Top 50 New Wave Acts

New Wave: Top 50 Acts

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 Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: Top 250 New Wave/College Rock Songs Dave’s Music Database: Lists of Acts/Music Makers by Genre First posted 7/1/2026.

Some of the Longest Waits Between Albums

Albums: Some of the Longest Waits

This list was originally posted on my Dave’s Music Database Facebook page (Some of the Longest Waits Between Albums) on 2/5/2012 and has been updated several times since. Here’s a little history about this list. In March 2012, I penned an article for PopMatters.com (“I Heard You Missed Us – We’re Back!”) on bands who’d had long breaks between albums. At the time, I’d waited five years for a new album from Fish, one of my favorite acts. That month Van Halen ended a 14-year silence and in recent years Guns N’ Roses received a lot of press for its 15-year delay between albums. I ended up with an extensive list of acts who have tried the patience of their fans to the max. Note: I’m only looking at album’s worth of new studio material. That includes “specialty” releases of new material for that act such as covers collections or Christmas recordings, but does not include live albums, compilations, remixes, or other reissues of previously released material. Thanks to DMDB fans who contributed to this list! I also recommend checking out the list by camara_azteca at Rate Your Music: “Longest Gaps Between Albums: Artists Who Waited Over 35 Years to Release a Follow-Up” since I have not integrated that list here. There’s a lot of artists there with whom I’m unfamiliar. Some of the Longest Waits: 38 years: Chuck Berry Rock It (1979), Chuck (2017) 38 years: John Lodge Natural Avenue (1977), 10,000 Light Years Ago (2015) 36 years: The Yardbirds Little Games (1967), Birdland (2003) 35 years: Vashti Bunyan Just Another Diamond Day (1970), Lookingafter (2005) 35 years: The Sonics Sinderella (1980), This Is the Sonics (2015) 34 years: The Stooges Raw Power (1973), The Weirdness (2007) 32 years: New York Dolls Too Much Too Soon (1974), One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This (2006) 30 years: Magazine Magic, Murder and the Weather (1981), No Thyself (2011) 28 years: Eagles The Long Run (1979), Long Road Out of Eden (2007) 28 years: The Slits Return of the Giant Slits (1981), Trapped Animal (2009) 28 years: Cat Stevens Back to Earth (1978), An Other Cup (2006) 27 years: Big Star Third/Sister Lovers (1978), In Space (2005) 27 years: Dexy’s Midnight Runners Don’t Stand Me Down (1985), One Day I’m Going to Soar (2012) 25 years: Bauhaus Burning from the Inside (1983), Go Away White (2008) 25 years: Levon Helm Levon Helm (1982), Dirt Farmer (2007) 25 years: Throbbing Gristle Journey Through a Body (1982), Part Two: The Endless Not (2007) 25 years: Roger Waters Amused to Death (1992), Is This the Life We Really Want? (2017) 24 years: The Cars Door to Door (1987), Move Like This (2011) 24 years: Steve Perry For the Love of Strange Medicine (1994), Traces (2018) 24 years: The Who It’s Hard (1982), Endless Wire (2006) 23 years: The Zombies Odessey and Oracle (1968), New World (1991) 22 years: Jeff Lynne Armchair Theatre (1990), Long Wave (2012) 22 years: Mission of Burma Vs. (1982), ONoffON (2004) 22 years: My Bloody Valentine Loveless (1991), MBV (2013) 22 years: The Soft Boys Underwater Moonlight (1980), Nextdoorland (2002) 21 years: The Vaselines Dum-Dum (1989), Sex with an X (2010) 20 Years The Del-Lords Lovers Who Wander (1990), Under Construction (EP, 2010) Devo Smooth Noodle Maps (1990), Something for Everybody (2010) The Feelies Time for a Witness (1991), Here Before (2011) Pink Floyd The Division Bell (1994), Endless River (2014) Steely Dan Gaucho (1980), Two Against Nature (2000) 19 Years Del Amitri Can You Do Me Good? (2002), Fatal Mistakes (2021) Grace Jones