Events in 1983
- James Jamerson, the influential Motown bassist and member of The Funk Brothers, died on August 2, 1983, in Los Angeles at the age of 47 from complications related to cirrhosis of the liver, heart failure, and pneumonia. He played on numerous landmark Motown recordings and was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
- David Crosby was sentenced in Texas to five years in prison for possession of cocaine and an illegal firearm. After unsuccessful appeals, he began serving his sentence at Huntsville State Prison on March 6, 1986, and was released on parole five months later. In November 1987, a Texas appeals court overturned the original conviction because of an illegal search during his arrest.
- Avant-garde German singer and musician and former David Bowie backing vocalist Klaus Nomi died in New York at the age of 39 from complications related to AIDS.
- The Beach Boys reached No. 1 on the UK album chart with the compilation album “The Very Best of the Beach Boys.”
- Black Sabbath vydali album „Born Again“, jediné album skupiny s Ianem Gillanem jako hlavním zpěvákem.
- Billy Joel released his ninth studio album "An Innocent Man". The album reached No. 4 in the U.S. and contained three Billboard Top 10 singles: "Tell Her About It" at No. 1, "Uptown Girl" at No. 3 and "An Innocent Man" at No. 10. It was later certified eight-times platinum.
- Metallica released the single “Whiplash”. It was their first single.
- The Police released the single “King Of Pain”.
- Thomas Reilly, a 22-year-old friend of Spandau Ballet who sold merchandise during their True Tour, was shot dead by a British soldier in Belfast. His death later inspired Spandau Ballet’s song “Through The Barricades” and Bananarama’s song “King Of The Jungle”.
- Kajagoogoo dismissed their lead singer Limahl, who subsequently began a solo career. The band had previously reached No. 1 in the UK with the single “Too Shy”.
- “Every Breath You Take” spent its sixth week at No. 1 on the US singles chart. Eurythmics remained at No. 2 with “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”.
- Paul Simon married actress Carrie Fisher after a six-year relationship. Their relationship inspired several of Simon's songs, including the title track of the album Hearts and Bones.
- David Bowie performed at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona.
- American composer and lyricist Ira Gershwin died.
- Prince released the song “Delirious”.
- British singer, songwriter and pianist Michael Penniman, known as Mika, was born in Beirut, Lebanon.
- The Police, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and R.E.M. performed at Shea Stadium in New York. It was R.E.M.'s biggest concert to date.
- Black Sabbath performed at Isstadion in Stockholm, Sweden.
- Australian singer and songwriter Missy Higgins was born. In 2004, she had the Australian number one single “Scar”, and in 2007 she reached the same position with “Steer”.
- Pirate radio station Radio Caroline, which had broadcast only sporadically since its original closure in 1968, returned to the air from the ship Ross Revenge in international waters in the North Sea. Exactly six years later, it was shut down again.
- Elvis Presley's album I Was The One reached No. 83 on the British chart.
- Madness, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, The Police and R.E.M. performed at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia. R.E.M. began the concert at 5:00 p.m., with The Police taking the stage later. R.E.M. nervously waited in a small trailer at the back of the venue, while The Police and their entourage arrived backstage in several limousines.
- Michael Jackson and The Jackson 5's compilation album “18 Greatest Hits” began a three-week run at No. 1 on the British chart, knocking The Beach Boys' album “20 Golden Greats” from the top spot. It remained on the British chart for more than 50 weeks and was later certified platinum.
- Taco's cover version of Irving Berlin's “Puttin' On the Ritz” reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, making the 95-year-old Berlin the oldest living songwriter ever to have a song reach the Top 10 of the chart.
- The Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone, born John Cummings, got into a fight with Seth Micklaw of Sub Zero Construction after seeing him with his girlfriend Cynthia Whitney. Ramone suffered a serious head injury when he was kicked in the head with steel-toed boots during the fight and was found unconscious on a New York street. He underwent emergency four-hour brain surgery to remove blood clots. Micklaw was arrested and charged with first-degree assault and later spent several months in prison.
- The Grateful Dead performed at Frost Amphitheater on the Stanford University campus in Palo Alto, California.
- David Bowie performed at Scope arena in Norfolk, Virginia.
- Jerry Lee Lewis's fifth wife, Shawn Michelle Stevens, was found dead at their home in Mississippi after a methadone overdose. The couple had been married for only 77 days. A grand jury later cleared Jerry Lee Lewis of criminal responsibility.
- The film “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence”, starring David Bowie, premiered in New York.
- Thin Lizzy performed at the Reading Festival alongside Climax Blues Band, Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul, Opposition, Sad Café, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, Ten Years After, and The Enid. For bassist and singer Phil Lynott, it was his final performance in the United Kingdom.
- Actress and singer Jennifer Landon was born.
- Mick Jones, lead guitarist of The Clash, was dismissed by the other three members, who said he had moved away from the group's original vision. His departure effectively marked the breakup of The Clash's classic lineup.
- The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened its doors.
- The film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, starring David Bowie, was released in the United States.
- UB40 earned their first UK No. 1 single with “Red Red Wine” from the album Labour of Love. It was a cover of Neil Diamond’s 1968 song; after being reissued, the recording also reached No. 1 in the US in 1988.
- Phil Lynott played his final concert with Thin Lizzy at the Monsters of Rock festival in Nuremberg, Germany. Lynott died nearly two and a half years later, on January 4, 1986.
- Cyndi Lauper released the single “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” on Portrait Records, backed with “Right Track Wrong Train.”
- Madonna released her first single, “Holiday”.
- ABBA was honored in Sweden with the issuance of a postage stamp.
- 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.
- Barry Manilow performed a benefit concert at London's Royal Festival Hall on October 6, 1983, attended by Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
- 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.
- 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.