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Now, back when I began my two-week excursion into the New Wave music of the late-70s and early-80s, I really got to thinking about the whole big genre that was labeled by baby boomers who were running radio stations in the late-80s and early-90s. Much like the great pop music of the early-60s gave way to what is now known as classic rock music, a similar action happened to new wave. As many young people, mainly the early members of Generation X (those born after 1960), began to realize how the trickle down economics of the 80s wasn’t trickling down to all of us, the music began to reflect that. Then you throw in the AIDS epidemic, the crack epidemic and the social ills depicted in rap and hardcore musics, and a majority of people wanted a music to reflect this. Unfortunately, a large portion of those who came of age in the late 80s turned to hair metal in the States. Hair metal was fine, but it was the musical equivalent of burying one’s head in the sand to escape all the social ills around them. Others began to turn to a form of music called college rock.

Now, this music was ran in many directions. It went from the icy-dance numbers of New Order to the industrial goth-metal of Ministry to the jangle pop R.E.M. and The Smiths to the power pop of Game Theory. The music was rich and varied, but it all shared one common characteristic. The music was played mainly on college radio stations or independent family-run radio stations that dotted college towns throughout the States. If it wasn’t played on commercial radio, then these stations picked up the music and played it. That moment was very similar to when free-form FM radio began to play album cuts instead of the pop hits played on AM radio stations. Many times, these college radio stations were quick to pick up on a song or an artist that would go on to great success. Much of the music I continue to listen to this day is from this genre.

Although the music was diverse, the lyrical content ran from surrealistic musings of Robyn Hitchcock to the overtly political statements of Bad Brains, from the alienation on a dance floor of New Order to just plain alienation of Echo & the Bunnymen, to the flat out anger of Dead Kennedys and Black Flag. Whatever your personal taste was, alternative music could deliver a new bent on that music. Heck, even folk music was thrown in this music, where you could find the works of Billy Bragg, Suzanne Vega and Tracey Chapman. And guess what? You could even hear rap artists like Run-DMC and Beastie Boys, as well as future metal stalwarts Metallica. It was a great time.

Today, I would like to begin My 200 Favorite College Rock Songs. If you don’t know the song, look it up and listen to it. The song might still change your world!

166. The Replacements – “Bastards of Young” (1985)

167. Marshall Crenshaw – “Whenever You’re on My Mind” (1983)

168. The Psychedelic Furs – “Heartbreak Beat” (1987)

169. Arcadia – “Election Day” (1985)

170. Peter Gabriel – “In Your Eyes” (1986)

171. The Plimsouls – “A Million Miles Away” (1982)

172. Trio – “Da Da Da (I Don’t Love You You Don’t Love Me Aha Aha Aha)” (1983)

173. UB40 with Chrissie Hynde – “I Got You Babe” (1985)

174. Eurythmics – “Sexcrime” (1984)

175. Marshall Crenshaw – “Mary Anne” (1982)

176. Violent Femmes – “Blister in the Sun” (1983)

177. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – “Deanna” (1988)

178. Pretenders – “Precious” (1980)

179. Erasure – “A Little Respect” (1988)

180. The Stone Roses – “Waterfall” (1989)

181. The Style Council – “My Ever Changing Moods” (1984)

182. David Bowie – “Ashes to Ashes” (1980)

183. Fear – “More Beer” (1985)

184. R.E.M. – “Stand” (1988)

185. Husker Du – “Celebrated Summer” (1985)

186. Tears for Fears – “Mad World” (1983)

187. The Cure – “Fascination Street” (1989)

188. Siouxsie & the Banshees – “Spellbound” (1981)

189. The Raincoats – “Fairytale in the Supermarket” (1984)

190. The Psychedelic Furs – “Love My Way” (1982)

191. They Might Be Giants – “Ana Ng” (1988)

192. The Police – “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (1981)

193. Thomas Dolby – “Hyperactive”(1984)

194. Eurythmics – “Love Is a Stranger” (1983)

195. U2 – “Sunday Bloody Sunday” (1983)

196. XTC – “Senses Working Overtime” (1982)

197. Pet Shop Boys – “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)” (1986)

198. The Long Ryders – “Looking for Lewis and Clark” (1985)

199. R.E.M. – “Orange Crush” (1988)

200. The Lords of the New Church – “Like a Virgin” (1985)

That’s 35 down and 165 to go! See you tomorrow!

In college during the ’80s, the great fashion accessory you added to your wardrobe wear the buttons of your favorite bands that had safety pins on the back so you could wear them on your coat, sports jacket over a concert t-shirt, or anything you might be wearing. I once wore a Sid Vicious & Nancy Spungen button on my “punk” version of a toga to frat toga party. Needless to say, my fashion statement was either cool or stupid. Regardless, I had fun.

Now, I have many of them in a shadow box on the wall of my music room. Elvis Costello, The Jam, Prince, Cheap Trick, The B-52’s, R.E.M., among many others are immortalized on my wall, along with ticket stubs from a couple of recent concerts, as well as some other memorabilia. The buttons, along with my collection of Cheap Trick guitar picks, some bobbleheads of Cheap Trick, a couple of those Funko Pop Rocks figures of rock stars like KISS and Lemmy and some Beatles plush dolls from the 80s can be found in this small room. I have some old concert poster reprints hanging on the wall, in addition to some small posters of some artists. But, my favorite things to hang on the walls are the few picture disc albums and 7″ singles; they make for fantastic artwork. This place has become my man-cave.

