How Pet Shop Boys Rose from the Ashes in the 80s | Pop Fix | Professor of Rock
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Published 2020-07-04
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#PetShopBoys #80s #Pop
One of the attributes that separates Pet Shop Boys from other acts, especially those in the pop genre, is their unique ability to weave social commentary & political satire in their songs. The music of Pet Shop Boys has consistently illustrated moments in culture. Listening to Pet Shop Boys is a good time escapade with a twist. While you’re having a blast grooving to the beat, you’re counter-intuitively singing out loud to thought-provoking lyrics.."Pet Shop Boys built a reputation for being a bit “anti-rock and roll”. They wanted to avoid stereotypes, and never travel down the typical paths for rock stardom. iI always loved the line from can You Forgive her where Neil sings: She's made you some kind of laughing stock Because you dance to disco, and you don't like rockNeil Tennant has that distinctive ‘dead pan’ voice that has a story-telling delivery to his vocal style with a brilliant hint of sarcasm. Chris Lowe is the silent sidekick- the Teller to Neil Tennant’s Penn, if you will. They are a duo for the ages with classics like West End Girls, What Have I Done to Deserve to This and It’s A Sin. We look at their impact in the 80s. Although Pet Shop Boys have released music in the first two decades of the 2000s, For today’s Feature Im going to focus one a Pet Shop Boys FIVER from their music released in the 80s: Way too tough to narrow it I mean I could easily do a b side and album track b side that could compete with any of these that’s how incredibly perfect PSB is.
#5- “I’ve got the brains, you’ve got the looks- let’s make lots of money.” “Opportunities”- a song that Neil Tennant describes as being about “two losers”- one who is intelligent & educated, and the other who has good looks and brawn. “Opportunities” is a prime example of the clever socio-polticial lyricism of Pet Shop Boys, with an underlying theme about Thatcherism, and the general over-indulgence of the 80s, over an unbelievably catchy synth pop melody that made it a club play sensation in ’86- reaching #3 on the Billboard Dance Club chart.
#4- “It’s Alright”- One of the rare PSB songs not penned by Neil Tennant, “It’s Alight is an overtly political song that mentions “dictation enforced in Afghanistan”, “revolution in South Africa, and “people in Eurasia on the brink of oppression” all in the first verse. I love the lyric “But there’s one thing for sure, music is our life’s foundation, and shall succeed all the nations to come.”
#3- The lead single from the 2nd PSB album Actually ...“It’s a Sin”. Neil Tennant said he wrote “It’s a Sin” in about 15 minutes, and although he intended it to be campy, the song’s lyrics about criticizing the strictness of Catholicism was taken serious by some religious leaders in Neil’s native England. A priest at a parish in Newcastle, England, actually delivered a sermon about the song on how the Catholic Church “changed from a promise of ghastly hell for those who sin” to a message of love. “It’s a Sin” was another monster hit for PSB- striking #1 throughout most of Europe, including the UK, and went to #9 on the Billboard Hot 100.
#2- “What Have I Done to Deserve This”- the 2nd single off Actually from 87. The song features retro brilliance with vocals by 60s pop star Dusty Springfield. So apparently Columbia Records execs did not want PSB to record with Dusty, suggesting Tina Turner, or Barbara Streisand, but Neil & Chris wanted Dusty’s husky, breathy voice for the chorus. Another thing i’ve always loved about the duo, they have always worked with an eye single to their end result and artistic vision. Uncompromising and committed.
#1- “West End Girls”- #1 smash in the UK, Canada, Finland, Norway, New Zealand, and the Billboard Hot 100. “West End Girls” is a song written about the pressures of inner-city life, partially inspired by T.S. Eliot’s poem The Waste Land. Musically, Grandmaster Flash’s “The Message” was a primary motivator for the song’s catchy bass riff.
