Squeeze
As one of the most traditional pop bands of the new wave, Squeeze provided one of the links between classic British guitar pop and post-punk. Inspired heavily by the Beatles and the Kinks, Squeeze were the vehicle for the songwriting of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, who were hailed as the heirs to Lennon and McCartney’s throne during their heyday in the early ’80s. Unlike Lennon and McCartney, the partnership between Difford and Tilbrook was a genuine collaboration, with the former writing the lyrics and the latter providing the music. Squeeze never came close to matching the popularity of the Beatles, but the reason for that is part of their charm. Difford and Tilbrook were wry, subtle songwriters that subscribed to traditional pop songwriting values, but subverted them with literate lyrics and clever musical references.

Boy George
The early 1980s were filled with pop stars who seemed larger than life, but very few cut as indelible figure as Boy George. During the heyday of Culture Club — which lasted from their first hit, “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” in 1982 until 1984 — Boy George deftly blended soulful authenticity with knowing artificiality, singing songs inspired by Motown while embracing androgyny. This sly wit was as evident onscreen as it was on record, which is why Culture Club not only became one of the biggest groups on MTV, but why George managed to sustain a long, lasting career following the band’s implosion in 1986.