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

RecentMusic users are tracking 108 Permanent Wave artists for new releases, and have access to the full timeline of 4,465 releases .

Join them and feed your new music addiction, and add the Permanent Wave artists you love!

Get Started Browse Releases
Aimee Mann
Arcade Fire
Arctic Monkeys
B-Movie
Beck
Ben Folds
Billy Bragg
Björk
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Blondie
Blur
Bob Mould
Bruce Springsteen
Coldplay
Crowded House
Cyndi Lauper
David Bowie
David Byrne
David Gray
Depeche Mode
Dinosaur Jr.
Echo & the Bunnymen
Eddie Vedder
Elvis Costello
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
Leonard Cohen
Liz Phair
Lou Reed
Manic Street Preachers
Morrissey
Muse
Neil Young
New Order
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Nirvana
No Doubt
OK Go
Oasis
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
PJ Harvey
Patti Smith
Paul Simon
Pearl Jam
Pet Shop Boys
Peter Gabriel
Pixies
Placebo
Pretenders
R.E.M.
Radiohead
Ramones
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Sheryl Crow
Snow Patrol
Soul Asylum
Sting
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 Stooges
The Strokes
The White Stripes
They Might Be Giants
Tori Amos
U2
Weezer
Yo La Tengo
a-ha
k.d. lang
Coldplay
Arctic Monkeys
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Oasis
Radiohead
Nirvana
Green Day
The Smiths
The Killers
Bruce Springsteen
David Bowie
U2
The Offspring
Foo Fighters
The Strokes
The Police
Muse
Pearl Jam
The Goo Goo Dolls
The Cure
Weezer
Depeche Mode
a-ha
The Smashing Pumpkins
Tears For Fears
R.E.M.
Cyndi Lauper
Lenny Kravitz
Sting
The Clash
The White Stripes
Kate Bush
Pixies
Blur
No Doubt
The Cardigans
Talking Heads
Snow Patrol
Blondie
Neil Young
Audioslave
The Verve
Paul Simon
Pet Shop Boys
Jeff Buckley
Ramones
Sheryl Crow
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
The Cars
Crowded House
New Order
Fiona Apple
Beck
Arcade Fire
Placebo
Lou Reed
Peter Gabriel
Pretenders
The Human League
Leonard Cohen
Björk
The Velvet Underground
Sarah McLachlan
Eddie Vedder
Iggy Pop
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
James
Pulp
The B-52's
David Gray
PJ Harvey
Morrissey
Garbage
Everclear
They Might Be Giants
Jane's Addiction
Patti Smith
Jewel
Gin Blossoms
Soul Asylum
Echo & the Bunnymen
Suzanne Vega
Tegan and Sara
Tori Amos
Elvis Costello
Manic Street Preachers
The Go-Go's
OK Go
The Magnetic Fields
David Byrne
Billy Bragg
Joe Jackson
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
The Replacements
Yo La Tengo
Dinosaur Jr.
Ben Folds
Gary Numan
The Stooges
k.d. lang