KROQ-FM / THE ROQ OF THE 80s

1983 Top 106.7 Countdown

Recorded off the air.

Listen to the 1983 ROQ of the 80s countdown as captured from KROQ-FM. Eight cassette-transfer segments and the complete ranked song list take you from number 106 to number 1.

TOP 106.7 / 1983

EIGHT RECORDINGS • 106 RANKS

ABOUT THE COUNTDOWN

The ROQ as It Aired

This page pairs each recording with the songs heard in that segment. The source tapes were digitized from four cassettes, and the eight MP3 files remain on KROQJingles.com.

Some songs appear at the end of one segment and the start of the next. The labels and repeated boundary entries follow the original page. The exact broadcast day is uncertain.

PART 01 / 08

Songs 106–92

Play the off-air recording for countdown ranks 106 through 92, then follow the matching songs below.

SONGS IN THIS SEGMENT

106. SLIPPIN’ AWAY – Dave Edmunds
105. COMMITTED – A Flock Of Seagulls
104. JUST GOT LUCKY – JoBoxers
103. BELLY OF THE WHALE – Burning Sensations
102. RED SKIES – The Fixx
101. PRESSURE SWAY – Machinations
100. (KEEP FEELING) FASCINATION – The Human League
99. TELEPHONE – Pete Shelley
98. BARBARELLA – Bongos
97. TOO SHY – Kajagoogoo
96. THIS IS NOT A LOVE SONG – Public Image Ltd.
95. GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN – Cyndi Lauper
94. COMMUNICATION – Spandau Ballet
93. YOUNG GUNS (GO FOR IT) – Wham!
92. NOTHING BAD EVER HAPPENS – Oingo Boingo

PART 02 / 08

Songs 92–80

Play the off-air recording for countdown ranks 92 through 80, then follow the matching songs below.

SONGS IN THIS SEGMENT

92. NOTHING BAD EVER HAPPENS – Oingo Boingo
91. SHOCK THE MONKEY – Peter Gabriel
90. NOWHERE GIRL – B-Movie
89. NEW WORLD – X
88. ALL YOU EVER THINK ABOUT IS SEX – Sparks
87. OBLIVIOUS – Aztec Camera
86. BUFFALO GALS – Malcolm McLaren
85. BABY’S IN THE MOUNTAINS – Peter Godwin
84. RAINY SEASON – Howard Devoto
83. GIVE ME SOMETHING TO GRAB FOR – Ric Ocasek
82. WHITE LINES (DON’T DON’T DO IT) – Grandmaster Flash
81. DOOT DOOT – Freur
80. (SHE’S) SEXY AND 17 – Stray Cats

PART 03 / 08

Songs 79–65

Play the off-air recording for countdown ranks 79 through 65, then follow the matching songs below.

SONGS IN THIS SEGMENT

79. WISHING (IF I HAD A PHOTOGRAPH OF YOU) – A Flock Of Seagulls
78. BLACK AND WHITE – INXS
77. NUMBERS WITH WINGS – Bongos
76. LOVE MY WAY – Psychedelic Furs
75. THE POWER AND THE PASSION – Midnight Oil
74. IT’S A MUG’S GAME – Soft Cell
73. THEME FROM DOCTOR DETROIT – Devo
72. LET ME GO – Heaven 17
71. TOO MUCH BLOOD – The Rolling Stones
70. DER KOMMISSAR – Falco
69. RADIO FREE EUROPE – R.E.M.
68. STAND BY – Roman Holliday
67. SEND ME AN ANGEL – Real Life
66. RADIO WAVES – O.M.D.
65. LEGAL TENDER – The B-52’s

PART 04 / 08

Songs 65–52

Play the off-air recording for countdown ranks 65 through 52, then follow the matching songs below.

SONGS IN THIS SEGMENT

65. LEGAL TENDER – The B-52’s
64. BOP GIRL – Pat Wilson
63. SWEET DREAMS (ARE MADE OF THIS) – Eurythmics [maybe this entry should be “Love Is A Stranger”, but they played “Sweet Dreams”]
62. CHINA GIRL – David Bowie
61. TANTALIZE – Jimmy The Hoover
60. LIES – Thompson Twins
59. THE POLITICS OF DANCING – Re-Flex
58. SHINY SHINY – Haysi Fantayzee
57. PUSS N’ BOOTS – Adam Ant
56. NELLIE THE ELEPHANT – Toy Dolls
55. FIELDS OF FIRE – Big Country
54. BLUE MONDAY – New Order
53. THE REFLEX – Duran Duran
52. LIFELINE – Spandau Ballet

PART 05 / 08

Songs 52–38

Play the off-air recording for countdown ranks 52 through 38, then follow the matching songs below.

