New Romantic

The fashionable alternative to Punk, the New Romantics of the early 1980s caught on by peddling catchy, dance floor-ready synth-and-guitar pop/rock. They took inspiration from the likes of David Bowie and Roxy Music's Glam poster child Bryan Ferry. The most successful New Romantics -- Duran Duran, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, and Spandau Ballet -- played up their model looks in trendy videos that helped jumpstart MTV. New Romantic bands hit highest on the charts between 1982 and 1986, whereupon many of them either split up or simply ran out of creative steam. But some of the period's top artists maintained healthy careers ever since. For instance, Duran Duran has maintained some degree of chart success with hits like 1993's "Ordinary World," while Japan's David Sylvian has carved a cult following for his art rock collaborations.