1983 in music
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This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1983.
Events
January–April
- January – ZTT Records is founded.
- January 1 – The Merchant Ivory film Heat and Dust is released. On the soundtrack, composed by Zakir Hussain, Ivory is featured on tanpura with Hussain (who also appeared in the film) on tabla.
- January 8 – The UK singles chart is tabulated from this week forward by The Gallup Organization. In 1984 electronic terminals will be used in selected stores to gather sales information, and the old "sales diary" method will be gradually phased out over the next few years.
- February 2 – "Menudomania" comes to New York as 3,500 screaming girls crowd Kennedy Airport to catch a glimpse of Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, who are playing six sold-out shows at the Felt Forum.
- February 11 – The Rolling Stones concert film Let's Spend the Night Together opens in New York.
- February 13 – Marvin Gaye performs 4"The Star-Spangled Banner" before the NBA All-Star Game.
- February 26 – Michael Jackson's Thriller album hits #1 on the US charts, the first of thirty-seven (non-consecutive) weeks it would spend there on its way to becoming the biggest-selling album of all time.
- February 28 – U2 releases their 3rd album War which debuts at #1 in the UK and produces the band's first international hit single.
- March 2 – Compact discs go on sale in the United States. They had first been released in Japan the previous October.
- March 4 – Neil Young cancels the remainder of his tour after collapsing backstage in Louisville, Kentucky, after playing for seventy-five minutes.
- April – A Generative Theory of Tonal Music by Fred Lerdahl and Ray Jackendoff is published.
- April 5 – US Interior Secretary James G. Watt causes controversy when he effectively bans the Beach Boys from a return performance at the Fourth of July festivities in Washington, announcing that Wayne Newton would perform instead. Watt claims that rock bands attract "the wrong element". That same week President Reagan, himself an avowed Beach Boys fan, presents Watt with a plaster foot with a hole in it, symbolizing that Watt had shot himself in the foot.
- April 11 – Dave Mustaine is fired from Metallica just as the band is set to begin recording its début album. He is replaced by Kirk Hammett.
- April 18 – Ellen Taaffe Zwilich becomes the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music.
May–August
- May – Singer Anna Vissi marries composer Nikos Karvelas.
- May 16 – The Motown 25 Special airs on NBC, celebrating a quarter century of Motown Records. The most talked-about performance is by Michael Jackson, who unveils his famous moonwalk dance move during an electrifying performance of "Billie Jean".
- May 28-30 and June 4 – The second US Festival is held at Glen Helen Park in California.
- June 18-19 – Menudo's second visit to New York is an even bigger event. This time, the band plays four shows at Madison Square Garden; all 80,000 available tickets had sold out within three days of going on sale.
- June 20 – Catalunya Ràdio begins broadcasting.
- July 19 – Simon and Garfunkel begin their North American summer tour in Akron, Ohio.
- July 21 – Diana Ross performs a filmed concert in Central Park in pouring rain; eventually the storm forces her to postpone the rest of the concert till next day.
- July 29 – Friday Night Videos is broadcast for the first time on NBC.
- August 5 – David Crosby is sentenced to five years in prison on charges of drug and weapon possession by a judge in Dallas, Texas.
- August 16
- Johnny Ramone suffers a near-fatal head injury during a fight over a girl in front of his East Village apartment.
- Singer Paul Simon marries actress Carrie Fisher.
- August 20 – The Rolling Stones sign a new $28 million contract with CBS Records, the largest recording contract in history up to this time.
September–December
- September 1 – Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon of The Clash issue a press statement announcing that Mick Jones has been fired from the group.
- September 4 – Phil Lynott performs his final show with Thin Lizzy in Nuremberg, Germany.
- September 7 – During a Def Leppard concert in Tucson, Arizona, frontman Joe Elliott refers to the previous night's venue, El Paso, Texas, as "that place with all the greasy Mexicans". As word of the remark gets out, the band faces boycotts from various radio stations and Mexican-American community leaders.
- September 18 – The members of Kiss show their faces without their makeup for the first time on MTV, simultaneous with the release of their album Lick It Up.
