Just Missed My Top 200: Big Audio Dynamite - E=MC²

After his career with The Clash came to an end, Mick Jones formed Big Audio Dynamite in 1984. The new band's first album, This Is Big Audio Dynamite, dropped in 1985. It was an eclectic mix of post-punk, new wave, and rock that caught on with the music-buying public to the tune of half a million records sold. Second single "E=MC²" was a catchy tribute to the films of director Nicolas Roeg, a favorite of Jones's. It reached #11 on the UK chart and #37 on the American dance chart. It also just missed my Top 200.

See you next week with another entry, the first of 2018.

WAS's Awesome New Wave Song Of The Week #9: The Greedies - A Merry Jingle

This week's entry comes in between Christmas and New Year's so let’s do a holiday song!   It isn’t exactly a new wave song or a synthpop song … or even an 80s song for that matter … but it’s close enough!  

First, it appears on the infamous CD “Punk Rock Xmas”.  Punk Rock?  Well, there is a CD called “New Wave Christmas” … but it’s just OK.  It does have the absolute classic “Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues on it (which isn't exactly ”New Wave” either) - but for the most part the songs are forgettable (I’m looking at you Pretenders and 2000 Miles).  

"Punk Rock Xmas" on the other hand is filled with a abundance of yuletide joy, and contains such heartwarming holiday nuggets like “Homo Christmas” by Pansy Division, “Daddy Drank Our Christmas Money” by TVTV$ and that heartwarming chestnut “Fuck Christmas” by Fear.   Sure, great songs all, but the best song on the CD is “A Merry Jingle”.   It’s a hummable zinger from a short-lived band called “The Greedies” that was crafted in 1979.  It features Sex Pistols Paul Cook & Steve Jones (punk rock royalty!) along with Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy (!).  The song combines “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” and “Jingle Bells” into a tuneful romp through the holiday season and is one of the more upbeat songs on the disc (as you probably already guessed from the other titles). The band is clearly having a blast doing it and living in the moment… despite the Sex Pistols having disbanded and Phil Lynott still being 5 years away from the high-water mark of his career …  which was of course the day in 1984 that he gave the annoyingly self-righteous Morrissey a sound thrashing on the music trivia game show “Pop Quiz”!   

So yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus .. and today he brings us “A Merry Jingle”!   Happy New Year!

-WAS

Bonus: A plethora of New Wave artists playing Pop Quiz!

Just Missed My Top 200: The Cure - Boys Don't Cry

This is the song that made The Cure stars. The year was 1979, disco and punk were waging war on the charts, and along came Robert Smith and his band of dark, brooding goths. The look was different, the sound was different, and the record-buying public ate it up. The Cure's career was off to a flying start. Note: avoid the awful 1986 re-recording of this song, which seems to have had every ounce of soul and emotion drained from the vocals by studio shenanigans and a misguided desire by Smith to sound more "mature". No, like most things in life, the original is the best (by a mile in this case).

The Cure appeared on my Top 200 at #190 ("Just Like Heaven"), #77 ("In-between Days"), and #49 ("Close To Me"). "Boys Don't Cry" just missed becoming the band's fourth addition to the list.

See you next week with another great song that almost made it.

WAS's Awesome New Wave Song Of The Week #8: Paul Haig - Justice

If you say the name Paul Haig to the less scholarly music fans of the 1980s, you may get a glimmer of recognition, and maybe a dim recollection that he crafted a nifty number called “The Only Truth”.  But Paul Haig was no one-hit wonder - far from it.  He started out with a post-punk band named Josef K that was interesting but not very melodious, ultimately making for a monotonous listening experience.  It was when Josef K began to break up that Paul was freed to do his own thing, and began his most prolific period of awesomeness.  After he cleared his pipes out with a cassette-only release of home-recorded electronica called Drama (parts of which are reminiscent of Lou Reed’s contractual obligation album “Metal Machine Music”. i.e. unlistenable garbage) — he got serious.  

In 1982 and 1985 Paul delivered a one-two punch of synthpop perfection - the album “Rhythm of Life” followed by “The Warp of Pure Fun”.  Both albums are full of absolute gems, hooks, innovative melodies, and plenty of synth perfection.  My current favorite off his 1982 album is “Justice” but I love the entire platter.  The vocals, beats and synth always lead to intriguing places; nothing formulaic in these songs.  

Enjoy the right jab to the head of “Justice” and check back … in the future we will return with a left hook from “The Warp of Pure Fun”!

-WAS

Just Missed My Top 200: Propaganda - P:Machinery

Propaganda took the #16 spot on my Top 200 with "Duel", the fantastic song from their debut 1985 album A Secret Wish. Another song from the album, "P:Machinery" was also considered for the list, but ended up not making it. With a fantastic synth hook and driving beats, "P:Machinery" reached #50 on the British charts and was also a success in American clubs.

