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Rock List: Readers’ Best Eighties New Wave Bands

4/14/08, 5:15 pm EST

Inspired by last week’s announcement of the Regeneration Tour, we asked the Rock Dailyists to tell us their favorite New Wave acts of the 1980s. After rewatching the entire Savage Steve Holland filmography and tallying the votes, the readers have selected Echo & the Bunnymen as their favorite keyboard-stabbing, oddly hair-cutted New Wavers. Check out the entire top ten list after the jump.

1. Echo & the Bunnymen
2. New Order
3. Talking Heads
4. Psychedelic Furs
5. Elvis Costello
6. The Police
7. Depeche Mode
8. Duran Duran
9. The Cure
10. XTC

[Photo: Musto/Redferns/Retna]


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Comments

wyvernaxe | 10/26/2008, 12:36 am EST

oppps,,,,dont forget FRA LIPPO LIPPI and OMD they were great new wave band and the CUTTING CREW punk rock band …

Dave | 10/9/2008, 10:10 am EST

Depeche Mode = Not New Wave

themarbleindex | 10/8/2008, 10:52 pm EST

psycedelic furs, sue saad, the vapors, boomtown rats, altered imsges, x, the cars before heartbeat city.

themarbleindex | 10/8/2008, 10:52 pm EST

psycedelic furs, sue saad, the vapors, boomtown rats, altered imsges, x, the cars before heartbeat city.

njrockgirl | 8/4/2008, 4:16 am EST

Gene Loves Jezebel

also, an English band that should have been big: Das Psycho Rangers

1PlanetClaire | 8/3/2008, 8:04 pm EST

…or, Wall of Voodoo.
And of course the ever commical- Devo and The Surf Punks, ha.

1PlaentClaire | 8/3/2008, 7:59 pm EST

Let us not forget “X”

AlexofDalycity | 7/6/2008, 7:22 pm EST

Top of all NEW WAVE shit… the great “AIR SUPPLY” nothing beats that little ass curly hair vocals..

James | 6/6/2008, 12:34 pm EST

New Order is by far my number one.

No way could Echo and the Bunnymen be ranked ahead of them!!!

James | 6/6/2008, 12:34 pm EST

New Order is by far my number one.

No way could Echo and the Bunnymen be ranked ahead of them!!!

jonExavavaK | 6/3/2008, 5:42 pm EST

While the skills acclimatized to change them are certainly exciting, it is the unrevealed organize lower down that transforms the bracelets from bare jewelry into stories.
In this pack, the copper old for the bracelets was indeed the outer jacket of a 155mm artillery upon — the remnants of war, unfortunately, that are as much a by of Cambodia’s annals as Angkor Wat.
What has happened here has a approachable of virtuoso to its elemental beauty. Etching the patterns of the Ogygian last alters the figurative patterns of Cambodia’s more current and unhappy late into something sure: skills and incomes for victims of genocidal conflict.
senks

Moonlightdancing | 5/10/2008, 4:54 am EST

Joy Division, The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, Depeche Mode, Echo and the Bunnymen…

Ashley blair | 5/5/2008, 11:55 pm EST

Blondie outsold and produced more hits from 1980-1982 than anyone else in the top ten to last them the whole decade, and by far and away were the best New Wave band.

Since the term was actually credited to Blondie before anyone in a magazine concert review as the up and coming new wave of poppier punk, FYI!!!!

B’52’s, Human League, Go Go’s and ABC all should be in the top ten without a doubt.

Duran Duran were new wave, but got very POP-SELL OUT, and lost some credibility.

band latest | 4/27/2008, 7:16 am EST

theres no latest band

Silent Doug | 4/22/2008, 1:38 pm EST

Always glad to see the perennially-underrated and under-appreciated XTC making the list.

Snack | 4/21/2008, 5:02 pm EST

Echo is one of the best bands EVER in any era!!! A bit of Doors, Television, Velvet Underground, Psych, Punk, etc. It’s all a matter of opinion - but the list looks pretty solid to me. Duran has never gotten the respect they deserve (although they ripped off Japan!)

