Favorite Songs of 1983

The rise of music videos dominated my take on popular music from back in 1983, with most of my listening taking place in front of a TV set. The biggest act of that year, Michael Jackson (from his Thriller album), came out with songs I liked in Billy Jean, Beat It, and PYT (Pretty Young Thing). Also, the final album of the Police, Synchronicity, produced tracks like King of Pain (not on video) and Synchronicity II (one of my favorite Police songs). Robert Plant showed a slower, mellower side as a solo artist with Big Log and In the Mood. Awful accompanying video notwithstanding, Pat Benatar's Love is a Battlefield was her best, in my opinion. And speaking of what love is, my all-time favorite of the Eurythmics, Love is a Stranger, had a great video to go with it. The Moody Blues slipped into the mix almost unnoticed an upbeat release titled Sitting at the Wheel. Neil Young paid homage to rock n' roll's doo-wop era with his funny Wonderin'. Wall of Voodoo's Mexican Radio was enhanced by the screaming-funny video. Speaking of funny, Men at Work's Be Good Johnny may have been the funniest, while their more sober It's a Mistake had a catchy beat to it. Eddie Grant and Donna Summer imparted a Caribbean flavor to the pop music scene with Electric Avenue and Unconditional Love, respectively. The Human League's inspiring Keep Feeling Fascination (the only song of theirs I liked) was a 1983 product. Dance-wise, the Kinks had Come Dancing while Men Without Hats had The Safety Dance. Kid Creole and the Coconuts had their Male Curiosity, a (very) minor hit. Our House, by Madness, completed the comic impression that this year was making in music. Perhaps the most sarcastic song in the history of music came out in 1983: Jackson Browne's masterpiece Lawyers in Love. Styx produced a veiled protest against Japan's takeover of the technology of automation with their cryptic Mr. Roboto. Electric Light Orchestra fell flat (but not with me) with their Secret Messages. The video was a cute takeoff on old pulp sci-fi/fantasy serials. Paul McCartney's So Bad was an uncommonly good song (and video, with Ringo Starr drumming). I saw the video for Invisible Sun by the Police during 1983 and fell in love with the song. The same was true for Donald Fagen's New Frontier. Pete Townshend had two earlier, very good songs of his publicized in '83 via videos: Rough Boy and Face Dances Pt.2. Elton John made one of his many comebacks with his defiant I'm Still Standing. Patrick Simmons, from the Doobie Brothers, had a minor hit that I liked: So Wrong. INXS's The One Thing was my #3 favorite song from 1983, coming out early in the year. The Fixx, with a generally pacifist/philosophical theme to their music, had several songs exposed through videos. My #2 favorite song for '83 was their Saved By Zero. I also liked their One Thing Leads to Another. And my top favorite tune from 1983 is from the Scottish band Big Country for their loud, shouting, positive song (with a guitar-made bagpipe sound) In a Big Country.