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Best '80s New Wave Songs
The 250 Greatest New Wave / Post-Punk / Alternative Songs
1. "Rock Lobster" by The B-52's. It clocks in at 183bpm, which is just ridiculously fast. It was a surf record made by weirdos from Georgia. It tears up the dance floor, and also it mixes with "Modern Love" by David Bowie and "Tenderness" by General Public. For a new generation, however, this song may also forever be immortalized by Peter Griffin's acoustic performance on Family Guy.
2. "People Are People" by Depeche Mode. Just one of many sad songs from a man named Gore. It was their first commercial hit in the U.S. back in the summer of '85 when it peaked at number 13. More importantly, though, it showed America who would become the most successful band of the genre. The Cure, The Smiths, and New Order all had their moments on top, but overall Depeche Mode (which means fast fashion in French) ruled supreme. Also, while "Personal Jesus" is a better song overall but this one turned the tide for all the doubters. Alternative music was commercially viable and would get more airplay from here on out.
3. "Come On Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Runners. I almost made this number one, but I have trouble giving the title to a one-hit wonder—although it should be noted they had many ska hits in the U.K. The overalls will be etched in our brains forever. One more thing: Is it just me or does this song feel like a prequel to Chumbawamba's 'Tubthumping?" From Ta Loo Ra to Danny Bo.
4. "Once In A Lifetime" by Talking Heads. A surreal foresight into the middle age crisis by the Heads here. Their ability to stretch the boundaries of what a pop song could be is their modus operandi. Where would music be without the immortal phrase, "Same as it ever was?" Also, the hilarious arm-chopping motion by David Byrne made the video an MTV staple.
5. "Sweet Dreams" by Eurythmics. Rhyming the words 'made of this' with the word 'disagree' might be a bad move for 99.9% of the people out there. However, for two pop geniuses like Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox, it's all gravy. Though, it's all about melody. The keyboard pulsing beat heats things up but the 'keep your head up, moving on' line is the icing on the cake.
6. "Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats. I loved this record as a kid and now as an adult I can see why. It's a kids song! 'Ssss aaaa ffff eeee tttt yyyy Safe-ty Dance and then the keyboard chimes in.' That's the version we all loved. The video, of a European countryside (or was it Bilbo's hobbit hole) is quickly taken over by the cast of The Wizard of Oz. This is so new wave that you can argue its merits for number one, but let's face it—it gets annoying fast.
7. "Cars" by Gary Numan. Some songs get popular in an instant and some, like "Cars" just linger in the underbelly of the psyche until they are repackaged into a TV commercial. Then we go "Oh, yeah. That's a good song by that pale'faced freak who could barely sing. But yeah." For the record, it was a top 10 hit in 1980, but only because it sounded so good blasting in a roller rink. The radio mostly ignored it.
8. "Pop Musik" by M. The song that started it all. During the summer of '79, many people believe that this was the first new wave song ever. It wasn't, but man it shot right to #1 was a global smash and told everyone listening what music would sound like for the next eight years. It even had some staying power, as it stayed on the Hot 100 for six months.
9. "Whip It" by Devo. I don't think I'm at all qualified to judge a song like this. A psych professor maybe? There is so much yet, at the same time, so little going on. Thunderclaps and rockabilly via synthesizers and flower pots? It clocks in at less than 2 minutes and 15 seconds, making it one of the shortest songs of the 1980s. This video is notorious for freaking mothers out as their child watches this new thing called MTV.
10. "99 Red Balloons" by Nena. Urban legend claims that she died on tour, but Gabriele "Nena" Kerner is still alive today (and is living probably back in Berlin where the band first started). Wherever she is, she can always say that she wrote an anti-war song that was a smash hit in pretty much every country in the world. Nena and John Lennon, wow. We first heard and loved it as a German tune called "99 Luftballons". The English version has always been considered lame, but that's the one everyone seems to know, so . . .
11. "Take On Me" by a-ha. Another great video means another great Family Guy parody, another piece of perfect pop. This time it comes from Oslo, Norway. These guys went for the high note like nobody else. Their follow-up song was called what? Anybody remember? "The Sun Always Shines on TV." It made it to the Top 20 on their name alone but as soon as people heard it, a-ha came crashing down and alas the sun never again shined on them, at least not in America.
12. "Video Killed The Radio Star" by The Buggles. This is also mistakenly assumed to be first new wave song ever, which is impossible considering both "Pop Muzik" by M and "My Sharona" by The Knack were both out earlier in '79. However, the consolation prize is that it was the first video ever played on MTV. Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn. The duo both joined the group Yes in '80 and Downes would form Asia in '81. Horn become a prolific producer and is widely credited for the career success of soul singer Seal. Erasure also did a crazy cover a few years ago, make sure you check it out.
13. "How Soon Is Now?" by The Smiths. A lot of Smiths fans out there are in on the joke here. Morrissey would only be happy with the miserably unlucky number 13. "I am human and I need to be lo-uh-oved, just like anybody else does." This is timeless club music too. In fact, you may remember that SoHo sampled it for "Hippychick." Try mixing it with "My Doorbell" by the White Stripes.
14. "Brass In Pocket" by The Pretenders. We now bring you ironic moments in pop music: The one song Chrissie Hynde hates is the one song of hers that every woman loves. So she grits her teeth and plays it. This is also true of her ex-husband Jim Kerr. He hates the most popular song of his career too—"Don't You (Forget About Me)" was a soundtrack song he didn't write or want to record, but it probably extended the life of his band Simple Minds exponentially. Life is funny like that, sometimes.
15. "Situation" by Yaz. Vince Clarke left Depeche Mode in 1982 in search of more creative freedom. He would go on to make the New Wave Classic Album, "Upstairs at Eric's." With hits like "Don't Go" and "Only You," Yazoo, as they were sometimes credited as, was a huge smash. Also, "Situation" was every dance instructor and aerobics teacher's best friend. Everyone had this record. The mannequins on the cover are classic.
16. "Blister In The Sun" by the Violent Femmes. If the name of the band didn't clue you in, then maybe it was the line, 'big hands I know you're the one.' What was great was that no matter how flaming this song was, it also had built-in credibility with everyone. A song universally respected on merit. It was difficult to mix because of the time signature so nobody bothered. Just play the whole song. It's really short, and it has one of music's most memorable intro/outros ever. The whispering is hilarious. I often think James' song "Laid" was a Femmes song that they forgot to write.
17. "Rock The Casbah" by The Clash. This is a funk-hybrid mixed with New Wave as Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, and the gang move even further away from their punk roots. This album, "Combat Rock" killed the band, and everybody knows it. But, damn, it was still worth doing. The sheik and the aardvark in the video were so bizarre and right. (Sigh) I miss Joe.
18. "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" by Joe Jackson. Does Joe want her or him? Who cares? The conversational style of the lyrics is so difficult to pull off without the rhymes sounding forced and corny so props, because he certainly pulls it off. A lot of people seem to think that Elvis Costello sings this song, but no.
19. "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell. This cover of the Gloria Jones soul classic was originally part of a 12" medley, along with The Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go?" However, it was never done as anything but a 45 single in the U.S. So, we all played the half the 12" and segued out. It is so completely overplayed now that I can't stand it, but if you're doing an 80s set and you want a sure-fire hit with the ladies, play this.
20. "Relax" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Now this is an interesting record! When it first dropped, they were a craze. That beat was unrelenting and the lyrics were seemingly about a man trying to delay an orgasm. Chaos ensued. The perfect video with the fans just mauling the band onstage during a performance. "Frankie Say: Relax" t-shirts are still selling on eBay, no doubt. There is a also great line in the movie "The Commitments" about the band as well, but I won't spoil it here.
21. "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" by Dead Or Alive. Was Pete Burns the jealous evil twin of Boy George? Maybe. Was this song better than anything Culture Club ever recorded? Most definitely. The 12" version is a DJ crate necessity because it had the 'I, I, uh-uh-uh-uh, I' part at the beginning. People will still be remixing this song in 50 years.
22. "Don't You Want Me" by The Human League. This song should be higher up, in terms of quality of songwriting and execution of vision. However, people in the U.S. just never took to the HL like they did with other similar bands (ABC, Thompson Twins, Tears For Fears, and so forth.) This also mixes great with "True Faith" by New Order, "The Promise" by When In Rome, "Right On Track" by The Breakfast Club, and HL's other big hit, "(Keep Feeling) Fascination."
23. "Town Called Malice" by The Jam. This is a great song! The problem is, not a lot of people know it. This song will probably make a comeback as part of a movie. It's got a cinematic feel to it, too. Sounds like a cooler version of 'Walking On Sunshine' which is in every movie so they'll get to it. Mark my word. Soundtrack Rebirth Candidate #1.
24. "Our House" by Madness. Like "Safety Dance," this is really a kid's song. Ska-Rock pioneers Madness have four great songs, as far as I know. While is the worst of the four, it was their only hit in America and, boy, is it fun. For a little while, at least. Since I brought it up, the other songs are "One Step Beyond," "It Must Be Love," and "House of Fun."
25. "Just Got Lucky" by JoBoxers. This song struck soundtrack gold during the closing credits of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," and good for those guys, because they must be broke. In a genre built around one-hit wonders, this was atypical but still a pretty little ditty nonetheless.
26. "Down Under" by Men At Work. This song is as easygoing as they come. It was not just a calling card for this band, but for an entire country as well. The "Born in the U.S.A." of Australia took the filthy taste of Crocodile Dundee and baby-eating dingos out of our mouths. Although those movies weren't out yet, so maybe it was the taste of a vegemite sandwich.
A great sense of humor can go a long way toward endearing yourself to the world. Their videos for "It's a Mistake," "Be Good Johnny," "Overkill," and "Who Can it Be Now?" were always on MTV in the early days. They recorded their own death sentence with that sense of humor though. It's called "Dr. Hekyll & Mr. Jive." I'm serious. You can look it up.
27. "Solsbury Hill" by Peter Gabriel. What a song, wow. That line "Grab your things! I've come to take you home" gets you every time, doesn't it? The beautiful guitar work, mmm mmm. Points off on this list however because it isn't very 'Wavy'. It is a standard on classic rock station playlists coast-to-coast since its re-release. Let me explain.:
After leaving Genesis in '75, Gabriel released this song originally in April of 1977. It was not a smash, but he knew he had a hit on his hands so he waited until 1983, when he rereleased it as a live recording for a follow-up/piggyback to his first Top 40 hit in the States, "Shock The Monkey."
Billy Idol did the same thing in '87, with his live cover of "Mony Mony" and it went to #1 even though none of the stations were playing the live version. They were all playing his original 12" from back in '81. It worked so well that Billy tried it again three months later with "Hot in the City," but it failed to crack the Top 40. Stayed tuned for more of Billy's antics in reissues.
28. "Mexican Radio" by Wall of Voodoo. Also known as: "I Wish I was in Tijuana eating barbecued iguana." How original can a song be? The crescendo at the beginning deposits you right in the middle of a bad dream for our south-of-the-border disc jockey/narrator. Nod to I.R.S. Records for finding guys like this all the time. 1983 wouldn't have been the same without them. Word of mouth can take a song very far indeed.
29. "The Promise" by When In Rome. By 1988, New Wave music was starting to become mainstream and was wearing a bit thin, as well. This was the rare integrity track in your DJ set because all the girls loved it! It went all the way to #11 on the charts, but their follow-up track was? Anybody? It was "Heaven Knows" and it peaked at Number 95, and another one-hit-wonder was born. It is now known to a whole new generation as the tether-ball song from the end of the film "Napoleon Dynamite."
30. "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors. Here's The Great Debate: Is this song about masturbation or not? The band says no, but the lyrics say yes. Like "spanking the monkey," and "turning 'Japanese,'"—both being slang terms for wanking. Also, lines like, "I got your picture and I look at it all by myself," and "I often kiss when there's no one else around" only add fuel to the fire. Leave me a comment and you decide.
31. "Puttin' On The Ritz" by Taco. Aw jeez, this song just broke my New Wav-O-Meter. Written in 1929 by Irving Berlin, it was a #1 song for Harry Richman in 1930. 25 years later, Taco Ockerse (his real name) was born to Dutch parents in Jaharta, Indonesia. Raised in Germany, he dreamed of pop stardom. He signed with RCA in '83, and this single was soon certified gold.
32. "Dancing With Myself" by Billy Idol. Billy can repackage an old hit like nobody else. This song was originally recorded by the London punk band Generation X which led by Billy Idol. Weird fact: His new version is a classic, well-known punk-wave dancefloor screamer, but it never entered the Hot 100 Billboard charts. The video of vampish zombie-babes climbing the walls was on MTV every hour in 1983. It never was among the 100 most popular songs? Baffling. He clearly fashioned himself as a blond Sid Vicious and his "sweat, sweat, sweat-sweat-sweat AAAaaWWWWWW," was pretty mean.
33. "West End Girls" by Pet Shop Boys. Neil Tennant was a writer for the British fanzine Smash Hits, hwhere he must have figured out the secret formula for street smart pop hooks. The guy rapped with a monotone British accent about suicide and fashion, and people were incredulous to explain why they loved it. They had five Top Ten hits from '86-'88, but this was their debut single and their only Number 1 in the U.S. I guess for some people, "Sometimes, you're better off dead, the gun's in your hand..."
34. "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" by Tears For Fears. If you listen to the lyrics, you'll understand why Dennis Miller chose it as the theme song for his political-comedy show. There's a whole lot more going on here than in your average #1 pop song. I absolutely love the bridge part, "There's a room where the light wont find you. Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down." I always like the bridge the best though. "I can't stand this indecision married with a lack of vision" is Bush-worthy to say the least. This is a freakin' song right here!
35. "Close To Me" by The Cure. To be honest, I don't have a preference between the 1985 album cut and the remix from 1990. They are very different, but both really good in their own way. The beat, of course, always gets better with newer versions but you really should get both versions. Ditto with "Safety Dance," "19," and "Rock Me Amadeus." You have to get both versions. DJ's note: the one from '90 mixes great with "Live is Life" by Opus and "Seattle" by PiL.
36. "Hold Me Now" by Thompson Twins. Some songs thrive simply because they slip so well into the background that you don't ever realize that you know all the words to them. Lyric question? Does xylophonist / backup singer Alannah Currie say "Oh, my cold Italian heart" toward the outro? It is not listed in the official lyrics and I know outros usually aren't because it's just skatting by the vocalist, but I'm so curious? FYI, Ms. Currie is from New Zealand which makes the quote that much weirder.
37. "Always Something There To Remind Me" by Naked Eyes. Catchy, catchy, catchy as hell. This song is a guilty pleasure that I can't resist. Do I hate his voice or do I love it? This song has an intro that is very mixable. Some suggestions, "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers, "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division, "Grey Cell Green" by Ned's Atomic Dustbin, and "We Got The Beat" by The Go-Go's.
38. "In a Big Country" by Big Country. Who doesn't love this song? I mean, at least the first minute or so anyway. I even love the way it annoys me with bagpipe overkill. These dudes from Scotland were that group I wanted to root for, but didn't. I hear the album is great, but I never got around to picking it up. That's what I'll end up doing after I post this. Trying to find a Greatest Hits for Big Country. Wow, my whole life just passed before my eyes.
