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New Wave

New Wave was never one tidy sound.  The 80s were a melting pot of contradictory influences, which is most of its charm.

This hub brings together its many different sides, from synth-pop and art-rock to punk-pop, mod revival, 2 Tone crossover and oddball guitar bands that helped pull the punk attitude into stranger, sharper shapes.

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New Wave

New Wave was never one tidy sound. The 80s were a melting pot of contradictory influences, which is most of its charm.

This hub brings together its many different sides, from synth-pop and art-rock to punk-pop, mod revival, power-pop and oddball guitar bands that helped pull punk attitude into stranger, sharper shapes.

Explore synth-pop, art-rock, punk-pop and new wave classics

New Wave sits between punk, pop, electronic music and left-field rock, which is why it still feels so varied. Some artists leaned into sharp guitars and nervous energy, others pushed synthesisers, style and studio polish to the front, and a few seemed to be making it up as they went along. Often, those are the most interesting ones.

Browse official merch, vinyl and CDs from New Wave favourites, synth-pop pioneers, art-rock oddities, punk-pop crossovers and related artists who helped shape the sound around the late 70s and 80s.

Discover more New Wave bands and artists

This A-Z list takes a focused but flexible view of New Wave. It includes core New Wave names, synth-pop, new romantic, art-pop, punk-pop, power-pop and a small number of major post-punk crossover artists, while leaving the heavier Post Punk and Ska deep cuts for their own hubs.

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10,000 Maniacs

A

Adam Ant, A-ha

B

The B-52's, Billy Idol, Blondie, Buzzcocks

C

The Cars, Chvrches, The Cure, Cyndi Lauper

D

Debbie Harry, Depeche Mode, Devo, Duran Duran

E

Echo & The Bunnymen

G

Garbage

H

The Human League

I

IDKHow, INXS

J

The Jam, Joy Division

K

Kate Bush, Kim Wilde, Kraftwerk

M

Midnight Oil, Missing Persons

N

New Order

P

Pet Shop Boys, The Police, Pop Will Eat Itself, The Psychedelic Furs

R

R.E.M., Roxy Music

S

Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Style Council

T

Talking Heads, Talk Talk, Tears For Fears

U

The Undertones, U2

V

Violent Femmes

More punk and alternative discovery

If you want to keep browsing, head back to the wider Punk Music Hub, or move across to Hardcore Punk, Alternative Rock and the broader Rock Music Hub. If the mood gets darker and sharper, the Post Punk hub is likely where you are heading next.

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