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

timschochet said:
14. “Our Lips Are Sealed” The Go-Gos (1981, from Beauty and the Beat) 

https://youtu.be/r3kQlzOi27M

They’re so cute in this video. Belinda with that ribbon in her hair, Jane sitting on top of the car for her solo....it was so iconic because it was so new and fresh and happy. It’s also a great song. 
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Great tune.  Had a huge crush on Jane in my youth.

 
timschochet said:
15. “Psycho Killer” Talking Heads (1977, from Talking Heads: 1977)

https://youtu.be/O52jAYa4Pm8

This band pretty much introduced New Wave with this song, which also introduced the world to Tina Weymouth and the funkiest bass line ever. Probably my favorite song ever about a serial killer (although I do love “Midnight Rambler”.) 
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Great song, but I would contend their Sugar on my Tongue has a better bass line.

 
timschochet said:
13. “Save It for Later” The English Beat (1982, from Special Beat Service)

https://youtu.be/0bM0wVjU2-k

In any genre, one of the most infectious melodies I have ever heard. A timeless masterpiece which I never get tired of. 
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Excellent call. Pete Townsend does a cover which is one of my favorite covers of any song ever. I've seen another concert clip of this cover where he talks about how much he likes The English Beat, The Psychedelic Furs and a bunch of other British post-punk bands that made great albums but disappeared after too short a time - i.e., about half of the bands in this thread.

 
The_Man said:
Excellent call. Pete Townsend does a cover which is one of my favorite covers of any song ever. I've seen another concert clip of this cover where he talks about how much he likes The English Beat, The Psychedelic Furs and a bunch of other British post-punk bands that made great albums but disappeared after too short a time - i.e., about half of the bands in this thread.
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The PFurs are releasing their first new album in 29 years in a few weeks. They went dormant in the 90's, but they have toured pretty regularly in the 00's and 10's.

 
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Anarchy99 said:
The PFurs are releasing their first new album in 29 years in a few weeks. They went dormant in the 90's, but they have toured pretty regularly in the 00's and 10's.
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I’ve now missed them twice in Tampa. Finally seeing them April 15th (assuming it’s not cancelled). Looking forward to hearing the new album. 

 
Haven't been following the entire list so the song may have already been mentioned...hearing the English Beat which would branch off to General Public...Tenderness.  That song just has that new wave feel to me.  Curious if it made the list.

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

https://youtu.be/Z5-rdr0qhWk

I’ve been wondering what I must have thought the first time that I heard this song around 1978 or 1979, so different from everything else on the radio. I can’t remember, it just seems like it’s one of those tunes that has always been with me. And yet at the same time it still sounds so fresh, not dated at all. 

 
Love this song , Benjamin Orr is one of my favorite singers of all time. I like how the song’s narrator is both insecure and cynical

I always sing the the end Yeah, yeah, yeah trail off. Love the ending 

 
timschochet said:
12. “Just What I Needed” The Cars (1978, from The Cars)

https://youtu.be/Z5-rdr0qhWk

I’ve been wondering what I must have thought the first time that I heard this song around 1978 or 1979, so different from everything else on the radio. I can’t remember, it just seems like it’s one of those tunes that has always been with me. And yet at the same time it still sounds so fresh, not dated at all. 
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Love it...and my favorite Cars tune.

Cars was my second cassette purchase ever.  (Men at Work the first)

 
timschochet said:
12. “Just What I Needed” The Cars (1978, from The Cars)

https://youtu.be/Z5-rdr0qhWk

I’ve been wondering what I must have thought the first time that I heard this song around 1978 or 1979, so different from everything else on the radio. I can’t remember, it just seems like it’s one of those tunes that has always been with me. And yet at the same time it still sounds so fresh, not dated at all. 
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Not my favorite of theirs, mainly due to overplay, but can't argue with this choice/placement given that this is where it all started for them. 

 
Like others, Just What I Needed is a bit overplayed for me, but still a good tune. 

Our Lips Are Sealed is a fantastic little pop tune. One of my favorite videos of the early 80's as well.  Just a young band having lots of fun. :cool:  

I don't know that English Beat song, but I will check it out. 

 
timschochet said:
13. “Save It for Later” The English Beat (1982, from Special Beat Service)

https://youtu.be/0bM0wVjU2-k

In any genre, one of the most infectious melodies I have ever heard. A timeless masterpiece which I never get tired of. 
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For the longest time I'd hear the outro for Pearl Jam's Better Man and swear I'd heard it before. After a while I realized the guitar riff has a striking "similarity" to Save It For Later. I've heard that when they play Better Man live they'll sometimes segue into a jam of Save It For later - so I don't think the similarities are an accident.

