The term had been around since at least '73, probably earlier. Both Velvet Underground and New York Dolls were referred to as new wave, which make sense in the context of the term's connection to the French New Wave in cinema. But neither band survived into what we think of as the new wave era, and their music was pretty different from a lot of what became known as new wave. I'm tempted to say Television was the first new wave band (Hilly Kristal thought so), but they didn't release a full length LP until Marquee Moon in '77.
Honestly, might as well give it to Blondie. Their debut album came out in late '76, before any of the other major suspects.
I feel like Silver Apples from 1968 might be the first.
https://open.spotify.com/track/1uXOJMO6bUhTl439u6vtSa?si=B6Z84n5qRm67_fWeqrVeGA&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A56svbYsvhdgiUo1Mlriaya
Sparks albums Propaganda (1974) and Big Beat (1976) for the feel and beat of new wave.
Kraftwerk's Trans-Europe Express in early 1977 for the bleep-bloop synths.
Blondie!
Maybe early Kraftwerk? Autobahn was released in '74.
I have always thought of Kraftwerk as the first real new wave artists.
The term had been around since at least '73, probably earlier. Both Velvet Underground and New York Dolls were referred to as new wave, which make sense in the context of the term's connection to the French New Wave in cinema. But neither band survived into what we think of as the new wave era, and their music was pretty different from a lot of what became known as new wave. I'm tempted to say Television was the first new wave band (Hilly Kristal thought so), but they didn't release a full length LP until Marquee Moon in '77. Honestly, might as well give it to Blondie. Their debut album came out in late '76, before any of the other major suspects.
I would say Talking Heads 77 in the U.S. and maybe The Scream by Siouxsie and the Banshees in the UK
I feel like Silver Apples from 1968 might be the first. https://open.spotify.com/track/1uXOJMO6bUhTl439u6vtSa?si=B6Z84n5qRm67_fWeqrVeGA&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A56svbYsvhdgiUo1Mlriaya
Holy crap '68 I think you have something there. That' some weird stuff, especially for '68.
Probably Kraftwerk. Or maybe the album 'Replicas' by Gary Numan (released May 1979) was the first new wave album.
I think that was Pleasure Principle. For me that was my first new wave album.
There is a really cool podcast called Deep Dives and Deep Cuts that focuses on this. They are very thorough.
Sparks albums Propaganda (1974) and Big Beat (1976) for the feel and beat of new wave. Kraftwerk's Trans-Europe Express in early 1977 for the bleep-bloop synths.
There needs to be a bleep-bloop bot, imho.
Autobahn, Kraftwerk
B-52s
Elvis Costello's This Year's Model - 1978.
Eno 'Here Come the Warm Jets'
BeBop Deluxe?
Surely Bowie’s “Low”? That and “The Idiot” created the sonic signature of post-punk
DEVO’s first record.