Bulletproof Heart (1989), Hurricane (2008) 18 Years Black Sabbath Forbidden (1995), 13 (2013) Faith No More Album of the Year (1997), Sol Invictus (2015) Was (Not Was) Are You Okay? (1990), Boo! (2008) 17 Years Blondie The Hunter (1982), No Exit (1999) The Go-Go’s Talk Show (1984), God Bless the Go-Go’s (2001) Kraftwerk Electric Café (1986), Tour de Force Soundtracks (2003) Steve Miller Band Wide River (1993), Bingo (2010) Squeeze Domino (1998), From the Cradle to the Grave (2015) 16 Years The Beach Boys Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 (1996), That’s Why God Made the Radio (2012) The B-52’s Good Stuff (1992), Funplex (2008) Dr. Dre 2001 (1999), Compton (2015) Gang of Four Shrinkwrapped (1995), Content (2011) Gil Scott-Heron Spirits (1994), I’m New Here (2010) Kansas Somewhere to Elsewhere (2000), The Prelude Implicit (2016) 15 Years Camper Van Beethoven Key Lime Pie (1989), New Roman Times (2004) Electric Light Orchestra Balance of Power (1986), Zoom (2001) Roky Erickson All That May Do My Rhyme (1995), True Love Cast Out All Evil (2010) Foreigner Mr. Moonlight (1994), Can’t Slow Down (2009) Guns N’ Roses The Spaghetti Incident? (1993), Chinese Democracy (2008) Don Henley Inside Job (2000), Cass County (2015) Nitzer Ebb Big Hit (1995), Industrial Complex (2010) Alan Parsons A Valid Path (2004), The Secret (2019) The Rainmakers Skin (1996), 25 On (2011) Shania Twain Up! (2002), Now (2017) 14 Years Accept Predator (1996), Blood of the Nations (2010) Alice in Chains Alice in Chains (1995), Black Gives Way to Blue (2009) David Baerwald Here Comes the New Folk Underground (2002), Hellbound Train (2016) Big Country Driving to Damascus (1999), The Journey (2013) Lindsey Buckingham Out of the Cradle (1992), Under the Skin (2006) Crowded House Together Alone (1993), Time on Earth (2007) D’Angelo Voodoo (2000), Black Messiah (2014) Electric Light Orchestra Zoom (2001), Alone in the Universe (2015) Emerson, Lake & Palmer Love Beach (1978), Black Moon (1992) Hooters Out of Body (1993), Time Stand Still (2007) Lynyrd Skynyrd Street Survivors (1977), Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991 (1991) New Kids on the Block Face the Music (1994), The Block (2008) Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Universal (1996), History of Modern (2010) The Swans Soundtrack for the Blind (1996), My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky (2010) Television Adventure (1978), Television (1992) Van Halen Van Halen III (1998), A Different Kind of Truth (2012) 13 Years Garth Brooks Scarecrow (2001), Man Against Machine (2014) Dennis DeYoung One Hundred Years from Now (2007), 26 East Vol. 1 (2020) Jane’s Addiction Ritual de lo Habitual (1990), Strays (2003) Tool 10,000 Days (2006), Fear Inoculum (2019) The Who Endless Wire (2006), Who (2019) The Zombies New World (1991), As Far As I Can See… (2004) 12 Years Kate Bush The Red Shoes (1993), Aerial (2005) The Go-Betweens 16 Lovers Lane (1988), The Friends of Rachel Worth (2000) Wire The First Letter (1991), Send (2003) Hole Celebrity Skin (1998), Nobody’s Daughter (2010) The House of Love Audience with the Mind (1993), Days Run Away (2005) Billy Idol Cyberpunk (1993), Devil’s Playground (2005) Loretta Lynn Van Lear Rose (2004), Full Circle (2016) Polvo Shapes (1997), In Prism (2009) Styx Big Bang Theory (2005), The Mission (2017) 11 Years Boston Life, Love & Hope (2013), Corporate America (2002) Crowded House Intriguer (2010), Dreamers Are Waiting (2021) ESG ESG (1991), Step Off (2002) Grandmaster Flash Flash Is Back (1998), The Bridge: Concept of a Culture (2009) Heart Desire Walks On (1993), Jupiter’s Darling (2004) Kiss Psycho Circus (1998) Sonic Boom (2009) The Libertines The Libertines (2004), Anthems for Doomed Youth (2015) No Doubt Rock Steady (2001), Push and Shove (2012) Portishead Portishead (1997), Third (2008) The Power