- September 20 – The first ARMS Charity Concert is held at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
- September 30 – Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott apologizes on an El Paso radio station for the racial slur he made while referring to the city on September 7. The band later follows up the apology with donations to Hispanic charities.
- November 26 – Quiet Riot's Metal Health album tops the US album charts, the first heavy metal album to hit #1 in America. This commercial breakthrough confirms the ascendancy of "glam metal", which will remain popular with American youth for the next eight years.
- December – The Uday-Ustav Festival, a tribute to Uday Shankar, is staged at the instigation of Uday's younger brother, Ravi Shankar.
- December 2 – Michael Jackson's extravagant 14-minute music video for Thriller is premièred on MTV.
- December 31 – The twelfth annual New Year's Rockin' Eve special airs on ABC, with appearances by Culture Club, Rick James, Laura Branigan, Barry Manilow, Mary Jane Girls and David Frizzell.
Bands formed
Bands disbanded
Bands reformed
Albums released
January – March
April – June
July – September
October – December
Release Date Unknown
Biggest hit singles
The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1983.
| # | Artist | Title | Year | Country | Chart Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Jackson | "Billie Jean" | 1983 |  |
UK 1 – January 1983, US BB 1 – January 1983, Canada 1 – February 1983, Switzerland 1 – March 1983, Republic of Ireland 1 – March 1983, Australia 1 for 5 weeks February 1984, Holland 2 – January 1983, Sweden (alt) 2 – March 1983, France 2 – January 1983, US CashBox 3 of 1983, Austria 3 – April 1983, Poland 3 – February 1983, Germany 3 – March 1983, Australia 4 of 1983, RYM 4 of 1983, POP 4 of 1983, Norway 6 – April 1983, Italy 8 of 1983, South Africa 15 of 1983, 15 in 2FM list, Scrobulate 16 of pop, Global 33 (5 M sold) – 1983, Acclaimed 33, Europe 40 of the 1980s, Party 53 of 2007, Rolling Stone 58, Germany 139 of the 1980s, OzNet 249, WXPN 620 |
| 2 | Culture Club | "Karma Chameleon" | 1983 |  |
UK 1 – September 1983, US BB 1 – February 1984, Canada 1 – December 1983, Holland 1 – September 1983, Sweden (alt) 1 – October 1983, Switzerland 1 – October 1983, Norway 1 – October 1983, Éire 1 – September 1983, New Zealand 1 for 6 weeks October 1983, Australia 1 for 5 weeks July 1984, Austria 3 – November 1983, Germany 3 – January 1984, South Africa 7 of 1984, Poland 8 – September 1983, Australia 8 of 1983, US CashBox 14 of 1984, POP 15 of 1984, Italy 16 of 1983, KROQ 25 of 1983, US BB 29 of 1984, RYM 49 of 1983, Scrobulate 71 of 80s, Germany 159 of the 1980s, OzNet 979 |
| 3 | Irene Cara | "Flashdance...What a Feeling" | 1983 | |
US BB 1 – April 1983, US CashBox 1 of 1983, Canada 1 – May 1983, Sweden (alt) 1 – May 1983, France 1 – July 1983, Switzerland 1 – June 1983, Norway 1 – June 1983, Italy 1 of 1983, New Zealand 1 for 6 weeks July 1983, Australia 1 for 5 weeks May 1984, Oscar in 1983, UK 2 – June 1983, Australia 2 of 1983, POP 3 of 1983, Austria 4 – August 1983, Germany 4 – June 1983, US BB 6 of 1983, Japan 7 of all time (international songs), South Africa 9 of 1983, Holland 13 – April 1983, Poland 21 – July 1983, Scrobulate 31 of gay, AFI 55, Germany 57 of the 1980s, RYM 121 of 1983, OzNet 243, RIAA 256 |
