McQ's Favorite Albums Of 1983

Throughout 2023/2024 McQ's best of will be revisiting 1983 and re-evaluating all of it's significant album releases.

A reassessed War by U2 and The original abbreviated release of Philip Glass's highly influential minimalist score for Koyaanisquatsi are the latest additions to our 1983 rankings.

Highest Recommends

1. Murmur - REM

Strong Recommends

2. Swordfishtrombones - Tom Waits
3. Speaking In Tongues - The Talking Heads

4. War - U2

5. Violent Femmes

6. Koyaanisquatsi - Philip Glass

7. Sychronicity - The Police

8. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) - The Eurythmics

9. Uh-Huh - John Cougar Mellencamp

10. Let's Dance - David Bowie

11. Kill 'Em All - Metallica

12. Rebel Yell - Billy Idol

13. She's So Unusual - Cyndi Lauper

14. High Land, Hard Rain - Aztec Camera

15. Madonna

Solid Recommends

16. Touch - The Eurythmics

17. The Crossing - Big Country
18. Power, Corruption And Lies - New Order

19. Eliminator - ZZ Top

20. Soul Mining - The The

21. Out Of Step EP - Minor Threat

22. Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughn

23. Pyromania - Def Lepperd

24. Hootenanny - The Replacements

Mild Recommends

25. Labour Of Love - UB40

1983 Albums Of Critical Note I've Yet To Assess In Full

90125 - Yes

An Innocent Man - Billy Joel

Appollo: Atmospheres And Soundtracks - Brian Eno

Bad Influence - Robert Cray

Before Hollywood - The Go-Betweens

Break Out - The Pointer Sisters
Can't Slow Down - Lionel Ritchie

Clics Modernos - Charly Garcia
Colour By Numbers - Culture Club

Construction Time Again - Depeche Mode
Djam Leeli - Baaba Mall & Mansour Seck
Duck Rock - Malcolm McLaren

Emergency Third Rail Power Trip - The Rain Parade

Fervor / Lost & Found - Jason & The Scorchrs

Frontiers - Journey

Future Shock - Herbie Hancock

Genesis

Hand Of Kindness - Richard Thompson

Head Over Heels - Cocteau Twins

Hearts And Bones - Paul Simon
Holy Diver - Dio

Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart - Van Morrison

Infidels - Bob Dylan

Jonathan Sings - The Modern Lovers

Learning To Cope With Cowardice - Mark Stewart & The Maffia

Legandary Hearts - Lou Reed
Life's A Riot With Spy Vs. Spy - Billy Bragg
Love Wars - Womack And Womack
Meat Puppets II

Mommy's Little Monster - Social Distortion

More Fun In The New World - X

No Parlez - Paul Young

Over The Edge - Wipers

Peace Of Mind - Iron Maiden

Perverted By Language - The Fall
Porcupine - Echo And The Bunnymen

Proof Through The Night - T-Bone Burnett
Punch The Clock - Elvis Costello
Rock For Light - Bad Brains

Saturn Strip - Alan Vega

Script For A Jester's Tear

Script Of The Bridge - The Chameleons

Seven and the Ragged Tiger - Duran Duran

Shout At The Devil - Motley CrueSports - Heuy Lewis & The News

Suicidal Tendencies

Synchro System - King Sunny Ade

The Hurting - Tears For Fears

Trouble In Paradise - Randy Newman

Under A Blood Red Sky - U2

Where Angels Fear To Tread - Mink DeVille

You Gotta Say Yes To Another Excess - Yello

Last Updated 11.26.23