View source for New Romantic

{{Short description|1970s popular culture movement originating in the UK}}
{{Redirect|New Romantics}}
{{Distinguish|Neo-romanticism}}
{{Pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox art movement
| name         = New Romantic
| image        = Boy George At Ronnie Scotts.jpg
| alt          = 
| caption      = [[Boy George]] performing at [[Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club]] in 2001
| branch       = Fashion, music
| yearsactive  = {{circa}}1978–1982
| location     = United Kingdom
| majorfigures = {{hlist|[[Steve Strange]]|[[Rusty Egan]]|[[Spandau Ballet]]|[[Boy George]]|[[Duran Duran]]|[[A Flock of Seagulls]]}}
| influences   = {{hlist|[[Glam rock]]|[[Romanticism]]|[[Constructivism (art)|constructivism]]|[[Charles Edward Stuart]]|[[incroyables and merveilleuses]]|[[cabaret]]|[[puritans]]|[[pierrot]]}}
| influenced   = {{hlist|[[New pop]]|[[Romo]]}}
}}

'''New Romantic''' was an [[Underground (subculture)|underground subculture]] movement that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The movement emerged from the nightclub scene in [[London]] and [[Birmingham]] at venues such as Billy's and The Blitz.<ref name=Johnson2009>{{cite news |first=David |last=Johnson|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/oct/04/spandau-ballet-new-romantics|title=Spandau Ballet, the Blitz Kids and the birth of the New Romantics |newspaper=[[The Observer]]|publisher=[[Guardian Media Group]]|location=London |date=4 October 2009|access-date=24 July 2011}}</ref> The New Romantic movement was characterised by flamboyant, eccentric fashion inspired by fashion boutiques such as [[Kahn and Bell]] in Birmingham and PX in London.<ref name=BorrelliPersson2015>{{cite magazine|first=Laura Borrelli|last=Persson|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/duran-duran-nick-rhodes-new-wave-eighties|title=Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes Talks New Wave, David Bowie, and Hedi Slimane's Saint Laurent|magazine=[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]|publisher=[[Condé Nast]] |date=September 11, 2015|access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref> Early adherents of the movement were often referred to by the press by such names as [[Blitz Kids (New Romantics)|Blitz Kids]], New [[Dandy|Dandies]] and Romantic Rebels.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://shapersofthe80s.com/blitz-kids/ |title=BLITZ KIDS, Shapers of the 80s |date=20 September 2009 |publisher=Shapersofthe80s.com |access-date=28 July 2014}}</ref><ref name=Cateforis2011pp47-8>{{cite book|first=Theo|last=Cateforis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-MVrM3zKrHQC&pg=PA48|title=Are We Not New Wave?: Modern Pop at the Turn of the 1980s|publisher=[[University of Michigan Press]]|location=Ann Arbor, Michigan|date=2011|isbn=978-0-472-03470-3|pages=47–8}}</ref>

Influenced by [[David Bowie]], [[Marc Bolan]] and [[Roxy Music]], the New Romantics developed fashions inspired by the [[glam rock]] era coupled with the early [[Romanticism|Romantic period]] of the late 18th and early 19th century (from which the movement took its name). The term "New Romantic" is known to have been coined by musician, producer, manager and innovator [[Richard James Burgess]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2008/may/01/markhooperthurspmpic1|title=Adventures in synth|date=1 May 2008|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.electricityclub.co.uk/richard-james-burgess-interview/|title=RICHARD JAMES BURGESS Interview|date=July 27, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.southwales.ac.uk/alumni/your-community/our-alumni/notable-alumni/richard-james-burgess-ceo-american-association-independent-music/|title=Richard James Burgess, CEO, American Association of Independent Music|website=SouthWales.ac.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aimpsummit2019.sched.com/speaker/richard_burgess.1zkp1h7s|title=Richard James Burgess's schedule for 2019 AIMP Indie Music Publishing Summit|website=Aimpsummit2019.sched.com|access-date=7 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.soundexchange.com/about/our-team/board-of-directors/richard-james-burgess/|title=Richard James Burgess|website=SoundExchange|access-date=8 August 2020|archive-date=27 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127110557/https://www.soundexchange.com/about/our-team/board-of-directors/richard-james-burgess/|url-status=dead}}</ref> He stated that {{"'}}New Romantic' [...] fit the Blitz scene and [[Spandau Ballet]], although most of the groups tried to distance themselves from it."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nzmusician.co.nz/features/richard-james-burgess/|title=Feature - Moments Like These: Richard James Burgess|website=NZ Musician}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jaxsta.com/news-article/45291|title=Episode 23: Richard James Burgess (President & CEO A2IM)|website=[[Jaxsta]]}}</ref>

