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New Wave Music has to be one of the greatest things about the 80's.It is hard to cover all the songs but below are some ones that stick out to me. Spanning the late 70s and on into the 80's This list is far from final. I will be adding to to it. This list includes some pre-alternative music. I have found that most people only know the crossover songs. This page is a deadication to the great artist that made me fall in love with New Wave. Ironically now my daughter has the same passion for New Wave that I did in 1982. It is good to see that this music is timeless. I was influenced by 91x FM in San Diego and growing up in a time this music was our generation. I believe that it is important to honor these great artists and for their contribution to music of the 80's.
Below are just some of the most popular New Wave hits of the 80s listed alphabetically by artist. This list of 80's New Wave songs does include everything yet and is by no mean all inclusive. This list is a work in progress and will likely be quite large when finished. Bands titles are in Pink and have links to their offical websites. The links in orange feature their great songs.
A
ABC: "Poison Arrow" (1982) "The Look Of Love" (Part One)" (1982) "All of My Heart" (1982) " Be Near Me" (1985) "When Smokey Sings" (1987)
Adam & the Ants: "Ant Music" (1980) "Stand and Deliver" (1981) "Prince Charming" (1981) "Strip" (1983)
a-ha: "Take on Me" (1985) "Hunting High And Low" (1985)
Alphaville: "Big In Japan" (1984) "Forever Young" (1984)
Altered Images: "Happy Birthday" (1981) "I Could Be Happy" (1981)
Animotion: "Obsession" (1985)
Arcadia: "Election Day" (1985)
B
The B-52's: "Rock Lobster" "Party out of Bounds" "Private Idaho" "Roam" (1989) "Summer of Love" (1986)
Bananarama: "Really Saying Something" (1982) "Shy Boy (Don't It Make You Feel Good)" (1982) "Cruel Summer" (1983) "Venus" "I Heard a Rumor"
The Bangles: "Manic Monday" (1985) "Walk Like An Egyptian" (1986)
Toni Basil: "Mickey" (1981)
Bauhaus: "Telegram Sam"
Berlin: "The Metro" (1982) "No More Words" (1984) "Sex" (1982) Blancmange: "Blindvision" "Living on the Ceiling"
The Boomtown Rats: "Rat Trap" (1978), "I Don't Like Mondays" (1979), "Someone's Looking at You" (1980), "Banana Republic" (1980)
The Bongos: "Numbers With Wings" (1983) "Barbarella"(1983)
David Bowie: "Heroes" (1977), "Ashes to Ashes" (1980), "Fashion" (1980), "Let's Dance (1983), "China Girl" (1983) "Moderan Love" (1983) "Magic Dance" (1986)
Bow Wow Wow: "C30, C60, C90, Go!" (1980) "I Want Candy" (1982) "Go Wild in the Country" (1982)
Bronski Beat: "Smalltown Boy" (1984) "Why?" (1984)
The Buggles: "Video Killed the Radio Star" (1980)
C
The Call: "Let the Day Begin" (1989) "Everywhere I Go" "The Walls Came Down"
The Church: "Under the Milky Way" (1988)
Elvis Costello: "Radio Radio" (1978), "Oliver's Army" (1979)
Josie Cotton: "Johnny Are You Queer?" (1981)
Culture Club: "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" (1982), "Time (Clock of the Heart)" (1982), "Karma Chameleon" (1983), "Miss Me Blind" (1984)
The Cure: "Boys Don't Cry" (1979), "A Forest" (1980), "Let's Go to Bed" (1982), "In Between Days" (1985), "Close to Me" (1985) "Why Can't I be you" (1987) "Just Like Heaven" (1987) "Love Song" (1989)
D
Dead or Alive: "You Spin Me Right Round (Like a Record)" (1984), "Lover Come Back To Me" (1984), "In Too Deep" (1985) "Brand New Lover"
Depeche Mode: "Dreaming Of Me" (1981), "Just Can't Get Enough" (1981), "Get the Balance Right" (1983), "People Are People" (1984), "Master and Servant" (1984), "Never Let Me Down Again" (1987), "Personal Jesus" (1989), "Enjoy the Silence" (1990)
Devo: "Whip It" (1980)
