20 Greatest New Wave Bands

As a musical movement, new wave is hard to pin down.

The phrase was first coined in the late ‘70s as a way to describe a burgeoning sonic style that strayed from punk rock’s heavy-handed sound. The genre that emerged maintained some of punk’s energy, but smoothed over the rough edges with pop sensibilities, dance rhythms and a quirky disposition.

Early on, new wave acts were portrayed as artsy, experimental and even weird. Early leaders included Elvis Costello and Blondie, two acts whose roots were planets in punk before evolving their own sound. As the new wave phrase caught on, many used it as a catch-all for any act that didn’t have a clearly defined genre. As such, bands labeled new wave could have a broad scope of sounds, ranging from aggressive to poppy, and gloomy to sunny.

READ MORE: Top 40 New Wave Albums

As the ‘80s dawned, technology became an important factor in music’s evolution. Keyboards and synthesizers became prominent, and those artists who capitalized on these new tools – such as Duran Duran, Depeche Mode and the Cure – were often lumped in with the new wave crowd. The era also saw a rise in female-fronted acts, as the Pretenders, the Go-Go’s, Eurythmics and the B-52’s all came to prominence.

New wave eventually became the dominant style in music, before hair metal and, later, grunge, sufficiently subdued the genre’s impact. Still, new wave ushered in an incredible array of legendary acts. We’ve highlight our favorite below in our ranking of the 20 Greatest New Wave Bands.