new wave
what it is
New wave is today a quite broad umbrella term describing popular music from around 1977 to 1986. But originally it was a slim sub genre of Western popular music that arose in the United Kingdom about 1977-78. It had close ties to punk rock and fairly strong influences of the musical style that had been invented and continuously developed throughout the 1970s: reggae.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 1 · mainstream
the pop everyone knows
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make new wave a playlist
turn these 40 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is new wave?
New wave is today a quite broad umbrella term describing popular music from around 1977 to 1986. But originally it was a slim sub genre of Western popular music that arose in the United Kingdom about 1977-78. It had close ties to punk rock and fairly strong influences of the musical style that had been invented and continuously developed throughout the 1970s: reggae.
What are good new wave albums to start with?
Try Three Imaginary Boys by The Cure, Little Creatures by Talking Heads, Dare! by The Human League, and Heartbeat City by The Cars.
Who are some women making new wave?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/new-wave/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making new wave, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20