Anyway, the main reason we are here to to see what songs are in My Top 10 Favorite New Wave Songs. Break!

10. Billy Idol – “Dancing with Myself” (1982). If you were to take a poll of my college friends they would probably say this song was my all-time favorite. And, if New Wave had ended in 1983, not simply peaked, then they might have been closer. But, this high energy ode to self-love is still a classic

9. The Style Council – “You’re the Best Thing” (1984). Arguably the greatest love song of the New Wave era, this song happens to my wife’s and my song. This song happens to be the first of three Top Ten songs for Paul Weller.

8. The Jam – “Going Underground” (1980). Lyrically and musically, this song is just as true and vital as it was the day it was released 37 years ago. I constantly refer back to this song’s lyrics whenever the actions of certain political people around the country speak too loud. By the way, if you are counting, this is the second song written and performed by a Paul Weller-led band.

7. Ramones – “I Wanna Be Sedated” (1978). This hyperactive ode to the sedate life is the Ramones’ musical blitzkrieg at its best and most fully realize. The video for this classic song is a slice of heaven.

6. Elvis Costello & the Attractions – “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” (1979). First, let’s get this straightened out: Elvis did NOT write this song; Nick Lowe (“Cruel to Be Kind”) wrote the song. Unfortunately, the band that Lowe was in at the time, Brinley Schwarz, did not possess the passion that the song required. So, in steps Elvis and his backing band, full of piss and vinegar, that added the necessary punk snarl to make the song the classic it is today.

5. Tom Tom Club – “Genius of Love” (1981). In 1981, the members of Talking Heads were taking a break from each other in order to follow their own musical muses. The married rhythm section of the band, bassist & Tom Tom Club vocalist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Frantz produced this super-fun song that was meant for the dance floor. This song was bigger than nearly anything their day job ever released. This song has gone on to become one of the most sampled songs of all time.

4. Talking Heads – “Life During Wartime” (1979). For me, this song is the perfect example of Talking Heads. Everything about this song is nearly perfect. And then you throw in the lyrics, “This ain’t no party! This ain’t no disco! This ain’t no foolin’ around!” You know its time to take this band serious.

3. The Style Council – “My Ever Changing Moods” (1984). Welcome back Mr. Weller! You have totally nailed my life attitude in one hit song. Thank you Paul Weller!

2. Cheap Trick – “I Want You to Want Me” (1979). I prefer the original live version found on the At Budokan to any other that the band has released and their are several, both live and studio. This song introduced Cheap Trick to the world, and Cheap Trick made New Wave music more palatable to American ears.

1. The Clash – “Train in Vain (Stand by Me)” (1979). In late 1979, The Clash quietly released a double album that was to be sold at a single album’s price. The album is now considered to be an all-time classic called London Calling. And, this song, the first single, had its title totally left off the album’s track list on the back of the album cover. Regardless, the song became a Top Thirty hit and opened up the American market to the ever-expanding sounds of The Clash.

Well, there you have it! Those were My 300 Favorite New Wave Songs. I hope you enjoyed the list. Go ahead and let me know what I left off. I can think of a couple right now, but that’s half the fun of a list like this. Anyway, have a great weekend! See you all on Monday as I continue my New Wave journey.

I have given you the titles and artists of 280 New Wave songs that I love. While I was compiling this list, I had around 430 songs listed. After much contemplation, I decided that if I could not stretch this list to 500, then I could reduce the list to 300 songs.

Initially, I had trouble eliminating songs due to my completist tendencies. Yet, after I got through my psychosis-induced shakes, I started to remove some of the songs. Then, it became easier to eliminate songs until I reached the magic number of 300. Once I got to that arbitrary number, then I knew I was ready. Unfortunately, there are truly great songs that I marked off the list while probably keeping a few songs that really should have been left off. Oh well, such are the perils of undertaking such an endeavor.

So, let’s take a look at the bottom ten songs of My Top Twenty Favorite New Wave Songs.

20. Cheap Trick – “Surrender” (1978). This song is about that teenage moment when you realize your parents are really sexually active and actually listen to the same music as the teenagers in the house. It is a scary moment of life on both sides of the story.

19. Dexys Midnight Runners – “Come on Eileen” (1982). Unfortunately, this band was a one-hit wonder here in the States. If you delve into their catalog you will discover strong songwriting and the ability to cover a plethora of sounds, for Celtic folk to blue-eyed soul. I love this song and it really is one of the band’s best songs.

18. The Cars – “My Best Friend’s Girl” (1978). Between The Cars and Cheap Trick, we were given two New Wave artists whose sounds were smooth enough to gain airplay on AOR radio. They were the entry way into New Wave for me.

17. Peter Gabriel – “Games Without Frontiers” (1980). This haunting anti-war song immediately jumped into my consciousness and stayed there forever. Only Gabriel would be able to harness Phil Collins’ Eighties drum sound and meld it with musical instrumentation found throughout the world and make the resulting sound so commercial that his music remains vital to this very day.

