What are the ten greatest 80s New Wave songs?
Difficult o decide. Here’s my (incomplete) list. Any suggestions? Please New Wave only, not Cyndi Lauper, Duran Duran, Billy Idol, or Level 42 (love them all but they’re not NW).
If You Leave
Bizarre Love Triangle
Mad World
Alive and Kicking
Don’t You Forget About Me
Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Head Over Heels
I Ran
Wishing
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 198 | March 28, 2024 10:10 AM
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Blood and Roses
You’re Everywhere That I’m Not
Love My Way
Love is a Drug
Burning Flame (I know)
Sex (I’m a…)
by Anonymous | reply 1 | March 20, 2024 11:48 PM
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R1, you consider the smithereens to be new wave?
by Anonymous | reply 2 | March 20, 2024 11:52 PM
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OP, New Wave is a nebulous term. Could you be a little more specific? From the link: In the early 1980s, new wave gradually lost its associations with punk in popular perception among some Americans. Writing in 1989, music critic Bill Flanagan said; "Bit by bit the last traces of Punk were drained from New Wave, as New Wave went from meaning Talking Heads to meaning the Cars to Squeeze to Duran Duran to, finally, Wham!".[71] Among many critics, however, new wave remained tied to the punk/new wave period of the late 1970s. Writing in 1990, the "Dean of American Rock Critics" Robert Christgau, who gave punk and new wave bands major coverage in his column for The Village Voice in the late 1970s, defined "new wave" as "a polite term devised to reassure people who were scared by punk, it enjoyed a two- or three-year run but was falling from favor as the '80s began."[72]
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 3 | March 20, 2024 11:56 PM
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Hold Me Now West End Girls Lips Like Sugar Just Like Heaven
Agree with Mad World and Bizarre Love Triangle, which is my favorite song of all time.
by Anonymous | reply 4 | March 20, 2024 11:57 PM
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Actually no, r1. But it does remind of that time.
by Anonymous | reply 6 | March 21, 2024 1:09 AM
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If they 'count', The Plimsouls Oldest Story in The World.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 7 | March 21, 2024 1:11 AM
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recently rediscovered this - it's impossible, it's im-pos to not swallow the hook whole..
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 10 | March 21, 2024 1:28 AM
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Good lists, don’t think I saw this one yet…
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 11 | March 21, 2024 1:44 AM
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Yes, of course, Cyndi Lauper wasn't New Wave. I do consider Billy Idol and Duran Duran as New Wave though.
by Anonymous | reply 12 | March 21, 2024 1:50 AM
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Never Say Never. Private Life Birds Fly
by Anonymous | reply 13 | March 21, 2024 1:52 AM
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The greatest Simple Minds song is "Up on the Catwalk".
They were burned out by the time they created that awful dirge "Don't You Forget About Me".
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 15 | March 21, 2024 1:56 AM
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Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
The Other Window - Wire
Bela Lugosi's Dead - Bauhaus
Christine - Siouxsie and the Banshees
Sex Beat - The Gun Club
Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust - This Mortal Coil
Persephone - Cocteau Twins
Room With a View - Let's Active
Never Say Never - Romeo Void
The Killing Moon - Echo & the Bunnymen
by Anonymous | reply 17 | March 21, 2024 2:05 AM
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[quote] The greatest Simple Minds song is "Up on the Catwalk".
[quote]They were burned out by the time they created that awful dirge "Don't You Forget About Me".
Don’t resent the song just because it’s better and more popular than the one you prefer.
by Anonymous | reply 18 | March 21, 2024 2:06 AM
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The sublime Ceremony by New Order
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 19 | March 21, 2024 2:15 AM
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Major Tom (Coming Home) by Peter Schilling
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 21 | March 21, 2024 2:22 AM
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The grabbing hands grab all they can
All for themselves, after all
The grabbing hands grab all they can
All for themselves, after all
It's a competitive world
... Everything counts in large amounts
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 22 | March 21, 2024 2:27 AM
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Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime
Blondie - Rapture
Devo - Whip It
The Police - Message In A Bottle
Talk Talk - It's My Life
Men At Work - Land Down Under
The Cars - Moving In Stereo
Elvis Costello - Radio Radio
The Plimsouls - A Million Miles Away
Haircut 100 - Love Plus One
I tried to select "pure" new wave artists, not synthpop, punk, postpunk, blue-eyed soul, etc. I would have very different lists for those genres.
