The inspiration for the song's name came when Linnell was perusing the New York City phonebook and was fascinated by the number of listings for the name Ng, which is a popular Cantonese surname. Bewertet Eure Lieblingsbands! They had four #1 singles in a three year span: "Heart of Glass", "Call Me", "Rapture" and "The Tide Is High". Gerade arbeitet die Band an einem neuen Album. Bob Seger - Old Time Rock & Roll. "God Is a Bullet" is a searing rocker, with Napolitano giving the song its heart and soul with her powerful and nuanced vocal, especially during the main hook, "God is a bullet, have mercy on us everyone!" One of the new wave era's more interesting curios, "White Horse" is included on Laid Back's second album ...Keep Smiling. There is necessarily and unavoidably a degree of subjectivity in not only selecting which songs to include and ranking them, but also determining which songs can be considered alternative in the first place. Die 20 erfolgreichsten Bands der 80er Jahre 01. Synth-wizard Thomas Dolby cast himself as the mad musical scientist, with subject matter frequently touching upon technology and science -- for example, "Airwaves", "Windpower", "One of Our Submarines", "Cloudburst at Shingle Street", and of course "She Blinded Me with Science". Unfortunately their label went broke shortly after The Wrong People was released, leaving the band in a lurch. Das Geläut eröffnet den Song, der aus der Sicht eines Höllenengels gesungen wird und von den unbändigen Kräften der Natur handelt, denen Gegenüber Widerstand zwecklos sei. Queen – mit Freddie Mercury. Like many songs that emerged in its wake, "Sex (I'm A…)" owes a debt musically and thematically to Donna Summer's seminal "I Feel Love", produced by the great Giorgio Moroder. "Like the Weather" peaked at #68 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was a substantial hit on college radio. Mike Score's voice radiates longing and regret. Of course, it also depends on the artist, the album, the country, or even the listener. Lloyd Cole is a lyricist of wit and incisiveness, as demonstrated by the magnificent third single and title-song from his Scottish band The Commotions' debut album. From the Wisconsin group's self-titled debut album, "Blister in the Sun" is a simple stripped-down skiffle with just acoustic guitar, a snare drum swatted with brushes, a sometimes frenetic bass and bits of violin. Most radio stations wouldn't touch a track oozing with such brazen sexuality, but it sold well enough to crawl to #62 on the U.S. pop chart. Ihre Zeit ging scheinbar mit seinem Aids-Tod, 1991, zu Ende. Furniture's "Brilliant Mind" is melancholy and pensive with a twist of self-deprecating bitterness. "It's so hard to love when love was your great disappointment", she confides tremulously near the end of the song. Despite the grim lyrics about a woman so depressed she can't get out of bed, "Like the Weather" has a gentle warmth to it. Finally in 2010 Cherry Red Records put out a deluxe reissue of what many consider to be a lost classic -- if you haven't discovered it yet, now is the time. It is the band's most fully-realized track, catchy with tight harmonies, subtle strings, enigmatic lyrics (presumably about a young man discovering that adulthood does not automatically provide the answers and solutions that one might have assumed), and a terrific vocal by Wakeling. It reached #5 in the UK singles chart, and #3 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart in America. The band took a few much-needed years off and came back with the biggest album of their career: 1989's Cosmic Thing. Da gab es ja einige schrille, aber auch musikalisch gute Kombos. And indeed the effects of that kiss will never fade from human consciousness. ! Happy Mondays went on to score about a dozen or so hits in their native UK, two of which -- 1990's "Step On" and "Kinky Afro" -- made substantial waves on US modern rock radio. "Enola Gay" was the first (and only) single from O.M.D. "Save It For Later" was written by vocalist Dave Wakeling early on in his band's career, and true to its title he saved it until the English Beat's third album Special Beat Service (in the UK they are simply known as the Beat). Zu Beginn spielte die Band den von Deep Purple praktizierten Bluesrock, doch Anfang der 80er wechselten sie die Musikrichtung zu Rock und Metal. Aerosmith. Rattlesnakes is the first of three albums Lloyd Cole released with The Commotions before pursuing an extensive solo career. There were nearly 400 songs on the initial list of potential candidates for inclusion, and narrowing that to 100 involved cuts that were heartbreaking. Polydor", "Pop Icon Jimmy Somerville: A Career Overview", "Strawberry Switchblade's Rose McDowall Unveils Long-Lost New Wave Gem", "Talk Talk's Mark Hollis Resurfaces with New Music for the Kelsey Grammer TV Show "Boss, "The Teardrop Explodes – Artist Biography", "Tears for Fears, Wings, Ella Fitzgerald: Reasons to Live", "Television Personalities – Artist Biography", "Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey back with '80s optimism", "Watch: Tom Tom Club play "Genius of Love" on Fallon", "New Wave in