| 4 | David Bowie | "Let's Dance" | 1983 | |
UK 1 – March 1983, US BB 1 – April 1983, Canada 1 – March 1983, Holland 1 – March 1983, Sweden (alt) 1 – April 1983, France 1 – March 1983, Switzerland 1 – April 1983, Norway 1 – March 1983, Éire 1 – April 1983, New Zealand 1 for 6 weeks April 1983, Austria 2 – May 1983, Germany 2 – April 1983, US CashBox 4 of 1983, Poland 5 – April 1983, KROQ 6 of 1983, US BB 15 of 1983, Italy 19 of 1983, Australia 24 of 1983, RYM 32 of 1983, Scrobulate 40 of 80s, POP 47 of 1983, Germany 172 of the 1980s, Belgium 258 of all time, Acclaimed 1445 |
| 5 | The Police | "Every Breath You Take" | 1983 | |
UK 1 – May 1983, US BB 1 – July 1983, US BB 1 of 1983, Canada 1 – May 1983, Éire 1 – June 1983, US CashBox 2 of 1983, Sweden (alt) 2 – June 1983, Norway 2 – June 1983, KROQ 3 of 1983, Poland 5 – June 1983, South Africa 5 of 1983, Holland 6 – May 1983, Switzerland 6 – July 1983, Austria 8 – August 1983, Germany 8 – June 1983, France 10 – May 1983, Australia 10 of 1983, Italy 10 of 1983, Virgin 12, Scrobulate 13 of 80s, US BB 16 of 1983, RYM 16 of 1983, Europe 33 of the 1980s, Acclaimed 38, OzNet 38, RIAA 44, POP 49 of 1983, Poland 68 of all time, TheQ 76, Rolling Stone 84, 90 in 2FM list, Belgium 110 of all time, WXPN 216 |
Top hits on record
- "1999" – Prince
- "Add It Up" – Violent Femmes
- "Africa" – Rose Laurens
- "Africa" – Toto
- "All Night Long (All Night)" – Lionel Richie
- "All Time High" – Rita Coolidge
- "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" – Naked Eyes
- "Another State of Mind" – Social Distortion
- "Australiana" – Austen Tayshus #1 (a)
- "Baby, Come to Me" – Patti Austin with James Ingram (released in 1982)
- "Baby Jane" – Rod Stewart
- "Baby You're Dynamite"/"Ocean Deep" – Cliff Richard
- "Bad Boys" – Wham!
- "Bad Day" – Carmel
- "Balls to the Wall" – Accept
- "Bark at the Moon" – Ozzy Osbourne
- "Beat It" – Michael Jackson
- "Big Log" – Robert Plant
- "Billie Jean" – Michael Jackson
- "Blind Vision" – Blancmange
- "Blister In The Sun" – Violent Femmes
- "Bloodstone" – Judas Priest
- "Blue Monday" – New Order
- "Blue World" – The Moody Blues
- "Bop Girl – Pat Wilson #1 (a)
- "Borderline" – Madonna
- "Boxerbeat" – JoBoxers
- "Breakaway – Tracey Ullman
- "Breaking Us In Two" – Joe Jackson
- "Buffalo Soldier" – Bob Marley & The Wailers
- "Buried Treasure" – Kenny Rogers
- "Burning Down the House" – Talking Heads
- "Burning Up" – Madonna
- "Calling Your Name" – Marilyn
- "Candy Girl" – New Edition
- "Can't Get Used to Losing You" – The Beat
- "Cattle And Cane" – The Go-Betweens
- "Chance" – Big Country
- "Change" – Tears for Fears
- "Change In Mood" – Kids in the Kitchen
- "China Girl" – David Bowie
- "Chinese Cafe" – Joni Mitchell
- "Church of the Poison Mind" – Culture Club
- "Club Tropicana" – Wham!
