Best Albums Of 1983
Twas the year US Troops invaded Granada; The Red Hot Chili Peppers release their debut album; Thatcher is re-elected by a landslide in Great Britain; Klaus Barbie is officially charged with Nazi war crimes.
It was a great year for music, however.
Joe Jackson, Mikes Murder (OST)
Malcolm McLaren, Duck Rock
Replacements, Hootenanny
Tears for Fears – The Hurting
Fleshtones, Hexbreaker
U2 – War
Neil Young, Trans
Jazz Butcher, Bath Of Bacon
Talking Heads – Speaking in Tongues
Big Country – The Crossing
New Order- Power Corruption and Lies
China Crisis – Working with Fire and Steel
The The, Soul Mining
Pink Floyd, The Final Cut
Ramones, Subterranean Jungle
Elvis Costello – Punch the Clock
UB40 – The Labour of Love
The Police – Synchronicity
Yazoo – You and Me Both
Blancmange – Happy Families
The Cramps, Smell Of Female
David Bowie – Let’s Dance
Aztec Camera – High Land Hard Rain
Echo and the Bunnyman – Porcupine
Heaven 17 – The Luxury Gap
The Stranglers – Feline
Blue Peter – Falling
OMD – Dazzle Ships
Bauhaus – Burning from the Inside
The Style Council – Introducing
Bruce Cockburn – The Trouble with Normal
R.E.M. – Murmur
The Fixx – Reach the Beach
XTC – Mummer
The Kinks – State of Confusion
Prince – 1999
Modern English – After the Snow
Gang of Four – Hard
Your convincing me about the merits of the early 80s!
Definitely liked murmer, state of confusion, 1999, and one of the best side twos in recent memory courtesy of synchronicity
Another great post, Ian. I loved many of these albums when they were released, especially Big Country, Joe Jackson, U2, Pink Floyd, The Police, REM & The Fixx. I also came around to numerous others on your list over the years. Last year I used to do a brief weekly post on Facebook called “Thirty-Year Thursday” where I highlighted my favorite albums (and, on occasion, favorite songs from albums I didn’t own) of 1983. To your excellent list I would add the following:
Triumph – Never Surrender
Eric Clapton – Money & Cigarettes
Spandau Ballet – True
Marillion – Script For A Jester’s Tear
ZZ Top – Eliminator
The Tubes – Outside Inside
Pete Townshend – Scoop
Iron Maiden – Piece Of Mind
Marshall Crenshaw – Field Day
Dio – Holy Diver
Stevie Ray Vaughan – Texas Flood
Richard Thompson – Hand Of Kindness
The Alarm – The Alarm EP
Zebra – Zebra
Robert Plant – The Principle Of Moments
Elton John – Too Low For Zero
Billy Joel – An Innocent Man
Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombones
Bob Dylan – Infidels
Genesis – Genesis
Yes – 90125
Huey Lewis & The News – Sports
John Cougar Mellencamp – Uh-Huh
Culture Club – Colour By Numbers
Noteworthy songs:
“(She’s) Sexy & 17” – Stray Cats
“Runner” – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
“The Salt In My Tears” – Martin Briley
“Information” – Dave Edmunds
“Lawyers In Love” – Jackson Browne
“Suddenly Last Summer” – The Motels
“Talking In You Sleep” – The Romantics
“Allergies” – Paul Simon
“Here Comes The Rain Again” – Eurythmics
“You Can’t Take Love For Granted” – Graham Parker
“Eyes Without A Face” – Billy Idol
“Our House” – Madness (I believe this came out earlier in the UK but was released in ’83 here in the US)
Cheers. Thanks for highlighting such a great year for music in an unfairly maligned decade.