I've really been getting into the Pet Shop Boys recently! Especially as youtube can bring up some of the ones I was less familiar with from radio etc. over the years (e.g. Go West, West End Girls).

 

I didn't actually realise previously just quite HOW successful & prolific they have been in the UK either. Four #1 singles!

 

What are some of your favourites?

 

Some of mine so far:

 

 

 

LOVE them so much! :wub:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That last one in particular is full of quoteable one-liners. Seriously, their entire discography is crammed with gems and you're in for such a treat if you're newly discovering them.

my 2 favourites are Rent and their cover of Always on My Mind, best cover ever possibily

 

Rent

 

Always on my Mind

I’ve been enjoying them recently with ‘It’s a Sin’ and the old TOTP episodes with them on 3-4 times a year between 1985-90. Think their biggest era is over TOTP style now though!

The obvious highs are obvious so I'm going to choose a few that don't get mentioned much...

 

 

 

Just looking at my top 1000 chart, these are the 26 songs by them I included:

 

98. Left To My Own Devices (album version)

142. It Couldn't Happen Here

164. Suburbia (the extended version from the Disco album)

218. It's Alright (album version)

260. I'm Not Scared

275. It's A Sin

297. Paninaro (the extended version from the Disco album)

324. The Theatre

365. Rent (extended version)

404. In Denial

454. Here (the extended version from the Disco 3 album)

467. King's Cross

549. West End Girls

576. Love Comes Quickly

633. Go West

656. All Over The World

692. Shameless

708. Boy Strange

731. Love Is A Bourgeois Construct

760. For Your Own Good

819. Memory Of The Future

860. Jealousy

874. Always On My Mind

900. Somewhere

942. Birthday Boy

966. Hold On

 

They have a really great back catalgue and had some huge hits and i still really really enjoy their earlier work, i also loved their duet with Kylie called In Denial.

I worship the ground they walk on - does that sound hyperbolic? :lol:

 

In the annals of Pop, they are right up there with Abba and The Beatles in my affection, but where both those acts had relatively short careers, PSB's have keep on going for 36 years and never let the quality drop much.

 

Exclusive reveal!!!

 

PSB tracks that have topped my personal charts and the weeks on top:

 

West End Girls Pet Shop Boys 3

Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money) Pet Shop Boys 3

Suburbia Pet Shop Boys 3

It's A Sin Pet Shop Boys 3

Always On My Mind Pet Shop Boys 3

Heart Pet Shop Boys 5

Domino Dancing Pet Shop Boys 1

Left To My Own Devices Pet Shop Boys 4

It's Alright Pet Shop Boys 1

So Hard Pet Shop Boys 1

Being Boring Pet Shop Boys 1

Where The Streets Have No Name-Can't Take My Eyes Off You/How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously Pet Shop Boys 4

Jealousy Pet Shop Boys 2

Can You Forgive Her Pet Shop Boys 5

Go West Pet Shop Boys 5

I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing Pet Shop Boys 1

Liberation Pet Shop Boys 1

Yesterday When I Was Mad Pet Shop Boys 4

Before/ The Truck Driver & His Mate/ Hit & Miss Pet Shop Boys 3

Se A Vida Es Pet Shop Boys 2

Single Pet Shop Boys 2

A Red Letter Day Pet Shop Boys 1

I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Take It Anymore Pet Shop Boys 1

Footsteps Pet Shop Boys 2

You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk Pet Shop Boys 2

Miracles Pet Shop Boys 2

I Didn't Get Where I Am Today Pet Shop Boys 1

I'm With Stupid Pet Shop Boys 1

Numb Pet Shop Boys 2

Integral Pet Shop Boys 2

Girls Don't Cry Pet Shop Boys 1

Love etc Pet Shop Boys 1

More Than A Dream Pet Shop Boys 4

Did You See Me Coming Pet Shop Boys 3

All Over The World Pet Shop Boys 2

"A Certain ""Je Ne Sais Quoi"" Pet Shop Boys 1

I Started A Joke Pet Shop Boys 1

Love Is A Bourgeois Construct Pet Shop Boys 1

The Pop Kids Pet Shop Boys 1

Say It To Me Pet Shop Boys 1

Burn Pet Shop Boys 2

Thursday Pet Shop Boys featuring Example 1

Dreamland Pet Shop Boys featuring Years and Years 1

What Have I Done (To Deserve This) Pet Shop Boys featuring Dusty Springfield 5

 

 

and their collabs:

Hallo Spaceboy David Bowie/ Pet Shop Boys 3

Nothing Has Been Proved Dusty Springfield 1

In Private Dusty Springfield 1

Love Pains Liza Minelli 1

She's Madonna Robbie Williams/ Pet Shop Boys

 

add to which they've worked with: Electronic, Yoko Ono, Patsy Kensit, Killers, Gaga, Johnny Marr, Blur, Robbie, Kylie, Elton, Madonna among many.

 

The list of tracks that peaked lower is very substantial, and some are seriously great too....

 

 

(I'm a fanboy) :lol:

'Can You Forgive Her' is really close to my heart as I became a huge fan of music/European Top 20 in 1993 - it was their first song I knew from the charts. I thought that the video is really weird, but I didn't appreciate the song as much as I do now.

