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New wave music bingo: synths and guitars on the card

The genre where punk traded its rough edges for synthesizers. Between 1978 and 1990 that produced a stream of songs with an intro you recognise within two beats, which is exactly what a music bingo needs.

The app comes with a ready-made playlist called New Wave Classics, a hundred songs from that period. Pick it and the app turns it into unique bingo cards. Want to build your own? Paste a playlist from Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music or Deezer, or type the titles in.

Scan the QR code with your phone, or tap a button if you are reading this on mobile.

Start with the ready-made list

It sits with the ready-made lists under genre. The Bingo Master plays 30 seconds of each song, with a 3-second gong in between. For this genre that is plenty: most records give themselves away in the first bar.

Synthpop, post-punk and local heroes

Put the British synth bands next to the guitar groups and drop in the local names from those years. That mix keeps the night recognisable for everyone who lived through the eighties. For an hour of play you need about 110 songs, for ninety minutes 164.

Which crowd this suits

This bingo lands well at a sixtieth birthday, a reunion or a theme night with record sleeves on the wall. Print the cards two per A4 with cut lines, or let guests play along on their own phone at bingobanger.party with your game code.

Or grab the ready-made list

Rather not hunt for songs? The app has New Wave Classics (1978-1990) waiting, curated and checked for playable previews. Open it, start it, play. Pasting your own playlist still works too.

Example songs for this theme

For inspiration: these are songs that tend to work well with this theme. You are not tied to any of them — you build your own list, so use them, extend them or ignore them completely.

• Blue Monday — New Order
• Enjoy the Silence — Depeche Mode
• Love Will Tear Us Apart — Joy Division
• Tainted Love — Soft Cell
• Don’t You Want Me — The Human League
• Just Can’t Get Enough — Depeche Mode
• Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) — Eurythmics
• Boys Don’t Cry — The Cure
• Whip It — Devo
• Once in a Lifetime — Talking Heads
• Cars — Gary Numan
• Video Killed the Radio Star — The Buggles
• Radio Ga Ga — Queen
• Da Da Da — Trio
• Radar Love — Golden Earring

How to make this music bingo yourself

Hosting your own music bingo

Traditional bingo uses numbers; this game uses songs, and that one twist is what makes it fun. There is no number to look up: people listen to the opening seconds, recognise the hit and players mark it off. You do not need a professional host or a trivia round to warm the room up, because the music does that for you. Most people know far more songs than they think.

Decide first what you want the evening to be. A short game of three rounds is perfect before dinner; a complete night of 90 minutes suits a party, a company event or a musical theme night. Whether your crowd grew up on the 90s or on last summer's charts, use their own music instead of a generic list: the best selection is the one where every player recognises something — a classic, a guilty pleasure, a recent hit. That is what gets people out of their seats.

The format is easy. Create the list, choose the card size and the win pattern, and give everyone a card with the song titles printed on it. Each song is played once, in a random order. The first person to fill a whole line shouts bingo, and the host verifies that call with the code along the side. Guests who would rather not use paper join online at bingobanger.party with your game code. Small prizes per round keep the energy up, and they do not have to be expensive.

Questions, or want a hand hosting your first game? Email robin@kreatrix.nl and we will get back to you within a working day. The app is free, six cards included.

Frequently asked questions

Which period does this cover?

Roughly 1978 to 1990: the years punk turned into synthpop, post-punk and the romantics. The playlist in the app sticks to that window.

Is there a ready-made list?

Yes, it sits among the ready-made lists in the app, with a hundred songs. Pasting or typing your own list works too.

How many songs do I need?

About 55 for half an hour, 110 for an hour and 164 for ninety minutes of play. The app also picks the card size for you.

How do I check whether a bingo is valid?

Every bingo card has its own card code. Type it into the app and you see straight away whether the bingo holds: confetti if it does, a buzzer if it does not.

More music bingo

Browse the other topics, or read on the main page how to make your own music bingo in ten minutes.

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