The Return of New Wave

By Anna Mueller

Upon close examination, it is clear that the influence of the 80s is prominent in popular culture today. Stores like Brandy Melville and Urban Outfitters have filled their shelves with items that embody the 70s, 80s, 90s. The presence of 80s fashion is exhibited by the return of the “mom jean” and boldly coloured clothing, amongst other things. In addition to fashion, many songs from the 80s are making a comeback. However, people may not necessarily know anything about the music they are listening to. Of course, many songs from different genres came out of this time period, but arguably the most significant is the genre of New Wave.

New Wave music is a sub-genre of alternative music. Alternative music includes music which doesn’t necessarily fit into a specific genre or the mainstream genres of music we hear today. New Wave has origins in punk music, pop (popular) music, and sometimes even electronic music. This genre existed prior to the 80s, but it was during the 80s that it was most popular.

There is no doubt that there are other genres of music which have become popular once again, but for the purpose of this article, New Wave will be the focus. According to an Apple Music playlist titled “New Wave Essentials,” and a list of the biggest hits from the 80s here are some of the most popular songs to come out of the New Wave genre:

I Melt With You by Modern English. This song was released in 1982 and became the only hit single from the English band Modern English. This is a great example of the many bands in the 80s that had only one mega-hit and will forever be remembered as a one-hit-wonder.

We Got the Beat by The Go Go’s. Arguably their signature song, The Go Go’s’ “We Got the Beat” was released in 1980 in the UK and 1982 in the US. This song is considered to be one of the most quintessential New Wave songs.

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by Eurythmics. This song was released in 1983 and served as the New Wave duo Eurythmics’ breakthrough hit. Its music video helped it rise to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. This song was part of the synth-pop genre which features a synthesizer as the primary musical instrument.

Tainted Love by Soft Cell. Originally recorded in 1964 by Gloria Jones, Soft Cell made this unknown song a worldwide hit in 1981. It has since been covered by several other artists, most notably by Marilyn Manson.

I Ran (So Far Away) by A Flock of Seagulls. This song was released in 1982 and reached number one in Australia and number nine in the United States. It was the band’s most successful single. Due to the song’s undeniable new wave sound and its overall success, people around the world adopted the asymmetrical hairstyles which this band made a trend.

Don’t You Want Me by The Human League. This song was released in 1981. In 1982, it topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for the duration of three weeks and held a ranking of “23rd most successful single in UK Singles Chart history.” The Human League went on to have many other hits but none surpassed the success of “Don’t You Want Me.”

Der Komissar covered by After the Fire. While originally written by an Austrian artist with the stage name “Falco,” a very popular version of this song is by After the Fire. Possibly because the original song’s lyrics are in German, After the Fire’s English version helped bring the song to the U.S and Canada. This song has a strong synth-pop sound. While After the Fire never had a subsequent hit, Falco returned to the charts with another hit called “Rock Me Amadeus.”

Don’t You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds. Released in 1985, this song was famously used in John Huges’ classic, The Breakfast Club. In the same year of the song’s release, it topped the US Billboard Hot 100. Simple Minds had other hit songs, but it is likely that this was their top hit, largely due to its notable movie appearance.

Voices Carry by ‘Til Tuesday. This song was released in 1985 and became the band’s only top ten hit in the United States when it reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also a very popular song in Australia and reached the top 20 in Canada. The band got their start and were known as a performance band right here in SoHo.

Once in a Lifetime by The Talking Heads. This song was released in 1981, and in addition to New Wave, it was considered to be a part of the art pop genre. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ranked it as one of the “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.” The Talking Heads had many significant hits over the course of their career. Their singer David Byrne is still touring today and will always be known as a New York City music icon.

Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles. This song was released in 1979 and was popular worldwide. The song’s music video is historically remembered as the first video ever shown on MTV in the US at 12:01 on August 1, 1981.

Pretty in Pink by The Psychedelic Furs. The original version of this song was released in 1981. The re-recorded version from 1986 was famously used in the soundtrack of another John Hughes film, which was an example of the movie culture that came out in the 80’s, and the presence of New Wave music is clear from the soundtrack to this film.

Blue Monday by New Order. This song was released in 1983 and is a quintessential New Wave/synth-pop song. It was very highly ranked in the US, New Zealand, and Canada. This song is undeniably an important part of New Wave due to its unique sound which can’t be mistaken to embody any other genre.

Heart of Glass by Blondie. This song was released in 1979 and made its way to number one on the U.S. and U.K. charts. According to Debbie Harry, the band’s singer, “Heart of Glass” was one of the first songs they wrote. This is another example of the overwhelming success of a New York City band.

Just Like Heaven by The Cure. This song was released in 1987 and became the Cure’s first American hit. In 1988 it reached number 40 on the US Billboard charts. While the Cure had multiple hits, “Just Like Heaven,” is considered to be one of their best songs. This is another example of the songs that are representative of the New Wave genre.

Despite the fact that these songs are being brought back into popular culture today, it seems that there is some uncertainty of their origins. The lack of knowledge about these groups and songs is overwhelmingly present, and yet these songs are still frequently listened to. Possibly as a way of “being different” or “unique,” this music is a non-mainstream music option. At a certain age, it seems that the desire to be unique trumps the desire to fit in. Individuals begin to search for ways for them to stand out, and it appears that one of these methods is by listening to older music. This is certainly not limited to the New Wave genre, but this genre is known to have flourished during the colourful era of the ‘80’s.

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