This is a summary of 1982 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
Events 20 January – Ozzy Osbourne bites the head off a bat thrown at him during a performance, mistaking it for a toy.Top 10 crazy music myths 3 March – The Barbican Arts Centre in London is opened by the Queen. 21 March – The Musical House that Max Built, a documentary about Peter Maxwell Davies, is broadcast by London Weekend Television, presented by Melvyn Bragg. 26 April – Rod Stewart is mugged in Los Angeles, California. Stewart loses his $50,000 Porsche to the mugger, but was not hurt. 10 May – Topper Headon is sacked from the Clash for his ongoing addiction to heroin, just a few days prior to the release of the band's Combat Rock album. He is replaced by original Clash drummer Terry Chimes. 15 May – "A Little Peace" becomes the 500th UK number-one single. 26 May – The Rolling Stones open their European tour in Aberdeen, Scotland. 22 August – The first performance of Image, Reflection, Shadow, by Peter Maxwell Davies takes place at the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland. 28 August – Eric Burdon is arrested for cocaine possession after a show at the Rockpalast in Cologne. 11 September – The first concert is held at the new St David's Hall, Cardiff. The official opening is not until five months later. 14 September – Thea Musgrave's radio opera An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge premieres on BBC Radio 3. 22 September – The Who begin their only formally announced "farewell" tour in Washington, D.C. 2 October – The first performance of Imogen Holst‘s String Quintet takes place at the Cricklade Festival by the Endellion String Quartet with Steven Isserlis on cello. It is this work that Holst herself said made her “a real composer”. 30 October – Paul Weller shocks fans, and his bandmates, by announcing that the Jam are to disband, just prior to a short UK tour. "Beat Surrender" would be the band's final single, and became their fourth and final UK number one. 5 November – First broadcast of The Tube on Channel 4. 11 December – The Jam give their final performance together, at Brighton Conference Centre, just before their split.
Charts
Number-one singles Week Ending DateSongArtist(s)Sales 2 January"Don't You Want Me"The Human League 9 January 106,000 16 January"The Land of Make Believe"Bucks Fizz 73,000 23 January 102,000 30 January"Oh Julie"Shakin' Stevens 74,000 6 February"The Model"/"Computer Love"Kraftwerk 108,000 13 February"Town Called Malice"/"Precious"The Jam 123,000 20 February 178,000 27 February 106,000 6 March"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"Tight Fit 148,000 13 March 106,000 20 March 94,000 27 March"Seven Tears"Goombay Dance Band 119,000 3 April 106,000 10 April 87,000 17 April"My Camera Never Lies"Bucks Fizz 79,000 24 April"Ebony and Ivory"Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder 92,000 1 May 144,000 8 May 103,000 15 May"A Little Peace"Nicole 87,000 22 May 101,000 29 May"House of Fun"Madness 92,000 5 June 88,000 12 June"Goody Two Shoes"Adam Ant 73,000 19 June 74,000 26 June"I've Never Been to Me"Charlene 62,000 3 July"Happy Talk"Captain Sensible 77,000 10 July 92,000 17 July"Fame"Irene Cara 98,000 24 July 167,000 31 July 189,000 7 August"Come on Eileen"Dexys Midnight Runners and the Emerald Express 165,000 14 August 174,000 21 August 145,000 28 August 113,000 4 September"Eye of the Tiger"Survivor 137,000 11 September 104,000 18 September 101,000 25 September 82,000 2 October"Pass the Dutchie"Musical Youth 120,000 9 October 224,000 16 October 143,000 23 October"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?"Culture Club 135,000 30 October 132,000 6 November 98,000 13 November"I Don't Wanna Dance"Eddy Grant 111,000 20 November 149,000 27 November 101,000 4 December"Beat Surrender" The Jam 95,000 11 December 99,000 18 December"Save Your Love" Renée and Renato 81,000 25 December 125,256
"The Model"/"Computer Love" was the first single by a German artist to top the chart since its establishment 29 years earlier. By the end of 1982, there had been two further number ones by German artists, "Seven Tears" and "A Little Peace".
