Soft Cell was an English electro-pop duo from Leeds, composed of singer–lyricist Marc Almond and keyboardist–programmer Dave Ball. They cut multiple singles in advance of their 1981 debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned the international hit “Tainted Love” and the club staples “Bedsitter” and “Sex Dwarf.” A visual accompaniment to the album, Non-Stop Exotic […]
Duran Duran are an English electro/art-pop band from Birmingham that released three albums on EMI between 1981 and 1983: Duran Duran, Rio, and Seven and the Ragged Tiger. They scored multiple transatlantic hits, including “Planet Earth,” “Girls on Film,” “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Save a Prayer,” “Is There Something I Should Know,” “New Moon on […]
ABC are an English new wave and soul-pop band that co-headed the Second British Invasion with their 1982 album The Lexicon of Love and the singles “Poison Arrow” and “The Look of Love,” both staples of MTV’s golden age. In 1983, ABC took an edgier turn with Beauty Stab and the songs “That Was Then […]
Dexys Midnight Runners were an English new wave band that emerged from the Birmingham R&B–ska scene with the 1980 EMI–Parlophone album Searching for the Young Soul Rebels, which spawned the UK No. 1 “Geno.” They embraced Celtic folk-pop on the 1982 Mercury release Too-Rye-Ay and its transatlantic hit “Come On Eileen.” Bandleader Kevin Rowland revised […]
The Psychedelic Furs are an English new wave band from London that released six albums between 1980 and 1989 on CBS and Columbia. Their popular songs include “Pretty In Pink,” “Heaven,” and the 1982 MTV hit “Love My Way,” a mainstay of Eighties new wave playlists. Singer Richard Butler formed the band with his bassist […]
Culture Club are an English new wave and soul-pop band whose first two albums, Kissing to Be Clever and Colour by Numbers, spawned the 1982–83 Second British Invasion hits “Time,” “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya,” “Karma Chameleon,” “Church of the Poison Mind,” “It’s a Miracle,” “Miss Me Blind,” and the reggae-pop evergreen “Do You Really Want […]
The Human League are an English synthpop band best known for their 1981 global No. 1 hit “Don’t You Want Me.” Across two incarnations, they released six albums, four EPs, and twenty singles between 1979 and 1990 on Virgin Records. They emerged on the Sheffield post-punk scene with the 1978 DIY release “Being Boiled” (b/w […]
Adam and the Ants were an English new wave band led by Adam Ant. Through two iterations, they evolved from the taut post-punk of their 1979 debut Dirk Wears White Sox to the martial rock of the 1980/81 albums Kings of the Wild Frontier and Prince Charming, which spawned the UK hits “Antmusic” and “Stand […]
Spandau Ballet was an English sophisti-pop/soul band that was initially active during the 1980s. The band released four albums and numerous singles between 1980 and 1984 on Reformation, a subsidiary label they established in association with Chrysalis. They emerged from the fashionable Blitz scene that set London alight at the dawn of the 1980s. Led […]
Howard Jones (born Feb. 23, 1955) is an English keyboardist, singer, and songwriter who released four albums on WEA between 1984 and 1989, charting first with “New Song” and “What Is Love?” He achieved transatlantic success with his 1985 release Dream Into Action, which spawned the hits “Things Can Only Get Better,” “Like to Get […]
Thomas Dolby is an English keyboardist, songwriter, producer, and arranger who first appeared on the 1979 album English Garden by Bruce Woolley and The Camera Club. After working for two years as a session musician (Foreigner, Jane Kennaway, Joan Armatrading, Thompson Twins), Lene Lovich charted with his song “New Toy.” Dolby launched his solo career […]
Frankie Goes to Hollywood was an English musical extravaganza formed by noted figures on the Liverpool new wave scene. They linked with producer Trevor Horn for their monumental double-album Welcome to the Pleasuredome. Bolstered with tie-in merchandise and provocative videos for the socio-political production anthems “Two Tribes,” “Relax,” and the album’s title-track, the band and […]
A Flock of Seagulls are an English new wave band from Liverpool, best known for the Eighties classics “I Ran (So Far Away),” “Space Age Love Song,” and “Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You),” all staples of early MTV. Their first two albums (A Flock of Seagulls and Listen) helped spearhead the Second […]