Station The Power Station (1985), Living in Fear (1996) The Rolling Stones A Bigger Bang (2005), Blue and Lonesome (2016) Bob Seger It’s a Mystery (1995), Face the Promise (2006) The Verve Urban Hymns (1997), Forth (2008) Scott Walker Climate of Hunter (1984), Tilt (1995) Scott Walker Tilt (1995), The Drift (2006) 10 Years American Music Club San Francisco (1994), Love Songs for Patriots (2004) David Bowie Reality (2003), The Next Day (2013) Bush Golden State (2001), The Sea of Memories (2011) Dinosaur Jr. Hand It Over (1997), Beyond (2007) Eurythmics We Too Are One (1989), Peace (1999) Peter Gabriel Us (1992); Up (2002) Gin Blossoms Congratulations I’m Sorry (1996), Major Lodge Victory (2006) The Human League Secrets (2001), Credo (2011) Journey Raised on Radio (1986), Trial by Fire (1996) The Knack Round Trip (1981), Serious Fun (1991) The Lemonheads Car Button Cloth (1996), The Lemonheads (2006) Matchbox 20 More Than You Think You Are (2002), North (2012) Steve Perry Street Talk (1984), For the Love of Strange Medicine (1994) Sade Lovers Rock (2000), Soldier of Love (2010) Suicide Why Be Blue (1992), American Supreme (2002) Supertramp Free As a Bird (1987), Some Things Never Change (1997) Scott Walker We Had It All (1974), Climate of Hunter (1984) Stevie Wonder Conversation Peace (1995), A Time to Love (2005) Yes Magnification (2001), Fly from Here (2011) 9 Years The Allman Brothers Band Brothers of the Road (1981), Seven Turns (1990) The Allman Brothers Band Where It All Begins (1994), Hittin’ the Note (2003) Leonard Cohen The Future (1992), Ten New Songs (2001) Deep Purple Come Taste the Band (1975), Perfect Strangers (1984) Styx Edge of the Century (1990), Brave New World (1999) 8 Years AC/DC Stiff Upper Lip (2000), Black Ice (2008) Aerosmith Honkin’ on Bobo (2004), Music from Another Dimension! (2012) Berlin 4Play (2005), Animal (2013) Blondie The Curse of Blondie (2003), Panic of Girls (2011) Boston Don’t Look Back (1978), Third Stage (1986) Boston Third Stage (1986), Walk On (1994) Boston Walk On (1994), Corporate America (2002) Camper Van Beethoven New Roman Times (2004), virus_installer.exe (2012) Chicago Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album (1998), XXX (2006) Leonard Cohen Dear Heather (2004), Old Ideas (2012) Fleetwood Mac Time (1995), Say You Will (2003) Michael Jackson Invincible (2001); Michael (2010 – released posthumously; Jackson died in 2009) Mick Jagger Wandering Spirit (1993), Goddess in the Doorway (2001) Modest Mouse We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (2007), Strangers to Ourselves (2015) The Rolling Stones Bridges to Babylon (1997), A Bigger Bang (2005) Rush Test for Echo (1996) Vapor Trails (2002) Sade Love Deluxe (1992), Lovers Rock (2000) Bob Seger Face the Promise (2006), Ride Out (2014) The Smithereens God Save the Smithereens (1999), Christmas with the Smithereens (2007) Stevie Wonder Characters (1987), Conversation Peace (1995) Still Waiting… 42 years: Led Zeppelin In Through the Out Door (8/15/79) (1979) 28 years: Billy Joel River of Dreams (1993) 24 years: Genesis Calling All Stations (1997) 23 years: Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) 20 years: Mick Jagger Goddess in the Doorway (2001) 19 years: Supertramp Slow Motion (2002) 18 years: The Allman Brothers Band Hittin’ the Note (2003) 18 years: Fleetwood Mac Say You Will (2003) 18 years: Kraftwerk Tour de France Soundtracks (2003) 18 years: Steely Dan Everything Must Go (2003) 17 years: Tears for Fears Everybody Loves a Happy Ending (2004) 16 years: Stevie Wonder A Time to Love (2005) 14 years: Hooters Time Stand Still (2007) Resources and Related Links: My article for PopMatters.com (3/5/2012). I Heard You Missed Us – We’re Back! Dave’s Music Database Facebook Note (2/5/2012). Some of the Longest Waits Between Albums) First posted 2/5/2012; last updated 5/18/2021.