39. "Every Breath You Take" by The Police. I'm completely biased and I admit this straight up. Most Police songs are some form of ragga. This brooding, aching, creep you out and break your heart song is not. They simplified the arrangements and stripped it down to a baseline that sounds like a stalker's footsteps. It became the biggest song of the year. It spent 8 weeks at Number 1 in the summer of '83. From July 9th to September 2nd, which is like the whole summer.
Coincidentally, the second biggest song of the year was also of the stalker variety. It spent seven weeks at #1 through March and most of April. Can you name it?? While I give you time to think about it, check this out. In 1983, 27 weeks of the year were conquered by only four Number One Songs. If "Billie Jean" is your answer, then you are correct, sir! (Michael Scott Rules! Sorry.)
A lot of people believe that the intro to "Billie Jean" in all it's moonwalkin' glory is best piece of pop music ever. Seriously. I'd compared it to both, the riff and whisper from "Satisfaction" and the vocals from Aretha's version of "Respect." But "Every Breath..." was just a little better. Here's why I think that is:
A personal note: I actually believe that the bridge of "Every Breath You Take" is the greatest piece of recorded music ever. Just pure honesty and soul bearing going on right there. I sing it at the top of my lungs every time. Wanna try it? Cool. Okay, ready, (boom boom boom) "SINCE YOU'VE GONE, I'VE BEEN LOST WITHOUT A TRACE! I DREAM AT NIGHT..."
40. "Shoot You Down" by apb. If you don't know this song, you need to go wherever you go and get it right now. Download it while you finish reading my list. This funky-ass, rock the dancefloor, new wave jam is also a best bet to be reborn a la the soundtrack. The album was finally released on CD at the behest of thousands of fans and one of them; Matt Pinfield does the amazing liner notes. The album is called Something to Believe In and you'll love almost every track. Soundtrack Rebirth Candidate #2 . Long Live apb!
41. "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M. It was 1991, but it was New Wave-Folk and it was downright moving in a way we don't always understand. Michael Stipe claims to be mystified by it still to this day. Every once in a while everything just falls into place perfectly. "Life . . . is bigger."
42. "Ca Plane Pour Moi" by Plastic Bertrand. The little Belgian song that could. This international super duper Punk Smash is one of our favorites because it's overtly friendly and doesn't overstay its welcome. I often thought that Lindsey Buckingham got the idea for "Holiday Road" (aka the theme to National Lampoon's "Vacation" ) right here.
43. "Save A Prayer" by Duran Duran. Why is this so high? Because every single hot new wave chick in the world loved it, that's why. This was after all the girls' medium. All the men of New Wave are androgenous and wimpy, and all the girls are powerful and venomous. Guys like me who were into Rush & Van Halen made it a point to learn about Depeche Mode and Yaz because we wanted to know about those girls. Those really cool, gothy, punk, "grrl power" babes, with their hair flopped over their eyes. Ahhh, memories. "Save 'em til the morning after."
44. "Need You Tonight" by INXS. Whether or not Michael Hutchence was doing a Jim Morrison impression is not relevant. All INXS songs have the same formula, almost. Here they just found the secret ingredient. This was the peak for an Australian band that would end up going from so underrated to way overrated in just three years. Mostly because they were never able to overcome their own masterpiece. Everything after that sounded so lame by comparison. Same story as the Eagles and "Hotel California."
45. "I Got You" by Split Enz. Before there was a Crowded House, there was Split Enz. Two brothers from New Zealand who could really write a hook. They broke up, and one brother Neil Finn would go on, perhaps naming his new band as a way of explaining why the old one couldn't go on. This song is most commonly searched for on Limewire as "Frightened" by Crowded House, but it isn't. Now let's all gleefully sing, "I DON"T KNOW WHY SOMETIMES I GET FRIGHTENED, YOU CAN SEE MY EYES..."
46. "One Way Or Another" by Blondie.
47. "Karma Chameleon" by Culture Club
48. "Celebrate" by An Emotional Fish
49. "Heartbreak Beat" by The Psychedelic Furs
50. "Don't Change" by INXS
Vinyl 45 Singles -- My Collection
51. "Holding Back The Years" by Simply Red
52. "Kiss Me" by Stephen 'tin tin' Duffy
53. "True Faith" by New Order
54. "Alex Chilton" by The Replacements
55. "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" by U2
56. "Perfect Way" by Scritti Politti
57. "Spirit In The Sky" by Dr. & The Medics
58. "Don't Stand So Close To Me" by The Police
59. "Love & Pride" by King
60. "Life In A Northern Town" by The Dream Academy
61. "Love Plus One" by Haircut 100
62. "My Sharona" by The Knack
63. "Up The Junction" by Squeeze
64. "New Song" by Howard Jones
65. "Ever Fallen In Love" by The Buzzcocks
66. "Where The Streets Have No Name" by U2
67. "Dear God" by XTC
68. "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by The Police
69. "I Don't Like Mondays" by the Boomtown Rats
70. "What's So Funny Bout (Peace Love & Understanding)" Elvis Costello
71. "Alive & Kicking" by Simple Minds
72. "White Wedding" by Billy Idol
73. "Our Lips Are Sealed" by The Go-Go's
74. "Burning Down The House" Talking Heads
75. "Ship Of Fools (Save Me From Tomorrow)" by World Party
76. "Live Is Life" by Opus
77. "Train In Vain" by The Clash
78. "Modern Love" by David Bowie
79. "Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)" by Icicle Works
80. "Genius Of Love" by Tom Tom Club
81. "Oh Yeah" by Yello
82. "Cry" by Godley & Crème
83. "Din Daa Daa (Trommeltanz)" by George Kranz
84. "Rush" by B.A.D. II
85. "Lips Like Sugar" by Echo & The Bunnymen
86. "Someday, Someway" by Marshall Crenshaw
87. "Why Can't I Be You?" by The Cure
88. "Antmusic" by Adam & The Ants
89. "Shout" by Tears For Fears
90. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking for" by U2
91. "The Look Of Love" by ABC
92. "Red Skies" by The Fixx
93. "I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow
94. "This Woman's Work" by Kate Bush
95. "Kiss The Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain)" by INXS
96. "Desire (Come And Get It)" by Gene Loves Jezebel
97. "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?" by The Clash
98. "The Honeytheif" by Hipsway
99. "Oh L'amour" by Erasure
100. "Just Like Heaven" by The Cure
More from My 45 Collection
101. "Tempted" by Squeeze
102. "I Melt With You" by Modern English
103. "Blue Monday" by New Order
104. "Everyday Is Halloween" by Ministry
105. "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel
106. "Boys Don't Cry" by The Cure
107. "One Step Beyond" by Madness
108. "There She Goes" by The La's
109. "Watching The Detectives" by Elvis Costello
110. "Psycho Killer" by Talking Heads
111. "Misfit" by Curiosity Killed The Cat
112. "With Or Without You" by U2
113. "Sunday Papers" by Joe Jackson
114. "The Mayor of Simpleton" by XTC
115. "She Sells Sanctuary" by The Cult
116. "Major Tom (Coming Home)" by Peter Schilling
117. "Ana Ng" by They Might Be Giants
118. "Here's Where The Story Ends" by The Sundays
119. "Tears Of A Clown" by The English Beat
120. "Add It Up" by the Violent Femmes
121. "Destination Unknown" by Missing Persons
122. "The One Thing" by INXS
123. "China Girl" by David Bowie
124. "Lost In The Supermarket" by The Clash
125. "Rudi Can't Fail" by The Clash
126. "Tenderness" by General Public
127. "So Lonely" by The Police
128. "If You Were Here" by Thompson Twins
129. "Beds Are Burning" by Midnight Oil
130. "Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode
131. "Here Comes The Rain Again" by Eurythmics
132. "Moving In Stereo" by The Cars
133. "Radio Free Europe" by R.E.M.
134. "I Ran (So Far Away)" by A Flock of Seagulls
135. "Don't Go" by Yaz
136. "Beat's So Lonely" by Charlie Sexton
137. "Pulling Mussels (From A Shell)" by Squeeze
138. "Bizarre Love Triangle" by New Order
139. "Grey Cell Green" by Ned's Atomic Dustbin
140. "Dance Hall Days" by Wang Chung
141. "Circle" by Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians
142. "What You Need" by INXS
143. "Life During Wartime (This Ain't No Party)" by Talking Heads
144. "Satisfaction (I Can't Get Me No)" by Devo
145. "Words" by Missing Persons
146. "Dreaming" by Blondie
147. "Enjoy The Silence" by Depeche Mode
148. "It Must Be Love" by Madness
149. "Let The Day Begin" by The Call
150. "It's The End of the World As We Know It" by R.E.M.
Love and Rockets do the Temptations. Brilliant!
7 Inches of Madness
And the Beat Goes On . . .
151. "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" by XTC
152. "Space Age Love Song" by A Flock of Seagulls
153. "Fly On The Windscreen" by Depeche Mode
154. "Back To Ohio" by The Pretenders
155. "Shoplifters of the World Unite" by The Smiths
156. "Joey" by Concrete Blonde
157. "See A Little Light" by Bob Mould
158. "I Go Crazy" by Flesh For Lulu
159. "Obsession" by Animotion
160. "Wouldn't It Be Good" by Nik Kershaw and Danny Hutton Hitters
161. "Overkill" by Men At Work
162. "Ball of Confusion" by Love & Rockets
163. "What Is Love?" by Howard Jones
164. "She Blinded Me With Science" by Thomas Dolby
165. "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House
166. "In Your Room" by The Bangles
167. "And She Was" by Talking Heads
168. "Radio Radio" by Elvis Costello
169. "Would I Lie To You?" by Eurythmics
170. "Girls On Film" by Duran Duran
171. "Synchronicity II" by The Police
172. "Strip" by Adam Ant
173. "Poison Arrow" by ABC
174. "Head Over Heels" by The Go-Go's
175. "Sunday Girl" by Blondie
176. "Just Can't Get Enough" by Depeche Mode
177. "The Politics of Dancing" by Re-Flex
178. "Message Of Love" by The Pretenders
179. "Sanctify Yourself" by Simple Minds
180. "Left Of Center" by Suzanne Vega
181."Mirror In The Bathroom" by The English Beat
182. "Like the Weather" by 10,000 Maniacs
183. "Here Comes Your Man" by The Pixies
184. "19" by Paul Hardcastle
185. "Blue Jean" by David Bowie
186. "One Thing Leads To Another" by The Fixx
187. "We Close Our Eyes" by Go West
188. "This Is Not A Love Song" by Public Image Ltd.
189. "What Do All The People Know" by The Monroes
190. "The Motion of Love" by Gene Loves Jezebel
191. "Der Kommissar" by After The Fire
192. "Living in a Box" by Living in a Box
193. "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel
194. "Black Coffee In Bed" by Squeeze
195. "No New Tale To Tell" by Love & Rockets
196. "This Time" by INXS
197. "Can't Get Enough of You Baby" by The Colour Field
198. "Together in Electric Dreams" by Georgio Moroder & Philip Oakey
199. "Don't Let's Start" by They Might Be Giants
200. "If I Had A Rocket Launcher" by Bruce Cockburn
1990's Post-Punk Alternative
90s New Wave?
The new wave movement went into the 90s, and the following 50 reflect that period:
201. "Groovy Train" by The Farm
202. "Policy of Truth" by Depeche Mode
203. "Unbelievable" by EMF
204. "So Alive" by Love & Rockets
205. "Divine Thing" by The Soup Dragons
206. "Connected" by Stereo MC's
207. "Right Here, Right Now" by Jesus Jones
208. "Digging in the Dirt" by Peter Gabriel
209. "The Beat of Love" by Voice of the Beehive
210. "Room At The Top" by Adam Ant
211. "There's No Other Way" by Blur
212. "Tom's Diner" by DNA w/ Suzanne Vega
213. "Dogs of Lust" by the The
214. "Friday I'm in Love" by The Cure
215. "Regret" by New Order
216. "Break it Down Again" by Tears for Fears
217. "Birdhouse in Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants
218. "Jesus On The Payroll" by Thrashing Doves
219. "Valerie Loves Me" by Material Issue
220. "Laid" by James
211. "Jealous" by Gene Loves Jezebel
212. "Show Me Your Soul" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
213. "Like A Drug" by They EatTheirOwn
214. "Your Woman" by White Town
215. "Love U More" by Sunscreem
216. "Summertime" by The Sundays
217. "All Together Now" by The Farm
218. "Baby's Coming Back" by Jellyfish
219. "I'm Free" by The Soup Dragons
220. "Real RealReal" by Jesus Jones
221. "More" by The Sisters of Mercy
222. "This Is Ponderous" by 2nu
223. "Growing Old" by The Origin
224. "Step On" by Happy Mondays
225. "Blood Makes Noise" by Suzanne Vega
226. "See The Lights" by Simple Minds
227. "Pure" by The Lightning Seeds
228. "People Are Still Having Sex" by LaTour
229. "Bizarre Love Triangle" by Frente
230. "Pets" by Porno for Pyros
231. "Happy" by Ned's Atomic Dustbin
232. "Loaded" by Primal Scream
233. "The Dead Heart" by Midnight Oil
234. "Beautiful Imbalance" by Thrashing Doves
235. "Caroline" by Concrete Blonde
236. "International Bright Young Thing" by Jesus Jones
237. "3 Strange Days" by School of Fish
238. "Particle Man" by They Might Be Giants
239. "Woman in Chains" by Tears for Fears
240. "Labour of Love" by Frente
241. "Hippychick" by Soho
242."Movin' On Up" by Primal Scream
243. "Dreaming" by O.M.D
244. "Mandinka" by Sinead O'Connor
245. "Chains of Love" by Erasure
246. "Blue Sky Mine" by Midnight Oil
247. "King of Wishful Thinking" by Go West
248. "What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)" by Information Society
249. "Lies" by EMF
250. "Pop Goes The World" by Men Without Hats
Something to listen and chuckle to while you leave me a comment.
Great List. I don't necessarily agree with the order, but the selection rocks!
I think you should continue writing the blurbs, however it'd be much easier to read if it were in sections. ;)
It does, kinda. It's a really good list, and putting a personal touch to it is very cool, maybe you could break it down by genre? Then it'd be easy to give a little info at the beginning about what elements you like about the genre as a whole, and then go into a description of the songs that fit in each category.
But then, that's just my take on it. Love it or lump it, your hubs are your own and up to you. :P
You know what song Im trying to find? A New Wave dance song that has the sample of GQ's ''Disco Nights'' There is a spot in the song where it goes ''Rock. Freak'' followed by two whistle blows. Then the beat hits again. The singing is a real mellodic baritone voice. Sounds like the lead singer from Heaven 17. Its reminds me a lil of Westworld's ''Painkiller''.
Damn. I found it. Kon Kan's I beg your pardon.
Thanks for your help:) Closure wasn't quite the word...lol. I almost went nuts trying to find this song! One you might have missed is 68 Guns by The Alarm. I know everyones list is different with this genre.