16. The Police – “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” (1980). Sure, “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da” hit the Top 10 first, but this song marked that The Police were on their way to becoming one of the biggest bands in the world.

15. Duran Duran – “Hungry like the Wolf” (1982). For the teens and twenty-somethings in the Midwest, this song was our introduction to “The Beatles of the Eighties.” And, to me, what a fantastic way to learn about the “Duranies”.

14. Soft Cell – “Tainted Cell” (1982). Take an obscure ’70s soul song and give it an icy synth-pop arrangement and you get a slow-burning song on the American Pop Charts. At one time, this song had the record for most weeks spent in the Top 40 and even the Top 100 in Billboard magazine. And, have you heard Marilyn Manson’s version? Scary!

13. Talking Heads – “Once in a Lifetime” (1980). Nearly 40 years ago, I was complaining how horrible it was that the radio stations around me were not playing this classic song. But now? You can hear it anywhere, which is great now, but we are experiencing a little revisionist history. The video is a flat-out classic.

12. Elvis Costello & the Attractions – “Everyday I Write the Book” (1983). With this song, Elvis and the guys found themselves in the unlikely position of a song in the US Top 40. It was a surprise that Elvis could not duplicate until he got a little help from Sir Paul McCartney on his biggest hit song “Veronica”.

11. DEVO – “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (1978). There I am, a Saturday night in 1978, waiting for Saturday Night Live to start, mainly because this weird band from Akron, Ohio, DEVO, was going to play. Man, did I ever get my mind blown by their performance. And, I wasn’t the only one at school. Several of my friends, most of whom were in my second-year chemistry class, so the nerds had found their rock group. And once you’ve been bitten by the DEVO bug, you will NEVER let go.

Folks! You have it! We are ready for the Top Ten. So, as always, let’s be careful out there.

We are getting closer to the end of this countdown. When I am undertaking such an endeavor as this countdown, I become overly hyper-focused, listening to the music I am researching 24/7, constantly doing internet researches on the subject and bugging my poor wife with the latest obscure piece of trivia. Good thing she is a special education teacher, because it often seems as though I have been her biggest project over the past 32 years. I am a very lucky man.

Changing the subject, do you remember the fashion of the New Wave 80s? I remember young ladies wearing mini-skirts with large polka dots, polo shirts with popped collars (guys went that route too) and had “exploding” hair. And, the guys were wearing parachute pants, sleeve-less concert T-shirts, headbands with “Japanese” characters and mullet hair cuts. I even wore this turquoise shirt with a black triangle that snapped to the turquoise part. It looked like something the band members of A Flock of Seagulls would wear. I also liked to wear leather ties, especially the one that had a piano keys on it, though, fortunately, I never owned a fish tie.

Anyway, maybe the fashions were a bit much back then, but at least we had some sweet music. So, let’s get going!

30. The Knack – “My Sharona” (1979). When The Knack rode this gem to number 1 here in the US, I knew we were on the cusp of some very exciting pop music. To a Midwestern kid, this song was his call to arms.

29. Peter Gabriel – “Sledgehammer” (1986). I never thought Peter Gabriel would ever have a number one hit in the US. But, when I heard this song and saw its video, I knew this was going straight to the top.

28. David Bowie – “Fashion” (1980). Like I said, David Bowie is a godfather of this musical genre. Who knew this song would go on to become a something of a milestone in New Wave musical history.

27. Elvis Costello – “Alison” (1977). This may be THE slow dancing song of New Wave. What more can I say?

26. The Police – “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (1981). The Police rode this song all the way to #2. And, I drove my dormitory neighbors crazy playing this song (and the rest of the album) all the time for the two months after its release.

25. The Records – “Starry Eyes” (1979). Power pop tended to be more of an American phenomenon. But, on this song, The Records proved the Brits still are in touch with their inner Beatlemania.

24. The Call – “Walls Came Down” (1982). At one time, critics believed The Call would be something near to what U2 eventually became, the biggest band in the world. Fortunately, the band left us with this gem. And, the band had a little help from The Band’s keyboardist Garth Hudson.

23. Elvis Costello & the Attractions – “Pump It Up” (1978). Costello & His Attractions knocked this song out of the park with the musicians’ intensity.

22. Joy Division – “Love Will Tear Us Apart” (1980). Here is the beginning of the UK’s post-punk scene. Who knew darkness could be so beautiful?

21. Tears for Fears – “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (1985). This duo jumped from cult status to bonafide superstars with this super hot song. Lyrically, the song touched human nature perfectly. Musically, it was a perfect pop song.

Well, 280 songs down, and 20 more to go! Stay tuned for the best New Wave has to offer! Hang on for the finale!

Finally! We are into what I call the Casey Kasem zone – The Top 40 of my list. After hemming and hawing for the past couple of months I have decided that enough was enough and that I was going to stick with it. Like I have said earlier, on other day, this countdown might have been rearranged, yet the basic group of songs would have remain.

Now, since we are dealing with songs that were mostly released between 1976 and 1985, the songs are often intertwined in our collective memories as music videos. Both MTV and New Wave artists had a symbiotic relationship. The only thing is that MTV, much like radio before it, did not “have time” for the “old music” after a video fell out of rotation. Still, those songs, and their videos, are stuck in many of our mind’s eye. We remember the matching red leather suits of The Romantics, the cow in the business room in the “Sweet Dreams” video, in addition to many other visual ques.

