Artists like Poly Styrene

The Au Pairs are a British post-punk band that formed in Birmingham in 1978 and continued until 1983 on their first run. The band reformed in 2025, with Lesley Woods as the only original member. They produced two studio albums and three singles. Their songs were said to have "contempt for the cliches of contemporary sexual politics" and their music has been compared to that of the Gang of Four and the Young Marble Giants. The band was fronted by Lesley Woods, who was once described as "one of the most striking women in British rock".

Adam and the Ants were an English rock band that formed in London in 1977. Two versions of the band, both fronted by Adam Ant, existed between 1977 and 1982. The first phase began when the band were founded in May 1977 and were called the Ants until November of that year. They later changed their style from punk rock to post-punk and new wave and released one album. The final line-up of this version consisted of Dave Barbarossa, Matthew Ashman, and Leigh Gorman—all of whom left the band in January 1980 at the suggestion of manager Malcolm McLaren to form Bow Wow Wow.

The Adverts were an English punk rock band formed in 1976 that existed until late 1979. They were one of the first punk bands to achieve mainstream success in the UK; their 1977 single "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" reached No. 18 on the UK singles chart. The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music described bassist and founding member Gaye Advert as the "first female punk star".

Strawberry Switchblade were a Scottish pop duo formed in Glasgow in 1981 by Rose McDowall and Jill Bryson. They are best known for their 1984 single "Since Yesterday", and flamboyant clothing with bows and polka dots.

Wire are an English rock band. They were formed in London in October 1976 by Colin Newman, Graham Lewis, Bruce Gilbert (guitar), George Gill and Robert Grey. They were originally associated with the punk rock scene, appearing on The Roxy London WC2 album, and were instrumental in the development of post-punk, while their debut album, Pink Flag, was influential for hardcore punk.