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The Human League easily wins the 1982 poll. This subreddit certainly wanted them because it was a very comfortable and easy win, with "Don't You Want Me" getting double the votes of the No. 2 pick "Eye of the Tiger". Well done The Human League. What a fitting winner for 1982, representing the dawn of the MTV era. Let's move onto 1983.

Man, looking at these chart-toppers, this might be the greatest year of all time when it comes to the No. 1 singles. Except for one of these (maybe two), these are all stonecold classics. For me, this was an extremely hard year to rank (not rate, most of these are 10s).

Songs that topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983 (including YouTube links to them)

1. "Down Under" (Men At Work)
2. "Africa" (Toto)
3. "Baby, Come to Me" (Patti Austin and James Ingram)
4. "Billie Jean" (Michael Jackson)
5. "Come on Eileen" (Dexy's Midnight Runners)
6. "Beat It" (Michael Jackson)
7. "Let's Dance" (David Bowie)
8. "Flashdance…What A Feeling" (Irene Cara)
9. "Every Breath You Take" (The Police)
10. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (Eurythmics)
11. "Maniac" (Michael Sembello)
12. "Tell Her About It" (Billy Joel)
13. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" (Bonnie Tyler)
14. "Islands in the Stream" (Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton)
15. "All Night Long (All Night)" (Lionel Ritchie)
16. "Say Say Say" (Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson)

Some Observations

• Michael Jackson. That name could honestly just sum up 1983. Michael Jackson's Thriller become a pop culture phenomenon and transcends music to absolutely dominate mainstream culture. MJ becomes the biggest thing in the world since The Beatles. Thriller ends the year as the top-selling album both in the US and worldwide with many huge singles. There is no artist more important and influential this year as Michael Jackson. There is a world before Thriller, and one after Thriller.
• MTV really emerges as a major musical and cultural force this year. This is the year that I would say is really impacted by the presence of MTV and shows how much the popular music landscape is changing. There are a lot of songs and artists having huge mainstream success this year that I don't think would've been possible without the emergence of MTV. This is basically the pivot year from the 70s to the 80s. We are fully in the 80s now ladies and gentlemen.
• Reggae enjoyed an unusual pop presence through Eddy Grant’s “Electric Avenue,” Musical Youth’s “Pass the Dutchie” and the Police’s continuing use of reggae-derived rhythms. These were not enough to make reggae a dominant Hot 100 genre, but they demonstrated that Caribbean rhythmic ideas had become part of mainstream pop vocabulary. Maybe foreshadowing reggae's explosion in worldwide popularity in the 90s?
• Rock music remains the top genre overall but it's extremely polished and commercial form of rock.
• Movie soundtrack hits were huge on the Hot 100 this year and throughout the entire 80s. The trend would become even more important later in the decade through Footloose, Top Gun, Dirty Dancing and other blockbuster soundtracks.
• R&B music is become a lot more mellow and ballady, with more emphasise on sensuality and romance. It's kinda weird for me R&B in the 80s and beyond basically just becomes a more commercial variant of soul music.
• Compact discs had received an initial commercial launch in Japan in 1982, but CD players and discs began being marketed in Europe and North America during 1983. 1983 is the year of the format’s commercial introduction into the established recording market. The immediate effect was limited because players and discs were expensive. Nevertheless, the event marked the beginning of the digital-format transition that would eventually displace vinyl and cassettes. At the time, however, cassettes were becoming especially important because of portable players and car stereos. Cassettes had overtaken records in sales by 1983.
• R.E.M. released Murmur, while Violent Femmes issued their debut album and bands associated with American college radio continued to develop outside mainstream pop. These releases aren't presences in the mainstream at all, but they helped establish the alternative and college-rock infrastructure that would become increasingly influential later in the decade. We're seeing the beginnings of alternative rock.
• New wave and synth-pop really start to dominate popular music. We're in the Second British Invasion, ladies and gentlemen. As MTV becomes a huge cultural force, British synth-pop and new wave acts start dominating the US charts, and these sounds start flooding American pop/rock as well.
• A group led by Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun established the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation in 1983 to formally recognise major contributors to rock history.
• Post-disco music remains quite popular this year and a lot of new wave and synth-pop are incorporating post-disco elements into their sound.
• Heavy metal music gets it's first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with Metal Health by Quiet Riot getting one week at No. 1, and Quiet Riot's brilliant cover of Slade's "Cum on Feel the Noize" becoming a huge pop hit reaching #5. Def Leppard also have a massively popular album with their excellent third album Pyromania which peaks at #2 behind Thriller on the Billboard 200, and spawns 2 Top 20 hits in the US. Motley Crue also releases their second album Shout at the Devil which would become a successful album. We're foreshadowing the late-80s glam metal boom here. The genre of glam metal is starting to really take form and is starting a slow rise in popularity. It's not a mainstream force yet, and it won't be for a couple of years though there will be hit glam metal songs in 1983-85. It would eventually become a dominant presence on the charts by 1986, but right now, it's mostly bubbling under the mainstream.
• Madonna was not yet one of 1983’s most dominant Hot 100 artists, but “Holiday” became her first major hit late in the year. Her debut album introduced the dance-pop formula that would become central to the remainder of the decade.
• Hip-hop was developing rapidly in New York, with records such as Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel’s “White Lines” and Run-DMC’s first releases appearing around this period. Yet rap had little sustained presence on the Hot 100 in 1983 and won't become a major presence until near the end of the decade.
• Country-pop remained visible through Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton’s “We’ve Got Tonight,” Eddie Rabbitt and Crystal Gayle’s “You and I,” and several softer crossover records. However, the major “Urban Cowboy” crossover wave was receding. Country became less central to the Hot 100 as synth-pop, dance-pop and MTV-oriented rock expanded.
• The year also saw the deaths of several important musicians, including:
  • Karen Carpenter, whose death brought increased public attention to eating disorders
  • Muddy Waters, one of the foundational figures in Chicago blues
  • Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys, who drowned in December
  • Felix Pappalardi, bassist and producer associated with Mountain and Cream

