Formed in Liverpool in 1980, the Icicle Works were a U.K. guitar rock band led by singer, guitarist, and keyboardist Ian McNabb. They are best known for their 1984 U.S. hit single Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly), which helped propel their self-titled debut album into the charts.
Formed in 1980, British post-punk and new wave band B-Movie signed to Polygram Records and scored the club hit Nowhere Girl. Featuring Steve Hovington on baritone vocals, they released albums including Forever Running on Sire Records and continued to tour and release new music.
Formed in Scotland by Stuart Adamson and Bruce Watson, Big Country emerged in the early 1980s with a distinctive rock sound featuring ringing, bagpipe-like guitars and Celtic-inspired arrangements. They achieved international success with their platinum debut album, The Crossing, and hit singles including In a Big Country and Fields of Fire.
Formed near Liverpool in 1979, the pop group China Crisis consists of Gary Daly and Eddie Lundon. Known for political commentary and reggae rhythms, they charted with albums like Difficult Shapes and Flaunt the Imperfection, scoring hits including Christian and Wishful Thinking.
Formed in Montreal in 1978 by Ivan Doroschuk, new wave band Men Without Hats are best known for the hits Safety Dance and Pop Goes the World. Ivan, a Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, leads a lineup featuring Sahara Sloan, Sho Murray, and Adrian White.
New Jersey alt rock band Dramarama, formed in Wayne in 1983 by John Easdale, mixed hard rock, power pop, and punk. Their near-hit “Anything Anything (I’ll Give You)” was KROQ’s most requested song. Albums include Cinema Verite (1985) and Hi-Fi Sci-Fi (1993).
Katrina Leskanich, born in Topeka, Kansas, is a pop and new wave icon. As frontwoman of Katrina & The Waves, she achieved global fame with "Walking on Sunshine" and the 1997 Eurovision-winning "Love Shine a Light." Known for her powerful vocals, she received a Grammy nomination and released the album "Hearts, Loves & Babys" in 2020, and the single "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love" in 2024.
The Vapors are a UK new wave band formed in late-70s Surrey. Discovered by The Jam’s Bruce Foxton, they toured on the 1979 Setting Sons tour and signed to United Artists. Their hit Turning Japanese reached UK No.3; debut album New Clear Days.
Lost 80's Live is a long-running concert tour, founded in 2002, known for bringing together iconic 1980s new wave, synth-pop, rock, and electronic music artists. It offers a nostalgic "greatest hits" experience, featuring original members performing their popular radio hits. Rolling Stone calls it "one mega-show."