5 Essential New Wave Vocalists Who Helped Make the Subgenre Legendary

These vocalists helped make new wave what it is today. Without these distinctive voices, that sub-genre might never have found its footing. Revisit these timeless vocalists to be reminded of what made this sub-genre so special in its heyday.

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Robert Smith

The Cure’s Robert Smith remains a singular voice in modern music. Almost anyone could pick his vocals from a crowd. The Cure’s music, helmed by Smith’s distinctive voice, was essential to the new wave movement and continues to inspire artists across genres today.

Smith led with a gothy musical direction, adding more layers of angst to the new wave movement. He stands apart from his peers in the sub-genre, not to mention rock as a whole.

Annie Lennox

Annie Lennox helped bring new wave to the mainstream with her Eurythmics partner, Dave Stewart. Her deep voice is a familiar sound for those who love new wave and those who wouldn’t normally listen to the genre. Lennox’s theatrical and androgynous persona defined the 1980s and still feels relevant today.

David Byrne

When we think of new wave, Talking Heads are one of the first outfits to come to mind. In fact, you really can’t keep them out of the conversation. Frontman David Byrne’s vocals and creative direction helped shape the band into what it is known as today. His near-talking vocals became a hallmark of new wave, setting a new standard for his peers to measure up to.

Debbie Harry

Sometimes when we think of Blondie, we first think of punk music. The pervasive image of the Debbie Harry-helmed band is one of leather and bleached hair; hallmarks of punk in the 1970s. But she also helped shape the new wave movement.

One of the band’s signature songs, “Heart Of Glass”, is as new wave as it gets. The atmospheric vocals were new at the time and now seem like indispensable emblems of this energetic era of rock.

Dave Gahan

Lastly, we have Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan. This vocalist’s deep baritone helped catapult these English rockers to stadium stardom. The emotional intensity he was able to pull off as this band’s frontman was mounting, making Depeche Mode one of the most intense new wave bands ever.

Singing about heavy themes like guilt, sin, and sexuality, this band needed quite the vocalist to portray them well. Gahan was more than up to that task.

(Photo by Ross Marino/Getty Images)