Rock music underwent a revolution in the late 1970s. A new generation of acts arrived, often stripping their sound back with basic songs and simple arrangements. Some of these bands failed to make a huge dent commercially, despite critical acclaim. Others like U2 and Blondie rode their stripped-down sound to international success.
Punk and new wave were a vehicle for a new generation of musicians to gain record deals, but a lot of the new generation turned out to be extremely sophisticated writers – ambitious composers like Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson and Andy Partridge didn’t stay punk for long, instead veering off into different genres.
Major acts that I’m planning to cover include Blondie, X, The Pretenders, and Joe Jackson. Some bands that are new-wave influenced but started their careers during the 1980s, like New Order and R.E.M., are covered on the 1980s Review page.
The Cars Album Reviews

The Clash Album Reviews

Elvis Costello

The dB’s Album Reviews

Echo & the Bunnymen Album Reviews

The Go-Betweens Album Reviews

Hüsker Dü Album Reviews

The Jam Album Reviews

Joy Division Album Reviews

The Police Album Reviews

The Raincoats Album Reviews

The Replacements Album Reviews

The Soft Boys Album Reviews

Talking Heads Album Reviews

Television Album Reviews

U2 Album Reviews

XTC Album Reviews

Punk and New Wave Miscellany

More from Aphoristic Album Reviews
Aphoristic Album Reviews is almost entirely written by one person.
Graham Fyfe is probably the only music blogger to appreciate both Neil Diamond and Ariana Grande. Based in Fleet Street (New Zealand), he's been writing this blog since around 2000. Aphoristic Album Reviews features reviews and blog posts across a growing spectrum of popular music.
Review Pages
Read about the discographies of musical acts from the 1960s to the present day. Browse this site's review archives or enjoy these random selections:

Sault Album Reviews

10,000 Maniacs Album Reviews

Robyn Hitchcock Album Reviews

The Go-Betweens Album Reviews

John Cale Album Reviews

Television Album Reviews
Blog Posts
I add new blog posts to this website every week. Browse the archives or enjoy these random selections:

10 Excellent Tom Petty Deep Cuts

When Do Bands Peak? (Part 2)

10 Best Pixies Songs

10 Best Dave Dobbyn Songs

Talk Talk Albums: Ranked from Worst to Best
