In the late 1970s a number of bands were active that had some of the anger and angst of  the punk bands but a much more polished musical presentation that was more palatable to the listening public. Instead of distorted guitars and screaming lyrics, new wave groups had a clean sound that often included keyboards and a style of delivering lyrics that was much less aggressive than that in most punk songs. New wave bands also had a very different look in appearance too, often sporting suits and ties (or party dresses) instead of torn t-shirts and ripped jeans. Some of the notable new wave groups were the Talking Heads, B-52s, The Cars, Devo, Blondie, The Pretenders, and Elvis Costello.

Devo, from Akron, Ohio had a robotic quality about their music and vocals that can be easily perceived in the cover of the Stones Satisfaction and also Whip It. The Talking Heads, lead by David Byrne, were a little more cerebral although they could also rock hard (listen to Take Me To the River). Blondie, fronted by Deborah Harry, and the Cars (featuring Rick Ocasek) had more of a pop sound than some of the other new wave bands but they still had similarities in sound and appearance. The B-52s had a retro look and their name was inspired by a 50s hairdo popular in the south. They came out of Athens, Georgia and had a style that often mocked popular music. Their songs covered a wide range from alienation (Dance This Mess Around) to frat party blowout (Love Shack).

In England, new wave acts included Elvis Costello, whose debut album My Aim Is True (1977) included some great songs such as Alison, Less Than Zero, and Watching the Detectives. Joe Jackson (shown below) never seemed to get the attention that Elvis Costello received but he turned out several great albums including Look Sharp (1979) and Night and Day (1982).

Joe Jackson