- "Come Back And Stay" – Paul Young
- "Computer One" – Dear Enemy
- "Countdown/New World Man" – Rush
- "Crumblin' Down" – John Mellencamp
- "Cry Me A River" – Mari Wilson
- "Cum on Feel the Noize" – Quiet Riot
- "Cuts Like a Knife" – Bryan Adams
- "Dancing in the Dark – Kim Wilde
- "Dark Is The Night" – Shakatak
- "Der Kommissar" – After the Fire
- "Dead Giveaway" – Shalamar
- "Dear Prudence" – Siouxsie and the Banshees
- "Delirious" – Prince
- "Diamonds" – The Shadows
- "Did You Have To Love Me Like You Do?" – The Coconuts
- "Dirty Laundry" – Don Henley
- "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" – Culture Club
- "Dr. Heckyll and Mr. Jive" – Men At Work
- "Don't Cry" – Asia
- "Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Away" – Phil Collins
- "Don't Talk To Me About Love" – Altered Images
- "Don't You Want Me" – The Human League (Released 1981)
- "Double Dutch" – Malcolm McLaren
- "Down Under" – Men at Work
- "Drifting" – Cliff Richard and Shelia Walsh
- "Drop the Pilot" – Joan Armatrading
- "Electric Avenue" – Eddy Grant
- "Every Breath You Take" – The Police
- "Everyday I Write the Book" – Elvis Costello and the Attractions
- "Everything Counts" – Depeche Mode
- "Far From Over" – Frank Stallone
- "Family Man" – Hall & Oates
- "Faithfully" – Journey
- "Femme" – Dalida
- "Fields Of Fire (400 Miles)" – Big Country
- "Flashdance... What a Feeling" – Irene Cara
- "Foolin'" – Def Leppard
- "Freak-A-Zoid" – Midnight Star
- "Garden Party" – Marillion
- "Garden Party" – Mezzoforte
- "Gimme All Your Lovin'" – ZZ Top
- "A Girl Called Johnny" – The Waterboys
- "Gloria" – Laura Branigan
- "Goin' Home (Theme from 'Local Hero')" – Mark Knopfler
- "Goin' Home (Theme from 'Local Hero')" – The Shadows
- "Gold" – Spandau Ballet
- "The Hawk and the Dove" – Hank Marvin
- "He Knows You Know" – Marillion
- "Heart & Soul" – Huey Lewis and the News
- "Heartache Avenue" – The Maisonettes (released in 1982)
- "Holiday" – Madonna
- "Holy Diver" – Dio
- "Home by the Sea" – Genesis
- "Hot Girls in Love" – Loverboy
- "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You" – Laura Branigan
- "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye" – Dionne Warwick & Luther Vandross
- "Human Nature" – Michael Jackson
- "Hungry Like the Wolf" – Duran Duran
- "I Am (I'm Me)" – Twisted Sister
- "I Am Love" – Jennifer Holliday
- "I Cannot Believe It's True" – Phil Collins
- "I Don't Care Anymore" – Phil Collins
- "I Don't Remember (Live)" – Peter Gabriel
- "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" – Elton John (feat. Stevie Wonder)
- "I Like It" – DeBarge
- "I Love Rocky Road" – "Weird Al" Yankovic"
- "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" – Culture Club
- "In the Mood" – Robert Plant
- "I'm Still Standing" – Elton John
- "In a Big Country" – Big Country
- "In The Neighborhood" – Tom Waits
- "Invisible Man" – Hank Marvin
- "I.O.U." – Freeez
- "Irresistible Bitch" – Prince
- "Is There Something I Should Know?" – Duran Duran
- "Islands in the Stream" – Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
- "It Don't Matter to Me" – Phil Collins
- "It's a Mistake" – Men At Work
- "Jeopardy" – The Greg Kihn Band
- "Johnny B. Goode" – Peter Tosh
- "Karma Chameleon" – Culture Club
- "Keep Feeling (Fascination)" – The Human League
- "Kiss the Bride" – Elton John
- "Lawyers in Love" – Jackson Browne
- "Let The Music Play" – Shannon
- "Let's Dance" – David Bowie
- "Lick It Up" – Kiss
- "Listen To The Radio:Atmospherics" – Tom Robinson
- "Little Red Corvette" – Prince
- "Long Hot Summer" – The Style Council
- "Looks That Kill" – Mötley Crüe
