Top Songs by Year

Top Songs — 1983

⭐ Appears on Top 750 Songs of All Time

▶ Spotify Playlist

I didn't relate to "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" when Talking Heads released it in 1983, a song about comfort, warmth, and belonging.

Before then I had strong grades, was decent at sports, and had teachers who liked me. But things had shifted. I was separated from my friends in class, and suddenly I was the kid the teacher called "a disruption." My confidence slipped. My athletic stock dropped. For the first time, I didn't know where I fit.

I chased that lost sense of self for years. College gave me a great reset, but grad school was a bust. Even early work life felt like I was stumbling.

It wasn't quick — but eventually things clicked. I've now been in the same job for twenty-five years, happily married nearly as long, and I have three kids and two dogs whose company I love and crave.

This must be the place ... but it took a while.

1.⭐ Violent Femmes — Add It Up
2.⭐ David Bowie — Modern Love
3.⭐ R.E.M. — Talk About The Passion
4.⭐ The Smiths — Hand in Glove
5.⭐ Talking Heads — This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
6.⭐ John Mellencamp — Authority Song
7.⭐ The Human League — (Keep Feeling) Fascination
8.⭐ R.E.M. — Perfect Circle
9.⭐ Jonathan Richman, The Modern Lovers — This Kind Of Music
10.⭐ John Mellencamp — Pink Houses
11.⭐ U2 — Sunday Bloody Sunday
12.⭐ Def Leppard — Photograph
13.⭐ Violent Femmes — Kiss Off
14.The Replacements — Within Your Reach
15.The The — This Is the Day
16.Cyndi Lauper — Time After Time
17.Nena — 99 Luftballons
18.Tracey Ullman — They Don't Know
19.U2 — New Year's Day
20.Bob Dylan — Jokerman
21.The Police — Synchronicity II
22.Styx — Mr. Roboto
23.Cyndi Lauper — Girls Just Want to Have Fun
24.Journey — Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
25.Violent Femmes — Blister in the Sun
26.Bonnie Tyler — Total Eclipse of the Heart
27.Michael Jackson — Beat It
28.The Fixx — One Thing Leads To Another
29.Duran Duran — New Moon on Monday
30.New Order — Age of Consent
31.Quiet Riot — Cum on Feel the Noize
32.Michael Jackson — Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
33.Madonna — Borderline
34.John Mellencamp — Crumblin' Down
35.New Order — Blue Monday
36.U2 — 40
37.Pat Benatar — Love Is A Battlefield
38.Elton John — I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues
39.Bananarama — Cruel Summer
40.Duran Duran — The Reflex
41.Elton John — I'm Still Standing
42.Depeche Mode — Everything Counts
43.The Alarm — Sixty Eight Guns
44.The Police — King Of Pain
45.Ministry — Revenge
46.The B-52's — Legal Tender
47.Madonna — Burning Up
48.The Little Girls — How To Pick Up Girls
49.Social Distortion — Mommy's Little Monster
50.Cyndi Lauper — All Through the Night
51.Howard Jones — New Song
52.Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five — White Lines
53.Elvis Costello, The Attractions — Everyday I Write The Book
54.The Tubes — She's A Beauty
55.Billy Idol — Rebel Yell
56.The Smiths — This Charming Man
57.Michael Jackson — Billie Jean
58.Big Country — In A Big Country
59.Peter Schilling — Major Tom (Coming Home)
60.R.E.M. — Shaking Through
61.R.E.M. — Catapult
62.Real Life — Send Me An Angel
63.Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart — Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
64.Red Rockers — China
65.Journey — Faithfully
66.Michael Jackson — Human Nature
67.David Bowie — Let's Dance
68.New Order — Your Silent Face
69.Bryan Adams — Straight From The Heart
70.Violent Femmes — Gone Daddy Gone
71.Aztec Camera — Oblivious
72.Billy Bragg — A New England
73.Culture Club — Karma Chameleon
74.The Police — Every Breath You Take
75.Social Distortion — The Creeps
76.Run-D.M.C., Jason Nevins — It's Like That
77.Violent Femmes — Promise
78.Madonna — Lucky Star
79.Marshall Crenshaw — Whenever You're on My Mind
80.Let's Active — Every Word Means No
81.The Go-Betweens — Cattle And Cane
82.Jonathan Richman, The Modern Lovers — Give Paris One More Chance
83.Stevie Nicks — Stand Back
84.Violent Femmes — Prove My Love
85.Mötley Crüe — Looks That Kill
86.Shannon — Let the Music Play
87.Billy Idol — Eyes Without A Face
88.Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson — Say Say Say
89.Culture Club — Church Of The Poison Mind
90.Iron Maiden — The Trooper
91.Kajagoogoo — Too Shy
92.Night Ranger — Sister Christian
93.Frankie Goes To Hollywood — Relax (Come Fighting)
94.Spandau Ballet — True
95.David Bowie — China Girl
96.The Replacements — Color Me Impressed
97.Madonna — Holiday
98.U2 — Two Hearts Beat As One
99.Genesis — That's All
100.Duran Duran — Is There Something I Should Know?