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The 100 Greatest “New Wave” songs 1. Everybody Wants to Rule the World-Tears for Fears (2 Viewers)

rockaction said:
But, uh, please don't tell me the Go-Go's are new wave with Wiedlen. Really?
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OK, I won't tell you :D

In other news ...

Hank Williams, Jr. is a country artist. Who knew? And Barry White's been doing panty-droppin' soul? What's next? Cats and dogs living together?

 
Dr. Octopus said:
I love Bowie and I like Modern Love - but if this was my list (and this isn't meant to criticize Tim) I would limit it to strictly New Wave artists just to keep some integrity. Bowie's music in the 80s could be considered New Wave I suppose but the term "New Wave" kind of implies "new", which Bowie decidedly was not by then.

I'm just now viewing this as a "greatest hits of the MTV era" type list and still enjoying the thread. Wonder where Dancing in the Dark will land - Courtney Cox was a cutie in that video.

Also I'm man enough to admit that Duran Duran was a great band and Rio (and a few others) would rank much higher for me.
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Modern Love to me was a pop dance song. Bowie had a new wave phase for the 5 years prior. My favorite song from the Let’s Dance era wasn’t even on the album (the film version of Cat People).  I like Modern Love as a song, I just have a more difficult time calling it a new wave song. 

Similarly, Every Breath You Take is the most famous Police song, but does that make it new wave? Compared to other Police songs, they had others that would better qualify. 

I suspect we will have some discussion on what was new wave and when, as some bands may have been new wave but then became more mainstream (B-52’s, Blondie, R.E.M., Talking Heads, Kim Wilde, The Motels, Berlin, the previously mentioned Peter Gabriel, etc.). 

 
Dr. Octopus said:
I love Bowie and I like Modern Love - but if this was my list (and this isn't meant to criticize Tim) I would limit it to strictly New Wave artists just to keep some integrity. Bowie's music in the 80s could be considered New Wave I suppose but the term "New Wave" kind of implies "new", which Bowie decidedly was not by then.

I'm just now viewing this as a "greatest hits of the MTV era" type list and still enjoying the thread. Wonder where Dancing in the Dark will land - Courtney Cox was a cutie in that video.

Also I'm man enough to admit that Duran Duran was a great band and Rio (and a few others) would rank much higher for me.
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There seems to be a problem with folk accepting acts who preceded New Wave - like Bowie & Gabriel, maybe even Talking Heads - getting consideration as part of New Wave. Artists werent New Wave just because they put out records in the early 80s, but some reacted to the synthesis & downbeat of the whole feel and shouldnt be punished for having performed in different genres before or after.

 
timschochet said:
69. “Rio” Duran Duran (1982, from Rio) 

https://youtu.be/nTizYn3-QN0

Earlier when I posted about “Girls on Film”, I commented that the bass line was pretty slick, and somebody pointed out that ALL of John Taylor’s bass lines were great, and that he really should be regarded as one of the great bassists in rock history. I was honestly unaware of this fact; one doesn’t exactly think of New Wave as a genre that produces exceptional musicians (though of course I was aware of another bassist from this genre who is rightfully regarded as legendary- we’ll get to her later). But it’s true. And it might never be more true than on “Rio”: when he shines, he really shows us all he can. 
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Conversely from Bowie, Gabriel and such, there are acts that came in on the New Wave but beached themselves in something else upon landing, the Durans chief among them. "Girls", "Wolf", New Wave. Rio, Reflex, pop.

 
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Gotta say...I like a lot of Duran Duran's library and Rio might be the best.

It's certainly the best to sing along to, IMO.

HEY NOW, WOO!...

 
wikkidpissah said:
There seems to be a problem with folk accepting acts who preceded New Wave - like Bowie & Gabriel, maybe even Talking Heads - getting consideration as part of New Wave. Artists werent New Wave just because they put out records in the early 80s, but some reacted to the synthesis & downbeat of the whole feel and shouldnt be punished for having performed in different genres before or after.
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This is a fair approach. I guess I would just have a hard time putting out a list of the greatest reggae songs and including the Stones "Hey Negrita" or a list of the greatest heavy metal songs and including the Beatles "Helter Skelter" which is why personally I would limit it to artists known to be part of the genre.

But you are right a Ray Charles country song isn't any less of a country song than a Hank Williams Jr. song.  

