“Here in my car, I feel safest of all.” In 1979 Gary Numan sounded like he’d beamed in from the future, and in a way he had. Within a single year he scored two UK number one singles and two number one albums, and showed a generation what a synthesizer could do in a pop song.
Tubeway Army and “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?”
Numan first appeared at the end of the ’70s fronting Tubeway Army, a band that mixed punk energy with experimental electronics. In 1979 “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” went to number one in the UK, and the album Replicas topped the chart too. It was cold, strange and futuristic electronic rock, and nothing else on the radio sounded like it.
“Cars” and The Pleasure Principle
Later that year he went solo with The Pleasure Principle. Built on minimal synths and a riff you can hum after one listen, “Cars” became an international hit and one of the defining records of the electronic era. The album went to number one in the UK, and Telekon (1980) did it again, adding darker, more atmospheric shades.
Is Gary Numan new wave?
Yes. Gary Numan is one of the founding figures of electronic new wave and synth-pop. “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” and “Cars” put the synthesizer at the center of pop in 1979, and bands across new wave and industrial rock followed his lead.
Never the same record twice
Through the ’80s he released something almost every year and kept moving: Dance (1981), I, Assassin (1982), Warriors (1983) and Berserker (1984) pulled in funk, experimental textures and cinematic arrangements. In the ’90s he went heavier and darker, and Sacrifice (1994), Exile (1997) and Pure (2000) found him a whole new audience in industrial rock. Splinter (Songs from a Broken Mind) (2013) and Savage (Songs from a Broken World) (2017) were among the best-reviewed records of his career.
Gary Numan by the numbers
- More than 22 studio albums
- Two UK number one singles and three number one albums, 1979 to 1980
- Live albums and compilations across five decades
Synth-pop, new wave, electronic rock, industrial rock and alternative music all owe him something, and he’s been named as an influence by industrial pioneers and today’s electronic artists alike.
The essential Gary Numan songs
“Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” · “Down in the Park” · “Cars” · “Metal” · “Complex” · “We Are Glass” · “I Die: You Die” · “This Wreckage” · “She’s Got Claws” · “Warriors” · “My Breathing” · “Pure”
The essential albums
Replicas (1979, as Tubeway Army) · The Pleasure Principle (1979) · Telekon (1980) · Dance (1981) · I, Assassin (1982) · Warriors (1983) · Berserker (1984) · Sacrifice (1994) · Pure (2000) · Splinter (Songs from a Broken Mind) (2013) · Savage (Songs from a Broken World) (2017)
New to Gary Numan? Start here
Start with The Pleasure Principle: no guitars, all synths, and “Cars” and “Metal” side by side. Then go back to Replicas for “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” and “Down in the Park”. When you’re ready for the heavy stuff, jump to Savage and hear how far that same voice has traveled.
On tour in November 2026
Numan is playing ten West Coast dates this month, from Riverside on 11 November to San Diego on 25 November. All the dates are on our New Wave Concerts page.
Like Gary Numan? Try these next
Ultravox · The Human League · OMD · Depeche Mode · Ministry · Cabaret Voltaire · John Foxx · Kraftwerk
Hear Gary Numan on New Wave Radio
“Cars” turns up most days. Request “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” for the full five minutes of it.
Official links: garynuman.com · Facebook · Instagram @garynuman · X @numanofficial · YouTube
