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As part of my Decades project, I counted down my own favorite albums of the year then explored other notable releases with which I was less familiar.

The year 1983 presented a bumper crop of great music, including titles I loved as a 12-year-old and ones I discovered many years later. I guarantee music lovers of all sorts will find something to treasure in the list below.

Originally published: 2020 | Song of the Day posts featured: 25

My top 15 albums of 1983:

#1. Murmur – R.E.M.

#2. Speaking in Tongues – Talking Heads

#3. Punch the Clock – Elvis Costello

#4. Hearts and Bones – Paul Simon

#5. Synchronicity – The Police

#6. Trouble in Paradise – Randy Newman

#7. An Innocent Man – Billy Joel

#8. Let’s Dance – David Bowie

#9. Can’t Slow Down – Lionel Richie

#10. Infidels – Bob Dylan

#11. The Final Cut – Pink Floyd

#12. Sports – Huey Lewis and the News

#13. Frontiers – Journey

#14. Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes

#15. Too Low For Zero – Elton John

Other notable albums of 1983…

Colour By Numbers – Culture Club

She’s So Unusual – Cyndi Lauper

Pyromania – Def Leppard

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) – Eurythmics

Rebel Yell – Billy Idol

Madonna – Madonna

Cargo – Men at Work

Kill ‘Em All – Metallica

Swordfishtrombones – Tom Waits

Eliminator – ZZ Top