New Wave — 1980s Genre Guide

New Wave defined 1980s pop: synths, angular guitars and art-school style. Discover the genre's history, key artists, essential songs and best albums.

New Wave is the umbrella term for the post-punk pop music that ruled the early 1980s. Born from punk's collapse and reshaped for radio and MTV, it combined synthesizers, sharp guitars, danceable rhythms and a self-consciously modern image.

Key artists

• Talking Heads — Art-school New York funk that defined the genre's intellectual edge.
• Blondie — Punk roots, pop hits and disco crossover.
• Devo — Satirical, robotic and proudly weird.
• The Cars — Pure American radio New Wave.
• INXS — Australia's biggest New Wave export.