timschochet
Footballguy
OK time for a new music countdown thread. I thought this would be a fun one. Between around 1978 and 1985, New Wave was used to describe a wide number of disparate artists. Some were singer songwriters, some were punk rockers who had softened their tone a bit, some were guitar based power pop bands, others relied on electronic instruments. Many were British. Certain radio stations were devoted to playing these songs as opposed to AOR or classic rock (In Los Angeles it was KROQ).
I have selected what I believe are the best 100 songs of the era. Almost all of these songs were “radio hits” in that they received extensive radio play even if the didn’t chart; I have tried to avoid deep cuts even though there are some on certain albums that are quite good.
100. "Girls on Film" Duran Duran
99. "People are People" Depeche Mode
98. "Hold Me Now" Thompson Twins
97. “Words” Missing Persons
96. “Making Plans for Nigel” XTC
95. “I Got You” Split Enz
94. “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” Dead or Alive
93. “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” Wham!
92. “I Ran” A Flock of Seagulls
91. “Local Girls” Graham Parker & The Rumor
90. “Antmusic” Adam and the Ants
89. “Someday, Someway” Marshall Crenshaw
88. “Do You Wanna Hold Me” Bow Wow Wow
87. “Gone Daddy Gone” Violent Femmes
86. “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)” Squeeze
85. “Only a Lad” Oingo Boingo
84. “Don’t You Want Me” The Human League
83. “The Metro” Berlin
82. “Who Can It Be Now?” Men at Work
81. “Mirror in the Bathroom” The English Beat
80. “Talk of the Town” The Pretenders
79. “Oliver’s Army” Elvis Costello & The Attractions
78. “The Killing Moon” Echo & The Bunnymen
77. “Everything Counts” Depeche Mode
76. “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” The Police
75. “Pretty in Pink” The Psychedelic Furs
74. “Bye Bye Love” The Cars
73. “Turning Japanese” The Vapors
72. “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” Eurythmics
71. “Nowhere Girl” B-Movie
70. “Modern Love” David Bowie
69. “Rio” Duran Duran
68. “My Best Friend’s Girl” The Cars
67. “King of Pain” The Police
66. “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” Culture Club
65. “Black Coffee in Bed” Squeeze
64. “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?” Elvis Costello & The Attractions
63. “Dead Man’s Party” Oingo Boingo
62. “Cruel to be Kind” Nick Lowe
61. “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” The Police
60. “I Want Candy” Bow Wow Wow
59. “Mad World” Tears for Fears
58. “Voices Carry” ‘Til Tuesday
57. “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” Joe Jackson
56. “Brass In Pocket” The Pretenders
55. “Let’s Go” The Cars
54. “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” Band Aid
53. “In a Big Country” Big Country
52. “Planet Claire” The B-52s
51. “Burning Down the House” Talking Heads
50. “Cool Places” Sparks (with Jane Wiedlin)
49. “Only the Lonely” The Motels
48. “Whip It” Devo
47. “One Way or Another” Blondie
46. “What I Like About You” The Romantics
45. “Don’t Change” INXS
44. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” Simple Minds
43. “Hungry Like the Wolf” Duran Duran
42. “You Might Think” The Cars
41. “That’s Entertainment” The Jam
40. “Sunday Bloody Sunday” U2
39. “Electricity” OMD
38. “And She Was” Talking Heads
37. “Blue Monday” New Order
36. “Call Me” Blondie
35. “Come On Eileen” Dexy’s Midnight Runners
34. “Rock Lobster” The B-52s
33. “Cities in Dust” Siouxsie and the Banshees
32. “Pump It Up” Elvis Costello & The Attractions
31. “Here Comes the Rain Again” Eurythmics
30. “Life During Wartime” Talking Heads
29. “Tempted” Squeeze
28. “Roxanne” The Police
27. “How Soon Is Now?” The Smiths
26. “I Don’t Like Mondays” The Boomtown Rats
25. “Karma Chameleon” Culture Club
24. “We Got the Beat” The Go-Gos
23. “Blister In the Sun” Violent Femmes
22. “Boys Don’t Cry” The Cure
21. “Down Under” Men at Work
20. “My Sharona” The Knack
19. “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” Cyndi Lauper
18. “Bad” U2
17. “Dancing With Myself” Billy Idol
16. “Tainted Love” Soft Cell
15. “Psycho Killer” Talking Heads
14. “Our Lips Are Sealed” The Go-Gos
13. “Save It For Later” The English Beat
12. “Just What I Needed” The Cars
11. “Video Killed the Radio Star” The Buggles
10. “Time After Time” Cyndi Lauper
9. “Every Breath You Take” The Police
8. “Once in a Lifetime” Talking Heads
7. “Just Can’t Get Enough” Depeche Mode
6. “Love Will Tear Us Apart” Joy Division
5. “Heart of Glass” Blondie
4. “In Between Days” The Cure
3. “I Melt With You” Modern English
2. “The Ghost In You” The Psychedelic Furs
1. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”Tears for Fears
I have selected what I believe are the best 100 songs of the era. Almost all of these songs were “radio hits” in that they received extensive radio play even if the didn’t chart; I have tried to avoid deep cuts even though there are some on certain albums that are quite good.