I love this list. In my comedy/musical act I do a long-assed medley of 80's songs (i have re-wriiten of course) and this hub is going to come in handy for my new stuff.
Did I miss Debbie Harry, or did I scroll to fast? Blondie has to be on there somewhere.
Great list.
You should fit War Baby by Tom Robinson in there. A great new wave song, that and his version of Atmospherics....
your list is right in the zone. excellent, mister DJ funktual, thanks! Your list reminded me of a BUNCH of songs that i'd long since forgotten.
the problem is, now i gotta go GET those songs! best ones i'd completely forgotten included: so alive / love & rockets (#204), right here right now / jesus jones (#207), hippychick /soho (#241), what's on your mind /info society (#248), and MANY more.
thanks, some great memories here.
tom z
this list brings back the 80's when i was travelling around the country working with radio stations.
What about Nik Kershaw's "Wouldn't It Be Good?"
Crazy! I know almost every word to every song on this list. With the exception of a few I've never even heard of of course. Nice list in all :)
Questions: Do you think I should continue the little blurbs for every song? Yes! Was disappointed when they ended.
Do you think I should break the chart apart into smaller groups of 50? No, not worth the effort. And subgenres would be a pain, as no matter how many you designated, you'd invariably find songs that either wouldn't fit any of them, or fit more than one.
Do you think the countdown should be in inverse order? Why not just put them in alphabetical order? That would avoid people telling you that your opinion is wrong.
"Does xylophonist / backup singer Alannah Currie say "Oh my cold Italian heart" toward the outro?"
I'm pretty sure she's saying "warm my cold and tired heart."
Wonderful List! And what's really cool os that I was listening to all this stuff when it first came out!
your lists are always amazing but yeah i think u should continue with the little blurbs about each song....your music knowledge is beyond belief you should be a pop culture professor somewhere....
Great list and info, but no BOINGO? Are they not worthy? :(
non-HUBer here... let em throw a couple more against the wall to se if they stick: The Nails/88 lines about 44 women... The flying Lizards/Money... and Level 42/Lessons in Love...
Echoing a couple other posters.. there were a bundle of "OMG, I gotta get that song" flashbacks! Props of a totally bitchin' list!
APB! I had to find your profile to make sure you were from Long Island after I saw them on the list.
"my cold and tired heart" thompson twins
Hey There,
On your list, # 160 - Wouldn't It Be Good ~~ Danny Hutton Hitters, that song should be listed with the rightful artist of Nick Kershaw.
Although your list is pretty comprehensive, there are other songs you forgot about like Love Tempo, Slang Teacher, Situations, Escalator of Life, A Different Story, Around My Dream, Certain Things Are Likely and how about... I Love A Man In A Uniform... actually there are way too many others to list...
Add "What's He Got" by the Producers.
Great list, but where is Television? I thought Marquee Moon would be in the top 50 or so, but I couldn't find it anyway.
I don't like Rock Lobster but thank you anyway for this list
Totally tubular dude! Brought back a ton of memories and gave me some new songs to look up. Would LOVE you to put blurbs about the rest of the songs up, thats the best part of the list!
Many - though not all - of these guys had tone. But, you know, where did punk end and New Wave begin on your list cos I played with some of these guys in the early 80s and we were definitely doing punk then. Well, in our heads anyway! Ha! In our out of them, I mean. Our ... heads. Those were the days. Maybe we could do a top 100 of forgotten gigs. Number one. Apparently I played at Appollo, Glasgow. in 1979.
great list. please continue with the blurbs. its really great info :)
Inspiring hub! Never heard of some of these songs. When you say an INXS song, I right away think of "The One Thing" or "What I Need" or "New Sensation" not "Don't Change". I'm gonna need some time to look this over. Thanks for the insight!
this hub is so cool but i cant seem to find the right song title of this new wave song that i realy love but i do forget. can someone help me out with this - need to know the song title here some part > " come to the place i know where the grass is green and we're both unknown, i am never grieving the wicked things we've done let walk in to the world"
thanks so much
What about Fine Young Cannibals? One of the better spinoff bands.
Love the list - keep up adding blurbs.... brings me back to the college days!! As always there are songs some like more than others, but it's a great list and you gotta stop somewhere right?
I think you need to add 'wishing' by a flock of seagulls
and 'get it right this time' by the human league
Great Hub!! I love 80s music! And I love the fact that you included Material issue! =)
Thanks for the list, but I must say that any list about New Wave without any songs from the best NW band ever is a little suspect. ;)
Where is the love for OMD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey I was looking for a song from the 80s.
But, first hey sup bigup DJ Funktual! I know you from the Tube sample series. Even sent you a funk remix.
Co-incidence! You a true blue music lover! Yeah man, hiphop is good for me too, showing me all styles of music. samples and breaks for days.
But I got here trying to find a track from ca 85 86. A punky looking black band with colours in their hair (no not george clinton, parliament). I think they were playing synthesizers and they also are whistling in the song. They sing like - "Fariaaaaaaa" - in the hook. Hahahaaaa. DD cant find it nowhere.
pls can you comment on my youtube page if..... or just holler!
i loved this ... some awesome songs in there from ledgendary bands ... great hub you can see alot of time and effort went into this xxx
It's a good list, and a noble effort, however...
As the 'New Wave' was a product of the UK, and the 70's, I wonder how you can have selected many of these artist and foregone so many of the true New Wave?
Bands like A-ha, Dexy's Midnight Runners, The La's (and several others on your list) have nothing to do with the new wave. Call me a stickler, but having these sort of artists interspersed in what is otherwise a great list, is ridiculous. It's akin to saying Monet, Renoir, Manet were all part of the Realism movement in art. It's just inaccurate.
There's a huge difference between a pop band in the 80's that had a popular video and charted in the US, college radio artists, pop acts that tried to sound New Wave, Bands that had a one-off in an 80's movie soundtrack, and the actual artists who were at the cusp of (or in the immediate tradition of) New Wave. I completely agree with bands like Blondie, Talking Heads, Devo, et al - hell I even agree the Madchester stuff was a direct result of Factory and therefore New Wave - but this other 'stuff' is only considered 'New Wave' in America.
e.g. They Might Be Giants...great band, unique, innovative - not a New Wave Band. Ditto Pixies (one of my favorites)
Perhaps it's because I spent the 80's near Toronto, which had:
a)cfny fm - considered one of the 5 definitive alternative radio stations in the world during the 80's
b) stronger ties to the UK and greater access to the music
c) Gord's Place (which was to 80's New Wave in Ontario what Studio 54 was to 70's Disco in New York)
I'm a purist when it comes to the 80's, and I'm wondering why Heaven 17, Rational Youth, Lords of the New Church, ABCedarians, Fad Gadget, Freur, Kirsty MacColl, Blancmange, Joy Division (...for the love of God), and about 1000 other great New Wave acts got bumped in favour of kife like The Bangles.
to Damce, comment above
Sounds like Fishbone
Great list - brings back lots of memories. However, I don't know why every list of top New Wave songs always forgets the top New Wave song ever - Don't walk past by Blue Peter
Great list!
One glaring ommision in my opinion:
One Night in Bangkok by Murray Head
I don't think I've ever seen such a poor list. You miss a huge quantity of classic New Wave songs and bands, and clutter what little you have with the Clash? No wonder radio stinks so badly. You don't put in Human, by Human League, but you have Rock the Casbah (an atrocious song whatever genre you want to attach to it, though most consider it punk or rockabilly). In fact you have 5 Clash songs on here, but not "That Smiling Face" by Camouflage, which is a classic (studio version may not be currently available on YouTube, though it was at one point).
And Ned's Atomic Dustbin, while a good band, is not New Wave, and they get two listings?
Here's a hint from the clue bus: Songs or bands don't become part of the New Wave genre just because they were played on some modern rock station you admire.
No Fade to Grey by Visage, instead you have Simply Red's Holding Back the Years, and near the top of the list, no less. Were you even around when this music was being made? You certainly weren't listening to it, at any rate.
great music Love the 80's flashback
the list is just OK. really depends on where you grew up or which radio station you listened to.
I think this is the best list of songs ever created. I am now spending way too much downloading all of them!
OMG!!! I just had a retro-moment- thanks for reminding me of stuff I tried to forget- I guess if you know more than 15 of these songs you were a 80's victim- Just Kidding- but come on it was a weird era-!!! Man great list- I mean Pet- and Erasure- Man I can't believe your list-well done!!!
Here are just a few that you missed(I have about 150 more that should be intermixed with some of your 250).
"Marcia Balia"-Rita Mitsouko
"Go","O.K. This is the Pop's-Tones on Tail
"Eye's of a Stranger"- The Payola's
"All Roads Lead to Rome","Peaches"-The Stranglers"
"Never Say Never"-Romeo Void
"Revenge",Effigy",Work for Love"-Ministry
"Imagination"-Belouis Some
"One Step Beyond"-Madness
"Her Heads Revolving"-The 3 O'Clock
"Dance With Me"-Lords of the New Church
"Promised You a Miracle"-Simple Minds
Hi could you tell me the name and artist of a song i've been looking for "seconds turn to minutes and the minutes turn to hours as the time slips away" "cover everything under the sun and nothing else to say, what do you say" "time to go but its to late to leave so will you stay the night" " dont leave me in the dark by spending afterhours on your own" etc. Please help someone I cant get the song out of my head
come on , not one Tubes song ??????????????
Hate to break your bubble love, but can't even consider sngs of the B-52's "NEW WAVE" New Wave is essentially named for the undergound bands from the 80's. Not those acts trying to sound like the 80's. But I respect your opinions regarding this. I mean, why isn't the Wild Swans there? :-P
Nice List..
bigfun...i believe the song you are looking for is "will you stay tonight" by the comsat angels
Thank you cszpct it is!
Another one for the list, Martha and the Muffins- echo beach
Great Playlist.! Born In '94 But iWish iWas Born In This Era Greatest Type Of Music.! My Mom Is Sooo Lucky She Got To Experience Good Music...& Im Stuck Here Having To Listen To A "MUSICAL RECESSION" D:
why did you put danny hutton hitters for "wouldn't it be good"(#160) and not nik kershaw?
Name Alternative Austrian band in the 80's that had a song named Trouble or had the chours of "If your in trouble..."
where is omd?
i love the songs of the new wave...i really Love it!
i'd like to add some bands, hope you will remember their songs, 10,000 maniacs, 38 special, a flock of seagulls, abc, alphaville, altered images, aztec camera, big audio dynamite, big country, bolshoi, book of love, cactus world news, camouflage, china crisis, concrete blonde, crowded house, dead or alive, descendents, echo & the bunnymen, fiction factory, flesh for lulu, fra lippo lippi, general public, go west, h2o, industry, information society, james, jesus & mary chain, kon kan, midge ure, midnight oil, morrissey, o.m.d., oingo boingo, positive noise, psychedelic furs, real life, red flag, seona dancing, shriekback, simple minds, strawberry switchblade, the adventures, the alarm, the church, the cult, the fixx, the flirts, the lotus eaters, the mighty lemon drops, the mission u.k., the pale fountains, the ramones (hehe, this is punk rock), the soup dragons, the swans, the waterboys, the wild swans, thompson twins, toad the wet sprocket, translator, ultravox, white china, wire train........
great list,it brings back alot of memories of the old wlir days
anybody have any idea where the term "new wave" came from? I heard it was a hair gel in the philippines that came out at the same time (and the rest of asia too, i guess). twas a must have on one's dresser back then. what set this brand apart was that it was one of the first that integrated glitter into the gel. clear jar and purple screw top.
some bands are missing like ultrabox, alphaville. O.M.D. , china crisis, icehouse & imagination ...
its a great list but i think u missed Talking Heads - This Must Be The Place
I love the 80's bands & music! Great job on listing them and some of the facts that go along with the songs history...
What a detailed narration of essential (party) songs of the 80's! Aside from the omission of OMD, pretty much recall other staples by Roxy Music, Romeo Void, Gazeebo, Split Enz. Real Life... Still, great heck of a job compiling this up and touring us back in time.
Ooops, feel I owe you this one for the Split Enz duplication earlier. Saw you listed them at #45. "Such A Shame" we can't be "Forever Young"..."Absolute Reality". Live a "Million Miles Away" with a lot of "Cool Places" near "China".Got an "Appetite" for 80's music that "Never Ceases To Amaze Me". "Wishing" for "Heaven" to "Send Me An Angel". Hope "This Is The Day". So "I Can Be Happy" like "The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death" reading this "Masterpiece". HAHAHA "More Than This", "Thank You" for the flashbacks.
Good list, however pretty mainstream. I grew up in Houston and club scene in the late 80's was incredible. Here are few I would add...
A Guy Called Gerald - Voodoo Ray (Gerald's Rham On Acid Mix).mp3
Axodry - You (Razomaid Mix).mp3
Bappi Lahiri - Habiba (Bomb the bass remix) (1988).mp3
BOXCAR - Freemason (Extended) - 1988.mp3
Boytronic - Bryllyant (33 8 remix).mp3
Boytronic - Hurts.mp3
Cappella - Helyom Halib (classic acid house).mp3
Cetu Javu - Situations.mp3
COLM III- Take Me High (Original Version).mp3
Micro Chip League - Communicate.mp3
Confetti's - The Sound Of C... (1988).mp3
Double I.D. - Communicate (Rock Beat Dynozor Mix) (1989).mp3
English Boy on the Love ranch - The Man in your Life.mp3
Getting Away With It - Electronic.mp3
Hasim- Al-Naafiysh (The Soul)..mp3
Hithouse - Jack To The Sound Of The Underground (1988).mp3
Hohokam - Harlequin Tears.mp3
HUBERT KaH - Military Drums (Power Mix).mp3
IN-D - Bastion In-D Stress (Extended Version) - 1988.mp3
L.A. Mix - Check This Out.mp3
Lil Louis Vs George Krantz - Din Daa Daa French Kiss.mp3
Live Cinema - Pop Density.mp3
/MAJOR PROBLEM - Acid Queen (Dirty Version) - 1988.mp3
MAN 2 MAN MEETS MAN SPARRISH A1 Male Stripper (Original US Mix).mp3
M C Wildski - Warrior.mp3
Moskwa TV - Generator 7_8.mp3
New Order - Fine Time (steve silk hurley mix).mp3
OKAY! - O.K. (OK).mp3
Paul Rutherford - Get Real (stereo).mp3
Peter Godwin - Images of Heaven.mp3
PETER SCHILLING - The different story(remix).mp3
Pluuto - Isn't it Crazy? RZMX.mp3
Poesie Noire - Pity for the Self 1989.mp3
SANDY MARTON Exotic & erotic.mov.mp3
Gene and Jim are Into Shakes - Shake.mp3
Sparks - Music That You Can Dance To.mp3
T 99-Too Nice To Be Real.mp3
The Bolshoi's Away.mp3
The Gruesome Twosome - Hallucination Generation.mp3
Trance Dance- Do The Dance (Extended Version) 1986.mp3
VOYOU - Houseman (Razormaid Remix).mp3
White Rabbit - Airplane Crashers.mp3
WILL YOU BE THERE-CELEBRATE THE NUN(EXTENDED).mp3
Xpansions Move your body (higher) Elevation.mp3
Zero Zero - Zeroxed.mp3
jt- I am a big new wave fan but do not know alot of these songs. Do you have any compilations you may want to share?