Propaganda broke up soon after the song charted, but they ended up re-uniting 18 months later (with lineup changes) for their follow-up LP, 1234.

I've always liked "P:Machinery" and it's amazingly weird video. It's a solid song that had a real chance of appearing on my Top 200.

I'll be back next week with another song that just missed.

WAS's Awesome New Wave Song Of The Week #7: Kraftwerk - Home Computer

Achtung!  Hear me now und believe me later meine freunde.  Now it is the time when we address der Elefant in der zimmer.  We can go no further down this treacherously delightful path without paying homage to the Grand Opas of New Wave…. the Obergruppenfuhrers of Synthpop.  Yes, but of course I am referring to the man-machines … the ones who we would gratefully submit to as our robotic overlords …  KRAFTWERK.   Oh, just saying their glorious name intimidates me to the point of humiliation.  They are so beautiful and angular. I am filled with anticipation … and it is most delicious.  

Whilst their genius dates to the early SEVENTIES and the classic album Autobahn, it was in the 80s where they really hit their stride, with the release of “Computer World” in 1981.  Not only were all the songs techology-oriented (computer, calculators, numbers) - the band is featured on the cover on the screen of a Hazeltine 1500 VDT in all of their green-screen glory.  Holy RS-232, (Adam West) Batman !  Pioneers of the finest kind, Kraftwerk set the tone for much of the electronica that come would later.  Would new wave, synthpop and techno even exist without Kraftwerk ?

While the entire Computer World album is great start to finish, my favorite song (currently) is “Home Computer” with its action-oriented melodies and fantastically vague lyrics - ''I program my home computer... beam myself into the future’’.   Timeless, ahead of its time, and so forward-looking.. its frightening.  

Und now is ze time on Marc’s Blog vhen ve dance!   TO KRAFTWERK…

-WAS 

BONUS: Video of the 1986 song “The Telephone Call” is all it’s Sprocket-ian Glory !

Just Missed My Top 200: Rational Youth - City Of Night

Rational Youth (Tracy Howe and Bill Vorn) came out of the sizzling Montreal new wave scene in 1981, along with fellow Canadian bands Men Without Hats, The Box, Trans-X, and many others. They had a string of hits from their first few albums, including "Saturdays In Silesia", which took the #198 spot on my Top 200. It was close between that song and "City Of Night", which ended up just missing the list. From Rational Youth's 1982 album Cold War Night Life, "City Of Night" did not crack the Canadian charts (which were full of rock and disco at the time), but the record itself went on to become the most successful Canadian synthpop album to that date. The band broke up after several more less-successful LPs, but reunited in 1997 and still tour in Canada and Europe, where they also have developed a following.

Here's a live performance from 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden:

See you next week with another song that just missed.

WAS's Awesome New Wave Song Of The Week #6: Gleaming Spires - A Christian Girl's Problem

Much like our #4 Awesome Song artist Sigue Sigue Sputnik, this week’s band was another that popped up all over the pop culture landscape in the early 80s, but was largely even more unknown… 

Gleaming Spires had backing members of Sparks & Devo in their band and were produced by Steven Hague, who later went on to 80s fame producing New Order, OMD & Pet Shop Boys. The peak of the Spires' mainstream career likely was when they appeared on the “Last American Virgin” soundtrack in 1982 with “Are You Ready For the Sex Girls?” which was a minor hit that got major play on the standard-bearer of West Coast New Wave, L.A.’s KROQ-FM. “Sex Girls” was also featured in “Revenge of the Nerds”, along with the intentionally monotonous and ironic “All Night Party”. They also touched the art world, with a Kostabi-designed album cover, and the other, errr.. more interesting "art world" … providing much of  soundtrack to the legendary and ground-breaking porn flicks “Devil in Miss Jones, Parts 3 & 4”, which starred the ultimate new-wave-punk-porn-provocateur, Lois Ayers. 

1983’s “Walk on Well Lighted Streets” was the Spires best album and contained their catchiest song - one that likely would land them in big trouble today - “A Christian Girl’s Problem”.  Glorious synths underpin provocative lyrics as the band has way too much fun jogging in place in a ridiculous video where they are dressed as Roman Soldiers … yes the Gleaming Spires were not exactly subtle in anything they did.  But the song is an awesome one and seldom heard these days despite it being as infectious as herpes and catchy as Hell…. which is exactly where Miss Jones ended up... no doubt because she dared to groove to The Spires!

 

-WAS

Just Missed My Top 200: Peter Baumann - Metro Man

Peter Baumann landed the #185 ("Be Mine") and #22 ("Strangers In The Night") spots on my Top 200. "Metro Man", a third track from Baumann's blockbuster 1983 album Strangers In The Night, was another contender to make the list. A sparse, futurist tune that features cold synth lines and robotic vocals, the song is like a blend of Gary Numan and early OMD. I considered giving it a spot, but it in the end "Metro Man" just missed my Top 200.