100. "Girls on Film" Duran Duran
99. "People are People" Depeche Mode
98. "Hold Me Now" Thompson Twins
97. “Words” Missing Persons
96. “Making Plans for Nigel” XTC
95. “I Got You” Split Enz
94. “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” Dead or Alive
93. “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” Wham!
92. “I Ran” A Flock of Seagulls
91. “Local Girls” Graham Parker & The Rumor
90. “Antmusic” Adam and the Ants
89. “Someday, Someway” Marshall Crenshaw
88. “Do You Wanna Hold Me” Bow Wow Wow
87. “Gone Daddy Gone” Violent Femmes
86. “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)” Squeeze
85. “Only a Lad” Oingo Boingo
84. “Don’t You Want Me” The Human League
83. “The Metro” Berlin
82. “Who Can It Be Now?” Men at Work
81. “Mirror in the Bathroom” The English Beat
80. “Talk of the Town” The Pretenders
79. “Oliver’s Army” Elvis Costello & The Attractions
78. “The Killing Moon” Echo & The Bunnymen
77. “Everything Counts” Depeche Mode
76. “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” The Police
75. “Pretty in Pink” The Psychedelic Furs
74. “Bye Bye Love” The Cars
73. “Turning Japanese” The Vapors
72. “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” Eurythmics
71. “Nowhere Girl” B-Movie
70. “Modern Love” David Bowie
69. “Rio” Duran Duran
68. “My Best Friend’s Girl” The Cars
67. “King of Pain” The Police
66. “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” Culture Club
65. “Black Coffee in Bed” Squeeze
64. “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?” Elvis Costello & The Attractions
63. “Dead Man’s Party” Oingo Boingo
62. “Cruel to be Kind” Nick Lowe
61. “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” The Police
60. “I Want Candy” Bow Wow Wow
59. “Mad World” Tears for Fears
58. “Voices Carry” ‘Til Tuesday
57. “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” Joe Jackson
56. “Brass In Pocket” The Pretenders
55. “Let’s Go” The Cars
54. “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” Band Aid
53. “In a Big Country” Big Country
52. “Planet Claire” The B-52s
51. “Burning Down the House” Talking Heads
50. “Cool Places” Sparks (with Jane Wiedlin)
49. “Only the Lonely” The Motels
48. “Whip It” Devo
47. “One Way or Another” Blondie
46. “What I Like About You” The Romantics
45. “Don’t Change” INXS
44. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” Simple Minds
43. “Hungry Like the Wolf” Duran Duran
42. “You Might Think” The Cars
41. “That’s Entertainment” The Jam
40. “Sunday Bloody Sunday” U2
39. “Electricity” OMD
38. “And She Was” Talking Heads
37. “Blue Monday” New Order
36. “Call Me” Blondie
35. “Come On Eileen” Dexy’s Midnight Runners
34. “Rock Lobster” The B-52s
33. “Cities in Dust” Siouxsie and the Banshees
32. “Pump It Up” Elvis Costello & The Attractions
31. “Here Comes the Rain Again” Eurythmics
30. “Life During Wartime” Talking Heads
29. “Tempted” Squeeze
28. “Roxanne” The Police
27. “How Soon Is Now?” The Smiths
26. “I Don’t Like Mondays” The Boomtown Rats
25. “Karma Chameleon” Culture Club
24. “We Got the Beat” The Go-Gos
23. “Blister In the Sun” Violent Femmes
22. “Boys Don’t Cry” The Cure
21. “Down Under” Men at Work
20. “My Sharona” The Knack
19. “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” Cyndi Lauper
18. “Bad” U2
17. “Dancing With Myself” Billy Idol
16. “Tainted Love” Soft Cell
15. “Psycho Killer” Talking Heads
14. “Our Lips Are Sealed” The Go-Gos
13. “Save It For Later” The English Beat
12. “Just What I Needed” The Cars
11. “Video Killed the Radio Star” The Buggles
10. “Time After Time” Cyndi Lauper
9. “Every Breath You Take” The Police
8. “Once in a Lifetime” Talking Heads
7. “Just Can’t Get Enough” Depeche Mode
6. “Love Will Tear Us Apart” Joy Division
5. “Heart of Glass” Blondie
4. “In Between Days” The Cure
3. “I Melt With You” Modern English
2. “The Ghost In You” The Psychedelic Furs
1. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”Tears for Fears
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