July 1983 -- peak MTV

As much as I love the music of 1981 and appreciated the huge variety, this week on July 1983 is another standout favorite.  Back in the day, I ranked songs in half-point increments from 0 to 10, with both ends exceedingly rare, but I would purchase a single if it was an 8.5 or above, unless I had it on an album.  

Looking down this list, these would've been in the 9.0 or higher:  I loved "Flashdance," "Stand Back," "I'm Still Standing," "Wishing," "Time,"  "The Border," "Beat It," and "Don't Let it End."  Not far behind were "Never Gonna Let You Go," "Fascination," "Roll Me Away."

Gone completely are the awkward early-80's adult contemporary and country, replaced by the hippest of MTV stars (Michael Jackson, Duran Duran, Culture Club, Eurthymics, the Fixx, Men at Work), MTV-driven few-hit-wonders (Kajagoogoo, Madness, Eddy Grant, the Tubes, Naked Eyes), soundtrack songs, breakout releases (Prince, Bryan Adams, Loverboy), and even the relative veterans sound like they're with the program (Rod Stewart, Donna Summer, Hall and Oates, David Bowie, ELO, Jackson Browne, Bob Seger). 

The only really out of place songs are an odd revival by the Hollies, a Christopher Cross rip-off by America, and the super-slow Debarge song, which they somehow turned into a hit and then a career.  I certainly didn't like all these songs back then, but most have gotten better with time (Eddy Grant).

Alas, this is goodbye to the Flock of Seagulls...

1 1 EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE –•– The Police (A&M)-7 (2 weeks at #1) (1)

2 2 ELECTRIC AVENUE –•– Eddy Grant (Portrait)-14 (2)

3 3 FLASHDANCE…WHAT A FEELING –•– Irene Cara (Casablanca)-16 (1)
4 4 NEVER GONNA LET YOU GO –•– Sergio Mendes (with Joe Pizzulo & Leza Miller) (A&M)-14 (4)
5 6 WANNA BE STARTIN’ SOMETHIN’ –•– Michael Jackson (Epic)-8 (5)
6 8 COME DANCING –•– The Kinks (Arista)-11 (6)
7 5 TOO SHY –•– Kajagoogoo (EMI-America)-13 (5)
8 10 OUR HOUSE –•– Madness (Geffen)-11 (8)
9 13 IS THERE SOMETHING I SHOULD KNOW –•– Duran Duran (Capitol)-7 (9)
10 7 TIME (Clock Of the Heart) –•– Culture Club (Virgin)-14 (2)

11 14 STAND BACK –•– Stevie Nicks (Modern)-7 (11)
12 12 I’M STILL STANDING –•– Elton John (Geffen)-11 (12)
13 15 **1999** –•– Prince (Warner Brothers)-19 (13)
14 18 SHE WORKS HARD FOR THE MONEY –•– Donna Summer (Mercury)-8 (14)
15 20 SWEET DREAMS (Are Made Of This) –•– The Eurythmics (RCA)-10 (15)
16 19 BABY JANE –•– Rod Stewart (Warner Brothers)-8 (16)
17 17 ALL THIS LOVE –•– DeBarge (Gordy)-13 (17)
18 9 DON’T LET IT END –•– Styx (A&M)-12 (6)
19 25 MANIAC –•– Michael Sembello (Casablanca)-7 (19)
20 22 CUTS LIKE A KNIFE –•– Bryan Adams (A&M)-6 (20)

21 23 HOT GIRLS IN LOVE –•– Loverboy (Columbia)-6 (21)
22 11 FAMILY MAN –•– Daryl Hall & John Oates (RCA)-12 (6)
23 16 SHE’S A BEAUTY –•– The Tubes (Capitol)-15 (10)
24 28 (Keep Feeling) FASCINATION –•– The Human League (A&M)-8 (24)
25 32 IT’S A MISTAKE –•– Men At Work (Columbia)-3 (25)
26 26 WISHING (If I Had a Photograph Of You) –•– A Flock Of Seagulls (Jive)-10 (26)
27 29 TAKE ME TO HEART –•– Quarterflash (Geffen)-5 (27)
28 30 SAVED BY ZERO –•– The Fixx (MCA)-8 (28)
29 34 ROCK OF AGES –•– Def Leppard (Mercury)-6 (29)
30 39 ROCK ‘N’ ROLL IS KING –•– ELO (Jet)-4 (30)

31 38 CHINA GIRL –•– David Bowie (EMI-America)-7 (31)
32 35 STOP IN THE NAME OF LOVE –•– The Hollies (Atlantic)-7 (32)
33 24 BEAT IT –•– Michael Jackson (Epic)-21 (1)
34 21 AFFAIR OF THE HEART –•– Rick Springfield (RCA)-14 (9)
35 48 I’LL TUMBLE 4 YA –•– Culture Club (Virgin)-3 (35)
36 27 ROLL ME AWAY –•– Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (Capitol)-8 (27)
37 33 ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME –•– Naked Eyes (EMI-America)-19 (8)
38 44 THE BORDER –•– America (Capitol)-5 (38)
39 43 THE SALT IN MY TEARS –•– Martin Briley (Mercury)-9 (39)
40 59 LAWYERS IN LOVE –•– Jackson Browne (Asylum)-2 (40)