The Best Song of 1983

I wanted to create a "Best (Pop) Songs of 1983" thread but found this one to be close enough.

But i also found this (1983: the year it all went wrong?): 1983: the year it all went wrong?

It is harder to choose the best (pop) songs from 1983 than I thought.

This isn't the *best* song of 1983, and I'm probably in the minority for liking it, but it is a song I find myself going back to for some strange reason.

Real Life - Send Me an Angel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6zBjYIyz-0

we did do this kind of recently: Acclaimed Music Top 40 Songs from 1983 poll

you are right, "Send Me an Angel" is right up there as one of the best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyW9864AXVk

I ranked those top tens, see.

The rare instance where I disagree with enough of your rankings that the chosen order seems almost random to mine eyes. And it only starts with consigning 'Der Kommissar' to the Hague, for shame.

I think I'm probably too biased to weigh in because nostalgia for 1983 makes me love almost every one of those songs.
But still, I think i can safely say that the following are empirically awesome, and unfairly maligned:

Meh

Irene Cara – Flashdance… What a Feeling (the slow build is an irresistible force)
Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - (i'm pretty sure this would have still been a hit if released during any arbitrary year between 1983 and now)
The Motels – Suddenly Last Summer (haven't actually heard this since 1983, but it sounds great in my head)
Toto – Africa (I guess the backlash was inevitable, but it's not Toto's fault)
Men at Work – Down Under (that flute riff! as great as 'overkill' is, this song towers above it)

The Hague

David Bowie – China Girl (unless this got banned for the lyrics, which i get)
After the Fire – Der Kommissar (alles klar, herr sotosyn?)

Well, you know. These..

Some great stuff that year, but I'm gonna have to go with "Photograph." I have a hard time believing mortals created that track (and there's been little proof that Mutt Lange is one).

Too Late For Love >>>>>>> Photograph

Aztec Camera - Walk out to Winter
Prefab Sprout - Lions in My Own Garden (Exit someone) - already in someone's list, I know

My 1983 top ten . . .

1. Chaka Khan – Ain't Nobody
2. Herbie Hancock – Rockit
3. The Lotus Eaters – The First Picture Of You
4. Class Action – Weekend
5. The Style Council – Long Hot Summer
6. Orange Juice – Rip It Up
7. Mtume – Juicy Fruit
8. Ryan Paris – Dolce Vita
9. Freeez – IOU
10. Talk Talk – My Foolish Friend

I left out Relax because, though it did come out in 1983, it's a totally 1984 song in terms of its airplay and cultural impact.

I've been playing this a lot lately
Hall and Oates - One On One

My "nominees," so to speak:

Bananarama, "Cruel Summer"
Eurythmics, "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)"
Michael Jackson, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"
Elton John, "I'm Still Standing"
New Order, "Blue Monday"

Christ, how did I forget Blue Monday.

Not sure I have a top 10, but if Plustwo 'Melody' isn't top, I'm not interested

no mentions yet for
My Mine - Hypnotic Tango

?! :(

(and probably a bunch of other stuff crossed over from the Italo thread, '83 was pretty much the golden year there)

2 by Kissing The Pink

The Last Film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFX5Ca36kOk

Desert Song (insanely not a single)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3KsrwWuexQ

'tis the season:

Pretenders "2000 Miles"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEyGZlBdkaA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRxgidNP2pA

10 favourite 1983 discoveries of the last ten years for me

Ahmed Fakroun - Ya Farhe Beek
Blue Gas - Shadows From Nowhere
King Sunny Ade - Synchro System
Laid Back - Fly Away / Walking In The Sunshine
Lustt - Pillow Talk
Mariah - Sokokara
Plustwo - Melody
Sylvester - Rock The Box
The The - Giant
XTC - Deliver Us From The Elements

Sylvester - Rock The Box

hell yeah!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHOQwulIQCA

(it's from 1984 tho)

Ah damn thanks, had it in both my 83 and 84 playlists for some reason.

I can never get over the incredible line "everyone around Great Britain...from LiverPOOOL to WALES"

A fabulous Sylvester performance, that.

"Hearts" isn't even the best song on 90125