Billboard published a weekly chart in 1983 ranking the top-performing singles in the United States in African American-oriented genres; the chart has undergone various name changes over the decades to reflect the evolution of black music and has been published as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs since 2005. In 1983, it was published under the title Hot Black Singles, and 13 different singles reached number one.

In the issue of Billboard dated January 1, "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye was at number one, its ninth week in the top spot. It spent one further week atop the chart for a total of ten weeks at number one, the longest-running chart-topper on the listing since 1962. The track was replaced at number one in the issue dated January 15 by "The Girl Is Mine" by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney. The duet was the first of three number ones for Jackson in the first half of the year, all taken from his album Thriller, regarded as the worldwide best-selling album of all time. "The Girl Is Mine" spent three weeks at number one and after one week out of the top spot, Jackson returned to number one in the issue dated February 12 with "Billie Jean". This track spent nine consecutive weeks at number one, the longest chart-topping run of 1983. Not until 1994, when "Bump n' Grind" by R. Kelly spent 12 weeks at number one, would another song spend as long atop the chart. "Billie Jean" has been included on various lists of the greatest songs of all time, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. Jackson spent one further week at number one in May with "Beat It"; he was the only act with more than one number one during the year and his total of 13 weeks in the top spot was the highest of any act.

Several acts topped the chart in 1983 for the first time, beginning with McCartney in January. In April, George Clinton achieved his first solo number one with "Atomic Dog"; he had previously experienced considerable success in the 1970s as the leader of the Parliament-Funkadelic collective. His track was replaced in the top spot by "Candy Girl", the debut single by teenaged vocal group New Edition. The group Mtume gained its first number one with "Juicy Fruit", which had the year's second-longest run in the top spot, spending eight weeks in the peak position. The song has gone on to be sampled by many acts and called "one of the most recognizable samples in hip-hop history". Finally, family vocal group DeBarge topped the chart for the first time in December with "Time Will Reveal", which was the final number one of 1983. "Billie Jean", "Beat It", and "All Night Long (All Night)" by Lionel Richie also topped Billboard's pop singles chart, the Hot 100.

Chart history

Key

†	Indicates number 1 on Billboard's year-end black singles chart

Chart history

Issue date	Title	Artist(s)	Ref.
January 1	"Sexual Healing" †	Marvin Gaye
January 8
January 15	"The Girl Is Mine"	Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney
January 22
January 29
February 5	"Outstanding"	The Gap Band
February 12	"Billie Jean"	Michael Jackson
February 19
February 26
March 5
March 12
March 19
March 26
April 2
April 9
April 16	"Atomic Dog"	George Clinton
April 23
April 30
May 7
May 14	"Candy Girl"	New Edition
May 21	"Beat It"	Michael Jackson
May 28	"Save the Overtime (For Me)"	Gladys Knight and the Pips
June 4	"Juicy Fruit"	Mtume
June 11
June 18
June 25
July 2
July 9
July 16
July 23
July 30	"She Works Hard for the Money"	Donna Summer
August 6
August 13
August 20	"Get It Right"	Aretha Franklin
August 27
September 3	"Cold Blooded"	Rick James
September 10
September 17
September 24
October 1
October 8
October 15	"Ain't Nobody"	Rufus & Chaka Khan
October 22	"All Night Long (All Night)"	Lionel Richie
October 29
November 5
November 12
November 19
November 26
December 3
December 10	"Time Will Reveal"	DeBarge
December 17
December 24
December 31

See also

• 1983 in music
• List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1983