WaveMaster | 4/21/2008, 1:50 am EST

What? No one remembers Erasure?

onair | 4/20/2008, 7:18 pm EST

the best echo song is “bring on the dancing horses” the best new order song is “well any thing off the ‘low life cd’” the best talkin heads song is “road to nowhere” the best psychedelic furs song is “in to you like a train” the best elvis costello song is ” home is anywhere you hang your head” the best police song is “sally / would you be my girl” the best depeche mode song is “somebody” , the best Duran Duran song is “save a prayer” the best cure song is “boys dont cry” the best xtc song is “dear god”

40 yr old new waver | 4/20/2008, 6:32 pm EST

what about? The The, Icicle Works, When in Rome, Information Society, Japan, Cocteau Twins, B-52s’ Roxy Music, Soft Cell, GoGos, Paul Hardcastle, Figures on a Beach, Del Fuegos, Oingo Boingo, Siouxsie…, Darling Buds, Lightning Seed, Dream Academy, Beat Farmers, Communards, Peter Gabriel, Laurie Anderson, Specials, Stranglers, 10,000 Maniacs, early Ministry

40 yr old new waver | 4/20/2008, 6:26 pm EST

what about? The The, Icicle Works, When in Rome, Information Society, Japan, Cocteau Twins, B-52s’ Roxy Music, Soft Cell, GoGos, Paul Hardcastle, Figures on a Beach, Del Fuegos, Oingo Boingo, Siouxsie…, Darling Buds, Lightning Seed, Dream Academy, Beat Farmers, Communards, Peter Gabriel, Laurie Anderson, Specials, Stranglers, 10,000 Maniacs

40 yr old new waver | 4/19/2008, 10:57 pm EST

great list, except: Duran Duran thay are more pop than new wave, i say replace Duran Duran …with Book of Love, Heaven 17-Human League, Smiths, Tears for Fears, Talk Talk, Blue Nile, Madness, Ultravox, Crowded House-Split Endz, Flock of Seagulls, Aztec Camera, China Crisis, Thompson Twins, Tom Tom Club, A.B.C., Til Tuesday, Gary Numan, O.M.D., or early R.E.M. …glad to see that ECHO fans still exist

nocturnalpixie | 4/18/2008, 11:01 pm EST

peter murphy, bauhaus, nitzer ebb, front 242, Einstürzende Neubauten

AlienDude | 4/17/2008, 11:45 pm EST

Big Country

alex | 4/17/2008, 3:40 pm EST

The Vapors

Lord Byron | 4/17/2008, 4:45 am EST

All English (xcept 1)all great, Psychedelic Furs, Dylan for the 80’s

Sgt Fuzz | 4/17/2008, 3:21 am EST

I’ll buy that for a dollar

Anthony | 4/16/2008, 11:40 pm EST

Prince people-dont act like he wasnt new wave..among the rest of his melting pot of music…have u ever listened to the albums “controversy” or “1999″?…depeche mode for only new wave though…

Jack | 4/16/2008, 10:41 pm EST

or DEVO or The Cars…

XTC! The nerdlingers that voted for them should be ashamed of themselves.

Jack | 4/16/2008, 10:39 pm EST

A good list except for XTC. Rubbish.

Put the B-52s in their place.

the other me | 4/16/2008, 4:32 pm EST

mmmmm Japan, even tho alot of their stuff was written before New Wave was even New Wave.

Noam Sane | 4/16/2008, 10:10 am EST

japan

han solo | 4/16/2008, 8:03 am EST

Balaam and the Angel

Jenn | 4/16/2008, 6:59 am EST

Icehouse!!

t-nasty | 4/16/2008, 2:14 am EST

Haircut 100!

simon | 4/16/2008, 1:19 am EST

at what stage is new wave going to not be ‘new’ anymore and just become wave music?

also pseudo echo for the win.

Robert Wretched | 4/16/2008, 12:59 am EST

What about the Jam, the Stranglers, Martha & the Muffins, the Pop Group, the Undertones, Teardrop Explodes, the Members, Tubeway Army, 999, the Vibrators, the Monochrome Set, the Buzzcocks, Subway Sect, Squeeze, the Motors, the Associates, ABC, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Culture Club, Rezillos/Revillos, Department S, the Passage, Wah! Heat, the Spoons, Drastic Measures, Cabaret Voltaire, the Fall, Aztec Camera, the Au Pairs, Wire, Yazoo, Shriekback, the Blue Nile, Radio Stars, Madness, the Beat, the Selecter, Bad Manners, the Ruts, the Mekons, and so many more?

