Editing New wave music (section)

==Popularity in the United States (1970s–1980s)==
[[File:Energy Dome.jpg|thumb|Painting of a Devo energy dome hat]]
{{synthesis|section|date=May 2020}}
===1970s===
In mid-1977, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,919062-2,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124151910/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,919062-2,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 January 2009 |title=Anthems of the Blank Generation | magazine=Time |date=11 July 1977 |access-date=15 May 2011}}</ref> and ''[[Newsweek]]'' wrote favorable lead stories on the punk/new wave movement.<ref name="punk/newwave">{{cite web |url-status=dead |url=https://www.allmusic.com/descriptor-check/d4491 |website=AllMusic |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527144714/https://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/punk-new-wave-ma0000011872 |archive-date=27 May 2022 |title=Punk/New Wave }}</ref> Acts associated with the movement received little or no radio airplay, or music industry support. Small scenes developed in major cities. Continuing into the next year, public support remained limited to select elements of the artistic, bohemian, and intellectual population<ref name=Gendron /> as [[arena rock]] and [[disco]] dominated the charts.<ref name=StJames /> In early 1979, Eve Zibart of [[The Washington Post]] noted the contrast between "the American audience's lack of interest in New Wave music" compared to critics, with a "stunning two-thirds of the Top 30 acts" in the 1978 [[Pazz & Jop]] poll falling into the "New Wave-to-rock 'n' roll revivalist spectrum".<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|last=Zibart|first=Eve|date=30 January 1979|title=Clash-Consciousness: The Latest Breaking of Britain's New Wave|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1979/01/31/clash-consciousness-the-latest-breaking-of-britains-new-wave/ab744a16-b80a-4aa0-aef2-a81657c07233/|access-date=14 February 2024}}</ref> A month later, the same columnist called [[Elvis Costello]] the "Best Shot of the New Wave" in America, speculating that "If New Wave is to take hold here, it will be through the efforts of those furthest from the punk center" due to "inevitable" American middle class resistance to the "jarring rawness of New Wave and its working-class angst."<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|last=Zibart|first=Eve|date=8 February 1979|title=Elvis Costello: Best Shot of the New Wave|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1979/02/09/elvis-costello-best-shot-of-the-new-wave/78b41e9a-4042-4667-9a5b-bccac1446c03/|access-date=14 February 2024}}</ref>

Starting in late 1978 and continuing into 1979, acts associated with punk and acts that mixed punk with other genres began to make chart appearances and receive airplay on rock stations and rock discos.{{sfn|Cateforis|2011|p=37}} [[Blondie (band)|Blondie]], Talking Heads, the Police, and the Cars charted during this period.<ref name="dissertation" /><ref name=StJames>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/media/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/new-wave-music |title=New Wave Music |encyclopedia=St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture |first=Steve |last=Graves |via=Encyclopedia.com |access-date=30 March 2019}}</ref> "[[My Sharona]]", a single from [[the Knack]], was ''Billboard'' magazine's number-one single of 1979; its success, combined with new wave albums being much cheaper to produce during the music industry's worst slump in decades,{{sfn|Cateforis|2011|p=37}} prompted record companies to sign new wave groups.<ref name="dissertation" /> At the end of 1979, [[Dave Marsh]] wrote in [[Time (magazine)|Time]] that the Knack's success confirmed rather than began the new wave movement's commercial rise, which had been signaled in 1978 by hits for the Cars and Talking Heads.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|title=The Flip Sides of 1979|last=Marsh|first=Dave|author-link=Dave Marsh|date=27 December 1979|access-date=14 February 2024|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-flip-sides-of-1979-113608/}}</ref> In 1980, there were brief forays into new wave-style music by non-new wave artists [[Billy Joel]] (''[[Glass Houses (album)|Glass Houses]]''), [[Donna Summer]] (''[[The Wanderer (Donna Summer album)|The Wanderer]]''), and [[Linda Ronstadt]] (''[[Mad Love (Linda Ronstadt album)|Mad Love]]'').<ref name="dissertation" />

