Number 151: Ultravox - Vienna

For Ultravox, "Vienna" heralded the start of the Midge Ure era. They had just suffered through the exit of brilliant songwriter/lead singer John Foxx, and for a time the very existence of the band was in doubt. Ure took over and moved Ultravox toward the pop end of the New Wave spectrum, replacing Foxx's experimentalism with a more grounded musical aspect. The chart results were quite good, with the 1980 Vienna album reaching a stellar #3 on the UK charts and "Vienna" the single hitting #2 in mid-1981. A string of hits would follow, ensuring the Midge Ure version of Ultravox lasting success. "Vienna" is at #151 on my list.

Number 152: Animotion - I Engineer

William Wadhams, Astrid Plane, Paul Antonelli, and Don Kirkpatrick: Animotion. After the immense success of their 1984 eponymous album, fueled by the US top-10 smash "Obsession", the band returned in 1985 with Strange Behavior, a more low-key effort. Lead off single "I Engineer" introduced a more polished, quirky sound, and Animotion again found chart success as the song peaked inside the the top 20 in multiple countries. I have it at #152 on this list.

Number 153: Thomas Dolby - I Love You Goodbye

One of the newest songs on my Top 200, "I Love You Goodbye" is from Thomas Dolby's 1992 album Astronauts And Heretics. It's my favorite Dolby song, and while I rarely listen to his bigger hits like "Hyperactive" and "She Blinded Me With Science" anymore, I've never gotten tired of hearing "I Love You Goodbye". So here it is, occupying spot #153 on my list while those other Dolby tracks didn't quite make the cut.

Number 154: The Psychedelic Furs - Heartbreak Beat

One of the most famous of the post-punk bands, Richard Butler and the Psychedelic Furs formed in 1977 but achieved real success when they embraced New Wave in 1981 with their album Talk Talk Talk. By 1987 and their Midnight To Midnight album, they were established superstars. "Heartbreak Beat" is actually their biggest chart hit in the United States, hitting the top 20. I have it at #154 on my Top 200.

Number 155: Phil Oakey & Giorgio Moroder - Together In Electic Dreams

When Phil Oakey took a brief break from his career with The Human League in 1984, he joined famed Italian record producer Giorgio Moroder on a hit solo album, fittingly titled Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder. The biggest single from this collaboration (which yielded a total of three charting songs) was "Together In Electric Dreams", a worldwide smash. After releasing one LP the duo went their separate ways, Oakey returning to Human League and Moroder going on to produce Limahl's "Neverending Story" in 1985. But here they are together at #155 on my list.

Number 156: Adam Ant - Strip

 

I've never been a huge Adam Ant fan, but "Strip", from his 1983 album of the same name is my favorite song of his. I've heard it's Frida from ABBA singing the female vocals on this track. Interesting if true. Anyway, Adam holds down spot #156 in his only appearance on my Top 200.

Number 157: Men Without Hats - I Like

After they hit it big with "The Safety Dance", Ivan Doroschuk and the rest of Men Without Hats released a string of other hits in their native Canada. Unfortunately, they didn't make too much of a splash in the United States, where the group is regarded as something of a one-hit wonder. "I Like" (which like "The Safety Dance", is from their 1982 release Rhythm Of Youth), got lots of airplay north of the border. Click above to watch the video, which was in heavy rotation on Canada's MuchMusic channel throughout the 82-83 period. I have the song at #157 here.

Number 158: Yaz - Only You

They were called Yazoo in Europe, Yaz over here in North America. Either way, Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet produced two albums filled with amazing music. "Only You", their first entry on this Top 200 list, was also their first hit song, reaching the top 5 in many countries around the world in 1982. The LP it was taken from, Upstairs At Eric's, is now recognized as one of the greatest synthpop albums of all time, and has sold almost two million copies in the USA alone. I have the Vince-Clarke-penned "Only You" at #158.

Number 159: Land Of Giants - Room With A View

The Canadian experimental New Wave band Land of Giants released just one LP, Cannibal Dolls/Seven Men, in early 1983. Three singles were pulled from the album, none of which made much of an impact on the charts. Anya Varda, Henry Jesiak, and the rest of the crew then proceeded to quietly disband. "Room With A View" was their best song, and it still sounds fresh today. Nobody knows why a particular band didn't make it big, but in the case of Land of Giants, it certainly wasn't due to a lack of talent. "Room With A View" is at #159 on my Top 200.

Number 160: Belin - Dancing In Berlin

The first of several Berlin songs on my Top 200, "Dancing In Berlin" found Terri Nunn and company riding high on the success of their third album, 1984's Love Life. At this point they were a cool, almost alternative New Wave band, and all was right with the world. Little did we know the horrible fate that awaited them as they slowly morphed into the kind of AOR-ready outfit that would release the awful "Take My Breath Away" a few years later. Let's remember them as they were in 1984, shall we? "Dancing In Berlin" sits at #160 on this list.

Number 161: Depeche Mode - Puppets

My Depeche Mode includes Vince Clarke.

