In 1983, Billboard magazine published a chart ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the adult contemporary music (AC) market. The chart, which in 1983 was published under the title Adult Contemporary, has undergone various name changes during its history but has again been published as Adult Contemporary since 1996. In 1983, 18 songs topped the chart based on playlists submitted by radio stations.
In the January 1 issue of Billboard the number one position was held by "The Girl Is Mine" by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney, which retained its position from the last chart of 1982. It held the top spot for three weeks in 1983 before being displaced by "Baby, Come to Me" by Patti Austin and James Ingram. The duet had originally been released the previous year and achieved little success. It was re-released, however, after it was featured on the soap opera General Hospital, sparking renewed interest in the song which sent it to the top of both the AC listing and Billboard's pop chart, the Hot 100. Three other songs topped both charts in 1983, including "Tell Her About It" by Billy Joel and Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton's duet "Islands in the Stream", the latter of which also reached number one on the Hot Country Singles listing. In 2005 "Islands in the Stream" topped a poll organized by the country music television channel CMT of the best country duets of all time.
The third song to be both a pop and AC number one in 1983 was "All Night Long (All Night)" by Lionel Richie, which also topped the Black Singles listing. Richie was the most successful act on the AC chart in 1983; he had three number ones and spent a total of fourteen weeks in the top spot. He was the only act to have more than one AC chart-topper during the year and also claimed the longest-running number one of 1983, spending six consecutive weeks atop the chart with "You Are". No other act spent more than four weeks at number one in total during the year. Richie, the lead singer of the Commodores, had launched his solo career the previous year and quickly reached superstar status. The final AC number one of 1983 was Barry Manilow's version of "Read 'Em and Weep", a song originally recorded by the hard rock singer Meat Loaf.
Chart history
Issue date | Title | Artist(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
January 1 | "The Girl Is Mine" | Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney | |
January 8 | |||
January 15 | |||
January 22 | "Baby, Come to Me" | Patti Austin and James Ingram | |
January 29 | |||
February 5 | |||
February 12 | "Shame on the Moon" | Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band | |
February 19 | |||
February 26 | "You Are" | Lionel Richie | |
March 5 | |||
March 12 | |||
March 19 | |||
March 26 | |||
April 2 | |||
April 9 | "Make Love Stay" | Dan Fogelberg | |
April 16 | "It Might Be You" | Stephen Bishop | |
April 23 | |||
April 30 | "I Won't Hold You Back" | Toto | |
May 7 | |||
May 14 | |||
May 21 | "My Love" | Lionel Richie | |
May 28 | |||
June 4 | |||
June 11 | |||
June 18 | "Never Gonna Let You Go" | Sérgio Mendes | |
June 25 | |||
July 2 | |||
July 9 | |||
July 16 | "All This Love" | DeBarge | |
July 23 | |||
July 30 | |||
August 6 | "All Time High" | Rita Coolidge | |
August 13 | |||
August 20 | |||
August 27 | |||
September 3 | "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" | Laura Branigan | |
September 10 | |||
September 17 | |||
September 24 | "Tell Her About It" | Billy Joel | |
October 1 | |||
October 8 | "True" | Spandau Ballet | |
October 15 | "Islands in the Stream" | Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton | |
October 22 | |||
October 29 | |||
November 5 | |||
November 12 | "All Night Long (All Night)" | Lionel Richie | |
November 19 | |||
November 26 | |||
December 3 | |||
December 10 | "The Way He Makes Me Feel" | Barbra Streisand | |
December 17 | |||
December 24 | "Read 'Em and Weep" | Barry Manilow | |
December 31 |
References
- ^ Whitburn 2007, p. vi.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 1, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- ^ Whitburn 2005, p. TBC.
- Sweeting, Adam (January 30, 2019). "James Ingram obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 30, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- Whitburn 1996, p. TBC.
- "Flashback: Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers Take 'Islands in the Stream' to New Heights". Rolling Stone. October 29, 2014. Archived from the original on March 3, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
- Shelburne, Craig (June 9, 2005). ""Islands in the Stream" Named Greatest Country Duet". CMT. Archived from the original on March 3, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
- Whitburn 2004, p. TBC.
- Breihan, Tom (June 22, 2020). "The Number Ones: Lionel Richie's "Truly"". Stereogum. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
- Petridis, Alexis (August 30, 2018). "Barry Manilow – all his greatest songs ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for January 8, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for January 15, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 12, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for January 22, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for January 29, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for February 5, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for February 12, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 27, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
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- "Adult Contemporary chart for February 26, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
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- "Adult Contemporary chart for March 19, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for March 26, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
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- "Adult Contemporary chart for April 16, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
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- "Adult Contemporary chart for April 30, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for May 7, 1983". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
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- "Adult Contemporary chart for May 21, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for May 28, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for June 4, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for June 11, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for June 18, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for June 25, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for July 2, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for July 9, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for July 16, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for July 23, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 1, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for July 30, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for August 6, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for August 13, 1983". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for August 20, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for August 27, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for September 3, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 6, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for September 10, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for September 17, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for September 24, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for October 1, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 12, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for October 8, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for October 15, 1983". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for October 22, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for October 29, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for November 5, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for November 12, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for November 19, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 28, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for November 26, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 5, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for December 3, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for December 10, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for December 17, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for December 24, 1983". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- "Adult Contemporary chart for December 31, 1983". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
Works cited
- Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. ISBN 978-0-82308-289-6.
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-89820-160-4.
- Whitburn, Joel (2005). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 1955–2002. Record Research Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-89820-155-0.
- Whitburn, Joel (2007). Joel Whitburn Presents Billboard Top Adult Songs, 1961–2006. Record Research Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-89820-169-7.
List of Billboard Adult Contemporary number ones | |
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1961–1979 | |
1980–1999 | |
2000–2019 | |
2020–present | |
Artists |