I just tried a ridiculous excercise - to pick the top 10 songs by year during the classic '78-'86 new wave period. Not necessarily my absolute favorites but also standard classics. It's sick how many songs one has to leave off though. I tried to stick closely to 10 songs but sometimes it's just impossible - 1982 completely blew my budget with so many iconic songs that can't be left off. Anyway, here's the list for your perusal, comment, or edits. Year discrepancies may be caused by singles vs. LP release dates...
1978
Dreaming, Blondie
Radio Radio, Elvis Costello
I See Red, Finn/Split Enz
Hit Me With Your Rythm Stick, Ian Drury
Public Image, Public Image Ltd.
Take Me To the River, Talking Heads
Good Times Roll, The Cars
Warm Leatherette, The Normal
Roxanne, The Police
I Wanna Be Sedated, The Ramones
1979
Girl of My Dreams, Bram Tchaikovsky
Pop Muzik, M
Boys Don't Cry, The Cure
Bela Lugosi's Dead, Bauhaus
Yellow Pills, 20/20
Making Plans For Nigel, XTC
Rock Lobster, The B-52s
London Calling, The Clash
Cars, Gary Numan
Peace Love and Understanding, Elvis Costello
1980
Ant Music, Adam Ant
Ashes to Ashes, David Bowie
Whip It, Devo
Love will tear us apart, Joy Division
Enola Gay, OMD
Once In A Lifetime, Talking Heads
Video Killed The Radio Star, The Buggles
Mirror In The Bathroom, The English Beat
Zero Hour, The Plimsouls
Rock 'n' Roll High School, The Ramones
Turning Japanese, The Vapors
1981
Nowhere Girl, B-Movie
Right To Know, D-Day
Girls On Film, Duran Duran
We Got The Beat, Go-Go's
Seconds, Human League
Kids In America, Kim Wilde
Pocket Calculator, Kraftwerk
Homosapien, Pete Shelley
Radio Free Europe, REM
Never Say Never, Romeo Void
Spring In Fialta, Slow Children
Tainted Love-Where Did Our Love Go, Soft Cell
Ghost Town, The Specials
1982
Space Age Love Song, A Flock of Seagulls
The Look Of Love, ABC
I Could Be Happy, Altered Images
Oblivious, Aztec Camera
Dancing With Myself, Billy Idol
Do you really want to hurt me?, Culture Club
Come On Eileen, Dexy's Midnight Runners
Save a Prayer, Duran Duran
Love Plus One, Haircut 100
Let Me Go, Heaven 17
The Safety Dance, Men Without Hats
Destination Unknown, Missing Persons
Melt With You, Modern English
More Than This, Roxy Music
Someone Somewhere In Summertime, Simple Minds
Stand or Fall, The Fixx
Town Called Malice, The Jam
Only The Lonely, The Motels
She Blinded Me With Science, Thomas Dolby
Everywhere That I'm Not, Translator
The Hungry Wolf, X
Situation , Yaz
1983
Beat Box, Art of Noise
In a Big Country, Big Country
Living on the ceiling, Blancmange
Why?, Bronski Beat
Get the Balance Right, Depeche Mode
The Killing Moon, Echo and the Bunnymen
Relax, Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Doot Doot, Freur
Buffalo Girls, Malcolm Mclaren
Blue Monday, New Order
True , Spandau Ballet
Pale Shelter, Tears For Fears
Gone Daddy Gone, Violent Femmes
1984
Big In Japan, Alphaville
Birds Fly (Whisper To A Scream), Icicle Works
99 Luftballons, Nena
West End Girls, Pet Shop Boys
Sixty Eight Guns, The Alarm
88 Lines About 44 Women, The Nails
Ghost In You, The Psychedelic Furs
How soon is now?, The Smiths
Ever Changing Moods, The Style Council
Pride (In The Name Of Love), U2
1985
Take On Me, A-Ha
E=MC2, Big Audio Dynamite
Anything, Anything, Dramarama
Eighties, Killing Joke
Something About You, Level 42
Love Vigilantes, New Order
Secret, OMD
Nemesis, Shriekback
In Between Days, The Cure
The Love Parade, The Dream Academy
What's Gone Wrong, The Untouchables
Voices carry, Til Tuesday
1986
Digging Your Scene, Blow Monkeys
Desire, Gene Loves Jezebel
Blood And Roses, The Smithereens
Love Missile F-11, Sigue Sigue Sputnik
Don Quichotte, Magazine 60
No Promises, Icehouse
Cities in The Dust, Siouxsie & the Banshees
Superman, REM
There is a light that never goes out, The Smiths
Bizarre Love Triangle, New Order