Another great song by Peter Baumann is "Repeat Repeat", from the album just before Strangers In The Night, 1981's Repeat Repeat. I also considered this song for the Top 200. Here it is:

  ...and today, Baumann still rocks, although he has once again turned his back on pop music and has returned to his Tangerine Dream-era roots in synth-instrumental progressive rock. His 2017 album Machines Of Desire is a masterpiece, including the mesmerizing track "Valley Of The Gods", which is my favorite on the LP.

 See you next time with another song that just missed!

WAS's Awesome New Wave Song Of The Week #5: Freur - Doot Doot

Freur was a Welsh band in the early 80s that started it’s career as a squiggle!  Yes, unlike the guy from Minnesota who went from “Prince" to a sign, Freur started as symbol and only named itself after they got a record deal and had to have a name.  An art school synthpop duo of Karl Hyde and Rick Smith - that expanded to five to make the record - Freur didn’t release much material.  Their first album got a global release and their second very limited. It was their very first single in 1982 that was their one & only hit.  

The soaring, ethereal Doot Doot is their masterpiece.  It’s a timeless song that incorporates all kinds of sounds into an atmospheric wonder.  Layered vocals, odd drum rhythms, synthesized sounds, birds chirping, laughter …and do I hear dogs barking?  Yet it comes together wonderfully, evoking a feeling of rising above everything else.  If there is anything to criticize about Doot Doot,it is that it is only 3:45 long - it ends just as you’re really getting into it.  Thankfully this is the 1980s we’re talking about here, so an extended mix is available, which clocks in at a more appropriate 6 minutes.  I would actually suggest listening to it on repeat for an hour (or more) to best appreciate it’s subtle sounds & complexities!

So join Freur, Marc D & I … as we go DOOT!   DOOT DOOT !

-WAS

Just Missed My Top 200: The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary

Ian Astbury and The Cult had several huge hits in the 80s, including "Love Removal Machine", "Fire Woman", and my favorite song of theirs, "She Sells Sanctuary". An eclectic mixture of new wave, rock, and gothic influences, The Cult released awesome albums and blew the roof off live venues all throughout the decade. "She Sells Sanctuary" (from their 1985 LP Love) hit #15 in England and #11 in Canada, though strangely it didn't chart at all in the USA. It also just missed making my Top 200.

Here's a live performance of the song in Finland during their '86 world tour:

See you next Saturday with another tune that almost made it onto my list.

WAS's Awesome New Wave Song Of The Week #4: Sigue Sigue Sputnik - Love Missile F1-11

Sigue Sigue Sputnik … what the heck were they?  Wrong question!  It’s more appropriate to ask “What WEREN’T they??!”
 
Cyberpunk outlaws … Post punk drag queens ... Synthpop swingers … Hi-tech new wavers … Aural assaulters … Sci Fi samplers … Ultra-violence practitioners… Marketing hustlers  ... Video pioneers … Fashion renegades ... Sex bomb boogiers !
 
Produced by Giorgio Moroder.  On the Soundtrack of a John Hughes film. Sigue Sigue Sputnik were everywhere yet nowhere, in your face, yet hiding in plain sight.
Started in London in 1982 by ex-Gen-Xer Tony James, SSS were (at least) 25 years ahead of their time.  Their blend of musical saturation, pop culture references, sexual elasticity, style over substance, relentless self-promotion and multi-media shock & awe was never seen before and has rarely been pulled together so well in such a succinct package since.  

Like an out-of control heat-seeking moisture missile, SSS spewed forth a load of 12” singles during their brief hurtle through the pop culture universe.  Albums collected them in various forms … remixes, singles, dance versions, dubs, edits, extended mixes - almost every release had multiple variants.  Fake advertisements were slotted between songs, a la RoboCop 5 years later.  Dystopian sci-fi movies like A Clockwork Orange, Mad Max & Blade Runner were sampled relentlessly.  Videos featuring the band and their over-the-top look were slick and entertaining.  Neither BPM - nor hair - could ever be too high.
 
Their biggest hit “Love Missile F1-11” was produced by the golden hand of Giorgio Moroder in 1986, and an extended mix of it was used in the shower scene of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.  It charted in various countries and even made #1 in Spain.  The video of 'Love Missile' is a mini-movie unto itself, with SSS strutting about like a mega-rich, hyper-sexualized version of Buckaroo Banzai and the Hong Kong Cavaliers, well-armed with weapons … and hairspray.
 
SSS were a band that proved right the Blade Runner line that "the candle that burns twice as bright, burns half as long."  And for a brief period in the mid 80s … SSS burned oh so brightly.