===1980s===
Early in 1980, influential radio consultant [[Lee Abrams]] wrote a memo saying with a few exceptions, "we're not going to be seeing many of the new wave circuit acts happening very big [in the US]. As a movement, we don't expect it to have much influence."<ref name="AOR Lee Abrams Memo">{{cite news |last1=Abrams |first1=Lee |last2=Goldstein |first2=Patrick |title=Is New-Wave Rock on the Way Out? |url=https://ladailymirror.com/2010/02/16/radio-consultant-sees-dim-future-for-new-wave-rock/ |access-date=18 March 2022 |date=16 February 1980 |format=Image |quote="With the exception of the Boomtown Rats, the Police and a few other bands, we're not going to be seeing many of the New Wave circuit acts happening very big over here (in America). As a movement, we don't expect it to have much influence."}}</ref><ref name="allmusic.com"/> A year earlier, Bart Mills of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' asked "Is England's New Wave All Washed Up?", writing that "The New Wave joined the Establishment, buying a few hits at the price of its anarchism. Not a single punk band broke through big in America, and in Britain [[John Travolta]] sold more albums than the entire New Wave."<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|title=Is the New Wave All Washed Up?|date=13 January 1979|access-date=14 February 2024|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1979/01/14/is-the-new-wave-all-washed-up/999ed5b9-a680-4c50-80f2-3105e365db8d/}}</ref> Lee Ferguson, a consultant to [[KPWR|KWST]], said in an interview Los Angeles radio stations were banning disc jockeys from using the term and noted; "Most of the people who call music new wave are the ones looking for a way not to play it".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedailymirror/2010/02/radio-consultant-sees-dim-future-for-new-wave-rock.html |first=Patrick |last=Goldstein |title=Is New-Wave Rock on the Way Out? |work=Los Angeles Times |date=16 February 2010 |access-date=15 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111230060423/https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedailymirror/2010/02/radio-consultant-sees-dim-future-for-new-wave-rock.html |archive-date=30 December 2011 }}</ref> Second albums by new wave musicians who had successful debut albums, along with newly signed musicians, failed to sell and stations pulled most new wave programming,<ref name="dissertation" /> such as Devo's socially critical but widely misunderstood song "[[Whip It (Devo song)|Whip It]]".<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/song/whip-it-mt0007666679 AllMusic Whip It Review] "But even though most of the listening public took "Whip It" as just a catchy bit of weirdness with nonsensical lyrics about a vaguely sexy topic, the song's actual purpose – like much of Devo's work – was social satire. Putting the somewhat abstract lyrics together, "Whip It" emerges as a sardonic portrait of a general, problematic aspect of the American psyche: the predilection for using force and violence to solve problems, vent frustration, and prove oneself to others"</ref>

In 1981, the start of MTV began new wave's most successful era in the US.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}} British musicians, unlike many of their American counterparts, had learned how to use the music video early on.<ref name=StJames /><ref name=Reynolds>''Rip It Up and Start Again Postpunk 1978–1984'' by [[Simon Reynolds]] Pages 340, 342–343</ref> Several British acts on independent labels were able to outmarket and outsell American musicians on major labels, a phenomenon journalists labeled the "[[Second British Invasion]]" of [[New pop|"new music"]], which included many artists of the [[New Romantic]] movement.<ref name=Reynolds /><ref>{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WE&s_site=kansas&p_multi=WE&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EADB2EE79F08981&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |title=1986 Knight Ridder news article |publisher=Nl.newsbank.com |date=3 October 1986 |access-date=15 May 2011}}</ref> In 1981, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' contrasted the movement with the previous new wave era, writing that "the natty Anglo-dandies of [[Japan (band)|Japan]]", having been "reviled in the New Wave era", seemed "made to order for the age of the clothes-conscious New Romantic bands."<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Tuscaloosa News]]|title=Rolling Stone Random Notes|last=Loder|first=Kurt|author-link=Kurt Loder|date=17 July 1981|access-date=14 February 2024|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ricdAAAAIBAJ&pg=3175,3968351&dq=japan+sylvian&hl=en|via=Google News Archive}}</ref> MTV continued its heavy rotation of videos by "post-New Wave pop" acts "with a British orientation" until 1987, when it changed to a [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] and rock-dominated format.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/15/arts/the-pop-life-681988.html?scp=80&sq=%22new+wave%22+music&st=nyt |title=The Pop Life |work=The New York Times |date=15 June 1988 |access-date=15 May 2011 |first=Stephen |last=Holden}}</ref>