Yugoslavia-Socio-Political Context", "Chapter 2.7: Punk and New wave: destruction or doorway into Europe for the former socialist countries", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_new_wave_artists&oldid=991418899, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 29 November 2020, at 23:40. "The Waiting Room" is typical of early Fugazi. Jolts of angular guitar, bass and drum rattle insistently throughout, along with an autoharp which whisks sharply along with the beat. As it pertains to '80s music, or any other decade for that matter, the answer is never really quite clear. Zur gleichen Zeit wurde die Neue Deutsche Welle populär. Musically it's like a car barrelling down the highway, mimicking the motion suggested in the chorus, with the sudden snarl guitar at the beginning suggesting the crash itself. It's a tightly-wound freakout in which the Chili Peppers' boundless vitality is obvious. Since their groundbreaking early singles like "Rock Lobster" and "Planet Claire", the B-52's lost their way a bit in the '80s. In recent years the trio has patched up their differences, and can be heard touring the festival circuit, with "Blister in the Sun" still the audience favorite in their set. The most important factor in compiling and ranking the list is artistic importance, with cultural significance also considered. "The Scream." Dire Straits, Electric Light Orchestra, Foreigner, Genesis, Phil Collins oder; Queen, "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" spent two weeks at #26 in July 1983. A simple ascending guitar pattern opens the song, over the polyrhythmic percussion played by the band's versatile drummer Jerry Augustyniak. "Blister in the Sun" blew up on college radio, and is somewhat ubiquitous even though it was never officially released as a single. Much of the song simmers at a slow boil, until the emotion spills over during the bridge with cascading drum rolls, squeals of saxophone, and Irvin's voice crying out vehemently "shame / shame on you / shame!" It's essentially a love message to someone who's on the other side of the world. Aktuell läuft. The song is a neat juxtaposition of precise math rock and sweetly charming nostalgia tinged with faint regret. Acts associated with these revivals are found in the list of post-punk revival bands article. Likewise is Depeche Mode's Violator, which hit stores in March 1990 (although the single "Personal Jesus" did come out in 1989, and was therefore eligible for consideration). "Just Got Lucky" is a joyous sing-along with a heavy back-beat, whirring organs, jolts of sax and exuberant piano that strongly echoes some of the soulful ravers of the Motown era. !+List and subscribe to the channel!!!! Perhaps the lyrics' enigmatic nature snuck the song past most of the censors, although some radio stations did indeed balk at playing it. Ant is practically giddy at the prospect. O.M.D. Unlike many of Ant's earlier singles, which tend to be murkier and harder to penetrate, "Goody Two Shoes" is razor sharp and fresh -- it sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday. Der Text ist unter der Lizenz „Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike“ verfügbar; Informationen zu den Urhebern und zum Lizenzstatus eingebundener Mediendateien (etwa Bilder oder Videos) können im Regelfall durch Anklicken dieser abgerufen werden. The B-52's finally happened upon a formula that brought their wildly manic brand of alternative pop to a much larger audience. Germany. Whitesnake wurde 1978 von dem ehemaligen Deep Purple Sänger, David Coverdale, gegründet. The funky dance rocker about negative information overload is high energy and hard groovin'. The Golden Age of Wireless is one of the smartest albums to come out of the new wave era. My first question: What is alternative? Tracy Tracy's spritely vocals glide beautifully above the chugging guitars and locomotive drums. … At the very least, even if you pay no consideration to the rankings, it's a great starting point for exploring some of the amazingly diverse and powerful music from the '80s that still holds up today. The video for "Ana Ng" received considerable airplay on MTV, and the single reached #11 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart in early December 1988. All of these fit within the umbrella of what would be considered alternative. The concept of a bullet playing the role of God, the ultimate arbiter of life and death, is as relevant as ever as America continues to struggle in the grip of a gruesome spree of mass shootings. Many of these songs fit into multiple categories and many that were left out for not being alternative could very easily be considered by others to fit into that label quite nicely. Accept played an important role in the development of speed metal and Teutonic thrash metal, being part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene which emerged in the early to mid-1980s. The Enola Gay was the Boeing attack plane which deposited its payload "Little Boy", an atomic bomb, on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The best punk, post-punk, new wave, college rock, underground, modern rock, goth, industrial, new