Punk 2 New Wave Home Page Top 100 punk/New Wave 1975-1983
Welcome to Punk 2 New Wave… In early-1974 New York nightclub CBGBs became the focal point of a music scene that would eventually become known as 'punk rock'. With their ripped t-shirts, black leather jackets and scraggy hair the band Television set the style and tone for what was to come. By the close of 1975 the scene would include performance poet Patti Smith, bratty power-riffers the Ramones, Deborah Harry's Blondie, quirky intellectuals Talking Heads and a handful of others. Smith's debut album Horses would be the first of many great recordings on the road to the height of the new music's commercial success in 1982-83.
Meanwhile, with the UK in the throes of ultra-conservative political dominance many of the nation's youths were searching for a way to rebel. Ramones gigs in London in July 1976 proved to be the catalyst for the convergence of the UK punk scene, with the Sex Pistols and the Clash leading the way. Under the management of 'anti-fashion' guru Malcolm McLaren the Sex Pistols embarked on their overtly intentional path of becoming a "national scandal". It worked… and it didn't take long for most to associate punk with safety pin-pierced skin, angrily shouted lyrics, anarchy and offensively violent behaviour.
Marketability… The cultural phenomenon of the UK punk movement and its worrying overtones provided the impetus for a conscious change of image for much of the new music. While the first use of the term is a point of contention, there is little doubt that Seymour Stein of Sire Records was chiefly responsible for the early marketing of what would become known as 'New Wave'. Punk was on the nose with the mainstream and artists who previously wore the tag but didn't fit the new mould needed a way out. In addition to being the saving grace for bands like Blondie and Talking Heads, New Wave provided the scope for a host of other emerging artists to congregate under a single commercially marketable banner.
New Wave proved flexible enough to encompass the 2 Tone ska of the Specials, mod revivalists like the Jam, cutting-edge singer-songwriters such as Elvis Costello, the New Romantics and synth-pop under the same umbrella. Even the dark post-punk of Joy Division was accommodated by this most brilliant of marketing strategies. Maturing artists moving away from the short sharp buzzsaw approach of early punk to more carefully crafted recordings often made it to the top of the commercial heap.
Developments… In the main these artists owe much of their success to the rise of US college radio and the emergence of cable-TV channel MTV. By the end of the 70s almost every major city in the US had a college radio station that, with the right antenna, provided non-stop commercial-free New Wave listening pleasure. The impact of these stations laid the platform of success for MTV. On its launch in August 1981 MTV was almost solely responsible for the rise of the modern rock video. The youth of America were instantly attracted to its hip young VJs and the new music they promoted.
New Wave didn't end in 1983, but after five years it was hardly 'new' anymore. Many of the latest bands didn't quite fit the 80s excessive New Wave mould. The scene had been set for what would simply become known as 'alternative' music, encompassing a whole range of styles that operated outside the mainstream. The Top 100 list here is focussed on albums released from 1975-1983. For those who miss the one-hit wonders, check out the compilations page. Constructive feedback is more than welcome.
Almost Perfect Various Artists [4CDs] No Thanks! (2003) Rhino
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With 100 tracks and no particular band overdone, this is close to being the perfect punk collection.
Subtitled The 70s Punk Rebellion, the only notable omission is the Sex Pistols. The set carefully avoids obscurities in favour of better known songs - mainly the UK hits and the tracks that received plenty of US college radio airplay.
While the focus is on the late-70s there are also a couple of proto-punk offerings from earlier in the decade (Iggy & the Stooges, the New York Dolls). Original punks like the Ramones, Talking Heads, the Clash and Blondie are also included. The Aussies don't miss out either, with the Saints' seminal '(I'm) Stranded' featured.
As for the rest it is simply impossible to find a set this complete anywhere else. As the end of the decade approaches a few of the artists featured would probably fit better under the emerging 'New Wave' banner, although they would have been considered punks in their formative years. A 116-page booklet loaded with track info and rare photos tops things off, making this set virtually unbeatable.
