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Talking Heads

Band formed in 1974 in New York, NY

Disbanded in 1991

Talking Heads's Genre:

New Wave, Dance-Rock, Album Rock, College Rock, Post-Punk, American Punk, Alternative Pop/Rock

Biography

At the start of their career, Talking Heads were all nervous energy, detached emotion, and subdued minimalism. When they released their last album about 12 years later, the band had recorded everything from art-funk to polyrhythmic worldbeat explorations and simple, melodic guitar pop. Between their first album in 1977 and their last in 1988, Talking Heads became one of the most critically acclaimed bands of the '80s, while managing to earn several pop hits. While some of their music can seem too self-consciously experimental, clever, and intellectual for its own good, at their best Talking Heads represent everything good about art-school punks.

And they were literally art-school punks. Guitarist/vocalist David Byrne, drummer Chris Frantz, and bassist Tina Weymouth met at the Rhode Island School of Design in the early '70s; they decided to move to New York in 1974 to concentrate on making music. The next year, the band won a spot opening for the Ramones at the seminal New York punk club CBGB. In 1976, keyboardist Jerry Harrison, a former member of Jonathan Richman's Modern Lovers, was added to the lineup. By 1977, the band had signed to Sire Records and released its first album, Talking Heads: 77. It received a considerable amount of acclaim for its stripped-down rock & roll, particularly Byrne's geeky, overly intellectual lyrics and uncomfortable, jerky vocals.

For their next album, 1978's More Songs About Buildings and Food, the band worked with producer Brian Eno, recording a set of carefully constructed, arty pop songs, distinguished by extensive experimenting with combined acoustic and electronic instruments, as well as touches of surprisingly credible funk. On their next album, the Eno-produced Fear of Music, Talking Heads began to rely heavily on their rhythm section, adding flourishes of African-styled polyrhythms. This approach came to a full fruition with 1980's Remain in Light, which was again produced by Eno. Talking Heads added several sidemen, including a horn section, leaving them free to explore their dense amalgam of African percussion, funk bass and keyboards, pop songs, and electronics.

After a long tour, the band concentrated on solo projects for a couple of years. By the time of 1983's Speaking in Tongues, the band had severed its ties with Eno; the result was an album that still relied on the rhythmic innovations of Remain in Light, except within a more rigid pop-song structure. After its release, Talking Heads embarked on another extensive tour, which was captured on the Jonathan Demme-directed concert film Stop Making Sense. After releasing the straightforward pop album Little Creatures in 1985, Byrne directed his first movie, True Stories, the following year; the band's next album featured songs from the film. Two years later, Talking Heads released Naked, which marked a return to their worldbeat explorations, although it sometimes suffered from Byrne's lyrical pretensions.

After its release, Talking Heads were put on "hiatus"; Byrne pursued some solo projects, as did Harrison, and Frantz and Weymouth continued with their side project, Tom Tom Club. In 1991, the band issued an announcement that they had broken up. Shortly thereafter, Harrison's production took off with successful albums by Live and Crash Test Dummies. In 1996, the original lineup minus Byrne reunited for the album No Talking Just Head; Byrne sued Frantz, Weymouth, and Harrison for attempting to record and perform as Talking Heads, so the trio went by the Heads. In 1999, all four worked together to promote a 15th-anniversary edition of Stop Making Sense, and they also performed at the 2002 induction ceremony for their entrance into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Through the 2010s, Byrne released a number of solo and collaborative projects. Tom Tom Club continued to tour, while Harrison produced albums for the likes of No Doubt, the Von Bondies, and Hockey. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

AOL Radio Stations Talking Heads is Featured on (34)

Long Weekend Soundtrack

Welcome to your Long Weekend Soundtrack! Two-day weekends are for suckers, so Slacker is teaming with Orbitz to help you get the most out of your time off. Wherever you go, this music will give you that vacation vibe—from the Chili Peppers to Daft Punk and beyond. And, since Orbitz is the official travel site of the long weekend, this is your official Long Weekend Soundtrack.

New York Sounds

Slacker Radio and Windows 8 collaborated on "New York Sounds" for the global launch from NYC and in celebration, this radio station is available with limited commercial interruption. On New York Sounds, we sought to combine NYC’s musical legacy and DNA with songs that convey the excitement and urgency of being in the city. Equal parts metropolitan and gritty, this station is the contemporary soundtrack to The City of Dreams. Check out the new Slacker Radio app on Windows 8 today.