Duran Duran: "Planet Earth" (1981), Girls on Film" (1981), "Hungry Like the Wolf" (1982), "Save A Prayer" (1982), "Rio" (1982), "Is There Something I Should Know?" (1983), "Union of the Snake" (1983), "New Moon on Monday" (1984), "The Reflex" (1983) "Wild Boys" (1985)
E
Echo & the Bunnymen: "The Killing Moon" (1984), "Bring on the Dancing Horses (1985), "Lips Like Sugar" (1987) "People are Strange" English Beat:"Save it for Later" (1982) I Confess (1983)
Erasure: "Sometimes" (1986), "oh Lamour" (1986), "Stop!" (1988) "Chains of Love" " A little Resepct"
Eurythmics: "Love Is A Stranger (1982) "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (1983), "Who's That Girl?" (1983), " Here Comes the Rain Again" (1984)
F
Falco: "Der Kommissar" (1983), "Rock Me Amadeus" (1985), Junge Roemer (1984)
Flash and the Pan: "Waiting for a Train" (1983), "Midnight Man" (1984)
A Flock of Seagulls: "I Ran" (1982), " Space Age Love Song" (1982) "Nightmares" "Telecommunication" (1982) "You Can Run" "Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You)" (1983), "Transfer Affection" " It's Not Me Talking" "The More You Live, More You Love" (1984)
Frankie Goes To Hollywood: "Relax" (1983), "Two Tribes" (1984), "The Power of Love" (1984), "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" (1985)
Fun Boy Three: "It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)" (1982)
G
Gang of Four: "I Love a Man in a Uniform" "To Hell With Poverty!" "Is it Love?" General Public: "Tenderness"
The Go-Go's: "We Got The Beat" (1981), "Our Lips Are Sealed" (1981), "Vacation" (1982)
Go West: "We Close Our Eyes" (1985)
Eddy Grant: "Electric Avenue" (1983)
H
Robert Hazard: "Escalator of Life" (1981)
HooDoo Gurus: "I want you Back"
Human League: "Being Boiled" (1978), "The Sound of the Crowd" (1981), "Open Your Heart" (1981), "Don't You Want Me" (1981) , "Mirror Man" (1982), "(Keep Feeling) Fascination" (1983), "The Lebanon" (1983), "Human" (1986)
J
Joe Jackson: "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" (1979), "Steppin' Out" (1982)
Japan: "Adolescent Sex (1978), "Life In Tokyo" (1979-1982*reissue)
Joy Division: "Transmission" (1979), "She's Lost Control" (1979), "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (1980)
Howard Jones: "New Song" (1983) "What is Love?" (1984) "Things Can Only Get Better" (1985) "No One is to Blame"
L
Level 42: " Something About You" "Lessons In Love" (1987) "
M
Madness: "One Step Beyond" (1979) "It Must Be Love" (1982) " Our House" (1983)
Men at Work: " Who Can It Be Down" (1982) "Down Under" (1982) "Overkill" (1983)
Men Without Hats: "The Saftey Dance" (1982) "Pop Goes the World" (1987)
Ministry: "(Everyday is) Halloween" (1984)
Modern English: "I Melt with You" (1982)
Alison Moyet: "Love Resurrection" (1984)
N
Naked Eyes: "Always Something There to Remind Me" "What in the Name of Love" "Promises Promises"
Nena: "99 Luftballons" (1983)
New Order: "Blue Monday" (1983), "Bizarre Love Triangle" (1986), "True Faith" (1987)
Gary Numan: "Are 'Friends' Electric?" (1979), "Cars" (1979), "We Are Glass" (1980), "Music for Chameleons" (1982)
O
Oakey, Philip (Lead Singer Human League) "Together in Electric Dreams" Oingo Boingo: "Only A Lad" (1981), " Grey Matter (1982) " Private Life" "Dead Man's Party" (1985)
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD): "Electricity" (1979), "Enola Gay" (1980), "Souvenir" (1981), "Secret" (1985) "So in Love" (1985) "If You Leave" (1986) "Dreaming" (1988)
P
Pet Shop Boys: "West End Girls" (1985), "Suburbia" (1986), "It's a Sin" (1987), "What have I done to deserve this? " (with Dusty Springfield) (1987), "Always On My Mind" (1988), "Heart" (1988), "Domino Dancing" (1988)
The Police: "Roxanne" (1978), "Every Breath You Take" (1983)