by Anonymous | reply 23 | March 21, 2024 2:29 AM
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Naked Eyes - Always Something There To Remind Me
by Anonymous | reply 24 | March 21, 2024 2:32 AM
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r23 No one's that invested to care about that level of specificity
by Anonymous | reply 25 | March 21, 2024 2:35 AM
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r18 I resent "Don't You Forget About Me" because it was top 40 killing a great band.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 26 | March 21, 2024 2:38 AM
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[quote] No one's that invested to care about that level of specificity
Well, the OP seemed to be, demanding no Duran Duran, Cyndi Lauper, etc.
by Anonymous | reply 27 | March 21, 2024 2:40 AM
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Grace Jones did some great New Wave, covering standards.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 28 | March 21, 2024 2:41 AM
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She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 29 | March 21, 2024 2:42 AM
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[quote] No one's that invested to care about that level of specificity
[quote] Well, the OP seemed to be, demanding no Duran Duran, Cyndi Lauper, etc.
r27 Don't apologize. Some of us are very invested in our music.
Haircut 100. I remember that awful gay crossover band. lol.
by Anonymous | reply 31 | March 21, 2024 3:06 AM
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Well said, R3. I generally avoid using "New Wave," when talking to friends or searching for playlists. That makes sense to me that "New Wave" referred to the punk-adjacent/post-punk acts- the generation that discovered The Velvet Underground & Kraftwerk in art school.
Here are ten that come to mind that I love:
1. "Temptation" - New Order
2. "Pictures of You" - The Cure
3. "Atmosphere" -Joy Division
4. "Smalltown Boy" -Bronski Beat
5. "Janitor" - Suburban Lawns
6. "Souvenir" -OMD
7. "Mind Your Own Business" -Delta 5
8. "Space Age Love Song" -Flock of Seagulls
9. "This Must Be the Place" -Talking Heads
10. "Vienna" -Ultravox
I disqualified Sparks and Violent Femmes, both bands I love but it doesn't feel right to label either of them New Wave. Sparks preceded and anticipated those bands and Violent Femmes '83 album feels like it was anticipating "College Rock" or whatever.
by Anonymous | reply 32 | March 21, 2024 3:07 AM
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Space Age Love Song is fantastic, r32.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 33 | March 21, 2024 3:11 AM
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Are those really New Wave songs? Most are more New Romantic. If we're talking New Romantic you can't get better than this. In my Top 3 of 80s songs:
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 34 | March 21, 2024 3:17 AM
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Is Depeche Mode not New Wave?!? I don't know why no one has mentioned them?!?
What about The Promise - When in Rome?
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 35 | March 21, 2024 3:20 AM
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God I love this thread. I feel like I am musical friends with half of you. I LOVED Let's Active R17 and all your others too. Echo and the Bunnymen and Siouxsie. I was into XTC too. R23 Every damn song I love. Haircut 100 and the Plimsouls! This music brings back so much excitement and happiness. Damn I feel old. Gotta get some of that back somehow.
by Anonymous | reply 36 | March 21, 2024 3:35 AM
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Pop Muzik Video Killed the Radio Star Cars Whip It Don’t You Want Me Sweet Dreams I Ran Safety Dance Relax Obsession
by Anonymous | reply 37 | March 21, 2024 3:45 AM
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[quote] Janitor" - Suburban Lawns
I wonder what ever happened to Su Tissue?
by Anonymous | reply 39 | March 21, 2024 4:00 AM
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God I fucking miss the 80's. So much new music - new technology, trying new things with videos. Fashion.
I didn't realize what a special decade I was living in at the time. By comparison, the 2000's have been boring as fuck.
by Anonymous | reply 40 | March 21, 2024 4:06 AM
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r39 Su Tissue purposely vanished. True to character always.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 42 | March 21, 2024 5:02 AM
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Very few female singers it seems.
by Anonymous | reply 43 | March 21, 2024 5:07 AM
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Well, there were a lot of fun female-led songs...Bananarama, the Go-Gos, Nena, and so on. You could throw the B-52s in there as well. But Blondie's stuff holds up the best, in my opinion. Eurythmics perhaps. I don't consider Siouxsie new wave.
