Top 50 New Wave Songs

New wave music was around before the early ’80s when the genre first started an advancement onto the U.S. charts. Often seen as punk’s poppier younger siblings, new wave artists often shared radio airplay and record-store shelves with the more aggressive music.

As you will see in the below list of the Top 50 New Wave Songs, chosen by the UCR staff, many of these tracks would fit comfortably within other playlists from the era, not just punk, but also pop, rock and electronic. Think synth-pop, post-punk and art-rock convening for a dance party for the ages.

The ’80s, not so surprisingly, are well-represented in the list. Many of the best new wave songs come from the early part of the decade when several new forces – including the introduction of MTV that led to an ensuing gate crashing at radio – assembled to give exposure to some of the decade’s most enduring tracks. All these years later they’re still influencing countless genres.

50. New Order, “Temptation” (From 1982 single)

Two years after singer Ian Curtis’s death, New Order was still searching for a post-Joy Division identity, but with their fourth single, they finally broke from his shadow. “Temptation” signaled a turn from post-punk synth-pop toward structured new wave, the electronics merging with melody for the first defined time. Their next single, 10 months later, “Blue Monday,” heralded one of the decade’s most original voices.

49. The Police, “Every Breath You Take” (From Synchronicity, 1983)

When the Police released their final album in 1983, the trio was barely on speaking terms. But the creative tension resulted in their best work, a record that tightened their knotty, twisty interplay with songs that turned down darker alleys. “Every Breath You Take,” Synchronicity’s highlight, is told from the point of view of a very disturbed man, refusing to let go even when presented with the facts. Astonishingly, a worldwide No. 1.

48. Joy Division, “Isolation” (From Closer, 1980)

“Isolation”‘s place on Joy Division’s second and last album balances the heaviness that hangs over so much of Closer following singer Ian Curtis’ death just two months earlier. Almost minimalist in its approach, the electronic drums and sweeping synth-rock of “Isolation” temporarily lift the album’s post-punk cloud. In many ways, the song prefigures the less shadowy new wave the band would soon undertake as New Order.

47. Big Country, “In a Big Country” (From The Crossing, 1983)

Scottish quartet Big Country went big on their 1983 debut, The Crossing, applying widescreen scope to the album’s 10 songs. For the opening track and lead single (and sort of namesake track), “In a Big Country,” guitarists Stuart Adamson and Bruce Watson fed their instruments through effect pedals, giving them a sound that recalled triumphant bagpipes. The result was a Top 20 single worldwide.

46. Pretenders, “Middle of the Road” (From Learning to Crawl, 1984)

The years leading to the Pretenders’ third album found the band facing a series of new challenges, including the deaths of two founding members. Meanwhile, leader Chrissie Hynde had a daughter as she entered her 30s. All of this comes crashing and colliding in “Middle of the Road,” a state-of-the-artist report from the front lines two months before the release of the equally reflective Learning to Crawl. A fierce, personal anthem.

45. The Knack, “My Sharona” (From Get the Knack, 1979)

The Knack’s arrival to new wave was by accident. The Los Angeles quartet modeled itself after the Beatles – from dress to album cover art – and played a mix of garage-inspired power pop that had more in common with the era’s ’60s-derived pop-rock than the skinny-tie brigade. But the jerky rhythms and frontman Doug Fieger’s clipped vocal performance in “My Sharona” – a No. 1 hit – edged the song into new wave.

44. The Clash, “Should I Stay or Should I Go” (From Combat Rock, 1982)

The most straightforward cut on the final album by the Clash’s classic lineup, “Should I Stay or Should I Go” skirts the political themes of Combat Rock’s other songs, including fellow singles “Rock the Casbah” and “Straight to Hell.” But its passionate delivery – Mick Jones takes the lead – and power-chord riffing have made it a favorite. Jones was gone when a revamped Clash returned with Cut the Crap three years later.

43. Devo, “Whip It” (From Freedom of Choice, 1980)

Devo was as unconventional and media-baiting as they came in the late ’70s and early ’80s, subscribing to an evolution-in-reverse belief system and making music that reflected their views. But they somehow still had a Top 15 hit in 1980 with “Whip It,” a winking slice of metronomic new wave that played up their quirkiness and yet couldn’t quite prepare new listeners for what they had in store. Its video was an early MTV hit.

