One day in 1983, Paul Simon gave Art Garfunkel a phone call. As the Human League would say, keep feeling fascination. But the only thing these songs have in common? They all sound amazing in 2023. Others are underground sensations that went on to be influential later. Some are acclaimed works of art that changed history. Some of these songs are eternal classics: “1999,” “Karma Chameleon,” “Beat It,” “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Others are forgotten gems worth digging up. Old-school legends like Stevie Nicks, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, the Isley Brothers, that Bowie guy - they all figure out how to reinvent themselves. ZZ Top became MTV studs, without shaving their beards, changing their clothes, or even taking a bath. R.E.M., Hüsker Dü, the Replacements, and Sonic Youth revitalize underground rock. Run-DMC take rap from the discos to the streets, kicking off the golden age of hip-hop. Kajagoogoo? Men Without Hats? Dexy’s Midnight Runners? There’s loads more where those come from. It’s the most glorious year ever for one-hit wonders, especially the really shameless ones. Rock, rap, disco, New Romantic synth-pop, metal, electro-funk - they all start sharing bodily fluids all over the radio. So do the Walkman and the boombox, putting young fans in command. MTV transforms the way fans devour music. Hell, Rodney Dangerfield made a rap record. Michael Jackson dropped the pop blockbuster of all time. One of the most amazing, most innovative, most insanely packed music years ever. ![]() So let’s break it down - the 100 best songs of 1983, 40 years later. The old stylistic boundaries don’t hold anyone back anymore. So much wild innovation, all around the margins. All the music that matters in 2023 - it kicks off somewhere here in 1983. 1983 shook up all of the old rules about how music worked.
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