During the 1970s, Jean Michel Jarre, Larry Fast, and Vangelis released successful electronic instrumental albums. The emergence ofSynthpop, a sub-genre of New Wave, in the late 1970s can be largely credited to synthesizer technology. The ground-breaking work of all-electronic German bands such as Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream, David Bowie during his Berlin period (1976–1977),[21] as well as the pioneering work of the Japanese Yellow Magic Orchestra and British Gary Numan,[22] were crucial in the development of the genre.[21][22] Nick Rhodes, keyboardist of Duran Duran, used various synthesizers, including Roland Jupiter-4 and Jupiter-8.[23][dead link] OMD‘s “Enola Gay” (1980) used a distinctive electronic percussion and synthesized melody. Soft Cell used a synthesized melody on their 1981 hit “Tainted Love“.[24] Other chart hits include Depeche Mode‘s “Just Can’t Get Enough” (1981),[24] and The Human League‘s “Don’t You Want Me“.[25]English musician Gary Numan‘s 1979 hits “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” and “Cars” used synthesizers heavily.[26][27] Other notable synthpop groups included New Order, Visage, Japan,Ultravox,[21] Spandau Ballet, Culture Club, Eurythmics, Yazoo, Thompson Twins, A Flock of Seagulls, Erasure, Blancmange, Kajagoogoo, Devo, and the early work of Tears for Fears. The synthesizer then became one of the most important instruments in the music industry.[21] Other notable users include Giorgio Moroder, Howard Jones, Kitaro, Stevie Wonder, Peter Gabriel, Thomas Dolby, Kate Bush,and Frank Zappa.
