Top 35 Music Albums of 1983
by 
Romanelli 
- Chart updated: 05/22/2026 01:15
- (Created: 04/12/2012 16:57).
- Chart size: 35 albums.
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Produced by Mark Van Hecke. The Violent Femmes were discovered playing outside of a venue by Pretenders guitarist James Honeyman-Scott in 1981. They've gone on to record many albums and have levels of success, but nothing has ever matched the magic of their debut album. When they were on, they made acoustic punk a reality, and never better than on "Blister In The Sun", "Gone Daddy Gone" and "Add It Up". Their legacy rests mostly on this exceptional classic album that made the music of the 80's much more bearable.
[First added to this chart: 02/19/2015]
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,903
Rank in 1983:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
1983-IRS
Produced By MITCH EASTER & DON DIXON
1. Radio Free Europe
2. Pilgrimage
3. Laughing
4. Talk About The Passion
5. Moral Kiosk
6. Perfect Circle
7. Catapult
8. Sitting Still
9. 9-9
10. Shaking Through
11. We Walk
12. West Of The Fields
In a way that was not as loud, shocking, or outwardly visible, Murmer, the first album from R.E.M., did to classic rock what Nirvana's Nevermind did to 80's metal. This is the birth of what would become a whole branch of alternative rock. Leading the way was "Radio Free Europe", which had been released as a single two years earlier. Murmer is full of songs and sounds that were unheard of in 1983. Peter Buck's guitar work (no solos allowed) was fresh and new, and Michael Stipe's lyrics were strange and cryptic...when they could be understood. All together, Murmer was a unique album, and although it sold almost nothing, it would go on to become a classic. And for good reason. This is a great album.
R.E.M. would have to wait until 1986 to have any kind of mainstream success, but by that time, their sound was starting to take hold. They broke up in 2011, but what they were in the beginning shouldn't be forgotten. Murmer is simply a fantastic album. [First added to this chart: 04/13/2012]
Produced By MITCH EASTER & DON DIXON
1. Radio Free Europe
2. Pilgrimage
3. Laughing
4. Talk About The Passion
5. Moral Kiosk
6. Perfect Circle
7. Catapult
8. Sitting Still
9. 9-9
10. Shaking Through
11. We Walk
12. West Of The Fields
In a way that was not as loud, shocking, or outwardly visible, Murmer, the first album from R.E.M., did to classic rock what Nirvana's Nevermind did to 80's metal. This is the birth of what would become a whole branch of alternative rock. Leading the way was "Radio Free Europe", which had been released as a single two years earlier. Murmer is full of songs and sounds that were unheard of in 1983. Peter Buck's guitar work (no solos allowed) was fresh and new, and Michael Stipe's lyrics were strange and cryptic...when they could be understood. All together, Murmer was a unique album, and although it sold almost nothing, it would go on to become a classic. And for good reason. This is a great album.
R.E.M. would have to wait until 1986 to have any kind of mainstream success, but by that time, their sound was starting to take hold. They broke up in 2011, but what they were in the beginning shouldn't be forgotten. Murmer is simply a fantastic album. [First added to this chart: 04/13/2012]
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
9,737
Rank in 1983:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
1983 – A&M
Produced By DON BARNES, JEFF CARLISI & RODNEY MILLS
1. If I’d Been The One
2. Back Where You Belong
3. One Time For Old Times
4. See Me In Your Eyes
5. Twentieth Century Fox
6. Long Distance Affair
7. I Oughta Let Go
8. One Of The Lonely Ones
9. Undercover Lover
Once upon a time, there was a Southern rock band called 38 Special. They were from Florida, and boasted as their lead singer Donnie Van Zant, the brother of legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant. Their three albums in the 1970’s were straight ahead Southern rock fare, but with the dawn of the eighties, something changed. With each album in the decade, the band abandoned a bit more of their Southern roots and became more of a straightforward arena rock act. It made them more popular, which they rode through the eighties, but by the end of the decade, their sound had become so homogenized and hit oriented that they were barely even a rock band anymore. Which is too bad, because they had the ingredients to be a great Southern rock act.
