Counting down the Top 83 of '83 - Albums #40 - 26

(or, more accurately, my favorite albums released in 1983)

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What's New Linda Ronstadt Billboard peak: 3 CashBox peak: 5 Rolling Stone peak: 1 Top 40 pop singles: none Top track: "Someone To Watch Over Me"

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Fascination! (EP) The Human League Billboard peak: 22 CashBox peak: 19 Rolling Stone peak: 20 Top 40 pop singles: "(Keep Feeling) Fascination" (#8) "Mirror Man" (#30) Top track: "(Keep Feeling) Fascination"

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The Abominable Showman Nick Lowe Billboard peak: 129 CashBox peak: 111 Rolling Stone peak: 35 Top 40 pop singles: none Top track: "Saint Beneath the Paint"

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Twisting by the Pool (EP) Dire Straits Billboard peak: 53 CashBox peak: 58 Rolling Stone peak: 23 Top 40 pop singles: none Top track: "Twisting by the Pool"

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Outside Inside The Tubes Billboard peak: 18 CashBox peak: 18 Rolling Stone peak: 16 Top 40 pop singles: "She's a Beauty" (#10) Top track: "She's a Beauty"

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War U2 Billboard peak: 12 CashBox peak: 9 Rolling Stone peak: 5 Top 40 pop singles:none Top track: "Two Hearts Beat as One"

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Texas Flood Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble Billboard peak: 38 CashBox peak: 30 Rolling Stone peak: 23 Top 40 pop singles: none Top track: "Pride and Joy"

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Colour by Numbers Culture Club Billboard peak: 2 CashBox peak: 2 Rolling Stone peak: 2 Top 40 pop singles: "Church of the Poison Mind" (#10) "Karma Chameleon" (#1) "Miss Me Blind" (#5) "It's a Miracle" (#13) Top track: "Miss Me Blind"

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Travels Pat Metheny Group Billboard peak: 62 CashBox peak: 6 Rolling Stone peak: - Top 40 pop singles: none Top track: "Are You Going With Me?"

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Speaking in Tongues Talking Heads Billboard peak: 15 CashBox peak: 12 Rolling Stone peak: 5 Top 40 pop single: "Burning Down the House" (#9) Top track: "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)"

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Field Day Marshall Crenshaw Billboard peak: 52 CashBox peak: 52 Rolling Stone peak: 21 Top 40 pop singles: none Top track: "Whenever You're on My Mind"

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Points on the Curve Wang Chung Billboard peak: 30 CashBox peak: 31 Rolling Stone peak: 24 Top 40 pop singles: "Don't Let Go" (#38) "Dance Hall Days" (#16) Top track: "Dance Hall Days"

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Trumpet Concertos Wynton Marsalis Billboard peak: - CashBox peak: - Rolling Stone peak: - Top 40 pop singles: none Top track: Third Movement, Hummel concerto

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Bodies and Souls Manhattan Transfer Billboard peak: 52 CashBox peak: 45 Rolling Stone peak: - Top 40 pop singles: "Spice of Life" (#40) Top track: "Why Not!"

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Alpha Asia Billboard peak: 6 CashBox peak: 5 Rolling Stone peak: 8 Top 40 pop singles: "Don't Cry" (#10) "The Smile has Left Your Eyes" (#34) Top track: "Don't Cry"

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These are my personal top 83 albums released in 1983.  The following criteria was used on a very slippery sliding scale:

• How often I enjoyed the album at the time of release
• How often I've enjoyed the album over the years since
• Overall quality of the album

Chart information is from the US Billboard, CashBox, and Rolling Stone album charts.

The top track for each album is solely my opinion.