End of the World

There are some that believe that the world will end on Dec 21st, 2012- based on an interpretation of Mayan numerology. Whether the Earth is consumed by a black hole, a solar flare, or just breaks into pieces, we figure you should go out with a good soundtrack. Doomsday or not, these are the best end-of-the-world songs, all on one station.

Going Green

In celebration of Earth Day, Slacker has teamed with Greenpeace to salute the most environmentally-friendly artists in the world. From Jack Johnson to Coldplay to the aptly named Green Day, this is the essential soundtrack for tree-huggers, ocean-lovers and all champions of mother nature. Tune in, get green, and learn how the artists you care about are giving back.

'80s Alternative

If you remember skinny ties, shrink-to-fit jeans and Molly Ringwald then '80s Alternative on Slacker Radio is for you. The '80s saw the birth of "Modern-Rock" and bands like Duran Duran, The Cure and R.E.M. were producing their best work. You’ll hear your favorite hits, deep cuts and one-hit wonders only on ‘80s Alternative.

Classic Alternative

Call it "Alternative," "Modern Rock," "College Rock" - call it whatever you like. Classic Alternative on Slacker Radio is all of those things and more- from the golden age of Alternative. Spanning various decades, this is radio for people that were raised on 120 Minutes. David Bowie, The Clash, The Smiths, Erasure, Depeche Mode, New Order, INXS, Midnight Oil, R.E.M., 10,000 Maniacs, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Weezer, and many more!

Halloween

We cracked open the crypt to bring you the most terrifying tunes this side of the graveyard. You’ll hear creepy classics, freaky film scores and eerie effects to put a chill in your bones.

Highway Hits Mix

Highway Hits Mix on Slacker was designed for family vacations and road trips. That means great travelling music that the whole family can agree on. You’ll hear hits from all eras that share one common theme: these are songs about life’s journey that will have everyone singing in the car. Brought to you by Motel 6—with over 1,100 locations across North America and the lowest price of any national chain, they’ll leave the light on for you at the end of a long day on the road.

'80s Rock

The '80s was the decade of decadence and music was no exception. From bands like Poison and Cinderella who celebrated excess to U2 and R.E.M., that rebelled against it, '80s Rock on Slacker Radio covers the best rock the ‘80s had to offer.

Animal Kingdom Showcase

This is the Animal Kingdom Artist Showcase station on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by the members of Animal Kingdom including music hand-picked by Richard, Hamish, and Geoff as well as commentary by each about the songs that influenced their music and their lives.

Metric Showcase

This is the Metric Artist Showcase station on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by the members of Metric including music hand-picked by Emily, James, Josh and Joules as well as commentary about the songs that influenced their music and their lives.

Delta Spirit Showcase

This is the Delta Spirit Artist Showcase station on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by the band including music that is hand-picked by Jon, Brandon, Matthew, Kelly and WIlliam as well as commentary by each about the songs that influenced their music and their lives.

Bombay Bicycle Club Showcase

This is The Bombay Bicycle Club Artist Showcase on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by Bombay Bicycle Club including music hand-picked by Ed, Jamie, Jack and Suren as well as commentary about the songs that influenced their music and their lives.

Graffiti6 Showcase

This is the Graffiti6 Artist Showcase station on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by the members of Graffiti6 including music hand-picked by Jamie and TommyD as well as commentary by each about the songs that influenced their music and their lives.

Hedley Showcase

This is the Hedley Showcase station on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by Hedley including music hand-picked by Jake and Dave as well as commentary about the songs that influenced their music and their lives.

Morning Parade Showcase

This is The Morning Parade Artist Showcase on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by Morning Parade including music hand-picked by the Andy, Ben, Chad, Phil and Steve, as well as commentary about the songs that influenced their music and their lives.

Drama

Introducing Drama Radio, brought to you by Cars.com. They've taken the drama out of car shopping and placed it here- on this station. These songs were hand-selected for their drama- dramatic lyrics and dramatic songwriting. Brought to you by Cars.com. ALL DRIVE. No Drama.

Sondre Lerche Showcase

This is the Sondre Lerche Artist Showcase station on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear music hand-picked by Sondre as well as commentary about the songs that influenced his music and his life.

Adult Alternative

Adult Alternative on Slacker has all the good stuff without the angst-ridden teens and their complicated haircuts. You’ll hear cutting-edge artists like Gotye, The Lumineers, and The Head & The Heart as well as established artists like Dave Matthews, Arcade Fire, U2, R.E.M., the Black Keys, and Talking Heads. If you’ve graduated from keg stands to craft beer, this is the soundtrack to your next party.

