Album · The Vapors
New Clear Days by The Vapors
New Clear Days is an album by The Vapors, released in 1980. 1 song from it has charted on rock radio countdowns, with 52 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “Turning Japanese”, on 52 lists with a best position of #14.
New Clear Days, the Vapors' 1980 debut, came out on United Artists, and it's jumpy, wiry British new wave with punk's energy still coursing through it. The songs are short, sharp and hooky, built on chiming guitars and a rhythm section that barely stops to catch its breath.
"Turning Japanese" is the one everybody remembers, a nervy, twitchy slice of power pop with a chorus that hooks right into your brain. It went to No. 3 in the UK in February 1980 and became a hit around the world. "News at Ten", named after the ITV news bulletin, was remixed and reached No. 44 in July, while a horn-spiked re-recording of "Waiting for the Weekend" missed the chart entirely.
The album itself spent six weeks on the UK chart, peaking at No. 44 in June 1980. Magnets followed, but New Clear Days remains the home of their best-known song.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from New Clear Days on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turning Japanese | 52 | #14 | – | 1980–2026 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.