20-20 yellow pills? where is it?
Why is there no Fra Lippo Lippi Song mentioned on the List didn't you heard the song: Stiches and Burns, Light and Shade, Everytime i see you, Angel, Tell me Why, Later and other hits?
Dan, I don't have any compilations except some old recording from live radio broadcasts from the clubs back in '88 and '89. Give me your email and a list and I'll send you some mp3's.
killing joke please
no Kraftwerk? nice list, but very pedestrian.
needs more advanced Bowie and Ultravox, Visage, Sousixe etc. to be a serious New Wave ranking. This is basically just 80s top 40. Really good to see the Tin Tin one though.. Kiss Me.. great tune. How about Peter Godwin, Images of Heaven.. or Heaven 17 etc....
the sound - i can't escape myself (& many other sound songs)
japan- adolescent sex(& many other japan songs)
cure - play for today (& may other cure songs)
It's a good start - I have most of these already, I think you need to put more obscure bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees, Pig Big - I can't break away, etc. That would definitely accentuate the list.
Can't help but wonder why Trans-X's "Living On Video" wasn't on the list?
Your Woman ~ White Town is actually from 1997, but besides that, great list!
Like the list and the blurbs on the first part of the list - would like to see blurbs expanded.
One song I just recently heard on the radio in an 80's slot was "We run" by Strange Advance - didn't make your list (maybe only charted in Canada and not the U.S.)
Just a side note for Cmart: Close to Me is #35 on the list. ;)
Mandinka by Sinead O'Connor came out in 1987, not the 1990s. It's on her album The Lion And The Cobra, which was released in 1987. I clearly remember it being played on the radio shortly after Jerusalem, which was her first hit.
Some of these song don't qulify as "New Wave"; makes me wonder who made the list.
Let's remember "New Wave" was really only the years of 1977 to about 83. The Producers, 20/20, Ian Dury, Wreckless Eric, Quincy, The Sports, Gruppo Sportivo, The Photos, Bruce Wooley, Scott Wilk...and the list goes on and on...
Al Cannon, NC. Since you invented New wave we should take 1977 to "about" 83 as fact? Right now your just a Hater this is a nice blog for all of us who loved the music. That goes for all the critics.
Wow, I think we share the same brain..great list! Of course there are many more but, nonetheless you caught all the classic greats for sure. Hard to believe they are considered classic now.....uggh I'm so old.
B Movie - Nowhere Girl
Japan - Life in Tokyo
Visage - Fade To Grey
Sharpe & Numan - Change Your Mind
Voice of America - Story Of Love
Flesh For LuLu - I go Crazy
Heaven 17 - Let Me Go
Images in Vogue - Lust for Love
China Crisis - African & White
Blancmange - Game Above My Head
Simple Minds - Changeling
Just some favs of mine... cheers!
I remember listening to the Thompson Twins a lot in the 80s.
I love the list. A lot of memories there. Love the suggestions for mixing in the early part of the list. One song I didn't see in the list, or in the comments (I used the "find" tool in my browser), was The Waitresses "I Know What Boys Like". Kind of surprising. I always thought that song was a great representation of the overall sound and "feel" of New Wave. Not quite punk, not overloaded with synthesizers, the singer sounds like she couldn't care less if you like the song or not - just kind of a "Here's the song, deal with it" attitude. Thanks for letting me get my 2 cents in!
Why did you list the English version of 99 Luftballoons? More famous doesn't necessarily mean better.
And how could you forget Cyndi Lauper's Right Track Wrong Train
This is a great list! I appreciate the people who added more....as long as they aren't di@ks about it!
I really loved the commentary, especially when you added possible songs to mix with. Forwarded to my 17yo son who does a lot of mixing and mashups. Thanks for taking the time to put this together!
Really Great list. Couple of suggestions; You have to add Love my way by the psychedelic furs, Goodbye horses by Q lazarus, Age of consent by New order and move up Bizarre love triangle to number 1
Great list! A few more songs for thought...
Painted Moon by the Silencers
Ballerina Out of Control by the Ocean Blue
Strobelight by the B-52s
1963 by New Order
There is a Light That Never Goes Out by the Smiths
Suedehead by Morrissey
The Bottom Line by B.A.D.
Our Lips Are Sealed by the Go Go's
I Touch Roses by Book of Love
Never You Done That by General Public
Life Goes On by Guadalcanal Diary
Strength by The Alarm
To name a few... :)
Hey All, great list. There is a song I have been trying to find for years. It sounds a little like Don Henley but its not, and what sux is I don't know the name of the song or the artist. All I know is the chorus:
"So I cried
And I tried
A little at a time,
Oh I cried"
Umm, OK list, but how the hell does Porno For Pyros qualify as 80s?
need help, can't think of the song or the artist, in the song male singer says something to the effect of 'her and her mum had a big row' brish slang for argument. Thanx for your help!!!
Dear Prudence
I've greatly enjoyed looking at your list. May I add a few (In no particular order):
E=MC2 - Big Audio Dynamite
Always Something Breaking Us in Two - Joe Jackson
Love is a Stranger - Eurythmics
Up the Neck - The Pretenders
You're Everywhere that I'm Not - Translator
True - Concrete Blonde
Black Coffee in Bed - Squeeze
Wuthering Heights - Kate Bush
I Confess - English Beat
Lucky Number - Lene Lovich
It's My Life - Talk Talk (great video with animals)
Sister Europe - Psychedelic Furs
I Love a Man in a Uniform - Gang of Four
The Power & the Passion - Midnight Oil
Mission of Mercy - The Motels
Nellie the Elephant - Toy Dolls
People Who Died - Jim Carroll
White Girl - X
Fourth of July - X
Never Say Never - Romeo Void
P.S. I adore your blurbs with each song. It's fun to learn little tidbits or remember forgotten facts. Yes and yes for your other questions.
there was a song called i thing (on t.v) who where they
i think it was new wave
You may or may not the song, but.......
DON'T YOU WANT ME by Human League is the definitive song of the 80s. It pretty well set the standard and served as the blueprint to which all other bands would aspire.
The song SHOUT by Tears for Fears closed out this era, and must be considered the second best tune.
Think of these two songs as the bookends for what many believed to be the most creative period in pop music.
This song brought tears to my eyes, because upon hearing
it, recognized it to be the 'swan song' of the period.
1981-1985 R.I.P. Thanx for the memories.
We may never see anything like this again.
can you give me the title of this song folks? chorus is goes something like this..."THERE WILL BE NO TIME TO HOLD US IN THE SKY....."
Oh the memories that stirred up reading the 250 songs. I knew almost all of them. I am from the class of 1986 so this was my time!! Amazing music. Like they all say, " They just don't make music like this anymore!" Such good stuff. Thanks for posting it!!!!
great list.....were The future's so bright I gotta wear shades....and I wanna be a cowboy on there...and I love how everyone has their list...just read everyones comments and combined you missed 2467 tracks...
top job...
spent a few years in santa fe where nu wave and goth shared the same seat. '87-'88 was a great time. came back a few years later and a fresh wave of hippies and hippy music moved the nu wavers out. got no problems, but the music just wasn't as fun. worked at a place on the plaza square called haagen dazs/plaza bakery and it was the center of high school life on the weekends. god it was great. if any of you were there in the the 80s and a big texan kicked you out for crowding the door, drop me a line at email@example.com
great list. there were just so many good new wave songs that came out of the 80s, and you'd probably have to make a top 500 list to include them all.
you forgot the " the ghost in you" in the list by psychedelic furs
Great list. I have been listening to my 80's radio station lately so I've been in the mood for this stuff. I'm not a purist about genre stuff, who cares? I don't but I know others do, regardless, i think your list is quite good. I also have liked reading the comments, remembering other songs. Fun.
Side note: kind of funny that there is now an 80's station. I remember when I would listen to my Dad's station and thought the stuff is old, I don't think that about the 80's.
Great list!!!!! i know most of the songs and love them =) you should add "Forever Young" by Alphaville. it was a great hit! but great selection anyways!
I didn't see Heart of Glass. That was after all the first major New Wave hit in the US. It is sometimes wrongly classified as disco, but it actually was a fusion of rock and disco elements. In many ways the coupling of rock with a danceable beat was the template for New Wave.
Modern Lovers.
firstname.lastname@example.com 2 months ago
need help, can't think of the song or the artist, in the song male singer says something to the effect of 'her and her mum had a big row' brish slang for argument. Thanx for your help!!!
"Come Dancing", by the Kinks.
"My sister should have come in a midnight
And my mom would always sit up and wait
It always ended up in a big row
When my sister used to get home late"
AMAZING list!
The song that was missing in my opinion is Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy :)
I know that you couldn't fit everything here, but I must point out a painfully glaring omission from the collection you have amassed here............
The Alarm- Sixty Eight Guns
This is one of my alltime favorites from the golden era of New Wave!
please i need ur help guys.
could not remember the title and artists of this song:
so she said its time she goes but one thing to be sure
i know she hope we can be friends.
To pangyaoph:
I believe the song you are looking for is "No Myth" by Michael Penn. I don't know the song, but I found it by doing a quick lyric search in google. Here is the wikipedia page: http://lyrics.wikia.com/Michael_penn:no_myth
To DJ Funktual:
Thanks so much for this awesome list!!! I'm looking to complement my already excellent New Wave playlist with more New Wave songs. It's really hard to classify something as straight "new wave," so I totally understand why there are a few songs in the list that might be more rock or punk and not so much new wave. I'm really looking forward to listening to the treasure trove of new wave songs that I don't recognize...it would be awesome to re-discover a song I haven't heard in ages or to find new favorites.
PS - I swear that I saw a VH1 show where they interviewed The Vapors who finally admitted that the song "Turning Japanese" was about masturbation. Ah, yes, after doing a quick search, I have found that the show was called One Hit Wonders of the 80s, but I haven't been able to find a clip.
Enjoyed your list very much. I would put some songs higher than "Pop Musik" and "Cars" (because I hate those songs and because "Tempted" deserves to be higher than 101!) but overall a great memory jogger for the soundtrack of my teens. Thanks!
how did "space age love song" - flock of seagulls not make..? or did i miss something somewhere?
Do you remember a song called "Imogene"? I'm in love with imogene. I feel good until the rerun ends.
It was circa 1985.
The U.S. may not have take to the Human League like those other bands... yet most folks can sing that chorus and boy, they sure dont mind jumpin' out onto a dance floor when it pumps through the speaks, In Ca.where I grew up you couldn't turn on the radio without hearing 'Don't you want me', and its still played pretty regularly, moved to Austin TX and its pretty much the same... they got a new album comin out too...STAYING power for sure...
Yeah, no OMD? Whaaaaa? If You Leave is definitely one of my all time favorite songs. And I wasn't even alive during this time. ha And Enola Gay and Electricity. Mmm..
I was also going to comment on the Hold Me Now lyrics. I think it's "Hold my cold and tired heart", am I wrong?
I listened to KROQ back in the day in LA, memorable songs that I remember: B-Movie "Nowhere Girl" and Blancmange "Blind Vision" or "Don't Tell Me". Anyway, great list with some really good memories. Thank you!
I'd like a darker version of this!
more clan of xymox, cure, sisters of mercy kinda thing!
found a lot of new groups to listen too
so thanks already
i love a song but can't remember the title or the artist. all i can remember is a part of the lyrics:
"Come with me, take my hand
Thru the milk and honey of a broken promised land
Side by side, don't say no
Time will tell our secrets everywhere we go"
Hope you can help ;)
thanks a lot ;)
Where's Style Council??
GREAT LIST!!! Anyone who knows anything at all about New Wave would have to agree. It's impossible to list, and in a "correct" order, EVERY possible song. It's also left to some interpretation. But I really agree with this list. I would like to add "Secret" by OMD and "Don't Leave Me This Way" by the Communards. Thanks!
Way late to this list but want to say: wonderful. the arguments are awesome and its awesome you take position and let people go at it. Luv it from Shanghai.
GREAT LIST!!! Anyone who knows anything at all about New Wave would have to agree. It's impossible to list, and in a "correct" order, EVERY possible song. It's also left to some interpretation. But I really agree with this list. I would like to add "Secret" by OMD and "Don't Leave Me This Way" by the Communards. Thanks!
Fantastic List. You made my night. I can't believe I forgot so many songs I love.
Hey. Bravo to the guy that posted this list for his great attitude even to those that are providing criticism. That is very rare. I think a lot of the posts provide some accurate appraisals, and there are some fantastic additions by others. Overall, I *love* this list. A lot of people that like these genres are also those that push songs away once they become too well known and get off a bit too much on "obscurity", etc, if that makes sense. Bottom line is, most of us loved all of these songs even though nowadays a lot are the "mainstream" of the "obscure" we loved.
Great list! Brought back some great memories!
Was looking for an 80's alternative playlist to spend some of my itunes money on, and I definitely found it! Thank you!!!
There was this song in the early 80's that I used to hear at clubs. It's killing me because I don't know who sang it or what the title is. I just remember the one sentence "What are we fighting for" being sung over and over in a raspy (female?) voice over new wave sounding mid-tempo music. I used to think it was the same singer as Mondo Man (Roni Griffith)because I first heard these songs around the same time, but the rest of her music I have found is very disco! Does anyone know what I am talking about?
Major issues with this list! Spirit in the Sky and I Want Candy are both remakes and shouldn't be considered classic New Wave or be included in a list of top new wave songs at all. Opus?? new wave??? really?? don't get that one. Mayor of Simpleton was released in the 90's late 89' at best and is not by any means part of the New wave genre. If you Leave-thompson twins may be the single glaring mistake on this list, top 10 without a doubt! i applaued your effort as there's so much to chose from.
Touche'! lol If you were here.
........................................... i enjoy it.....................................................
Now that I found that song I was looking for I will say I don't remember seeing Marianne Faithfull on this list, like the songs Broken English and Why'd Ya Do It? Also Roni Griffith's Mondo Man and The Plastics A Japanese band from the early 80's who modeled themselves after the B-52's, Mostly the songs Delicious/ Diamond Head.
Hey DJ I absolutely love this list. I often listen to 80's music when I'm playing a game, or cleaning the house, or working, or whenever! I'm not sure if this would count as "New Wave" on your list, but the theme from Midnight Express (The Chase) by Giorgio Moroder is just oozing 80's synth and sound. I have that one on repeat most of the time, I just can't hear it enough!
Anyone else that likes 80's music should give it a listen, you can find it on youtube.
Hell yeah with the comments for each song!
I am severely stuck in the 80s. A lot happenned in the 80s. Music videos on TV - Hell ya. The internet. New wave was rad. You actually had to be there to be able to appreciate the full experience. I was in my 20s all the way through the 80s. I constantly think about how much fun I had then. If I had 3 wishes.....
