? :)

i think it's The Bugles - Video killed the radio star.. i love that song

"DREAMING OF ME"-DEPECHE MODE- very catchy and fun, with out the crap of "today" pop ;D

......and also "I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead"-DEPECHE MODE-not depressing like the title suggests. it was just to throw the listener off :D

enola gay by OMD. it has a catchy synth beat and it has an anti-war, anti-nuke message, a perfect nugget of 80s new wave.

......and also "I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead"-DEPECHE MODE-not depressing like the title suggests. it was just to throw the listener off :D


I love "I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead!" A happy little song with a depressing title. :) Add to the list:

"Sleepwalk" by Ultravox
"Underpass" by John Foxx
"Warm Leatherette" and "T.V.O.D." by The Normal
"Are 'Friends' Electric?" by Gary Numan
"Empire State Human" by The Human League
"Genetic Engineering," "Messages," and "Electricity" by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
"Tora! Tora! Tora!" by Depeche Mode

I could go on and on...:)

Absolutely Vile

"Alive and Kicking" by Simple Minds.

Another one to add (since I just listened to it):

"Mr. X" (or "Herr X," the German version) by Ultravox :)

(I just finished listening to "Herr X.")

Absolutely Vile

This is probably the hardest question ever posted on the thread :o. 
Guess it's a toss up between:

Words - Missing Persons
love without anger - devo
Failure - depesch Mode
Poison Arrow - ABC
Independence Day - CS Angles
Fascination - Thompson Twins

I apologize, just can't decide on the best song, these just happened to pop into mind, but there are zillions of others all going on in my head at the same time :D - all my faves!

i think it's The Bugles - Video killed the radio star.. i love that song


me too, this is a great tune
also, Pet Shop Boys' - West End Girls

Failure - depesch Mode

There's no such song by Depeche Mode...

Absolutely Vile

Some of my favs...

"Oh Jungleland" -- Simple Minds
"The Different Story" -- Peter Schilling
"A Question of Time" -- Depeche Mode
"Enola Gay" -- OMD
"I've Been Losing You" -- a-ha
"Dr. Mabuse" -- Propaganda
"Electric Dreams" -- Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moredor
"How Long?" -- Information Society

Kryllith

There's no such song by Depeche Mode...

Absolutely Vile


Vile, the song is actually Enjoy the silence, performend by Failure on a Depech Mode tribute album. I recall the original way back when.  Failure did the song dam good, definately one of my favorite new wave songs. 

I'm going to throw an obscure one out there and say:

Espionage- The Sound of Breaking Hearts

Never a top 40 hit but should have been. I also agree with Kryllith on a-ha "I've Been Losing You." That was always one of my favorites from them.

Wow, I love new wave so I'll have to compose a list...

"Keep Feeling (Fascination)" - Human League
"The Killing Moon" - Echo and the Bunnymen
"The Cutter" - Echo and the Bunnymen
"Silver" - Echo and the Bunnymen
"Never Stop" - Echo and the Bunnymen
"Alive and Kicking" - Simple Minds
"Never Let Me Down Again" - Depeche Mode
"In my Room" - Yaz
"Melt with You" - Modern English
~Anything by the Cure
"Running Up the Hill (A Deal With God)" - Kate Bush
"Hounds of Love" - Kate Bush
"The Big Sky" - Kate Bush

There are so so many more, and since I'm only 19 right now, I don't even know the half of it.

yeah, i dig those. especially "tora,tora,tora". ...."i played an american"

My favorite,..............well does anyone remember After The Fire with the song Der Kommisar??  They also had a non-english version of it.  It was a great club dance song, very popular.  :)

yeah i know that one. totally cool. ;D

i though it was Falco who has made Der Kommisar

i think he made the remix....

My favorite,..............well does anyone remember After The Fire with the song Der Kommisar??  They also had a non-english version of it.  It was a great club dance song, very popular.   :)

i though it was Falco who has made Der Kommisar

i think he made the remix....

Er...no...Falco did the original. In mostly German. After The Fire did a cover of it in the same year, I believe. I definitely prefer Falco's version!

