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New wave is a music genre that encompasses pop -oriented styles from the 1970s through the 1980s. It is considered a lighter and more melodic "broadening of punk culture ". [4] . It was originally used as a catch-all for the various styles of music that emerged after punk rock.
Find Punk/New Wave Albums, Artists and Songs, and Hand-Picked Top Punk/New Wave Music on AllMusic
May 29, 2024 · New wave, category of popular music spanning the late 1970s and the early 1980s. Taking its name from the French New Wave cinema of the late 1950s, this catchall classification was defined in opposition to punk (which was generally more raw, rough edged, and political) and to mainstream “corporate”.
- Stephen Seddon
Jan 26, 2022 · Where punk rock was angry and abrasive, new wave was quirky and clever. While many new wave artists held onto parts of the punk rock ethos (remaining decidedly anti-establishment and anti-corporate) their music tended to be less political and less anarchistic than most punk rock.
- Elvis Costello: My Aim is True (1977) Costello’s debut album bridged the gap between the roiling punk energy of the mid-70s and the staid tradition of literate, intimate, popular songwriting that traces from the Gershwins, Berlin and Porter to Buddy Holly and Lennon/McCartney.
- Talking Heads: Remain in Light (1980) For their fourth and finest record, the Talking Heads (along with producer/collaborator/all-around musical badass Brian Eno) trotted out their African influences in full force.
- The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead (1986) If “How Soon Is Now” off The Smiths’ previous album was the starting-pistol shot announcing their intentions to delve into darker territories, then the title track off The Queen Is Dead was rhythmic strafing to the same effect.
- Blondie: Parallel Lines (1978) The wondrous pop, rock and disco songs on Parallel Lines weren’t supposed to exist on one single album. To imagine it is to put “The Loco-Motion,” “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and “Staying Alive” on a mixtape and pronounce it a band.
Where post-punk was arty, difficult, and challenging, new wave was pop music, pure and simple. It retained the fresh vigor and irreverence of punk music, as well as a fascination with electronics, style, and art. Therefore, there was a lot of stylistic diversity to new wave.
May 21, 2023 · Ironic, sure, but worth it: this is a genre that gave us some of the most memorable pop hits of all time. From escaping punk's shadow to dominating MTV and beyond, here is the story of new wave in five essential albums.
