1982 in music
See also: 1981 in music, other events of 1982, 1983 in music and the list of 'years in music'.
Events
- January 15 - KC and the Sunshine's Harry Wayne Casey is seriously injured in an automobile accident in Miami, Florida.
- January 17 - Tommy Tucker, writer of "Hi Heel Sneakers", dies of carbon tetrachloride poisoning sustained while he was finishing floors in his home
- January 20 - Ozzy Osbourne bites the head off of a live bat thrown at him during a performance. Osbourne is hospitalized with rabies.
- January 21 - B.B. King donates his personal record collection, which includes nearly 7,000 rare blues records, to the University of Mississippi's Center for the Study of Southern Culture.
- February 13 - A 300 pound gravestone from the grave of Lynyrd Skynyrd singer Ronnie Van Zant is stolen from an Orange Park, Florida cemetery. Police found the gravestone 2 week later in a dry river bed.
- The first compact discs appear in music stores.
- Janet Jackson releases first recording
- The Smiths form
- Pantera forms
- Faith No More forms
- Slayer forms
- Wendy O. Williams leaves the Plasmatics for a solo career
Albums Released
- Lexicon of Love - ABC
- Big Science - Laurie Anderson
- Asia - Asia
- Rough Diamonds - Bad Company
- How Could Hell Be Any Worse? - Bad Religion
- Dreaming - Kate Bush
- 16 - Chicago
- Computer Games - George Clinton
- Imperial Bedroom - Elvis Costello & the Attractions
- American Fool - John Cougar
- Christ The Album - Crass
- Love over Gold - Dire Straits
- Rio - Duran Duran
- Nightfly - Donald Fagen
- Mirage - Fleetwood Mac
- Security - Peter Gabriel
- Midnight Love - Marvin Gaye
- H2O - Daryl Hall & John Oates
- Dare - Human League
- Day and Night - Joe Jackson
- Thriller - Michael Jackson
- Broadsword and the Beast - Jethro Tull
- Nylon Curtain - Billy Joel
- Jump Up! - Elton John
- Screaming for Vengeance - Judas Priest
- Business as Usual - Men at Work
- 1999 - Prince
- Mommy's Little Monster - Social Distortion
- Nebraska - Bruce Springsteen
- Shoot out the Lights - Richard and Linda Thompson
- Hour Live - Toots & the Maytals
- Toto IV - Toto
- Diver Down - Van Halen
- Original Musiquarium - Greatest Hits - Stevie Wonder
- Upstairs at Eric's - Yaz
Top Hits
- "Heat Of The Moment" - Asia
- "Planet Rock" - Afrika Bambaataa
- "Abracadabra" - Steve Miller Band
- "Up Where We Belong" - Jennifer Warnes & Joe Cocker
- "Who Can It Be?" - Men at Work
- "Don't You Want Me" - Human League
- "Jack & Diane" - John Cougar
- "Maneater" - Hall & Oates
- "Electric Eye" - Judas Priest
- "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" - Judas Priest
- "Centerfold" - J. Geils Band
- "Eye of the Tiger" - Survivor
- "Ebony and Ivory" - Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder
- "I Love Rock 'N Roll" - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
- "Rock The Casbah" - The Clash
- "Vacation" - The Go-Gos
- "You Can't Hurry Love" - Phil Collins
- "Pressure" - Billy Joel
- "Valley Girl" - Frank Zappa
- "Sube A Mi Motora" - Menudo.
- "Quiero Ser" - Menudo.
Births
Deaths
- January 17 - Tommy Tucker, songwriter
- February 17 - Thelonious Monk
- March 5 John Belushi (The Blues Brothers) died in Hollywood of an accidental drug overdose.
- July 28 - Keith Green, gospel singer
- October 4 - Glenn Gould