-WAS

Just Missed My Top 200: Baltimora - Juke Box Boy

Jimmy McShane and Baltimora had a huge hit with "Tarzan Boy" (#96 on my Top 200) and a lesser hit with "Living In The Background" (#200). By the time "Juke Box Boy" was released, however, the group's star had begun to dim. A hit only in their native Italy and some surrounding European countries, "Juke Box Boy" was the beginning of the end for the new wave/eurodance band. While they would soldier on for another year or two, until the abject failure of "Key Key Karimba" and the second Baltimora album from which it came (1987's Survivor In Love), it was only a matter of time.

Here's "Key Key Karimba"...

...and here's "Woody Boogie" as well. After this I promise, no more Baltimora.

 See you next Saturday with another song that just missed my Top 200.

WAS's Awesome New Wave Song Of The Week #3: Near Paris - Ceiling

This week’s Awesome Song is a wondrous synthpop nugget from Near Paris, a band from Columbus Ohio.  Near Paris was only a duo, Dana and Gerald, but what a sound they made.  Strong synth, infectious grooves and Dana’s absolutely mesmerizing vocal can be found in all of their work, which unfortunately was only one EP.  I remember hearing NP at new wave clubs in NYC in the mid-eighties but that was the days before Shazam and Soundhound .. so their band name was unknown to me . You can imagine my delight when I heard the same song thirty years later on SOMA-FM’s Underground 80s and finally discovered it was Near Paris. And even better - like their modern-day labelmates, the phenomenal Play - their entire catalog, of everything they made in 1985, has been re-released digitally in the new century by Medical Records!  Enjoy “Ceiling” in 2017.  And we’ll hear from Near Paris again on a future Awesome Song.

-WAS

Just Missed My Top 200: Midge Ure - Call Of The Wild

After Ultravox broke up, Midge Ure's solo career got off to a flying start with his 1985 LP The Gift and its #1 hit "If I Was". While I don't really care for that song, his between-albums single release, 1986's "Call Of The Wild" is a great tune. Reaching #27 on the UK chart, the track has been retroactively added to some later pressings of The Gift. It was accompanied by a very odd video, showing the events of Ure's typical day in great detail:

-Wake up.

-Wear atrociously ugly sweater outside to collect firewood.

-Begin drinking (you know there's a slug of whiskey in that glass!).

-Settle in to work on disturbingly-exact clay sculpture of own face, tickling it affectionately from time to time.

-Stand in windswept fields, singing.

Aside from the bizarre video, the song is Ure's best solo work in my opinion. I was lucky enough to see the man himself perform in Halifax back in 2015 (see link below), and I can attest that he was in top form during that sold-out show. And yes, he brought the standing-room-only crowd to its feet with "Call Of The Wild".

Ad for Midge Ure Halifax performance:

See you next Saturday with another song that just missed making my Top 200.

WAS's Awesome New Wave Song Of The Week #2: INXS - Don't Change

Before the reality TV show … before a rotating cast of lead singers… before international fame … before a bunch of hit singles that all sounded the same … before the sad & weird demise of their front man  … there was a new wave band from Oz named INXS.  They took a while to hit their stride, releasing two unremarkable sorta-synthpopy albums as the 80s dawned.  They finally found some success in 1982 with the single “The One Thing” from their third album, Shabooh Shoobah. But buried on that album was the final track on side 2 which was also their one and only masterpiece: “Don’t Change”.  From the opening synth notes to the guitars ringing in … the urgent singing … the quiet part in the middle… the outro with the the soaring backing vocals, this song never fails to send a chill up my spine and make me think of great times gone by … in the greatest decade.  If you love 80s synthpop and you love New Wave … Don’t Change A Thing !

-WAS

Just Missed My Top 200: Blancmange - Blind Vision

Every Saturday I will post a new wave/synthpop song that just missed making my Top 200 list. Let's get going with the first song!

Blancmange is a band I'm not a huge fan of, as their biggest hits ("That's Love That It Is", "Living On The Ceiling", etc.) don't really appeal to me. The only tune from them that made my Top 200 was "Lose Your Love" which got the #14 spot because it's awesome. I revisited "Blind Vision" after reading a comment Was made on my writeup for "Lose Your Love", and realized it was a great song. A great song with a great video. A great song that just missed the Top 200.

