Best SONGS of the 80's NEW WAVE?
 

I mean those great, obscure, non-charting songs from the 1980's by groups like The Replacements, Gene Loves Jezebel, The Smiths, etc.

Some off the top of my head:

1) Seven Seas - Echo & The Bunnymen

2) Bastards of Youth - The Replacements

3) Motion of Love - Gene Loves Jezebel

4) In The Kitchen At Parties - Jona Lewie

The New York radio station, WDRE (or WLIR), introduced me to these, but my mind is now blank on trying to remember some of these tunes. Any help?

The Replacements and The Smiths are new wave?

I'll take:
Modern English: Melt with You (not obscure but the definitive new wave single)
Gary Numan: Films
Psychedelic Furs: Everything and Nothing
The Waitresses: I Know What Boys Like
The Go-Gos: Skidmarks on my Heart
The Plimsouls: How Long will it Take

Some of these might not be exact new wave, but this is such a loose generic term. Here are a few of my favorites skipping the bigger commercial hits.

Altered Images - Happy Birthday
Oingo Boingo - Wild Sex in the Workng Class - but they have so many great songs.
The Specials - Little Bitch - although this is more ska than New Wave.
The Revillos - Rev Up
Adam Ant (or Adam and the Antz) - Just about anything they did is great, get his greatest hits Antics in the Forbidden Zone, if you are just a casual fan.
Gary Numan - Down in the Park
Duran Duran - The Chauffeur
B-52s - Rock Lobster
Madness - One Step Beyond

Also check out English Beat, General Public, Modern English, Blondie, XTC, Human League, Berlin, Missing Persons.

Well off the top of my head, a few of my faves are. . . .

Pretty much anything by Berlin (The Metro and No More Words top the list)

Duran Duran - View to a Kill (the last really GOOD James Bond theme)

Murray Head - One Night in Bangcock

Pat Benatar - again, pretty much anything she does (Heartbreaker is probably my favorite)

Planet P - Why Me (the only thing I've ever heard from this group - but I dig it).

Romeo Void - A Girl in Trouble (A much better song than Never Say Never)

The Fixx - Red Skies at Night and Saved by Zero (somehow I missed this band in the 80's - but boy do I dig them now!)

Who did the song that has the lines:

I talk to no one, I will say nothing, I wear my heart out on my sleeve, and if they find out they will leave, I will say nothing, I talk to no one...

It's a female vocalist. 80's. That's why I sometimes stand alone at parties... That's all I know.

Voice of the Beehive: I Say Nothing.

Voice of the Beehive - I Say Nothing

I heard this girl one day.
She had these long, tight legs.
She said, "I get it every night,
and he calls me every day.

He'll leave you black and blue.
He'll rip you right in two,
then wake up in the morning,
and say "Who the hell are you?"

And then she turns to me and says "We know you.
Tell us some secrets, honey. We won't say a word."

But I say nothing, I talk to no-one.
I know what I believe. Don't need to wear it on my sleeve.
I talk to no-one, I will say nothing.
If we come and go alone, why do they need to know?

The boy who's always mad.
He's just alone and sad.
He holds my hand so tightly.
He says "Go away, I'm bad.

I'll leave you black and blue
I'll rip you right in two.
But it is just because
I do not know how to be true.

That's why I sometimes stand alone at parties.
That's why I drink, so I'll be who they think I am.

But don't say nothing. Don't talk to no-one.
I'm not what they believe, and if they find out they will leave.
Don't talk to no-one, Just don't say nothing.
If we come and go alone, why do they need to know?
(Arcades)

All those endless days of all those sci-fi slaves.
The noise is just a drag until you say close your eyes,
and listen...
They're singing just for you
It's swinging just for you
It's screaming just for you

(instrumental break)

I'll say nothing.
I'll talk to no-one.

There is a place somewhere
Some times you'll find me there
And If I am alone
I will be sitting on the stairs.

I'll be as good as new.
One of the lucky few,
who's laughing at the joke, and
as I leave I laugh for you.

But I say nothing, I talk to no-one.
I know what I believe. Don't need to wear it on my sleeve.
I talk to no-one, I will say nothing.
If we come and go alone, then what's the point of carrying these arcades?

I'll say nothing.
I'll talk to no-one.
I will say nothing.
I'll talk to no-one, but you.


I actually heard this song (and group) for the first time last week on VH1 Classic: The Alternative.