Tour De Force is their sixth album, and their third of the eighties. It is a picture of what 38 Special was becoming. The record opens with a pair of hits: “If I’d Been The One” and “Back Where You Belong” are solid enough rockers, and kept the band on the arena circuit. The band continued to rock through most of the rest with average results…but even rocking is something they would abandon fairly soon. All in the name of making hits. The songwriting on Tour De Force is average at best, but at least they still sound like their hearts are in it. Eventually their star faded in the nineties, and they’ve not released an album since 2004’s Drivetrain. Van Zant left the band in 2013 with an inner ear injury, leaving Don Barnes as the only remaining original member. Coming soon to a bar near you. [First added to this chart: 02/09/2024]
Produced By DON BARNES, JEFF CARLISI & RODNEY MILLS
1. If I’d Been The One
2. Back Where You Belong
3. One Time For Old Times
4. See Me In Your Eyes
5. Twentieth Century Fox
6. Long Distance Affair
7. I Oughta Let Go
8. One Of The Lonely Ones
9. Undercover Lover
Once upon a time, there was a Southern rock band called 38 Special. They were from Florida, and boasted as their lead singer Donnie Van Zant, the brother of legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant. Their three albums in the 1970’s were straight ahead Southern rock fare, but with the dawn of the eighties, something changed. With each album in the decade, the band abandoned a bit more of their Southern roots and became more of a straightforward arena rock act. It made them more popular, which they rode through the eighties, but by the end of the decade, their sound had become so homogenized and hit oriented that they were barely even a rock band anymore. Which is too bad, because they had the ingredients to be a great Southern rock act.
Tour De Force is their sixth album, and their third of the eighties. It is a picture of what 38 Special was becoming. The record opens with a pair of hits: “If I’d Been The One” and “Back Where You Belong” are solid enough rockers, and kept the band on the arena circuit. The band continued to rock through most of the rest with average results…but even rocking is something they would abandon fairly soon. All in the name of making hits. The songwriting on Tour De Force is average at best, but at least they still sound like their hearts are in it. Eventually their star faded in the nineties, and they’ve not released an album since 2004’s Drivetrain. Van Zant left the band in 2013 with an inner ear injury, leaving Don Barnes as the only remaining original member. Coming soon to a bar near you. [First added to this chart: 02/09/2024]
[First added to this chart: 08/13/2012]
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,453
Rank in 1983:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 02/13/2014]
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,551
Rank in 1983:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
1983-COLUMBIA
Produced By MIKE STONE & KEVIN ELSON
1. Separate Ways (World’s Apart)
2. Send Her My Love
3. Chain Reaction
4. After The Fall
5. Faithfully
6. Edge Of The Blade
7. Troubled Child
8. Back Talk
9. Frontiers
10. Rubicon
By the time Journey released their eighth album, Frontiers, in 1983, the formula was firmly in place. Open with a well written rocker, then have enough ballads to keep the album on the charts for the next year. And don’t forget that no matter how good the players in the band might be, the name of the meal ticket that got you to a place where you could make a huge hit album with this much filler was Steve Perry. Two years earlier, the formula was perfected with their album Escape, which had sandwiched “Don’t Stop Believin’” inside of “Who’s Crying Now” and “Open Arms”. With Frontiers, the rocker was “Separate Ways (World’s Apart)” surrounded by the likes of “Faithfully” and “Send Her My Love”. Journey wasn’t just a band…they were a machine. Neal Schon was a good enough guitar player, and a couple of songs rocked just enough to keep the guys interested (that, and having Journey albums helped with the girls), but with Journey, it was always Perry, who really could sing the shit out of a song. And his real strength was the ballad. Journey, which had struggled out of the gate as a Santana spinoff, discovered that once Perry was in the fold, they had the makings of a machine.
Outside of its four hit singles, there is nothing to brag about on Frontiers. Like most Journey albums, Frontiers is top heavy, and loaded with filler. After “Faithfully”, there’s really nothing to recommend here at all…the rest is simply background noise. But that’s okay, because Journey had a formula that really worked. At least it did up through Frontiers. Their next album, Raised On Radio, failed as Perry began to take control of the band, then it was 10 years before they made another new album. By 1986, Journey’s style had become obsolete, replaced by younger hair metal; bands who were perfecting the power ballad style that Journey had brought to the forefront. But for Frontiers, the machine was still firmly in place. The ballads were rolling, and “Separate Ways” was a shining example of “see? They really CAN rock!”. If you must have these hits, go to 1988’s Greatest Hits album, which contains all of the successes of Journey and spares you the dullness of their filler. Imagine if these guys had ever actually tried for a full album…we’ll never know. [First added to this chart: 01/30/2013]
Produced By MIKE STONE & KEVIN ELSON
1. Separate Ways (World’s Apart)
2. Send Her My Love
3. Chain Reaction
4. After The Fall
5. Faithfully
6. Edge Of The Blade
7. Troubled Child
8. Back Talk
9. Frontiers
10. Rubicon
By the time Journey released their eighth album, Frontiers, in 1983, the formula was firmly in place. Open with a well written rocker, then have enough ballads to keep the album on the charts for the next year. And don’t forget that no matter how good the players in the band might be, the name of the meal ticket that got you to a place where you could make a huge hit album with this much filler was Steve Perry. Two years earlier, the formula was perfected with their album Escape, which had sandwiched “Don’t Stop Believin’” inside of “Who’s Crying Now” and “Open Arms”. With Frontiers, the rocker was “Separate Ways (World’s Apart)” surrounded by the likes of “Faithfully” and “Send Her My Love”. Journey wasn’t just a band…they were a machine. Neal Schon was a good enough guitar player, and a couple of songs rocked just enough to keep the guys interested (that, and having Journey albums helped with the girls), but with Journey, it was always Perry, who really could sing the shit out of a song. And his real strength was the ballad. Journey, which had struggled out of the gate as a Santana spinoff, discovered that once Perry was in the fold, they had the makings of a machine.