A bit obscure, but I would also nominate Anne Clark's "Sleeper In Metropolis" or "Our Darkness." Maybe "O Superman" by Laurie Anderson?
by Anonymous | reply 44 | March 21, 2024 11:17 AM
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I Melt With You (Modern English)
by Anonymous | reply 45 | March 21, 2024 11:54 AM
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R45 I would add the entirety of Kate Bush's The Hounds of love too.
by Anonymous | reply 46 | March 21, 2024 2:11 PM
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[QUOTE]The greatest Simple Minds song is "Up on the Catwalk".
I think you'll find it's I Travel or Changeling.
by Anonymous | reply 47 | March 21, 2024 2:23 PM
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My Spine (Is The Bassline) - Shriekback
Everything's Gone Green - New Order
Speed Racer - Devo
Do You Dream In Colour? - Bill Nelson
Dirty Back Road - The B-52's
15 Storey Halo - ABC
After A Fashion - Midge Ure & Mick Karn
Taking Islands In Africa - Japan
The Other Side Of Heaven - Kissing The Pink
WXJL Tonight - The Human League
by Anonymous | reply 48 | March 21, 2024 2:26 PM
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but if we are using the term 'new wave', THIS is what I think of.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 51 | March 21, 2024 2:35 PM
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Technically New Wave went out in like 1981. It had the Talking Heads, Blondie, Elvis Costello, Joy Division, Devo, among others. Then we got New Romantics...Dura Duran, The Depeche Mode, Soft cell, The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Smiths.
Not all 80s indie pop was New Wave.
by Anonymous | reply 52 | March 21, 2024 2:45 PM
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I forgot to add Television to the actual New Age list. Man they were fire as the kids say nowadays.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 53 | March 21, 2024 2:48 PM
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R1 Those songs you listed are all boring 80s pop songs that get overplayed on "classic" radio. I don't even consider them to be new wave. R7 is a must better list.
by Anonymous | reply 55 | March 21, 2024 2:50 PM
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I always too New Wave to be more listener friendly form of punk.
by Anonymous | reply 56 | March 21, 2024 2:51 PM
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sorry, I meant R17 's list
by Anonymous | reply 57 | March 21, 2024 2:51 PM
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I Melt with You
Do You Really Want to Hurt Me
Sweet Dreams
Whip It
Hungry Like the Wolf
Don't You Want Me
Tainted Love
West End Girls
Take On Me
I Ran
by Anonymous | reply 58 | March 21, 2024 2:54 PM
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R16 I always think of RAD when I head that song.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 60 | March 21, 2024 3:01 PM
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Here Comes the Rain Again
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 62 | March 21, 2024 3:42 PM
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r44 Is Bananarama considered New Wave? I always considered them pop.
by Anonymous | reply 63 | March 21, 2024 3:49 PM
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Back in the day we considered all sorts of bands that emerged 1977-1982 to be New Wave including Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, Blondie, the Cars, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the Pretenders, the Clash, the Police, Gang of Four I had a poster for something called the New Wave Festival that featured many of those bands
I would not call any of them New Wave today. I think of them as rock bands that emerged at a particular time.
To the extent the label New Wave has any current meaning it is the electronic music featured in this thread, but at the time such music was something that emerged after it parallel to the New Wave .
by Anonymous | reply 64 | March 21, 2024 3:56 PM
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I can’t believe I forgot the Ramones.
And Devo.
New Wave was Rock music.
by Anonymous | reply 66 | March 21, 2024 4:02 PM
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Huh, I wouldn't consider Tears for Fears New Wave, but my understanding of New Wave at the time was what everyone is calling synthpop now.... like Gary Numan.
by Anonymous | reply 67 | March 21, 2024 4:10 PM
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Temptation by New Order is my all time favorite. Should be on any every list.
by Anonymous | reply 68 | March 21, 2024 4:14 PM
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At the time, if a band was New Wave, I was pretty sure to at least appreciate it, if not be a fan. Today a lot of what Sirius plays on its 1st Wave channel is music that I did not really listen to. Depeche Mode and Duran Duran come to mind.
Here’s how Wikipedia describes the 1st Wave playlist: New wave, late 1970s–1980s alternative rock and Deep Classic Alternative; post-punk, first wave punk, late 70s–80s punk rock (non-hardcore); "New Pop/New Music" and 1980s synthpop; 1980s college rock
by Anonymous | reply 69 | March 21, 2024 4:18 PM
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I consider the Ramones out of the realm of New Wave, they were Punk, sometimes with varying degrees of 'Wall of Sound' influence, along with other 60s influences.