- "Love Blonde" – Kim Wilde
- "Love Is a Battlefield" – Pat Benatar
- "Love Is a Stranger" – Eurythmics
- "Love is for All Time" – The Animals
- "Love of the Common People" – Paul Young
- "Love On Your Side" – Thompson Twins
- "Love Town" – Booker Newberry III
- "Major Tom (Coming Home)" – Peter Schilling
- "Make Believe It's Your First Time" (single) – The Carpenters
- "Mama" – Genesis
- "Maniac" – Michael Sembello
- "Many Rivers to Cross" – UB40
- "Marguerita Time" – Status Quo
- "Market Square Heroes" – Marillion
- "Maxine" – Sharon O'Neil
- "Modern Love" – David Bowie
- "Moonlight Shadow" – Mike Oldfield
- "My Oh My" – Slade
- "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" – Bananarama
- "Nasty Girl" – Vanity 6
- "Never Stop" – Echo & the Bunnymen
- "Never Gonna Let You Go" – Sergio Mendes
- "New Frontier" – Donald Fagen
- "New Song" – Howard Jones
- "New Year's Day" – U2
- "Never Say Die (Give a Little Bit More)" – Cliff Richard
- "Nobody's Diary" – Yazoo
- "Oblivious" – Aztec Camera
- "One on One" – Hall & Oates
- "One Thing Leads to Another" – The Fixx
- "Only for Love" – Limahl
- "Only You" – Rita Coolidge
- "Only You" – The Flying Pickets
- "Orchard Road" – Leo Sayer
- "Ooh To Be Ah" – Kajagoogoo
- "Our House" – Madness
- "Our Lips Are Sealed" – Fun Boy Three
- "Over and Over" – Shalamar
- "Overkill" – Men at Work
- "Owner of a Lonely Heart" – Yes
- "Pale Shelter" – Tears for Fears
- "Photograph" – Def Leppard
- "Pink Houses" – John Mellencamp
- "Pills and Soap" – The Imposter
- "Pipes Of Peace" – Paul McCartney
- "Please Don't Fall in Love" – Cliff Richard
- "Pressure Sway" – Machinations
- "Pride and Joy" – Stevie Ray Vaughan
- "Promises, Promises" – Naked Eyes
- "Puttin' on the Ritz" – Taco
- "Queen of the Broken Hearts" – Loverboy
- "Radio Free Europe" – R.E.M.
- "Rainbow in the Dark – Dio
- "Reckless" – Australian Crawl #1
- "Ricky" – "Weird Al" Yankovic
- "Rio" – Duran Duran
- "Rip It Up" – Orange Juice
- "Rock 'n' Roll Is King" – Electric Light Orchestra
- "Rock of Ages" – Def Leppard
- "Rock the Casbah" – The Clash (released in 1982)
- "Rockit" – Herbie Hancock
- "Run Runaway – Slade
- "Saved by Zero" – The Fixx
- "Say Say Say" – Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney
- "Screaming for Vengeance" – Judas Priest
- "Send Her My Love" – Journey
- "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" – Journey
- "Sex (I'm a...)" – Berlin
- "Shame on the Moon – Bob Seger
- "Sharp Dressed Man" – ZZ Top
- "She Blinded Me with Science" – Thomas Dolby (released in 1982)
- "She Means Nothing to Me" – Phil Everly and Cliff Richard
- "She Works Hard For The Money" – Donna Summer
- "She's a Beauty" – The Tubes
- "Shiny Shiny" – Haysi Fantazee
- "Shipbuilding" – Robert Wyatt
- "Should I Stay or Should I Go – The Clash
- "Shout at the Devil" – Mötley Crüe
- "Sign of the Times" – The Belle Stars
- "Solitaire" – Laura Branigan
- "Song To The Siren" – This Mortal Coil
- "Soul Inside" – Soft Cell
- "Space Age Love Song" – A Flock of Seagulls
- "Speak Like a Child" – The Style Council
- "Stand Back" – Stevie Nicks
- "Steppin' Out" – Joe Jackson
- "Straight from the Heart" – Bryan Adams
- "Straight to Hell – The Clash
- "Street of Dreams" – Rainbow
- "Suddenly Last Summer" – The Motels
- "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" – Eurythmics
- "Synchronicity II" – The Police
- "Take Me To Heart" – Quarterflash
- "Talking In Your Sleep" – The Romantics
- "Tell Her About It" – Billy Joel
- "Tell Her No" – Juice Newton
- "Temptation" – Heaven 17
- "Tender Is the Night" – Jackson Browne
