What is Permanent Wave Music?
As we all know, music styles come in waves. The first wave of the British Invasion of the 1960s was followed by a second wave in the early 80s. Punk changed in style and popularity through waves in the early 70s, mid-70s, 80s, and 90s. New Wave was a more melodic and electronic branch of Punk that dominated the early-80s. But what is Permanent Wave music?
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Permanent Wave is less of a sound than a category to try to define what was happening in music at a certain point in time. This label is often confusing because it can combine bands as different as Pixies and Coldplay into the same category. Then again, is that really so weird? Let’s look at this new label to see where Permanent Wave music came from and why it’s now a thing.
What are New Wave, Post-Punk, and Electropop?
If we want to understand why Permanent Wave is now considered a type of music, we first have to understand what was going on in music in the 1980s. That’s where many of the Permanent Wave music bands called got their start, or at least their inspiration.
The late 70s saw so many musical changes and innovations. Punk Rock’s first and second waves had already run their course. Disco was in its death throes. Metal was turning from dark and psychedelic to flashy and glam. And Pop – well, Pop was getting synthed up. Hip-Hop was also a developing genre but hadn’t yet had a lot of influence on the mainstream.
New Wave
In the midst of all these changes, people (mostly music writers – ha!) had to come up with labels to talk about new sounds. New Wave was a reference to the previous two waves of Punk Rock, but it was very different music. Bands that had lasted through early punk wanted to diversify their sound, adding more Pop, Electronic, and Avant Garde elements to their sounds.
This music was dubbed New Wave and included bands like Blondie, Talking Heads, Duran Duran, and Depeche Mode. They had diverse sounds, but common characteristics included nerdiness, electronic experimentation, and a rebellious Punk Rock sensibility.
Post-Punk
So, what is Post-Punk? Punk Rock originated as a rebellious type of music with simple instrumentation and songwriting. The focus was on energy and a punk sensibility, full of energy, anger, and nihilism. Post-Punk bands were formed by artists that changed and developed this sensibility but took musical experimentation to another level.
The main difference between Post-Punk and New Wave is how avant-garde, meaning weird, the band’s sound was. Bands like Gang of Four, The Slits, Joy Division, Siouxie and the Banshees, Devo, and The Cure are used as examples of this genre. There is a ton of overlap with New Wave, however, and you’ll often find bands listed in both categories.
Electropop
One of the biggest musical influences in the 80s was the development of affordable and accessible electronic instruments like drum machines and synthesizers. These included classic machines like synths made by Moog and Yamaha, and drum machines like the now legendary Roland TR-808 (recreated in the Behringer Rhythm Designer).
Artists like The Human League, Gary Numan, and A Flock of Seagulls combined the new and unusual electronic sounds these instruments could make and fused them with Pop Music. This genre later exploded in the 1990s and 2000s, and now Electro-Pop is everywhere.
What is Permanent Wave Music?
These are the three music genres that led to Permanent Wave. This is music that combines elements of New Wave, Post-Punk, and Electro-Pop to create a new, yet totally familiar sound. This fusion happened in the mid-to-late 80s and was a massive influence on music through the 90s.
The problem is that it didn’t have a name back then…
You had bands like Smashing Pumpkins, who were variously called Alternative and Grunge, making noisy, soupy Rock-based music. But then they came out with “1979”, a song that sounded like nothing they’d done before. Was that “Alternative”?
The Red Hot Chili Peppers started out with a unique mix of Funk and Rock. But, when they put out their 1999 album, Californication, it included Electronic and Pop sounds they’d never used before. Could we still call them “Funk Rock”? This is why a new genre name has been picked up lately.
But why “Permanent” Wave?
The permanent part of the name refers to the fact that while other waves really behaved like waves, this one hasn’t. A wave will normally rise, peak, and fall in popularity as mainstream music moves on to the next big thing.
But, with Permanent Wave, the songs and sounds have never really left the mainstream. Instead, they’ve become pillars supporting it. What was once alternative, weird, and even rebellious is now a permanent part of music culture.
What Are Some Permanent Wave Bands?
Since Permanent Wave is a label we’re putting on music well after it came out, it’s hard to pick up on bands that define the Permanent Wave genre specifically. After all, at the time, these bands were normally called something else, like Grunge, Alternative, Indie, etc.
But, if you’re after a sound, it makes more sense to look at specific songs that would fall into a Permanent Wave playlist. These are songs that combine elements of Rock, Pop, and Electronic instrumentation.
[bl]- Arcade Fire – “Wake Up”.
- Arctic Monkeys – “Mardy Bum”.
- Bjork – “Army of Me”.
- Blur – “Song 2”.
- Coldplay – “Sky Full of Stars”.
- Oasis – “Supersonic”.
- Pixies – “Where Is My Mind”.
- R.E.M. – “Losing My Religion”.
- Radiohead – “No Surprises”.
- Smashing Pumpkins – “1979”.
- The Verve – “Bittersweet Symphony”.
Want To Learn About More Music Genres?
If so, check out our thoughts on What Is Drill Music, What Is Dubstep, What Is Art Music, What is Synthwave, What is Ska Music, What Is Music Without Lyrics Called, and What is the Difference Between Rap and Hip-Hop for more information about musical styles and genres.
An Answer to the Question “What is Permanent Wave Music?”
Musical genres can be defined based on sound, style, production, era, and even fashion. They don’t always group together artists that sound the same. But, they normally take bands that are producing music at the same time with similar sensibilities and give them a label.
Permanent Wave is one such label. While bands were never called by this name in the 80s to 2000s, looking back, we can pick out some similarities. We can hear Indie Rock mixed with Pop and Electronic elements.
Likewise, we hear music that is experimental and creative, but less edgy or aggressive than Punk or Hard Rock. In this way, Permanent Wave is a sort of catch-all category for different bands that mixed these features in some or many of their songs.
Until next time, enjoy the music.