No Drama

Introducing No Drama Radio, brought to you by Cars.com. They've taken the Drama out of car shopping, now we’re taking the drama out of your music by bringing you a station full of mellow, feel good, happy-go-lucky tracks. Brought to you by Cars.com. ALL DRIVE. No Drama.

Dive Bar Jukebox

You walk through the doors and you know. This is it. The perfect dive bar. A cool crowd, great beers on tap and, above all, the perfect jukebox for a true music geek. Classic Rock, Classic Country, a lil' bit of Soul and the most important Indie Rock of all-time make this jukebox your all-time favorite. Welcome to Dive Bar Jukebox on Slacker Radio.

TV Commercials

Music placement in television commercials has become a new form of music discovery. TV Commercials on Slacker Radio is the solution for anybody that's ever said "what WAS that song?" after hearing a 15 second clip during a commercial break. This station features all of the songs that are currently featured in major advertising campaigns, and additional songs from iconic advertisements over the years.

FILTER Magazine

Good music will prevail. These are the words that FILTER lives by. In an ever-evolving musical landscape, we're here to help. Through FILTER Magazine Radio, we want to help you discover your new favorite band.

Patrick Stump Showcase

This is the Patrick Stump Artist Showcase station on Slacker Radio. Tune-in to hear music hand-picked by Patrick as well as commentary about the songs that influenced his music and his life.

'80s Hits

80's Hits takes the biggest hits from the decade of big hair and music videos and puts it together on one station. From the new wave of Duran Duran, to the arena rock of Def Leppard, from the end of disco to the beginning of hip hop (remember Tone Loc?), it's all on 80's Hits.

The Silent Comedy Showcase

This is The Silent Comedy Artist Showcase station on Slacker. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by the band including music hand-picked by Joshua, Jeremiah, Justin and Chad as well as commentary by each about the songs that influenced their music and life.

Matt Nathanson Showcase

This is the Matt Nathanson Artist Showcase station on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by Matt including music that he hand-picked as well as commentary about the songs that influenced his music and his life.

Soft Rock

Soft Rock on Slacker is a true rock station that showcases the lighter, more contemplative side of the biggest names in rock-n-roll. No sappy love ballads or lame pop songs here...just great soft rock from Coldplay, U2, Bruce Springsteen, John Mayer, Snow Patrol, Dave Matthews Band, Train, and more!

Classic Rock

Classic Rock on Slacker takes you back to the golden era of rock music. You will hear classic Rock hits mixed with deeper album cuts from your favorite artists and a few forgotten classics.

The Current

The Current brings you the best authentic new music alongside the music that inspired it, from unique to universal, indie to influential, new to nostalgic. Broadcasting from the musical hotbed that is Minnesota, listen to The Current and you’ll see why we say, “Great Music Lives Here.” Find playlist, interviews and more at thecurrent.org.

Adult Chill

We know you. You've got a million things on your mind, from kids to bills and back. When it's time to chill, we also know that you're looking for a laid-back, eclectic mix that matches your CD collection. Adult Chill is for you, offering a soothing blend of singer-songwriters, melodic electronic, and all flavors and eras of rock. Norah Jones meets Moby meets acoustic Led Zep. Chill like a grown-up. You deserve it.

'70s Rock

Remember when Rock n’ Roll really rocked? Slacker’s '70s Rock plays the best rock n’ roll from the late '60s through the decade that defined rock and set the stage for generations to come. If you want Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, and The Boss you need Slacker’s ‘70s Rock.

Disco

Wildly popular in clubs and on radio from the early '70s through the early '80s, Disco on Slacker Radio revisits the divas, supergroups, one-hit wonders, producers and DJ's that made you want to dance.

Talking Heads

This station plays the best music from and music from related artists like The Cure, David Bowie, INXS, The Police, The Clash, R.E.M., Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode, Peter Gabriel, The B-52's and more.