Though it was a fashion movement, several British music acts in the late 1970s and early 1980s adopted the style and became known to epitomise it within the press, including [[Steve Strange]] of [[Visage (band)|Visage]], [[Duran Duran]], [[Spandau Ballet]], [[A Flock of Seagulls]], [[Classix Nouveaux]] and [[Boy George]] (of [[Culture Club]]). [[Ultravox]] were also often identified as New Romantics by the press, although they did not exhibit the same visual styles of the movement, despite their link to the band Visage.{{efn|During the New Romantic period, two of four Ultravox members—frontman Ure and keyboardist Currie—were also in the then-six-person group Visage.}} [[Japan (band)|Japan]] and [[Adam and the Ants]] were also labelled as New Romantic artists by the press, although they all repudiated this and none had any direct connection to the original scene.<ref name=Cateforis2011pp47-8/> Other aspiring bands of the era including [[ABC (band)|ABC]], [[Depeche Mode]], [[the Human League]], [[Soft Cell]], [[Simple Minds]], [[Talk Talk]] and [[Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark]] (OMD) have all at some point been described as being part of the New Romantic movement or as having been influenced by it, while others would consider them distinct from it. A number of these bands adopted synthesizers and helped to develop [[synth-pop]] in the early 1980s, which, combined with the distinctive New Romantic visuals, helped them first to national success in the UK, and then, via [[MTV]], play a major part in the [[Second British Invasion]] of the US charts.

By the beginning of 1982, the original movement had largely dissipated.<ref name="Johnson2009"/><ref name=Cateforis2011pp47-8/> Although many of the artists associated with the scene continued their careers, some to enormous commercial success in the next few years, they had largely abandoned the aesthetics of the movement. There were attempts to revive the movement from the 1990s, including the short-lived [[Romo]] scene.

==Characteristics==
The New Romantic movement is sometimes characterized as a reaction to the direction in which the [[punk rock]] movement was evolving,<ref name=Borthwick&Moy2004p132>{{cite book|first1=Stuart|last1=Borthwick|first2=Rob|last2=Moy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r4bmVbNSnk4C&q=%22new+romantic%22+duran&pg=PA132|title=Popular Music Genres: an Introduction|publisher=[[Edinburgh University Press]]|location=Edinburgh, Scotland|date=2004|isbn=0-7486-1745-0|page=132}}</ref> and was heavily influenced by former [[glam rock]] stars of the 1970s such as [[David Bowie]] and [[Roxy Music]].<ref name=Buckley2005p318>{{cite book|first=David|last=Buckley|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZwzbCdn9zc0C&q=%22new+romantic%22+%22glam+rock%22&pg=RA4-PA114|title=Strange Fascination: David Bowie, the Definitive Story|publisher=[[Random House]]|location=London |date=2005|isbn=0-7535-1002-2|page=318}}</ref> In terms of style, it rejected the austerity and anti-fashion stance which was becoming increasingly predominant in punk.<ref>{{cite book|first=Richard|last=Evans|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2mDnc4apw_0C&q=%22new+romantic%22+blitz&pg=PA16|title=Remember the 80s: Now That's What I Call Nostagia!|publisher=[[Anova Books]] |location=London |date=2009|isbn=978-1-906032-12-8|page=16}}</ref> Both sexes often dressed in [[androgyny|androgynous]] clothing and wore cosmetics such as eyeliner and lipstick, partly derived from earlier punk fashions.<ref name=Steer2009p.37/> This [[gender bending]] was particularly evident in figures such as [[Boy George]] of [[Culture Club]], and [[Marilyn (singer)|Marilyn]] (Peter Robinson).<ref name=Borthwick&Moy2004p132/>

Fashion was based on varied looks inspired by [[Romanticism|historical Romantic themes]], including frilly [[fop]] [[Poet shirt|shirts]] in the style of the English [[Romanticism|Romantic]] period,<ref name=Steer2009p.37>{{cite book|first=Deirdre Clancy|last=Steer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cgU5OQuHTRcC&q=androgyny+%22new+romantic%22&pg=PA37|title=The 1980s and 1990s|publisher=[[Infobase Publishing]]|location=New York City|date=2009|isbn=978-1-60413-386-8|page=37}}</ref> [[Russian constructivism]], [[Charles Edward Stuart|Bonnie Prince Charlie]], French [[Incroyables and Merveilleuses|Incroyables]] and 1930s' [[Cabaret]], Hollywood starlets, [[Puritan]]s and the [[Pierrot]] clown, with any look being possible if it was adapted to be unusual and striking.<ref name=Steele2010p525>{{cite book|editor-first=Valerie|editor-last=Steele|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hemsvn9ZbRkC&q=new+romantic+fashion&pg=PA525|title=The Berg Companion to Fashion|publisher=Berg Publishers |location=London |date=2010|isbn=978-1-84788-592-0|page=525}}</ref> Common hairstyles included [[quiff]]s,<ref name=Steele2010p525/> [[Mullet (haircut)|mullets]] and wedges.<ref name=Borthwick&Moy2004p132/> However, soon after they began to gain mainstream attention, many bands associated with the New Romantic scene dropped the eclectic clothes and make-up in favour of sharp suits.