Number 162: The Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star

Trevor Horn is best known today as a producer extraordinaire, lending his sonic know-how to artists as diverse as Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Paul McCartney, and Tom Jones. Horn first broke in to the music business, however, as the frontman of The Buggles, a New Wave outfit debuting in 1977. After touring for a few years, they released the seminal album The Age Of Plastic in 1981. The first single from the album, "Video Killed The Radio Star" tore up the charts in the UK, and its video was placed in heavy rotation on MTV in the USA. I have it at #162 on my Top 200.

Number 163: Japan - Ghosts

Though "Ghosts" is the first Japan song on this list, it's actually the band's biggest chart hit. From their 1981 album Tin Drum, this minimalist track reached #5 in the UK. David Sylvian, Mick Karn, and company were ahead of the curve in almost every way: musically, they sounded like nobody else; fashion-wise, they were New Romantic before the genre even existed. They broke up at the height of their careers in December 1982 and went their seperate ways. But Japan left a ton of awesome music behind to remember them by. "Ghosts" haunts the #163 spot on my Top 200.

Number 164: Play - In My Mind

Wayne Kennedy. The man behind Play. The mastermind of the Red Movies EP. Little is known about this international man of (synthpop) mystery. In 1985, Play released their one and only collection of recordings, and then quietly vanished without a trace. The remixed vesion of "In My Mind" is a masterpiece of atmospheric synthesizers and driving drum machines. Wayne, if you're out there, thanks! #164 with a bullet.

Number 165: Trans-X - Living On Video

 One aspect of synthpop New Wave that I really enjoy is futurism. Not the boring futurism of today that imagines us living on organic superfoods, driving hydogen-powered vehicles, and owning robot nannies and butlers. No, I'm talking about the cool futurism of the early 1980s: Commodore-brand supercomputers, wearable aluminum foil outfits, and free keytars for everyone! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Trans-X and their 1983 song "Living On Video", song #165 on my Top 200.

Video below.

 

Number 166: The Human League - Don't You Want Me

The first of several Human League songs on my list, "Don't You Want Me" is actually the band's biggest hit. The iconic video (shot in 1981) was played almost nonstop by MTV when that network first went live, and probably did as much to popularize British New Wave in the USA than just about anything else. There are other songs by Human League I like more than this one, but this #1 hit (on both sides of the Atlantic) has definitely stood the test of time. "Don't You Want Me" takes the #166 spot on my Top 200.
 

Number 167: Talking Heads - Burning Down The House

In 1984, Talking Heads released Stop Making Sense, a concert video directed by Jonathan Demme. Hailed by many in the years since as "the greatest performance film ever made", it featured live - sometimes reworked - versions of Talking Heads songs from their previous few albums. I don't care much for the album version of "Burning Down The House" (originally from their 1983 LP Speaking In Tongues), but David Byrne and company hit a home run with the Stop Making Sense version, which gets the #167 spot here.

Number 168: Martha & The Muffins - Women Around The World At Work

Having exploded onto the scene in 1980 with "Echo Beach" (which just missed inclusion on this Top 200), Martha & The Muffins were primed to make musical waves. Subsequent single releases off debut LP Metro Music, however, failed to replicate the chart success of their first song. Their second album, 1981's This Is The Ice Age, returned them to prominence, as "Women Around The World At Work" rose inside the Canadian top 30. Martha Johnson, Martha Ladly, and the rest of the crew are at #168 on my list with their best song.

Number 169: OMD - (Forever) Live And Die

By 1986, many critics had come to the conclusion that the best days of Orchestral Manoeuvers In The Dark were probably behind them. The band - formed by childhood friends Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey - had been a powerful force influencing the early-80s synthpop sound, but had seen album sales drop off precipitously as the decade moved on. Their sixth album, The Pacific Age, brought OMD back in a big way. "(Forever) Live And Die" cracked the top 10 in Canada and other countries around the world, including an inside-the-top 20 peak in the USA. I have the song at #169 on my Top 200.

...and they still rock! Here's "Night Cafe" from their 2013 LP English Electric.

 

Number 170: Gino Vannelli - Black Cars

Gino Vannelli was big in Canada in the late 70s. A maven of the disco scene, he scored an impressive list of hits both in his native country and south of the border in the USA with "People Gotta Move", "I Just Wanna Stop", and "Living Inside Myself". But like Donna Summer, by the early 80s Gino recognized which way the winds of change were blowing. Re-inventing himself in 1984 as a New Waver for his ninth studio album Black Cars, "The Italian Stallion" scored the biggest hit of his career with the title track. It makes #170 on my Top 200.

Number 171: Visage - Fade To Grey

October 1980 brought an amazing Halloween treat: the debut of Visage's "Fade To Grey", the lead-off single from their self-titled first album. This tune was the brainchild of frontman Steve Strange (surely one of the most colorful figures in the history of New Wave music) along with bandmates including Midge Ure and John McGeoch. Featuring a blend of amazing synthesizer work and mysterious, inscrutable lyrics, "Fade To Grey" broke into the UK top 10, becoming a worldwide smash and making Visage superstars. It also takes the #171 spot on this list.

