer"/"The Paris Match"32
5"I'm Still Standing"Elton John41
3"Everything Counts"Depeche Mode61
4"Gold"Spandau Ballet22
2"Rockit"Herbie Hancock82
4"Wings of a Dove"Madness21
8"Red Red Wine" (#3)UB4013
2"Watching You, Watching Me"David Grant102
4"What Am I Gonna Do (I'm So in Love with You)"Rod Stewart31
4"Walking in the Rain"Modern Romance71
4"Mama"Genesis41
5"Tonight, I Celebrate My Love"Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack21
2"The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)"Level 42102
10"Karma Chameleon" (#1)Culture Club16
3"Dolce Vita"Ryan Paris51
4"Come Back and Stay"Paul Young41
5"Modern Love"David Bowie21
2"Ol' Rag Blues"Status Quo91
1"Big Apple"Kajagoogoo81
1"Chance"Big Country91
3"Dear Prudence"Siouxsie and the Banshees31
2"This Is Not a Love Song"Public Image Ltd51
2"Tahiti"David Essex81
5"They Don't Know"Tracey Ullman22
2"Blue Monday"New Order91
4"New Song"Howard Jones31
3"In Your Eyes"George Benson72
6"All Night Long (All Night)" (#10)Lionel Richie23
3"(Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew"Rock Steady Crew62
2"Superman"Black Lace91
5"Say Say Say" Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson22
3"Union of the Snake"Duran Duran31
8"Uptown Girl" (#2)Billy Joel15
4"The Safety Dance"Men Without Hats61
3"Puss 'n Boots"Adam Ant51
1"Please Don't Make Me Cry"UB40101
4"Cry Just a Little Bit"Shakin' Stevens32
3"The Sun and the Rain"Madness51
3"The Love Cats"71
4"Never Never"41
8"Love of the Common People"Paul Young23
3"Calling Your Name"Marilyn41
1"Thriller"Michael Jackson101
7"Hold Me Now"Thompson Twins41
5"Let's Stay Together"Tina Turner62
7"Only You" (#9)15
1"Right by Your Side"Eurythmics101
5"My Oh My"Slade23
2"Move Over Darling"Tracey Ullman81
4"Please Don't Fall in Love"Cliff Richard71
5"Victims"Culture Club32
6bgcolor=#DDFFDD align="left""Tell Her About It" ♦Billy Joel41
5bgcolor=#DDFFDD align="left""Marguerita Time" ♦Status Quo31
5bgcolor=#DDFFDD align="left""Islands in the Stream" ♦Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton71

Entries by artist

The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1983, including singles that reached their peak in 1982 or 1984. The figures include both main artists and featured artists, while appearances on ensemble charity records are also counted for each artist. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 1983 is also shown.

EntriesArtistWeeksSingles
5Michael Jackson17"Beat It", "Billie Jean", "Say Say Say", "Thriller", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"
421"Church of the Poison Mind", "Karma Chameleon", "Time (Clock of the Heart)", "Victims"
18"China Girl", "Let's Dance", "Modern Love", "Peace on Earth"/"Little Drummer Boy"
Eurythmics14"Love Is a Stranger", "Right by Your Side", "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)", "Who's That Girl?"
13"Our House", "The Sun and the Rain", "Tomorrow's Just Another Day"/"Madness (Is All in the Mind)", "Wings of a Dove"
36"Please Don't Fall in Love", "She Means Nothing to Me", "True Love Ways"
Kajagoogoo11"Big Apple", "Ooh to Be Ah", "Too Shy"
9"Best Years of Our Lives", "High Life", "Walking in the Rain"
Paul Young17"Come Back and Stay", "Love of the Common People", "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)"
Thompson Twins10"Hold Me Now", "Love On Your Side", "We Are Detective"
Tracey Ullman11"Breakaway", "Move Over Darling", "They Don't Know"
Wham!14"Bad Boys", "Club Tropicana", "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)"
2
Bananarama6"Cruel Summer", "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"
Big Country6"Chance", "Fields of Fire"
11"Tell Her About It", "Uptown Girl"
Bucks Fizz3"If You Can't Stand the Heat", "When We Were Young"
6"A Winter's Tale", "Tahiti"
Duran Duran7"Is There Something I Should Know?", "Union of the Snake"
Elton John9"I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues", "I'm Still Standing"
Fun Boy Three4"Our Lips Are Sealed", "The Tunnel of Love"
Heaven 1710"Come Live with Me", "Temptation"
JoBoxers6"Boxerbeat", "Just Got Lucky"
7"All Night Long (All Night)", "Truly"
Malcolm McLaren7"Buffalo Gals", "Double Dutch"
11"Mama", "You Can't Hurry Love"
9"Every Breath You Take", "Wrapped Around Your Finger"
Rod Stewart11"Baby Jane", "What Am I Gonna Do (I'm So in Love with You)"
6"Cry Just a Little Bit", "The Shakin' Stevens EP"
Spandau Ballet11"Gold", "True"
4"Marguerita Time", "Ol' Rag Blues"
8"Long Hot Summer"/"The Paris Match", "Speak Like a Child"
Tears for Fears7"Change", "Pale Shelter"
UB409"Please Don't Make Me Cry", "Red Red Wine"

Notes

See also

References

General

Specific

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Official UK Charts Company . . 1 January 2012.
  2. Book: Roberts, David. Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles and Albums (18th edition). 2005. 1-904994-00-8. 14. Guinness World Records Limited.
  3. Web site: New singles formats to save the charts. BBC News. 16 October 2003 . 21 February 2010.