 
Dr. Octopus said:
This is a fair approach. I guess I would just have a hard time putting out a list of the greatest reggae songs and including the Stones "Hey Negrita" or a list of the greatest heavy metal songs and including the Beatles "Helter Skelter" which is why personally I would limit it to artists known to be part of the genre.

But you are right a Ray Charles country song isn't any less of a country song than a Hank Williams Jr. song.  
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These are all fine lines and i wouldnt have bothered to draw them had i not seen the influence among a lot of contributors to the thread being that they were 12-14yo when this #### landed. Tossng in the ol fart perspective, as usual, so the young people will say "Hey, that Boomer's OK!"

 
Anarchy99 said:
Similarly, Every Breath You Take is the most famous Police song, but does that make it new wave? Compared to other Police songs, they had others that would better qualify. 
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Agree here. Sting had been exploring other areas of music for a while by the time Synchronicity was released.

 
Dr. Octopus said:
This is a fair approach. I guess I would just have a hard time putting out a list of the greatest reggae songs and including the Stones "Hey Negrita" or a list of the greatest heavy metal songs and including the Beatles "Helter Skelter" which is why personally I would limit it to artists known to be part of the genre.

But you are right a Ray Charles country song isn't any less of a country song than a Hank Williams Jr. song.  
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This is essentially what I was saying earlier. There are any number of artists that will have some songs that fit and some that don't.

As examples . . .

Kim Wilde: Kids In America (new wave), You Keep Me Hanging On (not new wave)
B-52's: Private Idaho (new wave), Love Shack (not new wave)
Police: Can't Stand Losing You (new wave), Every Breath You Take (not new wave)
Talking Heads: Once In A Lifetime (new wave), Road To Nowhere (not new wave)
INXS: The One Thing (new wave), Need You Tonight (not new wave)
Elvis Costello: Watching The Detectives (new wave), Veronica (not new wave)
Tears For Fears: Change (new wave), Shout (not new wave)
Berlin: The Metro (new wave), Take My Breath Away (not new wave)
Thomson Twins: Lies (new wave), Lay Your Hands On Me (not new wave)

Another group that some people categorize as new wave is The Pretenders . . . yet I don't really think they have many new wave songs at all (and I love The Pretenders). We just have to be open minded and have a broad birth, I guess.

 
Anarchy99 said:
This is essentially what I was saying earlier. There are any number of artists that will have some songs that fit and some that don't.

As examples . . .

Kim Wilde: Kids In America (new wave), You Keep Me Hanging On (not new wave)
B-52's: Private Idaho (new wave), Love Shack (not new wave)
Police: Can't Stand Losing You (new wave), Every Breath You Take (not new wave)
Talking Heads: Once In A Lifetime (new wave), Road To Nowhere (not new wave)
INXS: The One Thing (new wave), Need You Tonight (not new wave)
Elvis Costello: Watching The Detectives (new wave), Veronica (not new wave)
Tears For Fears: Change (new wave), Shout (not new wave)
Berlin: The Metro (new wave), Take My Breath Away (not new wave)
Thomson Twins: Lies (new wave), Lay Your Hands On Me (not new wave)

Another group that some people categorize as new wave is The Pretenders . . . yet I don't really think they have many new wave songs at all (and I love The Pretenders). We just have to be open minded and have a broad birth, I guess.
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Great list and examples. I agree with all except Shout. Both The Hurting and Big Chair are new wave albums to me, but agree that Big Chair was well on the road to “pop” but it’s not TFF’s fault that the world caught on to Big Chair and it became pop. 
great stuff either way and these side debates are part of the fun of these threads. 

 
timschochet said:
69. “Rio” Duran Duran (1982, from Rio) 

https://youtu.be/nTizYn3-QN0

Earlier when I posted about “Girls on Film”, I commented that the bass line was pretty slick, and somebody pointed out that ALL of John Taylor’s bass lines were great, and that he really should be regarded as one of the great bassists in rock history. I was honestly unaware of this fact; one doesn’t exactly think of New Wave as a genre that produces exceptional musicians (though of course I was aware of another bassist from this genre who is rightfully regarded as legendary- we’ll get to her later). But it’s true. And it might never be more true than on “Rio”: when he shines, he really shows us all he can. 
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And I will once again note that my awesome and talented sister has cut Taylor and his entire family's hair for many years now.  I probably should have worked this angle a long time ago but never have (like the way I worked the Tebow angle once).

