ULTRA VOX…JAPAN…NEW MUSIK

I loved New Wave, but I never really thought about a definition. Looking at others’ choices, I was immediately able to say “Duran Duran-yes”, “Flock of Seagulls-yes”, “Oingo Boingo-no”, “Echo & The Bunnymen-no”. There was so much middle ground to me between New Wave and Goth, and that’s most of my faves fell in–the Pychadelic Furs, The Smiths, Squeeze, etc. I think we just called it alternative, but it was before alternative went mainstream in the 90s. Now I never call it that, and I have never been able to call Talking Heads New Wave, or the Cars either. I do find it amusing that some people consider Echo & The Bunnymen and Jesus & Mary Chain (who are the best band in the world in my opinion)goth—what the hell? I love goth and I love JAMC, but they were not goth. Hmmm…This is really causing me to rethink my definitions…an interesting exercise.

Talking Heads
The Human League
The Go-Go’s
A Flock Of Seagulls
OMD

forgot Squeeze!

the Alarm
the Fixx
Eurythmics
Depeche Mode
Haircut 101
Joe Jackson
Gary Numan
Elvis Costello
Adam Ant

O.M.D.
Bauhaus
Echo..
The stranglers
Flesh 4 lulu
Shriekback
Furniture
o f course The Cure,Depeche, etc.

Gary Neuman, Psychedelic Furs, Berlin, DEVO.

Sisters of Mercy!

XTC
Red Rockers
Echo and the Bunneymen
Cure
Psychedelic Furs
Squeeze
Church
Police

The Fixx? They Suck!
Outfield and Night Ranger? Not New Wave, just Bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Psych Furs, I saw them several times icluding last July, they still have it.
Echo and the Bunneymen
U@
Cure, one of the very best ever
XTC
Church, they sound better than ever
Squeeze
Red Rockers
The Fixx? They SUCK!
Outfield and Night Ranger? NOT New Wave, they are just BAD!!!!!!!!!!

My 80’s New Wave tops:

1919 - Dream (sounds like the best song The Cure never wrote)
Belfagore: All that I wanted
Clan of Xymox (what a typical 80’s name): Stranger
Fad Gadget (why has no-one mentioned him before???): Collapsing new people
The Chameleons (the band U2 wanted to be when they were young): Don’t fall

Someone mentioned The Church (Constant in Opal is a great song) - yay! Also, Echo, Siouxsie and Tears for Fears (okay, and early U2) were tops on my list, back in tha day.

A couple of good late calls there that I must agree with and vote along with, Thompson Twins, Icehouse, ( how did this band, or basically this guy Iva Davies, not get HUGE?), and the supremely underrated Wall of Voodoo. Stan Ridgeway, a one of a kind singer, and the best Johnny Cash cover (Ring Of Fire) EVER.

I love them all! But I miss SQUEEZE, DEVO AND SIMPLE MINDS the most. Duran Duran are still around, as are the B-52’s, Blondie and Elvis Costello, so we can’t miss them.

I’ll back five more:

a-ha
Thompson Twins
Psychedelic Furs
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
Simple Minds

Hey, Tom, the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia sez that the Cars released their first album in 1981. Are you sure you still want to disqualify them?

As for the others, they may have started in 1978 or 1979, but they didn’t really get going until the 80s.

It’s funny. For every group you could name, someone will argue they’re not new wave. I recall someone claiming there was no such thing as new wave. What an extreme.

Four words:”Riding on the metro..”

It was always a little hard to figure out just who was new wave or not. I never looked at it as American or British, but rather the pre-MTV new-wave (Police, Cars, Blondie, etc.) who seemed to lean more on guitars, and the early-mid 80’s style that went more toward synthesizers. I know that’s a little vague, but a tour w/Tears for Fears, Level 42, Pet Shop Boys, and the Psychedelic Furs would work for me.

Duran Duran. Period.

Duran Duran has got to be on there!

I’ll claim that Joy Division is definitely not New Wave, or at least the common understanding of what IS New Wave. They didn’t have the hair, the feel, the synths, the idiotic videos or the decadence that helped label all the other guys and girls as New Wave. Like Gary Numan (remember him?).

And yeah, it’s virtually impossible to pin point what it means to be “New Wave”. I can’t really see any fool-proof definition (which, I guess, is why one can argue that Joy Division IS New Wave and three others can argue against it).

However:

Talking Heads .. is totally missed.

The Cars … mentioned yet?

Frankie Goes To Hollywood .. you can’t have a New Wave party and not include these bastards.

Blondie .. I hate them, but damn, they were fashionable back then.

Franz Ferdinand .. oh wait. They´re a new band, playing songs for the 1980s. My mistake.

I just decided to go with my favorite 80’s bands as opposed to just New Wave. Some of these are, some aren’t.

