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Albums First Released in 1983

Independent rock and hip hop gained ground in 1983, while new wave and blues rock produced major records. Albums that help explain 1983 include Speaking in Tongues by Talking Heads, Murmur by R.E.M., Violent Femmes by Violent Femmes and Soul Mining by The The.

Talking Heads brought funk into art rock, R.E.M. helped shape American college rock, Violent Femmes made acoustic music sound urgent and the The paired post-punk songwriting with electronic production.

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Our Pick of the Year: Speaking in Tongues by Talking Heads

Speaking in Tongues brought Talking Heads' experiments with funk and interlocking rhythm into their most concise album. Burning Down the House supplied the hit, while This Must Be the Place gave the band an unusually warm closing song. The arrangements are detailed, but every part serves the groove rather than drawing attention to itself.

Explore the year before or after

1982 Vinyl Records Β |Β  1984 Vinyl Records Β |Β  All years