Edit: Darn it. It figures I'd take the time to actually look up the lyrics and get beaten to the answer by less than a minute.:p ;)

So nice to see Gary Numan mentioned. :blush:

A few of my obscure favorites:

Ultravox - The Thin Wall
DEVO - Come Back Jonee
John Foxx - Mr. No
Anne Clark - Sleeper In Metropolis
Messengers - I Turn (In To You)
Visage - The Dancer
Midge Ure - The Man Who Sold The World
YMO - Cue
Kissing The Pink - The Last Film
Sparks - Angst In My Pants
Landscape - Norman Bates
Peter Baumann - Strangers In The Night
Swingers - One Good Reason
Polyrock - Romantic Me
Talk Talk - Hate
Spoons - Nova Heart

I could literally go on for days with this...I loves me the New Wave. :D

My Top 10 Faves (not including the huge groups like Depeche Mode, The Cure, or The Smiths):

1) No New Tale To Tell - Love & Rockets
2) Under The Milky Way - The Church
3) Seven Seas - Echo & The Bunnymen
4) I Say Nothing - Voice of the Beehive
5) Motion of Love - Gene Loves Jezebel
6) Bastards of Young - The Replacements
7) Blame It On The Rain - Milli Vanilli (joking)
-7) Dear God - XTC
8) Punk Rock Girl - Dead Milkmen
9) You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties - Jona Lewie
10) Pop Goes The World - Men Without Hats

Punk Rock Girl by The Dead Milkmen

Their greatest song, or one of several great songs in their catalogue? One thing I noticed, and I don't know if it was a mistake or intentional, but in the song the guy says they played a Beach Boy song - California Dreamin', which was actually a Mamas & Papas song. Was the protagonist in the song just ignorant of the oldies, or was the writer of the song ignorant?

Almost anything by Strange Advance, a duo that made some of the best music I've ever heard.

-"Forever Young" by Alphaville
-"Heat of the Moment" by Asia
-"Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles

OMD:
-"Enola Gay"
-"Joan of Arc"
-"Maid of Orleans"
-Tesla Girls"
-"If You Leave"
-"Pandora's Box"
-"Call My Name"
-"Walking on the Milky Way"

-"Bizarre Love Triangle" by New Order
-several by Pet Shop Boys

YAZ:
-"In My Room"
-"Only You"
-"Midnight"
-"Mr. Blue"
-"Softly Over"
-"Don't Go"

A few:

Devo: Freedom of Choice
Red Rockers: China
Duran Duran: Planet Earth
The Police: Spirits in the Material World
Ultravox: One Small Day
Wall of Voodoo: Wrong Way to Hollywood
Lords of the New Church: Dance with Me
B52s: Planet Claire
The Fixx: Stand or Fall
Simple Minds: New Gold Dream

Anything by Psychedelic Furs, especially "Here Come Cowboys".

b-movie - nowhere girl.

favorite 80s song. ever. :)

Frankie Goes to Hollywood..........anything by them.

Don't know if it counts, but The Smiths' How Soon Is Now is just brilliant.

Also, for anybody who hasn't yet checked out The Feelies, I wholeheartedly recommend them. Especially their first album, "Crazy Rhythms".

Worth searching for. ;)


I'll have to look through my cds. A bunch of fave bands come to mind, but half the time I forget the titles since I'm usually listening while driving and don't read the case.

Well, after having . . . ahem - aquired the songs - I must say you got good taste, bro. So - care to hit me with round 2? :)

Neither, just a obscure reference. The Beach Boys did do a cover of California Dreamin', and it was released as a single.

The late 70's to the mid 80's had some of the best music period. I'll chim in with this short list -

1 - Berlin - "No More Words"
2 - Flock of Seagulls - "I ran"
3 - Thompson Twins - "Lay Your Hands on Me"
4 - Duran Duran - "The Refex"
5 - Bananarama - "Cruel Summer"
6 - Missing Persons - "Destination Unknown"
7 - Devo - "Whip It Good"
8 - Wang Chung - "Dance Hall days"
9 - INSX - "Don't Change"
10 - Simple Minds - "Alive and Kicking"

I don't know if this set is still around but for those who want a 80's fix of music the "Living in Oblivion" CD's offer the best choice.


Kenny J.

This would be an easy way to get the stuff:



http://www.rhino.com/covers400/76/76490.jpg


It just came out and has gotten some very good reviews.

"...virtually all of these songs and recordings have held up beautifully." (4 stars) -- Rolling Stone

"...this labor of love is a vital, often profound, super-fun ride." (4 stars) -- Blender

"The music on this set influenced most everything Pitchfork slobbers on today." -- Pitchfork Media

"No collection I've heard has so well evoked the awkward gear shifts you've come to expect from actual college radio." -- Seattle Weekly

People will say otherwise, but music didn't suck in the '80s -- it just went underground. As the well-financed end of the art form turned to synthetic sounds and short-attention schtick, the punk and new wave of the late '70s evolved and mutated in the capable hands of scores of independent-minded musicians.

This four-disc boxed set celebrates the stuff that dwelt just beneath the topsoil -- everything from R.E.M., The Smiths, and The Cure to Black Flag, Ministry, and The Cramps. The spiritual progeny of a boxed set ancestry that includes Loud, Fast & Out Of Control, Nuggets, and No Thanks! The '70s Punk Rebellion, Left Of The Dial houses four jewel-cased CDs in a lidded box. A separately bound 64-page book features essays and notes by independent rock writers Karen Schoemer, John Srebalus, Tim Scanlin, and Kathleen Billus, plus written reflections from The Dream Syndicate's Steve Wynn and Factory Records' Tony Wilson, and Q&As with SST's Greg Ginn and Twin/Tone's Peter Jesperson.



