New wave music

New wave is a genre of pop-oriented music that first appeared in the US and UK during the mid-to-late 1970s. At first, the term was used interchangeably with punk rock, but it quickly developed its own identity as a lighter, more melodic offshoot—a "broadening of punk culture" that stood apart from the moodier sound of post-punk. Eventually, new wave became a catchall label for various styles that followed punk's initial rise, including synth-pop, power pop, and two-tone ska.

The genre reached its commercial peak between the late 1970s and mid-1980s, producing many one-hit wonders. The launch of MTV in 1981 helped boost new wave acts in the US, as the channel heavily promoted them. Distinct regional new wave scenes emerged across Europe, such as the Netherlands' ultra, Germany's Neue Deutsche Welle, Spain's La Movida Madrileña, coldwave in France, Poland, and Belgium, and Yugoslav new wave. The movement also inspired subgenres like minimal wave and darkwave.

By the early 1980s, the original new wave movement was considered finished in the UK, replaced by new pop and New Romantic styles. However, the US continued using "new wave" as an umbrella term for these newer acts, especially on MTV. By the late 1980s, new wave's popularity in the US faded as glam metal, dance-pop, and alternative rock gained traction. Brief revivals occurred in the 1990s and 2000s, dubbed the "new wave of new wave" and "new new wave" by the press. The genre later influenced internet microgenres like bloghouse, new rave, chillwave, synthwave, vaporwave, and devocore.

The term "new wave" was popularized by Seymour Stein of Sire Records as a catchall for post-punk styles, and it also referenced the French New Wave film movement of the 1960s, known for its experimental approach. Common characteristics included a quirky, humorous pop tone, electronic sounds, and a distinctive visual style in music videos and fashion. Simon Reynolds described new wave music as having a twitchy, agitated feel, with choppy rhythm guitars, angular riffs, fast tempos, keyboards, and synthesizers. Stop-start song structures and jerky rhythms were typical, and vocalists often sounded high-pitched, geeky, and suburban.

In the US, MTV played British new wave videos because most American hits lacked music videos. Steve Greenberg noted that British videos were easy to get, as they had been a staple of UK TV shows like *Top of the Pops* since the mid-1970s. This made visual style crucial for new wave musicians. By the early 1980s, the US public labeled nearly every new pop and rock act using synthesizers as "new wave." The term became so broad that the *New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock* called it "virtually meaningless."

A nervous, nerdy persona was common among new wave fans and acts like Talking Heads, Devo, and Elvis Costello. This showed up in robotic dancing, jittery high-pitched vocals, and fashion like suits and big glasses that hid the body. This seemed radical compared to post-counterculture genres like disco and macho "cock rock," which emphasized a relaxed attitude, open sexuality, and sexual bravado.

New wave can be seen as an attempt to blend punk's energy and rebellious attitude with traditional pop songwriting, as in Elvis Costello's rockabilly riffs or the Jam's 1960s mod influences. Paul Weller called new wave "the pop music of the Seventies," explaining in 1977 that it was about hooks and guitar riffs, not the heavy, negative sound of Iggy Pop and New York punk. While new wave shared punk's do-it-yourself ethos, its musicians were more influenced by 1960s pop and opposed mainstream "corporate" rock, which they saw as creatively stagnant, as well as punk's abrasive political edge.

In the early 1980s, especially in the US, notable new wave acts blended pop and rock with African and African-American styles. Adam and the Ants and Bow Wow Wow used Burundi-style drumming, both linked to former Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren. Talking Heads' album *Remain in Light* was marketed as a fusion of new wave and African styles, though drummer Chris Frantz said he learned of this influence after the fact. Later in the decade, African-American musicians like Grace Jones, Janet Jackson, and Prince adopted new wave elements, with Prince using them to shape the Minneapolis sound.

Forerunners of new wave include the Velvet Underground, as well as the glam and art rock of Roxy Music and Sparks, along with the work of David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Brian Eno. Experimental rock artists like Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, and the Residents also played a role.