The Pretenders: "Brass in Pocket" (1980), "Back on the Chain Gang" (1983)
The Psychedelic Furs: "Dumb Waiters" (1981), "Love My Way" (1982), "Pretty in Pink" (1986), "Heartbreak Beat" (1987)
R
R.E.M: "It's The End of The World as We Know It (and I feel fine)" (1987)
The Romantics: "What I Like About You" (1980), "Talking In Your Sleep" (1983)
Romeo Void: "Never Say Never" (1982)
Roxy Music: "Dance Away" (1978), "Angel Eyes" (1979), "Over You" (1980) "Oh Yeah" (1980), The Same Old Scene" (1980), "Lover" (1980), "More Than This" (1982)
S
Peter Schilling: "Major Tom" (1983), "The Different Story (World Of Lust And Crime)" (1989)
Simple Minds: "I Travel" (1980), "Sweat In Bullet" (1981), "Love Song" (1981), "Theme For Great Cities" (1981), "Someone Somewhere In Summertime" (1982), "Promised You A Miracle" (1982), "New Gold Dream (81,82,83,84)" (1982), "Glittering Prize" (1982), "Waterfront" (1983), "Speed Your Love To Me" (1984), "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), "Alive & Kicking" (1985), "All The Things She Said" (1985)
The Smiths: " This Charming Man" ,"How Soon Is Now"
The Smithereens: "Blood and Roses", "A Girl Like You"
Soft Cell: "Tainted Love" (1981), "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" (1982), "Torch" (1982)
Spandau Ballet: "To cut a long story short" (1980), "Musclebound" (1981), "Lifeline" (1982), "True" (1983), "Gold" (1983), "Only when you leave" (1984)
Sparks: "Beat The Clock" (1979) " Cool Places"
T
Talking Heads: "Psycho Killer" (1977), "Once in a Lifetime" (1981), "Burning Down the House" (1983), "Road to Nowhere" (1985)
Talk Talk: "It's My Life" (1984)
Tears for Fears: "Pale Shelter" (1982), "Mad World" (1982), "Change" (1983), "Shout" (1984), "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (1985), "Head Over Heels" (1985), "Sowing the Seeds of Love" (1989)
Thompson Twins: "Love on Your Side" (1982), "Lies (1982) "Lay your hands on me" (1984)
U
U2 "I Will Follow" "Two Hearts" "Sunday Bloody" Sunday" (1983) Ultravox: "Vienna" (1981), "Dancing With Tears In My Eyes" (1984), "Reap the Wild Wind" (1984)
V
The Vapors: "Turning Japanese" (1980)
Violent Femmes: "Blister in the Sun" (1982)
Visage: "Fade To Grey" (1980), "The Damned Don't Cry" (1980)
W
When In Rome: "The Promise" (1988)
Kim Wilde: "Cambodia" (1981), "Kids in America" (1981), "You Keep Me Hangin' On" (1987)
Yazoo: "Only You" (1982), "Situation" (1982), "Don't Go" (1982), "Nobody's Diary (1983)"
Yello: "I Love You" (1983), "Lost Again" (1983), "Oh Yeah" (1985) From Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Paul Young: "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" (1983), "Come Back and Stay" (1983), "Love of the Common People" (1983)
Hope you enjoyed a trip down memory lane and insight into just some of the incredible classics of New Wave. I believe that New Wave was a very magical time that we will likely never see again. I feel very fortunate to have lived thru this golden age. I believe for many us that grew up back then thought that this unique sound would be around for a very long time.
Little did we know that Grunge would take over as early as the end of 1990. Nothing against Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and others. They however will never speak to my soul that way New Wave did. Although I must say Pearl Jam's Yellow Lead Better is a true classic and a personal favorite. Hopefully by hearing some of the great music you may have heard today, it will inspire you to go pick up a few of these great songs.
By DJ Zombie
New Wave 80's Pics




New Order Blue Monday












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Retro DJ Service
P.O Box 2621
Seattle, WA 98101
United States
info