Love the Ramones, Rock and Roll High School (thanks Roger Corman) is definitely in my top 5 favorite movies, but their scene was more Punk Rock, more dangerous, less experimental.
by Anonymous | reply 70 | March 21, 2024 4:26 PM
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Yet Blondie, Talking Heads and the Ramones were all emerging at the same time and place.
by Anonymous | reply 71 | March 21, 2024 4:34 PM
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New Wave to me was basically any indie rock/pop that had punk influences. Duran Duran and other New Romantics had none.
by Anonymous | reply 72 | March 21, 2024 4:40 PM
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Motels, Only the Lonely.
I do consider Bananarama part of New Wave. I liked "He Was Really Saying Something."
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 73 | March 21, 2024 4:49 PM
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Japan, Talk Talk, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, Depeche Mode, and Gang Of Four to me are the supreme new wave or rather new wave adjacent acts.
by Anonymous | reply 74 | March 21, 2024 4:52 PM
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Talk Talk was SO GOOD. I love this one from them.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 75 | March 21, 2024 4:55 PM
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Oh, yeah. Man in a Uniform was a good song (Gang of Four).
by Anonymous | reply 77 | March 21, 2024 4:57 PM
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[quote] New Wave to me was basically any indie rock/pop that had punk influences
I think that’s right, albeit nebulous .
So for me, New Order is in; Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark is out; Tears for Fears in; A Flock of Seagulls out
(I realize that’s arbitrary.)
by Anonymous | reply 78 | March 21, 2024 4:57 PM
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No love for the Waitresses?
(Honestly I don’t care for them either, but surprised not to see them)
by Anonymous | reply 79 | March 21, 2024 5:01 PM
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I Know What Boys Like is fun.
by Anonymous | reply 80 | March 21, 2024 5:04 PM
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R41 I bought Non Stop Erotic Cabaret when I was in 8th or 9th grade. I remember pouring over the album art and liner notes. I would listen to "Sex Dwarf" with my headphones on so my mom didn't hear the lyrics. Music, magazine and videos were the things that helped me as a little gayling understand there was a great big world out there for me to explore.
by Anonymous | reply 81 | March 21, 2024 5:07 PM
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So would the GoGos be considered New Wave, as they came from a punk background?
by Anonymous | reply 82 | March 21, 2024 5:12 PM
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Slow Children, President Am I
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 83 | March 21, 2024 5:16 PM
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Slow Children, Vanessa Vacillating
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 85 | March 21, 2024 5:17 PM
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The Nails - 88 Lines About 44 Women
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 89 | March 21, 2024 5:32 PM
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I liked r72’s definition, but where does that leave U2 and R.E.M ?
by Anonymous | reply 91 | March 21, 2024 5:37 PM
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Early U2 was New Wave, e.g., "I Will Follow."
by Anonymous | reply 92 | March 21, 2024 5:44 PM
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I’m a U2 fan, but somehow I was always uncomfortable calling them New Wave even though the timing was right. They just seemed destined to be a traditional arena rock band even in their early stuff.
by Anonymous | reply 93 | March 21, 2024 5:50 PM
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R93 U2 was definitely New wave at first, then sort of New Romantic then I guess they just became standard rock, or stadium rock, especially with The Joshua Tree. Most bands/music artists have varied in their genres.
by Anonymous | reply 94 | March 21, 2024 5:59 PM
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r94 New Romantic is a subgenre of New Wave.
Check out the New Romantic band Visage. They definitely qualify as New Wave.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 96 | March 21, 2024 7:21 PM
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Erasure was a continuation of New Wave and The Smiths were, as well.
I had a neighbor (apartment building) who would blast Erasure. I like Erasure, but that was ridiculous.
by Anonymous | reply 97 | March 21, 2024 7:23 PM
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I saw Erasure is Salt Lake City!
by Anonymous | reply 98 | March 21, 2024 7:26 PM
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Don't You Want Me.....Human League
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 99 | March 21, 2024 8:23 PM
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I don't know how ya'll would categorize this one....but I fucking LOVED this song when I was in 8th grade (1981)! The ONLY place I ever heard it played was on LA's "new wave" station, K-ROQ 106.7. It ranked #40 on their 1981 end-of-year countdown, and then faded into obscurity. (popped up occasionally, during KROQ's "80s Flashback" weekends).