Tears for Fears
Icehouse (great band)
Level 42
Big Country
Duran Duran (and spin off’s)
INXS
Talk Talk (one of my favs)
The Cure
Depeche Mode
Echo & The Bunnymen
OMD
U2 (definitely early stuff is new wave)
Oingo Boingo
Cutting Crew
The Outfield
A-Ha
The Fixx
Johnny Hates Jazz
Dan Hartman
Simply Red
Buggles
Kajagoogoo
Red Rockers
Modern English
Real Life
Thompson Twins
Belouis Some
Til Tuesday
Murray Head
Animotion
Des cende nts
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Human League
Psychedelic Furs
New Order
The Church
Glass Tiger
Night Ranger
Run DMC (popularity started in 80s)
Devo
Alphaville
Huey Lewis & The News

Left hair metal bands off even though I like a lot of them

As no one’s mentioned them yet, let me give props to WALL OF VOODOO. Great band, great sound: Johnny Cash meets Devo.

Wow!!! nice call Savvy…. I had the biggest crush on Barbara M. Brings back so many good memories! Put Berlin in this list also!!!

First I have to say, I love these discussions/arguements, So I will start by disqualifying a few artists because they came to our attention in the 70’s, Talking Heads, Blondie, Devo, Elvis Costello, The Cars, The Police, Like them all, seen them all live, Will see 2 of them next month, ( Police/Elvis)but still don’t qualify, this being said, my list, Joe Jackson, The Fixx, B-52s, Eurythmics, Duran, Duran, The Pretenders, Squeeze, Oingo Boingo. All great bands/artists, saw all of them some great live performers, Chrissie Hynde, was and is the all time Queen of ROCK.

the cars
inxs
eurythmics

Although Robert Palmer passed away a few years ago…how about Power Station?

Power Station although Robert Palmer passed on a few years ago.

Joy Division

talking heads
the fixx
eurythmics
tears for fears
squeeze

This is complicated. Does post-punk (Gang of Four) or new romantic (Duran Duran) count? That being said..

JOE JACKSON
New Order
Eurythmics
Talking Heads
Tears For Fears
Devo
ABC
Billy Idol
B-52’s
Simple Minds
Duran Duran
Romeo Void (at least the 2 songs)

New Order, Modern English, Human League, OMD, Adam & the Ants, Spandeau Ballet, Psychedelic Furs, Cocteau Twins, Depeche Mode, Blondie

This week’s list will spur debate. First, you’re dealing with a style of music. Styles help people pick new music — “if you like this act, maybe you’ll like this act” — and so only make sense to radio programmers, retailers and fans. Musicians at best are puzzled by being categorized, and some hate it. Second, we’re dealing with “new wave”, which as Gaz and thatguy have pointed out, has not been well-defined. So I’m just giving this a very broad brush here.

1. Elvis Costello
2. The Police
3. Talking Heads
4. Joy Division
5. New Order
6. The Pretenders
7. Blondie
8. Depeche Mode
9. Eurythmics
10. George Michael
11. The B-52’s
12. The Cars
13. Duran Duran
14. Devo
15. Thomas Dolby
16. Cyndi Lauper
17. Tears For Fears
18. The Go-Go’s
19. Oingo Boigo
20. XTC
21. Echo & The Bunnymen
22. The Bangles
23. Squeeze
24. The Specials
25. Bow Wow Wow

I kind of agree with thatguy. British New Wave was the after affects of punk & USA had bands like Talking Heads which carried on successfully during the 80’s. Psuedo Synth bands like Flock of Seagulls & Dead or Alive count for squat.
OMD & Echo & the Bunnymen were pretty good though.

remember, people, Post-Punk does not necessarily equal New Wave

Joy Division

Gene Loves Jezebel
Sisters Of Mercy
New Order

but I say Joy Division uber alles.

What I noticed a few years back was that new wave means something in the USA and yet something different in the UK! The British tend to include bands without synthesizers whereas the Americans link new wave to MTV Pre-Madonna and wild fashions.

Elvis Costello

Fun Boy Three

Do New Order really count, I mean they’re pretty much still very successful?

I’ve always had trouble defining exactly what New Wave is, but these are a few groups I’ve seen called New Wave one time or another. Feel free to discard any vote that is not New Wave.

Elvis Costello
Blondie
The Police
Devo
Billy Idol
Nick Lowe
Oingo Boingo

OMD

Modern English

Psychedelic Furs

Spandau Ballet

Level 42

A Flock of Seagulls…I Ran is the pinnacle of 80s new wave music. Shitty, yet amazing.

depeche mode

new order

tears for fears

duran duran

talking heads

george michael

depeche mode, the smiths, talking heads

echo and the bunnymen
xtc
love and rockets
gang of four
dexy’s midnight runners
duran duran
eurhythmics
a flock of seagulls

Echo better count. also Love and Rockets.

Does Echo and the Bunnymen count?

The Cold from New Orleans