The Top 10 singles of the year were (this might be the greatest Top 10 of all time):

1. "Every Breath You Take" (The Police)
2. "Billie Jean" (Michael Jackson)
3. "Flashdance…What A Feeling" (Irene Cara)
4. "Down Under" (Men At Work)
5. "Beat It" (Michael Jackson)
6. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" (Bonnie Tyler)
7. "Maneater" (Hall & Oates)
8. "Baby, Come to Me" (Patti Austin & James Ingram)
9. "Maniac" (Michael Sembello)
10. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (Eurythmics)

The Top 10 albums of the year were:

1. Thriller (Michael Jackson)
2. Business As Usual (Men At Work)
3. Synchronicity (The Police)
4. H20 (Hall & Oates)
5. 1999 (Prince)
6. Lionel Ritchie (Lionel Ritchie)
7. Jane Fonda's Workout Record (Jane Fonda)
8. Pyromania (Def Leppard)
9. Kissing to be Clever (Cultue Club)
10. Greatest Hits Vol II (Olivia Newton-John)

My ranking/rating/review of the singles that topped the chart (if you can, put your own rankings/ratings/reviews in the comments, eager to see what people think):

1. "Beat It" (10/10) – "Billie Jean" is undeniably the more popular and successful song, and it's maybe the better song. But "Beat It" is the song I enjoy more. Just slightly more. I'm like all types of music, but I'm a rock guy first and foremost, and this is just a fucking amazing rock song, blending hard rock with funk rock and dance-rock. This is as credible a rock song as any that has been made. This was written by Michael Jackson when Quincy Jones asked him to write a rock song like "My Sharona" by The Knack. I also hear a bit of "Eye of the Tiger" in here as well. It features an iconic solo from legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen (whose band Van Halen will appear next year in this series), who also re-arranged sections of the song which MJ was appreciative of. Eddie also thought when he first received the call from Quincy Jones about playing the solo he was receiving a prank call. Like most of Thriller, members of Toto play on the song, including Jeff and Steve Porcaro on drums and synths respectively and Steve Lukather on lead and bass guitar. The song's music video, which stars members of Los Angeles-based street gangs, the Crips and the Bloods, at the height of their rivalry and was also personally financed by MJ himself after CBS refused to finance it, is also super iconic and famous. This was also one of the few songs by a black artist to get a significant amount of airplay on rock radio in the early 80s. Amazing song, just iconic. I was surprised by how much focus this song got in the Michael biopic, both in terms of filming the music video and the recording of the song itself. I also get the impression from reading about Thriller and MJ that he enjoyed this song more than "Billie Jean".
2. "Flashdance…What a Feeling" (10/10) – Extremely difficult choice between this and "Beat It", but I put "Beat It" ultimately at No. 1. But this song, I absolutely adore it. Definitely a Top 200 song for me of all time. It's a perfect pop song, like many of these No. 1s are, but there is something so special and great about this. I really love Irene Cara's vocals on this, she's a really good singer, and very pretty too. The lyrics were written by her and Keith Forsey with music by legendary producer Giorgio Moroder, and yeah, you can definitely tell from the music it's got Moroder's touches all over it. This was a single from the Flashdance soundtrack, and Moroder initially submitted a rough demo for Flashdance before agreeing to score the film. Forsey and Cara then wrote the lyrics after watching the climactic audition scene, using dance as a metaphor for pursuing and controlling one’s dreams. Originally titled “What a Feeling,” “Flashdance” was later added for promotional purposes. Absolutely phenomenal tune. The Flashdance movie is just okay, it's basically just a ripoff of Rocky, but the soundtrack is fire.
3. "Say Say Say" (10/10) – Well, I'd say say say, this is a brilliant song. Love the synth-bass in it and the funky guitars. Extremely catchy. Paul does a good job, but MJ really steals the show here. MJ also sounds really excited to be dueting with Paul on this one – you can feel his giddiness in his vocals. It's almost like a passing of the torch, from a Beatle to Michael Jackson. Paul and MJ wrote this song together with MJ writing most of the lyrics. MJ stayed at Paul and his wife Linda's home during the recording session and became good friends with them, and it was here Paul advised MJ about getting into music publishing, which MJ subsequently did…by purchasing The Beatles catalogue. Legendary Beatles producer George Martin produced the song. This will be Paul McCartney's last No. 1 and the 2nd to least No. 1 from a former Beatle (George will score the last No. 1 in 1988). The music video for this song is also amazing, an very well put together and lavish production especially for this era of music video. A classic pop song of the 80s, in a decade filled with many classic pop songs.