Outside of its four hit singles, there is nothing to brag about on Frontiers. Like most Journey albums, Frontiers is top heavy, and loaded with filler. After “Faithfully”, there’s really nothing to recommend here at all…the rest is simply background noise. But that’s okay, because Journey had a formula that really worked. At least it did up through Frontiers. Their next album, Raised On Radio, failed as Perry began to take control of the band, then it was 10 years before they made another new album. By 1986, Journey’s style had become obsolete, replaced by younger hair metal; bands who were perfecting the power ballad style that Journey had brought to the forefront. But for Frontiers, the machine was still firmly in place. The ballads were rolling, and “Separate Ways” was a shining example of “see? They really CAN rock!”. If you must have these hits, go to 1988’s Greatest Hits album, which contains all of the successes of Journey and spares you the dullness of their filler. Imagine if these guys had ever actually tried for a full album…we’ll never know. [First added to this chart: 01/30/2013]
1983 – SIRE
Produced By TALKING HEADS
1. Burning Down The House
2. Making Flippy Floppy
3. Girlfriend Is Better
4. Slippery People
5. I Get Wild: Wild Gravity
6. Swamp
7. Moon Rocks
8. Pull Up The Roots
9. This Must Be The Place (Naïve Melody)
For their fifth album, Talking Heads went at it without producer Brian Eno, with interesting results. Speaking In Tongues turned out to be their breakthrough album, boasting hit singles and fine dance beats throughout. Strangely enough, the cassette version was the one to have…it’s six minutes longer with extended versions of the better songs. The LP and CD versions are shorter, but that’s okay…this is still a pretty fine album. David Byrne is at his quirkiest, Jerry Harrison plays some really funky guitar, and the rhythm section of Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz is as tight as can be. There are also a lot of synthesizers, but to their credit, they don’t crowd the album and the sound is not your typical eighties cheese. Leaving plenty of room for groove.
And groove is what Speaking In Tongues does. The first three songs are glorious, made up of everything that made this a great band. “Burning Down The House” is an irresistible dance hit. “Making Flippy Floppy” is weird and amazing as the title suggests, and “Girlfriend Is Better” is just a fantastic song. But that’s not all there is to this. “Swamp” is all quirky goodness, and “This Must Be The Place (Naïve Melody)” is one of their very finest songs. But there’s a significant drop after that…the other four songs, while upbeat and danceable, are also pretty forgettable. Their previous album, Remain In Light, was a tough act to follow, and they did a pretty good job of that. The live Stop Making Sense was next, and things started to slowly unravel…Talking Heads were done five years later. This is one of their better albums. Quirky, imperfect, and glorious. [First added to this chart: 06/04/2024]
Produced By TALKING HEADS
1. Burning Down The House
2. Making Flippy Floppy
3. Girlfriend Is Better
4. Slippery People
5. I Get Wild: Wild Gravity
6. Swamp
7. Moon Rocks
8. Pull Up The Roots
9. This Must Be The Place (Naïve Melody)
For their fifth album, Talking Heads went at it without producer Brian Eno, with interesting results. Speaking In Tongues turned out to be their breakthrough album, boasting hit singles and fine dance beats throughout. Strangely enough, the cassette version was the one to have…it’s six minutes longer with extended versions of the better songs. The LP and CD versions are shorter, but that’s okay…this is still a pretty fine album. David Byrne is at his quirkiest, Jerry Harrison plays some really funky guitar, and the rhythm section of Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz is as tight as can be. There are also a lot of synthesizers, but to their credit, they don’t crowd the album and the sound is not your typical eighties cheese. Leaving plenty of room for groove.