Dua Lipa released “Levitating”

Levitating Dua Lipa with DaBaby

Writer(s): Dua Lipa, Clarence Coffee Jr., Sarah Hudson, Stephen Kozmeniuk, DaBaby (see lyrics here) Released: October 1, 2020 First Charted: October 17, 2020 Peak: 2 US, 17 BA, 11 DG, 13 RR, 114 AC, 17 A40, 5 UK, 13 CN, 4 AU, 12 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 10.0 US, 2.4 UK, 14.84 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 1361.61 video, 3163.00 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Dua Lipa released her self-titled debut album in 2017. It produced a top-10 hit in the UK with “Be the One” as well as the #1 song “New Rules,” which was also a top-10 hit in the U.S. Her sophomore album, Future Nostalgia, followed in 2020. It produced three more top-10 hits in the UK, including “Don’t Start Now,” which reached #2 in America. The biggest song, however, was “Levitating,” which gave Dua Lipa her fourth top-10 hit from the album in the UK and another #2 hit in the U.S. The song spent 41 weeks in the top 10 and become one of the longest-charting songs in the history of the Billboard Hot 100. It was named Billboard magazine’s song of the year in 2021. The ”electro-disco” WK song “incorporates elements of dance-pop, pop-funk, power pop, and space rock, as well as 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s pop and R&B styles.” WK Stephen Kozmeniuk, the producer, thought it would be cool to craft a “slinky disco track” WK and he and Lupa settled in on the idea of using old instruments, such as a Roland VP-330 snythesizer. WK When the songwriting team was crafting lyrics, they took inspiration from an Austin Powers movie, imagining Mike Myers dancing to the song. WK Lupa said the writers danced all the way through the making of the song. WK Lyrically, the title describes the idea of levitating when falling in love, using “an exaggerated metaphor of love as a spaceship to transmit radiant euphoria and happiness.” WK She said, “It’s about having fun and meeting someone and falling in love.” SF The single is actually the second remix of the song. The first was done with Madonna and Missy Elliott while the second was with DaBaby. Lipa had already added what she called her “British version of Blondie’s rapping” SF on the original to emphasize her British accent because some people didn’t realize she was from England. While some, such as Jamie Parmenter of Vinyl Chapters, expressed the “pleasure of hearing the singer’s English accent” WK there were others, such as Under the Radar’s Conrad Duncan which called it a “bafflingly unnecessary misfire.” WK DaBaby contributed a new pop-rap verse and intro over the original’s production. WK Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Dua Lipa DMDB encyclopedia entry for DaBaby SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia First posted 3/15/2022; last updated 10/12/2024.