 
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zamboni said:
On my iPhone shuffle yesterday, heard another post-1985 song that unfortunately won't make it here. Too obscure anyway, but still a very high quality tune IMO.

Smithereens - Blood and Roses
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I have seen The Smithereens multiple times. One was a club show 30 years ago that was so loud, the girl I went with has had hearing problems ever since. Their own songs were strong, but they added some solid covers of The Who and Beatles. Not sure how they have carried on after their lead singer died. He had such a distinctive voice. Fun band. 

 
Anarchy99 said:
I have seen The Smithereens multiple times. One was a club show 30 years ago that was so loud, the girl I went with has had hearing problems ever since. Their own songs were strong, but they added some solid covers of The Who and Beatles. Not sure how they have carried on after their lead singer died. He had such a distinctive voice. Fun band. 
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Per Wiki regarding the activities after Pat DiNizio died in 2017: 

In 2018, Babjak, Diken and Mesaros decided to continue the band's musical legacy and tour with different guest vocalists, including Marshall Crenshaw and Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms, separately taking over lead vocal duties at concerts throughout the United States, including shows in NYC, Chicago, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Virginia

 
zamboni said:
Per Wiki regarding the activities after Pat DiNizio died in 2017: 

In 2018, Babjak, Diken and Mesaros decided to continue the band's musical legacy and tour with different guest vocalists, including Marshall Crenshaw and Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms, separately taking over lead vocal duties at concerts throughout the United States, including shows in NYC, Chicago, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Virginia
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Pat Dinizio lived in the next town over from me, and he played a ton of free shows in parks and events around the area with his band the Scotch Plainsmen (he lived in Scotch Plains). He’d play a ton of covers and some Smithereens songs. I saw him at Echo Lake Park in Mountainside (one town over for both of us) a few months before he died and beyond being big as a house he seemed a bit “off” (was reading lyrics off a sheet for one thing). Very sad when I heard he passed but not shocked.

 
Anarchy99 said:
I have seen The Smithereens multiple times. One was a club show 30 years ago that was so loud, the girl I went with has had hearing problems ever since. Their own songs were strong, but they added some solid covers of The Who and Beatles. Not sure how they have carried on after their lead singer died. He had such a distinctive voice. Fun band. 
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I fell in love with their sound the first time I heard them, and they became arguably my favorite band by the mid-90's.  I was about to buy my tickets to see them for the first time ever when Pat died.

While I don't have any stories about seeing them, I do have one that's kind of funny.  A couple years ago, I was driving my son home from college for their semester break, I had my iPod plugged into the car speakers and their song Now and Then came on.  I asked my son what he thought of it and he asked if they were a 90's boy band.

 
Dr. Octopus said:
Pat Dinizio lived in the next town over from me, and he played a ton of free shows in parks and events around the area with his band the Scotch Plainsmen (he lived in Scotch Plains). He’d play a ton of covers and some Smithereens songs. I saw him at Echo Lake Park in Mountainside (one town over for both of us) a few months before he died and beyond being big as a house he seemed a bit “off” (was reading lyrics off a sheet for one thing). Very sad when I heard he passed but not shocked.
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He didn't have a stroke exactly, but it was something that required medication that made him swell up.  Sounds like he was living on borrowed time for many years. One of the few times I've cried as an adult was when I heard of his passing. 

 
Charlie Steiner said:
I fell in love with their sound the first time I heard them, and they became arguably my favorite band by the mid-90's.  I was about to buy my tickets to see them for the first time ever when Pat died.

While I don't have any stories about seeing them, I do have one that's kind of funny.  A couple years ago, I was driving my son home from college for their semester break, I had my iPod plugged into the car speakers and their song Now and Then came on.  I asked my son what he thought of it and he asked if they were a 90's boy band.
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LOL. Almost as good as when my kids were little and they thought they were so smart when they told their grandmother (diehard Beatles fan) that Paul McCartney was in a band called Wings. When she said what about the Beatles, they said they had never heard of them. Not sure how they heard of one but not the other. 

Getting back to The Smithereens, they played a rib fest in town in 2004. I guess they were there for the day and played four hourlong sets even though they were probably only booked for a night show. They ran though songs by other bands and at one point were taking requests for any song by any artist and they would give it a shot. They also hung around when they weren’t on stage and played some acoustic songs. They just wanted to play pretty much the entire day. 

It was an awesome day. My wife got tired of me hanging around to listen to them, so she left and I went back with one of my friends. They literally had to drag them off the stage. They let them play way past the time they were supposed to and they were locking things down for the night. Like I said, really fun band. 