By the way...just an observation (not meaning to be snobby)...but a lot of songs mentioned are not New Wave! Perhaps a definition is in order? My interpretation is this (which is the criteria upon which I picked my fave New Wave songs):

New Wave is a style of music which started in the late seventies, and unfortunately was dead by the mid-eighties, which is defined by groups who made music totally different than anything else. They either used new and innovative (at the time) ways of making music, i.e. synths, samplers, or other techological gadgets...or they combined different styles of music to make a style of their own, i.e. The Police. I, personally, tend to confuse New Wave with New Romantic because a lot of my favourite "New Wave" groups could also be considered "New Romantic."  I like the electronic side of New Wave. :)

Absolutely Vile

oh....right :D

OH CRAP!!!!...Lets not forget "absolute" by Scritti Politti!!! that one's a groove! ;D

......see the video @ http://homepage.mac.com/johnhyde/iMovieTheater233.html

Vile, the song is actually Enjoy the silence, performend by Failure on a Depech Mode tribute album. I recall the original way back when.  Failure did the song dam good, definately one of my favorite new wave songs. 


So are you saying you like the cover or the original? Neither is New Wave, though. "Enjoy The Silence" isn't even eighties. (It's from 1990. Close enough, I suppose!) :)

Absolutely Vile

I usually just group New Wave in with New Romantic. ;)

Kryllith

Two more: "Steppin' Out" by Joe Jackson and "West End Girls" (actually, anything) by The Pet Shop Boys (new wave or not).

Bananarama - I Heard A Rumour!!! just heard it. RADICAL.

ok, this one's not new wave but ITS AWSOME!! HE TOTALLY WORKS THE VOCODER !!!!!!
I Only Have Eyes For You - ZAPP

pretty cool

  OMG Vile, it's so freaky how our minds think the same way sometimes. I have to deal with the music format debate practically every week. Our Thursday night gig here in Seattle is called "Rock Lobster." We have always considered it a retro night focusing on danceable New Wave, Alternative and Electronic Progressive, which mostly covers the 80s. For some reason, many people mistake it for an "80s night" (I blame Polly Esther's). We have never called it an 80s night...it's too easy to misinterpret such a vague theme. Most of the debate is raised by people making misinformed requests, like Madonna, Prince and Michael Jackson (we call them Thursday's "axis of evil"  :P). We also get those few that complain about some songs being out of place...The Farm "All Together Now," EMF "Unbelievable," etc. Whenever these are brought up, I just tell them that we'll have to stop playing anything off of "Violator," then. That usually shuts them up.
  I guess my point is that there is such a cross-mutation of styles from that era when it comes to New Wave. Duran Duran was New Romantic, New Order was Progressive Electronic, Psychedelic Furs were Modern Rock...but most people today lump them all into the "New Wave" category. Have you ever stopped to read the track listings on those "New Wave" compilation CDs? Some of them just make me scratch my head and say "Ummmm...right, so how did they think that would fit?"
  As for the topic at hand, there's no way I can narrow that one down. Maybe later... ;)

"Planet Earth" Duran Duran...that is just sooo new wave  :)  The band Massive Ego just remade it and it's pretty good...I've been playing the video (not so good) when I DJ lately....

   I guess my point is that there is such a cross-mutation of styles from that era when it comes to New Wave. Duran Duran was New Romantic, New Order was Progressive Electronic, Psychedelic Furs were Modern Rock...but most people today lump them all into the "New Wave" category. Have you ever stopped to read the track listings on those "New Wave" compilation CDs? Some of them just make me scratch my head and say "Ummmm...right, so how did they think that would fit?"