Eurythmics were an English electro-pop duo that released seven studio albums and a soundtrack between 1981 and 1989 on RCA. They scored multiple 1983–85 hits, including “Sweet Dreams,” “Who’s That Girl?” “Here Comes the Rain Again,” and “Would I Lie to You?” The duo consisted of vocalist Annie Lennox and multi-instrumentalist David Stewart. They recorded […]
The Thompson Twins were an English new wave band that rose to global prominence with the Second British Invasion. They made eight albums between 1981 and 1991 and scored hits with “Love On Your Side,” “Hold Me Now,” “You Take Me Up,” “Lay Your Hands On Me,” and “Doctor! Doctor!” Tom Bailey formed the initial […]
Heaven 17 are an English electro-pop band, best known for the Eighties classics “Penthouse and Paevement,” “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang,” “Let Me Go,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” and the UK hits “Temptation,” “Come Live with Me,” and “Crushed by the Wheels of Industry.” They released five albums between 1981 and 1988 on […]
The Fixx are an English modern rock band that released five studio albums between 1982 and 1991. On their early releases, they carried the sonic innovations of producer Rupert Hine to a wider transatlantic audience. The debut Fixx album, Shuttered Room, spawned the early MTV staples “Stand or Fall” and “Red Skies.” Their 1983 second […]
Wang Chung was an English New Wave/modern-rock band that released a self-titled album under the name Huang Chung on Arista in 1982, setting clubs alight with “Ti Na Na” and “China.” On Geffen, they issued Points on the Curve in 1983, charting internationally with “Dance Hall Days.” After scoring William Friedkin’s 1985 action-drama To Live […]
Haircut One Hundred was an English new wave band that charted with the 1982 Arista album Pelican West and the hits “Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl),” “Love Plus One,” and “Fantastic Day.” In 1983, singer Nick Heyward left for a solo career. The band continued with the 1984 Polydor release Paint and Paint. Members: Nick […]
Wham! was an English pop-soul duo from London that released four 1982–83 singles on Columbia–Inner Vision that formed the basis of their debut album Fantastic. The duo consisted of vocalist–songwriter George Michael and occasional guitarist Andrew Ridgeley, who functioned more as the act’s stylist and publicist. In the fall of 1984, Wham! broke globally with […]
Talk Talk was an English art-pop band that released the 1982–86 EMI albums The Party’s Over, It’s My Life, and The Colour of Spring, followed by the 1988 Parlophone release Spirit of Eden and 1991 swan song Laughing Stock. They scored UK–European hits with “Today,” “Such a Shame,” “Life’s What You Make It,” and the […]
Naked Eyes were an English electro/art-pop duo composed of singer Pete Byrne and keyboardist Rob Fisher. They first appeared in late 1982 with a hi-tech cover of the Bacharach/David classic “There’s Always Something There to Remind Me.” In 1983, they released Burning Bridges on EMI, charting with “Promises Promises,” “When the Lights Go Out,” and […]
Kajagoogoo was an English synthpop band whose 1983 global hit “Too Shy” made them part of the Second British Invasion. They released two albums on EMI, followed by a third on Parlophone under the abbreviated name Kaja. Vocalist Limahl left the band after the first album for a brief solo career. Members: Steve Askew (guitar), […]
Bow Wow Wow was an English new wave band that released two proper albums and assorted singles between 1980 and 1983 on EMI and RCA. They courted fame and infamy with a string of tribal-rhythmic hits (“I Want Candy,” “Baby Oh No”) and a series of promo stunts involving then-teenage vocalist Annabella Lwin. The other […]
Bananarama was an English vocal trio that charted with the 1982 singles “Shy Boy,” “Really Saying Something,” and “It Ain’t What You Do,” the last two in partnership with Fun Boy Three. Between 1983 and 1987, they made four albums on London Records and scored hits with “Cruel Summer,” “Robert De Niro’s Waiting,” and the […]
Everyone knows the first British Invasion of 1964, spearheaded by The Beatles and codified as a movement by The Dave Clark Five. They opened the US charts to UK acts that ranged from Mersey-lite Northerners (Gerry & The Pacemakers, Herman’s Hermits, The Hollies, The Searchers, Freddie & The Dreamers) to rough/edgy Londoners (The Rolling Stones, […]