Once again, it is time for the countdown, numbers 31 through 40.

40. The Cult – “Love Removal Machine” (1986). The Cult were attempting to beef up their guitar sound in an effort to straddle the rock, metal and goth worlds when they released this classic slice of New Wave metal.

39. Marshall Crenshaw – “Whenever You’re on My Mind” (1983). I have loved Crenshaw from the moment I read a Rolling Stone review of his eponymous titled debut album the previous year. At the time, I was putting him near Elvis Costello when it came to songwriting. Though Crenshaw moved away from the pure pop new wave sound, his songwriting has struck a level of maturity that was totally unexpected at the time. Still, this song is power pop heaven.

38. The Police – “Every Breath You Take” (1983). Most people still think this is a sweet song about a loving couple. Those people have not carefully read the lyrics. The song is the greatest stalker song of all time. Who knew The Police would create such an immaculate piece of work?

37. DEVO – “Whip It” (1980). This was the moment that nerd’s favorite band finally had a Top 20 hit song. Actually, this song is played much more often now than it was back in 1980. Revisionist history.

36. Camper Van Beethoven – “Take the Skinheads Bowling” (1985). When my older son first heard this song as a toddler, he fell in love with the simple melody and funny lyrics, even though I am certain he did not know what a skinhead was. Then again, that’s the beauty of CVB’s music, simplicity with some lyrical humor sprinkled in for fun.

35. R.E.M. – “Superman” (1986). Here is one of the first cover songs that R.E.M. ever placed on one of their albums. And, it allowed the world to see the band was not just a bunch of former art students who were overly serious. Plus, the song shows just how important bubblegum and glam musics were to new wave. And, yes, Son #1 loved it.

34. The Cure – “Just like Heaven” (1987). Yes, The Cure could show their sunshiny, power pop side that was always lurking underneath the mopey facade the band had been using since its inception. And, after you got over the shock, you realized that The Cure consists of really happy people.

33. David Bowie – “Ashes to Ashes” (1980). Here we are again, the godfather of New Wave offers this moody follow-up on the antics of “A Space Oddity” Major Tom. Then, throw in the groundbreaking surrealism of the video, which casts future MTV VJ Alan Hunter in a “dancing” role.

32. Eurythmics – “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” (1983). The 80s were all about androgyny, but the Eurythmics turned the theme upside down by having the female singer with the golden soulful pipes sporting the androgynous look. The video still looks good, with the cows in the boardroom. That’s an artistic statement which remains true today.

31. The Romantics – “What I Like About You” (1980). This is not only one of the greatest power pop songs of all time, it’s simply an all-time great song. It has energy, power, crunching guitars, a singing drummer and a harmonica solo. What more could you ask for? Throw in four guys from Detroit in matching red leather suits, and you have a visual for the ages to go with one of the most energetic songs of the 80s.

Ten more songs down with 30 to go! This has been a fun countdown so far. Can’t wait for you to see the songs in My Top 30, though some of you might be able to guess them. Long live New Wave!

When making these lists, I always wish that I could stuff 25 extra songs into the Top 50, but that is numerically impossible, so I will stick with my Top 50 New Wave Songs, no matter how imperfect it may seem. Plus, beginning today, I would like to offer a little commentary on each song.

If you are curious about great compilations of New Wave Music, and there literally seems to be hundreds of them with the same core songs, let me direct you toward a couple that I personally enjoy. First, and foremost, by far the greatest collection of New Wave is the 19-CD set by Rhino Records called Just Can’t Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the 80s. Initially, this set was released in three groups of five CDs over a year-and-a-half period of time in 1994 and 1995. Those CDs are essential in their coverage of genre, except if the company had waited possibly five more years to do the set Rhino might have been able to include songs by the big artists of New Wave, such as The Police, The Cars, Cheap Trick, Elvis Costello, Eurythmics, Joe Jackson, among others. Still, the set is impeccable. Now, over the four subsequent years, Rhino released four more CDs in the series: New Wave Xmas, New Wave Dance Hits, Ladies of New Wave and New Wave Halloween. These CDs were released with little fanfare, so with middling sales, you may have to pay top dollar for these four CDs.

Additionally, may I suggest a three-CD set from the United Kingdom’s Greatest Ever! label. This label has released many great compilations, but their Punk & New Wave box gives the listen a great view of the genre from Britain’s point of view. If you add this set to the Rhino set and pick up the greatest hits of the artists left off these collections, then your New Wave collection would be impeccable.

Let’s get going with the countdown…

50. After the Fire – “Der Kommissar” (1982). Shortly after Falco released the original version of this song in German, this new wave band recorded the English-version of the song with a little “rockier” sound into the Top 10 in the US.

49. Bow Wow Wow – “I Want Candy” (1982). Adam & the Ants started the whole pop music with African rhythms sound, so manager Malcolm McLaren stole the Ants and teamed them up with jailbait singer Annabella Lwin, who was 13 when she joined the band. In 1982, the band released this gem of a cover of The Strangeloves’ hit, becoming an MTV. This song just might be the most ubiquitous New Wave song.