I remember the first time I found it on Napster (or Morpheus?), I was bouncing off-the-walls, I was so happy!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 101 | March 21, 2024 8:37 PM
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Ah youth... it ended so many decades ago! But thanks for the meories...
by Anonymous | reply 102 | March 21, 2024 8:42 PM
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“I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description “80s New Wave,” and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I hear it.”
by Anonymous | reply 103 | March 21, 2024 8:46 PM
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For fun: K-ROQ's most played/requested songs, by year.
It's interesting to see the change between their first year,1980, to just even 1982.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 104 | March 21, 2024 8:56 PM
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The New Wave manifesto:
"Get around town, get around town / Where the people look good, where the music is loud"
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 105 | March 21, 2024 9:00 PM
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R3 I know you are not Bill Flanagan (at least I hope you're not) but why would you quote soneone who alleges that the phrase "new wave" eventually came to refer to groups like Wham!
Maybe 11 year old girls thought Wham! was edgy new wave music, but no one with even a modicum of musical awareness called Wham! anything other than teeny bopper music.
That being said, Wham! was and is a guilty pleasure of mine, but it sure ain't new wave in any way shape or form.
This is why we can't have nice things. 🤣
by Anonymous | reply 106 | March 21, 2024 9:06 PM
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Epically beautiful.
The charts in the UK in autumn 1981 were majestic.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 107 | March 21, 2024 9:11 PM
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Unfairly dismissed as novelty hit, but it was, and is, a goddamn banger!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 108 | March 21, 2024 9:13 PM
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This was number 1 on my 12th birthday - Fuck that Judy
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 109 | March 21, 2024 9:17 PM
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I don't know how new wave all of this is, but these are some of my '80s favorites:
Roam – the B-52s
Our Lips Are Sealed – the Go-Gos
Don’t You Want Me Baby – Human League
Fairytale of New York – the Pogues
Uh Oh. Love Comes to Town – Talking Heads
Tarzan Boy – Baltimora
Marquee Moon – Television
Just What I Needed – the Cars
Girls Talk – Linda Ronstadt (yeah, I know)
Don’t Stand So Close to Me – the Police
by Anonymous | reply 110 | March 21, 2024 9:19 PM
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That looks like Thomas Dolby in r109 screencap.
by Anonymous | reply 111 | March 21, 2024 9:20 PM
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All these years I thought I was New Waver, when I really was a Synthpopper.
Don't Go- Yaz
Look of Love- ABC
Tempted- Squeeze
Blinded Me With Science- Thomas Dolby
Let Me Go- Heaven 17
Sweet Dreams Are Made of These- Eurythmics
Cities in Dust- Siouxsie and the Banshees
Blue Monday- New Order
Lies- Thompson Twins
West End Girls- Pet Shop Boys
Honorary Mention: Two Tribes- Frankie Goes to Hollywood
by Anonymous | reply 112 | March 21, 2024 9:26 PM
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"Johnny and Mary" - Robert Palmer "Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" - Talking Heads "A Woman's Got the Power" - The A's "Goodbye to You" - Scandal "Back of My Hand" - The Jags "Only You" - Yaz "What Do All the People Know" - The Monroes "Switchin' to Glide" - The Kings "In Between Days" - The Cure
by Anonymous | reply 113 | March 21, 2024 9:27 PM
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R109 It is! He played 'Johnny' to Barbara's - in a blonde wig - 'Judy'.
Pretty sure there are other personalities from the music scene in the party crowd section of the video.
by Anonymous | reply 114 | March 21, 2024 9:28 PM
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Sorry - meant R111 - see post above!
by Anonymous | reply 115 | March 21, 2024 9:29 PM
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I haven't listened to it in YEARS, but once upon a time, Web radio on, a station called Radio Nigel played great music that was predominantly in this genre.
by Anonymous | reply 116 | March 21, 2024 9:34 PM
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Martha and the Muffins need to be on the list!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 117 | March 21, 2024 10:14 PM
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The Human League were lightening in a bottle.