 

WAS's Awesome New Wave Song Of The Week #1: Red Rockers - China

Long-time reader and comment contributor WAS has volunteered to keep this thing going by showcasing an Awesome New Wave Song of the Week in this space. Check back each week for a regular dose of auditory goodness from the greatest era in music history. I'm pumped and looking forward to reading and listening to his picks. let's get this party started!
                                                         -Marc D.
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And now, a note from WAS and his first entry:

Like Marc D, I am also a firm believer that some the greatest music of all time can be found at the nexus of new wave and synthpop in the early to mid 1980s.  It was a time of amazing developments on the music scene - punk rock was over, but all of the elements that caused it were searching for a new post-punk outlet.  They coalesced into a new movement that evolved into something altogether more exploratory … more listenable… and more interesting.  It wasn’t just a new kind of music … and it was more than just the “DIY" trend that punk introduced (which was rebellious in a conformist sort of way as Bart Simpson says) with the poor playing, mohawks and safety pins.  No this kind of new music was an onslaught of everything - new sounds … instruments .. fashion … clubs … music … video … movies … and yes … even haircuts.

Being fortunate enough to have grown up in NYC, I spun records for my college radio station in the early 80s and visited all the legendary local clubs of the era.  It was a time where pioneering new wave radio station WLIR became WDRE and Dared to be Different.  A time when independent record sellers were everywhere and would spin the latest innovative sounds from around the world the moment they came out.  In short - it was a great time to be alive.

So if you are like me and having withdrawal pains now that Marc D’s amazing Top 200 is done, fear not.  Marc has graciously allowed the blog to live on so we can present …. Awesome New Wave Songs Of The Week !

- Your DJ, WAS

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Red Rockers started out as a punk band from New Orleans Louisiana.  Their punk leanings were broad and deep; once billed as “America’s Clash” they were hardcore to the core and even teamed up with Dead Kennedy’s lead singer Jello Biafra on a Johnny Cash cover.  As they matured, however, their sound changed ... to the point that by 1982, their second album “Good as Gold” had a much more melodious new wave guitar-driven synthy sound and it delivered the one hit wonder song of their career “China”.   It’s a great song that has aged well and still sounds fresh today.  Sadly their success did not continue ... their next album was the Spinal-Tap-esque “Schizophrenic Circus”, complete with a cover featuring the band in cheesy circus costumes.  It garnered similar reviews to Tap’s “Shark Sandwich” (shit sandwich) and that was it for the Red Rockers.  But we’ll always have “China” ... it lives on as their shining contribution to early 80s new wave.

Video:

Special Announcement!

***Watch for a special surprise Wednesday Nov. 1st as this blog is NOT finished!***

Number 1: Blue Peter - Water Off The Moon

Canadian band Blue Peter formed in 1978 and released three full-length albums and one EP over the next six years. Those records contained great songs such as "Radio Silence" (#116 on this list), "Falling" (#56) and "Don't Walk Past" (#21). By early 1984, however, things had changed. New wave had faded in popularity; the clean, sparse synthesizer sound being replaced by a new pop sensibility. Blue Peter recognized this and set out to make a different kind of album. Vertigo, as the record was to be titled, would attempt to wed new wave, pop, and rock. A brave, original idea - something never tried before (and maybe since). Alas, it wasn't to be. The band disagreed on many aspects of the new LP. Compromises failed, and Blue Peter split up before Vertigo could be finished. The band was done, but one song survived in its complete form. "Water Off The Moon" was to have been the lead-off single from Vertigo.

Would "Water Off The Moon" have been a hit? Would Vertigo have saved new wave? We'll never know. Some demo versions, half-finished, have been released from the Vertigo sessions in the years since, on various greatest hits compilations and such. They're intriguing glimpses of what could have been, although no one can say for certain how those songs would have turned out had they been completed by the band.

We only have one finished song from Vertigo: "Water Off The Moon".

For its fantastic bassline, its driving drums, its subtle, almost-hidden-at-times synthesizers, its amazing, cryptic lyrics, its haunting vocals by Paul Humphrey, and for all the lost potential it carries with it to this day, "Water Off The Moon" gets the ultimate spot on my Top 200. In some alternate universe, Blue Peter stayed together and released Vertigo at the absolute height of their creative powers. In the real world, we can only listen to this song and imagine what that record might have sounded like.


Live performance from 2008 (Blue Peter reunited in 2006):

I hope everyone enjoyed listening to the 200 songs I picked, and reading my little write-ups. It was fun for me, and I hope it was fun for you. I would encourage anyone who might want to give it a go to do so! I'd love to read *your* top 200 (or 100, or 300, or whatever).

This blog is now finished, but great new wave and synthpop from that era will always be with us, a reminder of what I consider a better and more interesting time in the history of pop music. I'm out, cheers!  -Marc

Number 2: A Flock Of Seagulls - Modern Love Is Automatic

A Flock Of Seagulls' eponymous 1982 debut album contained the hits "I Ran (So Far Away)", "Messages" (#122 on this list) and "Space Age Love Song" (#15). To me, however, "Modern Love Is Automatic" is their best track. In fact, I love it so much that I had it at #1 on my Top 200 off and on throughout the summer. Ultimately it settled into the #2 spot, but it was close. This song is the epitome of musical greatness. Mike Score's vocals, the synth lines, the drums, the guitar work of Paul Reynolds. It all adds up to an amazing listening experience. Never released as a single, "Modern Love Is Automatic" is four minutes of sonic bliss.

