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 the current lineup featuring Sahara Sloan, Sho Murray, and Adrian White.
Formed in Scotland by Stuart Adamson in 1981, Big Country was a distinctive rock band known for bagpipe-like guitars and Celtic-inspired arrangements. Their platinum debut album, The Crossing, featured the hit In a Big Country. They released numerous albums over decades before Adamson's death in 2001.
Formed in Liverpool in 1980, the Icicle Works was a U.K. guitar rock band led by singer, guitarist, and keyboardist Ian McNabb. Best known for their 1984 U.S. hit Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly), the group released several albums before disbanding.
Formed in 1979 near Liverpool by Gary Daly and Eddie Lundon, the British pop band China Crisis blended political commentary with reggae rhythms. They achieved chart success in the 1980s with albums like Flaunt the Imperfection and hits including Christian and Wishful Thinking.
Formed in 1980, British post-punk band B-Movie aligned with psychedelic acts and supported Duran Duran on their first tour. Known for singles like Nowhere Girl and Remembrance Day, they signed to Polygram, recorded a John Peel session, and released albums including Forever Running.
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."
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.
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.