We now begin the very tough Top 20 songs released in 1984 with the first major controversy of the countdown.  My wife felt that Christmas songs are seasonal and thus should not be considered in these countdowns.  My argument, for this track, is that it is considered one of the best new Christmas songs of the last 40 years, and hit number 1 in the UK 3 years ago, and my kids love it.  So that makes it hard for this track to not make it.  See if you agree that with the placement of this #20 song – Last …..more →

I reiterate what I said two songs before – what 1983 song could possibly beat the previous entry?  How about one of the most misunderstood, played, and hypnotic songs of all time?  How many times has this song been played, used in commercials, performed in weddings, etc.?  This song made Sting a world-renowned songwriter, and the track is so big no one can deny it deserves to be this high in the countdown, but it only reaches #2.  It is Every Breath You Take by The Police.

After having done R&B and funk for a while, this track finally made this artist earn the title of King of Pop.  Out of nowhere comes this huge rock riff (done by TOTO if you can believe it), followed by what some call the greatest guitar solo of all time by Eddie Van Halen, and it’s a song that Michael Jackson basically wrote with his voice.  One of the greatest rock/pop songs ever lands at #3 in this 1983 countdown – it’s Beat It by Michael Jackson.

From this point on in the 1983 countdown, the question should be what could possibly have beaten the previous song?  This next track edged out the previous one, and with good reason.  It is one of the most iconic ballads of all time, with an undeniably powerful vocal track.  It is almost uncoverable given how good this track is, and it plants itself at #4.  It is Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler.

Now we come to the top 5 songs that were released in 1983, and any of these next songs, if released in another year, would have likely been #1.  Instead, they all had to fight for the top 1983 prize, and this entry is one of the best pop R&B dance songs of all time, making this man a huge megastar if he wasn’t one already by then.  The #5 song in this countdown is All Night Long (All Night) by Lionel Richie.

One of my wife’s all time favorite songs, this is another track that still gets tremendous amounts of airplay everywhere you go.  It is probably this band’s biggest song, and there is just so much positive energy emanating from it, I dare you to not have it ringing in your head all day after listening.  The #6 song released in 1983 is Karma Chameleon by Culture Club.