Rewind to
1983
17 different songs reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983. The year opened with Maneater by Daryl Hall John Oates at the top, and Every Breath You Take by The Police held #1 the longest — 8 weeks in 1983.
Prices rose 3.2% over 1982. One dollar in 1983 buys about what $3.23 buys in 2025.
A gallon of regular gas averaged $1.24, down 4% from 1982. In 2025 dollars that is $4.01, against an actual 2025 average of $3.26.
Mailing a letter took a 20¢ stamp (it is 73¢ in 2025), and the federal minimum wage was $3.35 an hour.
Songs that hit #1
17
Gallon of gas
$1.24
2025: $3.26
Inflation
3.2%
change in CPI vs 1982
$1 then is
$3.23
in 2025 dollars
Every #1 hit of 1983
| Song | Artist | First week at #1 | Weeks at #1 in 1983 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maneater | Daryl Hall John Oates | Jan 1 | 2 |
| Down Under | Men At Work | Jan 15 | 4 |
| Africa | Toto | Feb 5 | 1 |
| Baby, Come To Me | Patti Austin A Duet With James Ingram | Feb 19 | 2 |
| Billie Jean | Michael Jackson | Mar 5 | 7 |
| Come On Eileen | Dexys Midnight Runners | Apr 23 | 1 |
| Beat It | Michael Jackson | Apr 30 | 3 |
| Let's Dance | David Bowie | May 21 | 1 |
| Flashdance...What A Feeling | Irene Cara | May 28 | 6 |
| Every Breath You Take | The Police | Jul 9 | 8 |
| Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) | Eurythmics | Sep 3 | 1 |
| Maniac | Michael Sembello | Sep 10 | 2 |
| Tell Her About It | Billy Joel | Sep 24 | 1 |
| Total Eclipse Of The Heart | Bonnie Tyler | Oct 1 | 4 |
| Islands In The Stream | Kenny Rogers Duet With Dolly Parton | Oct 29 | 2 |
| All Night Long (All Night) | Lionel Richie | Nov 12 | 4 |
| Say Say Say | Paul McCartney And Michael Jackson | Dec 10 | 4 |
Weeks are counted within 1983; a song that carried over from 1982 or into 1984 shows only its 1983 weeks.
What things cost in 1983
| Item | 1983 price | In 2025 dollars | Actual 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallon of regular gas | $1.24 | $4.01 | $3.26 |
| Dozen large eggs | $0.89 | $2.89 | $4.25 |
| Loaf of white bread (per lb) | $0.54 | $1.75 | $1.87 |
| Whole chicken (per lb) | $0.72 | $2.34 | $2.06 |
| Bacon (per lb) | $1.94 | $6.28 | $7.02 |
| Ground coffee (per lb) | $2.47 | $7.97 | $8.18 |
| Bananas (per lb) | $0.39 | $1.25 | $0.65 |
| Sugar (per lb) | $0.36 | $1.17 | $1.02 |
| Flour (per lb) | $0.22 | $0.70 | $0.56 |
| Electricity (per kWh) | $0.08 | $0.25 | $0.18 |
| Federal minimum wage (per hour) | $3.35 | $10.83 | $7.25 |
| Median new home sale price | $75,375 | $243,639 | $415,400 |
| First-class stamp | 20¢ | 65¢ | 73¢ |
Compare 1983 prices with any amount → · Find the #1 song on any day in 1983 →
The internet in 1983
Websites in existence
0
The first web page goes live in December 1990.
- January 1, 1983Flag day: ARPANET switches to TCP/IP — Every host on ARPANET moves to the TCP/IP protocols on the same day. Many historians call this the birth of the internet as we know it. source
- November 1983The Domain Name System is designed — Paul Mockapetris publishes the first DNS specifications (RFC 882 and 883), so computers can be found by names instead of numbers. source
![' 7 UP Soft Drinks' [ 06 ] (1983) TV Commercial feat. Geoffrey Holder](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VUbV0BjzPeY/hqdefault.jpg)