All Stations

Talking Heads's Selected Discography (41)

Naked [w/Bonus Track]

2006 Sire Records. Manufactured & Marketed by Rhino Entertainment Group. A Warner Music Group Co.200612 Songs

True Stories [w/Bonus Tracks]

2006 Warner Bros. Records Manufactued & Marketed by Rhino Entertainment Co. A Warner Music Group Co.200612 Songs

Talking Heads 77

1977 Sire Records Company for the U.S. and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the U.S.199011 Songs

Talking Heads: 77 [DualDisc]

1977 & 2005 Sire Records Company200630 Songs

Remain in Light [Bonus Tracks & Interactive Booklet]

1980 & 2005 Sire Records Company200612 Songs

Naked

1988 Sire Records198711 Songs

More Songs About Buildings and Food

1978 Sire Records Inc.198711 Songs

More Songs About Buildings and Food [DualDisc]

2006 Sire Records. Manufactured & Marketed by Rhino Entertainment Group. A Warner Music Group Co.200628 Songs

Little Creatures [w/Bonus Tracks]

2006 Warner Bros. Records Manufactued & Marketed by Rhino Entertainment Co. A Warner Music Group Co.198512 Songs

Fear of Music

1979 Sire Records Inc.198411 Songs

Once in a Lifetime

2003 Warner Bros. Records. Manufactured and Marketed By Warner Strategic MarketingECD200368 Songs

Remain in Light

1980 Sire Records Company19908 Songs

Speaking in Tongues

1983 Sire Records Company19909 Songs

Little Creatures

1985 Sire Records Company 19859 Songs

Bonus Rarities & Outtakes

2006 Sire Records. Manufactured & Marketed by Rhino Entertainment Group. A Warner Music Group Co.DIGITAL200618 Songs

Fear of Music [Bonus Tracks & Interactive Booklet]

2006 Sire Records. Manufactured & Marketed by Rhino Entertainment Group. A Warner Music Group Co.DIGITAL200615 Songs

Speaking in Tongues [Bonus Tracks]

2006 Sire Records. Manufactured & Marketed by Rhino Entertainment Group. A Warner Music Group Co.DIGITAL200611 Songs

And She Was

1985 Warner Bros. Records.SINGLE19852 Songs

Once in a Lifetime

1984 Sire Records Company.COMPILATION19842 Songs

Burning Down the House

1983 Sire Records, a label of Warner Bros. Records.SINGLE19832 Songs

Take Me to the River

1978 Warner Bros. Records.SINGLE19782 Songs

The Best of Talking Heads

2004 Warner Bros. Manufactured and Marketed by Warner Strategic MarketingCOMPILATION200418 Songs

Popular Favorites 1976-1992: Sand in the Vaseline

1992 Rhino Entertainment Company, a Warner Music Group CompanyCOMPILATION199233 Songs

Stop Making Sense [Special Edition]

1984, 1999 Sire Records Company & Talking Heads Films199916 Songs

The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads [Expanded]

2004 Sire Records Co. Manufactured and Marketed by Warner Strategic Marketing.200433 Songs

(Nothing But) Flowers

SINGLE20061 Songs

True Stories

1986 Sire Records CompanySOUNDTRACK198510 Songs

Stop Making Sense

19849 Songs

Little Creatures [DualDisc]

200624 Songs

Storytelling Giant

198710 Songs

Talking Heads 77

DIGITAL200627 Songs

Once In A Lifetime: The Talking Heads Box (US Release)

DIGITAL200355 Songs

Re-Mixes

EP19832 Songs

True Stories

SOUNDTRACK200912 Songs

Sounds from True Stories

SOUNDTRACK198614 Songs

Houses in Motion

EP19813 Songs

Chronology

201121 Songs

Live in Rome

200811 Songs

The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads

198217 Songs

Burning Down Rome

11 Songs

The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads [Expanded & Remastered] [US Release]

DIGITAL201033 Songs

All Albums

Artists Related to Talking Heads (50)