RADIO FREE EUROPE - R.E.M.

GOING UNDERGROUND - The Jam

A FOREST - The Cure

HOLIDAY IN CAMBODIA - Dead Kennedys

I'M IN LOVE WITH A GERMAN FILM STAR - Passions

I WILL DARE - The Replacements

THAT'S WHEN I REACH FOR MY REVOLVER - Mission Of Burma

JOHNY HIT AND RUN PAULENE - X

JUST LIKE HONEY - The Jesus And Mary Chain

BLACK CELEBRATION - Depeche Mode

TELL ME WHEN IT'S OVER - The Dream Syndicate

HOLLYWOOD (AFRICA) - The Red Hot Chili Peppers

TEMPTATION - New Order

GHOSTS - Japan

A SONG FROM UNDER THE FLOORBOARDS - Magazine

OBLIVIOUS - Aztec Camera

DON'T WANT TO KNOW IF YOU ARE LONELY - Hüsker Dü

RISE ABOVE - Black Flag

BACK IN FLESH - Wall Of Voodoo

CATTLE AND CANE - The Go-Betweens

MESSAGE OF LOVE - The Pretenders

VIENNA - Ultravox

FREAK SCENE - Dinosaur Jr.

THIS CHARMING MAN - The Smiths

STIGMATA - Ministry

WAYS TO BE WICKED - Lone Justice

WARDANCE - Killing Joke

ENOLA GAY - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

MIRROR IN THE BATHROOM - The English Beat

FAIRYTALE IN THE SUPERMARKET - The Raincoats

BEHIND THE WALL OF SLEEP - The Smithereens

POLITICAL SONG FOR MICHAEL JACKSON TO SING - Minutemen

PUNK ROCK GIRL - The Dead Milkmen

STILL IN HOLLYWOOD - Concrete Blonde

LOVE WILL TEAR US APART - Joy Division

BLISTER IN THE SUN - Violent Femmes

LAKE OF FIRE - Meat Puppets

AMPLIFIER - The dB's

WHEN LOVE BREAKS DOWN - Prefab Sprout

GOO GOO MUCK - The Cramps

THIS CORROSION - Sisters Of Mercy

SENSES WORKING OVERTIME - XTC

THE CUTTER - Echo & The Bunnymen

PAY TO CUM! - Bad Brains

BIRTHDAY - The Sugarcubes

MADONNA OF THE WASPS - Robyn Hitchcock 'n' the Egyptians

WE CARE A LOT - Faith No More

TEEN AGE RIOT - Sonic Youth

TO HELL WITH POVERTY - Gang Of Four

FA CÉ-LA - The Feelies

ANA NG - They Might Be Giants

SWAMP THING - The Chameleons UK

THE MERCY SEAT - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

I LOOK AROUND - The Rain Parade

ALL THAT MONEY WANTS - Psychedelic Furs

UNDER THE MILKY WAY - The Church

RISE - Public Image Ltd.

KUNDALINI EXPRESS - Love And Rockets

GRAVITY TALKS - Green On Red

ADRENALIN - Throbbing Gristle

SHE BANGS THE DRUMS - The Stone Roses

MONKEY GONE TO HEAVEN - Pixies

UNCERTAIN SMILE (Original 7" Version) - The The

BELA LUGOSI'S DEAD - Bauhaus

CHRISTINE - Siouxsie And The Banshees

STRAIGHT EDGE - Minor Threat

I WANT TO HELP YOU ANN - The Lyres

OUR SECRET - Beat Happening

JANE SAYS - Jane's Addiction

WORLD SHUT YOUR MOUTH - Julian Cope

RUNNING UP THAT HILL - Kate Bush

SEX BEAT - Gun Club

TAKE THE SKINHEADS BOWLING - Camper Van Beethoven

INSTITUTIONALIZED - Suicidal Tendencies

PEARLY-DEWDROPS' DROPS - Cocteau Twins

24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE - Happy Mondays

I WANT YOU BACK - Hoodoo Gurus

SUBURBAN HOME - Descendents

A PAIR OF BROWN EYES - The Pogues

JET FIGHTER - The Three O'Clock

MOVING TO FLORIDA - Butthole Surfers

A NEW ENGLAND - Billy Bragg




http://www.rhino.com/store/ProductDe...o?Number=76490

It's great, but not it's not new wave. It's post-new wave "alternative"

Granted, not every track is new wave, but I see several in the set that have already been mentioned in this thread.

Anyone want to count?


But then again, the OP asked about non-charting songs and I see more than a few that did chart listed in this thread.

Wow. this is great, after 25 years we can still debate what is and isn't New Wave! My definition is a little different as I consider almost everything that was played on KROQ before Richard Blade arrived is New Wave.

add to the list: Never Say Never by Romeo Void

How about:
Flock of Seagulls: Space Age Love Song
Book of Love: I Touch Roses
ELO: anything really, great stuff