Way Back Wednesday: January 8, 1983

This Week In 1983: January 8th

Our first number one song of the year belongs to Daryl Hall & John Oates. The prototype for the song was a piece that John Oates had been banging around with Edgar Winter but it had more of a reggae feel. When Daryl heard, he suggested the “Motown” feel that is has now. Hall’s longtime girlfriend, Sara Allen, had a hand in writing (she’s credited on the track along with the duo). According to Hall, his original lyric had some additional words in the chorus after “she’s a maneater.” Allen convinced him to end the line there, which Hall said made the song come together. While most believe that the song is about a woman, John Oates confesses that the song is, in fact, about “New York City in the ’80s. It’s about greed, avarice, and spoiled riches.”

It spent a total of four weeks at #1.

The biggest jump in the countdown this week was made by The Stray Cats with “Stray Cat Strut” which jumped from #43 all the way to #31. At the same time, they’re also enjoying a top 10 hit with “Rock This Town”. One of the biggest tumbles is by Pat Benatar with “Shadows of The Night” falling from #13 to #27. Next week, it’ll fall all the way into the 50’s and out of the countdown.