[[File:Bow Wow Wow 1982 Berlin.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Annabella Lwin]] of Bow Wow Wow wearing a squiggle print top from Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren's autumn/winter 1981–82 collection, ''Pirate'']]

New Romantic looks were propagated from fashion designers Jane Kahn and Patti Bell in Birmingham<ref name="nuns">{{cite news|title=Kahn and Bell Shop|url=http://www.theblitzkids.com/site_archive/barbarellas_club/bkshop.html|work=New Sounds New Styles|year=1981|access-date=7 December 2018}}</ref> and Helen Robinson's Covent Garden shop PX,<ref name="Johnson2009"/> began to influence major collections and were spread, with a delay, through reviews of what was being worn in clubs via magazines including ''[[i-D]]'' and ''[[The Face (magazine)|The Face]]''.<ref name=Steele2010p525/> The emergence of the New Romantic movement into the mainstream coincided with [[Vivienne Westwood]]'s unveiling of her "pirate collection", which was promoted by [[Bow Wow Wow]] and [[Adam and the Ants]], who were managed by her then-partner [[Malcolm McLaren]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Robert|last=O'Byrne|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BpOn6lJ68OkC&q=vivienne+westwood+new+romantic&pg=PA77|title=Style City: How London Became a Fashion Capital|publisher=Frances Lincoln Ltd.|location=London |date=2009|isbn=978-0-7112-2895-5|page=77}}</ref>

While some contemporary bands, particularly those of the predominantly Midlands-based [[Two-tone (music genre)|2 tone]] [[ska]] revival ([[the Specials]], [[the Selecter]], [[The Beat (British band)|the Beat]]) who wrote lyrics addressing social issues such as unemployment and [[urban decay]], the New Romantics adopted an escapist and aspirational stance.<ref name=Reynolds2005p326&410>{{cite book|first=Simon|last=Reynolds|title=Rip It Up and Start Again Postpunk 1978–1984|publisher=[[Faber and Faber]] |location=London |date=2005|isbn=0-571-21570-X|pages=326 and 410}}</ref> With its interest in design, marketing and image, the movement has been seen by some as an acceptance of [[Thatcherism]]; style commentator [[Peter York]] even suggested that it was aligned with the [[New Right]].<ref name=Borthwick&Moy2004p124>{{cite book|first1=Stuart|last1=Borthwick|first2=Roy|last2=Moy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r4bmVbNSnk4C&q=%22new+romantic%22+duran&pg=PA132|title=Popular Music Genres: an Introduction|publisher=[[Edinburgh University Press]]|location=Edinburgh, Scotland|date=2004|isbn=0-7486-1745-0|page=124}}</ref>

==Terminology==
In its early stages, the movement was known by many names, including "new dandies", "new guys", "romantic rebels", "peacock punk", "the now crowd", "the futurists", "the cult with no name"<ref name="Johnson2009"/> and eventually as the "Blitz Kids". As the scene moved beyond a single club, the media settled on the name New Romantics.<ref name=Cateforis2011pp47-8/><ref name=Russell1983p119>{{cite book|editor-first=Tony|editor-last= Russell|title=Encyclopedia of Rock|publisher=Crescent Books|location=Wingdale, New York|date=1983|isbn=0-517-40865-1|page=119}}</ref>

===Rejection===
[[Adam Ant]] always denied being a New Romantic, and reiterated this in 2001<ref>{{cite web| first=Adam |last=Ant |title=I always consider myself to be in a punk band and a punk artist. |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0005hkq |work=I Love 1981, at 02:44mins | publisher=BBCManchester, producer Juliet Glaves | year=2001 |access-date=27 May 2019}}</ref> and again in 2012.<ref name=Aitkenhead2012>{{cite news|first=Decca|last=Aitkenhead|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/feb/19/adam-ant-sex-style-humour|title=Adam Ant: To be a pop star you need sex, subversion, style and humour|newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |date=19 February 2012|access-date=26 May 2012}}</ref> The band [[Japan (band)|Japan]] also denied any connection with the New Romantic movement, having adopted an androgynous look incorporating make-up ever since their inception in the mid-1970s at the tail-end of the glam rock era (and were then heavily influenced by glam-punk band [[New York Dolls]]), some years before the New Romantic movement began. In an October 1981 interview, vocalist [[David Sylvian]] commented, "There's a period going past at the moment that may make us look as though we're in fashion."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Dave|last=Rimmer|title=Japanese Boys|magazine=[[Smash Hits]]|publisher=EMAP Metro |location=London |volume=3|issue=22|pages=42–43|date=October 1981}}</ref> In another interview, he stated "I don't like to be associated with them (New Romantics). The attitudes are so very different." Of Japan's fashion sense, Sylvian said, "For them (New Romantics), fancy dress is a costume. But ours is a way of life. We look and dress this way every day."<ref>{{cite news| title=Rolling Stone Random Notes| newspaper=[[The Tuscaloosa News]]| publisher=[[Gannett]]|location=Tuscaloosa, Alabama| date=July 17, 1981| page=6| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ricdAAAAIBAJ&pg=3175,3968351&dq=japan+sylvian&hl=en}}</ref>