Yeah, I guess it's hard to say what's "New Wave" and what isn't. As I've said, I always confused it with New Romantic or looked at the electronic side of it. But then you consider groups like The Police and Blondie who could easily be considered New Wave because they mixed a whole bunch of styles of music together to make a whole new entity of their own! As for compilation CD's...I have a few New Wave (so-called) ones and I do wonder why some of the songs are on there in the first place. Obviously the people who put them together had no clue. It also reminds me of a punk compilation I had called The Best Punk Album In The World...Ever! Joe Jackson was on it. The song: "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" I'm sorry, but last I checked Joe Jackson was never punk rock. In fact, I'd be more likely to put him in the New Wave category. But he's definitely not punk! :P

Absolutely Vile

Talk Talk - Talk Talk (1982)
Hong Kong Garden - Siouxsie & The Banshees (1978)
Boys Don't Cry - The Cure (1979)
She's In Parties - Bauhaus (1983)
Body Electric - The Sisters Of Mercy (1982)
Love Will Tears Apart Again - Joy Division (1980)
Turning Japanese - The Vapors (1980)
Echo Beach - Martha & The Muffins (1980)
Rock Lobster - The B-52's (1980)
Hanging On The Telephone - Blondie (1978)
Brass In Pocket - The Pretenders (1980)
Pretty In Pink - The Psychedelic Furs (1981)
I Got You - Split Enz (1980)
Flowers Of Romance - Public Image Ltd (1981)
Going Underground - The Jam (1980)
I Could Be Happy - Altered Images (1981)
Our Lips Are Sealed - The Go-Gos (1981)
Making Plans For Nigel - XTC (1979)
Satisfaction - Devo (1978)
My Perfect Cousin - The Undertones (1980)

...etc.

what about the Talking Heads? best band ever and definately new wave! my favourite song is Slippery People, it just makes my hips swing

SUNSET NOW by Heaven 17 the best danceable new wave song
also
DREAM ATTACK by New Order

Okay, so after hours of trying not to think about this topic  :P, I've come up with a few favs that should fit:
Blancmange "Lose Your Love"
INXS "Don't Change" & "This Time"
Malcolm McLaren feat. Lisa Marie "Something's Jumping In Your Shirt"
Erasure "Drama" & "Blue Savannah"
Yaz "Nobody's Diary"
DM "Meaning of Love" & "See You"
Secession "The Magician"
A Flock of Seagulls "Space Age Love Song"

I'll stop there, otherwise I'll get way too carried away!  :D

Yeah, I guess it's hard to say what's "New Wave" and what isn't. As I've said, I always confused it with New Romantic or looked at the electronic side of it. But then you consider groups like The Police and Blondie who could easily be considered New Wave because they mixed a whole bunch of styles of music together to make a whole new entity of their own! As for compilation CD's...I have a few New Wave (so-called) ones and I do wonder why some of the songs are on there in the first place. Obviously the people who put them together had no clue. It also reminds me of a punk compilation I had called The Best Punk Album In The World...Ever! Joe Jackson was on it. The song: "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" I'm sorry, but last I checked Joe Jackson was never punk rock. In fact, I'd be more likely to put him in the New Wave category. But he's definitely not punk! :P

Absolutely Vile

Okay, well.. some of Jackson's songs really have a punk-rock sound to them, in my opinion.  But "Is She Really Going Out With Him" on "the best punk compilation" doesn't sound right.  He's much more new wave to me. :)

Wasn't the term 'new wave' coined to describe all the new British pop music that was coming over in the 80s? That massive *wave* of Britpop? At least that was my understanding of it. Help me.

Cuts You Up  Peter Murphy

I never get tired of that song. Ever.

SUNSET NOW by Heaven 17 the best danceable new wave song
also
DREAM ATTACK by New Order

I love Heaven 17!  "Sunset Now" is a great song.  Another awesome song overlooked on that overlooked album, "How Men Are," is "The Skin I'm In," the slower number with the great Fairlight CMI orchestra, and the sampled classical guitar.

"Dream Attack," great though it is, postdates the end of New Wave by a few years.

How about "Everything's Gone Green"?

Alice & Niko, great lists!

I agree, Talking Heads were definitely part of New Wave, but only until the "Speaking In Tongues" album which was there last great studio album.  "Slippery People" qualifies, as does "Burning Down the House," "Girlfriend is Better," and "Naive Melody."  Don't forget "Once in a Lifetime," from my favorite TH album, "Remain in Light."