The Top 50 New Wave Albums of All Time

New Wave: The Top 50 Albums

“New Wave” is one of the more difficult genres to define, because as AllMusic.com says, it was “a catch-all term for the music that directly followed punk rock” in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Even that is misleading, however, because punk and new wave co-existed in that era. In general, punk was marked by simplistic three-chord music and a D.I.Y. attitude while new wave was artier in style and fashion and typically infused with a dose of electronics. According to Wikipedia, new wave was “first considered the same as punk rock before being identified as a genre of its own right, incorporating aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco, and 1960s pop music.” Wikipedia says the term “new wave” was first used in the early 1970s by critics like Nick Kent and Dave Marsh in defining groups like the Velvet Underground and New York Dolls. In 1976, the term began showing up in UK magazines as a way of defining “music by bands not exactly punk, but related to, and part of the same musical scene.” As the list below shows, much of new wave falls in other categories, including goth (Joy Division, The Cure), punk (The Clash), new romanticism (Duran Duran, Culture Club), proto-punk (Television), synth-pop (Depeche Mode, Human League, Tears for Fears), and early Britpop (The Smiths). This list was created by aggregating 27 lists (see resources at bottom of page). Check out other best-of-genre/category lists here. 1. Joy Division Closer (1980) 2. Elvis Costello & The Attractions This Year’s Model (1978) 3. The Cars The Cars (1978) 4. Blondie Parallel Lines (1978) 5. Talking Heads More Songs about Buildings and Food (1978) 6. Pretenders Pretenders (1980) 7. Talking Heads Remain in Light (1980) 8. Devo Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo (1978) 9. Gang of Four Entertainment! (1979) 10. Television Marquee Moon (1977) 11. The Police Outlandos D’Amour (1978) 12. Joy Division Unknown Pleasures (1979) 13. Elvis Costello & the Attractions Armed Forces (1979) 14. The Human League Dare! (1981) 15. New Order Power, Corruption, and Lies (1983) 16. Duran Duran Rio (1982) 17. Joe Jackson Look Sharp! (1979) 18. The Smiths The Queen Is Dead (1986) 19. The Clash London Calling (1979) 20. Elvis Costello My Aim Is True (1977) 21. XTC Drums and Wires (1979) 22. Tears for Fears Songs from the Big Chair (1985) 23. The Pop Group Y (1979) 24. The Jam Sound Affects (1980) 25. Ultravox Vienna (1980) 26. Devo Freedom of Choice (1980) 27. Talking Heads Fear of Music (1979) 28. Public Image Ltd. Metal Box (aka “Second Edition”) (1979) 29. Pere Ubu The Modern Dance (1978) 30. Simple Minds New Gold Dream 81-82-83-84 (1982) 31. The B-52’s The B-52’s (1979) 32. The Police Synchronicity (1983) 33. Nick Lowe Jesus of Cool (1978) 34. New Order Substance (compilation: 1981-87, released 1987) 35. ABC Lexicon of Love (1982) 36. Squeeze Argybargy (1980) 37. The Cure Boys Don’t Cry (1980) 38. The Go-Go’s Beauty and the Beat (1981) 39. Duran Duran Duran Duran (1981) 40. The Cure Dinstinegration (1989) 41. Siouxsie & the Banshees The Scream (1978) 42. U2 Boy (1980) 43. The Slits Cut (1979) 44. Talking Heads :77 (1977) 45. The Police Zenyatta Mondatta (1980) 46. Depeche Mode Black Celebration (1986) 47. Tears for Fears The Hurting (1983) 48. Yazoo Upstair’s at Eric’s (1982) 49. Big Country The Crossing (1983) 50. Talking Heads Speaking in Tongues (1983) Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: other best-of-genre lists All Music Guide Amazon (essentials by style: new wave) Amazon (list by Paul A. Fucito) Amazon (list by John Gripentrog) Amazon (list by NT) Amazon (list by TM77) A-Z Central Barnes & Noble (fundamentals: new wave) Blue Beat Music Google Google Play Last.fm (list by Makal Baenre) Last.fm (list by pirateprude) Last.fm (list by Sartorial Me) Last.fm (list by Spacekasper) Last.fm (list by temujin 1234) Rate Your Music (a list by BradL) Rate Your Music (a list by TheScientist) Retro Junk Scaruffi.com Sporcle Spotirama Yahoo! Answers (RedDevil) Yahoo! Answers (Zappa Fan) First posted 7/14/2013.

I'm with the Drummer

Some 30 years ago, a new family moved into the cul de sac where my family lived. One of the four kids, Matt, was a couple years younger than me and ended up being the kind of playmate whose phone number is still lodged in your brain decades later. He was your average kid - until he got his drum set. Then he became that guy everyone knows will make it big - the guy who will be the celebrity at his high school reunion, the guy whose name will be dropped by people writing entries in personal blogs.

