A Flock of Seagulls is an English new wave and synth-pop band formed in Liverpool at the start of the 1980s. Led by vocalist and keyboardist Mike Score, the group helped define the early MTV era with futuristic synthesizers, atmospheric guitar work and melodic electronic rock on hits including “I Ran (So Far Away),” “Space Age Love Song,” “Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)” and “The More You Live, the More You Love.” The band won a Grammy for the instrumental “D.N.A.” and returned to original material with the 2024 album Some Dreams.

Animotion is an American new wave and synth-pop band formed in Los Angeles in 1983. Fronted by vocalists Bill Wadhams and Astrid Plane, the group became an MTV-era favorite with its dramatic male-female vocals, electronic production and dance-rock energy, led by the international hit “Obsession.” Its catalog also includes “Let Him Go,” “I Engineer,” “Room to Move” and albums such as Animotion, Strange Behavior and Raise Your Expectations, which reunited members of the band’s original era for their first studio release in nearly three decades.

Bow Wow Wow is an English new wave band formed in London in 1980 by vocalist Annabella Lwin, guitarist Matthew Ashman, bassist Leigh Gorman and drummer David Barbarossa under the direction of manager Malcolm McLaren. The group combined post-punk, surf-influenced guitar, pop melodies and percussion-heavy worldbeat rhythms into a colorful sound closely associated with the early MTV era. Its best-known songs include “I Want Candy,” “Go Wild in the Country,” “Do You Wanna Hold Me?,” “C·30 C·60 C·90 Go!” and “Baby, Oh No,” with key releases including See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang Yeah, City All Over! Go Ape Crazy! and When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going.

The Escape Club is an English new wave, pop-rock and dance-rock band formed in London in 1982 by vocalist-guitarist Trevor Steel, guitarist John Holliday, bassist Johnnie Christo and drummer Milan Zekavica. The group achieved its international breakthrough with “Wild, Wild West,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988, followed by charting songs including “Shake for the Sheik,” “Call It Poison” and the Top 10 ballad “I’ll Be There.” Its catalog includes the albums White Fields, Wild Wild West, Dollars & Sex and Celebrity, combining guitar-driven rock with dance rhythms, electronic production and melodic pop songwriting.

The Producers are an American new wave and power-pop band formed in Atlanta at the start of the 1980s by vocalist-guitarist Van Temple, bassist Kyle Henderson, keyboardist Wayne “Famous” McNatt and drummer Bryan Holmes. Signed to Portrait Records, the group paired crisp guitars, bright vocal harmonies, synthesizers and energetic pop hooks on the albums The Producers and You Make the Heat. Its best-known songs include the Billboard Hot 100 single “What She Does to Me,” along with “What’s He Got,” “She Sheila,” “Certain Kinda Girl” and “Who Do You Think You Are,” supported by memorable videos that earned the band exposure during MTV’s early years.

Tommy Tutone is an American power-pop, pop-rock and new wave band formed in California in 1978 by vocalist-guitarist Tommy Heath and guitarist Jim Keller. The group scored its breakthrough with the Top 40 single “Angel Say No” before releasing “867-5309/Jenny,” which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the most recognizable rock songs of the early 1980s. Its catalog includes the albums Tommy Tutone, Tommy Tutone 2, National Emotion and Beautiful Ending, while the current touring act continues under Heath’s leadership with newer material including “White Flag,” “How Good,” “Mountain Do’s & Don’ts” and “Sheri Lynn’s Song.”