42. Blondie, “Call Me” (From American Gigolo, 1980)

Blondie was entering the height of its popularity when Debbie Harry and the group were recruited to perform the theme song for the 1980 movie American Gigolo. Working with Italian disco maven Giorgio Moroder, who wrote the music, Blondie played up their dance-club credentials. “Call Me” shot to No. 1 and stayed there for six consecutive weeks. Interestingly, Stevie Nicks was asked before Blondie but turned it down.

41. The Police, “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (From Ghost in the Machine, 1981)

Sting penned “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” before the Police formed, but their familiar elements are already there. Spliced with the group’s mix of reggae and new wave, the song became their highest-charting in the U.S. at the time, sending its parent album, Ghost in the Machine, the Police’s fourth, to a then-high No. 2. Two years later the band topped itself commercially and creatively as it skidded toward an end.

40. Joe Jackson, “Steppin’ Out” (From Night and Day, 1982)

Stimulated by a stay in New York City, Joe Jcakson’s sophisti-pop album Night and Day recalled Cole Porter and other Great American Songbook writers more than it did the British punk and new wave artists Jackson came up with. “Steppin’ Out” embodies this spirit more than any other song on his fifth LP, with piano and drums (live and electronic) as its most prominent instruments. It’s Jackson’s only U.S. Top 10 single.

READ MORE: Elvis Costello Albums Ranked

27. The Clash, “Train in Vain (Stand by Me)” (From London Calling, 1979)

The Clash didn’t intend for their breakthrough U.S. hit to be included on their third album. Tacked on to London Calling at the last minute (it doesn’t even appear in the record’s track listing), “Train in Vain (Stand by Me)” became an unexpected Top 25 hit, introducing the group to mainstream audiences. Backed by a chugging, soulful new-wave rhythm, the Mick Jones-sung track turned the punk band into temporary pop stars.

26. Billy Idol, “White Wedding” (From Billy Idol, 1982)

Billy Idol debuted in the U.K. punk scene as a member of Generation X, but it wasn’t until his solo career turned toward new wave that more people started paying attention. A debut EP featured the remixed band cut “Dancing With Myself” and a cover of Tommy James and the Shondells’ “Mony Mony,” but his new image was developed on a self-titled 1982 album, which included the guitar-powered, goth-inspired “White Wedding.”

25. The Psychedelic Furs, “Love My Way” (From Forever Now, 1982)

Both forward-thinking (a message to gay people to be themselves) and looking back (produced by Todd Rundgren and with backing vocals by the Turtles’ Flo & Eddie), “Love My Way” became the Psychedelic Furs’ biggest hit in the U.K. at the time and their first charting single in the U.S. Loads of MTV support certainly helped. Placement in later movies The Wedding Singer and Call Me by Your Name has kept a high profile.

24. David Bowie, “Let’s Dance” (From Let’s Dance, 1983)

David Bowie wasn’t exactly in commercial decline when he teamed up with Chic mastermind Nile Rodgers in 1983 for his 15th album. But the predecessor to Let’s Dance, Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps), was three years old (an eternity in the early ’80s) and often too thorny for radio play. But with Let’s Dance’s title track, Bowie upped the charm, mashing pop, disco, funk and new wave into a soulful brew.

23. The Police, “Roxanne” (From Outlandos d’Amour, 1978)

Like many of the Police’s songs, the one that introduced the band to most of the world carries a dark message. Told from the point of view of a man who falls for a prostitute, “Roxanne” gets more despairing as it progresses, heightened by a Sting vocal that is somewhere between desperate and troubling. It took some time for “Roxanne” to burrow itself into the public consciousness, finally becoming a hit a year after release.

22. Modern English, “I Melt With You” (From After the Snow, 1982)

New wave had a habit of sprouting new bands that would soon fade back into obscurity after a popular song ran its course. While England’s Modern English never replicated the success of “I Melt With You” – their sixth single and not even their highest charting single at home – they’ve continued to release records, even rerecording “I Melt With You” in 1990. But most people would be hard-pressed to name another one.

21. Tom Tom Club, “Genius of Love” (From Tom Tom Club, 1981)

A sidetrack from the world music and expanded lineup of Talking Heads’ 1980 album Remain in Light, Tom Tom Club spotlighted the band’s married rhythm section – bassist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Frantz – along with guitarist Adrian Belew and Jamaican studio pros. Inspired by Zapp’s classic funk track “More Bounce to the Ounce,” future hip-hop fave “Genius of Love” glides along slippery new wave synths.

20. Talk Talk, “It’s My Life” (From It’s My Life, 1984)

The title track from Talk Talk’s second album has boasted subsequent lives since its release in 1984, first a year later when it was rereleased to little notice in the band’s native U.K. and then in 1990 after it was pulled as a single from a group compilation album and then became their biggest hit. A 2003 cover by No Doubt gave the song more exposure, but the original’s soaring chorus remains the absolute version.