- "Thank You For The Music" – ABBA (released in 1977)
- "That's All" – Genesis
- "That's Love" – Jim Capaldi
- "The Big Apple" – Kajagoogoo
- "The Border" – America
- "The Celtic Soul Brothers" – Dexys Midnight Runners
- "The Chinese Way" – Level 42
- "The Cutter" – Echo & the Bunnymen
- "The First Picture Of You" – The Lotus Eaters
- "The Love Cats" – The Cure
- "The Night" – The Animals
- "The Safety Dance" – Men Without Hats
- "The Shape You're In" – Eric Clapton
- "The Story Of The Blues" – Wah! (released in 1982)
- "The Sun and the Rain" – Madness
- "The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)" – Level 42
- "The Walk" – The Cure
- "The Way He Makes Me Feel" – Barbra Streisand
- "They Don't Know" – Tracey Ullman
- "This Charming Man" – The Smiths
- "This Is The Day" – The The
- "This Time" – Bryan Adams
- "Thriller" – Michael Jackson
- "Thunder And Lightning" – Thin Lizzy
- "Tomorrow's Just Another Day" – Madness
- "Tonight I Celebrate My Love" – Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack
- "Too Low For Zero" – Elton John (in US & Australia; not released in the rest of UK and Europe until 1985/86)
- "Too Shy" – Kajagoogoo
- "Total Eclipse of the Heart" – Bonnie Tyler
- "Tour de France" – Kraftwerk
- "True" – Spandau Ballet
- "True Love Ways" – Cliff Richard and The London Philharmonic Orchestra (Live)
- "2000 Miles" – The Pretenders
- "Tunnel of Love" – Fun Boy Three
- "Twilight Zone" – Golden Earring (released in 1982)
- "Twist of fate" – Olivia Newton John
- "Twisting by the Pool" – Dire Straits
- "Under Attack" – ABBA
- "Undercover of the Night" – The Rolling Stones
- "Union of the Snake" – Duran Duran
- "Up Where We Belong" – Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes
- "Uptown Girl" – Billy Joel
- "Vintage '77 (EP)" – The Heartbreakers
- "Visions in Blue" – Ultravox
- "Voice of the Heart" – The Carpenters
- "A Volar" – Menudo
- "Walk Out To Winter" – Aztec Camera
- "Walkin' The Line" – Brass Construction
- "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' – Michael Jackson
- "Watching You Watching Me" – David Grant
- "Waterfront" – Simple Minds
- "We Are Detective" – Thompson Twins
- "We've Got Tonight" Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton
- "What Is Love?" – Howard Jones
- "What Kinda Boy You're Lookin' For (Girl)" – Hot Chocolate
- "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" – Paul Young
- "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" – Grandmaster and Melle Mel
- "Why Can't It Wait 'Til Morning?" – Phil Collins
- "Wings of a Dove" – Madness
- "Wishing on a Star" – Rose Royce
- "Wrapped Around Your Finger" – The Police
- "You Are" – Lionel Richie
- "You Can't Hurry Love" – Phil Collins (released in 1982)
Published popular music
- " I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" w. Bernie Taupin m. Elton John
- "An Innocent Man" w.m. Billy Joel
- "Karma Chameleon" w.m. George O'Dowd, John Moss, Roy Hay, Mickey Craig & Phil Rickett
- "Uptown Girl" w.m. Billy Joel
- "Total Eclipse of the Heart" – Jim Steinman
Classical music
- John Cage – Thirty Pieces for String Quartet
- Friedrich Cerha – Requiem für Hollensteiner
- George Crumb – Processional for piano
- Jean Daetwyler – Concerto for Alphorn, Flute, Saxophone and Strings No. 2
- Mario Davidovsky – Romancero, for soprano, flute (piccolo, alto flute), clarinet (bass clarinet), violin and violoncello
- Lorenzo Ferrero
- Ellipse for flute
- Onde for guitar
- My Rock for piano
- Karel Goeyvaerts – Aquarius I (Voorspel)—L’ère du Verseau, for orchestra
- Jacques Hétu – Clarinet Concerto
