The Best New Wave Albums Of All Time Ranked
New wave is a loosely defined music genre that encompasses pop-oriented styles from the late 1970s and the 1980s. It was originally used as a catch-all for the various styles of music that emerged after punk rock, including punk itself. Later, critical consensus favored “new wave” as an umbrella term involving many popular music styles of the era, including power pop, synth-pop, ska revival, and more specific forms of punk rock that were less abrasive. It may also be viewed as a more accessible counterpart of post-punk. A number of common characteristics of new wave music include a humorous or quirky pop approach, the use of electronic sounds, and a distinctive visual style in music videos and fashion. In the early 1980s, virtually every new pop/rock act – and particularly those that employed synthesizers – were tagged as “new wave”. Although new wave shares punk’s do-it-yourself philosophy, the artists were more influenced by the styles of the 1950s along with the lighter strains of 1960s pop and were opposed to the generally abrasive, political bents of punk rock, as well as what was considered to be creatively stagnant “corporate rock”. Here are all of the best New Wave albums of all time.
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15. Disintegration – The Cure
“Disintegration is a return to goth glory after The Cure’s foray into pop with 1987’s Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. It’s lush, mournful and gorgeous—in other words, it’s Robert Smith and company at their very best. From the first notes of “Plainsong” to the somber romance of “Lovesong” and the sweeping “Fascination Street,” the album is emotional but never overwrought.”
14. This Year’s Model – Elvis Costello
“Elvis Costello had already made a splash with My Aim Is True, but the addition of his own band makes an immediate impact, as the rhythm section of Bruce Thomas and Pete Thomas launch right into “No Action,” colored with organ from Steve Nieve, who’d added so much to “Watching the Detectives.” Songs like “Pump It Up” and “Radio, Radio” are as energetic as anything in his catalog.”
13. Q: Are We Not Men? A: We are Devo! – Devo
“Clad in matching boiler suits and playing jittery, chaotic art-punk, Devo were decades ahead of their time when it came to predicting what technology’s role in modern life – and strived to make music that sounded as alien and robotic as the very things they were taking aim at. And their Brian Eno-produced debut ‘Q. Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!’ is one of the most influential new wave albums going: nerdy, uneasy and charged with absurdity.”
12. Rio – Duran Duran
“If Duran Duran’s sophomore album had produced just one monster hit single, it probably would’ve still been considered a success, but Rio isn’t just a success—it’s the band’s greatest achievement, a double-platinum record that featured singles like “Rio,” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “My Own Way” and the epic “Save a Prayer.” It also marks a turning point for the band as they finally were able to break through in the States, where New Romanticism had less appeal than in the UK.”
11. Parallel Lines – Blondie
“Pre-’Parallel Lines’, Blondie were possibly New York City’s most tuneful punks, embracing everything from doo-woppy French yé-yé and 60s pop to the rhythmic pulse of disco. And on their 1978 breakthrough record, all of that earlier genre-blending helped to take eclectic new wave to a different place. From the swooning ‘Sunday Girl’ to the stomping foundations of ‘Heart of Glass’, Debbie Harry and the gang took new wave’s Frankenstein’s monster of dance and punk and dragged it into the mainstream.”
10. The Queen is Dead – The Smiths
“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. But the devastating melancholia quickly morphs into the sardonic lyrical meglomania that made vocalist Morrissey the legendary apathetic mope in “Frankly Mr. Shankly,” a terse and not-so-veiled reference to The Smiths’ growing distaste for the music industry in general.”
9. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) – David Bowie
“It’s Bowie trying to figure out exactly where he fits in at that moment in time, and for that reason it’s one of his most underrated albums. While it didn’t produce any massive hits, it did see the return of his Major Tom character on “Ashes to Ashes,” and Bowie manages to work in a dig at the new kids on “Teenage Wildlife”: “A broken-nosed mogul are you/One of the new wave boys/Same old thing in brand new drag.” In short, it’s a legacy artist reminding us that while fads come and go, he’ll always remain relevant, and in that sense, it’s a roaring success.”
8. My Aim is True – Elvis Costello
“Melding the swagger of 1950s rock’n’roll with the raw energy of punk, Elvis Costello’s 1977 debut encapsulates the spirit of new wave. Recorded with producer Nick Lowe over the course of a few short sessions – amounting to about a day in total – there’s an unpolished directness to ‘My Aim is True’ as it veers from twisted velveteen warbling (‘Alison’) and strutting Buddy Holly (‘Mystery Dance’) to twanging film noir (‘Watching the Detectives’).”
7. Hunting High and Low – A-Ha
“Most people recognize the Norwegian band a-Ha for “Take On Me”, the rambunctious first track off of Hunting High and Low. Unless you’re a real New Wave fan, it’s not likely you will recognize the remainder of this album, but it’s layered with both bursts of high energy and heart-wrenching slowburners.”
6. Meat is Murder – The Smiths
“Meat Is Murder is the second studio album by English rock band the Smiths, released on 11 February 1985 by Rough Trade Records. It became the band’s only studio album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart, and stayed on the chart for 13 weeks.”
5. The Joshua Tree – U2
“There is within music an ability to tap into the raw, revelatory power of beauty; music can give itself to the unknown whisper of the eternal in ways that other forms of art only hint at. The collage of sounds communicates something deep to the heart and, when combined with the presence of the voice, can be downright liberating. Few individuals, let alone bands, ever really reach a point where they are that open to the Unknown that it can give itself so freely through their music. U2 has done so time and again, but never with the level of directness and sincerity as they accomplished on the Joshua Tree.”
4. Violator – Depeche Mode
“This whole album is just downright dark, bleak, and chilling in mood and nature and it shows that life is not always about being happy and sunny all the time. Every song here is just absolutely amazing and truly essential listening, all driven with amazing lyrics, brilliant songwriting, catchy, addictive, danceable beats and rhythms, dark melodies, creative sampling, and great usage of synthesizers, and piano lines, all topped off by lead singer David Gahan’s amazingly deep, and imposing voice which bring every single lyric to vibrant life, though chief songwriter Martin Gore does handle lead vocals on “Sweetest Perfection” and “Blue Dress”.
3. Remain In Light – Talking Heads
“Lanky and loose-tied, standing with his hands awkwardly behind his back, David Byrne is new wave personified – as Talking Heads’ lead singer, he traded in brute strength for something gentler, and more playful. And having helped to influence the direction of post-punk on 1979’s ‘Fear of Music’, the New York innovators turned their attention to defining yet another wave on follow-up ‘Remain in Light’.”
2. Synchronicity – The Police
“Most of us who love rhythm and propulsion and striking musical ideas moved on from Sting after his communion with Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland imploded, which makes it easy to forget that Synchronicity was a hell of a way to go. Their disparate sonics coalesced like few other ensembles in 1983, short of non-Western masters like King Sunny Adé’s African Beats, who wasn’t lost on them—“Walking in Your Footsteps” reins in Nigerian polyrhythms just after the opener reestablishes their New Wave bona fides.”
1. Songs from the Big Chair – Tears for Fears
“In an age of frivolity they came on with an earnestness and seriousness of purpose which was rare. Their first album, The Hurting, was absolutely bleak, a raw exploration of Roland and Curt’s troubled childhoods that included the original version of Mad World. Early critics were quick to dismiss them as just another synth-pop band, and a mopey one at that, but it was clear to the public that there was more to them and the album reached #1 in Britain and produced three big hits in 1983. For some reason the American audience didn’t take to them at at first, whether because the songs were too dark or from poor promotion by the label I don’t know.”