19. XTC, “Senses Working Overtime” (From English Settlement, 1982)

Few bands from the British post-punk scene of the late ’70s evolved at the pace and scope of XTC. By the time they arrived at their fifth album in 1982, the double LP English Settlement, their new wave-spiked pop had adapted more pastoral shades with acoustic instruments and intricate production. “Senses Working Overtime” features one of the group’s best hooks, played for maximum soft-hard effect in the chorus.

18. The Psychedelic Furs, “Pretty in Pink” (From Talk Talk Talk, 1981)

The Psychedelic Furs’ self-titled 1980 debut did little to distinguish itself from the post-punk rattle coming out of the British underground at the time. But 1981’s follow-up, Talk Talk Talk, brightened the corners and emphasized the muscle behind the group’s stony wall of sound. “Pretty in Pink” is the standout, given more spotlight a few years later when its title was borrowed for a Brat Pack film where the Furs reworked their song.

17. Duran Duran, “Hungry Like the Wolf” (From Rio, 1982)

When “Hungry Like the Wolf” was released as a single in June 1982, it went nowhere on the U.S. charts. Then MTV put its scenic promotional video into heavy rotation and everything changed; nine months later the song peaked at No. 3, and Duran Duran was suddenly one of the biggest groups in the world. They soon had bigger songs, in the States and at home in the U.K., but they’ve never been better than they are here.

16. Soft Cell, “Tainted Love” (From Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, 1981)

A decade after Gloria Jones’ “Tainted Love” was first released in 1964, the song was given a second life thanks to the Northern soul explosion in the U.K. Synth-pop duo Soft Cell were among the fans of the resurrected soul classic and gave the song an electronic-heavy new wave update in 1981, taking their redo to No. 1 in their homeland and Top 10 in the States. An extended version paired it with “Where Did Our Love Go.”

15. Nick Lowe, “Cruel to Be Kind” (From Labour of Lust, 1979)

Nick Lowe was a 10-year veteran of the British music scene when he reluctantly stepped into the role of a new-wave godfather. Production on records by Elvis Costello and Pretenders, plus a key spot in the Stiff Records roster, helped make him one of the era’s most in-demand artists. His second solo album, Labour of Lust, is a new wave tentpole; hit single “Cruel to Be Kind” is its hook-centered classic.

14. A-ha, “Take on Me” (From Hunting High and Low, 1985)

Norwegian synth-pop trio A-ha probably wouldn’t earn a footnote if its hit song “Take on Me” wasn’t supported by a groundbreaking video in 1985. But that award-winning clip for the song gave the springy new wave pop hit an extra colorful palette to work with, springboarding the group to No. 1 worldwide. Follow-up singles struggled in the U.S., but A-ha’s success in other areas continued well into the 2000s.

13. David Bowie, “Fashion” (From Scary Monsters [And Super Creeps], 1980)

David Bowie had just released a challenging but rewarding trilogy of experimental electronic albums with Brian Eno when he entered the ’80s with a streamlined version of the same aesthetic. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) often played like a look back at Bowie’s ’70s, from direct references to songs to musical cues from the past. “Fashion,” a dance-funk-new wave cross, is part “Golden Years,” part Berlin Trilogy.

12. The Cars, “Just What I Needed” (From The Cars, 1978)

Nobody knew what to call the Cars when their debut album came out in 1978. Were they classic rock? Power pop? New wave? Yes to all, and that widespread checking off of genres helped make them one of the period’s most popular acts. “Just What I Needed” pairs new-wave minimalism (in the verses) with a fidgeting synthesizer that sounds like a UFO coming in for a landing. A reliable template for the next few years.

11. Talking Heads, “Burning Down the House” (From Speaking in Tongues, 1983)

Remain in Light was just the start of Talking Heads’ departure from the barbed punk of earlier records; by 1983’s Speaking in Tongues, the band had expanded to more than a dozen musicians, including P-Funk keyboardist Bernie Worrell. “Burning Down the House” is mostly the core quartet with additional synths and percussion, launched from a freewheeling jam session influenced by the Parliament-Funkadelic mothership.

10. A Flock of Seagulls, “I Ran (So Far Away)” (From A Flock of Seagulls, 1982)

Few images from new wave’s most prominent years are as telling and representative as Mike Score’s hair. The towering coiffure worn by A Flock of Seagulls’ frontman supplied many listeners with a (mostly) superficial impression of the synth-heavy music growing in the mainstream, abetted by the underlying UFO theme of their hit “I Ran (So Far Away).” After a 1984 single, the band disappeared from the U.S. charts.