Not sure if anyone mentioned it but you doubled up on 211-220 with different songs each time, so this is actually a Top 260. =D
Forgot to mention, I know you posted this a couple years back, but, thanks for the list! Just came across it and copying to a spreadsheet so I can start downloading.
Only song I didn't see in the list, or in the comments somewhere, is Sugar Hiccup from the Cocteau Twins.
your woman, by white town came out in 1997. great song, but not 80s :(
Adam Sandler's character from The Wedding Singer when he sings "But it all was bullshit...."
Loved the list. Can't be critical about anything except I would remove the Simply Red song Holding back the Years (since it's a song my mom listened to on easy-listening stations at the time I wouldn't qualify it as New Wave, even though it's a great song!) and replace it with Blancmange's Blind Vision. The extended mix of that song is quintessentially 80's and New Wave to the core! Good work DJ Funktual!
Poor and tired heart! Not poor Italian heart. LOL
Love this list, and I like almost everything on it. I wish there was a way for the page to play the songs, sort of like a playlist. That would be terrific.
Wow, your list... other people adding.... wow
Class of '82 Just went into a memory flashback coma :)
Was looking around for a list of greatest new wave song for me to download, good thing i came across this. Great list. Wish you got to finish adding your personal comments about each song though.
That's what they used to call a herculean effort. Very extensive list!
I gotta say....I really enjoyed reading this, top to bottom. List on the whole is good; not great, but good. Yes, there are some omissions, and perhaps a few indulgences, but I challenge anyone to come up with a fully accurate list of 250 songs, that 100% of public would agree to....not to mention the blurbs at the start of the 1st 50 or so songs...nice touch. Kudos to you DJ. And Thank You for taking the time to do this list up. regardless of accuracy (one of the most accurate lists I've seen in a blog yet, if not the most accurate, on the whole, in my opinion. Again...KUDOS for the time and effort and material content.
love it much!!!
Hmmm - mostly pop - not new wave songs ...
I love this list!
i 'm looking for a title of a song i heard something like " hot dog you need love i am cooking" does someone remember this song?
That is a hell of a list, my respect to you.
Not really a good list. I didn't see Sedated by the Ramones. That should be a top ten. Joe Jackson?? Some songs are overrated, while others, most notably I Ran and She Blinded Me With Science are way too low. Others I didn't see were INXS - To Look At You, Romeo Void - Never Say Never. I could go on and on. I do agree with the #1 song and that can't be said for many lists. Rock Lobster was the first and still the best new wave tune.
Here, I'll give you a quicker and better top ten. #1 Rock Lobster (we agree), #2 Whip It - Devo, #3 White Wedding - Billy Idol, #4 Tainted Love - Soft Cell, #5 Sedated - Ramones, #6 I Ran - Flock Of Seagulls, #7 New Years Day - U2, #8 Don't Change - INXS, #9 She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby, #10 Turning Japanese - Vapors. I prefer songs before 1983 as the genre was mostly full of copycats after this point. I could however produce a solid list of late 80s New Wave much more impressive than this one.
Good overall list brought me back. Don't listen to these stupid haters. Everyone will disagree with any top 250 list in anything! Great job! Class of 82
Thanks for bringing back all the memories!!!!!
In the Thompson Twins Hold Me Now, she says my cold and tired heart.
Great list. Didn't find the name of the band that brought me here--guess I'll have to make my way through the LP boxes at my parents' house to find it. Don't agree with ALL the choices (and putting 90s bands in seems...wrong), but I loved the list--and the comments. A few quibbles--no Siouxie (did I miss it?), Tones on Tail, OMD, or the band whose name I still can't remember?
Thanks putting such an extensive list together, it helped me find songs I had forgotten!!
Good Job with this list. Will save it to my favorites for future reference.
It was cool to see my alltime favorite band mentioned by some of the posters...20/20. Anyway...everyone's life experiences is different so we could have a million people do this list and they'd all be different. To get angry or nasty is stupid. Make your own list and respect this one for what it is ....someone else's opinion. Not wrong, just different. Good job!
"Hmmm - mostly pop - not new wave songs ..."
That's true. Classic New Wave is A Flock of Seagulls, Modern Romance and Depeche Mode. The music was mainly based on synthesisers. but hey a good list, just not New Wave.
then again, new wave has been used to describe everything from culture club to the specials and Duran Duran and certain sub-cultures of punk rock, it can mean many different things. for me it embodied the era of the synthesizer in the 80s, the Roland Juno 6 i believe.
Sweet dreams are made of THESE, not "this".
Wow - tough crowd! I thought the list was great!
Listen to their song, proudly Pinoy band: The Dawn - Enveloped Ideas. Such a great hit during new wave era here in the Philippines.
Add to the list: Xmal Deutschland, Friend Again - State of Art, Till Tuesday - Voices Carry, Prefab Sprout - When Love Breaks Down, C.C.C.P. - American Soviet, ABC - Be Near Me, The Adventures - Two Rivers, Industry - State of the Nation, The Alarm - Absolute Reality, Jane Weidlin, The Propaganda - Duel, The Eurogliders, A House - I'll Always Be Grateful, The Care - Flaming Sword, The Sound - Total Recall, I start counting - You & I, The Railway Children - Every Beat Of The Heart, Johnny Hates Jazz, April Showers, The Bible - Graceland, Translator - Gravity, Riverside - Cinnamon Eyes, Wire Train - Chamber of Hellos, Red Rockers - China, .......
Everything was going ok while I was reading this acceptable list, I disagree with the election of the B-52's because I don't like too much this group whereas I love Depeche Mode, Gary Numan, A-ha, Soft Cell, Talking Heads, Eurythmics.., The problem is when I hear that Madness has only 4 good songs, That is blasphemy! Madness were one of the most creative groups of the 80's, they didn't only play ska, but also they did so wonderful albums (absolutely, 7, the rise and fall…) Making a list about the 80's is mission impossible, it's impossible to satisfy to everyone and it's impossible to include all of these genius and modern and futuristic artists from the past; however, it is always good to hear about all this music,
As someone who is still entrenched in 80's music except for the occasional decent band that pops up amongst the muck of current music (The Killers, Muse, Interpol, Franz Ferdinand, etc), I thought you did an excellent job compiling your list. Of course the order of songs is going to be subjective, but your depth of different bands was excellent.
By the way for Barbara from a few weeks ago, he did have "Moving in Stereo" by the Cars at the top half of the list. Anyone who was a preteen or teenage boy like I was in 1982 could never forget this song playing as Phoebe Cates took her top off in Fast Times...
Where is Heaven 17.....? Let me go..... and tones on tails.... go...?
Really fantastic!
Grace Jones needs to be on this list somewhere. #JustSayin.
Great list. I really like the idea of ranking songs by how new wave they are as opposed to how independently great they are. I was surprised not to see more Psychedelic Furs on the list and no Siouxie and the Banshees or Bauhaus. Too goth to be new wave? I also would have liked to see something from The The's "Soul Mining" as opposed to the later stuff. Martha and the Muffins' "Echo Beach" belongs on here and maybe even some of their later stuff. I also agree with others who said Heaven 17 belonged here. Somebody else thought you should have had the X-Ray Spex, but, great as they are, I really don't think they belong on a new wave list. Anyway, nice job.
Thanks. Used your list as a starting point for an extensive order for music from the time I was below 30 (which covers the 80s). It looks (almost) like a playlist of Germanys best disco in the 80s - Hamburgs "Madhouse". You really missed - tastes aside - just one no brainer: Blancmanges "Blind Vision".
Regards from Germany,
Awesome list! I especially loved the inclusion of "The Honeythief," one of my favs that often gets overlooked. Thanks for doing the legwork!
Hi, I LOVE all music, hard work, good authors' research and especially lists! Do blurbs on every song, but please stop ranting about what the "chicks" liked. NOT a good music-o-meter.
Since I was already an old man with a bad prostate, I recall The Bangles' "Walk Like An Egyptian" and baby, we considered that New Wave (pardon me if it is on your list).
I have a question, I'll grant a new Chinese Buddhist name to anyone who can answer: my pals and I liked a song sung by a girl with a lovely throaty voice. All I can remember is that it was New Wave, it had a hook with the words "the bell of st. mark" and another lyric which said "he won't talk to strangers/he's so mysterious"
I am so nostalgic for that song. HEEEEEELP!!!!!
Cool list. Enjoyed being taken back to the day (even though much of me has never left the 80's). Not gonna critique and tell you where you were wrong because that would be my list and not yours. Geez, I'm still waiting for someone to slam you for excluding the Blow Monkeys. Thanks for the effort.
Great find! Thank you. List order is alright. Enjoyed this!!
Loved the list...even some of the songs not on your list were triggers by the artists and songs that WERE! Thnx
Surprised to Not see any mention of The Cars (They ruled the Airwaves.
20/20,Nerves,Plimsouls,Beat(Paul Collins),Kings,Motels,Pop,Tommy Tutone,
To name a Few :)
Liasons Dangereuses - Los Ninos Del Parque
A True Classic in it's own time and still strong.
Simple Minds - I Travel
Another NW classic before turning mainstream
Anne Clark - Sleeper in Metropolis
Anne Clark - Oud Darkness
Mmm... Anne Clark the Queen of New Wave?
Joy Division - New Dawn Fades
A dark cult NW classic, should not be missed
Spandau Ballet - Chant No.1
Another legendary song, made before the Ballet Boys went mainstream.
Great effort, provided me with lots of thought, and of course open to debate. Where to draw the line between "punk" and "new wave" and what year to cutoff. I personally think more Ramones and New Order, & some Blancmange would be in my list, but hey no one's going to be a clone in taste.
Look, there were SO many other songs that could have been mentioned but they are all down to personal tastes. The fact that you took the time to compile this lot is so meritable and demonstrates how serious you take the industry, whatever the genre or the period it came from. Bloody well done you mate!!!
I hate it when people refer to Dexys as one hit wonders. Do your research? Geno was Dexys first number one hit. Jackie Wilson Said, Show Me, Celtic Soul Brothers, Because of You and others made the top 10.
Great list DJ :) I think we all have our individual...personal list of the greatest New Wave songs...coz we all have personal preferences.
Would love to share to you and everybody my favorite New Wave songs,while I wouldn't claim that it's the greatest New Wave songs.So here's some of my list (Note: A few bands listed here are not exclusively New Wave bands, but are involved (and associated with )in releasing New Wave songs in the 80's and early 90's.And most of this list are of the lighter side...'love song' and 'rare' type New Wave songs which are good in listening while in a relax mood :)
Somebody ~ Depeche More
It Doesn't Matter ~ Depeche Mode
Strange Love ~ Depeche Mode
Little 15 ~ Depeche Mode
See You ~ Depeche Mode
Any Second Now ~ Depeche Mode
A Question Of Lust ~ Depeche Mode
I Love You ~ Primal Scream
Meaning Of Love ~ ABC
Be Near Me ~ ABC
Rain ~ Red Flag
Broken Heart ~ Red Flag
Russian Radio ~ Red Flag
Wonderful Life ~ Black
Everything Coming Up Roses ~ Black
Imagination ~ Clan Of Cymox
Living On The Borderline ~ Smash Palace
Emotion In Motion ~ Ric Ocasek
I'm Been In Love Before ~ The Cutting Crew
I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight ~ The Cutting Crew
Any Colors ~ The Cutting Crew
Sahara ~ The Cutting Crew
My Sanctuary ~ Identity Crisis
Enveloped Ideas ~ The Dawn
What About Love ~ 'Til Tuesday
Voices Carry ~ 'Til Tuesday
Wishful Thinking ~ China Crisis
Cat ~ The Essence
In The Meantime ~ The Railway Children
Careful ~ The Railway Children
The Killing Moon ~ Echo & The Bunnymen
Lips Like Sugar ~ Echo & The Bunnymen
A Southern Sky ~ Killing Joke
Love Like Blood ~ Killing Joke
Adoration ~ Killing Joke
State Of Art ~ Friends Again
Love Is A Lonely Harbour ~ Fra Lippo Lippi
Thief In Paradise ~ Fra Lippo Lippi
Distance Between Us ~ Fra Lippo Lippi
Regret ~ Fra Lippo Lippi
Candy ~ Iggy Pop & Kate Pierson(B52's)
Say Hello,Wave Goodbye ~ March Almond(Soft Cell)
Tainted Love ~ Soft Cell
Tears ~ The Chamelions
Pain and Pleasure ~ The Chamelions
Fade To Gray ~ Visage
Japan ~ The Creatures
Cuts You Up ~ Peter Murphy
Indigo Eyes ~ Peter Murphy
Plastic Flowers ~ The Wake
Total Recall ~ The Sound
One Thousand Reasons ~ The Sound
Under The Gun ~ The Sisters Of Mercy
Whatever Possessed You ~ The Care
Flaming Swords ~ The Care
Bringing Home The Ashes ~ The Wildswans
Bitterness ~ The Wildswans
The Great Commandment ~ Camouflage
Love Is A Shield ~ Camouflage
That Smiling Face ~ Camouflage
Butterfly On The Wheel ~ The Mission (UK)
Like A Hurricane ~ The Mission (UK)
Severina ~ The Mission (UK)
Have In Mind ~ Cetu Javu
The First Picture Of You ~ The Lotus Eaters
Love Still Flows ~ The Lotus Eaters
German Girl ~ The Lotus Eaters
Pictures Of You ~ The Cure
Faith ~ The Cure
Love Song ~ The Cure
Just Like Heaven ~ The Cure
Beautiful Girl ~ INXS
Need You Tonight ~ INXS
Never Tear Us Apart ~ INXS
Not Enough Time ~ INXS
Everybody Want To Rule The World ~ Tears For Fears
Head Over Heels ~ Tears For Fears
Mad World ~ Tears For Fears
Woman In Chains ~ Tears For Fears
Twist In My Sobriety ~ Tanita Tikaram
Good Tradition ~ Tanita Tikaram
You Don't Know ~ Scarlett and Black
Leave Me Alone ~ New Order
Bizzare Love Triangle ~ New Order
True Faith ~ New Order
One ~ U2
Night And Day ~ U2
Pride In The Name Of Love ~ U2
With Or Without You ~ U2
Where The Streets Have No Name ~ U2
October ~ U2
All I Want Is You ~ U2
Asia ~ Mo
Turn To The Sky ~ March Violets
