The 25 best Indie albums of 1983

25 April 2025, 18:00

Let's go back four decades to the year of Power Corruption & Lies, War, Murmur and Construction Time Again.

By Radio X

@RadioX

1. Soft Cell - The Art Of Falling Apart: 14th January 1983

   The second album from Marc Almond and Dave Ball included the singles Where The Heart Is, Numbers and Heat.

   

2. Echo & The Bunnymen - Porcupine: release date 4th February 1983

   The third album from the Liverpool post-punk band led by Ian McCulloch featured the singles The Cutter and The Back Of Love.

   

3. Sonic Youth - Confusion Is Sex: 11th February 1983

   The hugely influential New York "no wave" band featuring Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon and Lee Ranaldo released the first of their fifteen studio albums, which included a cover of The Stooges I Wanna Be Your Dog.

   

4. Fun Boy Three - Waiting: release date 11th February 1983

   The second and final album from Terry Hall, Lynval Golding and Neville Staple included the singles Tunnel Of Love and Our Lips Are Sealed.

   

5. U2 - War: release date 28th February 1983

   The Irish band's third album saw them break America, with songs such as New Year's Day, Two Hearts Beat As One and Sunday Bloody Sunday.

   

6. Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Dazzle Ships: release date 4th March 1983

   The fourth album from the duo of Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys saw the pair go in a more experimental direction, along the lines of their heroes Kraftwerk. Singles included Telegraph and Genetic Engineering.

   

7. Tears For Fears - The Hurting: release date 7th March 1983

   The debut album from Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith included the hits Pale Shelter, Change and the classic Mad World.

   

8. Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain: release date 11th April 1983

   The debut album from Roddy Frame's indie pop band included the hit Oblivious and the singles Walk Out To Winter and Pillar To Post.

   

9. R.E.M. - Murmur: release date 12th April 1983

   The debut album from the Athens, Georgia band was one of the biggest cult hits of 1983 and included a re-recording of their debut single Radio Free Europe and Talk About The Passion.

   

10. Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes: release date 13th April 1983

    The Wisconsin punk band's debut album included the classic hit Blister In The Sun.

    

11. Pulp - It: released 18th April 1983

    Incredible as it may seem, the Sheffield band's first vinyl outing was over 40 years ago, with this mini-LP of seven tracks. Aside from frontman Jarvis Cocker, the line-up that recorded this album included Simon Hinkler, who'd later achieve fame as the bassist with The Mission. Hinkler co-wrote the album's single, My Lighthouse.

    

12. New Order - Power, Corruption & Lies: release date 2nd May 1983

    The Manchester band finally came out from underneath the shadow of their previous incarnation Joy Division with this compelling album of electronic rock. The album didn't include the monster hit Blue Monday, but did feature live favourites Age Of Consent and Your Silent Face.

    

13. The Creatures - Feast: released 20th May 1983

    After the release of their album A Kiss In The Dreamhouse in November 1982, Siouxsie & The Banshees took time off for side projects and split into two factions. This was Siouxsie and drummer Budgie's tribal excursion, recorded in Hawaii and spawning a chart hit in Miss The Girl. They'd follow the album with another standalone single, their cover of Mel Tormé's Right Now.

    

14. Talking Heads - Speaking In Tongues: release date 1st June 1983

    The fifth album from the New York art rock band included the singles Burning Down The House and This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody).

    

15. Altered Images - Bite: released 17th June 1983

    The final album for 39 years from the much-loved Scottish indie rock band featuring Clare Grogan includes the singles Don't Talk To Me About Love, Bring Me Closer, Love To Stay and Change Of Heart. They disbanded shortly after playing The Ritz in New York in August 1983.

    

16. Yazoo - You And Me Both: release date 4th July 1983

    The second and final album by the duo of Vince Clarke and Alison "Alf" Moyet included the hit Nobody's Diary.

    

17. Big Country - The Crossing: release date 15th July 1983

    After leaving post-punk act Skids, Stuart Adamson had success with a new band. Big Country. Their debut album included the hits Fields Of Fire, Chance and In A Big Country.

    

18. Bauhaus - Burning From The Inside: released 15th July 1983

    The fourth album from the Northampton goths spawned the hit She's In Parties - but it would be their last outing for 25 years as singer Peter Murphy had been ill with pneumonia for much of the recording and the group split shortly after the LP's release.

    

19. The Chameleons - Script Of The Bridge: released 8th August 1983

    The debut album from the Middleton band who were hugely popular in their native Manchester included the singles Up The Down Escalator and A Person Isn't Safe Anywhere These Days.

    

20. Depeche Mode - Construction Time Again: release date 22nd August 1983

    The third album from the British synth-pop band included the hits Love, In Itself and Everything Counts.

    

21. The Glove - Blue Sunshine: released 9th September 1983

    With Siouxsie and Budgie off making music as The Creatures (see above), the other half of the then-current line-up of the Banshees formed The Glove. Bassist Steve Severin and Cure frontman and Banshees guitarist Robert Smith made this wild collection of psychedelic-styled songs, with vocals from former dancer Jeanette Landray. Tracks included Like An Animal and Punish Me With Kisses.

    

22. Husker Du - Metal Circus: released October 1983

    Technically an EP, this was a major entry in the Minneapolis hardcore punk band's catalogue, seeing the trio of Bob Mould, Greg Norton and Grant Hart move away from supersonic thrash to something more melodic. Tracks include Real World, It's Not Funny Anymore and the grim character study Diane.

    

23. The The - Soul Mining: released 21st October 1983

    The official debut album from Matt Johnson's post-punk project included This Is The Day, Perfect and Uncertain Smile.

    

24. Billy Bragg - Life's A Riot With Spy Vs Spy: released 4th November 1983

    The Bard Of Barking's debut album included the tracks To Have And To Have Not and the classic A New England, later covered by Kirsty MacColl. "Pay no more than £2.99!"

    

25. The Fall - Perverted By Language: released 12th December 1983

    The sixth album from Mark E. Smith included the tracks Eat Y'self Fitter and is the first Fall album to feature Smith's wife Brix.