Synth-pop is a style of pop music built around electronic synthesizers, drum machines and catchy melodies, which flourished in the late 1970s and 1980s. Closely tied to new wave, it gave the decade its futuristic sheen, from dance-floor hits to moody chart-toppers. Affordable synthesizers let young musicians experiment far beyond the traditional guitar-band format. The sound’s influence runs through modern pop, and its story is explored in the MGM+ docuseries New Wave.
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Mentioned in: Inside the ‘New Wave’ Docuseries: Billy Idol, Boy George and Belinda Carlisle Revisit the Decade That Changed Music