Permanent Wave

Permanent Wave, a genre that emerged in the late 1970s and flourished in the 1980s, is characterized by its blend of post-punk's introspection, new wave's artiness, and classic rock's anthemic grandeur. Defined by soaring vocal melodies, driving rhythms, and textured guitar work, Permanent Wave music often explores themes of social disillusionment, personal struggle, and romantic angst. The genre's heyday coincided with the rise of MTV and the commercialization of alternative rock, allowing its introspective and emotionally charged sound to resonate with a wide audience. Permanent Wave's cultural significance lies in its ability to capture the mood of a generation, speaking to the anxieties and aspirations of post-punk youth. While drawing from punk's energy and new wave's eclecticism, Permanent Wave's distinctive sound is marked by its use of atmospheric keyboards, sweeping guitar arpeggios, and a willingness to experiment with unconventional song structures. This fusion of influences and sensibilities has influenced a broad range of subsequent genres, from Britpop to indie rock.

Latest Permanent Wave Release
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Tracks II: The Lost Albums
Album - 83 Tracks - Released June 27, 2025

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Aimee Mann
Arcade Fire
Audioslave
Beck
Ben Folds
Billy Bragg
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Blondie
Blur
Bob Mould
Bruce Springsteen
Coldplay
Cracker
Crowded House
Cyndi Lauper
David Byrne
David Gray
Depeche Mode
Dinosaur Jr.
Echo & the Bunnymen
Everclear
Fiona Apple
Foo Fighters
Garbage
Gary Numan
Gin Blossoms
Green Day
Iggy Pop
James
Jane's Addiction
Jeff Buckley
Jewel
Joe Jackson
Juliana Hatfield
Kate Bush
Lenny Kravitz
Liz Phair
Manic Street Preachers
Morrissey
New Order
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
No Doubt
OK Go
Oasis
PJ Harvey
Paul Simon
Pet Shop Boys
Peter Gabriel
Pixies
Placebo
Pretenders
Pulp
Sarah McLachlan
Sheryl Crow
Snow Patrol
Soul Asylum
Suzanne Vega
Talking Heads
Tears For Fears
Tegan and Sara
The Afghan Whigs
The B-52's
The Cardigans
The Clash
The Cure
The English Beat
The Go-Go's
The Goo Goo Dolls
The Human League
The Killers
The Magnetic Fields
The Offspring
The Police
The Replacements
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smiths
The Stooges
The Strokes
The Velvet Underground
The Verve
They Might Be Giants
Tori Amos
U2
Weezer
Yo La Tengo
a-ha
k.d. lang
Coldplay
Oasis
Green Day
The Smiths
The Killers
U2
The Offspring
Foo Fighters
The Police
The Strokes
The Cure
Bruce Springsteen
The Goo Goo Dolls
Depeche Mode
Weezer
Lenny Kravitz
Tears For Fears
The Smashing Pumpkins
a-ha
Cyndi Lauper
The Clash
Blur
Kate Bush
Pixies
Blondie
The Cardigans
No Doubt
Snow Patrol
Talking Heads
Sheryl Crow
Audioslave
Pet Shop Boys
Jeff Buckley
Paul Simon
The Verve
Crowded House
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Beck
Fiona Apple
New Order
Placebo
Arcade Fire
Peter Gabriel
Pretenders
David Gray
The Human League
The Velvet Underground
Sarah McLachlan
Iggy Pop
Pulp
The B-52's
James
PJ Harvey
Garbage
Morrissey
They Might Be Giants
Everclear
Jane's Addiction
Jewel
Suzanne Vega
Echo & the Bunnymen
Gin Blossoms
Soul Asylum
Tegan and Sara
Tori Amos
Manic Street Preachers
The Go-Go's
OK Go
The Magnetic Fields
David Byrne
Billy Bragg
Joe Jackson
Yo La Tengo
Ben Folds
The Replacements
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Aimee Mann
Dinosaur Jr.
Gary Numan
The Stooges
k.d. lang
Cracker
Liz Phair
The English Beat
The Afghan Whigs
Bob Mould
Juliana Hatfield