I'm going to throw an obscure one out there and say:

Espionage- The Sound of Breaking Hearts

Never a top 40 hit but should have been. I also agree with Kryllith on a-ha "I've Been Losing You." That was always one of my favorites from them.
I played the moog prodigy on that record!! phil :)

I would say Take On Me by a-ha, but that barely counts.  a-ha are late-80s synth pop. 

So I'll pick a song almost as good: Whip It - Devo.

Although People are People by Depeche Mode is also very good ...

I agree Kryllith! I have that song on right now, it's so goooooooooodddddddddd! Gotta love Peter!

"Best Friend" - English Beat
"52 Girls" - B-52's
"Private Idaho" - B-52's
"Love-----> Building on Fire" - Talking Heads
"Found a Job" - Talking Heads
"Age of Consent" - New Order
"Suddenly Last Summer" - The Motels
"Candice" - Siouxsie and the Banshees
"Dance Hall Days" - Wang Chung


There are more that I can't think of at the second.

Cuts You Up  Peter Murphy

I never get tired of that song. Ever.



That was a great song, but is it considered New Wave?  I'm thinking alternative.   

I Ran - Flock of Seagulls

To me, a group that really defined New Wave was The Talking Heads - so I'd say "Burning Down the House" is a clear cut New Wave song in every sense of the word.

Now this is a toughy!

I would have to give honourable mention to:

Yazzo - Nobody's Diary
Visage - Fade To Grey
Gary Numan - Cars
Echo and the Bunnymen - The Killing Moon
Kim Wilde - Kids In America
OMD - Souvenir
Erasure - Sometimes
Heaven 17 - Temptation
The Specials - Ghost Town

...there's more to come later!

I don't mean to continue the harping about musical classifications, but I'm not sure if Simple Minds, Kate Bush, Bananarama, INXS and Kim Wilde count as "new wave." But I could be wrong.

I don't mean to continue the harping about musical classifications, but I'm not sure if Simple Minds, Kate Bush, Bananarama, INXS and Kim Wilde count as "new wave." But I could be wrong.


I kinda agree - INXS, Kim Wilde, and Bananarama are more pop oriented. The most "new wave" was Kate Bush out of that group.

I don't mean to continue the harping about musical classifications, but I'm not sure if Simple Minds, Kate Bush, Bananarama, INXS and Kim Wilde count as "new wave." But I could be wrong.


INXS,Simple Minds,Kate bush are more College Rock.

Kim Wilde's early songs like "Kids in America" and "Cambodia" were very new wave, but her later stuff like "You Keep Me Hangin' On" and "You Came" were more pop orientated

i would have to say video killed the radio star by the bugles  :)

Kim Wilde's early songs like "Kids in America" and "Cambodia" were very new wave, but her later stuff like "You Keep Me Hangin' On" and "You Came" were more pop orientated


Definitly agree with you there!

I posted a long list on this thread last year.  I couldn't choos a "best," and naming great New Wave songs is like shooting fish in a barrel!

Heeeere are a few more:

Peter Godwin: Torch Songs For the Heroine (produced by Midge Ure of Ultravox)
Robert Gorl, featuring Annie Lennox: Darling Don't Leave Me (zee alzo DAF)
Bill Nelson: Flaming Desire
Care: Flaming Sword (Ian Broudie, later of The Lightning Seeds, also producer for Echo & The Bunnymen, etc.)
A Popular History Of Signs: If She Was A Car

My faves would be:
Planet Earth by Duran Duran
Only You by Yaz
Pale Shelter by Tears for Fears
It's My Life by Talk Talk
Love My Way by The Psychedelic Furs
Whisper to a Scream by Icicle Works

The best New Wave song according to me, is any song from BLONDIE!!!! I'm ecstatic that they were inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame!

