Welcome to the October 2026 Exclusive Content episode of Political Beats, as we bring back our ever-popular “Year In Music” series.
Big hair, synthesizers, power ballads, and blockbuster albums: 1983 was a year when pop music got bigger, bolder, and glossier. Def Leppard and ZZ Top were reinventing rock for the MTV era, while Bonnie Tyler delivered an epic power ballad and Paul McCartney teamed up with Michael Jackson for a chart-topping hit. But beneath the shiny production and arena-rock bombast, a different musical future was taking shape. R.E.M. released Murmur, the Police delivered Synchronicity, and New Order pushed post-punk with Power, Corruption & Lies.
On this episode of Political Beats, we revisit the albums and songs that made 1983 such a fascinating year in music, from the biggest radio hits to the alternative sounds that would shape the decade to come. It’s the first time I have specific, real-time memories about music and MTV. There’s so much here and a whole lot more we left on the cutting room floor.
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