Similarly, the electronic duo [[Soft Cell]] also denied any connection to the New Romantic scene. In an interview published in January 1984, keyboardist [[David Ball (electronic musician)|Dave Ball]] reflected back on their first year of success (1981) and stated, "At this time we were linked to the whole New Romantics thing, but we were never a part of that. It was just a trendy London club thing with Steve Strange."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Peter|last=Martin|title=Soft Cell: That Was Then But This Is Now|magazine=[[Smash Hits]]|volume=6|issue=1|page=6|date=January 1984}}</ref>

[[Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark|OMD]] frontman [[Andy McCluskey]] ridiculed the movement in a 2010 interview, saying, "Completely separate from electronic music or the future there was all the fucking Southern New Romantic bollocks. I mean, if we were ever called New Romantics there'd be a fight... 'Am I wearing a kilt? Am I wearing enough eyeliner? Is my shirt frilly enough?' Oh, fuck off!"<ref name="Marszalek">{{cite web|url=https://thequietus.com/interviews/omg-it-s-omd-orchestral-manoeuvres-in-the-dark-interview/|title=OMG It's OMD! Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Interviewed|website=[[The Quietus]]|first=Julian|last=Marszalek|date=7 October 2010|access-date=20 January 2023}}</ref> OMD have nevertheless been categorised as New Romantics;<ref>{{cite book|last=Weiss|first=Wiesław|author-link=Wiesław Weiss|date=2016|title=Tomek Beksiński: Portret prawdziwy|publisher=Vesper|pages=215–217|isbn=978-8377312438}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Metzer|first=Greg|date=2008|title=Rock Band Name Origins: The Stories of 240 Groups and Performers|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|pages=139–140|isbn=978-0786438181}}</ref> a designation that keyboardist [[Paul Humphreys]] likens to "calling a Scotsman 'English'."<ref name="Marszalek"/>

==History==
===Origins===
[[File:David-Bowie Early.jpg|thumb|upright|David Bowie's androgynous [[The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars|Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders]] look, which was a major influence on the movement]]

The New Romantic movement developed almost simultaneously in London and Birmingham.<ref>{{cite book|last=Johnstone|first=Sam|year=2013|chapter=New Romantics|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tlsKXeRt0wgC&pg=PA363|editor1-last=Childs|editor1-first=Peter|editor2-last=Storry|editor2-first=Michael|title=Encyclopaedia of Contemporary British Culture |location=London |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|page=363|isbn=978-1134755547}}</ref> In London, it grew out of David Bowie and Roxy Music themed nights, run during 1978 in the nightclub [[Gargoyle Club|Billy's]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://shapersofthe80s.com/revolution/|title=Revolution, Shapers of the 80s |date=22 January 2010 |publisher=Shapersofthe80s.com |access-date=28 July 2014}}</ref> in [[Dean Street]], London.<ref>{{cite journal|title = Steve Strange |journal = Showbiz Wales/Southeast Hall of Fame (BBC) |date = August 2009 |url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southeast/halloffame/showbiz/steve_strange.shtml |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100727171020/http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southeast/halloffame/showbiz/steve_strange.shtml |archive-date = 27 July 2010 |url-status = dead |df = dmy-all }}</ref> In 1979, the growing popularity of the club forced organisers [[Steve Strange]] and [[Rusty Egan]] to relocate to a larger venue in the Blitz,<ref>{{cite news|first=David|last=Johnson |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/oct/04/spandau-ballet-new-romantics |title=Spandau Ballet, the Blitz kids and the birth of the New Romantics |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]  |location=London |date=4 October 2009|access-date=11 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://ataria.eus/tolosaldea/1513784931858-erromantiko-berriak-entzungai |title='Erromantiko berriak' entzungai – Tolosaldeko ataria |language=eu |publisher=Ataria.eus |date=22 December 2017 |access-date=11 January 2019}}</ref> a wine bar in [[Great Queen Street]], [[Covent Garden]], where they ran a Tuesday night "Club for Heroes".<ref name=Johnson2009/> Its patrons dressed as uniquely as they could in an attempt to draw the most attention.

