New wave was a genre of music which emerged in the late ‘70s in the United States and United Kingdom. It grew out of punk rock, a more guitar-based and aggressive sound, but became more commercial with its more smoothed-out synthesizer-driven and danceable sound as well as colorful, trendy wardrobe.
This list was created by aggregating 15 best-of lists focused on new wave acts. See other lists of Acts/Music Makers by Genre.
Talking Heads
1. Talking Heads
2. Blondie
3. The Cure
4. Depeche Mode
5. The Cars
6. The B-52’s
7. Devo
8. The Police
9. New Order
10. Duran Duran
11. Tears for Fears
12. Elvis Costello
13. INXS
14. Culture Club
15. Echo & the Bunnymen
16. Psychedelic Furs
17. Eurythmics
18. Siouxsie & the Banshees
19. The Human League
20. ABC
21. Simple Minds
22. Pretenders
23. Joy Division
24. Aha
25. XTC
26. Adam Ant
27. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
28. A Flock of Seagulls
29. Erasure
30. The Smiths
31. Pet Shop Boys
32. Berlin
33. The Go-Go’s
34. Oingo Boingo
35. Soft Cell
36. Squeeze
37. Joe Jackson
38. Bangles
39. The Jam
40. Men at Work
41. Television
42. Billy Idol
43. The Fixx
44. Madness
45. Bananarama
46. Ultravox
47. Thompson Twins
48. Talk Talk
49. Spandau Ballet
50. Howard Jones
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First posted 7/1/2026. | 
