Bryan Ferry
Before new wave had a name, Bryan Ferry was already wearing the suit. Roxy Music’s art-school glamour paved the way for a generation of new wave and new romantic bands, and Avalon showed them how smooth it could get. On his own, Ferry made sophisticated pop look effortless for five decades. Roxy Music, and a […]
A Flock of Seagulls
Everyone remembers the hair. Fewer people remember that A Flock of Seagulls had one of the best guitar sounds of the ’80s, and a Grammy to show for it. They were made for MTV, and MTV was made for them. Liverpool, 1979 A Flock of Seagulls formed in Liverpool in 1979, led by singer and […]
ABC: The Sophisticated Sound of New Wave, Synth-Pop, and Stylish Pop
ABC: The Sophisticated Sound of New Wave, Synth-Pop, and Stylish Pop ABC: The Band That Made Sophisticated Pop a New Wave Classic Few bands combined elegance, style, and unforgettable songwriting as successfully as ABC. Formed in Sheffield, England, in 1980, the group became one of the defining acts of the new wave, synth-pop, and New […]
Nile Rodgers
You’ve heard Nile Rodgers’ guitar thousands of times, maybe without knowing his name. That clean, chopping rhythm drove Chic’s disco hits, then showed up on some of the biggest new wave records of the ’80s. Chic and the groove In 1976 Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards formed Chic: “Le Freak”, “Good Times”, “Everybody Dance”, “I […]
Echo & the Bunnymen
Ian McCulloch once called “The Killing Moon” the greatest song ever written. Plenty of listeners agree. Echo & the Bunnymen made dark, sweeping, cinematic guitar music in Liverpool, and more than four decades on it still sounds like nothing else. Liverpool, 1978 Echo & the Bunnymen formed in Liverpool in 1978: Ian McCulloch on vocals, […]
Blondie and Debbie Harry
The most famous blonde of the new wave era was never a solo act. “Blondie is a band,” the badges said. Debbie Harry and Chris Stein’s group took New York punk to number one with disco, reggae and even rap, and sold more than 40 million records doing it. CBGB, 1974 Blondie formed in New […]
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode: The Electronic Music Legends Who Changed New Wave Forever Depeche Mode: The Band That Defined Modern Electronic Music Few bands have had a greater impact on electronic music, new wave, synth-pop, and alternative rock than Depeche Mode. Formed in Basildon, Essex, England, in March 1980, the band transformed from a rising new wave […]
The Cure
How does a band famous for gloom end up with some of the most joyful pop songs of the ’80s? Ask the Cure. Robert Smith’s band has spent more than four decades swinging between the two, with haunting melodies, shimmering guitars and atmospheric keyboards, and that swing is what makes them one of the most […]
Lords of the New Church
What happens when a member of the Dead Boys, the Damned and Sham 69 walk into the same rehearsal room? You get Lords of the New Church, a punk supergroup that went darker, moodier and more melodic just as new wave was taking over. Their run was short. Their shadow is long. A punk supergroup, […]
The Human League
“You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar.” Five seconds in, and you’re singing along. The Human League made the definitive synth-pop duet, and the story of how they got there is almost as good as the song. Sheffield, 1977: all synths, no guitars The Human League formed in Sheffield in 1977, in […]