Leave us a comment about Pet Shop Boys below. What is your PSB fiver. You can hear all the songs we’ve covered below in the curated playlist. To Celebrate the Pet Shop Boys brilliant music the right way, get their latest music vinyl, CD, their merch books on the band etc go click on our recommended amazon links in the description. If you like this content, there’s plenty more about this band coming. Subscfibre to our channel and support us on patreon, Help us keep the music alive, until next time, three chords and the truth.
All Comments (21)
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I met Neil Tennant at a record company just as he was forming the Pet Shop Boys. We were both music journos on rival magazines in London at the time. He told me he was forming a band and what it was going to be called. I must admit, I thought “What kind of name is that!” Next time I heard it, West End Girls was racing up the British charts. 😄 40 years later, the band is still going strong. Neil, you were right and I was wrong.🤐 👏🏼
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“Being boring” is my favorite song from PSB. It’s hauntingly beautiful.
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Pet Shop Boys are the greatest duo ever in british music history! They are one of the most important bands and acts in music history!
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"Left to my own devices" is pure pop brilliance. They sadly never released" Why dont we live together" from their album Please which could have been another number one or at least huge top ten hit in the US . B-sides like "Shamless", "In the night", or "do i have to" are brilliant.
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I always liked "What Have I Done To Deserve This" such a classic and so catchy too
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The Pet Shop Boys "West End Girls" is such a classic song!
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"RENT" is one of the 10 greatest songs ever written.
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Still remember the first time I heard "West End Girls" as if it was just last week. Sitting at the kitchen table in my parents house in late '85, I was eating lunch and had the radio on a local station that was playing a "new music lunch hour." From the opening percussion, kick beats, synth pads, and street sounds, I was instantly intrigued. And then the beats and bass kicked in. I turned and looked at the radio, which was on a small stand next to the table, and just stared at it as if this song was the answer to all my problems that day. Just when I thought the music in the 80s couldn't get any better....wow. 1. West End Girls 2. Love Comes Quickly 3. Sin 4. Domino Dancing 5. Opportunities
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Being Boring will probably always be my favourite Pet Shop Boys song, although it's 90's and not 80's. However if I had to choose one 80's song it would probably be 'It Couldn't Happen Here' or 'Kings Cross' from Actually. I think they're both massively underrated and it's just incredibly impressive how long they've lasted and how they just keep putting out incredible music. Even Hotspot has some brilliant tracks on it. Dreamland, Will o the wisp and Only the dark are all great listens.
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Arguably the best techno-pop duo who have mastered the art of making melancholy so melodious. BEING BORING is my go-to Pet Shop Boys song.
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'Love comes quickly'....great pet shop boys song..
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They are geniuses and my favorite music group. I’ve met Neil twice and Chris once. Very gracious people. Of their many albums, I think Very from 1993 is their best, cover to cover. But so many great songs and still going strong. Crossing my fingers that the PSB+NO (Unity tour) can happen in the U.S. next year!
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"I've got the brains, you've got the looks. Let's make lots of money."
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"TONIGHT IS FOREVER! Tell me now, you don't disagree."
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Pet Shop Boys is my all-time favourite band. These two gentlemen are so immensely talented, and they have way too many great songs - I just cannot pick five. Being boring is my favourite song and Behaviour is my fav album. Neil and Chris make my life happier, and I can find songs that fit my actual mood. Their lyrics are just stunning, so multi-layered and thought-provoking, and their melodies are just awesome. I will always be grateful for them, they will always be a huge part of my life.
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Their song 'So Hard' is so haunting...! They paved way for the electronic music.
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Their quarantine remix of West End Girls is fabulous. They gave it a nice modern sheen!
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"Being Boring" is my favorite PSB song of all time. It's a haunting & melancholy review of lost youth & growing older, alone with the memories of friends who are no longer in our lives.
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My all time guilty pleasure. To this day, Pet Shop Boys sounds fresh and relevant.
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My October Symphony is one of the best songs ever.