P.S. Never mind annoying solos and shredding crap. *This* is how you use an electric guitar! Absolutely perfect use of the instrument in a song.

Live performance below.

Number 3: Trans-X - Eyes Of Desire

Canadian new wave group Trans-X released multi-platinum album Living On Video in early 1986. The LP featured their biggest hit, "Living On Video" (#165 on this list) and the awesome track "Through The Eyes Of The Nineties" (#107). Another song, however, eclipsed them both for pure synthpop excellence: "Eyes Of Desire". This tune was somehow never released as a single, but it held the #1 spot on this list for a time before eventually settling in at #3. Pascal Languirand, Laurie Gill, and the rest of the band outdid themselves with this track, and for me synthpop music doesn't get any better than this (well, I suppose it does get better, since "Eyes Of Desire" is #3 not #1, but you know what I mean). Trans-X hits it out of the ballpark with their third and final entry on my Top 200.

...and they still rock! Here's Trans-X with their 2011 single release "I Want To Be With You Tonight".

Number 4: Bill Nelson - Flaming Desire

Musical genius Bill Nelson dropped his second solo album, The Love That Whirls, in 1982. "Flaming Desire" was released as a single, only reaching #55 on the UK charts (though it was top-20 in Germany for some reason). What a travesty! This is one of the finest songs of the entire new wave/synthpop era, and was #1 on my Top 200 for a week or so. I eventually slotted it into the #4 spot, but that's only due to the absolute brilliance of the next 3 songs and is not a slight against "Flaming Desire" at all. If this song were twenty minutes long instead of five, I still wouldn't get sick of it. Bill Nelson worked with Gary Numan and others throughout his career, frequently as a background contributor, and didn't seek the spotlight much. But with "Because Of You" (#125 on this list) and "Flaming Desire", he staked his claim as one of the great innovators and composers in synthpop history.

Number 5: B-Movie - Nowhere Girl

At #5 on my Top 200 is B-Movie with their best-known song, "Nowhere Girl". This entry represents the final debut on my list. The remaining 4 songs are all by artists that have already appeared earlier. B-Movie were an English group fronted by Steve Hovington, joined by bandmates Rick Holliday, Paul Statham, and Graham Boffey. The group formed in 1981 and released "Nowhere Girl" after signing a record deal in 1982. Unfortunately, their momentum stalled and they failed to release their debut full length album, Forever Running, until early 1985. The record tanked and the band's career entered a tailspin. After a few more fits and starts they broke up for good in 1986, only to reform decades later in 2013. "Nowhere Girl" is a fantastic piece of music. The part from 1:59 to 2:10 alone qualifies them for the rank of genius.

Number 6: Berlin - Rumor Of Love

Berlin released Love Life, their third LP, in mid 1984. Big hits from the album included "Dancing In Berlin" (#160 on this list) and "No More Words". Not released as a single was "Rumor Of Love", which is not only my favorite Berlin track, but one of my favorite new wave songs of all time. Berlin frontwoman Terri Nunn does not sing the lead vocals on "Rumor Of Love": that task falls instead to uber-bassist John Crawford. He turns in a virtuoso performance, his voice a perfect fit for the track's laid-back synth groove. I have no idea why the A&R men at Berlin's label didn't choose this song to be released as a single; that decision still leaves me shaking my head. To my ear this is head and shoulders above anything else they recorded, especially the awful-yet-popular "Take My Breath Away" (the worst misstep of genius producer Giorgio Moroder's career). I have "Rumor Of Love" at #6 on my Top 200, marking Berlin's third and final appearance here.

Number 7: Leisure Process - Love Cascade

Leisure Process. The awesome vocal stylings of Ross Middleton. The musical genius of multi-instrumentalist Gary Barnacle. This duo made some amazing music in their short career together, including "Anxiety" (#106 on this list) and their masterpiece, "Love Cascade". Unfortunately, the vagaries of the music industry meant that a full-length LP was not to be, but the tracks they did create were pure gold, especially "Love Cascade", their first collaboration in early 1982. Who knows what kind of amazing stuff Leisure Process could have come up with, had Middleton and Barnacle been given proper label support and backing? As it is, two of their songs ended up on my Top 200 (and "Cashflow" just missed making it three). The fantastic "Love Cascade" takes the #7 spot. Make way!

Video below.