Oh, Matt isn't a household name, but he sure plays with one. In 2001, after a stint with Blondie, he became a technician for Rod Stewart, eventually turning that into an onstage gig as a percussionist and drummer. In the last decade, Matt has logged hundreds of nights all over the world supporting rock music's most famous gravelly voiced icon. However, at Kansas City's Sprint Center on July 28, 2009, there was a sizable crowd gathered for more than just Rod. One need only look at the 30 or so people gathered afterward to go backstage as Matt's guests.

Matt and I recently did the reconnect on Facebook thing, but before tonight I'm not sure when I last saw him. However, seeing him tonight was a wonderful treat. On stage, the highlight of the evening was when Matt and the other drummer, Dave Palmer, got their spotlight during the "Downtown Train" drum solo (or, I guess, drum "dual"). It was the most emotionally moving moment I've ever had at a concert. I heard this guy playing drums in his basement as a kid!

However, this wasn't just about bragging rights to say "I knew him when." This was about the powerful experience of seeing someone do what he loves, what he's been dedicated to for years, and seeing him reach the level of success he deserves for his passion and dedication.

Matt doesn't just deserve to be where he is because he's good at hitting things. When my brother and I and the rest of the "Matt groupies" chatted with him afterward, he was gracious, humble, and appreciative. You gotta figure the Blondies and Rod Stewarts and anyone else on his resume are there because of those skills as well as Matt's talent. Bravo to you, Matt. You've come a long way from a basement on Baltimore Ct. - and deservedly so.

My Personal Top 100 Songs (pre-1982)

Dave’s Faves: My Top 100 Songs (Pre-1982)