Number-one albums Issue DateSongArtist(s) 2 JanuaryThe VisitorsABBA 9 JanuaryDareThe Human League 16 January 23 January 30 JanuaryLove SongsBarbra Streisand 6 February 13 February 20 February 27 February 6 March 13 March 20 MarchThe GiftThe Jam 27 MarchLove SongsBarbra Streisand 3 April 10 AprilThe Number of the Beast Iron Maiden 17 April 24 April1+9+8+2Status Quo 1 MayBarry Live In BritainBarry Manilow 8 MayTug of WarPaul McCartney 15 May 22 MayComplete Madness Madness 29 May 5 JuneAvalonRoxy Music 12 JuneComplete Madness Madness 19 JuneAvalonRoxy Music 26 June 3 JulyThe Lexicon of LoveABC 10 July 17 July 24 JulyFameSoundtrack 31 July 7 AugustThe Kids from "Fame"The Kids from "Fame" 14 August 21 August 28 August 4 September 11 September 18 September 25 September 2 OctoberLove Over GoldDire Straits 9 October 16 October 23 October 30 OctoberThe Kids from "Fame"The Kids from "Fame" 6 November 13 November 20 November 27 NovemberThe Singles: The First Ten Years ABBA 4 DecemberThe John Lennon Collection John Lennon 11 December 18 December 25 December
Year-end charts The tables below include sales between 1 January and 31 December 1982: the year-end charts reproduced in the issue of Music Week dated 26 December 1982 and played on Radio 1 on 2 January 1983 only include sales figures up until 11 December 1982.
Best-selling singles
Title Artist Peakposition 1 "Come On Eileen" Dexys Midnight Runners & the Emerald Express 1 2 "Fame" 1 3 "Eye of the Tiger" Survivor 1 4 "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" Tight Fit 1 5 "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" Culture Club 1 6 "Pass the Dutchie" Musical Youth 1 7 "I Don't Wanna Dance" 1 8 "Seven Tears" Goombay Dance Band 1 9 "Ebony and Ivory" and Stevie Wonder 1 10 "Town Called Malice"/"Precious" 1 11 "Golden Brown" 2 12 "Mad World" Tears for Fears 3 13 "Mickey" 2 14 "Love Plus One" Haircut One Hundred 3 15 "The Model"/"Computer Love" Kraftwerk 1 16 "Oh Julie" 1 17 "Goody Two Shoes" 1 18 "Heartbreaker" 2 19 "Only You" Yazoo 2 20 "Don't Go" 3 21 "Walking on Sunshine" Rockers Revenge featuring Donnie Calvin 4 22 "Zoom" Fat Larry's Band 2 23 "Save Your Love" Renée and Renato 1 24 "I Won't Let You Down" PhD 3 25 "Just an Illusion" Imagination 2 26 "Starmaker" 3 27 "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" Chicago 4 28 "Abracadabra" Steve Miller Band 2 29 "The Look of Love" ABC 4 30 "Centerfold" 3 31 "House of Fun" Madness 1 32 "The Land of Make Believe" Bucks Fizz 1 33 "Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)" Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark 4 34 "Young Guns (Go for It)" Wham! 3 35 "Ain't No Pleasing You" Chas & Dave 2 36 "Save a Prayer" Duran Duran 2 37 "T'ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)" Fun Boy Three with Bananarama 4 38 "A Little Peace" Nicole 1 39 "Hungry Like the Wolf" Duran Duran 5 40 "My Camera Never Lies" Bucks Fizz 1 41 "It Started with a Kiss" Hot Chocolate 5 42 "Fantasy Island" Tight Fit 5 43 "Dead Ringer for Love" Meat Loaf 5 44 "Inside Out" Odyssey 3 45 "Torch" Soft Cell 2 46 "This Time (We'll Get It Right)"/"We'll Fly the Flag" England World Cup Squad 2 47 "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" Soft Cell 3 48 "I've Never Been to Me" Charlene 1 49 "Mirror Man" 2 50 "Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag" Pigbag 3
Best-selling albums Rees; Lazell; Jones (1983). "The Top 100 UK Albums". pp. 82–83. Title Artist Peakposition 1 Love Songs 1 2 The Kids from "Fame" 1 3 Complete Madness Madness 1 4 The Lexicon of Love ABC 1 5 Rio Duran Duran 2 6 Love Over Gold Dire Straits 1 7 Pelican West Haircut One Hundred 2 8 Dare 1 9 Avalon Roxy Music 1 10 The John Lennon Collection 1 11 Too Rye Ay Dexys Midnight Runners 2 12 Pearls 2 13 All for a Song 3 14 Upstairs at Eric's Yazoo 2 15 Tropical Gangsters Kid Creole and the Coconuts 3 16 The Gift 1 17 Bat Out of Hell Meat Loaf 12 18 Tug of War 1 19 The Number of the Beast Iron Maiden 1 20 Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret Soft Cell 5 21 Friends