How David Byrne distilled the art of new punk in a small town in West Yorkshire
“Love and kindness are a form of resistance”.
new wave
New wave is a broad movement in music that emerged during the mid- to late 1970s, blending the energy of punk with elements of pop, electronic music, art rock and experimental sounds.
Characterised by angular guitars, synthesisers, unconventional songwriting and a stylish visual identity, new wave became one of the defining genres of the late 1970s and 1980s. Artists including Talking Heads, Blondie, Elvis Costello, The Cars, Devo, The Police, XTC, The B-52’s and The Pretenders helped shape the movement, while later acts such as Duran Duran, A Flock of Seagulls and The Human League expanded its commercial success.
New wave remains one of the most influential genres in modern popular music, laying the groundwork for synth-pop, post-punk revival and alternative rock.
The 1981 pop hit that sold so fast that the charts “thought it was a scam”
“It sold 60,000 copies a day…”
The 1980 Talking Heads album David Byrne could never understand: “Some of my choices don’t make sense”
“I just have an intuitive sense…”
‘X Offender’: Blondie and the 1976 song that kickstarted new wave
And while we’re at it, what the hell is ‘new wave’ anyway?
Tom Petty vs Elvis Costello, 1977-1983: Who was the real king of new wave?
A song for song power-pop showdown.
“We were at a crossroads”: the 1999 hit Debbie Harry said America never embraced
An unusual misfire?
More About new wave
New wave is a genre and movement that emerged in the late 1970s, combining the spirit of punk rock with pop melodies, electronic instrumentation, art rock and experimental influences.
Key pioneers of new wave include Talking Heads, Blondie, Elvis Costello, Devo, The Cars, XTC, The Police, The B-52's and The Pretenders, with artists such as Duran Duran and The Human League helping bring the genre to mainstream audiences.
While new wave grew out of the punk movement, it generally embraced more polished production, melodic songwriting, synthesisers and a broader range of musical influences, making it more stylistically diverse and commercially accessible.