- Witold Lutosławski – Symphony No. 3 (1972–83)
- Krzysztof Penderecki – Viola Concerto
- John Pickard – Nocturne in Black and Gold
- Peter Sculthorpe – Piano concerto
- Karlheinz Stockhausen – Luzifers Tanz, for wind orchestra
- Iannis Xenakis – Shaar
- Morton Feldman - Crippled Symmetry
Opera
- Robert Ashley – Perfect Lives (An opera for television)
- Leonard Bernstein – A Quiet Place
- Oliver Knussen – Where the Wild Things Are (children's)
- Olivier Messiaen – Saint François d'Assise
- Per Nørgård – Det guddommelige Tivoli (The Divine Circus)
Musical theater
- Baby Broadway production
- La Cage aux Folles Broadway production
- Doonesbury Broadway production
- Mame (Jerry Herman) – Broadway revival
- Merlin Broadway production
- Oliver! (Lionel Bart) – London revival
- On Your Toes Broadway revival
- My One and Only Broadway production
- Singin' in the Rain London production
- The Tap Dance Kid Broadway production
- Zorba Broadway revival
Musical films
- Carmen
- Eddie and the Cruisers
- Flashdance
- Le Bal
- Mangammagari Manavadu
- Narcissus
- Neti Bharatam
- The Pirates of Penzance
- Rock & Rule
- Staying Alive
- Yentl
Musical television
Births
- January 13 – William Hung, American musician
- January 18 – Samantha Mumba, Irish singer and actress
- January 19 – Hikaru Utada, singer and songwriter
- January 20 – Mari Yaguchi, Japanese singer (Morning Musume) and host
- January 25 – Andrée Watters, Canadian singer
- February 8 – Jim Verraros, American singer
- February 19 – Mika Nakashima, Japanese singer and actress
- March 3 – Katie White, singer (The Ting Tings)
- March 8 – Piano Squall, pianist
- March 9 – Mayte Perroni, Mexican singer and actress
- March 10 – Carrie Underwood, singer
- March 14 – Taylor Hanson (Hanson)
- March 15 – Florencia Bertotti, Argentine actress and singer
- March 19 – Ana Rezende (Cansei de Ser Sexy)
- March 29 – Luiza Sá (Cansei de Ser Sexy)
- March 30 – Hebe Tian, member of the Taiwanese girl-group S.H.E
- April 4 – Tei, Korean ballad singer
- April 16 – Marié Digby, American singer
- April 24 – Taio Cruz, British R&B singer
- May 8 – Matt Willis, British musician (Busted) and presenter
- May 11 – Holly Valance, singer and actress
- May 14 – Anahi, Mexican singer and actress
- June 2 – Brooke White, American singer
- June 17
- Connie Fisher, British actress and singer
- Lee Ryan, British singer
- June 27 – Evan Taubenfeld, American guitarist, singer, and songwriter
- June 30 –
- Patrick Wolf, singer/songwriter
- Cheryl Tweedy, member of Girls Aloud
- July 1
- Leeteuk, singer
- Marit Larsen, Norwegian musician (M2M)
- July 2 – Michelle Branch (The Wreckers)
- July 4 – Ben Jorgensen, American singer, guitarist, member of Armor For Sleep
- July 9 – Lucia Micarelli, violinist and actress
- July 10 – Heechul, singer
- July 11 – Marie Serneholt (A*Teens)
- July 18 – Aaron Gillespie, drummer (Underoath)
- July 21 – Eivør Pálsdóttir, Faroese singer and composer
- August 7 – Christian Chávez, Mexican singer and actor
- August 14 – Sunidhi Chauhan, playback singer
- August 18
- August 28 – Alfonso Herrera, Mexican singer and actor
- August 30 – Jun Matsumoto, Japanese singer and actor
- September 14 – Amy Winehouse, English singer (died 2011)
- September 17 – Jennifer Peña, singer and actress
- September 26 – Samantha Hammel, American producer, actress and singer
- September 30 – T-Pain, American rapper & singer-songwriter
- October 10 – Alyson Hau, Hong Kong radio DJ
- [[October 24 – Adrienne Bailon, American singer and actress
- October 26 – Houston, American R&B singer
- October 29
- Amit Sebastian Paul, Swedish singer (A*Teens)