Shalamar 11 22 Chariots of Fire Vangelis 6 23 Architecture & Morality Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark 3 24 Love and Dancing League Unlimited Orchestra 3 25 The Singles: The First Ten Years ABBA 1 26 Barry Live in Britain 1 27 Greatest Hits Queen 2 28 Fame Original Soundtrack 1 29 4 Foreigner 5 30 The Kids from "Fame" Again 2 31 Night Birds Shakatak 4 32 Love Songs 5 33 Tin Drum Japan 13 34 Action Trax Various Artists 2 35 Asia Asia 11 36 Heartbreaker 3 37 Still Life 4 38 Reflections Various Artists 4 39 Give Me Your Heart Tonight 3 40 Dead Ringer Meat Loaf 7 41 Kissing to Be Clever Culture Club 5 42 Three Sides Live Genesis 2 43 The Concert in Central Park Simon & Garfunkel 6 44 Mirage Fleetwood Mac 5 45 Begin the Beguine 5 46 1+9+8+2 Status Quo 1 47 From the Makers of... 4 48 Chart Beat/Chart Heat Various Artists 2 49 Pearls II 5 50 In the Heat of the Night Imagination 7
Notes:
Classical music
New works Malcolm Arnold – Trumpet Concerto David Bedford – The Juniper Tree, for soprano, recorder and harpsichord Richard Rodney Bennett After Syrinx, for oboe and piano Anniversaries, for ensemble Freda's Fandango, for ensemble Summer Music, for flute and piano Lennox Berkeley Mazurka for piano Sonnet for high voice and piano Michael Berkeley The Crocodile and Father William, for girls choir Easter, anthem for choir, organ and brass Gregorian Variations for orchestra Guitar Sonata in one movement Nocturne for flute, harp, violin, viola and cello Piano Trio Romance of the Rose, for orchestra David Blake Change is Going to Come, for mezzo, baritone, chorus and four players String Quartet No. 3 Edward Cowie Choral Symphony (Symphonies of Rain, Sea and Speed) (1981-2) Harp Concerto Kate Kelly's Roadshow, music theatre Kelly Ballet Symphony No 2, Australian Gordon Crosse A Wake, for flute, clarinet, cello and piano Rhymes and Reasons, Trio for clarinet, cello and piano Peter Maxwell Davies Image, Reflection, Shadow, for ensemble Organ Sonata Pole Star March for brass quintet or band Sea Eagle, for horn Sinfonia Concertante for chamber orchestra Songs of Hoy, masque for children's voices Peter Dickinson – The Unicorns, for soprano and brass band Brian Ferneyhough – Carceri d'Invenzione for chamber orchestra Michael Finnissy Aijal, for flute, oboe and percussion Anninnia, for soprano and piano Banumbirr, for ensemble Dilok, for oboe and piano Gerhana, for solo percussion Mississippi Hornpipe, for violin and piano Tya, for ensemble Warara, for tenor, flute, clarinet and two percussion Iain Hamilton Love is Life's Spring, for soprano and piano St Mark's Passion, for soli and chorus Robin Holloway Anthem, for unaccompanied voices Concertino No. 4 Showpiece, for fourteen players From Hills and Valleys, for brass band (1981-2) Men Marching for brass band (1981-2) Serenata Notturna, for four horns and small orchestra Suite for saxophone Women in War, review for four female soloists and piano
Gordon Jacob – Flute concerto No. 2, for flute and strings Wilfred Josephs High Spirits, orchestral overture Percussion Concerto, for percussion and brass Two Flute Studies Viola Concerto Kenneth Leighton – Fantasy Octet Hommage to Percy Grainger John McCabe Concerto for Orchestra Desert III: Landscape, for violin, cello and piano Lamentation Rag, for piano String Quartet No. 4 Elizabeth Maconchy My Dark Heart, song cycle for soprano and ensemble William Mathias Antiphonies, for organ Lux Aeterna, for soli, chorus, organ and orchestra Salvator Mundi, for female choir, piano duet, percussion and strings Nicholas Maw Night Thoughts, for solo flute Spring Music, for orchestra String Quartet No. 2 Thea Musgrave – Fanfare for brass quintet Paul Patterson – Sinfonia for strings John Tavener Doxa, for chorus The Lamb, for unaccompanied chorus Lord's Prayer, for chorus Mandoodles, for a young pianist Towards the Son: Ritual Procession for chamber orchestra Michael Tippett – The Mask of Time, oratorio William Walton Passacaglia, for solo cello Prologo e Fantasia, for orchestra Hugh Wood – Symphony
Opera