Steve Strange worked as the club's doorman and Egan was the DJ at the Blitz. The club became known for its exclusive door policy and strict dress code. Strange would frequently deny potential patrons admission because he felt that they were not costumed creatively or subversively enough to blend in with those inside the club. In a highly publicised incident, a drunken [[Mick Jagger]] tried to enter the club, but Strange denied him entry.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-31452452|title=Steve Strange: The custodian of New Romantic pop|first=Mark|last=Savage|date=13 February 2015|website=Bbc.co.uk}}</ref> The club spawned several spin-offs and there were soon clubs elsewhere in the capital and in other major British cities, including Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham.<ref name=Buckley2005p318/>

While still at Billy's, Strange and Egan joined [[Billy Currie]] and [[Midge Ure]] of [[Ultravox]] to form the band [[Visage (band)|Visage]]. Before forming Culture Club, Boy George and Marilyn worked as [[cloakroom]] attendants at the Blitz.<ref>{{Harvnb|O'Byrne|2009|p=81}}</ref> The video for David Bowie's 1980 UK number one single "[[Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie song)|Ashes to Ashes]]" included appearances by Strange with three other Blitz Kids and propelled the New Romantic movement into the mainstream.<ref name=Buckley2005p318/>

In Birmingham, the origins of the New Romantic movement lay in the opening in 1975 of the [[Hurst Street, Birmingham|Hurst Street]] shop of the fashion designers [[Kahn and Bell]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Rimmer|first=Dave|year=2003|title=New Romantics: The Look|location=London|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|pages=105–106|isbn=0711993963}}</ref> whose elaborate and theatrical designs brought together futuristic visual elements and influences as diverse as Egyptian, African and Far Eastern art,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1175728/bustier/|title=Bustier|access-date=30 June 2013|publisher=Victoria & Albert Museum}}</ref> and would largely define the movement's look.<ref>{{cite news|first=Nick|last=Rhodes|author-link=Nick Rhodes|title=How we opened the door to the 1980s|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandjazzmusic/3651745/How-we-opened-the-door-to-the-1980s.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandjazzmusic/3651745/How-we-opened-the-door-to-the-1980s.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=London |date=22 April 2006|access-date=30 June 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref> By 1977, a small scene featuring Jane Kahn and Patti Bell themselves, [[Martin Degville]], [[Boy George]] and Patrick Lilley had emerged in pubs such as The Crown and clubs such as Romulus and Barbarella's.<ref>Rimmer, pp. 100–102</ref>

[[Leeds]] also developed an early New Romantic scene around 1979, with clubs including the Warehouse, Primos and [[Le Phonographique]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stewart |first1=Ethan |title=How Leeds Led the Goth Scene |url=https://www.popmatters.com/leeds-goth-2649733682.html |website=[[PopMatters]] |date=13 January 2021 |access-date=22 December 2023}}</ref> This scene's most notable exponent was [[Soft Cell]], whose vocalist was the Warehouse's DJ and cloakroom worker [[Marc Almond]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Reynolds |first1=Simon |title=Rip it Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984 |date=2 April 2009 |publisher=Faber & Faber |quote=Almond played electronic dance pop when he DJ-ed at the Leeds Warehouse nightclub, and often penned Soft Cell songs in the cloak room. The Warehouse was the epicentre of the Leeds branch of the Futurist/New Romantic scene. 'When exhibitionism hit Leeds, it hit hard,' Almond recalled. 'It was a battle for who could wear the most make-up and most acres of material.'}}</ref>

===Styles of music===
{{Main|Synth-pop}}
Many bands that emerged from the New Romantic movement became closely associated with the use of synthesizers to create rock and pop music, which has led to the widespread misconception that synth-pop and the New Romantic movement were synonymous. Synth-pop was prefigured in the 1960s and 1970s by the use of synthesizers in [[progressive rock]], [[electronic music|electronic]] [[art rock]], [[disco]], the "[[Kraut rock]]" of bands like [[Kraftwerk]], the three albums made by Bowie with [[Brian Eno]] in his "Berlin period", and [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]]'s early albums.

After the breakthrough of [[Tubeway Army]] and [[Gary Numan]] in the [[UK Singles Chart]] in 1979, large numbers of artists began to enjoy success with a synthesizer-based sound and they came to dominate the pop music of the early 1980s. Bands that emerged from the New Romantic scene and adopted synth-pop included [[Duran Duran]], [[Visage (band)|Visage]], and [[Spandau Ballet]].<ref name=Reynolds2005pp334-5>Reynolds, pp. 334–5</ref> According to authors Stuart Borthwick and Ron Moy, "After the monochrome blacks and greys of punk/new wave, synthpop was promoted by a youth media interested in people who wanted to be pop stars, such as [[Boy George]] and [[Adam Ant]]".<ref name=Borthwick&Moy2004p124 />

