ARIA Charts Throwback: 10 July 1983

Turn around, bright eyes and check out the Top Ten from the first ever ARIA Singles Chart, published this week in 1983.

July 1983 saw the publication of the first official ARIA chart. The first week’s Albums and Singles Charts were populated by the likes of The Beatles, Joan Armatrading, David Bowie, Midnight Oil, Tears For Fears, Rod Stewart, Talking Heads, Donna Summer, The Church, Little River Band, Culture Club, Laura Branigan, New Order, The Cure, The Style Council, The Weather Girls and more.

The first Top Ten on the Singles Chart featured a combination of artists getting their first taste of success, artists making a comeback, artists taking their final bow and artists shooting for the stars.

10. Naked Eyes - Always Something There To Remind Me

British synthpop duo Naked Eyes took out their only Top 50 appearance on the ARIA Singles Chart when their cover of Bacharach/David’s ‘Always Something There To Remind Me’ peaked at #7. Versions of the track were recorded in the 1960s by Sandie Shaw and Dione Warwick, among others.

9. Real Life - Send Me An Angel

The debut single from Real Life, ‘Send Me An Angel’ became the Melbourne new wave band’s first Top Ten single when it peaked at #6. They also hit the Top Ten with ‘Catch Me I’m Falling’ (#8 Apr. ’84). Both tracks came from Real Life’s debut album, Heartland (#30 Apr. ’84).

8. Prince - Little Red Corvette

After scoring his first Top Ten entry in Australia the previous year when ‘1999’ peaked at #2, Prince followed it up with a #8 peak for ‘Little Red Corvette’ in mid-1983. The track was the prodigious songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer’s first Top Ten hit in the US.

7. Renee & Renato - Save Your Love

British vocal duo Renee & Renato took out their only Singles Chart Top 50 entry when ‘Save Your Love’ spent nine weeks in the Top Ten and peaked at #3. The track was the 1982 Christmas #1 in the UK, staying in the top spot for four weeks.  Renee & Renato released only one album: Just One (#7 Nov. ’83).

6. Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)

During the 1980s, the Eurythmics had 18 singles chart in the ARIA Top 50. Their first Top Ten hit came when ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)’ peaked at #6. Around the same time ‘Love Is A Stranger’ peaked at #17. ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)’ was the duo’s only #1 single in the US.

5. The Police - Every Breath You Take

Released as the first single from The Police’s final studio album, Synchronicity (#1 Jul. ’83), ‘Every Breath You Take’ became the band’s sixth and final Top Ten single in Australia when it spent three weeks at #2 in August 1983. A sample of the song was later used in the Puff Daddy and Faith Evans hit ‘I’ll Be Missing You’ (#1 Aug. ’97).

4. Elton John - I'm Still Standing

Reuniting fulltime with lyricist Bernie Taupin and the core members of the early-70s iteration of his band, Elton John scored his first Top Five studio album in Australia since 1975 with Too Low For Zero (#2 Sept. ’83). ‘I’m Still Standing’ was the first of two tracks from the album to peak at #4, with ‘I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues’ spending two weeks there in Sept/Oct 1983.

3. Michael Jackson - Beat It

Michael Jackson’s world-beating Thriller was #1 on the first official ARIA Albums Chart. The album spawned four Top Ten hits in Australia, with ‘Beat It’ becoming the third when it peaked at #2. "Weird Al" Yankovic would top the ARIA Singles Chart for one week in May 1984 with his parody of ‘Beat It’ titled ‘Eat It’.

2. Irene Cara – Flashdance… What A Feeling

American artist Irene Cara’s theme tune to the film Flashdance became the second #1 on the ARIA Singles Chart when it hit the top spot in the chart’s second week. ‘Flashdance… What A Feeling’ went on to spend seven weeks at #1 during July and September 1983. The Flashdance soundtrack also spent three weeks at #1 in August and September of the same year. Cara next hit the Top Ten with ‘Why Me?’ (#5 Feb. ’84). Her last Singles Chart appearance was with ‘Breakdance’ (#19 Jul. ’84).

1. Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse Of The Heart

British singer Bonnie Tyler’s ‘Total Eclipse Of The Heart’ became the first ever #1 on the ARIA Singles Chart when the chart debuted in July 1983. The first single released from Tyler’s fifth album, Faster Than The Speed Of Night (#3 Jul. ’83), it was written and produced by Jim Steinman, the man behind Meat Loaf’s Bat Out Of Hell. ‘Total Eclipse Of The Heart’ was also a #1 hit for Tyler around the world, including in the US, Canada, UK and New Zealand. In March 1995, English singer Nicki French scored a #2 hit with a dance remake of the track. Bonnie Tyler’s last Singles Chart appearance was with ‘Holding Out For A Hero’ (#44 Jul. ’84).