romantic, ska, power pop, hardcore, and indie rock of the '80s. It's almost impossible to avoid getting it stuck in your head. Sometimes it's simply a judgment call. The following is a list of artists and bands associated with the new wave music genre during the late 1970s and early-to-mid 1980s. Speaking of Moroder, it's hard to envision while listening to "Sex (I'm A…)" that barely three years later, Berlin would be riding high at #1 on the pop chart with the Giorgio Moroder-produced soundtrack ballad "Take My Breath Away". Find the best '80s music streaming free online. "The Waiting Room" has been covered numerous times, including by TV on the Radio, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rancid. It was the Chili Peppers' biggest hit until three years later, when their timeless ballad "Under the Bridge" lodged at #2 on the pop chart. Danish duo Laid Back had one of the decade's most unlikely crossover hits when their minimalist electronic oddity "White Horse" reached #26 on the US pop chart for two weeks in May 1984. Mitte der 80er hatte zudem Italo Disco einen Höhenflug, ehe Ende der 80er/Anfang der 90er Eurodance besonders beliebt wurde. As for Alison Moyet, she has enjoyed a successful solo career -- her most recent album is 2013's stellar, GO TO The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 2: 80 - 61, The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the ‘80s: Part 3: 60 - 41 ›, The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 5: 20 - 1 ... ›, The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 2: 80 - 61 ... ›, The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 4: 40 - 21 ... ›, 10 Key Tracks From the British Synthpop Boom of 1980 - PopMatters ›, 20 Hits of the '80s You Might Not Have Known Are Covers - PopMatters ›, 20 Unsung Music Videos From the 1980s - PopMatters ›, 20 Music Videos of the 1980s That Have Aged Terribly - PopMatters ›, the 100 greatest alternative singles of the '80s, MetalMatters: The Best New Heavy Metal Albums of November 2020, Hard Times, Easy Listening: 10 Albums for Autumn 2020, 24-Carat Black's 'Ghetto' Is the Most Sampled Album Never Heard, The Fall's 'The Frenz Experiment' Gets an Expanded Edition, Between the Grooves: Nine Inch Nails - 'Broken', 15 Essential Original Lineup Black Sabbath Songs, Chris Stapleton Moves Forward on 'Starting Over', Eraserhead's Stylistic Tics Leave Traces of Infection, Forest Whitaker Film 'Ghost Dog' Is a Sampler's Paradise, Robert Altman's Quirky 'Popeye' Boasts a Can Full of Geniuses, Shirley Jackson's Story on Film Is But a Flickering Shadow, Art Historian Dora Apel Queries What We Choose to Remember. They recorded a string of terrific singles, like their breakthrough hit "I Ran (So Far Away)", which became a Top 10 hit in America, "Space Age Love Song", "Transfer Affection", "Nightmares" and especially the first single from their second album Listen, "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)". / Ah-ha the kiss you gave, it's never going to fade away". It's a swirl of lush keyboards built into a lovelorn and wistful piece of melancholy beauty. Along with their earlier single "Mirror in the Bathroom", the upbeat ska-flavored rocker "Save It For Later" has become one of the band's signature songs. The four-piece Fugazi, comprising of Guy Picciotto, former Minor Threat frontman Ian MacKaye, Brendan Canty and Joe Lally, produced a string of acclaimed and enormously influential albums through the '90s, while eschewing the major label machinery and insisting on remaining true to their DIY approach. There are omissions that some might find surprising. We recommend you to check other playlists or our favorite music charts. As long as the song is a key album track or represents a major song in the artist's repertoire, it need not have had a physical single release. Midnight Oil Midnight Oil are an Australian rock band, who originally performed as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie.. Most would agree that Blondie's earlier material, all of which was released in the '70s, would fit into the alternative realm, but what about their string of chart-topping pop hits? Möglicherweise unterliegen die Inhalte jeweils zusätzlichen Bedingungen. PopMatters have been informed by our current technology provider that we have until December to move off their service. "You don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?" Generally when people think of '80s music, the first artists that pop into their heads might be Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, Prince, Duran Duran, a-ha and other staples of MTV and the Top 40. "24 Hour Party People" captures the beginning of the ecstasy-fueled rave culture, of which Happy Mondays were an integral part. Fugazi - "Waiting Room" (1988) Washington, D.C. 