About This Quiz
What came after punk rock? New Wave! This popular genre took the '80s by storm with a number of hits, but how well do you know them? Test your New Wave knowledge with this HowStuffWorks quiz!This 1982 single topped charts in the US and UK. Unique for popular New Wave songs, it features a celtic fiddle.
This 1983 breakthrough hit established the Eurythmics worldwide as a musical force. This New Wave Synthpop duo was made up of Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart.
The Go-Go's 1980 single "We Got the Beat" is off their debut album Beauty and the Beat, which went double platinum. The Go-Go's became famous as an all-female new wave band that played their own instruments and wrote their own songs.
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This 1985 song is mostly known for playing during the closing and opening credits of the classic '80s film "The Breakfast Club." It charted high around the world.
This 1983 song was Frankie Goes to Hollywood's debut single and established them as one of the most controversial and successful UK acts of the '80s. Depsite being banned by the BBC, it hit number 1 in the UK charts.
This 1980 track was the theme song for the 1980 film "American Gigolo." It was the top selling single of 1980 in America.
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This 1983 single charted well within North America, but not outside the country. It is their only single to break the top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #9.
"Tainted Love" was originally performed and recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964. It became world famous after Soft Cell's 1981 single topped charts around the world.
This track is by Australian New Wave band Men At Work. Released in 1981, it topped US charts in 1983.
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This track was released in 1978. It is widely considered to be one of the best rock songs of all time, even though it did not chart that highly in the countries where it charted.
This is the best known international hit single from A Flock of Seagulls. They are known for their unique style, which has been parodied over the years.
"Don't You Want Me" is the best known and most successful single of the band The Human League. It has sold over 1.5 million copies in the UK since its 1981 release.
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Originally released in 1984, this international hit song became a smash largely due to its unique music video. This innovative music video combined rotoscoping and live action and won numerous awards at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards.
Duran Duran became an international sensation after this song's music video, which was filmed in the jungle of Sri Lanka, was played a lot on MTV. Released in 1982, the video won the first ever Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video in 1984.
"Whip It" was a surprise international hit with nonsensical lyrics many people interpreted as being dirty, leading to a controversial music video. This was Devo's only song to break the top 40 on the Hot 100.
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Originally released in 1983, this song is the best selling 12" single of all time and one of the most acclaimed songs ever. It charted highly around the world with every re-release.
"Shout" is one of Tears For Fears' most successful songs. It was one of the biggest songs of 1985 and topped charts internationally.
This 1979 track charted around the world. It peaked at No. 1 on charts in the UK, South Africa, and Ireland.
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Thomas Dolby is considered to a one-hit wonder in the US, because this is his most popular and commercially successful song by far. It was released in 1982.
Released in 1980, this song charted around the world but only reached No. 1 in the UK. At the time its music video, which David Bowie co-directed, was the most expensive one ever made.
Released in 1978, this song became a No. 1 hit in Canada. This song has been referenced in pop culture throughout the years, most famously on a "Family Guy" episode.
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This song reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also charted highly around the world. Its funky electronic sound is different from most of INXS's other material.
"Cars" was a 1979 single by Gary Numan. Despite it charting highly internationally, Numan has described the song as "average."
This 1981 track has sold more than 1 million copies in the UK. The iconic music video features Adam Ant as a glamorous highwayman.
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1982's "Love My Way" charted in the UK, US, New Zealand,and Australia. It has been featured in numerous movies and video games over the years.
"Shake It Up" is a single off of the 1981 The Cars album of the same name. It's one of the band's most popular songs ever in the US, peaking No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
This song charted around the world, reaching No. 1 in UK and Canada after its original 1984 release. It has been re-released several times over the years and charted each time.
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This 1983 song was written by the lead singer of Men Without Hats after he was ejected from a club for pogoing. It topped the Billboard Dance Chart in America.
This 1983 song topped charts around the world, in over a dozen countries. It has sold over 5 million copies globally, making it one of the best selling global singles ever recorded.
The music video for this 1979 track was the first ever shown on MTV in the US on Aug . 1, 1981. It topped charts in over a dozen countries.
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This 1981 song was the first Depeche Mode single released in the US. In 2009, it was turned into a soccer chant.
Echo & the Bunnymen came into the mainstream with their 1983 Top 10 UK hit "The Cutter." It also charted in New Zealand and Australia.
This 1983 single charted in a few countries. The highest it reached was no 18 in Canada.
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This 1980 single was Visage's most successful. It reached no. 1 in both Germany and Switzerland.