Synth and Swagger

Synth and Swagger

Share this post

Synth and Swagger
Synth and Swagger
(premium) Best New Wave Songs of 1980

(premium) Best New Wave Songs of 1980

Jason D'Orazio's avatar
Jason D'Orazio
Jun 10, 2025
∙ Paid

Share this post

Synth and Swagger
Synth and Swagger
(premium) Best New Wave Songs of 1980
Share

Explore the series ($):

1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 to 1987 (coming soon)

Back to Best of Year list


This isn’t your average year-end list.

1980 was new wave’s weird, wild coming-out party—and this deep-dive captures it all: robot glam (Cars), post-punk pep (Brass in Pocket), and earworms like Whip It and Turning Japanese that still baffle and delight. Here’s what makes this worth a read (and a sub):

  • Behind-the-music context with punchy, personal flair

  • A genre-savvy tour through hooks, moods, and music videos

  • Honest, energetic writing—part critic, part superfan

  • Songs that weren’t just catchy—they were culture-shifting

👉 Go paid to unlock the full series, with deep, thoughtful coverage from ’78 through ’87.

This post is for paid subscribers

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Jason D'Orazio
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share