Number 8: Pseudo Echo - A Beat For You

Pseudo Echo debuted in 1984 with seminal album Autumnal Park. The Aussie new wave outfit sported sophisticated synthpop sounds blended perfectly with a guitar-rock edge. The best song on the album to my ear is "A Beat For You", which features fantastic keyboard work by Tony Lugton and top-notch vocals by frontman Brian Canham. The track reached #12 in their native Australia and #6 in New Zealand, cementing the band as a fixture of the new wave scene down under. I've always loved "A Beat For You" and often play it as a good example of they type of music I enjoy most. I have the song at #8 on my Top 200.

Here is a live version from Pseudo Echo's 1987 world tour.

Number 9: Spoons - One In Ten Words

My favorite Spoons song is "One In Ten Words", from their 1982 debut album Arias and Symphonies. It's one of the few classic Spoons tracks where Sandy Horne sings the lead vocals during the verses. The synth work by Rob Preuss is impressive, and the song epitomizes for me the new wave sound popular in Canada at the time. Never released as a single, I have "One In Ten Words" in the #9 spot on my Top 200, marking the Spoons' fourth and final appearance here.

Live performance from 1982:

...and they still rock! Here's a live performance of the song from 2012 (they add a bit of their 1984 hit "Romantic Traffic" there at the end). 

 

Number 10: Yaz - Bring Your Love Down (Didn't I)

We have reached the final ten songs out of 200. These tracks are my favorite of the entire new wave/synthpop era. I haven't gotten tired of hearing these songs yet, and don't anticipate it happening anytime soon. In my opinion, these are the best of the best. I hope you enjoy listening! Here we go.

Upstairs At Eric's. What else is there to say about that seminal synthpop album? Like Numan's Telekon or Ultravox's Systems Of Romance, it's one of the few LPs that changed the entire history of new wave music. After such amazing songs as "Situation", "Only You" (#158 on this list), "Goodbye 70s" (#105), and "Don't Go" (#76), one could be forgiven for thinking that the final song on side two might be a bit of filler, a synth instrumental perhaps. Nope. Instead we get "Bring Your Love Down (Didn't I)", which is my favorite Yaz song of all time. Lyrics by Alison Moyet, awesome disco beat and layered synths by Vince Clarke. Talk about ending an album with a bang! This song always gets people moving when played at a party, but it's equally cool to pump from your car speakers when on a long solo drive. I have "Bring Your Love Down (Didn't I)" at #10 on my Top 200, the final of four Yaz songs to make the list. Crank it up and enjoy!

Number 11: Red Flag - Russian Radio

At #11 we find Red Flag, in their second and final appearance on my Top 200. This time it's "Russian Radio", which for the past few years has also been my cell phone ring tone. From their 1989 album Naive Art, the track is another of Red Flag's driving, percussion-heavy synthpop creations. Like "Count To Three" (#119 on this list), "Russian Radio" was underappreciated when it was released - it appeared on the Billboard club chart but failed to make any other. "Russian Radio" is right up my alley, however, and has always been one of my favorite tunes from the time period. Turn it up loud and enjoy!

...and here's Red Flag live!

Number 12: Howard Jones - New Song

In August 1983 Howard Jones released Human's Lib, his awkwardly-titled yet brilliant debut album. Lead-off single "New Song" rocketed up the charts both in his native England and across the Atlantic in North America. Eventually reaching #3 in the UK, #22 in Canada, and #27 in the USA, "New Song" got Howard Jones's career off to a flying start. It's always been my favorite track of his, and it takes the #12 spot on my Top 200, marking HoJo's second and final appearance here.

Number 13: Ministry - Revenge

For several decades, Ministry was known for hardcore industrial music, political-statement songs, and rotating band lineups due to infighting, feuds, substance abuse, and arrests. Before all that, however, Ministry was known for its first (synthpop) album, With Sympathy. Released in 1983, it featured lead singer Al Jourgensen in a fake English accent, backed by two keyboard players cranking out new wave sounds. Now that's a Ministry I can support! Here's the #13 spot for you, Al, with your awesome song "Revenge", which you refuse to play live or acknowledge in any way nowadays. Sad.

Number 14: Blancmange - Lose Your Love

The #14 spot goes to English band Blancmange, made up of Neil Arthur and Stephen Luscombe. I have to admit I'm not a big fan of their music, with the exception of "Lose Your Love". The second single released from their third album, 1985's Believe You Me, the song reached a disappointing #77 on the UK chart. To me, however, it's a clear #1 in the Blancmange catalogue. I have "Lose Your Love" at #14 on my Top 200, the band's only appearance on this list.

Number 15: A Flock Of Seagulls - Space Age Love Song

Next up we have A Flock Of Seagulls with the amazing "Space Age Love Song". Criminally underappreciated when released from their debut eponymous LP in 1982, the song only reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100. A disappointing number when their previous single, "I Ran (So Far Away)" hit #9. While "I Ran" didn't make this Top 200, "Space Age Love Song" is one of my all-time favorite new wave tunes. Guitar god Paul Reynolds is in top form here, as he provides the framework from which the rest of the song's components are hung. Four minutes of cosmic genius, "Space Age Love Song" takes the #15 spot on my list.