by Anonymous | reply 118 | March 21, 2024 10:32 PM
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R106, I wasn't giving that quote any validity. I was just using it as an example of how widely the net is cast for what's considered to be New Wave in hopes (alas) that OP would get a little more specific. Otherwise these threads turn into "music that I like from back in the day", which seems pretty much inevitable anyway. Still good to revisit some of these.
by Anonymous | reply 119 | March 21, 2024 10:34 PM
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Obsession by Animotion. The video was fucking everything too.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 120 | March 21, 2024 10:36 PM
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No one sang ennui like The Human League.
by Anonymous | reply 123 | March 21, 2024 10:58 PM
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Message of Love - The Pretenders
Beat Surrender - The Jam
Don't Change - INXS
Save it for later - The Beat
I want candy - Bow Wow Wow
Hazy shade of winter - Bangles
by Anonymous | reply 124 | March 21, 2024 11:01 PM
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R122, one of my friends flew from SF to London just to see ABC perform with a full orchestra recently and got to meet Martin (he put it out on SM that he was doing that, and ABC saw it) - Martin was gracious, signed all his albums and took photos with him. Classy guy. Oh and Friend said that they sounded great.
by Anonymous | reply 125 | March 21, 2024 11:03 PM
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Some honorable mentions:
Visage - Fade to Grey
Icehouse - Hey Little Girl
Adam Ant - Goody Two Shoes
by Anonymous | reply 126 | March 21, 2024 11:20 PM
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Mexican Radio - Wall of Voodoo
Birdhouse in Your Soul, Istanbul (Not Constantipole) - They Might Be Giants
Little Girls, Dead Man's Party, etc. - Oingo Boingo
Love Cats, Boys Don't Cry, etc. - The Cure
Johnny, Are You Queer? - Josie Cotton
Kids in America - Kim Wilde
by Anonymous | reply 127 | March 21, 2024 11:51 PM
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Bauhaus are more goth but I feel this ride the new wave cusp.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 131 | March 22, 2024 12:03 AM
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R122 r125 I saw the ABC concert with full orchestra - it was absolutely fantastic. Martin was in great voice, looked amazing and was really charming with the audience. The great Anne Dudley (Art of Noise, Propaganda, Pet Shop Boys etc) was conducting. A pan unforgettable experience.
This is one of my favourite ABC tracks post wave:
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 132 | March 22, 2024 12:06 AM
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Speaking of Propaganda, R131. 'A Secret Wish' was one of my favourite albums of the 80s. 'ABBA from Hell' as the NME described them.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 133 | March 22, 2024 12:29 AM
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133 replies, and no mention of The Vapors/Turning Japanese?!?!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 134 | March 22, 2024 12:48 AM
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[quote]The Human League were lightening in a bottle.
[quote]No one sang ennui like The Human League.
T118 & R123: This is by far my favorite Human League song. And one of my favorite songs of the early '80s, period.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 135 | March 22, 2024 1:00 AM
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it is Thomas Dolby in R109s screencap. He played Johnny. I fell in love with that record when I was 15. It should have been huge here, but no, AOR and Adult Contemporary voices sucked up all the pop airplay and it only got to #72
by Anonymous | reply 136 | March 22, 2024 1:12 AM
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and THIS is late period New Wave
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 137 | March 22, 2024 1:13 AM
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Don’t Change - INXS Life During Wartime - Talking Heads Peek-A-Boo - Siouxsie and the Banshees Whole of the Moon - The Waterboys Voices Carry - Til Tuesday The Metro - Berlin So In Love - OMD The Ghost In You - Psychedelic Furs Walk Out To Winter - Aztec Camera Push - The Cure
by Anonymous | reply 138 | March 22, 2024 1:17 AM
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wow's are few and frustration more common..
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 139 | March 22, 2024 1:22 AM
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if Simon Lebon and Nick Heyward both stirred my adolescent loins, this one was the big swoon, and they are categorized as New Wave but really weren't.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 140 | March 22, 2024 1:37 AM
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Josie Cotton - License To Dance
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 141 | March 22, 2024 2:20 AM
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Say what you will about them now (they're essentally a Vegas act now) but early U2 was magnificent.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 143 | March 22, 2024 2:30 AM
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Don’t think I can say greatest, but this was a fun new sound way back in the early 80s.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 144 | March 22, 2024 2:37 AM
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Fun Boy Three doing The Go-Go's!!!
No one's mentioned The Go-Go's? Girls rock?