 
11. “Video Killed the Radio Star” The Buggles (1979, from The Age of Plastic) 

https://youtu.be/Iwuy4hHO3YQ

Certainly one of the most important New Wave songs ever, and still great to listen to; “Video” just misses out on my top ten. As I noted in my one hit wonder thread, it was an unfair label for these guys given the relative success of “Clean Clean”, another great song from the same album, which has other fine tunes as well, like the title track and “Elstree”. 

For me, one of the oddest occurrences of the 80s came a couple of years after this song, when these two guys joined former Yes guitarist Steve Howe and other progressive rock artists like Carl Palmer and John Wetton to form the band Asia. 

 
Anarchy99 said:
LOL. Almost as good as when my kids were little and they thought they were so smart when they told their grandmother (diehard Beatles fan) that Paul McCartney was in a band called Wings. When she said what about the Beatles, they said they had never heard of them. Not sure how they heard of one but not the other. 

Getting back to The Smithereens, they played a rib fest in town in 2004. I guess they were there for the day and played four hourlong sets even though they were probably only booked for a night show. They ran though songs by other bands and at one point were taking requests for any song by any artist and they would give it a shot. They also hung around when they weren’t on stage and played some acoustic songs. They just wanted to play pretty much the entire day. 

It was an awesome day. My wife got tired of me hanging around to listen to them, so she left and I went back with one of my friends. They literally had to drag them off the stage. They let them play way past the time they were supposed to and they were locking things down for the night. Like I said, really fun band. 
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Since Pat died, a lot of stories like this have come out about him/the band. I remember when he announced his 'living room' tour (just him going to peoples' house by request, eating/drinking with them and playing whatever they wanted). If I had known any other fans around me I would have tried to book him. I'm still trying to get to one of their shows, just for the meet and greet afterwards.  At the risk of sounding like a big :nerd: , more than an  autograph, I just want to hug them and thank them for all the great angst-filled catchy hooked gems they produced for my enjoyment.

If you didn't see it, the tribute concert they put together right after Pat's death was great.  The whole thing was streamed live for free, and featured a decent amount of heavy hitters.  Off the top of my head, there was

Little Steven (played and served as host/emcee)

Patty Smyth of Scandal (sounded and looked as good as ever)

Dave Davies (their drummer has toured with him)

Marshall Crenshaw (often tours with them)

Robin Wilson (Gin Blossoms lead singer, occasionally tours with them)

Not sure if the entire show is available out there, but a couple of the individual performances are on youtube. Their encore was White Castle Blues, immediately followed by actual burgers being distributed among the audience.

 
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timschochet said:
11. “Video Killed the Radio Star” The Buggles (1979, from The Age of Plastic) 

https://youtu.be/Iwuy4hHO3YQ

Certainly one of the most important New Wave songs ever, and still great to listen to; “Video” just misses out on my top ten. As I noted in my one hit wonder thread, it was an unfair label for these guys given the relative success of “Clean Clean”, another great song from the same album, which has other fine tunes as well, like the title track and “Elstree”. 

For me, one of the oddest occurrences of the 80s came a couple of years after this song, when these two guys joined former Yes guitarist Steve Howe and other progressive rock artists like Carl Palmer and John Wetton to form the band Asia. 
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Not exactly correct. Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes joined Yes for one album "Drama" and then Downes joined Asia, Horn didn't. He became primarily a producer (and a good one at that). Drama, by the way, is an excellent album, in my opinion.

 
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Charlie Steiner said:
Not sure if the entire show is available out there, but a couple of the individual performances are on youtube. Their encore was White Castle Blues, immediately followed by actual burgers being distributed among the audience.
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OMG! I am such an idiot. I have such the perfect Pat story that I had completely forgotten about. That's why I love these boards. I hadn't thought about The Smithereens in forever and then now get to start the day with all these great memories.

Back when I was in college, I was involved with our school radio station and the band actually performed at our school. I got to interview Pat for my radio show before the show. This was right around when the album 11 came out, so late 1989. I don't remember much about the interview, but I do remember him saying he was starving and to play Blues Before And After a lot because he thought it was the best track on the new album (A Girl Like You was already popular).

When we were done, I said the cafeteria was just downstairs if he wanted to grab something to eat so we went and grabbed a bite. Of course, he ordered a couple of burgers (and let me say, they made PHENOMENAL burgers there). So we hung out in the café and I got to mostly watch him scarf down his burgers. Just as a side note, when they played Blues Before Or After, his introduction back in the day was "Here's a song for all the times I got sick and tired of loving your MFing a$$," and they ripped into a very angry version of the song.