4. "Africa" (10/10) – Africa is love, Africa is life. This song – written by Toto band members David Paich and Jeff Porcaro – has transcended the 80s and has become the most famous and most popular yacht rock song. It's a brilliant song. The chord progression is amazing. Vocals are great. It's really well produced and arranged and performed. Just a marvellous song. It's the pinnacle of yacht rock/soft rock. It's one of those songs that I think everyone person born after 1982 just knows from the minute they are born, without even needing to hear the song. It's those synths, man. They really make the song. Even the band themselves are shocked by how enduring and culturally impactful this song has become. The band did not expect "Africa" to be a hit, after the intended success of lead single "Rosanna" (which had peaked at #2, great song). However, after Sony found out that the song was gaining traction in New York dance clubs, they decided to release it as another single, and Sony, that was the best decision in the world. Notably, the band Weezer did a cover of this song in response to a fan campaign and they scored their biggest hit in years with their cover. Toto responded by releasing a cover of "Hash Pipe" (which ngl their cover of "Hash Pipe" is awesome, way better than Weezer's cover of "Africa"). Apparently Steve Lukather the legendary guitarist of Toto is not a fan of the Weezer cover. I'm not a big fan either. Regardless, we still have Toto's original, which is an undeniable classic.
5. "Billie Jean" (10/10) – What is there, that can be said about this song that hasn't already been said? Nothing. This is one of the most decorated and disected and acclaimed pop songs of the 20th century, there's nothing really to add to it. It's an incredible song, one of the best pop songs ever made. Written by MJ and produced by Quincy Jones, the song blends post-disco with R&B, dance-pop and funk. The lyrics describe a young woman, Billie Jean, who claims that the narrator is the father of her newborn son, which he denies. MJ said that the lyrics were based on groupies' claims about his older brothers when he toured with them as members of The Jackson 5. MJ's performance of the song on the Motown 25 special was also super iconic and introduced a number of Jackson's signatures, including the moonwalk, rhinestone glove, black sequined jacket, and high-water pants. The "Billie Jean" music video, which is super iconic and directed by Steve Barron who was the GOAT of music directors of the 1980s, was apparently the first performance by a black artist to be aired in heavy rotation on MTV. Along with the other videos produced for Thriller, it helped establish MTV and make videos an integral part of popular music marketing (for better or worse). Really want to shout out the basswork and guitar work and drumming on this songs, masterfully done and super tasteful. Excellent production from Sir Quincy. And MJ is MJ – he could sing the phonebook and make it captivating.
6. "Every Breath You Take" (10/10) – That guitar riff, wow, that guitar riff is just so iconic. Andy Summers absolutely deserves a co-writing credit for that riff. Absolutely beautiful song. The Police had been rising and rising in popularity in the US and had been having several big pop hits and big albums, but it was the Synchronicity album where they reached the very pinnacle of their popularity. I love The Police and I love Synchronicity, which is their best album IMO. The album was a multi-week No. 1 (and #3 of the year overall) and the lead single topped the charts for many weeks and became the No. 1 song of the year. Sting wrote the song at Ian Fleming’s desk in Jamaica, completing it in about half an hour after waking with its central line in his head. Although often mistaken for a romantic ballad, the lyrics portray an obsessive, controlling lover and evoke themes of surveillance. The song may echo earlier tracks with similar phrases, while Andy Summers’ distinctive guitar riff became one of its defining features. Summers and Stewart Copeland later disputed Sting’s sole songwriting credit, arguing that their contributions helped transform the song into a classic. Amazing song. A classic of the 80s. And it was interpolated in another chart-topper from the 90s, but, uh, we'll get to that when it comes.
7. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (10/10) – Another incredible song. A synth-pop/new wave classic that endures even to this day. I knew this song before I saw X-Men: Apocalypse, but it's used extremely well in that movie (the only great scene in that movie, won't spoil it if you haven't seen the scene, I would search it up on YouTube just to see it, it's worth just watching that scene standalone). Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart created the song while experimenting with synthesizers after their band the Tourists’ breakup. Its dark, nihilistic lyrics reflected Lennox’s depression, while Stewart added a more hopeful line. Recorded cheaply in small London studios, the song was initially rejected as a US single but released after receiving strong radio support in Cleveland. Magnificent. Just exemplary.
