Chapter 31: New Wave
Chapter 31 follows the evolution of punk into a more commercially successful and stylistically diverse movement that blended rock with synthesizers, electronic music, funk, reggae, and pop. Bands such as Devo, Talking Heads, Blondie, the Cars, and the B-52s reworked earlier rock traditions through irony, art-school aesthetics, and modern production, while Prince combined funk, rock, R&B, and New Wave into one of the decade's most influential musical styles.
Important Terms
New Wave – A style that grew from punk while incorporating pop melodies, synthesizers, electronic music, and broader commercial appeal.
Post-Punk – A movement that expanded punk by incorporating experimental structures, electronic music, funk, reggae, and art rock.
Art Rock – A style combining rock music with ideas from visual art, experimental music, and avant-garde performance.
Minimalism – A musical style built from repeated patterns, gradual changes, and a limited amount of musical material.
Synthesizer – An electronic instrument that generates sounds through oscillators, filters, and electronic circuits.
Electronic Music – Music created primarily with electronic instruments and sound-processing technology.
Repeating Riff – A short melodic or rhythmic pattern repeated throughout a song.
Drone – A sustained note or chord played beneath changing musical material.
Polyrhythm – Two or more contrasting rhythmic patterns performed simultaneously.
Delay Effect – An audio effect that repeats a sound after a short period, creating an echo.
Chorus Effect – An audio effect that combines slightly delayed copies of a signal to create a fuller, shimmering sound.
Falsetto – A vocal register above a singer's normal range, commonly used by Prince.
Minneapolis Sound – A style developed by Prince combining funk, rock, R&B, pop, and synthesizer-based production.
Love Symbol – The unpronounceable symbol Prince adopted as his name during his dispute with Warner Bros.
College Rock – Alternative rock that became popular on college radio stations during the late 1970s and 1980s.
World Beat – A style combining Western popular music with musical traditions from Africa, Latin America, and other regions.
Artists Discussed
Television – New York band that influenced both punk and New Wave.
Tom Verlaine – Guitarist and songwriter for Television.
Crawdaddy – Early rock magazine that covered the punk movement.
Creem – Rock magazine associated with punk and New Wave coverage.
Devo – New Wave band known for satirical lyrics, synthesizers, and futuristic stage presentation.
Brian Eno – Producer, composer, and former Roxy Music member who produced Devo and Talking Heads.
Roxy Music – British art rock band associated with Brian Eno.
Talking Heads – New Wave band that combined punk, funk, minimalism, and world music.
David Byrne – Singer, songwriter, and guitarist for Talking Heads.
Chris Frantz – Drummer and founding member of Talking Heads.
Tina Weymouth – Bassist and founding member of Talking Heads.
Jerry Harrison – Guitarist and keyboardist who joined Talking Heads.
Steve Reich – Minimalist composer who influenced Talking Heads.
Terry Riley – Minimalist composer who influenced Talking Heads.
Philip Glass – Minimalist composer who influenced Talking Heads.
Blondie – New Wave band blending punk, disco, reggae, and pop.
Debbie Harry – Lead singer of Blondie.
Chris Stein – Guitarist and co-founder of Blondie.
Joan Jett – Rock singer influenced by the success of female-led New Wave acts.
Pat Benatar – Rock singer associated with the New Wave era.
Elvis Costello – New Wave singer-songwriter known for his retro image.
The Cars – New Wave band blending classic rock and synthesizer pop.
Ric Ocasek – Singer, songwriter, and guitarist for the Cars.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Rock band marketed alongside New Wave artists.
Tom Petty – Singer-songwriter influenced by folk rock and early rock and roll.
Traveling Wilburys – Supergroup featuring Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne.
The B-52s – New Wave band known for surf-rock influences and eccentric performances.
Prince (Prince Rogers Nelson) – Singer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and creator of the Minneapolis Sound.
The Artist – Name Prince used after adopting the Love Symbol.
The Revolution – Prince's backing band during the Purple Rain era.
The New Power Generation – Prince's backing band beginning in the 1990s.
Songs Referenced
"Because the Night" – Patti Smith Group
"We Are Through Being Cool" – Devo
"Mongoloid" – Devo
"Jocko Homo" – Devo
"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" – The Rolling Stones (covered by Devo)
"Whip It" – Devo
"Psycho Killer" – Talking Heads
"Take Me to the River" – Talking Heads (written by Al Green and Teenie Hodges)
"Once in a Lifetime" – Talking Heads
"Houses in Motion" – Talking Heads
"The Overload" – Talking Heads
"Heart of Glass" – Blondie
"Call Me" – Blondie
"The Tide Is High" – Blondie
"Rapture" – Blondie
"My Best Friend's Girl" – The Cars
"Just What I Needed" – The Cars
"Let's Go" – The Cars
"Shake It Up" – The Cars
"My Boyfriend's Back" – The Angels
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" – The Beatles
"American Girl" – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
"Breakdown" – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
"Don't Do Me Like That" – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
"Refugee" – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
"Don't Come Around Here No More" – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
"Rock Lobster" – The B-52s
"Downtown" – The B-52s (cover of Petula Clark)
"Love Shack" – The B-52s
"I Wanna Be Your Lover" – Prince
"1999" – Prince
"When Doves Cry" – Prince
"Purple Rain" – Prince
Albums
Easter
Marquee Moon
The Truth About De-Evolution
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
Freedom of Choice
Talking Heads: 77
More Songs About Buildings and Food
Fear of Music
Remain in Light
Blondie
Plastic Letters
Parallel Lines
Autoamerican
The Cars
Candy-O
Damn the Torpedoes
Hard Promises
Long After Dark
Full Moon Fever
The B-52s
Wild Planet
For You
Prince
Dirty Mind
Controversy
1999
Purple Rain
Around the World in a Day
Parade
Sign o' the Times
Diamonds and Pearls
Emancipation
Musicology
Batman
Films
The Truth About De-Evolution
Purple Rain