I was 15 in the summer of 1982 and was pretty enthralled with the popular music of the day. When my local top 40 radio station did a countdown of their all-time songs, I decided to emulate the list and make my own. It turned into my own weekly countdown list which I maintained all through high school, college, and even into my young adult years. I consider it ground zero for my fascination with charts. Here are my top 100 songs from before 1982. While this list was created many years later, it is designed to reflect my tastes at that time. 1. Styx “Babe” (1979) 2. Styx “Renegade” (1978) 3. Styx “The Best of Times” (1981) 4. Pink Floyd “Another Brick in the Wall Part II” (1979) 5. Olivia Newton-John “Magic” (1980) 6. Chic “Le Freak” (1978) 7. Journey “Open Arms” (1981) 8. Foreigner “Waiting for a Girl Like You” (1981) 9. Air Supply “Lost in Love” (1980) 10. Soft Cell “Tainted Love” (1981) 11. Styx “Come Sail Away” (1977) 12. Kenny Rogers “Coward of the County” (1979) 13. Blondie “Heart of Glass” (1978) 14. Neil Diamond “America” (1981) 15. Billy Joel “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” (1980) 16. John Williams “Star Wars” (1977) 17. The Beatles “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963) 18. Debby Boone “You Light Up My Life” (1977) 19. Kermit “The Rainbow Connection” (1979) 20. REO Speedwagon “Keep on Loving You” (1980) 21. Barry Manilow “I Write the Songs” (1975) 22. Andrea McCardle “Tomorrow” (1977) 23. Eagles “Heartache Tonight” (1979) 24. Olivia Newton-John “Physical” (1981) 25. Little River Band “Lonesome Loser” (1979) 26. Kool & the Gang “Ladies Night” (1979) 27. Little River Band “Cool Change” (1979) 28. Billy Joel “Just the Way You Are” (1977) 29. Harry Chapin “Cat’s in the Cradle” (1974) 30. Climax Blues Band “I Love You” (1980) 31. Kenny Rogers “The Gambler” (1978) 32. Foreigner “Hot Blooded” (1978) 33. Supertramp “The Logical Song” (1979) 34. Blondie “Dreaming” (1979) 35. Eagles “I Can’t Tell You Why” (1979) 36. Queen “Another One Bites the Dust” (1980) 37. Rupert Holmes “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” (1979) 38. Air Supply “American Hearts” (1980) 39. Blondie “Call Me” (1980) 40. Kool & the Gang “Celebration” (1980) 41. Charlie Dore “Pilot of the Airwaves” (1979) 42. Kenny Rogers “Lady” (1980) 43. Foreigner “Juke Box Hero” (1981) 44. Journey “Who’s Crying Now” (1981) 45. Neil Diamond “Love on the Rocks” (1980) 46. Queen “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” (1979) 47. Supertramp “Take the Long Way Home” (1979) 48. Foreigner “Double Vision” (1978) 49. Queen “We Will Rock You” (1977) 50. Queen “We Are the Champions” (1977) 51. Commodores “Three Times a Lady” (1978) 52. Electric Light Orchestra “Don’t Bring Me Down” (1979) 53. Sister Sledge “We Are Family” (1979) 54. Gloria Gaynor “I Will Survive” (1978) 55. Nick Lowe “Cruel to Be Kind” (1979) 56. Sniff ‘N’ the Tears “Driver’s Seat” (1979) 57. Eddie Rabbitt “I Love a Rainy Night” (1980) 58. Dolly Parton “9 to 5” (1980) 59. Journey “Don’t Stop Believin’” (1981) 60. Kansas “Dust in the Wind” (1977) 61. Olivia Newton-John with Electric Light Orchestra “Xanada” (1980) 62. Bee Gees “Stayin’ Alive” (1977) 63. Charlie Daniels Band “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” (1979) 64. Kansas “Carry on Wayward Son” (1976) 65. J. Geils Band “Centerfold” (1981) 66. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts “I Love Rock and Roll” (1981) 67. Lionel Richie & Diana Ross “Endless Love” (1981) 68. Kim Carnes “Bette Davis Eyes” (1981) 69. Styx “Too Much Time on My Hands” (1981) 70. Billy Joel “You May Be Right” (1980) 71. Dirt Band with Linda Ronstadt “An American Dream” (1979) 72. Paul McCartney & Wings “Silly Love Songs” (1976) 73. Barry Manilow “Copacabana (At the Copa)” (1978) 74. Village People “Y.M.C.A.” (1978) 75. Commodores “Still” (1979) 76. John Denver “Take Me Home, Country Roads” (1972) 77. The Beatles “All My Loving” (1963) 78. REO Speedwagon “Ridin’ the Storm Out (live)” (1977) 79. Rush “Tom Sawyer” (1981) 80. Blondie “Shayla” (1979) 81. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band “Against the Wind” (1980) 82. Foreigner “Urgent” (1981) 83. The Cars “Shake It Up” (1981) 84. Eagles “Take It Easy” (1972) 85. Pratt & McClain “Happy Days” (1976) 86. Van McCoy “The Hustle” (1975) 87. Chicago “If You Leave Me Now” (1976) 88. John Denver “Rocky Mountain High” (1972) 89. Hues Corporation “Rock the Boat” (1974) 90. Stars on 45 “Medley I” (1981) 91. The Beatles “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite” (1967) 92. Willie Nelson “On the Road Again” (1980) 93. The Human League “Don’t You Want Me?” (1981) 94. The Beatles “With a Little Help from My Friends” (1967) 95. KC & the Sunshine Band “Please Don’t Go” (1979) 96. Waylon Jennings “Just Good Ol’ Boys (Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard)” (1980) 97. John Denver “Sunshine on My Shoulders” (1971) 98. Paul McCartney & Wings “My Love” (1973) 99. Gerry Rafferty “Baker Street” (1978) 100. Rick Springfield “Jessie’s Girl” (1981) Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Faves: Songs Dave’s Faves: #1 Songs Dave’s Faves: All-Time Top 100 Songs Last updated 6/27/2022.

Blondie hit #1 with “Call Me”