48. David Bowie – “‘Heroes'” (1977). If any artist could claim to be the godfather of new wave, David Bowie is one of the (and Roxy Music is the other). In 1977, Bowie traveled to Berlin with producer Brian Eno to create a “new” sound, which sounds an awful like new wave.

47. The Human League – “Don’t You Want Me” (1981). When this song hit the top position in the US during the summer of 1982, we all knew New Wave was the music of the moment. On their great album Dare, from which this song comes, the band wanted to make electronic music sound like a rock band. Mission accomplished!

46. Cyndi Lauper – “She Bop” (1983). I once read in an Al Franken book that he thought Cyndi Lauper was going to be the big female singing star of the 80s instead of Madonna. And, I was with now-Senator Franken. This is a flat-out great song, and one of the first that tackled the ticklish subject of female masturbation, pardon the pun. This song single-handedly (again, pardon the pun!) opened the door for subject matter for female singers and songwriters.

45. Eurythmics – “Would I Lie to You” (1985). After two albums of icy music juxtaposition with Annie Lennox’ soulful vocals, Eurythmics decided it was time to create a blue-eyed soul album. This was the lead single that pulled me further into the creative force of Dave Stewart’s songwriting. I say that Eurythmics and Duran Duran are the two New Wave bands that deserve a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

44. The Psychedelic Furs – “The Ghost in You” (1984). This haunting ballad grabbed me the first time I heard it while walking through the Students Center on the Ball State University campus. I immediately turned around at the end of the song and headed to the local record store to purchase the album. The album is outstanding, but this song lives on as a comment on the world of celebrity worship.

43. Wall of Voodoo – “Mexican Radio” (1982). This band never really got it due as a band. Wall of Voodoo kind of got pigeonholed as a one-hit wonder due to the novelty of the video for this song. Nothing they did could ever overcome the singer’s head rising through a pot of baked beans in the video. However, I saw them open for DEVO during a live satellite concert on Halloween of 1982. And, let me stress this again, as great a song “Mexican Radio” is, Wall of Voodoo was an even more talented band, as evidenced by their Call of the West album.

42. Talking Heads – “Burning Down the House” (1983). Since Talking Heads remains my favorite New Wave artist, I could have been biased and ranked many of their songs higher, but, in reality, this song was an inevitable end to their study of African rhythms and funk music. It remains one of the band’s more enduring songs in addition to their only Top 10 hit in the US.

41. Kajagoogoo – “Too Shy” (1983). This is flat-out a great song! This bassline is the best part of the song to me. And, to think that it might have never been recorded if not for a chance meeting between a budding lead singer of the band Limahl and Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes. Rhodes offered to produce the band, and the rest is history. And, we get a great bassist as a member of a band with one of worst names in rock history. But, rightfully, this song lives on.

Look at that group of ten songs. Now, those are some songs for the eternity. And, in my mind, this list only gets better. So, hold on for the rest of the week, as I unveil my Top 40 Favorite New Wave Songs.

Last Thursday was Son #1’s birthday. That day holds significance not just for the birth of my first son, which would be huge in any person’s life, the birth of a child. But, in a move that foreshadowed much of our relationship, Son #1 was born the same day as arguably rock music’s greatest day since that community was playing two concerts, in London and Philadelphia, to raise money to feed the people suffering from the African drought in the mid-1980s. That event is forever known as Live Aid.

Not only were there several classic rock and pop artists, many New Wave artists got international exposure by performing mainly in London. Oh, those were heady days. Not only were my wife and I bringing this beautiful baby boy into the world, my generation was actually working to solve a problem. Unbelievably, the whole Live Aid/Band Aid/We Are the World/USA for Africa thing continues to take in money and give large portions to the starving in Africa, thanks to the efforts of former Boomtown Rats lead singer Sir Bob Geldoff. Now, my son is a good-looking married intelligent adult on the cusp of doing great things in life. Still, his birth will be forever linked in an appropriate manner with Live Aid.

With that said, let’s take one last look at a major portion of My 300 Favorite New Wave Songs. Hopefully, the rest of the week will be spent discussing the songs in My Top 50.

