Ticket 2 Ride

A few of the musical artists from the neon and pastel decade that released some unique material. There a lot of weird synth sounds, lots of echo, processed drums and goofy videos. One of the things I appreciate about these artists is the value they place on songwriting – most of these folks are still active and their old records still get played.

All of these groups are English, Scottish, Irish or Australian. Fancy that.

Squeeze

From a post-punk, New Wave group of talented musicians to just the songwriting duo of Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford, Squeeze released some thoughtful and funky ballads and rockers, but with a wry bit of lyrics or an unusual musical style tossed in. Jools Holland and Paul Carrack are former members.

Beginning with such hits as “Cool for Cats”, “Is That Love”, “Messed Around”, “Tempted”, “Black Coffee in Bed” “I’ve Returned”, “Annie Get Your Gun” and “Hourglass.” Tilbrook and Difford have been on again, off again, but have a new Squeeze lineup and occasionally drop a new album. “Cradle to the Grave”

Elvis Costello & the Attractions

A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, Declan Patrick MacManus is better known as Elvis Costello. His intelligent and complex songwriting has been compared to Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison and Bruce Springsteen. From post-punk rocker to songwriting partner of Paul McCartney and Burt Bacharach. Who knew there was such a stylist inside that angry young man. Costello has tackled many genres and earned a variety of awards to reflect his stellar work.

I’m more of a purist and I like his music from his first ten years, everything from “Alison” to “Watching the Detectives” to “Pump it Up” to “Accidents Will Happen” to “What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding” to “Man Out of Time” to “Everyday I Write the Book” to “Town Cryer” to “Clubland” to “High Fidelity” to “I Want You.”

Crowded House

After Australia’s Split Enz disbanded, Neil Finn and Paul Hester joined with bassist Nick Seymour to form Crowded House. Later incarnations would include brother Tim Finn, and Neil’s sons Liam and Elroy. From 1985-1996, this band four albums including the songs “Don’t Dream It’s Over”, “World Where You Live”, “Better Be Home Soon”, “Fall at Your Feet”, “All I Ask.”

After a break, and a Finn Brothers album, Crowded House regrouped. Four more albums followed. Neil Finn would accept an offer to join Fleetwood Mac on a lengthy world tour. The Finn brothers are revered in their native Australia.

XTC

Easily, one of the most eclectic bands ever. Formed in the 1970s, XTC went through various style changes until it settled on Brit Pop and power-pop, with a portion of psychedelic-pop thrown in, whatever that means. They even had a splinter group, The Dukes of Stratosphere.

In 1982, they hit it big with the album English Settlement, with “Senses Working Overtime”, “Ball and Chain” and “English Roundabout.” Skylarking in 1986 was their high point with “Dear God”, “The Meeting Place”, “That’s Really Super, Supergirl.” The band recorded two more albums before breaking up, releasing some of their densest, darkest material. The mainstays of the band were Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, who wrote nearly all their songs. XTC wrote very biting, deep lyrics, disguised under bright, poppy hooks and jangles.

The Waterboys/Mike Scott

Formed by the Scottish songwriter Mike Scott, who recruited Irish and English band members. Scott is the only member still with the band since inception. Karl Wallinger was a member before he left and formed World Party.

The Waterboys’ original sound was post-punk. The first couple of albums had an introspective feel, but the performance seemed harsh and visceral. “All the Things She Gave Me”, “It Should Have Been You” and “I Will Not Follow” are songs about romance so there’s something heartfelt under the musical angst. Beginning with the third album, Scott began to find his sound. “The Whole of the Moon” was a sizable hit. Then, with album number four, Scott changed their sound to traditional Scottish folk. That’s a pretty wide turn. A few albums later he would embrace more of a rock sound, but would continue to draw from other genres. Scott even constructed an album around the poetry of Keats. Frankly, The Waterboys lost me with the traditional folk music, and I didn’t reconnect with them until Out of the Blues in 2017, which caught my ear because of the funk and dance rhythms. “If the Answer is Yeah” Scott would keep using this formula for the next several albums, until his current release about the life of actor Dennis Hopper. The band has been crisscrossing America on tour.

World Party/Karl Wallinger

After leaving The Waterboys, Karl Wallinger formed World Party. Wallinger wanted a more rock, Brit Pop feel for this band, almost Beatlesque in their quality. The membership would change over the next couple of decades with Wallinger the only permanent fixture, often playing most or all of the instruments himself.