In A Manner Of Speaking ~ Martin Gore
Oh My Love ~ Martin Gore
Compulsion ~ Martin Gore
Under The Milky Way ~ The Church
Honey Be Good ~ The Bible
The Last Supper ~ Howard Jones
The Light Is Always Green ~ The House Martins
Ghost In You ~ Psychedelic Furs
Angels Don't Cry ~ Psychedelic Furs
Heaven ~ Psychedelic Furs
This Love ~ Cocteau Twins
How Can I Fall ~ Breathe
Hands To Heaven ~ Breathe
More To Lose ~ Seona Dancing
Upside Down ~ Two Minds Crack
Goodbye Is Forever ~ Arcadia
Secrets ~ Fiat Lux
Smallville ~ Bazooka Joe
Hynotized ~ Copy-Right
Regina ~ Sugarcubes
Birthday ~ Sugarcubes
A Girl In Trouble (is a temporary thing) ~ Romeo Void
Cinnamon Eyes ~ Riverside
Waterfall ~ Riverside
Telephone Call ~ Kraftwerk
The Model ~ Kraftwerk
Major Tom ~ Peter Shilling
China Girl ~ David Bowie
Absolute Beginners ~ David Bowie
No More I Love You's ~ The Lover Speaks
Alone Again Or ~ The Damned
Proud To Fall ~ Ian McCulloch
Flickering Wall ~ Ian McCulloch
Candleland ~ Ian McCulloch
Faith and Healing ~ Ian McCulloch
Eyes Without A Face ~ Billy Idol
White Wedding ~ Billy Idol
Catch My Fall ~ Billy Idol
Nowhere Girl ~ B-Movie
Presence Of Love ~ The Alarm
Rain In The Summertime ~ The Alarm
Absolutel Reality ~ The Alarm
Our Lips Are Sealed ~ Soup Dragons
Someday ~ Glass Tiger
This Is How It Feels ~ Inspiral Carpets
Birthday Girl ~ Microdisney
Blue Spanish Sky ~ Chris Isaak
Blue Hotel ~ Chris Isaak
Wicked Game ~ Chris Isaak
Dear God ~ Midge Ure
Dancing With Tears From My Eyes ~ Ultravox
Dear God ~ XTC
Dream Kitchen ~ Frazier Chorus
Typical ~ Frazier Chorus
Blue Diamond ~ H2O
Forever Young ~ Alphaville
Big In Japan ~ Alphaville
Dance With Me ~ Alphaville
Sounds Like A Melody ~ Alphaville
Flame ~ Alphaville
Voyage Voyage ~ Desireless
Stay ~ Blue Nile
Headlights On The Parade ~ Blue Nile
Stay ~ Marc Spencer
Send Me An Angel ~ Real Life
Is This Love ~ Alison Moyet
Appetite ~ Prefab Sprout
From Dawn To Distraction ~ The Colourfield
Colourfield ~ The Colourfield
Thinking Of You ~ The Colourfield
Castle In The Wind ~ The Colourfield
Confession ~ The Colourfield
I Don't Wanna Talk About It ~ Everything But The Girl
Cross My Heart ~ Everything But The Girl
I Melt With You ~ Modern English
Love Will Tear Us Apart Again ~ Joy Division
Cars ~ Gary Numan
Rock Lobster ~ The B52's
I Won't Stand In Your Way ~ Stray Cats
Square Rooms ~ Al Corley
E=MC2 ~ Big Audio Dynamite
The Bottom Line ~ Big Audio Dynamite
Living On The Ceiling ~ Blancmange
Waves ~ Blancmange
Digging Your Scene ~ Blow Monkeys
Slave To Love ~ Bryan Ferry
More Than This ~ Bryan Ferry
Kiss And Tell ~ Bryan Ferry
Love Me Simple ~ Tuesday Blue
Tunnel Vision ~ Tuesday Blue
Come Out Fighting ~ Easterhouse
Waiting For The Redbird ~ Easterhouse
I Ran ~ A Flock Of Seagulls
Space Age Love Song ~ A Flock Of Seagulls
The More You Live,The More You Love ~ A Flock Of Seagulls
Jennifer She Said ~ Lloyd Cole & The Commotion
Call Me ~ Lloyd Cole & The Commotion
Dance With Me ~ Lords Of The New Church
Total Eclipse ~ The Expression
If You Need Someone ~ The Field Mice
Shine On ~ House Of Love
Christine ~ House Of Love
Remember The Nights ~ The Motels
Suddenly Last Summer ~ The Motels
Between Something And Nothing ~ Ocean Blue
Slide ~ Ocean Blue
Ask Me Jon ~ Ocean Blue
Deep,Wide and Tall ~ Aztec Camera
Somewhere In My Heart ~ Aztec Camera
Mary's Prayer ~ Danny Wilson
Ordinary World ~ Duran Duran
Come Undone ~ Duran Duran
Save A Prayer ~ Duran Duran
Golden Brown ~ The Stranglers
A Little Respect ~ Erasure
Blue Savannah ~ Erasure
Ship Of Fools ~ Erasure
Secret ~ OMD
If You Leave ~ OMD
Dreaming ~ OMD
Then You Turn Away ~ OMD
Forever Live And Die ~ OMD
Don't Dream It's Over ~ Crowded House
Four Seasons In One Day ~ Crowded House
No Promises ~ Icehouse
Crazy ~ Icehouse
Man Of Colors ~ Icehouse
Electric Blue ~ Icehouse
Love Comes Quickly ~ Pet Shop Boys
West End Girls ~ Pet Shop Boys
Rent ~ Pet Shop Boys
It's A Sin ~ Pet Shop Boys
Human ~ Human League
Don't You Want Me ~ Human League
Pure ~ Lightning Seeds
From Across The Kitchen Table ~ The Pale Fountains
Thank You ~ The Pale Fountains
Jeans Not Happening ~ The Pale Fountains
Palm Of My Hand ~ The Pale Fountains
Reach ~ The Pale Fountains
These Are The Things ~ The Pale Fountains
I'll Always Be Grateful ~ A House
Joey ~ Concrete Blonde
Don't Get Me Wrong ~ Concrete Blonde
Chenko(Pow-Wow Press) ~ Red Box
Chinese Black ~ Neon Judgement
Everytime That I See You ~ Vitamin Z
Burning Flame ~ Vitamin Z
Take One Me ~ A-ha
The Sun Always Shines On TV ~ A-ha
Hunting High And Low ~ A-ha
Living A Boy's Adventure Tale ~
(Last Part)
Motorcycle Emptiness ~ Manic Street Preachers
Animal Magic ~ Belouis Some
Heaven (Must Be There) ~ Eurogliders
All Together Now ~ The Farm
Duel ~ Propaganda
Abandon Ship ~ April Showers
True ~ Spandau Ballet
Gold ~ Spandau Ballet
Only When You Leave ~ Spandau Ballet
Through The Barricade ~ Spandau Ballet
Something About You ~ Level 42
Well I Wonder ~ The Smiths
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now ~ The Smiths
How Soon Is Now ~ The Smiths
Hairdresser On Fire ~ The Smiths
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me ~ The Smiths
There's A Light That Never Goes Out ~ The Smiths
What Difference Does It Make? ~ The Smiths
Girlfriend In A Coma ~ The Smiths
Everyday Is Like Sunday ~ Morrissey
Suedhead ~ Morrissey
The More You Ignore Me,The Closer I Get ~ Morrissey
Late Night,Maudlin Street ~ Morrissey
Shatted Dreams ~ Johnny Hates Jazz
Turn Back The Clock ~ Johnny Hates Jazz
Different Seasons ~ Johnny Hates Jazz
Saved By Zero ~ The Fixx
Red Skies ~ The Fixx
Secret Separation ~ The Fixx
Walk In The Woods ~ The Pursuit Of Happiness
Broken Land ~ The Adventures
Two Rivers ~ The Adventures
The Pan Within ~ The Waterboys
The Whole Of The Moon ~ The Waterboys
Sunday Morning ~ The Bolshoi
Away ~ The Bolshoi
T.V. Man ~ The Bolshoi
Kiss Of Like ~ Gene Loves Jezebel
Lean Period ~ Orange Juice
No Myth ~ Michael Penn
Real Gone Kid ~ Deacon Blue
Why Does It Rain ~ Weather Prophets
Modigliani (Lost In Your Eyes) ~ Book Of Love
This Is The Day ~ The The
Take My Breath Away ~ Berlin
Who Knows What Love Is ~ Straberry Switchblade
Out Of Hand ~ Mighty Lemon Drops
You And I ~ I Start Counting
Blushing Girl,Nervous Smile ~ Wallflowers
Time And Space ~ Flesh For Lulu
I Go Crazy ~ Flesh For Lulu
True Blue Falls ~ Died Pretty
Tell Me Why ~ Nick Heyward
How Was It For You ~ James
What For ~ James
Stripmining ~ James
Vox ~ Sarah Mclachlan
Heart Of Gold ~ Blondie
Call Me ~ Blondie
Don't You Forget About Me ~ Simple Minds
It's My Life ~ Talk Talk
Stand ~ REM
The One I Love ~ REM
Shiny Happy People ~ REM
Man On The Moon ~ REM
Everybody Hurts ~ REM
On Paper ~ Three O'Clock
Chamber Of Hellos ~ Wire Train
Smiles and Jokes ~ White China
Worlds Apart ~ Cactus World News
The Bridge ~ Cactus World News
Chance ~ Big Country
Kiss Of Life ~ Anything Box
When We Lie ~ Anything Box
Hypocrite ~ Anything Box
I Love Chopin ~ Gazebo
Loves Moves In Strange Ways ~ Blue Zoo
The following songs are amazing 80's sound, but maybe a little bit obscure:
Visage-Fade to gray
Chameleons- don't fall
what's the title of the song that has the chorus "sorry amore" and some parts of the lyrics are "comprende" and comensar?
who sang the song entitled magic swan i think it was from the eighties.thanks!
I'm looking for a song that goes bop bop bop dada number nine, bop bop be da baaa da. It's not Love Potion #9. But has those words or word in it. Help!!!!!!!!!
Great List from everyone involved, but I must admit that EVERYONEforgot one of the greatest dancing New Wave songs ever..."reasons to be cheerful.....Part 3", from Ian Dury, was one of the greatest dance songs for its time, never mind the fact that it might have been one of the first "rap" new wave songs ever...just a great song.
hi, i search one of band, but i dont the name. just i know its songing on 1980~1990 and i saw in UK music box.
alsow they have bound name same as commenard or something like that.
pls if any body can hape me to find the name i will be pride
New Wave favs from Philippines
There are songs from the 90s on the list and you have missed many great songs from the 80s. Otherwise its a good start.
Real life send me an angel
dramarama.....anything, anything
Wow--- i had part of an 890's song pop in and out of my head this am,,, and went looking for some memory joggers. My song didn't make your list, but dang you have some good songs on there, and i LOVED (most of ) the comments, especially the two that mentioned Blanchmange--as i now remember the song that was briefly in my head was Don't Tell Me. I gotta get that on my ipod!
I was told "Turning Japanese" was about the ol' 5 knuckle shuffle too - but its not true!!
I actually happened to hear this on the radio about a year ago, no distractions, and realised it has nothing to do with masturbation, its actually about alienation!!
The lyrics beginning "no sex, no drugs, no wine no women..." actually gives the meaning to the song. Basically people were looking at the Vapors and going "these dudes are weird!" And the Vapors were seeing these weird looks they were getting, and responding in typical Brit fashion "Am I turning Japanese or something?"
So no its not about cranking the yank or whatever eupemism you want to put in - its all about being a weirdo, and people looking at you like you're a freak.
Thanks SO MUCH!!!
The list is great reference material, a good starting point, if nothing else. I appreciate every much that additional lists have been posted in the comments, too. Like many, I take exception with some of the choices. I think there are some glaring omissions, as well, and I scrolled through the comments until I saw that somebody else noticed the absence of Never Say Never by Romeo Void, which was the first that came to mind for me as being noticeably absent. But it has been enormously useful to me in building up the library for my "80s at 11:00" radio show I do Monday-Friday mornings (not streaming online, so don't bother asking, as many eventually do). Thanks for all the effort and hard work. Long live New Wave!
It's very interesting to see what an American considers to be 'new wave' let alone their top 250 track listing.
If this list was compiled in the UK it would be very different as would the comments on each track/group.
Loved your list...thanks dude or dudette
I've never met anyone who knew who "An Emotional Fish" is or the song "Celebrate" let alone rank it in the top 50 '80's songs.
Really, nice list.
Nena did a song with Westbam called "oldschool baby".
Piano Mix is my favorite... dope track. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgG5U9ohngk
This was a great list and as many have stated there are many more great tunes of the 80's. Here are some of my favorites that did not make the list or some of the comments I believe;
Cabaret Voltaire song "do right"
you see their poster on the wall of Ferris Buellers room in the movie.
Q Feel song "dancing in heaven"
Just a great song for this time frame.
2 men a drum machine and a trumpet "tired of getting pushed around"
This was when beats were were getting more popular like the band YELLO, harold Faltermeyer or Herbie Hancock. Oh yeah don't forget "the art of noise"
Altered Images "Happy Birthday" and " I could be Happy" great songs.
The B side of Ministry's 12 inch single of Halloween had a song called "All Day" the lyrics were great and it just never got the play time it deserved.
Pete Shelley "Homosapien" this is the 80's new wave if any.
Book Of Love "I touch Roses" and "You make me feel so good"
Camouflage "The great commandment"
This was mentioned in the comments but I am going to repeat it as it is a big one.
Killing Joke "A love like Blood" this one was just one great song
Real Life "Send me an angel"
Squeeze "Cool for cats" had to list this as you have to listen to the lyrics.
Divine "You think your a man"
Man 2 Man "Male Stripper"
Trans X "Living on Video"
B Movie "Nowhere girl"
Romeo Void "Never say never"
The Motels "Suddenly last summer"
Pop will eat itself "Def con one"
Billy Bragg "New England"
Waterboys "The whole of the moon" this was a great song
Stone Roses "I wanna be adored" and "Fools gold"
The Church "Uner the milky way"
The Nails "88 lines about 44 woman"
Jim Carroll Band "People who died"
Shriekback "Nemesis"
Hunters and Collectors "Talking to a stranger"
Sisters of Mercy "More" cause some people get high with a little understanding.
Blue Peter "Don't walk on past"
Images in Vogue "Call it Love"
Payolas "Eyes of a stranger"
The Spoons "Nova Heart"
This could go on forever as the 80's was the greatest time for music hands down.
Thanks everyone who added songs to the comments as well as several were great selections that brought back great memories.
Does anyone remember a video wherein a camel is walking through some sand dunes. They used to play it on MV3 (TV new wayve video show). Title of the song? Anybody. I've been looking for years.
Noble effort but the Psychedelic Furs' "Love My Way" should be on the top half of this list...
can somebody tell a song name or artist: this is what a verse of the song says: "when you call my name" then drums come in and "la lala la, lala la" please somebody
It's somewhat ironic, but the name of that song you're referring to is "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds...
Great list mate! I started searching for songs I never heard of before...
I am still looking for one with "My name is zero" in the lyrics..and then ho ho ho ho in the chorus..., it seems to be from around 1985, kind of ska rifts..
Can anyone please help me????
Simple Minds - Don't You (Forget About Me)
What a great list. Kudos to you for the work envolved.
Funny, even 30 years later, people are still debating what is/was "new wave". I hated the term at the time because all genres other than classic rock were being thrown under the new wave banner including punk, power pop, the ska revival, the roots/rockabilly revival, etc. I appreciate this list even though some of the songs on it that I hate the most are the ones that are becoming the 80's "classics" that will be played forever, just when I thought I would never have to hear them again. This is all very subjective. I would have included other great L.A./So.Cal. bands like Suburban Lawns, Penetrators, Plimsouls, Unknowns, the Quick, and more Oingo Boingo and also more Elvis Costello, the Cure and Talking Heads. I think one of the first bands I heard that had a sound that I just couldn't place was the Normal with T.V.O.D. and Warm Leatherette. I would probably add one of those also.