51. Thomas Dolby – “She Blinded Me with Science” (1982)

52. INXS – “Don’t Change” (1982)

53. The Cult – “She Sells Sanctuary” (1985)

54. Candy – “Whatever Happened to Fun” (1985)

55. Dexys Midnight Runners – “Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile)” (1981)

56. Culture Club – “Time (The Clock of My Heart)” (1983)

57. Love & Rockets – “So Alive” (1989)

58. Squeeze – “Tempted” (1981)

59. David Bowie – “Let’s Dance” (1983)

60. The Psychedelic Furs – “Love My Way” (1982)

61. The Style Council – “Shout to the Top” (1985)

62. Spandau Ballet – “True” (1983)

63. The Waitresses – “I Know What Boys Like” (1981)

64. M – “Pop Muzik” (1979)

65. Gary Numan – “Cars” (1980)

66. Tracey Ullman – “They Don’t Know” (1983)

67. Elvis Costello – “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes” (1977)

68. The Power Station – “Some Like It Hot” (1985)

69. Culture Club – “Karma Chameleon” (1983)

70. Buggles – “Video Killed the Radio Star” (1979)

71. Scritti Politti – “Perfect Way” (1985)

72. Tommy Tutone – “867-5309/Jenny” (1982)

73. Falco – “Rock Me Amadeus” (1986)

74. XTC – “Senses Working Overtime” (1982)

75. The Kings – “Switchin’ to Glide” (1981)

76. The Housemartins – “Happy Hour” (1986)

77. The Fixx – “One Thing Leads to Another” (1983)

78. Boomtown Rats – “I Don’t Like Mondays” (1979)

79. The Members – “Working Girl” (1983)

80. Modern English – “I Melt with You” (1982)

81. Joe Jackson – “Is She Really Going Out with Him?” (1979)

82. Crowded House – “Now We’re Getting Somewhere” (1986)

83. Planet P Project – “Why Me?” (1983)

84. Madness – “One Step Beyond” (1979)

85. Duran Duran – “The Reflex” (1984)

86. General Public – “Tenderness” (1985)

87. Frankie Goes to Hollywood – “Two Tribes” (1984)

88. Violent Femmes – “Blister in the Sun” (1983)

89. Talking Heads – “Take Me to the River” (1978)

90. New Order – “True Faith” (1985)

91. The Cars – “Dangerous Type” (1979)

92. The Smiths – “Girlfriend in a Coma” (1986)

93. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts – “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” (1981)

94. Thompson Twins – “Hold Me Now” (1984)

95. Jo Boxers – “Just Got Lucky” (1983)

96. Flash & the Pan – “Hey, St. Peter” (1979)

97. Laurie Anderson – “O Superman (for Massenet)” (1982)

98. The Vapors – “Turning Japanese” (1980)

99. Eurythmics – “Love Is a Stranger” (1983)

100. The Jam – “A Town Called Malice” (1982)

I know! You all see some of my favorite artists listed this low, but such is the quality of songs in My Top 50, which will begin to be unveiled tomorrow. So, tune in, same Bat Time, same Bat Channel!

Today is Son #1’s birthday. He is becoming a good, independent young man, but I do miss the days of me and my boys going to a record store and browsing. I remember going to the local record store and taking #1 into the store in his stroller, taking him out and placing him on top of the records while I flipped through the albums. Since children imitate adult’s actions, I would watch him flipping through albums and choosing an album based on the cover art, which isn’t a bad way to go. At the time, his favorite band name was Little Feat. You just never know what will stick with a toddler.

Anyway, when he was around three years old, he loved the Escape Club’s megahit “Wild Wild West”. He would play the cassette single (or “cassingle”) over and over, while jumping on his bed singing interesting versions of the lyrics that only a young child could come up with. See, once again, another life changed by New Wave music.

So, here’s #150 through 101, setting us up for my top 100. Enjoy!

101. The B-52’s – “Rock Lobster” (1979)

102. Adam & the Ants – “Antmusic” (1980)

103. Joe Jackson – “Steppin’ Out” (1982)

104. Toni Basil – “Mickey” (1982)

105. Cheap Trick – She’s Tight” (1982)

106. Crowded House – “Don’t Dream It’s Over” (1986)

107. The Undertones – “Teenage Kicks” (1978)

108. Diesel – “Sausalito Summernight” (1980)

109. Missing Persons – “Words” (1982)

110. Frank & Moon Unit Zappa – “Valley Girl” (1982)

111. Pseudo Echo – “Funky Town” (1986)

112. Bram Tchaikovsky – “Girl of My Dreams” (1979)

113. Haircut One Hundred – “Love Plus One” (1982)

114. The Sicilian Vespers – “Baccala” (1988)

115. Talk Talk – “It’s My Life” (1984)

116. Duran Duran – “Is There Something I Should Know?” (1983)

117. Naked Eyes – “Always Something There to Remind Me” (1983)

118. Cheap Trick – “I Can’t Take It” (1983)

119. Peter Gabriel – “Shock the Monkey” (1982)

120. Divinyls – “I Touch Myself” (1990)

121. The Tubeway Army – “Are ‘Friends’ Electric” (1979)

122. Fotomaker – “Where Have You Been All of My Life” (1978)

123. Tim Curry – “I Do the Rock” (1979)

124. Martin Briley – “The Salt in My Tears” (1983)

125. Berlin – “Sex (I’m a…)” (1982)

126. ABC – “The Look of Love (Part One)” (1982)

127. Moving Pictures – “What About Me” (1982)

128. Musical Youth – “Pass the Dutchie” (1982)

129. Blondie – “Rapture” (1980)

130. The Payola$ – “Eyes of a Stranger” (1982)

131. Sniff ‘n’ the Tears – “Driver’s Seat” (1979)

132. UB40 with Chrissie Hynde – “I Got You Babe” (1985)

133. Tears for Fears – “Mad World” (1983)

134. The Outfield – “For You” (1986)

135. Ministry – “Everyday Is Halloween” (1984)

136. ‘Til Tuesday – “Voices Carry” (1985)

137. Billy Idol – “Rebel Yell” (1984)

138. A Flock of Seagulls – “Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)” (1983)

139. Eurythmics – “Here Comes the Rain Again” (1983)

140. The Stranglers – “Peaches” (1977)

141. Bonnie Tyler – “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (1983)

142. Tom Tom Club – “The Man with the 4-Way Hips” (1983)

143. XTC – “Making Plans for Nigel” (1981)

144. Patti Smith Group – “Because the Night” (1978)

145. Charlie Sexton – “Beat’s So Lonely” (1986)

146. INXS – “Need You Tonight” (1987)

147. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – “So in Love” (1985)

148. The Human League – “Mirror Man” (1983)

149. Depeche Mode – “Never Let Me Down” (1987)

150. Crowded House – “Something So Strong” (1986)

Tomorrow, we begin our venture into My 100 Favorite New Wave Songs. It’s going to get more fun!

