This is a summary of 1983 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
Events
8 January – The UK singles chart is tabulated from this week forward by The Gallup Organization. In 1984 electronic terminals will be used in selected stores to gather sales information, and the old "sales diary" method will be gradually phased out over the next few years. 10 February – John McCabe's Concerto for Orchestra is given its first performance by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Georg Solti. 14 May – The Symphony No 2 Summer Music by William Mathias is performed for the first time by the Liverpool Philharmonic Society 30 May – Elton John releases his album Too Low for Zero, marking the beginning of his mid-1980s comeback after several albums disappointed in sales. 31 May – Nigel Osborne's Sinfonia No 2 is performed for the first time by the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra. 3 June – The opera Raleigh's Dream by Iain Hamilton is performed for the first time in Durham, North Carolina 17 July – The Cello Concerto by Lennox Berkeley, composed in 1939, is performed for the first time in Manchester. 27 July – The Piano Concerto by Dominic Muldowney is performed for the first time in London. 20 August – The Rolling Stones sign a new $28 million contract with CBS Records, the largest recording contract in history up to this time. 1 September – Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon of The Clash issue a press statement announcing that Mick Jones has been fired from the group. 20 September – The first ARMS Charity Concert is held at the Royal Albert Hall in London. 3 October – The first performance of the opera Marching Song by Benjamin Frankel, left in short score at the time of the composer's death ten years earlier, is broadcast by the BBC. 9 November – The Blue Guitar for solo guitar by Michael Tippett is performed for the first time, at the Ambassador Auditorium, Pasadena, California. 28 November – The first Now album is released. 15 December – The broadcast premiere of Elisabeth Lutyens’ Music for Orchestra 1V is given by the City of London Sinfonia, conducted by Richard Hickox.
Charts
Number one singles
Number one albums
Year-end charts
Note: The year-end charts published in Music Week on 7 January 1984 only covered the period 4 January to 17 December 1983 – the BPI Year Book 1984 included the complete charts to the end of 1983.
Best-selling singles
Best-selling albums
Notes:
Classical music
Alun Hoddinott - Quodlibet on Welsh Nursery Tunes - arr. for brass quintet
William Mathias - Symphony No. 2, Op.90 (Summer Music) John Pickard - Nocturne in Black and Gold
Opera
Oliver Knussen - Where the Wild Things Are
Musical films
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
The Pirates of Penzance, starring Kevin Kline and Angela Lansbury
Births
18 January - Antony Brant, singer (V) 3 March - Katie White, singer (The Ting Tings) 8 May - Matt Willis, singer and musician (Busted) 16 May - Mince Fratelli, musician (The Fratellis) 23 May - Heidi Range, singer (Sugababes) 17 June - Lee Ryan, singer (Blue) 30 June Cheryl Cole, singer Patrick Wolf, singer/songwriter 7 July - Aaron Buckingham, singer (V) 22 July - Jodi Albert, singer (Girl Thing) 18 August - Mika, singer 25 August - James Righton, musician (The Klaxons) 11 September - Matthew Halsall, jazz trumpeter and promoter 13 September - James Bourne, singer and musician (Busted), (Son Of Dork) 14 September - Amy Winehouse, singer-songwriter 25 September - Hayden Powell, jazz trumpeter and composer 24 October - V V Brown, English singer, songwriter, model, and producer 26 October - Ant Scott-Lee, singer (3SL) 8 November - Mark Harle, singer (V)