8. "Come on Eileen" (10/10) – I just keep repeating the same adjectives, but this is an absolutely incredible song. Stunning. Extremely catchy and infectious. Perfect pop. Kevin Rowland the lead singer and one of the songwriters of the song initially claimed Eileen was a childhood girlfriend, but later revealed she was a fictional composite symbolising adolescent lust and Catholic repression. It's a proper Celtic jig! Wonderful song, I've known it since I was a teenager, it always puts a smile on my face.
9. "Down Under" (10/10) – Let's all rise for the Australian national anthem. Seriously, as an Aussie, I think more Aussies know this song than our official national anthem. It's basically the image non-Aussies have of us folks down under, all wrapped up in this quirky new wave song. I feel like I'm betraying my country by not putting this at No. 1, but apologies, the competition is stiff. Still, this is a fantastic song, a total classic. The song follows an Australian travelling abroad through Brussels, Bombay and the hippie trail, where people show curiosity about Australia. The lyrics partly reflect Colin Hay’s own travels and were also inspired by Barry Humphries’ stereotypical Australian character, Barry McKenzie. The Vegemite sandwich reference came from Hay meeting a tall Brussels baker who had emigrated from Brunswick, Melbourne, although Vegemite was unavailable in Belgium when the song was written. The song uses Australian slang and drug references. A “fried-out Kombi” means an overheated, poorly functioning Volkswagen Type 2 van, while “head full of zombie” refers to marijuana. The hippie trail was a popular 1960s and 1970s travel route from Western Europe to Southeast Asia, and “chunder” means to vomit. Although often treated as a patriotic anthem, Hay described the song as a criticism of Australia’s commercialisation, overdevelopment and exploitation by greedy people. It celebrates the country without nationalism or flag-waving while warning that its identity and spirit are being lost. The song wa subject to a plagarism lawsuit qfter a 2007 TV quiz called Spicks and Specks (named after the Bee Gees song) highlighted similarities between the flute riff in “Down Under” and the 1932 song “Kookaburra". Copyright owner Larrikin Music sued Men at Work in 2009. The court ruled in 2010 that the riff infringed copyright and awarded Larrikin 5% of royalties from 2002 onward. The band’s final appeal failed in 2011. The case was widely criticised in Australia, where “Kookaburra” had long been assumed to be public domain, and Colin Hay later linked its stress to the deaths of his father and flautist Greg Ham. Wow, damn. Regardless, the song is a classic and endures even till this day. Widely beloved here in Australia, I can attest to that.
10. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" (10/10) – I'm writing this in the week of Bonnie Tyler's passing. RIP. This is an absolutely incredible song. A stonecold classic. It's so over the top and melodramatic, but in the best way possible. After RCA Records in 1981, Bonnie Tyler hired a new manager and sought out songwriter and producer Jim Steinman after being impressed by his work with Meat Loaf. Tyler wanted Steinman's grand, Phil Spector-inspired "Wall of Sound" production style, believing he was the only producer capable of achieving it. When Tyler met Steinman in New York in 1982, he eventually played her "Total Eclipse of the Heart", performing it with Rory Dodd. Tyler was immediately captivated by the song and eager to record it. Steinman personally assembled the musicians for the recording, including Dodd, who sang the iconic "Turn around…" refrain. Steinman later revealed that the song had originally been conceived as a vampire love song. He said the lyrics reflect themes of darkness, passion, and supernatural romance. Steinman wrote the song specifically to showcase Tyler's powerful, raspy voice, comparing it to John Fogerty's. Tyler loved its dramatic, demanding vocal style, saying it gave the chills the first time she heard it. Meat Loaf claimed both this song and "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" were meant for his album before contractual disputes prevented Steinman's involvement. However, both Tyler and Steinman have denied this. I absolutely love this song, but this music video is weird, she's fantasising about students in a boys' boarding school.
11. "Let's Dance" (10/10) – David Bowie's 2nd US No. 1 (it's incredible Bowie had even just one US No. 1 let alone 2). It was the lead single from the album of the same name. Co-produced by Chic’s Nile Rodgers and recorded at New York’s Power Station, the song was transformed from Bowie’s folk-rock demo into a polished blend of rock, funk, dance, new wave and post-disco. Rodgers drew on Chic-style basslines and breakdowns, while the rising vocal introduction was inspired by The Beatles’ version of “Twist and Shout". Then-unknown guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan added a distinctive blues edge. The song became the biggest-selling single of Bowie’s career, while its Australian-filmed video criticised the mistreatment of Aboriginal Australians through the symbolism of the red shoes. Absolutely marvellous song. I used to actually dislike this song for some reason, but I love it now.