READ MORE: Pretenders and Chrissie Hynde Albums Ranked

9. Simple Minds, “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” (From The Breakfast Club [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack], 1985)

The Glasgow-bred Simple Minds were barely a presence in the U.S., even with some MTV support, in the first half of the ’80s. Then they were tapped to record a song for John Hughes’ teen drama The Breakfast Club and everything changed. Despite their initial reservations – unlike the band’s earlier work, “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” was penned by outside songwriters – Simple Minds finally made it to No. 1 in America.

8. Gary Numan, “Cars” (From The Pleasure Principle, 1979)

The mainstream’s perception of new wave music in the late ’70s can pretty much be summed up in the four minutes of Gary Numan’s “Cars,” from the synth-generated hook that greets listeners from the onset to Numan’s near-robotic vocals intoning about the cozy isolation and security of his ride. Numan purposely aimed for a commercial hit with “Cars” and succeeded: The song was No. 1 in the U.K. and a U.S. Top 10.

7. The English Beat, “Save It for Later” (From Special Beat Service, 1982)

The English Beat (just the Beat at home in the U.K., thank you) had perfected a blend of ska and new wave on two albums before their third and last, Special Beat Service, came out in 1982 and added more pop to the mix. At first, bassist David Steele turned down “Save It for Later” as being too conventional; then the Dave Wakeling-penned, pre-Beat song became one of the group’s biggest and best-known cuts.

6. Blondie, “Heart of Glass” (From Parallel Lines, 1978)

Blondie never fit squarely into the punk rock scene they were often lumped in with during the mid-’70s. Combining girl-group pop, spiky new wave and, yes, a punk spirit, the group added disco to its arsenal for 1978’s Parallel Lines, which included the No. 1 “Heart of Glass,” a perfect storm of image and new genres in a pivotal year for popular music. The song – first tested in other forms – kicked off a run of hit singles for the band.

5. Talking Heads, “Once in a Lifetime” (From Remain in Light, 1980)

Almost better known for a groundbreaking video than as an anchor to Talking Heads’ best LP, “Once in a Lifetime” boils down the group’s melting pot of influences. A gurgling synth underlines the song as David Byrne rattles off existential crises until he reaches something close to a breaking point: “How did I get here?” It’s a crucial moment in new wave’s evolution: sound uniting with vision in a vivid display of persistent anxiety.

4. The Cure, “Lovesong” (From Disintegration, 1989)

Generally considered the purest distillation of the Cure’s many lives, Disintegration marked commercial and critical peaks. Robert Smith never hid his intentions with “Lovesong” – it’s right there in the title. The old-fashioned love song was a hit with a new audience, especially in the U.S., where it became the Cure’s highest-charting hit (it made it to No. 2). So tailored for the mainstream, even Adele had a hit with it.

3. Tears for Fears, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (From Songs From The Big Chair, 1985)

The duo of Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal lodged themselves as the thinking man’s new wave artists with their 1983 debut. But Tears for Fears’ 1985 follow-up Songs From the Big Chair – a concept album about psychotherapy and childhood trauma – is where they earned the title. The deceptively pop-minded “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” was a surprise No. 1, detailing man’s downfall over a Beatles-worthy melody.

2. Duran Duran, “Rio” (From Rio, 1982)

MTV’s influence in the early ’80s can’t be downplayed. So many artists benefited from the fledgling music-video network’s heavy airplay of their videos; new wave, more than any other genre, was supported the most. Duran Duran was barely making a blip Stateside before MTV started playing the travelogue-inspired clips from their second album, Rio. The tropically themed title track raised their profile significantly.

1. The Cure, “Just Like Heaven” (From Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, 1987)

From the start, the Cure never fit into the designated slots they were supposed to fit into. The goth label that’s followed them for decades is but a small section of the music they make; it’s hard to find even a glimmer of that perceived gloom in early singles “Let’s Go to Bed” and “The Lovecats.” And the hopelessness of admitted downer LPs Faith and Pornography overlie the edges of psychedelia as much as they do shades of goth. The love songs Robert Smith has written for his wife over the years sparkle in their rapturous settings, few as exuberantly blissful as “Just Like Heaven,” the centerpiece of their 1987 double album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. Smith once noted the song is about “kissing and fainting to the floor” – proof that this great band has defied popular opinion for years.