Outside of the warped period fashion statements, I have been immersed in Eighties music of all genres. Metalheads, remember the bands that were lumped into the awkwardly named genre, The New Wave of British Heavy Metal? I’m talking about such stalwarts as Iron Maiden, Saxon, Judas Priest, Motorhead, and the rest. And, those artists influenced the next batch of American metal maniacs like Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Slayer and the rest of thrash nation.

By the time punk had fully reached the California scene as the Seventies turned into the Eighties, the sound was called Hardcore, and the scene’s big names were Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, X, Husker Du (though they really developed outside of the scene in Minnesota, they get lumped in the pile due to their sound and the label they were signed to – SST). And, while I was in college, this thing called college rock, to be later known as alternative rock, began to spring up to include many of the aforementioned artists as well as R.E.M., Camper Van Beethoven, The Replacements, et. al.

Still, if you were looking for flat-out fun music that had a good beat and was easy to dance to (thanks, ‘American Bandstand’!), New Wave was the way to go. Like I said on both days of this countdown, everyone was listening to this stuff AND integrating it into their sound. In 1981, Rush released its masterpiece album Moving Pictures. If you listen to the album, you know it is a great Rush album. But, the music and technology of that moment pushed the trio into directions that they made not have traveled. Same thing can be said for another progressive rock band, Yes. Their most successful album, 90125, was steeped in New Wave music. At the beginning of all this cross-pollination of genres, music was fresh and exciting. But, like any musical trend, it became flat and tired as the record companies began removing the souls from the artists strictly for the sound and quirks of New Wave, which is what forced the sound underground until the 21st century.

So, enough of the drivel, you say? Certainly! Let’s take a look at the next 50 songs in the list of My 300 Favorite New Wave Songs.

151. Joe Jackson – “You Can’t Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)” (1984)

152. Roxy Music – “Dance Away” (1979)

153. The Human League – “(Keep Feeling) Fascination” (1983)

154. Stray Cats – “(She’s) Sexy + 17” (1983)

155. A Flock of Seagulls – “I Ran” (1982)

156. Marshall Crenshaw – “Someday, Someway” (1982)

157. Berlin – “No More Words” (1984)

158. The Art of Noise – “Close (to the Edit)” (1983)

159. Adam Ant – “Goody Two Shoes” (1982)

160. The Cars – “Touch and Go” (1980)

161. New Order – “Bizarre Love Triangle” (1985)

162 Paul Young – “Everytime You Go Away” (1985)

163. Bangles – “Hazy Shade of Winter” (1986)

164. Stray Cats – “Rock This Town” (1982)

165. Midnight Oil – “Beds Are Burning” (1988)

166. Nik Kershaw – “Wouldn’t It Be Good” (1984)

167. Kim Wilde – “Kids in America” (1982)

168. The Cars – “Just What I Needed” (1978)

169. Aztec Camera – “Oblivious” (1983)

170. Men at Work – “Who Can It Be Now” (1982)

171. Buzzcocks – “Ever Fallen in Love (with Someone You Should’nt’ve)” (1979)

172. Eddie & the Hot Rods – “Do Anything You Wanna Do” (1977)

173. Devo – “Working in a Coalmine” (1981)

174. Bangles – “Manic Monday” (1986)

175. Culture Club – “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” (1982)

176. Nick Lowe – “So It Goes” (1978)

177. The B-52’s – “Love Shack” (1989)

178. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – “If You Leave” (1986)

179. Depeche Mode – “People Are People” (1984)

180. Roman Holiday – “Stand By” (1983)

181. The Police – “Roxanne” (1978)

182. Big Country – “In a Big Country” (1983)

183. Phil Seymour – “Precious to Me” (1980)

184. The Flying Lizards – “Money (That’s What I Want)” (1979)

185. Billy Idol – “White Wedding” (1982)

186. The Clash – “Rock the Casbah” (1982)

187. Fine Young Cannibals – “Suspicious Minds” (1986)

188. Split Enz – “I Got You” (1980)

189. Murray Head – “One Night in Bangkok” (1985)

190. Blondie – “Atomic” (1979)

191. Siouxsie & the Banshees – “Peek-A-Boo” (1988)

192. Devo – “Freedom of Choice” (1980)

193. Eurythmics – “Who’s That Girl” (1983)

194. Frankie Goes to Hollywood – “Relax” (1983)

195. Graham Parker – “Local Girls” (1978)

196. Iggy Pop – “Lust for Life” (1977)

197. INXS – “The Original Sin” (1984)

198. Let’s Active – “Every Word Means No” (1983)

199. Madness – “Our House” (1983)

200. Men at Work – “Down Under” (1982)

Fifty more songs today, with 50 more to follow tomorrow. Then, as we enter the Top 100, the song descriptions will return. I will make sure that I have a thesaurus nearby so I will have more adjectives than “amazing”, “huge” or “tremendous”, since those seem to have become overused lately. Here’s to a deepening vocabulary for describing arguably the greatest genre of music during the rock era. It was definitely the most fun.