12. "Islands in the Stream" (10/10) – Hell yeah, this is how you do a soft rock duet! Take notes Barbara Streisand! Helps when the song is written by the Brothers Gibb (Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb). Yes, the Bee Gees are not longer topping the charts or even having hits but they are still involved with the hit singles of the early 80s as songwriters. And what a hit they've written, and expertly performed by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. Rogers does a very good job on this track, but let's be honest, Parton steals this song. It's her song. She dominates it, both literally and figurately. Named after Ernest Hemingway’s 1970 novel, “Islands in the Stream” was originally written for Diana Ross in a Marvin Gaye-style R&B arrangement before being reworked as a duet for Rogers and Parton. Claims that it was intended for Marvin Gaye appear to stem from a joke by Robin Gibb (Robin claimed it was for Gaye but Barry has stated it was intended for Ross). EDIT: Also, RIP Dolly Parton. I wrote this like a month before she passed.
13. "All Night Long (All Night)" (10/10) – I knew you had it in you, Lionel. Thankfully, all of Lionel's chart-toppers from here on out I enjoy immensely. This is an extremely fun song, a welcome departure from his soppy adult contemporary ballads. It's got a lot of energy and charm. The song combined Richie's Commodores style with Caribbean influences. The single reached number one on three Billboard charts (pop, R&B and adult contemporary). Lionel Richie wrote the verses of "All Night Long (All Night)" quickly, but struggled for about a month to find a memorable hook. He kept repeating the placeholder phrase "come on and sing along", knowing the song needed something stronger. The breakthrough came while leaving the home of his friend after dinner around 2AM. As Richie said goodbye, he remarked, "I've got to go back and work all night long". Repeating the phrase to himself, he immediately realised it was the perfect hook. I've listened to the Can't Slow Down album (which is Diamond-certified in the US) and it's a very good pop album.
14. "Tell Her About It" (10/10) – I find it very interesting this is the lead single from the album An Innocent Man. I thought of all the songs, it would've been "Uptown Girl" that was the No. 1 from the album and the lead single (and "Uptown Girl" was a huge hit in the US getting to #3 and was an even bigger international chart hit), but Billy and his label chose this one as the lead single. I kinda see why, it's a good announcer for the type of album An Innocent Man is gonna be with pastiches of the pre-British invasion early-60s pop sounds. Even though this song was a big worldwide hit, this song seems honestly pretty forgotten, especially in the context of his career, compared to the other big hits off the album like the aforementioned "Uptown Girl" and "The Longest Time" and the other big pop hits of the year. Billy Joel himself hasn't played it since the late-80s I believe. I think it's pretty damn great song. I love it. It's super catchy and really fun to listen to. You can tell Billy is having a blast performing on this. The song is about the narrator telling a young man to tell the woman he loves how he feels about her before he misses his chance. A great Smokey Robinson & The Miracles pastiche, I can totally imagine Smokey singing this. I also wouldn't be surprised if Billy was lyrically inspired also by "She Loves You" by The Beatles with the second person narrative.
15. "Maniac" (9/10) – The second single from the Flashdance soundtrack, Dennis Matkosky and Michael Sembello – who was a extremely talented session musician who played on albums such as Songs in the Key of Life and Fulfillingness' First Finale by Stevie Wonder – originally wrote “Maniac” as a dark joke about a serial killer, drawing inspiration from the film Maniac, the band Bloodrock’s song “D.O.A.", and “Chopsticks". After the demo was submitted for Flashdance, director Adrian Lyne liked its distinctive siren-like bridge, and the lyrics were rewritten to suit the film. This is a great song, super catchy and memorable. The hook is ridiculously good. I dunno why I'm not giving it a 10, I want to, but something is holding me back.
16. "Baby, Come to Me" (7/10) – Oh yeah, this song!!!…wait, what's this song? This song, produced by Quincy Jones (what a year he's having as a producer), initially peaked at No. 73 in 1982. After gaining popularity as a romantic theme on General Hospital, it was re-released and reached No. 1 in 1983. Michael McDonald sings background vocals on it (knowing that, I can definitely hear him lol). This is a R&B ballad and an example of the quiet storm genre, which was basically a mix of smooth soul and smooth jazz with jazz fusion, R&B, easy listening and soft rock and pop and pioneered by Smokey Robinson (the genre is named after his album A Quiet Storm). This is a pretty good song. I like it. But it's nowhere near the caliber of the other big hits of the year. Still, it's perfectly listenable and pleasant. If this is the worst chart-topper of the year, you know a year is fantastic.

