The term New Romantic refers to music, fashion, and the general lifestyle that was the ’80s-glamour counterpoint to punk that first emerged at the very end of the ’70s and continued throughout the next decade. The music and aesthetic celebrated beauty, drama, dandified excess, and feminine-looking style. You can hear the heavy eyeliner and melodrama almost as loudly in the synthesizers in these tracks, which are all about creating a whole new weirdo-chic culture in a time dominated by heavy leather jackets.

Illustration by Minna