Early synth-pop has been described as "eerie, sterile, and vaguely menacing", using droning electronics with little change in inflection. Later the introduction of dance beats made the music warmer and catchier and contained within the conventions of three-minute pop.<ref name=AMsynthpop>{{cite web |title = Synth pop |website = [[AllMusic]] |url = {{AllMusic |class=explore |id=style/d18 |pure_url=yes}} |archive-url = https://www.webcitation.org/5x6RaN2Dj?url=http://www.allmusic.com/explore/style/synth-pop-d18| archive-date =11 March 2011}}.</ref> Duran Duran, who emerged from the Birmingham scene, have been credited with incorporating a dance-orientated [[rhythm section]] into synth-pop to produce a catchier and warmer sound, which provided them with a series of hit singles.<ref name=AMsynthpop/>

While many groups associated with the New Romantic movement used synthesizers, some avoided them entirely or made limited use of them. Boy George's band Culture Club, which formed in 1981, produced a sound that combined elements of [[Motown]], [[Philly soul]], [[reggae]], and [[lovers rock|lovers’ rock]].<ref name=Reynolds2005pp412-3>Reynolds, pp. 412–3.</ref> [[Adam and the Ants]] and [[Bow Wow Wow]] used the African-influenced rhythms of the "[[Burundi]] beat".<ref name=Reynolds2005pp306-7&311>Reynolds, pp.306-7, 311</ref>

===The second British invasion===
{{Main|Second British Invasion}}
In the US, the cable music channel [[MTV]] reached the media capitals of New York City and Los Angeles in 1982.<ref name=Cateforis2009>{{cite book|first=Theo|last=Cateforis|title=The Death of New Wave|url=http://iaspm-us.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Cateforis.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723150252/http://iaspm-us.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Cateforis.pdf|archive-date=23 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Reynolds2005pp340&342-3">Reynolds, pp. 340 and 342-3</ref> Style-conscious New Romantic synthpop acts became a major staple of MTV programming. They would be followed by many acts over the next three years, with many of them employing synthpop sounds; in fact, Duran Duran's glossy videos symbolising the power of MTV and this [[Second British Invasion]]. The switch to a "[[New Music (music industry)|new music]]" format in US radio stations was also significant in the success of British bands.<ref name="Reynolds2005pp340&342-3"/>

This 1980s invasion had been prefigured in May 1981 when [[Spandau Ballet]], the house band of London's Blitz club, had flown to New York City to stage not only a live gig but a fashion show by the Axiom collective of designers, who included [[Sade Adu]]. These former Blitz Kids, "21 in number and 21 their average age"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://shapersofthe80s.com/revolution/1981-first-blitz-invasion-of-the-us/|title=First Blitz invasion of the US, Shapers of the 80s |website=Shapersofthe80s.com |date=22 January 2010 |access-date=17 March 2017}}</ref> came by invitation of [[Jim Fouratt]] who hosted the event at the Underground club.

During 1983, 30% of the US record sales were from British acts.{{relevance inline|date=March 2024}} On 18 July 1983, 18 singles in the top 40, and six in the top 10, were by British artists.<ref name="Reynolds2005pp340&342-3"/> ''[[Newsweek]]'' ran an issue which featured [[Annie Lennox]] and [[Boy George]] on the cover of one of its issues, with the caption "Britain Rocks America&nbsp;– Again", while ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' would release an "England Swings" issue with Boy George on the cover.<ref name="Reynolds2005pp340&342-3"/> In April 1984, 40 of the top 100 singles; further, in a May 1985 survey, eight of the top 10 singles were by acts of British origin.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1946331.stm |title=UK acts disappear from US charts |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=23 April 2002 |access-date=15 May 2011}}</ref><ref name=TarnishedGold>{{cite book|first1=Von R. Serge|last1=Denisoff|first2=W. L.|last2=Schurk|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JWdMOZGNOHUC&q=british+invasion&pg=PP1|title=Tarnished Gold: the Record Industry Revisited|publisher=[[Transaction Publishers]]|location=Piscataway, New Jersey|date=1986|isbn=0-88738-618-0|page=441}}</ref>{{relevance inline|date=March 2024}}

===Decline and revivals===
[[File:Live Aid at JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, PA.jpg|thumb|The [[Live Aid]] stage at the [[JFK Stadium]] in Philadelphia in July 1985, where Duran Duran played, while [[Ultravox]] and Spandau Ballet appeared on the [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley]] stage in the UK|left]]