And groove is what Speaking In Tongues does. The first three songs are glorious, made up of everything that made this a great band. “Burning Down The House” is an irresistible dance hit. “Making Flippy Floppy” is weird and amazing as the title suggests, and “Girlfriend Is Better” is just a fantastic song. But that’s not all there is to this. “Swamp” is all quirky goodness, and “This Must Be The Place (Naïve Melody)” is one of their very finest songs. But there’s a significant drop after that…the other four songs, while upbeat and danceable, are also pretty forgettable. Their previous album, Remain In Light, was a tough act to follow, and they did a pretty good job of that. The live Stop Making Sense was next, and things started to slowly unravel…Talking Heads were done five years later. This is one of their better albums. Quirky, imperfect, and glorious. [First added to this chart: 06/04/2024]
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,996
Rank in 1983:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 08/14/2012]
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
929
Rank in 1983:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 04/14/2012]
1983 – RIVA
Produced By JOHN MELLENCAMP & DON GEHMAN
1. Crumblin’ Down
2. Pink Houses
3. Authority Song
4. Warmer Place To Sleep
5. Jackie O
6. Play Guitar
7. Serious Business
8. Lovin’ Mother Fo Ya
9. Golden Gates
There is no denying that John Mellencamp overcame more career garbage and became a legitimate star in spite of how he was marketed more than any other musician ever. Uh-Huh was actually his seventh studio album, and the very first on which he used his real last name….before this, he had been marketed as Johnny (and John) Cougar. It would take a few more albums and a few more years before he was able to drop the Cougar moniker, but on this album, he makes his first really real statement that he wanted to be taken seriously. And on that front, he succeeds. Uh-Huh is where we first started noticing that this Cougar fella had some terrific music in him, and it’s where he first became a star in a way that didn’t involve the words “teen idol”.
Uh-Huh is anchored by four really great radio hits that made him more than a pop star. He was better than we thought he was, and he might actually have something to say. “Pink Houses”. “Authority Song”, “Play Guitar” and “Crumblin’ Down” are tracks that not only jump out of the radio at you, they are terrific rock songs. And they helped to make Mellencamp the star he was well on his way to becoming. The rest of Uh-Huh is not bad…but it’s also most definitely filler. Even his collaboration with John Prine (“Jackie O”) is pretty lifeless and dull. The rest you can live without, but those four hits make Uh-Huh worth having. This record is an important step in the evolution for Mellencamp from silly to serious, and shows how dedicated he really was to shedding his former skin. [First added to this chart: 04/12/2012]
Produced By JOHN MELLENCAMP & DON GEHMAN
1. Crumblin’ Down
2. Pink Houses
3. Authority Song
4. Warmer Place To Sleep
5. Jackie O
6. Play Guitar
7. Serious Business
8. Lovin’ Mother Fo Ya
9. Golden Gates
There is no denying that John Mellencamp overcame more career garbage and became a legitimate star in spite of how he was marketed more than any other musician ever. Uh-Huh was actually his seventh studio album, and the very first on which he used his real last name….before this, he had been marketed as Johnny (and John) Cougar. It would take a few more albums and a few more years before he was able to drop the Cougar moniker, but on this album, he makes his first really real statement that he wanted to be taken seriously. And on that front, he succeeds. Uh-Huh is where we first started noticing that this Cougar fella had some terrific music in him, and it’s where he first became a star in a way that didn’t involve the words “teen idol”.
Uh-Huh is anchored by four really great radio hits that made him more than a pop star. He was better than we thought he was, and he might actually have something to say. “Pink Houses”. “Authority Song”, “Play Guitar” and “Crumblin’ Down” are tracks that not only jump out of the radio at you, they are terrific rock songs. And they helped to make Mellencamp the star he was well on his way to becoming. The rest of Uh-Huh is not bad…but it’s also most definitely filler. Even his collaboration with John Prine (“Jackie O”) is pretty lifeless and dull. The rest you can live without, but those four hits make Uh-Huh worth having. This record is an important step in the evolution for Mellencamp from silly to serious, and shows how dedicated he really was to shedding his former skin. [First added to this chart: 04/12/2012]
Total albums: 35. Page 1 of 4
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Top 35 Music Albums of 1983 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| The Waterboys | 1 | 3% | |
| Madness | 1 | 3% | |
| Journey | 1 | 3% | |
| Huey Lewis & The News | 1 | 3% | |
| New Order | 1 | 3% | |
| Talking Heads | 1 | 3% | |
| Cyndi Lauper | 1 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
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| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04/01/2019 00:07 | DJENNY | 4,336 | 100/100 | |
| 02/23/2014 23:32 | PauloPaz | 1,759 | 89/100 | |
| 01/05/2013 22:57 | guigs13 | 237 | 88/100 | |
| 11/03/2012 03:25 | strawberryfields | 273 | 95/100 |
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From guigs13 01/05/2013 22:57 | #60250
Really nice chart!
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