But Great post. And to the poster who said the B-52's were trying to sound like an 80's band has no idea what they are talking about - they are like totally 80's!!!!! P.S. I hate Devo's "Whip It". They had so many great songs prior to that one being released. Please check them out.
Also the Plugz - Electrify my - heck it was good enough for the "New Wave Hookers" soundtrack. And how about Sparks for being inovators I would nominate "Tips for Teens". . .
OK - rolling up sleeves....
Motors - Love and Loneliness
Haircut One Hundred - Love Plus One
Simple Minds - Somebody Up There Likes You
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Joan Of Arc
Ministry - Cold Life
Kraftwerk - Showroom Dummies
grace jones - nipple to the bottle
Electric Light Orchestra - Stranger
Clash - This is Radio Clash
Art Of Noise - Close (To The Edit)
Tom Tom Club - Lorelei
Marshall Crenshaw - Whenever You're On My Mind
Wang Chung - Fire In The Twilight
New Order - Ceremony
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Spellbound
China - Red Rockers
The Brains - Dont Give Yourself Away
The Tubes - Talk To Ya Later
Kajagoogoo - Too shy
Greg Kihn Band - Jeopardy
Ultravox - Reap The Wild Wind
Ultravox - Slow Motion
Ultravox - Dancing with tears in my eyes
Heaven 17 - Let Me Go
Young Marble Giants - n.i.t.a.
801 - That Falling Feeling
Blue Rose - Don't You Know (Ambushed)
The Passions - Im in love with a German film star
Split Enz - I Got You
Thomas Dolby - Windpower
Thomas Dolby - One of Our Submarines
And that's just the early eighties...
Good list, however many of the "90's" songs were actually released in the 80's. Example: "What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)" 1988 release.
Love the comments. Would love to see em for all the songs!
Enjoyed the list and comments. College radio stations in early 80's was where I was introduced to "new music" (as they called it in my area at the time). My own personal list would have to include Aztek Camera, Prefab Sprout and Lloyd Cole & the Commotions.
Nice list. However, Frente only covered Bizarre Love Triangle. That version was NOT New Wave. The New Wave Version of that song was done by the band that wrote it~New Order.
Good list
WLIR on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1016649044#.../groups/2695686258/
Thanks for The List!! Good Job!
Shot in the dark here, but does anyone remember the name of the song and the group that had a video shot in the desert, lead singer and with a semi-truck? Been racking my noggin - if I remember correctly, it had almost a
to John--was the video "who made who" -the maximum overdrive version,by AC/DC--
this is a good list.i recently ordered a 12 cd set of 80's music videos(31 per dvd)=372 and it's totally awesome.Most all the songs fro this list and more are in the collection.i watched MTV all through the 80's and early 90's(until rap and hip hop were the predominant content) as opposed to listening to the radio/.i feel so fortunate to have been in my 30's in the 80's as i was able ,as an adult to enjoy the music and tv programs and yet still hang out with the 20 somethings of that era.while most younge people were either in school or working ,i had a sleep disability(delayed sleep phase syndrome--google it) and didn't have the obligation of having to go to work ...it wasa glorious decade.the music was happy,people were happy and they smiled so often and it wasa decade of bright colors.billboards,the malls,record covers,etc..even tv commercials were in brilliant happy color.the fashions were bright colors and nobody cared if your hair was short or long,blue,gray or purple or bald..so much was acceptable and common back then/.then rap and hip hop became the predominant style on MTV and radio --at this point everything was chenging toward a negative force in society and in people's attitudes.if people remember clearly,it's at that time that music became jungle sounding as opposed to containing any melody/the direction of the music was 1. lewd 2.gansta 3.repetitive 4.everything sucky--i miss the 80's because it was a happy decade,stuck between the sad 70's and the horrible 90's.the 21st century came along and nothing got better,except for the fact that many 80's bands got back together for a while..then disbanded again.the only really good bands being created had female vocalists--nightwish,evanescence,flyleaf,lacuna coil to name a few.other than that..recently blondie releasd a fine cd called panic of girls.it sounds like their old stuff and i highly recommend it.the cars have a new cd out."move like this"./the music sounds more like their old stuff than their old stuff did//it's awesome//there's some good stuff out there..just not very much//i miss the 80's.for those of you who weren't there or too young to remember clearly, if you could go back i time,you'd be in awe at how happy and colorful the decade was.of course there was drugs just like today..people still got drunk and partied..but people didn't have the negative unhappy attitude that exists so commonly today .
No, it wasn't ACDC...I want to say that it was either The Damned or Ministry, but have not been able to confirm...the song and video are somewhat Spanish influenced, IIRC...fast guitars
Love the list, hate the order. "Come on Eileen" at # 3 and "Chains of Love" in the 200s?
But lots of great songs that a lot of people who "weren't there" (or just didn't care care) have never heard of. I could spend hours re-ordering the list and probably making a few additions and deletions, but all and all a pretty good compilation.
great list....i am looking for songs to play at my 40th birthday party...i wouldn't have remembered a lot of these if it wasn't for this blog! thank you, it brings back tons of memories!! :)
Cool list. Many of my fave '80s hits were in there. Call me crazy, but I think "Mexican Radio" by Wall of Voodoo should have been number one, or at least gotten a higher spot. No other band had that Southwestern flavor to it like WoV did. Plus, the "BBQ'd iguana" lyric never fails to make me smile. They also did a cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" and added their own sound to it. Some people like it, others think it's "a disgrace to Cash's original," but either way, WoV didn't just copy the song, they made it their own.
Also, have you heard the original German version of Peter Schilling's "Major Tom"? It's great, and even though I don't speak or understand much of that language, I like it a lot more than the English version. You should give it a shot. The title in German is "Voellig Losgeloest."
Maybe you'll know...Do you remember a 80's song Luxury/or the chorus had luxury in it or even rhymed with luxury. It was a male artist with phrases in the song such as:"such a waste", "smile on your face" "you can come as you are". It's a long shot but it's driving me mad. Lol. Thanks for your time.
I'm sorry, you're #1 song, Rock Lobster, is ineligible since it was released in '79. Thanks for playing. Here are some lovely parting gifts.
better if the selections are by genre.
gggggggoooooodddddd selection but much better if the selections are by genre.....love it........
This is a wonderful list it covers most of the bases!Others may balk at the order and a few missing favorites but it brings back some great memories!!! Thank you, cheers!
I love the list, I love the replies. It is quite scary - I own nearly every one of the top 250 on 7" vinyl! I think Information Society should be much higher (What's on your mind), and their single 'Running' should definitely be in there. Oh and so many others. I think that the best new wave bands overall were The B-52's. And pretty much everything they have done has been fantastic. Keep this blog going - can't wait to read the updates!
Love the blurbs. I think I might have read a few of these a few years ago and then just stumbled across it again.
The Internet is a big place.
Without a doubt, this is the greatest New Wave list on there.
It is sad that anyone who has the balls to do a 'Greatest' list is inevitably going to be shot down in flames by haters and generally ignorant people who have not got the skills or the balls to do one themselves.
DJ Funktual, and every other music lover knows that music is intensly personal, and everybody's 'greatest' list would be different, but Hey! this is a fantastic compilation, and the vast majority are in my 'Greatest' list, which incidentally contains 721 songs :-)
Keep up the awesome work.
Great comprehensive list Funktual. As a Toronto boy gonna rep some local talent from back in the eighties - the Spoons. May not be familiar to those south of the border (although they did get a cult following in the UK). Here is classic new wave track from them, enjoy.
Great list, though some of your selections were released in the 70s not the 80s. But so what - they're great songs.
Love the debate about what is and isn't "new wave" as if there's some great arbiter of the true classification scheme. I always thought of "new wave" as something some record company marketing folks thought up because punk sounded too threatening. As well as a reference to the French "new wave" of cinema many years earlier.
Nice list. A lot of people are suggesting songs to add that I've never heard of. But one song that definitely should be on the list is "Kids In America" by Kim Wilde, 1982.
Thanks a bunch for the list of songs! Not actually a child of the 80's, but my dad set me right, so it's great to be able to recognize a whole swath of these.
This has actin of info and is wonderful but I still can't find the song I'm looking for and who sings it Im going crazy! I swear it is call miss x or little miss x or something to that effect and it's not little miss can't be wrong and the cover of the cassette tape I had in the early ninetys late eightys had stick figures I think on it if you have any ideas I would appreciate it if u could email me at firstname.lastname@example.com thank u so much I remembered and saw Aton of groups I had forgotten about
no classix nouveaux the album night people has several tracks what would make it...cabaret voltaire aswell...and killing joke......
The list was cool. A lot of hits and misses. Nik Kershaw, Level 42,Heaven 17......... But your gonna miss some on a list. I dont consider all the songs on here new wave. I feel new wave ended with Violator.
Wow !!! Great list that has kept people commenting for years !!! 250 is a decent start and gave me enough to grow from. Plus some of the others here have contributed
so it's the best forum i've found as a reference.
Thanks to all with the positive feedback and I too have to add that the B-52's WERE the 80's, not wanna be's.
I've posted before but no Oingo Boingo? For anyone growing up in the 80's and in So. Cal they were a must. And Divine Thing by Soup Dragons came out in '92. Please remove them and add in some Boingo...
I'm glad it mentioned Gary Numan's Cars but I thnik everyone seems to forget his breakthough hit, Are 'Friends' Electric. It I feel was very influential on many English bands at that time.
The Fixx - Stand or Fall
A Flock of Seagulls - Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)
The Cars - Drive
Talking Heads - Wild Wild Life
You omitted Japan and Bauhaus. There also should be a lot more Echo and the Bunnymen, and Psychedelic Furs.
Alannah Currie says "My cold and tired heart" in Hold Me Now, to answer your question.
Was looking for some new songs to listen to in one of my favourite genres and you had some choice pics.
Down here in New Zealand we had Split Enz but also some other great new wave bands if you have the time, or the inclination check out some of these (all found on youtube):
The Swingers: 'Counting the Beat'
Mi-Sex: 'Computer Games'
The Screaming Meemees: 'See Me Go'
Pop Mechanix: 'Jumping Out A Window'
Danse Macabre: 'Between the Lines
Toy Love: 'Bride of Frankenstein'
If you like the more post punk sound I would recommend some of the Flying Nun bands:
The Chills: 'Kaleidoscope World'
The Clean: 'Tally Ho'
The Verlaines: 'Death and the Maiden'
Great List. But can anyone help me find song with chorus that goes "searchin' tonight . . . searchin' too-oo-night" (or might even be "switching tonight"). It has a kind of a Split Enz meets the Hooters vibe to it in terms of energy and synthesizer sound. I suspect it came out in '80-81.
Just found an answer to my own question. The song is actually called "Switchin' to Glide" by "The Kings." Took me 3 days of searching for the song with alternate titles.
A genre that continues to this day with Canada's 'Men Without Hats' releasing a new album in 2012 and Toronto's Robert Nix releasing his new album 'Walk Down The Street',the titletrack video on youtube.
Also to mention Gruppo Sportivo, Patti Smith, The Jam, De Brassers, Siglo XX, The Scabs, Nacht Und Nebel, Jo Lemaire and Flouze, Lavvi Ebel, Red Zebra, Luna Twist, Allez Allez, Marine, The Machines, Toy
you forgot to mention these gems: flaming mussolinis,floy joy,eight seconds,the sun and the moon, the ocean blue,zerra one,plimsouls,the pursuit of happiness icicle works,book of love,house of love,comsat angels...and on and on...a waver from philippines.
Incredible! Your list brought back memories! Hard to believe that it's been that long ago! I too listened to WLIR/WDRE and check out their Screamers/Shreek of the week list, WOW! (It covers the 80'-90's so called "New wave period?!) Those haters out there, Please make your own list! Good List!
There's a mistake there are actually 260 songs on this list coz after no. 220 it goes back to 211, so if u keep counting as normal (221 and so on) it's 260 in total!
Alternative? Most of this list looks like a pop music who's who from MTV? Redundant, boring. Don't get me wrong, there is some great stuff on here but, Joe Jackson, A-ha, Peter Gabriel ... ? Alternative? Not at all. Dig deeper.
hello again the cars
all good except gary Numan. Ever heard the Skin Mechanic? Great live record.
Great List- not much to debate on the order, the fact that the songs are there is cool enough. You sound like you really know your stuff.
Question; been searching for a song, new wave..,could have been classified as raw punk at the time, early 80's almost disintegrated from my memory banks. Do remember that we called it "Go!"; had a long series of 'yea' (nine of them). Any ideas?
Go!..is by Tones on Tail
Heres "some" my favorite hard to find New Wave songs from the 80's . You can share too your rare hard to find favorite New Wave songs. Sharing is pretty good :)
Red Flag - Rain
The Sun and the Moon - A Picture of England
James - Stripmining
Depeche Mode - It Doesn't Matter
Howard Jones - Last Supper
Primal Scream - Love You
Grace Pool - Stay
Tanita Tikaram - Twist of Sobriety
A-ha - Living a Boy's Adventure Tale
Tim Finn - Hyacinth
The Railway Children - In The Meantime
The Railway Children - Careful
The Colour Field - Sorry
U2 - Night and Day
Blue Nile - Headlights On The Parade
Til' Tuesday - What About Love
Stray Cats - I Won't Stand In Your Way
The Go- Betweens - Love Goes On
Identity Crisis - Will I Ever Know
Introvoys - Lullabye
Classic Nouveaux - Never Never Comes
Llyod Cole and the Commotion - Call Me
Killing Joke - A Southern Sky
Lulu Kiss Me Dead - Spades
Low Life - Ramified
New Order - Leave Me Alone
Ocean Blue - Slide
The Pale Fountains - Unless
Scarlett and Black - You Don't Know
Telex - Tell Me It's A Dream
The Creatures - Japan
The Glove - Mouth to Mouth
The Essence - The Cat
The Cure - Pictures Of You
The Sound - One Thousand Reasons
The Sound - Total Recall
The Dream Academy - The Love Parade
The Weather Prophets - Why Does The Rain
Voice Of America - I Will Tell
Prefab Sprout - Bonny
The Farmer's Boys - For You
The Field Mice - If You Need Someone
The Call - I Still Believe
Iggy Pop & Kate Pierson - Candy
Fra Lippo Lippi - Thief In Paradise
H2O - Who'll Stop The Rain
Blue Invention - Still in my Heart
Clan Of Xymox- Imagination
Easterhouse - Waiting For The Redbird
Dear Enemy - Bit Of Your Heart
Fiat Lux - Secrets
Black - Everything Is Coming Up Roses
Blancmange - Why Don't They Leave Things Alone
Depeche Mode - Any Second Now
Desert Wolves - Passion In The Afternoon
Bazooka Joe - Smallville
Depeche Mode - If You Want
EBTG - Alfie
Friends Again - State Of Art
Howard Devoto - Rainy Season
Ice House - The Kingdom
James - What For
Low Life - Hollow Gut
March Almond - Say Hello,Wave Goodbye
Play - Red Movies
Private Blue - She's Love
Red Flag - Give me your hand
Rumblefish - Don't Leave Me
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Kiss Them For Me
The Icicle Works - Melanie Still Hurts
Steve Allen - Message of love
Talk Talk - Such A Shame
The Beloved - Please Understand
The Bernhardts - I Hear You Calling
The Mission UK - Severina
The Chameleons - Pleasure and Pain
The Sisters Of Mercy - Under the Gun
The Wake - Plastic Flowers
Treebound Story - Forever Green
Twilight - Just Me Alone
Visage - Fade to Gray
Riverside - Waterfall
The Room - New Dreams For Old
Matthew Wilder - Hey Little Girl
Figures On A Beach - No Stars
Alphaville - Return to Paradise
Chris Issac - Blue Spanish Sky
Electronic - Disappointed
Friends - Far And Away
Robyn Hitchcock - Madonna Of The Wasps
Until December - Heaven
The Passmore Sisters - Every Child In Heaven
Billy Bragg - Greetings To The New Brunette
The Silencers - I Want You
The Silencers - I Can't Cry
Tuesday Blue - Love Me Simple
Stephen Duffy - I Love You
Broken English - Do You Want Me Back
Vitamin Z - Everytime That I See You
And many many more....the list goes on and on :)
By the way, anybody (who knows more songs than me :) ) out there who know the particular rare New Wave song I am looking for? I will really appreciate it :)
The New Wave love song is quite melancholic/sad/gloomy kind of tune by a male vocalist. I don't remember the singer/band and the song's title.The song were played sometimes by the Power 105 FM station (Manila,Philippines) during the 80′s.