Music journalist Dave Rimmer considered the [[Live Aid]] concert of July 1985 as the peak for the various acts that rose from the New Romantic scene of the early '80s, commenting that after which "everyone seemed to take hubristic tumbles".<ref>Rimmer, p. 126</ref> Simon Reynolds also notes the "[[Do They Know It's Christmas?]]" single in late 1984 and Live Aid in 1985 as turning points, with the acts that the movement spawned as having become decadent, with "overripe arrangements and bloated videos" for songs like Duran Duran's "[[The Wild Boys (song)|The Wild Boys]]" and Culture Club's "[[The War Song]]".<ref name="Reynolds2005p517">Reynolds, p. 517.</ref> The proliferation of acts using synthesisers had led to an anti-synth backlash, with groups including Spandau Ballet, Soft Cell, and [[ABC (band)|ABC]] incorporating more conventional influences and instruments into their sounds by 1983.<ref name=Reynolds2005p342>Reynolds, p. 342</ref>

[[File:Adam Ant - Parkpop 2012 (cropped1).jpg|thumb|upright|Pop star [[Adam Ant]], seen here in 2012, wearing New Romantic-inspired clothing reminiscent of his early 80s period: [[bicorne]] hat, [[hussar]] jacket, [[pirate shirt]] and leather gloves]]

An American reaction against European synthpop and "haircut bands" has been seen as beginning in the mid-1980s with the rise of [[heartland rock]] and [[roots rock]].<ref name="Reynolds2005p535">Reynolds, p. 535</ref> In the UK, the arrival of [[indie rock]] bands, particularly [[the Smiths]], has been claimed by the [[music press]] as marking the end of synth-driven [[New wave music|new wave]] and the beginning of the raw guitar-based music that would come to dominate rock in the 1990s,<ref>{{cite web|first =Stephen Thomas|last=Erlewine|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine| title =The Smiths| website =[[AllMusic]]| url =http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-smiths-p5466/biography| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110716055657/http://allmusic.com/artist/rem-p116437/biography| archive-date =16 July 2011| url-status =dead| df =dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| first=Stephen Thomas|last=Erlewine|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine| title =R.E.M.| website=[[AllMusic]]| url =http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-smiths-p5466/biography| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110628082715/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-smiths-p5466/biography| archive-date =28 June 2011| url-status =dead| df =dmy-all}}</ref> with these bands adopting "the kind of [[Jangle|jangling]] guitar work that had typified [[new wave music]]",<ref>{{cite web|website=ministryofrock.co.uk|title=Indie and the New Musical Express|last=Nickson|first=Chris|author-link=Chris Nickson|url=https://www.ministryofrock.co.uk/Indie.html|date=25 September 2012|access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref> as a "reaction against the opulence/corpulence of nouveau rich '[[new pop]]'"<ref>{{cite book|first =Simon|last=Reynolds|author-link=Simon Reynolds| title =Bring the Noise: 20 Years of Writing About Hip Rock and Hip Hop| chapter=The Smiths: A Eulogy| date=26 September 1987|publisher=Catapult |isbn=978-1-59376-460-9 | chapter-url =https://books.google.com/books?id=H9wREAAAQBAJ&pg=PT61}}</ref> and as "part of the move back to guitar-driven music after the keyboard washes of the New Romantics".<ref>{{cite web|website=ministryofrock.co.uk|title=The Smiths Were The Idols of Indie|last=Nickson|first=Chris|author-link=Chris Nickson|url=https://www.ministryofrock.co.uk/the-smiths-were-the-idols-of-indie.html|date=31 July 2010|access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref> By the end of the 1980s, many acts had been dropped by their labels and the solo careers of many artists who had been associated with the New Romantic scene would gradually fade over time.<ref name="Reynolds2005p523">Reynolds, p. 523</ref>

In the mid-1990s, the New Romantic era was the subject of [[1980s nostalgia|nostalgia]]-oriented club nights&nbsp;— such as [[the Human League]]-inspired "Don't You Want Me", and "Planet Earth", a Duran Duran-themed night club whose promoter told ''[[The Sunday Times]]'', "It's more of a celebration than a revival".<ref>{{cite news|first=Steve|last=Langan|title=Worst of Times|newspaper=[[The Sunday Times]]|publisher=[[News UK]] |location=London |date=19 November 1995|page=1}}</ref> In the same period it was also an inspiration for the [[Romo]] musical movement. It was championed by ''[[Melody Maker]]'', who featured the scene - proclaiming that it was a "future pop explosion" - on its front cover in 1995<ref name="romocover">"ROMO - The Future Pop Explosion", front cover headline. ''Melody Maker'' 25 November 1995</ref> and inside claiming that [[Britpop]] had been "executed" to make way for it,<ref name="romopreamble">"We regret to have to announce a death.  Britpop, having served its purpose, has been executed."  Romo special feature preamble, ''Melody Maker''  25 November 1995 page 9</ref> and including bands [[Orlando (band)|Orlando]], Plastic Fantastic, [[Minty (band)|Minty]], Viva, [[ZTT Records|Sexus]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zttaat.com/discography.php?zo=2&artist=88|title=Sexus &#124; Discography &#124; Zang Tuum Tumb and all that|website=Zttaat.com|access-date=7 January 2021}}</ref> Hollywood and DexDexTer. None of the Romo acts made the British top 75 in their own right,<ref>{{cite news|first=Dave|last=Simpson|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/aug/06/forgotten-music-scenes|title=The scenes that time forgot|newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |date=6 August 2009|access-date=26 July 2011}}</ref> although Orlando charted at number 65 with "How Can We Hang on to a Dream" as part of the ''[[Fever Pitch (1997 film)|Fever Pitch]]'' soundtrack EP.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/fever-pitch-the-ep/|title=fever pitch the ep &#124; full Official Chart History &#124; Official Charts Company|website=Officialcharts.com|access-date=7 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.45worlds.com/cdsingle/cd/neg104cd|title=CD Single: Various Artists - Goin' Back (1997)|access-date=7 January 2021|website=45worlds.com}}</ref>
After an unsuccessful ''Melody Maker''-organised tour, most of the bands soon broke up.<ref>{{cite book|first=Stephen Thomas|last=Erlewine|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|chapter=Orlando|editor1-first=Vladimir|editor1-last=Bogdanov|editor2-first=Chris|editor2-last=Woodstra|editor3-first=Stephen Thomas|editor3-last=Erlewine|editor3-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|title=AllMusic Guide to Rock: the Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul|publisher=Backbeat Books|location=Milwaukee, Wisconsin|edition=3rd|date=2002|isbn=0-87930-653-X|pages=828–9}}</ref>

