(free) New Wave & Music Videos - Like PB and J!
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1980 - The New Wave Slowdown
New wave gained traction in 1977 and built up steam. But there were signs of a slowdown in new wave though at the turn of the ‘80s. For instance, Elvis Costello ($) had a slump in sales with the 1980 single Clubland and the 1981 album Trust. On the synthpop side of things, Gary Numan’s robotic sound was falling out of fashion too not long after his breakout single Cars ($). The soft AOR of bands like Journey and Foreigner was gaining traction, eating into the new wave.
Give Me My MTV!
MTV launched in August 1981 with a revolutionary concept: music videos, 24/7. At the time, this was risky—videos were still primitive. The Beatles had made the first ones back in the mid-’60s, mostly out of necessity—they couldn’t be everywhere to promote their records. But for years, videos barely evolved. Most just showed the band performing.
MTV’s first video was the Buggles’ Video Killed the Radio Star ($). It wasn’t the best for its time, but it perfectly branded MTV as a pop-culture disruptor. Ironically, new wave wasn’t a dominant presence at first—of the first 20 videos aired, Video Killed was the only one. Still, new wave artists already had a leg up in visual flair and experimentation. They quickly saw MTV as the ideal platform to amplify their edge.
After a few envelope-pushing videos, a creative arms race began. Between 1981 and 1985, production quality and ambition soared. Bands moved beyond simple performance clips and leaned into narrative—some literal, others interpretive. MTV gave bands a reason to make better videos, and those videos in turn made MTV more essential. A perfect feedback loop. Let’s look at five that show how new wave evolved on screen.
1981 - Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
Talking Heads had one of the best music videos of 1981. The band being keen on visuals, they nailed it! The swirling background matches the swirling melody. And Byrne deftly exaggerates his nervous body tics and dancing to enhance the anxious vocals. The choreography, based on evangelical preachers, turns his movement into a kind of spiritual seizure—strange, captivating, and oddly sincere. The logical progression from Take Me to the River ($). While simple-looking compared to new wave videos later in the ‘80s, it set a great precedent and spurred other artists to use their imagination. It proved you didn’t need a yacht or a budget—just a strong visual concept and a charismatic performer.
1982 - Duran Duran - Rio
Duran Duran ($) made several videos for their self-titled debut. In them, they established their stylistic but moody aesthetics and narratives to complement the songs. But Rio ($) blew these out of the water (sorry!). The filming was done by the coast of Sri Lanka, revolutionizing the technique of on-location music videos. Jump cuts, zooms and other camera effects were fast-paced to match the faster beat of Rio. Though it was slowed down to emphasize certain visuals or to match ebbs in the song. The colors are vibrant, tailor-made for TV and reflecting their sunnier sound. And while David Byrne doubled-down on his nervous persona, Duran Duran cranked up the suave and playfulness (oh yeah, and their looks).
1983 - Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams
Eurythmics’ ($) first album flopped, in part because it didn’t deviate from their previous band (the Tourists) enough. On their second album, they used their secret weapons: Dave Stewart’s icy synths and Annie Lennox’s deep soulful voice. They came together nicely on their biggest hit, Sweet Dreams. The video supporting it has a similar intense, detached vibe. It borrows from the avant-garde of early new wave videos, but with sharp visuals and attention to detail. Annie Lennox showcased a new, androgynous look that gave her instant recognition. MTV loved it, and as a result, the single and video combo pulled Eurythmics from the brink of obscurity and into superstardom. Near the end of the year Michael Jackson greatly upped the ante with his epic Thriller video, and the video arms race was in full swing.
1984 - Billy Idol - Eyes Without a Face
Next up is Billy Idol’s Eyes Without a Face. There is a consistent noir feel to this video and the visual effects are a step up from 1983 efforts like Sweet Dreams. Billy Idol maintains his new wave edge while still introducing vulnerable angst in line with the song’s topic. It’s a slow-burn performance that contrasts sharply with his usual sneer, showing he could simmer, not just explode. This further sold Billy Idol as having range, and not just excelling at rockers like Rebel Yell. The video helped reposition him as more than a punkish provocateur—it made him a legit pop-video star, and MTV got more viewership.
1985 - A-Ha - Take on Me
1985 was the apex for new wave videos, and the granddaddy is A-Ha’s Take On Me. These Norwegian newbies admired Duran Duran, including their memorable videos. But they were not copycats: the supporting video draws from earlier videos’ strengths but turns it into something totally novel: A mix of animated/live action (three years before Roger Rabbit). The narrative is riveting: a young woman is coaxed into Haarket’s charcoal-and-white cartoon world. After a chase from some bad guys, she manages to escape, and Haarket follows. The camera cuts are tight and captivating, the facial acting very good, and the animated part of the video is simple yet looks great and is fluid. There were some slick New Wave videos made in the late ‘80s, but that salvo started with Take On Me.
Conclusion
Early new wave was quite innovative and influential, but its later act proved to have some tricks up its sleeve too. For one, it catapulted music videos into the music mainstream. It became the most important way to promote singles. In the early ‘80s hard rock and other popular styles at the time could not keep with with new wave’s video quality across the board. But by the mid-80s they were catching up to the new wavers with video quality. This is when some iconic videos like Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer were aired. That some mistakenly thought Gabriel was new wave because his videos were so good was a testament to the quality of those made by Duran Duran, Ultravox and the gang. These better videos were a drag on new wave in the late ‘80s until Nirvana and others finally snuffed out their flame.
As for MTV, they gradually moved away from music videos in favor of music-related, and then non music-related shows. And at the turn of the aughts music videos faded in both promotional and pop culture importance.
Love video-era new wave? Our premium Best Songs of Each Year series breaks it down from 1978 on—deep cuts, big hits, full playlists. Start here.