Five super 1980s new wave songs more people need to hear

Wang Chung - “Dance Hall Days” 

This band had a couple of name variations, the single “Dance Hall Days” originally came out under Huang Chung in 1982 but was later simplified as a name and reissued in 1983 as Wang Chung in the Uk and in the US in 1984. The name originally translated from its Chinese origin to Yellow Bell, but the Asian influence remained for the group. 

It’s a great upbeat song with a typical new wave style of electronic and other sounds combined. The idea behind it was to celebrate the dance halls of years before and that does come out in the music. The song was a decent top 40 hit in the UK and also in the US, at number 16 as a single with a number one on the Dance Club charts.

One lesser-known point is a story that the song had been shared with Quincy Jones and Michel Jackson when they were working on Thriller, it came close to being taken up by the pair. Now that would have made it a song heard by many.

Kissing The Pink –”The Last Film”

Here’s a slightly different sound but still very new wave and pushing boundaries, despite some traditional elements to it. Kissing The Pink released “The Last Film" as a single from their debut album, Naked, in 1983. It has a military tone through the marching drumbeat and the whistled part, which initially carries the song. 

The song builds nicely, beyond the monotone delivery at the start and bare sounds with warmer layers and a catchy chorus added. The sound matched the song's meaning about a soldier setting out to war. It reminded me slightly of the BBC TV series Blackadder Goes Forth in its poignant moments. It deservedly was a top 20 hit but only in the UK. Its different style and clever sound deserve a bigger hearing. 

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