Music History

Bonnie Tyler became the first Welsh woman to top the Billboard Hot 100 with “Total Eclipse of the Heart”. The song began a four-week run at No. 1 and also topped the charts in seven other countries. It was later nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

A David Bowie convention, or according to the source variants a worldwide gathering of his fans, was held at the Cunard Hotel in London. According to the source variants, the event presented the largest collection of Bowie memorabilia assembled up to that time, or was the first fan gathering dedicated to Bowie. Among those attending were his former dance teacher, manager, guitarist, archivist, and photographer.

Paul Young reached No. 1 on the UK album chart with his debut studio album, “No Parlez”, where it remained for two weeks.

Agnetha Fältskog of ABBA was involved in a car accident in Skåne, Sweden. She suffered a concussion but soon recovered.

Bonnie Tyler reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” written and produced by Jim Steinman. She became the first Welsh female artist to reach No. 1 on the chart.

Genesis released their self-titled album Genesis. The song “That's All,” the album's second single, became the group's first hit to reach the Top 10 of the US Billboard chart.

Barry Manilow performed a benefit concert at London's Royal Festival Hall on October 6, 1983, attended by Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

ZZ Top performed the first of three consecutive concerts at The Summit in Houston, Texas, as part of their Eliminator Tour. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts were the opening act.

Bonnie Tyler's “Total Eclipse of the Heart” remained at No. 1 on the U.S. chart, while Air Supply's “Making Love Out of Nothing at All” was at No. 2. This ranking lasted for three weeks. Both songs were written and produced by Jim Steinman, making him the first sole writer and producer to hold the top two positions.

Francis Ford Coppola's film Rumble Fish was released in theaters. Tom Waits appeared in the film as the owner of Benny's Billiards, and his character was given an extended poetic monologue about life, time, and aging.

Culture Club released the single "Church of the Poison Mind."

John Cougar Mellencamp released the single "Crumblin' Down", the first single to include his last name.

Culture Club released their second album, Colour by Numbers, which features the hit “Karma Chameleon.” The song spent six weeks at number one on the UK singles chart and became the UK's best-selling single of the year. It also reached number one in the U.S., where it received a gold certification for one million copies sold.

Italian-English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Giovanni “Jack” Savoretti was born in Westminster, London. His 2019 album Singing to Strangers was his first UK number-one album, and the following album, Europiana, also reached number one in 2021.

Lzzy Hale, born Elizabeth Hale, singer and rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Halestorm, was born in Red Lion, Pennsylvania. She chose the name Lzzy as a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. Halestorm have had eleven singles reach the U.S. Mainstream Rock Airplay Top 10, six of them reaching number one. In 2021, Hale became the first woman to serve as a Gibson brand ambassador.

Kiss performed without their trademark face paint for the first time. The concert took place in Lisbon, Portugal, about three weeks after the band members first revealed their real faces on MTV.

Lionel Richie released his second solo album, Can't Slow Down, which subsequently sold more than ten million copies in the United States.

Canadian musician, producer, and songwriter Frank Dukes is born. He has worked with artists such as Lorde, Camila Cabello, Post Malone, and The Weeknd.

Karen Carpenter receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.