****

List of Winners

• 1959 Winner: "Mack the Knife" (Bobby Darin)
• 1960 Winner: "Georgia on My Mind" (Ray Charles)
• 1961 Winner: "Runaway" (Del Shannon)
• 1962 Winner: "The Loco-Motion" (Little Eva)
• 1963 Winner: "It's My Party" (Lesley Gore)
• 1964 Winner: "The House of the Rising Sun" (The Animals)
• 1965 Winner: "My Girl" (The Temptations)
• 1966 Winner: "Good Vibrations" (The Beach Boys)
• 1967 Winner: "Penny Lane" (The Beatles)
• 1968 Winner: "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" (Otis Redding)
• 1969 Winner: "Come Together" (The Beatles)
• 1970 Winner: "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (Simon & Garfunkel)
• 1971 Winner: "Me and Bobby McGee" (Janis Joplin)
• 1972 Winner: "American Pie" (Don McLean)
• 1973 Winner: "Superstition" (Stevie Wonder)
• 1974 Winner: "Band on the Run" (Paul McCartney & Wings)
• 1975 Winner: "Fame" (David Bowie)
• 1976 Winner: "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night!)" (The Four Seasons)
• 1977 Winner: "Dreams" (Fleetwood Mac)
• 1978 Winner: "Stayin' Alive" (Bee Gees)
• 1979 Winner: "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" (Michael Jackson)
• 1980 Winner: "Rock With You" (Michael Jackson)
• 1981 Winner: "Bette Davis Eyes" (Kim Carnes)
• 1982 Winner: "Don't You Want Me" (The Human League)