Call Me Blondie

Writer(s): Deborah Harry/Giorgio Moroder (see lyrics here) Released: February 1, 1980 First Charted: February 16, 1980 Peak: 16 US, 17 CB, 15 GR, 16 HR, 16 RR, 11 UK, 16 CN, 4 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.25 UK, 1.4 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 2.0 radio, 82.5 video, 376.69 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Composer and producer Giorgio Moroder, best known for his work with Donna Summer, initially approached Stevie Nicks about doing a song for the movie American Gigolo. Because of a restrictive contract she’d signed with Modern Records, Nicks had to turn him down. He turned to Blondie instead for the movie’s theme song. BB Moroder gave Debbie Harry, the lead singer of Blondie, a rough instrumental called “Man Machine” and asked her to write the lyrics. WK She says the band jumped at the chance “to work with their hero…‘He was the king of disco…And we were still the anti-establishment invaders.’” RS After seeing a rough cut of the film, she went home FB and wrote lyrics in just a few hours from the perspective of a male prostitute – the main character of the film. WK Moroder didn’t enjoy the experience, however. He said he was supposed to do an entire album with the band, but that he called the band’s manager and quit because the guitarist and keyboardist were fighting in the studio. SF Harry said “He’s very nice to work with…(but) I don’t think he has a lot of patience who fool around or don’t take what they do seriously…He’s a perfectionist…so I think that people who are…less concentrated bore him him quickly.” FB The song became the band’s second #1 in the U.S. after “Heart of Glass” and spent four weeks atop the dance chart. WK The song was Blondie’s fourth chart-topper in the UK and also hit #1 in Canada. Its six weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart helped it to earn the distinction of the magazine’s top song of the year. In the UK, the song was also used for an ad for a British Telecom. BB Resources: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Blondie BB Billboard (8/2/2013). Hot 100 55th Anniversary: The All-Time Top 100 Songs” FB Fred Bronson (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 524. RS Rolling Stone (4/7/2011). “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia First posted 11/13/2019; last updated 7/13/2023.

Blondie “Dreaming” released

 

Dreaming Blondie

Writer(s): Debbie Harry, Chris Stein (see lyrics here) Released: September 14, 1979 First Charted: September 29, 1979 Peak: 27 US, 20 CB, 24 GR, 23 HR, 18 RR, 7 CL, 2 CO, 2 UK, 4 CN, 53 AU, 2 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.25 UK Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 12.2 video, -- streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: The new wave group Blondie was formed in 1974 by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. They were an underground band who released their self-titled debut in 1976 and its follow-up, Plastic Letters, the next year. They broke through to the mainstream in 1978 with Parallel Lines and its #1 smash “Heart of Glass.” The next album, Eat to the Beat, didn’t match the top-10 success of the previous album, but its long stay on the charts put it in Billboard magazine’s rankings of the top 10 albums of 1980. It also achieved platinum status, as did its predecessor. The album generated two top-40 hits with “Dreaming” and “Atomic.” “The Hardest Part” reached #84 and “Union City Blues” failed to chart. “The fast-paced new wave song” WK “Dreaming” was the first and most successful single of the four. Its #27 peak in the U.S. was a disappointment to the band, but it has been praised by music writers. Ultimate Classic Rock said the song “wraps everything Blondie did so well – girl-group bounce, big pop hook, [and] the meshing of styles and eras.” WK American Songwriter’s Jim Beviglia said “it’s easy to overlook their depth and the craft behind [Blondie’s songs]. Don’t make that mistake with ‘Dreaming’ or you might miss the hurting yet ultimately hopeful heart beatin inside that pristine pop shell.” WK Billboard described it as a “driving rocker that moves with rollercoaster intensity.” WK That can be partially attributed to what All Music Guide’s Stewart Mason called “possibly the most over-the-top effort by a rock & roll drummer in the entire 1970s.” AMG To be clear, he also referred to it as “a must to hear” and “an amazing performance.” AMG Drummer Clem Burke didn’t expect it to make it to the final recording and even said it “would have been a bigger hit had I not played like that.” WK Harry and Stein were partially inspired by Abba’s “Dancing Queen” in writing the song. Stein wrote the music for the song and “dreamed up” the line “dreaming is free.” SF Harry then wrote the rest of the lyrics. It starts with her “getting propositioned in a restaurant, but it quickly veers off in many directions, simulating a dream where one idea jumps to the next with no real rhyme or reason.” SF Green Day, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs have recorded the song. Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Blondie AMG All Music Guide SF Songfacts DT Dave Thompson (2011). 1000 Songs That Rock Your World. Krause Publications: Iola, WI. Page 283. WK Wikipedia First posted 3/11/2023; last updated 4/1/2023.