Slappy | 4/15/2008, 11:22 pm EST

Mötley Crüe

José | 4/15/2008, 10:57 pm EST

Favourite New Wave Band: Duran Duran.

Others I Remember: The Fixx, The Cars, The Tubes, Scandal, Adam and the Ants, Modern English, Missing Persons, Quaterflash, Big Country, Bow Bow Bow, Men without hats,The Producers,Soft Cell, The Call, The Buggles, Planet P Proyect, B52s, Joe Jackson, OMD,The Police, General Public, Ultravox,

sixx | 4/15/2008, 9:23 pm EST

the smiths
wild swans
the care
tears for fears

NEW WAVE IS NOT DEAD!!!!

J Todd | 4/15/2008, 8:48 pm EST

The Smiths anyone?

boatman | 4/15/2008, 6:15 pm EST

The Fixx!!

RNRGrrl | 4/15/2008, 3:45 pm EST

man, I forgot about the Plimsouls, Smithereens and Romantics!

tyler | 4/15/2008, 3:43 pm EST

is the Cocteau Twins considered new wave? if so, they are better than everyone on that list

The Nation of France | 4/15/2008, 3:36 pm EST

Mon Dieu! Les Américains ignorants ont oublié Plastic Bertrand encore!

Dubwise | 4/15/2008, 1:53 pm EST

How is Elvis Costello considered a band? Don’t bands usually consist of more than one member?

>>> | 4/15/2008, 1:13 pm EST

The Mission
P.I.L.
Pop will eat itself
Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Big audio dynamite
Siouxsie..
Book of love
Steven “tin tin” duffy

t | 4/15/2008, 1:06 pm EST

two points for Joey Coco: Thompson Twins were a great live act, saw them twice in ‘84.

Chris | 4/15/2008, 12:39 pm EST

Let’s not forget Siouxsie Sioux. JuJu is one of the best album of the eighties. That one and Heaven From Here by the Bunnymen. And also, Rain Parade, Three O’Clock, The Long Ryders, Dream Syndicate, The Plimsouls and True West. The 80’s psychedelic revival was so much fun!!!

Mr.G | 4/15/2008, 12:25 pm EST

What ’bout Ultravox and The Cars - they were fun!

anon | 4/15/2008, 11:52 am EST

New Order should be numero uno, Talking Heads numero dos. They’ve influenced WAY more modern music than Echo and the Bunnymen. I can name so many bands in which one can easily hear remnants of New Order’s Substance…

Dezinerdave | 4/15/2008, 10:31 am EST

Tears For Fears & Howard Jones

thom | 4/15/2008, 5:30 am EST

Pet Shop Boys

Animotion

Bauhaus

The Church

Dead or Alive

ok ok, cutting it off here..this could go on forever

thom | 4/15/2008, 5:22 am EST

OMD

han solo | 4/15/2008, 5:11 am EST

Fad Gadget (!!!) - The Chameleons - Kissing The Pink - Men Without Hats - Sisters Of Mercy - The Mission - etc.

Jesusfisher | 4/15/2008, 3:08 am EST

Devo and Oingo Boingo!

Kaboori | 4/15/2008, 12:15 am EST

Pretenders

Saten | 4/14/2008, 10:36 pm EST

thefixx

Mike/Houston,TX. | 4/14/2008, 9:55 pm EST

The Fixx + Sue Saad & The Next + Phil Seymour + Robin Lane & Chartbusters + The Kings + Missing Persons + The Romantics + Berlin + The Plimsouls + Eurythmics + Flash & The Pan

calflamesfan | 4/14/2008, 9:33 pm EST

another oversight: Simple Minds and Icehouse

Anonymous | 4/14/2008, 8:54 pm EST

I wouldn’t call Talking Heads new wave

mr roboto | 4/14/2008, 7:17 pm EST

I see Big Country was once again overlooked.

countryfeedback | 4/14/2008, 7:01 pm EST

DEVO!!!!!

Joey Coco | 4/14/2008, 6:29 pm EST

Thompson Twins
Berlin

Johnny Kickass | 4/14/2008, 6:07 pm EST

“I always fucking hated New Wave” - Bernard Sumner, New Order

Seth | 4/14/2008, 5:38 pm EST

Sweet. The Bunnymen are criminally underrated.

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