In a December 1982 [[Gallup poll]], 14% of teenagers rated new wave as their favorite type of music, making it the third-most-popular genre.<ref name=Gallup1982 /> New wave had its greatest popularity on the West Coast. Unlike other genres, race was not a factor in the popularity of new wave music, according to the poll.<ref name=Gallup1982>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QJcRAAAAIBAJ&pg=2928,4154291 |title=Rock Still Favorite Teen-Age music | newspaper=Gainesville Sun |date=13 April 1983 |access-date=15 May 2011}}</ref> [[Urban contemporary]] radio stations were the first to play dance-oriented new wave bands such as [[the B-52's]], [[Culture Club]], Duran Duran, and [[ABC (band)|ABC]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AO4gAAAAIBAJ&pg=4293,518718 |title=Crossover: Pop Music thrives on black-white blend |publisher=Knight Ridder News Service |date=4 September 1986 |access-date=15 May 2011}}</ref>

New wave soundtracks were used in mainstream [[Brat Pack (actors)|Brat Pack]] films such as ''[[Sixteen Candles]]'', ''[[Pretty in Pink]]'', and ''[[The Breakfast Club]]'', as well as in the low-budget hit ''[[Valley Girl (1983 film)|Valley Girl]]''.<ref name=StJames /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/sep/26/drama.comedy1 |title=But what does it all mean? How to decode the John Hughes high school movies |work=The Guardian |location=UK |access-date=15 May 2011 |date=26 September 2008}}</ref> [[John Hughes (filmmaker)|John Hughes]], the director of several of these films, was enthralled with British new wave music, and placed songs from acts such as [[the Psychedelic Furs]], [[Simple Minds]], [[Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark]], and [[Echo and the Bunnymen]] in his films, helping to keep new wave in the mainstream.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}} Several of these songs remain standards of the era.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gora |first=Susannah |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1633289/20100305/story.jhtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130129085617/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1633289/20100305/story.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 January 2013 |title=Why John Hughes Still Matters |work=MTV |date=7 March 2010 |access-date=15 May 2011}}</ref> Critics described the MTV acts of the period as shallow or vapid.<ref name=StJames /><ref name=Reynolds /> [[Homophobia|Homophobic]] slurs were used to describe some of the new wave musicians.{{sfn|Cateforis|2011|p=233}} Despite the criticism, the danceable quality of the music and the quirky fashion sense associated with new wave musicians appealed to audiences.<ref name=StJames /> [[Peter Ivers]], who started his career in the late 1960s, went on to become the host for the television program [[New Wave Theatre]] that showcased rising acts in the underground new wave scene. He has been described by [[NTS Radio]] as "a virtuosic songwriter and musician whose antics bridged not just 60s counterculture and New Wave music but also film, theater, and music television."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Radio |first=N. T. S. |title=In Focus: Peter Ivers 10th March 2020 |url=https://www.nts.live/shows/in-focus/episodes/in-focus-peter-ivers-10th-march-2020 |access-date=21 April 2023 |website=NTS Radio |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=New Wave Theater : The Waitresses and The Plimsouls : 1982 Los Angeles |url=http://www.tvparty.com/homeroom1/4-07-82.html |access-date=21 April 2023 |website=Tvparty.com}}</ref>

In September 1988, ''Billboard'' launched its [[Modern Rock]] chart, the acts on which reflected a wide variety of stylistic influences. New wave's legacy remained in the large influx of acts from the UK, and acts that were popular in rock discos, as well as the chart's name, which reflects the way new wave was marketed as "modern".{{sfn|Cateforis|2011|pp=65–66}} According to Steve Graves, new wave's [[Independent music|indie]] spirit was crucial to the development of [[college rock]] and [[grunge]]/[[alternative rock]] in the latter half of the 1980s and onward.<ref name="StJames" /> Conversely, according to [[Robert Christgau]], "in America, the original New Wave was a blip commercially, barely touching the nascent alt-rock counterculture of the '80s."<ref name="Christgau">Christgau, Robert (1996) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/music/recess-det.php "How to Beat the Law of Averages"], from ''Details'', 1996.</ref>