==Documentaries and films==
In March 2021, Bruce Ashley's documentary ''Blitzed: The 80's Blitz Kids' Story'', was shown on Sky Arts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/ndq674/blitzed-the-80s-blitz-kids-story--blitzed-the-80s-blitz-kids-story/|title=Blitzed: The 80s Blitz Kids' Story|website=Radio Times|access-date=19 March 2021|archive-date=13 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210313143619/https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/ndq674/blitzed-the-80s-blitz-kids-story--blitzed-the-80s-blitz-kids-story/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/tag/the-blitz-club/|title = The Blitz Club Archives}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sky.com/watch/title/programme/186a44fc-09a1-4c13-b040-ff8c318286e1/blitzed-the-80s-blitz-kids-story-186a44fc-09a1-4c13-b040-ff8c318286e1|title=Blitzed: The 80s Blitz Kids' Story|website=Sky}}</ref> Boy George, Rusty Egan and Marilyn all appeared in the film discussing their time at the club and about the early 1980s-era, whilst [[La Roux]] was interviewed about the cultural effects of the New Romantic movement on younger performers like herself.<ref>''Blitzed: The 80's Blitz Kids'' (directed by Bruce Ashley) on Sky Arts, 9pm 13 March 2021/11pm 19 March 2021{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}</ref>

Although it received less media coverage than London, the Birmingham scene, featuring the likes of Khan and Bell, is covered (to an extent) in the 2018 novel ''Blonde Boy, Red Lipstick''. Some of the main characters from the New Romantic movement feature in the book, albeit under different names.

''[[Tramps!]]'', directed by [[Kevin Hegge]], premiered in 2022.<ref>Rachel Ho, [https://exclaim.ca/film/article/tramps_documentary_film_review-directed_by_kevin_hegge "'TRAMPS!' Celebrates and Mourns London's New Romantic Movement"]. ''[[Exclaim!]]'', May 31, 2022.</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|1980s}}
* [[List of New Romantics]]

== Explanatory notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book | title = Encyclopedia of Contemporary British Culture | author=Peter Childs, Mike Storry | editor = Taylor & Francis | year = 1999 | isbn = 978-0-415-14726-2 | pages = 181–184, 363, 562 | publisher=Taylor & Francis | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=iS4hsxKiMNgC&pg=182 }}
* {{Cite book | title = Blitzed! The Autobiography of Steve Strange| author=Steve Strange | publisher=Orion | year = 2003 | isbn = 978-0-7528-4936-2}}
* Walker, John (1992). [https://web.archive.org/web/20150509092254/http://www.artdesigncafe.com/new-romantics-1992 "New Romantics"]. ''Glossary of Art, Architecture & Design since 1945'', 3rd. ed.

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1337773.stm Romantic revival | REVIEWS]—[[BBC News]]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Utjd76czUgI&list=PLi4Kh9FHJIv_YmufkMA_H680Z8yW1-0Dh YouTube playlist featuring New Romantic music]

{{New wave music}}
{{Goth subculture}}

[[Category:1980s fashion]]
[[Category:1980s in British music]]
[[Category:1980s in music]]
[[Category:British popular music]]
[[Category:Counterculture of the 1980s]]
[[Category:Musical subcultures]]
[[Category:Neo-romanticism]]
[[Category:New wave music]]
[[Category:Synth-pop]]
[[Category:Theories of aesthetics]]
[[Category:Youth culture in the United Kingdom]]