While many American new wave bands found their biggest audiences at home, New Zealand developed an unexpected affection for some of the genre's quirkiest acts. Here are three examples:

• Devo: New Zealand embraced Devo's classic era, sending three of their first four albums into the top ten. On the singles chart they scored three top-40 hits, whereas in the US only Whip It cracked the top 40.
• Talking Heads: New Zealand was with the Talking Heads the entire way - six of their albums landed in the top ten, with two topping the charts. And while a critical darling, the Talking Heads never had a top-ten in the US.
• The B-52s: they were a cult band in the US, but New Zealand knew them better, with their first two albums in the top tens, where they only managed a top-fourty in the United States. When they scaled back their zany sound with Whammy and Bouncing Off the Satellites, the B-52s got a slightly better reception in the US than New Zealand

Looking at Devo, Talking Heads and the B-52's together, a pattern begins to emerge. New Zealand consistently rewarded adventurous American new wave more enthusiastically than the United States did. Whether that reflects the country's affection for inventive acts like Split Enz or simply a coincidence of timing, it's a fascinating reminder that different countries sometimes heard the same music very differently. Australia's chart performances were generally closer to those in the United States, making New Zealand's enthusiasm stand out even more.

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