Does anyone recall the Cheese? It maybe an error in writing I remember the songs: Asia, Fred Astaire and Smiling. The vocalist is female with three other guys playing instruments. And if you agree I include Spandau Ballet on the list because Gold and Only when You Leave are the best new wave song

I'm putting in a word for "Change In Mood", by the Australian new wave band, Kids In The Kitchen. That song is timeless! 8)

"Kids in America" always came off as "pop" to me. I didn't really see it as a departure from anything else at the time. I haven't heard "Cambodia" so that could be a different story!


I'm not sure - I reckon they would definitly be at the pop end of the new-wave scale, but nonetheless still 'new wave'. Cambodia is a little synthy too, but I would call 'Kids in America' more new wave - if we're going to go into that much detail!!!

New dawn fades : Joy Division (end of the 70's but...)
All cats are grey : The Cure
Nightshift : Siouxsie and the Banshees
War dance : Killing Joke
Melt with you : The Modern English
Don't fall : The Chameleons
Black celebration : Depeche Mode
Tina town : Kas Product
Making plans for Nigel : XTC
Echo beach : Martha and the Muffins
Marian : The Sisters of Mercy
(She Sells) Sanctuary : The Cult
Perfect : The The
Big Sleep : Simple Minds
Snake dance : The March Violets
Wax and wane : Cocteau Twins
Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want : The Smiths
The Back Door to Heaven : Aztec Camera
Rip it up : Orange Juice

and so much more in my heart....

i was gonna throw in for blondie. they were pure genius.

i loved that one cult album, the one with sanctuary on it. i threw in electric the other day and actually thought it was kinda boring, all the riffs are really cliche.

Does anyone recall the Cheese? It maybe an error in writing I remember the songs: Asia, Fred Astaire and Smiling. The vocalist is female with three other guys playing instruments. And if you agree I include Spandau Ballet on the list because Gold and Only when You Leave are the best new wave song

I want to inform that I already recall the new wave band i.e. the MO. Thanks to friend there. Anywayl I need more info about the members, thanks.   

enola gay by OMD. it has a catchy synth beat and it has an anti-war, anti-nuke message, a perfect nugget of 80s new wave.


the definition of new wave! good one!
How about Antmusic by Adam and the Ants?
and Cars by Gary Numan?
Blinded me with Science by Thomas Dolby?
in addition to the others mentioned..

I dont have one favorite new wave song because they are so many but when I thinkof new wave I think of the groups

Blondie, Talk Talk, Gary Numan, New Order, Joy Division, Erasure, The cure, The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, and the B-52s. Of course there's more but  they were the most popular to me.

"The 50 Best New Wave Albums"

https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/09/the-best-new-wave-albums.html?a=1

Hello to the forum from a newbie. I don't think that new wave and synth pop are identical. I'll limit my list to the former. I love the latter, though.

.Blondie - "Call Me"
.Devo - "Whip It"
.The Cars - "Just What I Needed"
.The Pretenders - "Brass In Pocket"
.Adam Ant - "Goody Two Shoes"
.Talking Heads - "Life During Wartime"
.The B-52s - "Rock Lobster"
.Elvis Costello - "Accidents Will Happen"
.Duran Duran - "Rio"
.Billy Idol - "Rebel Yell"

Some of my all time favorite New Wave songs would be:

Gary Numan - Cars, Are Friends Electric?
Billy Idol - Dancing With Myself, White Wedding, Rebel Yell
Kim Wilde - Kids in America
Wall of Voodoo - Mexican Radio
Flock of Seagulls - I Ran
Oingo Boingo - Private Life

Hello to the forum from a newbie. I don't think that new wave and synth pop are identical. I'll limit my list to the former. I love the latter, though.

.Blondie - "Call Me"
.Devo - "Whip It"
.The Cars - "Just What I Needed"
.The Pretenders - "Brass In Pocket"
.Adam Ant - "Goody Two Shoes"
.Talking Heads - "Life During Wartime"
.The B-52s - "Rock Lobster"
.Elvis Costello - "Accidents Will Happen"
.Duran Duran - "Rio"
.Billy Idol - "Rebel Yell"


I like top ten lists. I have to replace the Talking Heads song with "Roxanne" by the Police.