's hardcore legends Fugazi first released two EPs … Rock-Bands wie. The duo of John Flansburgh and John Linnell, They Might Be Giants, first reached national consciousness with "Ana Ng", from their second album Lincoln. Editor's Note: This list was researched and curated by Chris Gerard, and it is not a staff-wide list. It's a far cry from their edgy debut album Pleasure Victim, which includes new wave essentials like "The Metro", "Mannequin", and "Sex (I'm A…)". It was initially the b-side to their European hit "Sunshine Reggae", but American DJs started spinning "White Horse" so it was reissued as a single in its own right. "Knock Me Down" is ultimately about living hard every moment, and about hope rising with the tide in the face of whatever challenges life might offer -- it may as well be the Red Hot Chili Peppers' theme song. At the 0:22 point during the chugging guitar introduction, the song stops entirely for four unexpected seconds of silence before heavy drum beats get it rolling again. Gesamte Playlist. The song's chaotic vibe sucks the listener right into the midst of the madness and along for the feverish ride. Pat Benatar ‎– Fire And Ice (Chrysalis) - 1981, 20. This view does them an injustice. Anybody who has ever struggled with depression will understand when Merchant sings, "it is such a long time since my better days / I say my prayers nightly this will pass away". The touch of human emotion bleeds through the cold edges of the oddly perfect music which ratchets with machinelike precision. The band actually broke up in 2009 after Gano licensed the song for use in a Wendy's commercial, prompting a blistering public rebuke by bassist Brian Ritchie, and the filing of a lawsuit. The Clash's London Calling, one of the genre's most important albums, came out in December 1979, just missing eligibility. leaving unsaid that, of course, we know what you do, don't we? Washington, D.C.'s hardcore legends Fugazi first released two EPs (1988's Fugazi and 1989's Margin Walker), which were compiled for their September 1989 release 13 Songs. Johnette Napolitano is one of rock's most under-appreciated vocalists, and she delivers a blistering performance on "God Is a Bullet". The deep multi-tracked vocals sung in a deadpan baritone exude a sense of menace, repeating "If you wanna ride, don't ride the white horse" with the air of someone speaking from experience, and recommending instead to "ride the white pony", evidently suggesting cocaine is preferable to heroin. It seems odd that such a perky electronic pop tune could be about that massive destruction of human life and property, but such are the absurdities of life, and Andy McCluskey's passionate vocals make it work. It's also appeared in numerous films, including a new version recorded for Gross Point Blanke in 1997. It was the band's final Top 40 hit. / Yeah, all you need is love, is all you need". There are songs that hit the top of the singles chart in the UK or elsewhere in the world -- the Boomtown Rats' 1979 classic "I Don't Like Mondays", for example, the Jam's "A Town Called Malice", or David Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes" -- which had zero chance of ever becoming a mainstream hit in America. "Mirror in the Bathroom" is the bigger hit, but "Save it For Later" has arguably aged better. All rights reserved.PopMatters is wholly independent, women-owned and operated. "Rattlesnakes" is poignant and reflective under the outwardly jaunty acoustic-rock exterior, with a wave of strings bouncing buoyantly over top as if unaware of the heartbreak fermenting just inches below. Guns N’ Roses. "Like the Weather" was the second single from 10,000 Maniacs' second album In My Tribe, and is arguably their finest. Linnell's reedy, rapid-fire vocal is almost impossible to sing all the way through without gasping for air. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. "I'm at the stage where everything I thought meant something seems so unappealing." Heavy Metal-Bands erlebte in den 80er Jahren eine ihrer besten Phasen. With "Knock Me Down", the band showed they were capable of writing great songs that were still unmistakably their style, but with mass appeal. The arrangement is genius, especially the manic acoustic guitar that bounces merrily atop of the drums, and the call and response horn riff between sax and trumpets. Cole describes an alluring character who's been bitten too many times by love and relationship problems, and who has now adopted a detached persona as a barrier and protection.There's a sadness and vulnerability under the lady's ultra cool exterior. "Brilliant Mind" was a Top 30 hit in the UK from Furniture's 1986 album The Wrong People. 'Step It Up and Go' Gives North Carolina Music Its Dues, 'The Baby-Sitters Club' Can Help Children Cope with COVID-era Death, 5 Negative Effects of Fandom Nostalgia and How to Overcome Them, 'The Edge of Democracy' and Parallels of Political Crises, Flirting with Demons at Home, or, When TV Movies Were Evil, New Compilation Collects Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings' Covers, Kelsey Waldon Takes Up the Fight on 'They'll Never Keep Us Down', Pre-Brexit Optimism in Basia's London Warsaw New York. As powerful today as the day it was released, "God Is a Bullet" is the opening track to the band's second album, Free, and it reached #15 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart in June 1989. Anzeige. "The Waiting Room" was initially the lead track for their self-titled 1988 EP