So to bring things full circle, 15 years later when they played in town, and after one of their many sets, I sat and ate a plate of ribs next to the stage and Pat came and sat at the table next to me. I brought up sharing a burger back in the day and he mentioned that it was a tasty burger (like in Pulp Fiction) and he actually remembered it. He even said a different time he was in the vicinity he stopped at the college just to get a couple more of the burgers.

 
timschochet said:
11. “Video Killed the Radio Star” The Buggles (1979, from The Age of Plastic) 

https://youtu.be/Iwuy4hHO3YQ

Certainly one of the most important New Wave songs ever, and still great to listen to; “Video” just misses out on my top ten. As I noted in my one hit wonder thread, it was an unfair label for these guys given the relative success of “Clean Clean”, another great song from the same album, which has other fine tunes as well, like the title track and “Elstree”. 

For me, one of the oddest occurrences of the 80s came a couple of years after this song, when these two guys joined former Yes guitarist Steve Howe and other progressive rock artists like Carl Palmer and John Wetton to form the band Asia. 
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so, if Roy Clark & Buck Owens, instead of this prog-pop ensemble, had been the artists in the first MTV video, the Hee Haw theme would be New Wave

 
timschochet said:
11. “Video Killed the Radio Star” The Buggles (1979, from The Age of Plastic) 

https://youtu.be/Iwuy4hHO3YQ

Certainly one of the most important New Wave songs ever, and still great to listen to;
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I know it was the first video played on MTV but calling it "one of the most important New Wave songs ever" seems more than a bit hyperbolic. I mean if the Buggles never existed would New Wave have died out. What exactly was important about the song? The schtick "point" didn't even prove to be prophetic - videos went away long before radio.

 
If it wasn't for the fact that it was the first video played on MTV, would "Video Killed the Radio Star" even be remembered?  I was never aware of the song at the time.

 
Juxtatarot said:
If it wasn't for the fact that it was the first video played on MTV, would "Video Killed the Radio Star" even be remembered?  
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I think it's safe to say the answer would be no. Interestingly, the song was a quasi-cover (albeit co-written by Horn and Downes). Here's the original (with Thomas Dolby on keyboards).

 
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Juxtatarot said:
If it wasn't for the fact that it was the first video played on MTV, would "Video Killed the Radio Star" even be remembered?  I was never aware of the song at the time.
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Yes, internationally, in the countries where it was a hit, but in the US it would probably be remembered as well as other songs from the late 70s that barely squeaked into the top 40 in this country (which is to say hardly at all).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Killed_the_Radio_Star

Upon release, the single topped sixteen international music charts, including those in the UK, Australia, and Japan. It also peaked within the top 10 in Canada, Germany, New Zealand and South Africa, but only reached number 40 in the US.
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dhockster said:
Not exactly correct. Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes joined Yes for one album "Drama" and then Downes joined Asia, Horn didn't. He became primarily a producer (and a good one at that). 
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Agreed - he's got a pretty good resume: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_Horn_discography

His first post-Buggles produced album (ABC's The Lexicon of Love) is widely viewed as a standout of the New Wave era.

 
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10. “Time After Time” Cyndi Lauper (1983, from She’s So Unusual)

https://youtu.be/VdQY7BusJNU

My top ten debuts with this stellar ballad by Cyndi Lauper. And yes I know it was a huge hit and apparently that is disqualifying for some of the critics here, but it’s also one of the most gorgeous songs of the genre and frankly, ever. So I don’t care. The second hand unwinds...

 
timschochet said:
10. “Time After Time” Cyndi Lauper (1983, from She’s So Unusual)

https://youtu.be/VdQY7BusJNU

My top ten debuts with this stellar ballad by Cyndi Lauper. And yes I know it was a huge hit and apparently that is disqualifying for some of the critics here, but it’s also one of the most gorgeous songs of the genre and frankly, ever. So I don’t care. The second hand unwinds...
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I agree this is a very strong tune. Co-written by Rob Hyman of the Hooters.

 
I never really thought of Cyndi Lauper as a new wave act

ETA: I will say that I have a few songs in my hardcore top 100 that are not from traditional hardcore bands but......

 
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AcerFC said:
I never really thought of Cyndi Lauper as a new wave act
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I don't either, but I guess we suspended the label about 80 picks ago. As I indicated, it's a strong song on its own merit, but I have a hard time when this gets about 30 picks higher than a fierce New Wave classic, like, say, "Don't Change".

 
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