Number 172: The Church - Under The Milky Way

Aussie band The Church had one big international hit, and this is it. "Under The Milky Way" was the first single off their 1988 album Starfish. Formed eight years previously, Steven Kilbey and crew had labored along, touring and releasing LPs, with few except a small but devoted fanbase actually noticing. Then "Under The Milky Way" cracked the top 40 in multiple countries, leading to the band touring internationally and gaining fans the world over. Still together today, The Church's biggest hit is at #172 on my Top 200.

Number 173: Platinum Blonde - Not In Love

Known as "the Canadian Duran Duran", Platinum Blonde exploded onto the scene in 1983 with their debut album Standing In The Dark. Mark Holmes and crew released a string of hit singles from this LP, all fueled by heavy rotation of their videos on MuchMusic, Canada's equivalent to MTV. The second song off Standing In The Dark was "Not In Love" which was covered by Crystal Castles in 2010 with Robert Smith of the Cure on lead vocals. I have the original version at #173 on this list.

Number 174: Vicious Pink - Cccan't You See

One band you will definitely not see on this list is Soft Cell, due to my general hatred of their entire catalogue. Vicious Pink, while composed of ex-Soft Cell peripheral members Brian Moss and Jo Warden, is a different story. Formed in 1983, they released a string of singles over the next few years, including their biggest hit (and best song), "Cccan't You See". By 1986 their moderately-successful single releases were gathered together and pressed into a moderately-successful LP, Vicious Pink. The band supported Soft Cell on tour, then afterward quietly disbanded. "Cccan't You See" nabs position #174 on my Top 200.

Number 175: Illustrated Man - Fall From Grace

With former members of Gang of Four and Japan in the lineup, Illustrated Man was primed for some major success - or so most people thought. It turns out they only managed to release one album, Illustrated Man, before disbanding in late 1984. None of the three singles from the LP managed to make an impact in the charts, which is a shame since the band produced good music. Their best song was "Fall From Grace", which I have pegged at #175, marking the milestone of one-eighth of the way toward #1.

Number 176: Re-Flex - The Politics Of Dancing

I'm not a fan of bands getting political, usually because it leads to bad music. In the case of Paul Fishman and John Baxter, however, getting political basically wrecked their careers. Their band, Re-Flex, scored a top-30 hit in early 1983 on both the USA and UK charts with "The Politics of Dancing", the title track from their first album. Unfortunately, their follow-up LP Humanication was rejected by their label for being too blatantly left-wing, and they never really recovered. But at least they made #176 on my Top 200. That's got to count for something, right? 

Number 177: Limahl - Inside To Outside

In the middle of the hot summer of 1983, ongoing tensions within the band Kajagoogoo finally came to a boil. When the dust cleared their lead singer, Limahl, had been cut loose, free to pursue a solo career. By 1986, with a few successful singles under his belt, Limahl released Color All My Days, his second solo album. "Inside To Outside", the breakout single from the LP, raced up the charts all across Europe. I have it at #177, and we'll see Mr. Limahl again before we finish this list.

Number 178: The Stranglers - Always The Sun

The Stranglers originated in the late-70s English punk scene, but by the early 80s had morphed into a post-punk outfit with definite New Wave tendencies. "Always The Sun", fron their ninth album, Dreamtime, sounds more like Cutting Crew than the Sex Pistols. It fit the zeitgeist perfectly, topping out in the top 30 on the UK charts and driving sales of the album, which reached #16 in the summer of 1986. I especially like the synth work on this song, great stuff. The Stanglers take position #178 in their only appearance on my Top 200.

Number 179: Simple Minds - Love Song

It was their fifth album, 1981's Sons and Fascination, that contained "Love Song", which was Simple Minds' big breakthrough on the Canadian charts. It would be another five years before they would finally achieve chart success in the United States, with a tune from a certain movie soundtrack we will talk about later on this Top 200 list. For now, the boys from Scotland hold down the #179 spot with "Love Song".

Number 180: Romeo Void - A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing)

Romeo Void is a group that only had one Top 40 hit: you guessed it, "A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing)". They released three studio albums, and this 1984 tune is, in my opinion, their best song. I dig the jazzy saxophone mixed with the bright, snappy drums and background synths. Lead singer Debora Iyall has an amazing voice, and the band sounds tight. They only ever put it all together on this one track, but it's a doozy! Romeo Void claims the #180 place on my Top 200.

Number 181: Thompson Twins - In The Name Of Love

Not only was "In The Name Of Love" the Thompson Twins' first chart hit, but this 1982 track (from their second album, Set) was featured in Ghostbusters, which is my all-time favorite movie. The inclusion of the song on the Ghostbusters soundtrack propelled it to even greater heights, and today it is recognized as one of the Thompson Twins' best-known tunes. I have it at #181, and we will see the Twins several more times before our journey ends at #1.