and remains one of the band's signature songs. Notable for its dizzying synthesizer that whirls relentlessly in the background, "Enola Gay" is a landmark single of the synthpop genre. Groups and artists with aliases are listed by the first letter in their name, and individuals are listed by their surname. Huey Lewis And The News ‎– The Power Of Love (Long Version) (John "Jellybean" Benitez Remix) (Chrysalis) - 1985, 19. Die Glocke für die Aufnahme wurde speziell im Auftrag der Hard-Rock-Band gegossen. "Goody Two Shoes" was the first solo single by Adam Ant from his album Friend or Foe, and became by far his biggest crossover hit in the U.S. Although the term "singles" is used in the title, it's used lightly. ", "Fra Lippo Lippi – The Early Years: In Silence and Small Mercies", "Indie Labels Thrive By Mining Majors' Catalogs For Reissues", "Joining Nina Hagen on Her Stairway to Heaven", "James Honeyman-Scott – Artist Biography", "Human Sexual Response – Artist Biography", "The longest wait for a 2nd album? Bands und Interpreten der 80er Jahre bei achtziger.de. Criteria: Rock Music Artists of the 80's based equally on Musical and Commercial Impact, Influence & Importance of their Recorded Work from 1980-1989 only. Indie Rock der 80er – lasst uns eine Revolution anzetteln. Die in den 80ern neu entstandenen Musikrichtungen New Wave, Neue Deutsche Welle oder Synthie Pop ergeben erst zusammen mit den populären Rock 80er Hits einen repräsentativen Querschnitt der der Musik der 80er Jahre. "Just Got Lucky" was the second single from JoBoxers' debut album Like Gangbusters and their only chart hit in America. And if Wakeling is actually singing "save it fellator" at some points in the song as is widely assumed, then that opens whole new avenues of possible interpretation (not to mention humor). This isn't quite the little red Corvette going much too fast in Prince's classic, but the Primitives certainly dip their toes in the same metaphoric territory, although "Crash" could have a broader variety of meanings. There's a sizzling brass solo about mid-way through, and then a snarl of electric guitar as the verses escalate up one half-step with each new line, broiling the excitement to a fever pitch. But like all musical decades, there is another layer of music that by and large didn't fit neatly into Top 40 playlists (at least in the US). Alle Bestellungen sind Sonderanfertigungen und werden meist innerhalb von 24 Stunden versendet. Top Musical Artists From Australia and New Zealand of the 80's Natalie Merchant's glimmery vocals skate above the lean and insistent groove, with restrained organ, a lyrical bass, and bright lines of guitar. "Alternative" requires a certain edge, a particularly adventurous vibe, a very specific sensibility. Marius Hühne stellt die musikalischen Perlen des Jahrzehnts vor und taucht mit Ihnen gemeinsam in die Zeiten von Vokuhila und Schulterpolstern ab. The list does not include acts associated with the resurgences and revivals of the genre that have occurred from the 1990s onward. As it winds to its harrowing conclusion, the guitars flash like sirens in the wake of yet another shooting as they fade to black. We are moving to WordPress and a new host, but we really need your help to fund the move and further development. 1973–present. After all, there are plenty of artists who reside outside the limited universe of Top 40 radio who wouldn't be considered alternative: folk, metal, country, reggae, bluegrass, orchestral, jazz, blues, some hip-hop and others. It seems to be told from the point of a view of a prisoner, watching those outside his cell go about their lives and waiting for the chance to continue his -- although it can certainly be viewed in other contexts as well. Some may view Thomas Dolby as something of an '80s novelty act or an irrelevant "one-hit wonder" since he's best known for "She Blinded Me With Science," but this couldn't be farther from the truth. 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Many great songs are not included, but what we are left with is 100 of the best and most important songs of the decade covering a vast expanse of stylistic territory. JoBoxers' jubilant "Just Got Lucky" was a surprise hit in America, spending two week at #36 in November 1983. was charming, but the reaction from fans was lukewarm at best. List of punk rock bands, 0–K; List of punk rock bands, L–Z; List of post-punk bands; List of new wave artists; List of anarcho-punk bands; List of riot grrrl bands; References. Vicki Calhoun is the vocalist soaring in the background as the song winds to its manic conclusion. © 1999-2020 PopMatters.com. The mainstream success was fleeting, and they'd never again approach the level of Cosmic Thing, but the album went a long way toward cementing their already impressive legacy. The chorus, with its "na-na-na-na-na-na / slow down" backing vocals, is an earworm of insidious virulence. Overload the resonant filter; turn off the oscillators; use the cutoff frequency to control the pitch." "Sex (I'm A…)" is seedy red-light district synthpop featuring a sexy vocal by Terri Nunn with bandmate John Crawford adding the male counterpoint.