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. Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical singles. 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.
Artist Number of top 10s First entry Chart position Other entriesKeith 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)Galaxy 1"Dancing Tight" 4—Phil FearonNew 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—
Notes Phil 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‡Single peaked in 1982 but still in chart in 1983.♦Single released in 1983 but peaked in 1984.(#)Year-end top-ten single position and rankEnteredThe date that the single first appeared in the chart.PeakHighest position that the single reached in the UK Singles Chart.
Entered(week ending) Weeksintop10 Single Artist Peak Peak reached(week ending) WeeksatpeakSingles in 19828"Save Your Love" ‡Renée and Renato145"Beat Surrender" ‡125"Truly" ‡Lionel Richie637"Time (Clock of the Heart)" ‡Culture Club314"The Shakin' Stevens EP" ‡Shakin' Stevens225"Our House" ‡Madness545"Best Years of Our Lives"Modern Romance414"Peace on Earth"/"Little Drummer Boy" ‡David Bowie & Bing Crosby328"You Can't Hurry Love"Phil Collins125"A Winter's Tale"David Essex21Singles in 19834"Orville's Song"Keith Harris & Orville411"All the Love in the World"Dionne Warwick1014"The Story of the Blues"Wah!317"Down Under" (#7)Men at Work131"Buffalo Gals"Malcolm McLaren & The World's Famous Supreme Team911"If You Can't Stand the Heat"Bucks Fizz1015"Electric Avenue"Eddy Grant212"Heartache Avenue"723"Steppin' Out"Joe Jackson611"European Female"915"Sign of the Times"313"Gloria"Laura Branigan627"Too Shy"Kajagoogoo121"The Cutter"Echo & the Bunnymen811"New Year's Day"U21014"Change"Tears for Fears423"Up Where We Belong"Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes733"Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)"Wham!812"Oh Diane"Fleetwood Mac916"Billie Jean" (#8)Michael Jackson115"Africa"Toto313"Never Gonna Give You Up"Musical Youth613"Tomorrow's (Just Another Day)"/"Madness (Is All in the Mind)"Madness826"Total Eclipse of the Heart" (#5)Bonnie Tyler126"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"Eurythmics212"Love On Your Side"Thompson Twins921"The Tunnel Of Love"Fun Boy Three1014"Rock the Boat"Forrest424"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"Bananarama514"Speak Like a Child"432"High Life"Modern Romance811"She Means Nothing to Me"Phil Everly & Cliff Richard913"Rip It Up"Orange Juice814"Is There Something I Should Know?"Duran Duran 127"Let's Dance" (#4)David Bowie 134"Boxerbeat"JoBoxers311"Don't Talk to Me About Love"Altered Images714"Breakaway"Tracey Ullman413"Ooh to Be Ah"Kajagoogoo725"Church of the Poison Mind"Culture Club222"Snot Rap"Kenny Everett914"Beat It"Michael Jackson326"Words"F. R. David221"Fields of Fire"Big Country1012"Love Is a Stranger"Eurythmics611"The House That Jack Built"Tracie917"True" (#6)Spandau Ballet144"(Keep Feeling) Fascination"211"True Love Ways"Cliff Richard with the London Philharmonic Orchestra813"We Are Detective"Thompson Twins713"Pale Shelter"Tears for Fears514"Dancing Tight"Galaxy featuring Phil Fearon 415"Temptation"Heaven 17215"Candy Girl"New Edition113"Our Lips Are Sealed"Fun Boy Three715"Can't Get Used to Losing You"311"Blind Vision"Blancmange1017"Every Breath You Take"146"Bad Boys"Wham!225"Nobody's Diary"Yazoo311"What Kinda Boy You're Looking For (Girl)"Hot Chocolate1013"Buffalo Soldier"Bob Marley and the Wailers412"Just Got Lucky"JoBoxers723"Love Town"Booker Newberry III614"China Girl"David Bowie217"Flashdance... What a Feeling"Irene Cara217"Baby Jane"Rod Stewart134"I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues"Elton John512"Waiting for a Train"Flash and the Pan711"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"Michael Jackson812"When We Were Young"Bucks Fizz1025"Moonlight Shadow"Mike Oldfield438"I.O.U."Freeez232"Dead Giveaway"Shalamar827"Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)"Paul Young133"War Baby"Tom Robinson615"Come Live with Me"Heaven 17512"It's Over"Funk Masters815"Who's That Girl?"Eurythmics316"Double Dutch"Malcolm McLaren313"The Crown" Gary Byrd and the GB Experience632"Wrapped Around Your Finger"712"Cruel Summer"Bananarama816"Give It Up"KC and the Sunshine Band135"Club Tropicana"Wham!414"Long Hot Summer"/"The Paris Match"325"I'm Still Standing"Elton John413"Everything Counts"Depeche Mode614"Gold"Spandau Ballet222"Rockit"Herbie Hancock824"Wings of a Dove"Madness218"Red Red Wine" (#3)UB40132"Watching You, Watching Me"David Grant1024"What Am I Gonna Do (I'm So in Love with You)"Rod Stewart314"Walking in the Rain"Modern Romance714"Mama"Genesis415"Tonight, I Celebrate My Love"Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack212"The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)"Level 4210210"Karma Chameleon" (#1)Culture Club163"Dolce Vita"Ryan Paris514"Come Back and Stay"Paul Young415"Modern Love"David Bowie212"Ol' Rag Blues"Status Quo911"Big Apple"Kajagoogoo811"Chance"Big Country913"Dear Prudence"Siouxsie and the Banshees312"This Is Not a Love Song"Public Image Ltd512"Tahiti"David Essex815"They Don't Know"Tracey Ullman222"Blue Monday"New Order914"New Song"Howard Jones313"In Your Eyes"George Benson726"All Night Long (All Night)" (#10)Lionel Richie233"(Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew"Rock Steady Crew622"Superman"Black Lace915"Say Say Say" Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson223"Union of the Snake"Duran Duran318"Uptown Girl" (#2)Billy Joel154"The Safety Dance"Men Without Hats613"Puss 'n Boots"Adam Ant511"Please Don't Make Me Cry"UB401014"Cry Just a Little Bit"Shakin' Stevens323"The Sun and the Rain"Madness513"The Love Cats"714"Never Never"418"Love of the Common People"Paul Young233"Calling Your Name"Marilyn411"Thriller"Michael Jackson1017"Hold Me Now"Thompson Twins415"Let's Stay Together"Tina Turner627"Only You" (#9)151"Right by Your Side"Eurythmics1015"My Oh My"Slade232"Move Over Darling"Tracey Ullman814"Please Don't Fall in Love"Cliff Richard715"Victims"Culture Club326"Tell Her About It" ♦Billy Joel415"Marguerita Time" ♦Status Quo315"Islands in the Stream" ♦Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton71
Entries by artist