Theres some lines of the lyrics sung by the male vocalist repeatedly "I love you…yes I do…I love you…yes I do/will"
Yes !!! amazing, flashes of intuition/recovering information from the Akashic records….I've found what I am looking for . It's the "Translator – I Love You"
To all the New Wave fans out there, heres more of hard to find (rarely heard in FM stations nowadays) New Wave songs that were played before in Power 105 and NU 107 FM stations in Manila, Philippines during 80′s and early 90′s :
The Damned – Alone Again Or
The Alarm – Presence Of Love
Smash Palace – Living On The Borderline
Cutting Crew – Sahara
Expression – Total Eclipse
The Chameleons UK – Second Skin
Peter Murphy – Cuts You Up
Peter Murphy – Indigo Eyes
The Fixx – Save By Zero
The Fixx – Secret Separation
The Wildswans – Immaculate
Desireless – Voyage Voyage
Identity Crisis – My Sanctuary
Ocean Blue – Between Something And Nothing
Gene Loves Jezebel – Kiss Of Life
OMD – Then You Turn Away
Erasure – When I Need You
Erasure – Ship Of Fools
Inspiral Carpets – This Is How It Feels
Depeche Mode – Route 66
The Mission – Like A Hurricane
Neon Judgement – Chinese Black
Red Box – Chenko ( Pow-Wow Press)
A-House – I'll Always Be Grateful
House Of Love – Christine
The Pale Fountains – Jane's Not Happening
Deacon Blue – Real Gone Kid
Camouflage – Love Is A Shield
Orange Juice – Lean Period
Alison Moyet – Is This Love
Microdisney – Birthday Girl
Frazier Chorus – Dream Kitchen
Colourfield – From Dawn To Distraction
Fra Lippo Lippi – Mother's Little Soldier
Secession – Touch
Motorcycle Boy – Will You Still Love Me Tommorow
The Church – Reptile
Virgin Dance – Are You Ready For That Feeling
Colourfield – Castle In The Air
Cactus World News – Worlds Apart
The Smiths – Suedhead
Martin Gore – In A Manner Of Speaking
Two Minds Crack – The Hunger And The Greed
The Smiths – Well I Wonder
Coteau Twins – Guinea
Depeche Mode – But Not Tonight
Fra Lippo Lippi – Coming Home
The Velvet Underground – Femme Fatale
Lover's Speak – Never To Forget You
For All the New Wave fans out there. Theres an open Facebook group dedicated to the 80′s music. It's "80s New-Wave, Post Punk, Synthpop, Goth Rock" .The group is presently have 16,132 members and still growing.
Everyone can join. Feel free to share and post at least two music videos/pics/announcements/events to it's page for every 24 hours. The limit is to avoid the clutter on the page for active members to enjoy sharing, listening and watching 80′s best and memorable songs.Long live Wavers :)
If your list has this, which is does:
102. ---I Melt With You ~~ Modern English
103. ---Blue Monday ~~ New Order
104. ---Everyday Is Halloween ~~ Ministry
Then you are clueless. Move those up 80 notches for sure.
Just to let you know..."Pop Goes The World" by Men Without Hats wasn't in the 90's. It was released in 1987.
Thanks for the great list. I'm a child-to-teen of the 80s, and found a few more songs on this list, that I had forgotten for some reason. I had no idea that Plastic Bertrand's "Ca Plane Pour Moi" existed--I had only known it as Elton Motello's "Jetboy Jetgirl." Also thanks to the posts by "bowloftoast." In the 80s I LIVED for CFNY--I knew it was good, but I had no idea that it was considered "one of the 5 definitive alt. radio stations" in the world. Also, grew up in Niagara--so I had the opportunity to go to Gord's. Thanks for reminding me of some great music!
Where is Laurie Anderson? Anything that woman touches is gold.
This is an outstanding list. As a former disc jockey, I got my start in the mid-80s at a college station and remember playing a lot of the songs on this list. I hadn't thought of Ministry's "Everyday is Halloween" in a long time...great tune! If you don't mind...here's a few of my favorites that I didn't see on your list but could have missed. Check 'em out...you'd probably enjoy them as much as I do.
Altered Images - Happy Birthday
The Boomtown Rats - Diamond Smiles
Bow Wow Wow - C30,C60,C90, Go
Martin Briley - The Salt In My Tears
The Burning Sensations - The Belly Of A Whale
China Crisis - King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up)
The Church - Metropolis
Combo Audio - Romanticide
Depeche Mode - Somebody (The live version is great!)
Duran Duran - Come Undone
Face To Face - 10-9-8
Haysi Fantayzee - Shiny, Shiny
Grayson Hugh - Talk It Over (In Bed)
Billy Idol - The Dead Next Door
Intaferon - Get Out Of London
The Motels - Shock
The Nails - 88 Lines About 44 Women
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Enola Gay
Our Daughter's Wedding - Lawn Chairs
The Plimsouls - A Million Miles Away
The Polecats - Make A Circuit With Me
Real Life - Send Me An Angel (The 1989 re-release is better)
Romeo Void - A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing)
Rubber Rodeo - Souvenir
Scarlett & Black - You Don't Know
Sigue Sigue Sputnik - Love Missile F-111
The Stranglers - (Get A) Grip (On Yourself)
Strawberry Switchblade - Since Yesterday
Talk Talk - Talk Talk
Ali Thomson - Take A Little Rhythm
Tones On Tail - Go!
Violent Femmes - Add It Up
Yazoo - Nobody's Diary
10,000 Maniacs - Like The Weather
Again, not a strike against your list at all....it's great. These are just some of my favorites that I would add. Thanks for the time you spent putting this together and for a trip down memory lane for this 47-year old. Have a great day!
great list; couple of other suggestions (heavily influenced by CFNY)
Parachute Club -- Rise Up
Pukka Orchestra -- Listen to the Radio, Cherry Beach Express
Rough Trade -- High School Confidential
btw, a contributor to isohunt.com has posted 60 separate files, each containing 20-30 songs, all of the lesser known new wave variety.
On the website, do a search for "rare hits of the 80's" or "rare hits of the 80s".
Sorry dude your list definitely sucks. Heart of glass, the pioneer song of the New Wave songs, should've been here.
My top 20 would be like this (regardless of including rock sound, reggae song etc. If a song is new wave, it is):
1. Heart of Glass - Blondie (1978)
2. Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran (1982)
3. I Ran (So Far Away) - A Flock of Seagulls (1982)
4. Down Under - Men at Work (1981)
5. Karma Chameleon - Culture Club (1983)
6. Shout - Tears for Fears (1984)
7. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Eurhythmics (1983)
8. Just Like Heaven - The Cure (1987)
9. Call Me - Blondie (1980)
10. Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper (1983)
11. Take on Me - a-ha (1985)
12. Don't You Want Me - Human League (1981)
13. Come on Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners (1982)
14. Relax - Frankie Goes to Hollywood (1983)
15. Tainted Love - Soft Cell (1981)
16. Our Lips Are Sealed - The Go-Go's (1981)
17. Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears (1985)
18. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) - Dead or Alive (1984)
19. Burning Down the House - Talking Heads (1983)
20. One Way or Another - Blondie (1978)
21. I Melt With You - Modern English (1982)
22. Do You Really Want to Hurt Me - Culture Club (1982)
23. Genius of Love - Tom Tom Club (1981)
24. Whip It - Devo (1980)
25. Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles (1979)
The Hardest Part - Blondie
Sometimes a Fantasy - Billy Joel
These 2 songs I remember well they are as fresh today as they were back then
It's a bad list! How can you forget Visage, OMD, Blancmange, Heaven 17, Ultravox, Alphaville, Talk Talk, Sparks, Fun Boy Three, China Crisis, B-Movie, Boytronic, Icehouse, Kajagoogoo, Siouxsie & the Banshees and many others?
Great list. Surprised to see some songs I really like that I never hear anymore. Pop Goes the World and Groovy Train to name 2.
Love that you remembered Scritti Politti.
who does "The Story Of Love" ? What a cool 80's tune ????? Please help
The Book Of Love did "I Touch Roses" but what band did "The Story Of Love" ??? firstname.lastname@example.com
Hold Me Now ~~ Thompson Twins ******* "Lyric question? Does xylophonist / backup singer Alannah Currie say 'Oh my cold Italian heart' toward the outro?"
She says "Warm my cold and tired heart" (the answer for the line "Oh, warm my heart").
I'm looking for a song that has the lyrics Hay yeah and it's not the dang outcast song it's a lady singing it
Anyone know one that goes something like: "I wanna, I wanna be the one/alone/etc."? It's sung by a guy and has the music reminiscent of The Mighty Lemon Drops/The Church/Flesh for Lulu. During what was deemed "Alternative" in the mid-80s or so. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks folks. :)
Can't believe The Smithereens didn't make the cut. Blood and Roses and Behind the Wall of Sleep are such great songs!!! Don't count them out. They are so good.
stop arguing guys, you cant compile or rank new wave, punk wave, rock wave or punk rock, synth rock and even rock n roll coz' they merge in the 70s 80s and up to d 90s. even Elvis Presley and Beatles sound can be considered new wave, take the case of "suspicious mind" and "money", the vocals of OMD, Depeche, Sisters of mercy etc, they imitate the voice modulation of Elvis and the beat of Beatles, so I'm so lucky or we r lucky that we r teens during the 80s, kids of d 70s and young adult during d 90s'. my wife and i love the song "i melt wih u" by d Modern english. my favorite band is the Cure and my favorite song is "wonderlife" by Black, even i don't know which is my no.1 coz i love them all. somes dislikes like tarzan boy and modern talking songs. and I currently have more than 3000 song to compile if i were to rank them it would be a major headache.
Anyone remember "Don't throw stones" by the sports. I loved that band.
Wow, what an amazing list. I'll be bookmarking this for later reference. I'm a big fan of 80's music, and there were even a few entries on here that I didn't recognize.
Sweet dreams are made of THESE, who am I to disagree.
I travel the world and the seven SEAS. Everybody's looking for something.
you miss something man...... a song called "ASIA"
How do you compose this list and miss SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES and GANG OF FOUR??????????????????????
were you even there?
Yas- The Situation
Berlin-(any song)
Kajagoogoo-Too Shy
Kraftwork-(any song)
I would add:
Be Bop Deluxe - Panic In My World
The Sinceros - Take Me To Your leader
The Jags - Back Of My Hand
The Motors - Airport
Adam Ant (another great one) - Don't Be There, Be square
Flock Of Seagulls - Telecomunicaton
Julian Cope - Trampoline and Beautiful Love
Generation X - Ready, Steady, Go
The Plimsouls - Million Miles Away
The headboys -Shape Of Things To Come
The Motels - Mission Of Mercy (Their MOST Rocking song)
The Hoodoo Gurus - What's My Scene?
Camper Van Beethoven - Pictures Of Matchstick Men
Flesh For Lulu - Postcards From Paradise
Fischer Z - So Long
The Shirts - I'm Not One Of Those
Just sooo many great songs out there from what I consider of of the Greatest music periods EVER!!!!
Scanning the authors list then through the comments and most of the list are just freakin great there seems to be one strangely absent
She Sells Sanctuary ~ The Cult
I need help figuring out the name of an artist and song.
It must be extremely obscure.
It came out 79-80.
It's extremely new wave and the singer has a quirky voice, like David Byrne's.
It's midtempo and the singer says something like "having a party" many times.
You can hear party noises in the background.
It's not Southside Johnny or someone like that. It's totally new wave.
I heard a number of times on WWWW in Detroit in 79-80.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
FYI on the base line of "Every Breath You Take" It's simply doubling up the notes of Ben E. King's "Stand By Me". Not an outright steal of music, just a subtle lift from another song. But I agree, it's a great track.
So no more blurbs ever got added? :(
Robert Hazard...Escalator of Life and Chain Reaction..
Oingo Boingo....Just Another Day
@Tom...YES....and Don't Throw Stones
Plus..The motors...Love and Loneliness
danny wilson...marys prayer
I remember a song that had the following lyrics, "Time is a word that no one can see." I was thinking it was Robert Palmer (early 80's stuff like, "Looking for Clues"), but after many searches nothing seems to match.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance!
I love this list and I love the fact that this thread is still.going 8 years later
Wonderful List but,...
What's this I see,... No Love for Hazel O'Connor!
Hazel O'Connor - Eight Day
Hazel O'Connor - Will You
The Associates - Party Fears Two
Visage - The Damned Don't Cry
John Foxx - Underpass
decent list, but not very accurate. just at a glance: "sunday girl" by blondie came out in in 1978, while the ned's atomic dustbin song came out in 1990 (plus, it sucks)
Good tunes but a few were out of date.. I was very surprised by seeing that you had The English Beat in there a couple of times, but you didn't have Save it For Later on that list!? Talk about the best song EVER to sum up dealing with changing from a teenager to a young adult! All the same enjoyed the song list.
Nice list...No XTC? Or Adrian Borlands band The Sound... Or did I miss em.
what about Go! by Tones on Tail? or Express Kundalini by Love and Rockets? Huge in Detroit.
Great list! Just built a play list!
Yup, like Joseph Addams, I don't necessarily agree with the other, but there are a lot of great songs on this list. Of course, New Wave is the best music, like ever, so naturally there'll be a lot of great songs here. :-)
Thank you for the list. Love it. btw Depeche Mode's literal translation is "depressed mood"
for Wicked, The song is Whirlpool Heart by The Wild Swans.
Here is an apple music playlist of these songs. A few aren't available. Currently it's only the top 100 but I may add more.