The 10 Best New Wave Albums To Own On Vinyl - Vinyl Me, Please

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Elvis Costello & The Attractions: This Year’s Model My Aim Is True, Elvis Costello’s first album, demonstrated that he was a songwriter than could pen eclectic, bitter pop songs with the best of them. But it was his second, and first with phenomenal backing band the Attractions, that he showed he could rock hard to
New Wave is one of the more difficult genres to define. That is in part because of its incorporation of numerous subgenres (synth-pop, power-pop, New Romantic), but more importantly due to the genre’s murky origins. As punk gained in popularity (as well as a reputation for salacious danger) some industry folks opted for the safer term “New Wave” to describe the raw, back-to-basics rock ‘n’ roll they were trying to sell to kids. But something funny happened: New Wave developed its own proper sound, in a way completely distinct from punk. It’s a forward-reaching sound that incorporates rock, electronics, pop, disco and cool—or at least weird—fashion sensibilities. Is it any wonder that the early years of MTV were entirely dominated by New Wave artists?The height of New Wave is generally recognized as taking place between the late ‘70s and the mid ‘80s. The defining characteristic that separated New Wave, punk and post-punk were always blurry, but you know it when you hear it. It’s not hard to spot the fundamental differences between the Sex Pistols and A Flock Of Seagulls. New Wave would prove to be more than an early MTV fad as the many bands from the era have influenced nearly every alternative rock subgenre since (college rock, indie rock, alt-rock). Below is a list of the cream of the crop from an era that produced far too many amazing records to mention in one single breathe.