SONGS IN THIS SEGMENT

52. LIFELINE – Spandau Ballet
51. DEAR PRUDENCE – Siouxsie and the Banshees
50. LET’S GO TO BED – The Cure
49. RED RED WINE – UB40
48. THE CUTTER – Echo and the Bunnymen
47. REBEL YELL – Billy Idol
46. CHANGE – Tears for Fears
45. SYNCHRONICITY II – The Police
44. SAVED BY ZERO – The Fixx
43. ACCELERATION – Bill Nelson
42. WHAMMY KISS – The B-52s
41. WHISPER TO A SCREAM (BIRDS FLY) – Icicle Works
40. CHINA – Red Rockers
39. COOL PLACES – Sparks
38. LOVE CATS – The Cure

PART 06 / 08

Songs 38–26

Play the off-air recording for countdown ranks 38 through 26, then follow the matching songs below.

SONGS IN THIS SEGMENT

38. LOVE CATS – The Cure
37. THE ONE THING – INXS
36. TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP – The Romantics
35. JUST A GIGOLO – Barbie and the Kens
34. EVERYDAY I WRITE THE BOOK – Elvis Costello and the Attractions
33. MISS ME BLIND – Culture Club
32. LIVING ON THE CEILING – Blancmange
31. SHE BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE – Thomas Dolby
30. SAVE IT FOR LATER – The English Beat
29. PALE SHELTER – Tears For Fears
28. STRIP – Adam Ant
27. SWEET DREAMS (ARE MADE OF THIS) – Eurythmics
26. NEVER STOP – Echo and the Bunnymen

PART 07 / 08

Songs 25–12

Play the off-air recording for countdown ranks 25 through 12, then follow the matching songs below.

SONGS IN THIS SEGMENT

25. KARMA CHAMELEON – Culture Club
24. UNDERCOVER OF THE NIGHT – The Rolling Stones
23. INSTITUTIONALIZED – Suicidal Tendencies
22. SWEAR – Tim Scott
21. MAKE A CIRCUIT WITH ME – The Polecats
20. 99 LUFTBALLONS – Nena
19. ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER – The Fixx
18. JEOPARDY – Greg Kihn Band
17. KING OF PAIN – The Police
16. I’LL TUMBLE 4 YA – Culture Club
15. OUR HOUSE – Madness
14. NEW YEAR’S DAY – U2
13. BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE – Talking Heads
12. MODERN LOVE – David Bowie

PART 08 / 08

Songs 12–1

Play the off-air recording for countdown ranks 12 through 1, then follow the matching songs below.

SONGS IN THIS SEGMENT

12. MODERN LOVE – David Bowie
11. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME – Culture Club
10. I CONFESS – The English Beat
9. UNION OF THE SNAKE – Duran Duran
8. MAJOR TOM (COMING HOME) (in German) – Peter Schilling
7. MAD WORLD – Tears For Fears
6. LET’S DANCE – David Bowie
5. CHURCH OF THE POISON MIND – Culture Club
4. IN A BIG COUNTRY – Big Country
3. EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE – The Police
2. THE SAFETY DANCE – Men Without Hats
1. IS THERE SOMETHING I SHOULD KNOW – Duran Duran

ARCHIVE NOTES

About the Tapes

Taped on four type I Memorex dBS 120 cassettes by Brian N., San Pedro, CA, from 106.7 KROQ-FM/Los Angeles, with no noise reduction. Includes some editing out of the commercials. Unsure of the actual day on which the countdown aired, so using New Year’s Eve as a guess.

Transferred to the digital world in October 2008 by Ron Gerber, played on Realistic SCT-41, no noise reduction, no EQ, no editing, no pitch correction. Just the cleanest, most un-futzed-with sound Ron could get off the cassettes.

KEEP EXPLORING

More from the ROQ Archive

Compare the ranked list, watch the 1983 music videos, or hear more KROQ-FM recordings from the 1980s.

KROQJingles.com is an independent historical fan archive and is not affiliated with KROQ-FM.