	The Cure	Out of all the bands that emerged in the immediate aftermath of punk rock in the late '70s, few were as enduring and popular as the Cure.
	David Bowie	The cliché about David Bowie says he's a musical chameleon, adapting himself according to fashion and trends.
	INXS	INXS hailed from the pubs of Australia, which is part of the reason the band never comfortably fit in with new wave.
	The Police	Nominally, the Police were punk rock, but that's only in the loosest sense of the term. The trio's nervous, reggae-injected pop/rock was punky, but it wasn't necessarily punk.
	The Clash	The Sex Pistols may have been the first British punk rock band, but the Clash were the definitive British punk rockers.
	R.E.M.	R.E.M. marked the point when post-punk turned into alternative rock. When their first single, "Radio Free Europe," was released in 1981, it sparked a back-to-the-garage movement in the American underground.
	Tears for Fears	Tears for Fears were always more ambitious than the average synth pop group. From the beginning, the duo of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith were tackling big subjects -- their very name derived from Arthur Janov's primal scream therapy, and his theories were evident throughout their debut, The Hurting.
	Depeche Mode	Originally a product of Britain's new romantic movement, Depeche Mode went on to become the quintessential electro-pop band of the 1980s.
	Peter Gabriel	As the leader of Genesis in the early '70s, Peter Gabriel helped move progressive rock to new levels of theatricality.
	The B-52's	The first of many acts to cement the college town of Athens, GA, as a hotbed of alternative music, the B-52's took their name from the Southern slang for the mile-high bouffant wigs sported by singers Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson, a look emblematic of the band's campy, thrift-store aesthetic.
	The Pretenders	Over the years, the Pretenders became a vehicle for guitarist/vocalist Chrissie Hynde's songwriting, yet it was a full-fledged band when it was formed in the late '70s.
	Simple Minds	Best known in the U.S. for their 1985 number one hit "Don't You (Forget About Me)" from the film The Breakfast Club, Scotland's Simple Minds evolved from a post-punk art rock band influenced by Roxy Music into a grand, epic-sounding pop band along the lines of U2.
	U2	Through a combination of zealous righteousness and post-punk experimentalism, U2 became one of the most popular rock & roll bands of the '80s.
	The Cars	Blondie may have had a string of number one hits and Talking Heads may have won the hearts of the critics, but the Cars were the most successful American new wave band to emerge in the late '70s.
	Duran Duran	Duran Duran personified new wave for much of the mainstream audience. And for good reason, too. Duran Duran's reputation was built through music videos, which accentuated their fashion-model looks and glamorous sense of style.
	New Order	Rising from the ashes of the legendary British post-punk unit Joy Division, the enigmatic New Order triumphed over tragedy to emerge as one of the most influential and acclaimed bands of the 1980s; embracing the electronic textures and disco rhythms of the underground club culture many years in advance of its contemporaries, the group's pioneering fusion of new wave aesthetics and dance music successfully bridged the gap between the two worlds, creating a distinctively thoughtful and oblique brand of synth pop appealing equally to the mind, body, and soul.
	The Smiths	The Smiths were the definitive British indie rock band of the '80s, marking the end of synth-driven new wave and the beginning of the guitar rock that dominated English rock into the '90s.
	Devo	One of new wave's most innovative and (for a time) successful bands, Devo was also perhaps one of its most misunderstood.
	Men at Work	Men at Work were one of the more surprising success stories of the new wave era, rocketing out of Australia in 1982 to become the most successful artist of the year.
	The Psychedelic Furs	The Psychedelic Furs, whose name was inspired by the 1966 Velvet Underground song "Venus in Furs," were formed in England in 1977 by brothers Richard Butler (vocals) and Tim Butler (bass), along with saxophone player Duncan Kilburn and guitarist Roger Morris.
	Elvis Costello	When Elvis Costello's first record was released in 1977, his bristling cynicism and anger linked him with the punk and new wave explosion.
	Pet Shop Boys	Postmodern ironists cloaked behind a veil of buoyantly melodic and lushly romantic synth pop confections, Pet Shop Boys established themselves among the most commercially and critically successful groups of their era with cheeky, smart, and utterly danceable music.
	Violent Femmes	The textbook American cult band of the 1980s, the Violent Femmes captured the essence of teen angst with remarkable precision; raw and jittery, the trio's music found little commercial success but nonetheless emerged as the soundtrack for the lives of troubled adolescents the world over.
	A Flock of Seagulls	As well-known for their bizarrely teased haircuts as their hit single "I Ran (So Far Away)," A Flock of Seagulls were one of the infamous one-hit wonders of the new wave era.
	Eurythmics	Eurythmics were one of the most successful duos to emerge in the early '80s. Where most of their British synth pop contemporaries disappeared from the charts as soon as new wave faded away in 1984, Eurythmics continued to have hits until the end of the decade, making vocalist Annie Lennox a star in her own right, as well as establishing instrumentalist Dave Stewart as a successful, savvy producer and songwriter.