I’d like to thank you all for the show of support with my comeback. I guess that I am far from the only person who is attracted to the exuberance of New Wave music. There for a while in 1983 I thought the music genre would live forever. And, maybe it did. To this very day, I can find artists whose music would have fit right in with New Wave of the late-Seventies and early-Eighties. Go ahead and listen to recent artists’ music by the likes of La Roux, The Killers, The xx, Phoenix, The Ting Tings, Interpol, Lady Gaga, among hundreds of others and tell me their music isn’t an updated version of New Wave? Maybe, that will be a topic in the future?

Now, back in the day, artists every where were copping full on New Wave songs or at least some of the electronic trappings that made New Wave unique. In addition to my list of major artists who dropped New Wave songs on us from yesterday, go back and listen to Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes”, one of the top selling songs of 1981, for the electronic drum sound hook that made her pop song more modern-sounding. By 1983, everyone was jumping on-board. ZZ Top added synthesizers to their swampy Southern Rock sound to great success. Even the Rolling Stones, no strangers to jumping on and off musical trends to timeless success, made their New Wave song “Undercover of the Night”, in which the sound was totally New Wave, although the lyrics were overtly political. To top things off, Bruce Springsteen recorded his “Duran Duran” song called “Dancing in the Dark”, which was an acknowledgement of arguably our generation’s greatest rock voice of the commercial appeal of New Wave. But, like all great musical trends, New Wave petered out by 1985, although there were occasional songs released throughout the Eighties and into the Nineties.

Today, I present to you my next 50 songs in My Top 300 New Wave Songs of the Late-Seventies and Eighties. Let’s do it!

201. New Order – “Blue Monday” (1985)

202. Gary Numan – “Down in the Park” (1979)

203. Nick Gilder – “Hot Child in the City” (1978)

204. Pretenders – “Back on the Chain Gang” (1982)

205. Simple Minds – “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” (1985)

206. Tears for Fears – “Shout” (1985)

207. The Art of Noise with Tom Jones – “Kiss” (1987)

208. The Cars – “Good Times Roll” (1978)

209. Nena – “99 Luftballoons” (1984)

210. Information Society – “What’s on Your Mind (Pure Energy)” (1988)

211. Talk Talk – “Talk Talk” (1982)

212. Eddy Grant – “Electric Avenue” (1983)

213. Taco – “Puttin’ on the Ritz” (1983)

214. Donnie Iris – “Ah! Leah!” (1981)

215. The Go-Go’s – “We Got the Beat” (1981)

216. Katrina & the Waves – “Walking on Sunshine” (1985)

217. Duran Duran – “Girls on Film” (1981)

218. Rick Springfield – “I’ve Done Everything for You” (1981)

219. Stray Cats – “Stray Cat Strut” (1982)

220. The Plimsouls – “A Million Miles Away” (1983)

221. Billy Idol – “Eyes Without a Face” (1984)

222. Duran Duran – “Rio” (1982)

223. Roxy Music – “Avalon” (1982)

224. Joan Armatrading – “(I Love It When You) Call Me Names” (1981)

225. Depeche Mode – “Just Can’t Get Enough” (1981)

226. Cyndi Lauper – “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” (1983)

227. Paul Carrack – “I Need You” (1982)

228. Bananarama – “Cruel Summer” (1984)

229. Pretenders – “Talk of the Town” (1981)

230. Sly Fox – “Let’s Go All the Way” (1986)

231. The Tubes – “Talk to Ya Later” (1981)

232. Doctor & the Medics – “Spirit in the Sky” (1986)

233. Howard Jones – “No One Is to Blame” (1986)

234. Animotion – “Obsession” (1985)

235. Tears for Fears – “Sowing the Seeds of Love” (1988)

236. Shoes – “Too Late” (1980)

237. Nick Lowe – “Cruel to Be Kind” (1979)

238. Greg Kihn Band – “The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em)” (1981)

239. The Church – “Under the Milky Way” (1988)

240. The Dream Academy – “Life in a Northern Town” (1985)

241. Sparks & Jane Wiedlin – “Cool Places” (1983)

242. The Go-Go’s – “Our Lips Are Sealed” (1981)

243. Blondie – “Dreaming” (1979)

244. Communards – “Don’t Leave Me This Way” (1986)

245. The Cure – “Boys Don’t Cry” (1981)

246. The Tubes – “White Punks on Dope” (1975)

247. Tom Robinson Band – “2-4-6-8 Motorway” (1978)

248. The Blow Monkeys – “Digging Your Scene” (1985)

249. Wang Chung – “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” (1986)

250. Pretenders – “Brass in Pocket” (1980)

Another 50 down, and two hundred to go! Many great, great pop/rock songs to come, some of which you might even like! So, my suggestion is to pop in your copy of the movie “Valley Girl” and start reliving your glory days of the 80s!