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 145 | March 22, 2024 2:40 AM
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This song became #1 or close to it a couple of years ago, 30 something years after it was 1st released after showing up on show (I want to say Stranger Things?) and people, understandibly, went wild over it. Good to know the youngins have managed to hang on to at least some good taste
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 146 | March 22, 2024 2:46 AM
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Bow Wow Wow - "Chihuahua"
Hail Satan!!!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 147 | March 22, 2024 2:51 AM
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Adam & the Ants - Fall In
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 148 | March 22, 2024 2:55 AM
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Like, this is still totally a "banger":
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 149 | March 22, 2024 3:00 AM
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New Order - 1963
Depeche Mode- Never Let Me Down Again
Talk Talk - Talk Talk
The Cure - The Forest
Gary Newman - Down By the Park
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Spellbound
INXS - Johnson's Aeroplane
Ultravox - Vienna
New Order - Sub-culture
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 150 | March 22, 2024 3:44 AM
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Judy Collins. Send in the Clowns.
by Anonymous | reply 151 | March 22, 2024 3:59 AM
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r151 Showtune queen say what? 🤣
by Anonymous | reply 152 | March 22, 2024 4:45 AM
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Gorgeous Billy Mackenzie,
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 153 | March 22, 2024 8:19 AM
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A second helping of Blancmange
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 154 | March 22, 2024 8:25 AM
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From what I remember, Joy Division, early U2, and bands like The Fall, Killing Joke, Chameleons, etc. were generally labeled as "post-punk," which for me was a slightly different category than new wave, but maybe there is no real difference. Same with synthpop...maybe it was all new wave, but not all new wave was synthpop. In any case, the late 70s/early 80s were probably the greatest epoch for music, and a lot more exciting than anything today.
by Anonymous | reply 156 | March 22, 2024 10:47 AM
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R156 splitting hairs about subgenres is boring and myopic. Where’s the autism troll? I’d compare it to being really excited about sorting legos or something.
by Anonymous | reply 157 | March 22, 2024 12:57 PM
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OP, I thought Duran Duran was new wave?
by Anonymous | reply 158 | March 22, 2024 1:27 PM
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^ That would be New Romantic
by Anonymous | reply 159 | March 22, 2024 1:49 PM
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New Wave was basically ANYTHING that came after punk that wasnt the traditional "hair rock" or classic rock from the 60/70's. That genre was divided mainly by 2 styles, post punk, with more early punk influences like The Ramones, The Clash, The Stooges, and New Romantics , which came a little later, with a more pop influence but also avant garde elements (influenced more by the "art rock" from the 70s like Bowie, Genesis, Roxy Music).
So most of the examples here ARE new wave. My question is when did it stop being New Wave and when did it just become indie pop/rock?
To me there is a distinct shift in styles after the mid 80s.
by Anonymous | reply 160 | March 22, 2024 1:57 PM
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Wire's gorgeous "Outdoor Miner," complete with extended piano solo, should surely be on any post-punk playlist for that era, along with Gang of Four's "Return the Gift," Vivien Goldman's "Launderette," and Pere Ubu's "The Modern Dance."
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 161 | March 22, 2024 1:58 PM
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An ABSOLUTE sugar rush of a tune
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 163 | March 22, 2024 4:39 PM
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Scritti Politti's Perfect Way is still one of my all time favorite songs.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 164 | March 22, 2024 5:00 PM
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The Fixx had a few bangers.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 165 | March 22, 2024 5:25 PM
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r168 Thank you. The OP started this whole thread by claiming Idol and Duran Duran were not New Wave. Way to fuck up your OP and show you're clueless.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 169 | March 22, 2024 7:39 PM
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This thread has nver come up with a good definition of "New Wave" and I get it... it's nebulous. I always think of New Wave as a period of time when the Brits kept creating interesting, indie bands who had a certain "look", played some good music that relied heavily on a lot of synth, the guys seemed to have high fragile voices (later good for "emo").
American bands always seemed to be playing catch-up to what was coming at us from across the pond. All hail college radio for digging the sounds and playing so much of it that some commercial stations had to add tunes to their playlists. And with video? The sky was the limit for a short time.
The music was definitely NOT punk, not rock 'n roll, danceable without the disco, and it quickly dissolved into other categories or sub-scategories.
So, throwing caution to the wind, how about some Squeeze?