And yes this bass line is dope.

 
joey said:
Great list and examples. I agree with all except Shout. Both The Hurting and Big Chair are new wave albums to me, but agree that Big Chair was well on the road to “pop” but it’s not TFF’s fault that the world caught on to Big Chair and it became pop. 
great stuff either way and these side debates are part of the fun of these threads. 
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no offense, good man ... but when i initiated the side debate(s) way back on page one, you came in and flat out refuted anything i said with a blanket "if WLIR played it, it belongs!", pretty much relegating any "debate" to folderol when measured up against your (WLIR/DRE) parameters. 

 
otb_lifer said:
no offense, good man ... but when i initiated the side debate(s) way back on page one, you came in and flat out refuted anything i said with a blanket "if WLIR played it, it belongs!", pretty much relegating any "debate" to folderol when measured up against your (WLIR/DRE) parameters. 
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I’ve grown, man, like, right in front of your eyes ;)  

ETA: real answer....it’s funny. When you (the general “you”) agree with a song, we say to objectors that they’re nitpicking or arguing for the sake of it. When you disagree, we become the objectors. :)   again, the fun part of these threads I guess. I’ve never clicked on one in all my years here so I’m learning how it works. 

 
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joey said:
I’m confused. 
this top 100 thread is super serious business, eh?
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again, with all due respect, ya can't come in and say "side debates are fun" when you quashed any such dialogue with the "if WLIR played it, it fits!" edict. 

that's not welcoming debate.

that's pooh-poohing anyone who disagrees. 

 
Anarchy99 said:
Pretty soon the factions are going to join up and take it outside . . . Anchorman style. And things WILL escalate quickly.
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I’m old and forgetful, so I apologize if I accidentally ran over OTB’s dog earlier in the thread and can’t remember. 

 
otb_lifer said:
again, with all due respect, ya can't come in and say "side debates are fun" when you quashed any such dialogue with the "if WLIR played it, it fits!" edict. 

that's not welcoming debate.

that's pooh-poohing anyone who disagrees. 
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You take FFA threads way more seriously than I do. I can’t remember who I disagreed with on the previous page and don’t keep notebooks on users. 
 

all good. Let’s talk music. 

 
joey said:
I’m old and forgetful, so I apologize if I accidentally ran over OTB’s dog earlier in the thread and can’t remember. 
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This likely all stems from when people used to post pictures of women in the FFA and then people would rate them 6-2-1-5-4-3 in order of preference and debate their reasons and why. Since that is no longer allowed, we all end up bickering over what song qualifies in a certain music genre from 40 years ago and what radio stations would or would not have played that song. I miss the offdee rating scale (I think that's who set the bar for the physical appearance rating system).

 
joey said:
You take FFA threads way more seriously than I do. I can’t remember who I disagreed with on the previous page and don’t keep notebooks on users. 
 

all good. Let’s talk music. 
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no need for a notebook ... you made it very clear that WLIR was the last word on what you'd consider. 

i vehemently disagree ... excuse my ### for remembering. 

there have been any number of arrists thus far i had quibble with, but, as i said earlier this morning, i'll take THIS list for what it is, and it certainly ain't a true barometer of what i call "New Wave"

:pickle:

 
Anarchy99 said:
This likely all stems from when people used to post pictures of women in the FFA and then people would rate them 6-2-1-5-4-3 in order of preference and debate their reasons and why. Since that is no longer allowed, we all end up bickering over what song qualifies in a certain music genre from 40 years ago and what radio stations would or would not have played that song. I miss the offdee rating scale (I think that's who set the bar for the physical appearance rating system).
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Offdee scale was pure trash ... don't miss that #### one bit. 

i do miss the ladies, tho 

 
re: the Smiffs ...

"They are certainly not a new wave band nor have they ever been associated with the genre. While the Smiths began their celestial career in the height of New Wave, their music was far from being categorized as such. ... The Smiths sounded nothing like these bands in album production, style, intimacy and lyrics"

culled from a urinal in Salford. 

:toilet:

 
The Cars already graced us with their best song, so I'll take this one and run with it. But "My Best Friend's Girl" is another powerful slab o' new wave power pop.

 
My Best Friend’s Girl is a good tune. It’s notable that the guitar lead at the end of the chorus is pretty much lifted from the Beatles I Will. 

Rio is a great tune. Killer bass line for sure, and I love the warmth of the production on those early DD albums. Good stuff. 

 
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