 

My Mum loved 'Go West' - it was a monster hit back then, topped the European chart for several weeks. I still remember her mentioning that some years ago songs like 'Go West' were banned here (the title is a bit problematic). I knew nothing of the regime change (I was 8) but I felt that I'm listening to something special. Needless to say Go West became huge in Hungary too, I'm pretty sure that some radio stations still play it quite frequently :lol:

 

Pet Shop Boys were the first band I ever saw live! Which immediately makes me seem a lot older than I am :P I should add that it was for my mum's birthday in around 2016. They do have some great songs in amongst their back catalogue and their more recent stuff can be pretty good as well.

Like Abba, Pet Shop Boys were dismissed as "just another pop band" for far too long. I've always loved their music but I have to admit I kept that a little quiet until the likes of Johnny Marr and Suede declared themselves to be fans. One of my favourite Brit Awards moments was when PSB got the lifetime achievement award (or whatever it was called that year) and performed a medley of their hits. Brandon Flowers appeared as a guest and the look on his face showed that he was totally in awe of them. He might as well have worn a t-shirt with the words "Wow, I'm on stage with Pet Shop Boys!" on it :lol:

 

They have done some great work as producers too. As well as a great remix of Blur's Girls And Boys alluded to by John. they have worked with Dusty Springfield, Liza Minelli and Patsy Kensit among others.

 

Their version of Go West is a great demonstration of their genius. Only Pet Shop Boys could take that song and make it even more camp :lol:

First song I ever loved was It's A Sin when I saw them perform it on Top of the Pops in 1987. That was the start of my entire musical experience. I admit I lost interest in 1996 and have liked very little since.

I made a Spotify playlist of their work with other artists.

 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/06TaDNFL4...hSrufyDdRb52E-A

I made a Spotify playlist of their work with other artists.

 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/06TaDNFL4...hSrufyDdRb52E-A

 

Good list, even includes forgotten Cicero and I was surprised by Shirley Bassey!

 

Back to comments about seeing them live, Suedey and I did the Royal Albert Hall orchestral performance with Johnny Marr :wub:

I first saw them in the 80's on their first tour which was a Wembley Arena extravaganza of set and costume changes, but they got better as they went on and focused on themes and design and kicking out the banging tunes old and new. I've (obv) seen them more times than any other act, including in the grounds of the Tower Of London (their worst gig, it just didnt work, it was a bit flat and the layout was bizarre), Royal Opera House (fab) and my fave-ever gig, quite possibly, in Barcelona's Poble Espanyol an outdoor courtyard. I only went there because Michael Jackson caused London 02 Arena to be closed when I turned up to buy good-seat tickets day of sale (Jacko announcing his never-to-be-seen tour), so as Barcelona was a standing gig I decided to go for a holiday and get there early to stand at the front. I was the only non-black-haired audience member, and probably the oldest, and it was just fab. Bizarre postscript: same day as Michael Jackson's funeral.

I've seen them twice (Brighton Pride 2016 and Hyde Park 2019) and honestly they're one of the best live acts I've ever seen. They have a really unique way of conveying energy to the audience and really making them feel it.

The Albert Hall gig with Mr Freak was one of several times I've seen them live. They always put on a great show.

My first memories of music and the charts etc were in 1987 and the first record to have a big impact on me was "It's A Sin". I've been a fan ever since, though as a grunger in the early 90s and a raver from the mid to late 90s I kept it a secret. When they played at Creamfields in 1999 though I figured there's nothing wrong with admitting to liking them so I've made no secret of it ever since. Last saw them play at Radio 2 in Hyde Park a couple of years ago, had to sit through a Westlife set before they came on stage.

Good list, even includes forgotten Cicero and I was surprised by Shirley Bassey!

 

 

are there any additions you would suggest?

My first memories of music and the charts etc were in 1987 and the first record to have a big impact on me was "It's A Sin". I've been a fan ever since, though as a grunger in the early 90s and a raver from the mid to late 90s I kept it a secret. When they played at Creamfields in 1999 though I figured there's nothing wrong with admitting to liking them so I've made no secret of it ever since. Last saw them play at Radio 2 in Hyde Park a couple of years ago, had to sit through a Westlife set before they came on stage.

 

Same for me with it's a sin, it's my first memory of loving a song and probably started my live of following the charts.

Good list, even includes forgotten Cicero and I was surprised by Shirley Bassey!

 

Back to comments about seeing them live, Suedey and I did the Royal Albert Hall orchestral performance with Johnny Marr :wub:

I first saw them in the 80's on their first tour which was a Wembley Arena extravaganza of set and costume changes, but they got better as they went on and focused on themes and design and kicking out the banging tunes old and new. I've (obv) seen them more times than any other act, including in the grounds of the Tower Of London (their worst gig, it just didnt work, it was a bit flat and the layout was bizarre), Royal Opera House (fab) and my fave-ever gig, quite possibly, in Barcelona's Poble Espanyol an outdoor courtyard. I only went there because Michael Jackson caused London 02 Arena to be closed when I turned up to buy good-seat tickets day of sale (Jacko announcing his never-to-be-seen tour), so as Barcelona was a standing gig I decided to go for a holiday and get there early to stand at the front. I was the only non-black-haired audience member, and probably the oldest, and it was just fab. Bizarre postscript: same day as Michael Jackson's funeral.

The Covent Garden show was shown on Sky Arts in January and I've finally got round to watching it :wub: Didn't see you though unless you were one of the people on stage in a strange costume.