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 170 | March 22, 2024 8:05 PM
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r164 I prefer "Wood Beez""
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 171 | March 22, 2024 8:17 PM
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r170 I've always seen New Wave as synthesized punk. But it's a broad movement.
Interesting that an 80's band like X is never classified as New Wave. X is real punk.
Blondie began as punk but became New Wave.
The Pretenders are a bit more difficult. They began as New Wave but became Mainstream.
by Anonymous | reply 173 | March 22, 2024 9:04 PM
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It's funny, I've always considered the Cars and Pretenders (and U2) as rock.
by Anonymous | reply 174 | March 22, 2024 9:08 PM
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t174 Well New Wave is rock. What else could it be?
by Anonymous | reply 175 | March 22, 2024 9:13 PM
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New Wave is as much pop as it is rock.
by Anonymous | reply 176 | March 22, 2024 9:26 PM
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If we are discussing Squeeze, I’m partial to this one.
by Anonymous | reply 177 | March 22, 2024 9:31 PM
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I think r174 means conventional rock, and I agree tbh.
by Anonymous | reply 179 | March 22, 2024 9:32 PM
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Love that song, R178!! And also, of course:
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 180 | March 22, 2024 10:04 PM
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R173, going to politely disagree with you about The Pretenders. I think they were punk, but after the death of two band members, by the time Chryssie re-grouped, everyone had grown up enough to tone it down.
Here's example #1 of the punkier side of the band... Tattoed Love Boys!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 181 | March 22, 2024 10:49 PM
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and then there's Bad Boys Get Spanked. Chrissie Hynde was always a tough broad.
and yes, I've already "oh deared" myself for the incorrect spelling above.
And get this, The Pretenders are playing Tanglewood in Lenox, MA this summer! The world is whack.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 182 | March 22, 2024 10:55 PM
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Angst in My Pants - Sparks
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 183 | March 23, 2024 12:34 AM
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R181/R182 Agree they were definitely more punk when the two boys were alive.
by Anonymous | reply 184 | March 23, 2024 11:17 AM
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Is She Really Going Out With Him & On The Radio — Joe Jackson
by Anonymous | reply 185 | March 24, 2024 1:43 AM
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r185, I also like, "Steppin' Out" and "Breaking Us in Two".
by Anonymous | reply 186 | March 24, 2024 1:52 AM
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The Human Leauge....Fascination. This thread has reminded me how much I loved them. Haven't thought of them in years though. This song is a jam. I could never decide if the male lead was hot or not.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 187 | March 24, 2024 1:54 AM
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R186, I like both of those too.
by Anonymous | reply 188 | March 24, 2024 2:43 AM
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R185 and R186... those examples of Jackson's music show how he went from the pop/punk/New Wave scene to a sophisticated arranger of music, writing lyrics that were much more emotional and adult.
Joe went from Instant Mash on the Look Sharp! album
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 190 | March 24, 2024 10:08 AM
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to Breaking us in Two on the Night And day album. Night and Day for me, contains the Jackson of angry young guy who's beecoming a more mature guy trying to find his place as an adult.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 191 | March 24, 2024 10:12 AM
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Joe Jackson's Body and Soul is one of my favorite '80s albums.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 192 | March 24, 2024 2:09 PM
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R17 checked all the boxes
by Anonymous | reply 193 | March 24, 2024 3:28 PM
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R192 My favorite of his - Throw It Away
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 194 | March 25, 2024 12:32 AM
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Where does the jury stand on "Ah, Leah" by Donnie Iris (1980)? Is this a new wave song? I like the comment at the link below: "He's Buddy Holly, Elvis Costello and Eugene Levy all rolled together into one incredible package."
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 196 | March 28, 2024 5:07 AM
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R196, if it WERE to be considered New Wave, it would probably be my #1. (Had it on repeat just a few weeks ago.) But it's lacking the synth and/or post-punk that define New Wave FOR ME. (But if this thread has proven anything, it's that the definition of New Wave is up for grabs.)
by Anonymous | reply 197 | March 28, 2024 9:39 AM
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R197, I guess Billy Joel was right??
[quote]Hot funk, cool punk, even if it's old junk It's still rock and roll to me
[quote]It's the next phase, new wave Dance craze, anyways It's still rock and roll to me
by Anonymous | reply 198 | March 28, 2024 10:10 AM
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