New wave is a loosely defined
[21][22][23] music genre that encompasses
pop-oriented styles from the
late 1970s and the 1980s.
[2] It was originally used as a catch-all for the various styles of music that emerged
after punk rock,
[24] including punk itself.
[23] 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.
[8] It may also be viewed as a more accessible counterpart of
post-punk.
[23]
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.
[23][5] In the early 1980s, virtually every new
pop/rock act – and particularly those that employed
synthesizers – were tagged as "new wave".
[23] Although new wave shares punk's
do-it-yourself philosophy, the artists were more influenced by 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".
[5]
New wave commercially peaked in the
late 1970s and the
early 1980s with numerous major artists and an abundance of
one-hit wonders.
MTV, which was launched in 1981, heavily promoted new-wave acts, boosting the genre's popularity.
[23] In the mid-1980s, new wave declined with the emergence of the
New Romantic,
New Pop, and
New Music genres.
[25] Since the 1990s, new wave resurged several times with the growing nostalgia for several new-wave-influenced artists.
[26][27][28]
youtu.be
).