“Ship of Fools”, “Way Down Now”, “Put the Message in the Box”, “She’s the One”, “Here Comes the Future” are some of the finely crafted songs World Party released. In the 2000s, Wallinger took time off to manage his health and was working on new material at the time of his death in 2024.

The Church

From Australia, this four-member band charted “Under the Milky Way” in the mid 1980s, and have been around ever since. Steve Kilbey is the last original member, but as the main songwriter and lead vocalist, the band’s sound still has that jangly guitar sound and eerie textures. Kilbey has had other side projects through the years, but he’s put his complex lyrics and sonic endeavors into The Church. “Night of Light”, “Myrrh”, “After Everything”, “Laurel Canyon” and their 2025 release “Sacred Echoes (Part Two)”

Cocteau Twins

From Scotland, no other band ever sounded like this trio. Dream-pop it is called. Robin Guthrie’s atmospheric and ambient guitars are haunting. Simon Raymonde took over the bass, and Elizabeth Fraser contributed the most ethereal and angelic voice I’ve ever heard. “Evangeline”, “Bluebeard”and “Violaine” “Squeeze-Wax” “Pur” are my favorites.

Most of their success came in the 1980s and early 1990s, before they disbanded. Each has continued onward in their own careers. I’m most familiar with Guthrie’s solo work, “November Day” and his pairing with the late Harold Budd.

Style Council/Paul Weller

Paul Weller left post-punk The Jam to form sophisticated pop Style Council. Weller then went solo and has released a large number of albums that blended Brit Pop, jazz, R&B and New Wave. While with The Jam, bests songs were “Start!”, “That’s Entertainment”, “Town Called Malice” and “Going Underground.”

With the retro- sounding Style Council, “My Ever Changing Moods”, “You’re the Best Thing“, “Walls Come Tumbling Down!”

Weller has maintained a long solo career. “Shades of Blue”, “Cosmic Fringes”

Joe Jackson

From New Wave to sophisticated pop to jazz to classical to Latin, Joe Jackson has done it all. “Is She Really Going Out with Him?“, “Beat Crazy” to “Steppin’ Out” to “Breakin’ Us in Two” to “You Can’t Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)“.

“I was already way overqualified to be a punk rocker. I’d already been to the Royal Academy of Music and studied music and got a degree and stuff like that. And then this punk thing came along and it was like, ‘Damn, I didn’t have to do all that.’”

Chris Rea

Mixing blues, rock and R&B, Chris Rea features a lot of slide guitar in his thoughtful and introspective songs. A very successful career in England and Europe, in American, “Fool (If You Think it’s Over)” is his only real chart success.

“Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?”, “Fool (If You Think It’s Over)“, “Loving You”, “I Can Feel Your Heartbeat”, “Josephine”, “On the Beach” and “Let’s Dance.”

Nick Lowe

A veteran of bands Brinsley Schwartz and Rockpile, Lowe gained fame as a producer Elvis Costello, The Pretenders, John Hiatt, Paul Carrack) and launched his solo career with “So it Goes”, “Cruel to Be Kind” “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” and “Switchboard Susan.” He was Johnny Cash’s son-in-law for a number of years. Now, in his 70s, Lowe is performing and recording again, after some time under the radar. “Cracking Up”, “The Rose of England”

Tears For Fears

Essentially a duo of Curt Smith and Roland Orzábal, these Brits struck gold with “Mad World” and “Change” from their first album, and became international stars with Songs From the Big Chair with “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, “Shout” and “Head Over Heels.” After that, their releases slowed, internal disagreements increased and their sound got more complex. Three years later came single “Sowing the Seeds of Love”, “Woman in Chains”, and “Advice for the Young at Heart.”

Then, Orzábal took the group’s name and released material on his own. It’s a very sold album. “Elemental”, “Break it Down” and “Power.” Orzábal and Smith have regrouped a couple of times in the last 20 years to release Everybody Loves a Happy Ending with “Secret World” and “Closest Thing to Heaven.” In 2022 came The Tipping Point. “No Small Thing” “Break the Man” and “The Tipping Point”. What I like about these guys is how big they think, their subject matter, the arrangement and blending new sounds. They never lose sight of the melody or waste any notes. Smith and Orzábal are opposites that use the creative tension to push their boundaries.

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Final Thoughts…

This is not a comprehensive list, but it’s those who come to mind when I think of influential artists/bands that chartered a distinctive path in the New Wave era, whose strength included songwriting that continued them for years down the road.