Number 16: Propaganda - Duel

At #16 we have Propaganda, a German band discovered by uber-producer and general new wave genius Trevor Horn in 1982. He signed the group (made up of Ralph Dorper, Susanne Freytag, Claudia Brucken, and Michael Mertens) and produced their first album, A Secret Wish, released in early 1985. Advance single "Dr. Mabuse" hit #25 in the UK in late 1984, an encouraging result for Horn and the band. Second single "Duel" reached #21 on the British chart, and would turn out to be the biggest hit of Propaganda's entire career. They continiued to release material throughout the 80s and 90s, eventually splitting and reuniting several times before finally calling it quits for good in 2010. "Duel" is fantastic, complete with a stylized, James Bond-ish video that was played in heavy rotation on music video channels such as MTV. "Duel" also represents Propaganda's only appeance on my Top 200.

Number 17: The Box - My Dreams Of You

The Box circa 1985 consisted of frontman Jean-Marc Pisapia (an ex-Men Without Hats member) bass player Jean-Pierre Brie, drummer Claude Thibeault, and guitarist Guy Florent. That was the year the Montreal band released their second LP, All The Time, All The Time, All The Time. The title came from the lyrics of "My Dreams Of You", the lead-off single. The song performed disappointingly on the Canadian charts, peaking at a mere #51. This despite the track being the best tune The Box ever released or would ever release. The synthpop sound was beginning to fall out of favor, replaced by dreck like Bryan Adams and Mr. Mister. "My Dreams Of You", in all it's synth glory, takes the #17 spot on my Top 200, marking The Box's second and final appearance on the list.

Number 18: Psychedelic Furs - All That Money Wants

The Psychedelic Furs' best song, in my opinion, is "All That Money Wants", from their 1988 LP All Of This And Nothing. Criminally underappreciated, this Richard Butler creation only reached #75 on the UK chart, and didn't even make the Billboard Hot 100 (although it did top the modern rock chart). Brilliant guitar work by John Ashton drives this track, and the band has never sounded tighter than they do here. Richard Butler's vocals are appropriately raw and full of emotion, and the song blends new wave, post punk, and rock sensibilities brilliantly. I knew this tune would be in the upper echelons of my Top 200, the only question was how high it would ultimately end up. I have it at #18, and it marks the second and final appearance of Psychedelic Furs on this list.

Number 19: Strange Advance - Perfect Day

Canadian new wavers Strange Advance reunited in 1991 to work on the Worlds Away And Back greatest hits album. They included their best-known songs, some previously-unreleased material, and one new track, "Perfect Day". I'm not sure what the song is about (A terminal illness? Suicide?), but the track is one of my favorite ballads of all time. Somehow not released as a single from Worlds Away And Back, I think "Perfect Day" might be the band's best song. It gets the #19 spot here and marks Strange Advance's third and final appearance on my Top 200.

Number 20: Peter Godwin - Images Of Heaven

We are now in my Top 20 songs, out of 200 on the list. These are my favorite songs of the genre, ones I listen to all the time and never tire of hearing. It's been a long road since I began this blog with #200 on April 13th, but now we are entering the home stretch. Here we go!

Peter Godwin came to fame as a hard rocker with the band Metro in his native England. After that group broke up in 1981 Godwin went solo, changing his sound to fit the new wave zeitgeist that was then taking hold in Britain and internationally. He quickly recorded an EP, Images Of Heaven, which was well-received. The title track was a masterpiece, with driving percussion matching innovative synth work in perfect harmony. Godwin would go on to release another EP the same year, the success of both enabling him to produce his acclaimed LP Correspondence one year later. "Images Of Heaven" takes the #20 spot on my Top 200, marking Peter Godwin's only appearance on my list.

Number 21: Blue Peter - Don't Walk Past

Blue Peter's biggest hit is "Don't Walk Past", from 1983's Falling LP. The song hit #24 in Canada, propelled by a stylish video featuring the manic, David-Byrne-like dancing of frontman Paul Humphrey. In mid-83, these guys were tearing it up in the Great White North, seemingly headed for new wave domination. Unfortunately, one year later acrimony surrounding the recording of their next album, Vertigo, reached a crescendo, and Blue Peter broke up in a supernova of anger, jealousy, and resentment. They've since patched things up, and today they tour sporadically, but the exploding angst during the Vertigo sessions drove the band's career straight into a brick wall. Blue Peter takes the #21 spot on my Top 100 with "Don't Walk Past", the shining apex of their musical trajectory.

Here's the infamous video!