If you love new wave, there’s no way you’re not at least a little familiar with these three new wave songs from 1983. But unless you were listening closely, you might have missed how they low-key predicted the direction that new wave would take for the rest of the 1980s. Let’s pick these hit tunes apart, shall we?
“Blue Monday” by New Order
From the ashes of post-punk group Joy Division came New Order, a band similar to its predecessor but richer in Eurodisco and new wave sounds. Even minor fans of New Order know the 1983 song “Blue Monday”, considering how much of a hit it was in the UK, Europe, and even the US. In a way, it was ahead of its time. “Blue Monday” featured machine-driven rhythms and a stretched-out club arrangement that predicted the direction new wave would take. The genre would eventually move towards dance-oriented music, as well as the bridge that would form between alt-rock and synth-pop.
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“Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” by Eurythmics from ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
This song, penned by Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart, is easily the most memorable song of 1983. It’s a quintessential new wave tune. And, the more you listen to it, the more you might hear how ahead-of-its-time it was. “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” by Eurythmics boasted a formula that came to be the formula of new wave and pop just a couple of years later. That simple, catchy synth riff accompanied by plenty of space would become the go-to base for electronic songs from the mid-80s well through the rest of the decade.
“Relax” by Frankie Goes To Hollywood from ‘Welcome To The Pleasuredome’
Much of late-stage new wave was all about big productions and a focus on club-friendly dance beats. Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s “Relax” fit that bill before a lot of other new wave artists started to do it. Producer Trevor Horn made this song sound so big, so deliciously layered in sound. It’s no surprise “Relax” became such a massive hit. This entry on our list of new wave songs from 1983 peaked at No. 1 in countless countries. It was also a No. 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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