	The Human League	Synth pop's first international superstars, the Human League were among the earliest and most innovative bands to break into the pop mainstream on a wave of synthesizers and electronic rhythms, their marriage of infectious melodies and state-of-the-art technology proving enormously influential on countless acts following in their wake.
	Thompson Twins	The Thompson Twins -- who were neither a duo nor related, but simply named after the Tin Tin cartoon -- were one of the more popular synth pop groups of the early MTV era, scoring a handful of hits before fading away into lite-funk obscurity.
	Blondie	Blondie was the most commercially successful band to emerge from the much-vaunted punk/new wave movement of the late '70s.
	The Go-Go's	The Go-Go's were the most popular all-female band to emerge from the punk/new wave explosion of the late '70s and early '80s, becoming one of the first commercially successful female groups that wasn't controlled by male producers or managers.
	Oingo Boingo	Although Oingo Boingo was often compared to Devo throughout their career (due to both bands' affinity for quirky new wave, goofy stage acts, and most obviously, peculiar yet intriguing band names), Oingo Boingo never obtained the mainstream success that Devo did.
	The Ramones	The Ramones are the first punk rock band. Other bands, such as the Stooges and the New York Dolls, came before them and set the stage and aesthetic for punk, and bands that immediately followed, such as the Sex Pistols, made the latent violence of the music more explicit, but the Ramones crystallized the musical ideals of the genre.
	Modern English	The summery hooks and warm lyrics of Modern English's biggest hit, "I Melt With You," gave listeners the impression that the band was an upbeat pop act in the early '80s.
	Billy Idol	Along with Duran Duran, Billy Idol was one the first pop/rock artists to achieve massive success in the early '80s due to a then brand-new U.
	Echo & The Bunnymen	Echo & the Bunnymen's dark, swirling fusion of gloomy post-punk and Doors-inspired psychedelia brought the group a handful of British hits in the early '80s, while attracting a cult following in the United States.
	The Fixx	A London-based new wave group that managed to sustain a successful career in America for several years in the mid-'80s, the Fixx always flirted with the mainstream with their catchy, keyboard-driven pop.
	a-ha	Pal Waaktaar and Magne Furuholmen, formerly of Bridges formed a-ha in the early '80s. Morten Harket joined the duo, and they left for the now "legendary London flat" (so called because of its state of disrepair) to make it.
	Midnight Oil	Australia's Midnight Oil brought a new sense of political and social immediacy to pop music: not only did incendiary hits like "Beds Are Burning" and "Blue Sky Mine" bring global attention to the plight of, respectively, aboriginal settlers and impoverished workers, but the group also put its money where its mouth was -- in addition to mounting benefit performances for groups like Greenpeace and Save the Whales, frontman Peter Garrett even ran for the Australian Senate on the Nuclear Disarmament Party ticket.
	Morrissey	As the lead singer of the Smiths, arguably the most important indie band in Britain during the '80s, Morrissey's theatrical crooning and literate, poetic lyrics -- filled with romantic angst, social alienation, and cutting wit -- connected powerfully with a legion of similarly sensitive, disaffected youth.
	Siouxsie and the Banshees	Siouxsie and the Banshees were among the longest-lived and most successful acts to emerge from the London punk community; over the course of a career that lasted two decades, they evolved from an abrasive, primitive art punk band into a stylish, sophisticated unit that even notched a left-field Top 40 hit.
	The English Beat	One of the earliest and most important ska revivalist groups, Birmingham's the Beat formed in 1978 (the band had to change its name to the English Beat in the U.
	Erasure	Following the disbandment of the short-lived synth pop group Yazoo, former Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke formed Erasure in 1985 with singer Andy Bell.
	Genesis	Genesis started life as a progressive rock band, in the manner of Yes and King Crimson, before a series of membership changes brought about a transformation in their sound, into one of the most successful pop/rock bands of the 1980s and 1990s.
	Squeeze	As one of the most traditional pop bands of the new wave, Squeeze provided one of the links between classic British guitar pop and post-punk.
	XTC	XTC was one of the smartest -- and catchiest -- British pop bands to emerge from the punk and new wave explosion of the late '70s.
	Adam Ant	One of the seminal figures of new wave, Adam Ant (born Stuart Leslie Goddard) had several distinct phases to his career.
	Culture Club	Few new wave groups were as popular as Culture Club. During the early '80s, the group racked up seven straight Top Ten hits in the U.
	Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark	Featuring the core members Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey, the Liverpudlian synth pop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark formed in the late '70s.
	Bangles	The Bangles combined the chiming riffs and catchy melodies of British Invasion guitar pop with a hint of the energy of new wave.
	Fine Young Cannibals	When the Beat (known as the English Beat in the U.S. only) split in 1983, it came as a surprise to guitarist Dave Cox and bassist David Steele.
	Soft Cell	Art students Marc Almond and Dave Ball formed Soft Cell, a synth pop duo famed for its uniquely sleazy electronic sound, in Leeds, England in 1980.