- Richard Brancatisano, Australian actor/musician
- October 30 – Diana Karazon, Jordanian singer
- November 7 – Forrest Kline, American singer and songwriter (Hellogoodbye)
- November 10 – Miranda Lambert, American country musician
- November 14 – Lil Boosie, American rapper
- November 16
- Fallon Bowman, South African–born guitarist (Kittie)
- K, South Korean singer
- November 28 – Tyler Glenn, American alternative singer (Neon Trees)
- December 17 – Kosuke Saito, Japanese DJ
- December 29 – Jessica Andrews, American country music singer
- December 31 – Sayaka Ichii, Japanese singer (Morning Musume)
Deaths
- January 5 – Amy Evans, operatic soprano and actress, 98
- January 7 – Edith Coates, operatic mezzo-soprano, 74
- January 28 – Billy Fury, singer, 42 (heart attack)
- January 31 – Lorraine Ellison, soul singer, 51
- February 4 – Karen Carpenter, singer and drummer, 32 (cardiac arrest due to anorexia nervosa)
- February 8
- Charles Kullman, operatic tenor, 80
- Alfred Wallenstein, cellist, 84
- February 12 – Eubie Blake, pianist, 96
- February 18 – Leopold Godowsky, Jr., violinist and chemist, 82
- February 22 – Sir Adrian Boult, conductor, 93
- February 23 – Herbert Howells, organist and composer, 90
- February 28 – Winifred Atwell, pianist, 69
- March 6 – Cathy Berberian, singer and composer, 57
- March 7
- Igor Markevitch, Ukrainian composer and conductor, 70
- William Walton, British composer, 80
- April 4 – Danny Rapp (Danny and the Juniors), 41 (suicide by gunshot)
- April 5 – Cliff Carlisle, country and blues singer, 79
- April 13 – Dolo Coker, jazz pianist and composer, 55
- April 14 – Pete Farndon (The Pretenders), 30 (drug overdose)
- April 17 – Felix Pappalardi, producer and bassist, 43 (gunshot)
- April 23 – Earl Hines, jazz pianist, 79
- April 30
- Muddy Waters, blues singer and guitarist, 70 (heart attack)
- George Balanchine, choreographer, 79
- May 23
- George Bruns, film composer, 68
- Finn Mortensen, composer and music critic, 61
- May 25 – Paul Quinichette, saxophonist, 67
- June 2 – Stan Rogers, folk musician, 33
- June 25 – Alberto Ginastera, Argentine composer, 67
- July 4 – Claus Adam, cellist, 66
- July 5 – Harry James, bandleader, 67
- July 12 – Chris Wood, rock musician, 39
- July 23 – Georges Auric, composer, member of Les Six, 84
- July 27 – Jerome Moross, composer, conductor and orchestrator, 69
- July 30 – Howard Dietz, lyricist, 86
- August 2 – James Jamerson, bassist, 47
- August 3 – Helge Bonnén, pianist and composer, 87
- August 6 – Klaus Nomi, singer, 39 (complications from AIDS)
- August 13 – Zdeněk Liška, film composer, 61
- August 14 – Omer Létourneau, pianist, organist, composer and conductor, 92
- August 17 – Ira Gershwin, lyricist, 86
- August 24 – Arkady Filippenko, composer, 71
- September 5 – John Gilpin, dancer, 53 (heart attack)
- September 24 – Isobel Baillie, operatic soprano, 88
- September 25 – Paul Jacobs, pianist, 53 (complications from AIDS)
- October 16
- Øivin Fjeldstad, violinist and conductor, 80
- George Liberace, violinist and arranger, 72
- November 3 – Alfredo Antonini, conductor, 82
- November 7 – Germaine Tailleferre, composer, only female member of Les Six, 88
- November 19 – Tommy Evans, bassist of the rock group Badfinger, 36 (suicide)
- December 6 – Lucienne Boyer, singer, 80
- December 11 – Simon Laks, Polish composer and violinist, 82
- December 28 – Dennis Wilson, member of the Beach Boys, 39 (drowned)
- date unknown – Pat Smythe, jazz pianist, 59 or 60
Awards
Grammy Awards
Country Music Association Awards
Eurovision Song Contest
Charts
List of no. 1 hits
See also: