Actually

Extremely boring.

Couple of good tracks but not great.

It’s a Sin to not like this record.

80s doing 80s

I really enjoy 80s synth pop and in this you can hear hints of certain eras of Prince and Depeche Mode, which is no bad thing. Unfortunately there are plenty of bad in this album too. A lot of the music tilts into the annoying, the singers voice is often a bit on the weak side and the hooks are too repetitive without the punch to keep you drawn in. There are some moments of class in here too, a mixed bag that ultimately isn't for me. Doff of the cap to It's a Sin. Certified banger.

Lite 4, cool vibe

Did we need three albums by these two? Well, actually, not really. One is enough as they're all the same monotonously vocal synth-pop. All their albums could blend into one. They're a singles act through and through as the quality of of the songs is perfect pop, but it just isn't consistent. Best Tracks: What Have I Done To Deserve This?; Shopping; It's a Sin

Silly nonsense. Overproduced and dated. Do I need different drugs to like this? Sounds like an SNL parody. I keep picturing what it would be like to see this in concert, and it is hilarious.

Surprised I have never came across this. Pretty good, classic 80s vibe and will definitely be coming back to songs on this. 4/5

Okay, not Neil's voice. It's gotta be the production and it's sparser feel because I didn't hate his voice here. It seemed to blend more with the instrumentation instead of sitting on top of it. I was dreading a second PSB album in 3 days but it helped me realize why I liked this album but not Very. 3.5/5

high 2

6/10 - honestly not bad, late 80s synth pop/rock

Americans are idiots, actually.

In Bojack Horseman, during some of the flashback sections they have songs playing on the radio with lyrics like 'Generic '80s new wave, Beep, bop, beep, bop, beep, bop; This is a song from the '80s, The decade which it currently is". This is basically how I felt about this album. It was like you distilled 80s new wave into the most 80s album possible..which could be great, if it captured all the great parts...but no. This is just the most generic 80s possible. Even when it has some vaguely interesting synth melody going on, it screams "generic 80s sound". I hated it. "We're S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G, we're shopping". Aaargh.

I really hate to write off another Pet Shop Boys album as being boring. There were a couple tracks that stuck out here, unlike the last album I got from the band. However, it still struggles a bit from having similar sounding instrumentals across the songs. At times, I would find myself not even realizing that a new song had started due to these similarities. This wasn't awful. It just didn't really excite me or come across as all that memorable.

Meh

My dad loved this album, and I too loved introspective by the Petshop Boys. I love the range on this release, where it can go from humorous to dark back to humorous again effortlessly.

3/5

Not my cup of team. Shopping song was funny tho

Mixed. Some songs I really liked, some songs I didn’t. The opening track is weak.

Not my sound at all.

👎

Confirming – I don't really care for synth pop. Still trying to articulate Future Islands' exceptionalism in this regard, in time for Singles to appear here 🤞🏾

This album is very very bad. S-h-o-p-p-I-n-g??????? I love you, you pay my rent is….very nyc.

Their faces portray how I felt listening to this album.

Seems like a fun record to make, peak gratuitous 80s

Even after several plays I mainly like the singles and find the rest pretty forgettable, and I am not a mainstream radio guy. The music is alright and so are the lyrics, but it all seems a bit cold and sterile lacking the emotional depth of Depeche Mode, for example.

The further along this list I go, one thing becomes clearer and clearer. I really hate the 80's music.

This was okay. It sounded very dated in a way that the other Pet Shop Boys record I got from this list didn’t, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing in general, but I think it was a detriment to the album. Definitely less compelling and not as good as Very, but overall I can’t hate. It’s a 2.5 that is being rounded up.

Not my teapcup

Good time to be fair

A darker take than their first album, satirically attacking British culture. It is quieter, more contemplative, but more thinking. I don't know if I like their move away from dance music, but it is still a solid album. 3.5/5

Mediana

Clearly this album shows the value of listening more than once. First time I listened, I dismissed it as a type of British synth pop I ignored in high, which I did. Listening to it the second time, the album is actually quite fun with bleak lyrical undertones, a type of style I always enjoy. Went from two to three and a half stars, rounding down to three as I am not sure if I would listen to this again. A thousand and one albums is a lot of albums.

It was fine

I didn't hate this, and some of it I actually liked a bit. I remembered the big hits with a touch of nostalgia. There's a "big room" sound here and the vocals stand out in particular as being very well delivered. This is 80s pop music, but done well, so I feel three stars is fair.

Not a fan. Not then. Not now. Certainly not good with my morning coffee.

Felt fine about this - almost too much eighties for me

I mean sure. I like the Pet Shop Boys. They're interesting they're weird they're cool they're gay. I like it. What have I done to deserve this? Shopping? At the pet shop perhaps, boys? Lol Nevermind. This is good. It's very 80s alt kinda. I don't really know I'm just saying anything. Oh funky beat. I like this. One could say it's a hit, musically speaking. God I'm hilarious. What if I don't wanna dance forever. Did you even think of that lead pet shop boy. This is album 67 for me. That's beautiful. Sometimes it can't happen. Especially not here. That's just life baby. Whattaya gonna do. Me this morning fr. I can definitely see the electronic and dance genre being very influenced by these guys. Favourite: It Couldn't Happen Here Least favourite: Rent

237/1001 Pet Shop Boys - Actually Heard before? ❎️ Revisit? ❓ It's all perfectly pleasant synth pop, but it all sounds pretty similar to me tbh. It's A Sin is a real tune and I Want to Wake Up grabbed my attention. I just don't know if it warrants going back to...

Absolutely banging, this is 80s pop perfection at its most unorthodox. Neil Tennant manages to wrangle both sublime pop hooks, despite lacking obvious technical singing ability, and emotional heft, despite a deadpan, almost monotone delivery. Meanwhile Chris Lowe provides a musical backdrop which always somehow sounds both huge and lush, yet sparse and simple at the same time. It's a strange sort of alchemy that on paper shouldn't work anywhere near as well as it does, but this album is absolutely a vibe. Awesome.

Never been a fan regardless of their hits. The lyrics are great and both singles are huge and memorable, specially It's a Sin, and i see the revolutionary style they introduced on using samplers to create music, i just don't like what the they sampled and how the vocals are produced. Overall good but not for me

Favorite songs: It's a Sin, I Want To Wake Up

I thought I would like this a lot more

Didn’t even Have West End Girls. Do yourself a favor and listen to Gwar’s cover and skip this.

Lame, even by 80’s standards. 2.5⭐️

Catchy synths and electronic drums but pretty forgettable for the most part.

The album has at least one purpose: to show me that I don't like 80s new wave synth pop at all.

Yes, good stuff

The 80's called; they want their synthesizer back. Listened to this one out of order for giggles and curiosity. It's a Sin is synth-pop on steroids but I love the message. Reading others reviews has me now curious about the rest of the album. Indeed, this is disco-pop at best/worst, but the lyrics on several tracks are thoughtful, beyond the backbeat. And a duet with Dusty Springfield to boot. My 4 stars is a gut feel only, nothing specific about the actual quality or content of this entry. I simply like/loved it.

I hate the word "actually." My fellow Ashleys get it. This, I rather like, though. So '80s, so catchy. The unexpected Dusty Springfield.

Second Pet Shop Boys I've had, and definitely better than 1993's 'Very', this contains some of their finest singles, particularly the excellent 'It's a Sin' and the fabulous Dusty Springfield duet. Away from the big hits though, this is again a little bit hit and miss.

just so aggressively british and 80s and gay. didn't hit for me on this listen, but i can see it being good upon relisten.

- For them being a political band, not having heard them say anything about the genocide, especially in combination with them claiming that Israel is not an apartheid state in 2013, but using their platform to speak against Putin today tells you everything... obviously Zionists. Yet another band I used to listen to that I'm boycotting. - This album is very hit or miss to me. The hits are bangers - I mean, "What Have I Done To Deserve This", "It's a Sin", "Heart", and "Rent" are great. But I always skipped the rest of the songs. And why open with "One More Chance" of all the songs? - The keys and lyrics are great, and the production is clean. - The instrumentation sometimes feels dated, though.

I really can't stand the pet shop boys and this reinforced that

Never really listened to this band, other than It's a Sin, and that's only because of Ghost. I did enjoy this and would likely listen to more.

Fine album, but there are other ones in the genre that are better

Best track Shopping. Perfect encapsulation of the whole album being about far more than it seems at first glance.

Материал хороший, но звук безбожно состарился

A lovely album, though I like the one dude's music quite a bit more than the other dude's singing

Just good background music

my dad's playlist.

If not for a few tracks that I really didn't like, this might have been three stars.

Ass

A bit lighter and poppier than the first album, a nice progression and set the scene for their eventual direction into pure pop. Album is littered with ‘singles’ and no real filler.

This was slightly worse than the last pet shop boys we had, not quite as interesting, bit poppier. It's a sin is basically an abba track, well written but would grate on me with repeat listens. There were bits I liked, started well I thought. Realised how much the singing sounds like the guy from Placebo. I think I just prefer the darker Depeche modey stuff from this era, or the ones which are a bit more beat driven. Still okay.

It's A Sin is a great song. However, the rest of the album is a bit worse than the previous Pet Shop Boys one. It Couldn't Happen Here is absolutely rotten, really dreary, boring lyrics, no build-up. The rest veer between maudlin and contemptible. +1 for It's A Sin.

This more like what I expect from the pet shop boys than in "behavior" that we've had previously. Money issues seem to be a common theme here, guess they weren't big yet. Very clean, synth pop. I can't help but think of that flight of the conchords song when I hear pet shop boys. "Inner, inner city, inner city pressure". I totally get why people would like this, it's just not quite for me, although some of it is pretty good. It's a sin is the clear highlight. 3, mostly because I preferred this to their previous album we had

Very 80s, didn't mind it, nice lyrics and production

A couple of cracking tracks, plenty of filler, and a spattering of dog-shite. It's somewhere between 2 and 3 stars. Tune in tomorrow to see which way I go....

Solid album, It's a Sin a banger.

The Pet Shop Boys are never unpleasant but not their best in my opinion. Good to hear some Dusty Springfield in there.

Nope...this is a step (or several) beyond my taste to revisit this era and my life back then. God awful...then AND now.

Too Eighties for me. I do not like the sound.

Not as good as their others

Can't stand them

Damn, never really listened to Pet Shop Boys, but this album surprised me a lot. I love 80s music for dancing, but then again, not every album hits. It's usually selective songs, but this album is just great. Almost every song is a dance hit, and I love it. Also, it sounds very 80s landmark, and I appreciate that too. Very fun album for 80s lovers.

A lot of songs that sound nice but don't do enough to justify their full length, I appreciate the Pet Shop Boys at the peak of their potential and that's not necessarily abundant here but I still like the album

The album had interesting sounds but i feel like the tracks were too repetitive. I feel like I "got" the loop long before they finished it up

Ensin tuo konemusiikki kuulostaa niin teolliselta ja vanhalta, no niinhän tämä onkin. Kyllä sieltä tulee sitten kunnon tunnetta kuitenkin tästä huolimatta että kyllä tätä kuunteli.

They have such a unique sound! I really enjoyed this album.

A great mix of electro pop

Ante ikke at Ennio Morricone har vært med å skrive en av låtene. Utrolig nok kanskje den dårligste låta på plata?

1. chance - 1 2. dezerve - 1 3. zhopping - 0 4. Rent - 1.5 5. Music - 0 6. Here - 1.5 7. Sin - 2.5 8. Wake - 2 9. Heart - 1.5 10. Cross - 1

Not usually the biggest fan of 80s synths but the PSB always do it well.

Fantastic. The hits on this LP are, obviously, some of the best pop singles of the ‘80s but some of the deep cuts (Kings Cross in particular) are among the most memorable songs they ever wrote. Excellent lyrics. Music is politics. A perfect snapshot of being a queer person during Thatcher. May she rest in piss. Best: I Want to Wake Up, Heart Worst: One More Chance

"It's a Sin" is an absolute super hit; the rest doesn't quite measure up.

Just great. Proper national treasure stuff.

When I first saw this I thought I only knew one pet shop boys song - sooo wrong sooo many good songs on this love it

Fun shit. This band takes some getting used to IMO. They were listed as the most successful duo in UK music history in the 1999 edition of The Guinness Book of Records.

This is a fun album. Fantastic sound, great 80s vibes. Can't listen to this one and not move a little bit. Yes please.

nostalgic

This was fine. I didn’t find it particularly remarkable, but this isn’t really my genre. It was fun to listen to during a workout. I did really enjoy hearing the radio friendly hit “What Have I Done To Deserve This” again after so many years.

The boys the beat

Nice. A solid three stars.

I’m a sucker for dancey 80s music.

The type of 80s pop I actually really enjoy.

Meh

“Try Diet Coke! Now Caffeine Free!” That’s how I feel about it.

Enjoyed that

dusty collab is superior

Ok a few decent times it's a sin is a banger

Eh

Yup, just like the dude yawning, this bores the hell out of me too. Can something be too 80's?? Yes, yes it can. Some fun, but I'm not adding anything to my playlist and I can only take it for so long, so this is closer to a 2 than a 3. 2.33 with decimals, this gets rounded down.

Two PSB albums in one month is cruel and unusual... genuinely what HAVE I done to deserve this??

Elsker synthpop

Hørt litt ila hele dagen. Noe er helt trash, også skjønner jeg veldig godt hvorfor noen låter har blitt megahits. Kommer nok aldri til å høre igjennom denne plata ever igjen.

Ganske intetsigende. Blir kjedelig altfor ofte. Til og med hiten It's a Sin er seig.

Only few song I like on this record. Song I like: what I’ve done to deserve this, It’s a sin

More like on the 3,5 spectrum. I like it but it can get repetitive at some points

Classic 80’s sync tunes. Echo’s melodies and tones from that era like “You Spin Me Round” or “Like a Virgin”, I even heard something that reminded me of the underwater levels in Donkey Kong Country. Overall, I’ll give it a 2.6/5.0

weird vibe, and i usually like a weird vibe like gorillaz , but you need to be saying something important for it to work for me. like i cant tell if this is music to dance, code, or vibe to. not bad tho

Pleasantly surprised Saved: Rent, It Couldn't Happen, Its a Sin

It's the 80s. Everyone's bleak, and probably messed up from their recent road trips through 70s rock and cocaine, and suddenly music goes the way of "we will use synth and existential dread." Thus, Actually. But hey, if you were watching your cash plummet in stock markets and coming off a 10 year cocaine binge, you'd probably feel this album more.

synth popowanie od brytyjskiego duetu pet shop boys z 87, plyta jest druga pozycja w jej dyskografii i oczywiscie nie kojarze z niej nic poza kawalkiem its a sin, ktory zrobil chyba kariere radiowa, albo przewinal sie gdzies w filmach, ale poza tym akcentem i sama nazwa pet shopow nie wiem nic wiecej na ich temat, co jeszcze jest ciekawego na tym wymeczonym krazu jest kolab z pania dusty springfield na utworze what i have done to deserve this, wiec ciekawe polaczenie synthowego popu z wokalami ikony lat 60 czy 70 w zaleznosci na ktora czesc kariery sie spojrzy, ale poza tym nie zapamietam nic wiecej z tego odsluchu, bo nic tak jak synthy tworzace kaczliwe melodie lub w ogole muzyka elektroniczna lat 80 sa pieklem dla uszu, tak samo ma sie z tym albumem, nie wspominajac juz o meczarniach ulubionego tematu lirycznego muzyki popularnej, ktory staje sie byc moim nowym konikiem ostatnimi czasy, na plejke dodam wspomniany juz its a sin

This one surprised me. It started like a pretty typical synth pop album, but delved deeper as the album continued.

I only really knew west end girls by these guys. But I've always been curious in getting into more new wave and synth pop. All in all pretty good It's a Sin is a banger 3.5

I really hated the band in the 80s, but now, now I just dislike their music. 1/10

Actually decent

This one started very well, then tailed off substantially in the middle, before rebounding somewhat towards the end. The internet describes Pet Shop Boys as synth-pop. Somehow they managed to get 1960s superstar Dusty Springfield to do one track on the album. Overall the music is clear and acceptable.

More good fonts. "Actually" is an adverb, so, I like that. I remember being moderately disappointed by their previous album, but I thought this one was pretty good/what I was expecting, even though I didn't know any of the songs. Apparently, this is the genre "hi-NRG", which is a ridiculous name. But I do like songs to be.....hi-NRG...... behold, my current top three genres: 1) chamber pop 2) space rock 3) hi-NRG & bottom: 1) prog 2) shoegaze 3) blues rock

This is #day528 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… actually, this is my third and final PSB album represented on the list (not really sure why you must hear that many of their records before you die, though). I would've preferred to see the band's debut, Please, instead, as it feels more essential from a synthpop-history perspective. Still, Actually is packed with mid-'80s classics: "It's a Sin" (which I’ve never been a huge fan of, honestly), "Rent" (probably one of my favorites of theirs), "Hit Music," and others. It's a great synthpop record nonetheless (pun un/intended). This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day529.

Very enjoyable 80s pop

Two British albums from 1987 in a row, but which is gayer? The out, hi-NRG disco pop here or the more allusive work of the Smiths. I knew about half the songs on here and though some of the studio effects sound naff, there's no denying singles like It's A Sin and Heart.

Amazing album!

Quite a fun album. It’s a Sin was my favourite track

Synthpop is so silly. Whilst our boy Neil Tennant pours his heart out about internalised homophobia and whatnot, Chris Lowe finds the silliest fart-sounding keyboard setting possible and inserts it wherever he can. It's amazing it works, and yet it undoubtedly does

I really like the Pet Shop Boys. I love the story behind their formation, their sound and image is so distinctive, and they have written some fantastic songs. This is a really strong album which has some standouts (it’s a sin, in particular). It is a bit dated but their sound kind of exists out of time anyway.

I like the pet shop boys; and I like the concept of this album calling out some of the issues of Thatcherism at the time, but by god did I find the sounds in this grating. Ticked all of the worst bits of 80s sound design in most of the songs - gated reverb, midi bass, chorus on pretty much everything, and 808 drum machines. I have no particular fondness for any of that and so I struggled to enjoy this.

2.5 - Not bad

For me this album brings back strong nostalgia, a remembering of a specific time long forgotten. So please forgive me. Let me take you back briefly. The Thatcher government. Late teenage awkwardness, still haven't found love yet. Privilege with mild despair and a broken family; goodness knows we can't possibly talk about that because it's the 1980s and we must tough it out. Here I am 38 years later with all this flooding back; this album was on continuous repeat for me, for an extended time that may have been as much as a whole year. Since then I am 3x older and have learned a few things about life and about music. "Shopping" and "Rent" and a few other references are obvious references to the dystopian economic situation we were living through at the time. Much of the album, especially "Hit Music", reminds me strongly of the work the Art of Noise was doing not long before. "I Want to Wake Up" could be about the government nightmare (very prescient) until they add "with you" so it could work for your teen crush too. The fake ending on "Heart" got me. Still. "King's Cross" - I would like to remind you of the fatal fire at the station that happened just 2 months after the album release. The ominous second verse had teenage-me hatching all sorts of conspiracy thoughts about it of course. In reality the song is about the grim life in that part of London at the time, and the lyrics are a coincidence. Or that's what they want you to think. All in all, teenage me would of course have rated this 5 stars. It's aged reasonably well. If you weren't there, you probably hate it.

5/5. Pet Shop Boys sind Legenden

Guilty pleasure 80s dance-pop -- super catchy & emotional. I'd be lying if I said I didn't groove out to this.

A handful of good songs

I don’t mind the pet shop boys but this album was not for me, other than a couple of songs it was just generic pop

Wasn't familiar with any of these songs before today but dig the PSB generally. I like the sounds and the lyrics I could catch are more interesting than I expected. For example, in my bigotry I assumed Shopping would be celebrating superficial materialism but it appears to maybe be about political corruption? I sense a deep dive approaching...

I'm glad it's been several hundred albums (over 600 in fact) since my last Pet Shop Boys exposure, but I'm still baffled that there are three largely interchangeable albums in this collection. But interesting that "Actually" is their best-selling album, given how early it was in their career; maybe all those early fans got a bit disappointed that later albums didn't have much else to offer. I liked it that they enlisted Dusty Springfield for "What have I done to deserve this?" (although the video makes *no* sense and was surprisingly boring). I also kind of enjoyed the Gary Numan-esque refrain in "Shopping", the quintessential PSP sound in "It's a sin" (plus an equally over-the-top video), and I continue to appreciate that they put more effort into their lyrics than most pop-oriented bands of the time. But overall, this didn't move my needle much on my dislike of Pet Shop Boys; sorry, guys!

If you like the Pet Shop Boys, then you will like this album. Their dreamy distant tone doesn't vary a lot and never seemed that interesting to me. Sorry Pet Shop Boys.

Pet Shop Boys always sound a bit dated. And I am not sure how to explain this, because a lot of contemporary artists are using these 80's influences in their own songs, and somehow the retro/throwback sound works much more for me than this. That is not to say I don't like 80's music. On the contrary, I love 80's music. But something about the production on this things makes it more so a product of its time rather than a universally enjoyable listen, at least for me.

i love high quality 80s synthpop!!!

Album 16 Top 3 favorites off the album: Rent, Heart, What Have I Done to Deserve This? SaLTbuRn ReFerEnCE???!??!?!?! (I initially hesitated to see it, but the number of times I've seen it now is... many. And I'll do it again.) It was pop. It was danceable. I'd probably be a lot more likely to hit the club if this were what they were playing. If you know of a club that is playing this, please find a way to let me know. We can go together. It'll be great. I'm neutral leaning enjoying. I was bopping at my desk. Lyrically pretty simple, but it still slaps. Cheers!

Impeccably well-produced, just not my cup of tea to the point of it becoming annoying.

Very unique I liked it

Uninteresting and felt like generic 80s pop

The Pet Shop Boys always remind me of my dad. We went to see them live together once. No way I couldn't give this a high rating Songs added to playlist: - What Have I Done to Deserve This? - It's a Sin

Too bubble-gum 80’s synth pop for me.

Calm album, something to listen to while blowing smoke

I dismissed Pet Shop Boys as an 80s band with little to say. Listening to an entire album, I was especially taken by the direct and sincere songs about isolation, boredom, money, and loneliness. The beats also exceeded expectations having more in common with New Order than the one hit wonders I had incorrectly lumped them with.

Have yet to listen to an album of theirs after only listening to West End Girls but to no surprise it's pretty good. Lots of great feels and feels very 80s. Great vocals and love those basslines. 6/10. Favorite Song: One More Chance

Actually by the Pet Shop Boys feels like it has been sterilized - with all sounds put through the 80's mixing table and rendered into their digital core, void of any heart, feeling or musical substance.

This is some incredibly cheesy 80s synthpop. It’s well done; great beats, great production, but just too cheesy for my taste.

Favorite Track: I Want To Wake Up

I loved electronic music in the 80's, but something about the PSBs just felt like just BritPop, not electronica. So it was fun to revisit 1987 and really listen past the lyrics and voice to the quality of the music underpinning it. I do say I appreciate it more now, than then. That said, still not top shelf, but quite well done.

3/5, one song I know, generally good vibes

Lots of cheesy 80s synth in this that I have trouble taking seriously, even though there is serious subject matter. I sense some of the sarcasm in Hit Music. I don't think I care for their voices whatsoever. I think their voices are dull & that is the disconnect. They can write good songs, just DULL voices. When the songs are slow, I'm bored to tears. This is better or on par with Behavior, which I just found dull. The yawn on the cover is fitting. The other guy looks annoyed at him yawning and I'm yawning because of how bored I am. Hey! At least, there's cheese. So much cheese. 2.8

I think I liked it

Almost every track is a great tune. I can't listen to them every day but once in a while it is good fun to put it on

Like a lot of the ‘80s synth-pop albums on this list, there is an initial wave of “Whoa now this is cheesy,” but if you get on board with it, it’s chock-full of really great songs with good melodies and chord progressions. I love “Rent” and “It’s a Sin” and “Shopping.” Very enjoyable album. Must-listen #271.

Some great bangers on this album but I would put Please above this. This album introduced an entire generation to Dusty - which is a cool thing. Even though Neil’s vocals are somewhat…..flat(?), they somehow fit perfectly to their music. While some may write this off as an 80’s album, it stands up really well in 2025.

Pet Shop Boys sind immer gut für gute laune, melancholie und jugenderinnerugen. man merkt den songs an, dass die band noch am anfang steht, spätere werke sind vielschichtiger.

Wenn Disco dann Pet Shop Boys

I was very happy when the album Very came up about a month ago, so I was even more so when this was today's. I'd never listened to the former previously and really liked it a lot, and I knew the hits from Actually so I assumed it'd be another enjoyable listen. And indeed it was. What Have I Done to Deserve This is one of the great hit songs from the 80's with a perfect pairing of PSB and Dusty Springfield. It's a Sin was great then and great now. But I also totally got into the rest of the album as well, with the very cool political and sexuality subtexts throughout. One more thing. This is such an iconic album cover. I've always thought this was perfect, and even more so after reading about how it came about from the Wikipedia article.

Im starting to think this is a list of albums that get a very specific vibe down pretty good and manage to keep it up for the entirety of the album. Sometimes, i wish that wasnt the case

It’s a sin is great, 80s vibe is lovely on this album

Very good album. I don’t think I totally appreciated the Pet Shop Boys’ talent before listening to this entire album. Nice experience.

This is some 80s slop and I don't particularly care for it, actually.

Listened Before? Y Classic PSB. These guys have never looked back since the 80s. This is one of their best early albums. Not much else to say. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: What Have I Done To Deserve This?

I've never been a massive Pet Shop Boys fan. Decent group, like some songs, not seeking them out. This album proved to be very good, not amazing. It's a Sin is a great song, and I do like What Have I Done to Deserve This. There were a few others on here which were very good as well, such as Kings Cross which I really enjoyed. Still, there were others like Shopping which were not close to the level of some of the others. A good listen, fun to go back to, not incredible.

"Actually" is the second studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. Synth-pop, electropop and dance-pop are the Wiki-listed genres. The song material is from their early songwriting days, new material, contributions on arrangements from Angelo Badalamenti and additional vocals from Dusty Springfield. The duo is Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. Commercially, the album reached #2 on the UK Charts and #25 on US Billboard 200. It was also critically well-received with a description of "perfecting their melodic, detached dance-pop. Sounds of waves, a piano roll and electronic beats open "One More Chance." Muffled vocals pick up emotions and sound as the song progresses. Layered synths. It's smooth and catchy. Dusty Springfield joins in on the vocals in "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" Various electronic beats. A synth-horn melody that made me think immediately of Janet Jackson. A social critique. Another song commenting on social positions is "Rent." A quicker beat and a bouncy synth. He's willing to be rented out to his financially powerful partner. A church-like synth organ, choir vocals and thunder begin "It's a Sin." And no accident, as Tennant looks back at his guilt and repression growing up Catholic. Fast moving. An absolutely irressistable horn-synth melody. One of the best songs of the 80's. The last of the four singles released, "Heart" uniquely uses syth-human vocals that sound like a heart beat. A cheery love song . Very pop and hypnotic. I'd be hard pressed to name a better sounding 80's album. That time period has some of the worst sounding albums that I can think of and, yet, this has aged pristinely. Layered synths and beats. Synth and dance pop that is never boring. The themes and lyrics are extremely varied covering topics such as relationships, social commentary, AIDS, growing up Catholic and an area in London. This is a very solid album and is highly recommended.

Overall Rating - 3.40/5 (6.80/10). Not my usual preferred style, but still well done and fun music. Enjoyable album.

It was a bad time for music

pretty nice

Not bad, but not great. Decent pop EDM.

It’s not really my cup of tea. I’m aware of their huge popularity when I was a kid, but it never resonated with me then. But It’s a Sin a really great

simply maddening shit. every song is two minutes too long - an entire album of fine premises played out until they're sandpaper on my fucking brain. exceptionally same-stitch backing tracks, dull advancements, asinine and boring lyrics - complete flop.

Solo conozco por el título "It's a sin". Veremos. Hay alguna canción más, pero escuchado entero este y algún otro por aquí en la lista, cada vez tengo más claro que no me gusta este grupo.

Great tunes on here.

increible synthpop el album va progresivamente a mejor, el run de It's a Sin - I Want To Wakeup - Heart es una locura. Nunca me había escuchado más de 3 temas de estos pero el album me sorprendió, un 4,5 for me

Listening to this album really only served to reinforce two things I already knew: 1) I'm not really into the 80s synth wave stuff 2) It doesn't matter how cool your music sounds, if I can't stand the singer These guys really reminded me of an Australian band I like (who were no doubt heavily influenced by Pet Shop Boys) called Cut Copy. They suffer from a similar issue: some really cool and danceable synth beats backed by a vocalist who sounds like maybe the whitest white boy alive. Actually actually had some bangers but overall, it wasn't really for me.

Bloopy 80s cheese. I don't like it.

West End Girls, their 1981 debut single, gave Pet Shop Boys something of a reputation as a band popular with the yuppie crowd as something to play in the background on cd at their dinner parties. Fast forward through six more years of Thatcherism and it’s clear that Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe had had enough. This album deals with the effects of capitalism, the loneliness of city life and most heart breaking of all, the human tragedy of the AIDS crisis on the song ‘Couldn’t Happen Here’. There are plenty of bangers on here, but my highlights are ‘What Have I Done to Deserve This?’ featuring the legendary Dusty Springfield, ‘Rent’ and ‘It’s a Sin’ which is possibly their finest hour. The only downsides for me are with that brittle 80s production sound, but the remastered version goes some way to giving it a bit more oomph.

Pet shop boys are no doubt catchy.

Feels kind of cold. Like it’s deliberately keeping you at a distance. But as a defence mechanism. Because it’s also fragile.

There’s nothing more effective than an iron first of political satire wrapped in a velvet glove of pitch perfect pop and that’s exactly what Tennant and Lowe serve up here. The astonishing song It’s A Sin towers over this album and it is an amazing achievement in its own right. LGBTQ+ issues and poverty and excess, defining issues then as now, thread through the album lyrically and are treated seriously and subtly. Overall a remarkable achievement well deserving of its iconic status.

I just got two 80’s ass albums back to back. I thought all of them sounded the same but these were actually very different. This one feels lighter and popier and the synths are lighter too. I was skeptical after the first song but they really landed the damn plane on this album. It only got better as it went along, though the production was pretty consistent. Another 80’s album added to the rotation! Update: I did my research, the other album is considered Darkwave and this one is Synth Pop. I can hear the difference and both appeal to my ear drums. Shoutout to this project for helping me learn the different categories of the 80s Sound.

I know some songs from them but none on this album. It was okay.

I'll be honest, my heart sank a little when I saw it was the Pet Shop Boys today - mainstream chart acts are not really my thing But . . . I'm all-in on the process, so here goes It was actually quite fun to listen to, and I'm going to be humming Its A Sin for the rest of the day Putting aside the really boring and dated drum patterns, the production was great Just 10 tracks, but at least half of them are Winners! So far the 1001 Album challenge has provided few surprises, but very happy to have finally listened to this collection!

Zamn, that was good. A nice piece of 80s pop I'm surprised I've never heard before, tied together with somber and sincere singing and great messaging. FAVORITE SONG: "It's a Sin"

Yes I remember!

Funny that the last album I've listened to was soft cell, but hinestly Pet Shop Boys do a way better job in doing 80's music than them. Actually is a good album, kinda dated bc of the 80's synths but the songs are enjoyable, and only at the last songs it starts getting boring. 3/5 I understand how influential and important this album is and it shows well the sound of the decade.

So dynamic, it sounds so good, each song tells a story and it all feels well crafted. It pulls you in with hypnotic music from the beginning, there's catchy and then legendary. Cannot get enough from this album.

Eu gostei bué dos beats, e posso dizer que o album têm alguns banggers, "its a sin" e "heart" are fucking fun. Mas peço desculpa que cena absurda foi aquela primeira musica, tipo representa mal o album e resulta numa má impressão logo. Nem é como se não gosta-se da produção, prince tem uma produção parcida e eu gosto dele. É uma coisa que não é constante no album mas logo de seguida deixa um sabor um pouco amargo, did like it but from the one song i did know i expected more.

Muito 80s core

Quintessential 80s…What Have I Done to Deserve This is a classic.

Masterpiece!

love them. Such a huge part of anything that happened in the 80s. Essential 80s.

Great pop album, though the second half lacks a bit of memorable tracks.

:(

Not much to say. Really solid synth-pop. It's pretty sick that they got Dusty Springfield and Ennio Morricone to contribute to this. It Couldn't Happen Here is sleepy and cloying, the only track I'd likely skip upon re-listens.

Alle nummers hebben zo’n veelbelovende intro en dan stelt de rest van het nummer teleur

Awful, I can’t listen to much of that!

Liked it more than expected. Good melodies, and surprisingly good lyrics for electronic music, but it was the 80s after all.

Surprisingly mid excluding it’s a sin.

Honestly one of the best synthpop albums I've ever had the pleasure of listening to, actually

Driving to the mall blasting shopping on repeat. This is what the lord wanted for humans but instead we’ve decided to drink prime energy and vape blueberry flavored gas to morgan wallen

decent album you can definitely tell its era LMAO I'm a bit sick rn so I will probably look at this review again in horror (even though I've said very little). couple good songs tho ***it's a sin***

Strong 4 in relation to other 80s music, but still a 3 overall.

Dość przeciętne jak dla mnie. Męcząca maniera i chociaż ma to ten urok lat 80. to jednak jest dość płytkie. Nawet te największe hity z albumu nie trafiają jakoś mocno, nie porywają do tańca, nie zmuszają do nucenia. 6/10.

This is a genuinely good time, even if it feels a little one-note. The production is sharp and catchy, delivering exactly what you want from this era of pop. There are two or three tracks here that are absolute gold and justify the price of admission. But the formula becomes pretty obvious halfway through. Definitely worth a spin if you need some reliable retro energy. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions - What Have I Done to Deserve This? - It's a Sin - Heart

4/5

Good album

I mean why not? New wave~britpop from the 80s? Sure?

Really enjoyed will listen again.

Best Song: What Have I Done to Deserve This? Synth-pop. Just when I needed another genre of music to be meh about. The gentleman yawning on the cover wasn't as much an artistic decision as it was foreshadowing. 3/5.

synth-pop is an interesting genre

All they drop are bangers.

Not their best, most songs sound the same

Pure pop pish. Really hated this one would give it zero if I could

Worth a listen, couple toons, same old

Good album. But not amazing. I do hope these fine young gentlemen continue to improve and pursue their musical careers.

A bit nothing really. Couple of ok dancy tracks, but that’s it for me.

Not great, just very nothing

Decent dance-y music, one of the few pop albums I’ve gotten on here that was actually okay. Didn’t really care for the vocals, the singer doesn't have much range in his voice, but the music was good.

I always found Neil Tennants voice a bit annoying, it’s like he’s a bit bored with it all! Like an electro pop Mark Knopffler. Still they did some catchy tunes as I with all the tedious stuff.

Actually really good. It sounds fantastic and is wonderfully layered. So 80s and I love it. Very catchy with moments of pure awe

Pretty good.

дерьмо

I really enjoyed this album listen! I already loved the Pet Shop Boys so I had a great time listening to this album. Their songs aren’t very deep or life altering but they have a very 80’s pop and new wave sound which I love. Overall, I liked this album and would listen to it again!

𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 is sleek, polished synth-pop with plenty of hooks and a cool emotional distance that only the Pet Shop Boys can pull off. When it lands, it really lands — 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘚𝘪𝘯 and 𝘙𝘦𝘯𝘵 are undeniable highlights. And the duet with Dusty Springfield on 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘐 𝘋𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴? is easily the album’s peak: her warmth cutting beautifully through Neil Tennant’s detached delivery. Still, the album doesn’t sustain that level throughout. Some tracks feel more like exercises in mood than fully engaging songs, and the precision of the production can work against it over a full runtime. A solid, clever record — just not quite the masterpiece its best singles suggest.

A pretty good album, I liked What Have I Done To Deserve This the most.

I liked Pet Shop Boys as a kid in the 1990s because of his voice, catchy tunes and great production. This late 80s album is not entirely to my liking, though especially some of the production and a few songs - I prefer their hit singles more.

01) One More Chance - 8,0 02) What Have I Done to Deserve This? - 10,0 03) Shopping - 8,5 04) Rent - 10,0 05) Hit Music - 8,0 06) It Couldn't Happen Here - 8,0 07) It's a Sin - 10,0 08) I Want to Wake Up - 8,0 09) Heart - 10,0 10) King's Cross - 9,0 TOTAL: 8,95 (90/100) Current ranking: 75/731

I've seen Pet Shop Boys and it was amazing. This does not reach the same highs

It gets better as it goes on. I went through their first album before listening and think that one’s a little better. Pet Shop Boys are quickly rising up my favorite synthpop bands, granted I don’t have many. The cover art is great too. Rating: 4.3

Almost 5 stars, great production!

Decent 80s record. This group has their notoriety and for good reason. It's easy-swinging era sound, with all the synths and digital drums one would expect, but it's easy on the ears, so no real complaints from me. Casual and nice to have on in the background.

Amazing album

The cover is perfect - I bet I get as bored as the guy on the right. And I'm unsurprised - very capable vocalists singing pop pablum over what sounds like mostly digital drum beats. Yawn.

really fun!!!!

Franchement j’ai pas trouvé ça ouf et c’est des anglais donc 1

Discovering that I like 80s music… the synth (if that’s what it is idek) is poppin. 80s music sounds so specific. I added like 4-5 songs to my library from this album.

Fun listen, every track is a banger

Idk maybe at the time it was cool and interesting, but in hindsight to me it just sounds like bad MIDI music. I think it does take a turn for the better during the second half, as the best songs are the last 6. The 90s dreamy pad sound is a much better synthesised direction to go in. Singing is okay, everything sounds the same though and if I had a quid for everytime he sings about rent. Can't really remember how good the last Pet Shop Boys album was but pretty sure its relatively equal in quality to this. Not too much else to say I just feel like it is very restricted in the robotic world of MIDI 1/16th notes. Favourite songs: last 6. Overall around 5/10

For something written with the expectation it would be played in clubs I find it kind of dull 2.5*

I liked this more than expected. it grew on me as the album went along

Another band where I know the hits but not much else, and really liked this. Pioneers of electronic dance music for sure, some club-ready disco flavored tunes, and also some slower moments that I really enjoyed (It Couldn't Happen Here is pretty stunning). It's a Sin is probably the highlight of the album but a lot to like here for me.

PSB; allways good!!!

“I love you, you pay my rent” is the karaoke song from Saltburn! “It’s a sin” is the original that Elton John sampled for the AIDS TV show. “Shopping” is about privatization and Margret Thatcher. “One More Chance” “King’s Cross” “Heart”

For the most part I did not enjoy this. I can’t believe how many albums of this sold.

4 - cool súper 80s album

“It’s a Sin” is the sole reason this record is on the list. Not sure if it truly is list worthy - but hey you need to fill out 1001 records somehow.

I really loved the vibes this album brings and I just generally like this type of music. Most of the songs here I can just jam out to I like "What have I done to deserve this"

Really catchy songs, great sound, and some lyrical depth. I enjoyed this album, especially "Rent," and the bassline for "Shopping." Really catchy, strong melodies in this album and a great technopop sound. 7/10, 3/5

All sounds very much the same. It’s not bad. But it’s not great. 2.95

Plug the 80s straight into my veins! The first track had instrumentation that weirdly reminded me of Jai Paul, the rest was more straightforwardly 80s but just extremely well executed. Then realised that a lot of what i think of as iconically 80s is from this. Detached electro-dance-pop, geat melodic sensitivity, real sense of irony detachment and boredom. Self-aware album. Good!!

Favorite Track: King’s Cross

Back in 1986/1987 The Pet Shop Boys were a bit of joke to me. “ it’s not real music, anyone can hit a key on a computer, it just plays itself” As I have got older and looked back upon my life I have come to appreciate the genius of the two of them. I now have a new found appreciation of them and their music and good on em for still going in 2025.

It's a Sin One More Chance

I liked it.

Prime imperial phase PSB

Even though it is not really my type of music i can really appriciate well written and catchy music. Didn't expect to hear a catchy song about shopping.

The undisputed kinds of British gay synthpop, and this album is one of the proofs of that. Also, having a track co-authored by Ennio Morricone (and arranged by Angelo Badalamenti) on your album is cool as hell.

Kinda fun synthy new wave style music

Like the other Pet Shop Boys album, I liked this, but didn’t love it. Pretty decent 80s synthpop that I wouldn’t mind listening to again.

Takes me back to when I was a teen. I love it

Solid pop music and fun to listen to but not really super memorable. Very 80s sounding in a good way.

Pretty dang good 80s thing

80's synth-pop that belies its political depth. Started out feeling cheesy but as the album went on it revealed itself as a solid collection of tracks. It's not necessarily something I'll come back to, but I appreciate it for what it is.

Actually, I just had to listen to culture club and now this generic 80s pop. I don’t understand why this album belongs on this list. Not my thing.

I always appreciated the Pet Shop Boys. I think I heard this album in its entirety when it came out. It's pretty good. I'd happily listen to it again. Not quite a 5 but definitely a solid 4.

Pleasant, but inconsistent

Been hearing West End Girls all week, it was a sign! Such a wonderful album. The singles aloe make this a solid 4 out of 5. But going to listen again to see if we can make it a 5.

the eighties energy, but good

Disgustingly 80s

Some fun stuff in here, just not for me

Tres canciones salvan a este álbum, me sentí triste pero con ganas de bailar. Yeehaw. Necesito volver a escucharlo.

The compiler of this list seems to line Pet Shop Boys.

Sounds like another album from the band that did West End Girls.

Leave it in the 80s

Fun! Very 80s

Clean precise synth dance--smart and poppy, but never really hit home for me.

Love me some Pet Shop Boys. They were ahead of their time and our time too. So danceable and fun, so melancholy and smart and politically astute. “King’s Cross” is a stunner I don’t remember hearing before.

Eighties in the best way possible. High production value, cynical lyrics, great beats. The only issue I have is that nothing really stands out. I’d probably need to listen to it a lot more to rend out the personality, and frankly, I’m probably never going to do that.

The music does nothing for me personally but the writing is nice with a sharp edge to it. 3/ 5

The tame, 80s version of the Bloodhound Gang

"Man, I also love Actually: Further Listening 1987-1988 (Deluxe) [2018 Remaster], what a coincidence!” Pretty catchy and pleasant-sounding synthpop album but nothing outstanding. I liked the ”airy” production, but it was a bit too relaxed for me. 7/10

later

80s synth pop seems so cheesy to me. I don’t know what it is. Pet Shop Boys start off hot here with some quirky dance numbers, which I can appreciate. I wish they would just crank those the whole time instead of angling other places.

Had more hits than I remembered. Manages to sound almost like all the songs are covers but yet they wrote them.

Dit album klinkt aanvankelijk alsof Brian Molko (die zanger van Placebo) in een Fisher Price showroom is opgesloten. Vroeger zou ik kinderverjaardag gezegd hebben, maar tegenwoordig is het hier wat speelgoed met batterijen en geluidjes betreft elke dag feest. Het went moet ik zeggen. Anyway, met name de eerste track is heel extreem, bij de rest van het album is dat wel iets minder het geval. Toch is dit album wel echt weer zo overduidelijk 80's dat het moeilijk is om serieus te nemen. Dit is echt op het belachelijke af wat mij betreft. Pure kitsch. Al moet ik daar eerlijk bij zeggen dat de politieke boodschappen die er in zitten compleet langs me heen gaan. Het is dat ik de Wiki heb bekeken. De nasale stem, de ongelofelijk goedkoop klinkende drumcomputer en synths. Het heeft af en toe zeker iets wat je lekker catchy popmuziek zou kunnen noemen, ik ben ook niet van steen, maar verder is dit wat mij betreft niet zo mooi oud geworden. In die tijd was het waarschijnlijk top, maar ik kan er nu heel weinig mee. Al heeft "It couldn't happen here" wel een lekkere Twin Peaks sfeer. Ik moet hem op 2 sterren zetten.

Good album

Lyrically odd. Sonically very cool and very 80s. I'm really wishing I liked this record a bit more, but I just don't. It sounds good, it's fun. I just don't know what it is, but I don't really have a want to listen to it again.

6,21

i listened to this at 6 am after my bachelor party. i don't remember much

94 albums in and I think this is the least challenging one I have encountered. Very sanitized and there is a song about shopping. How could I possibly give this more than 3 stars? But there are so many bangers, how could I possibly give this less than 3 stars?

more of the same Pet Shop Boys boring britpop. If their entries were different enough I could see justifying putting all their albums here, but its just more and more of the same. Again, not terrible but does nothing to seperate from their other music here.

More sad boy British pop slop. Can’t believe we’ve had several albums by The Pet Shop Boys

Странный альбом. Очень восьмидесяточный, синтипоповый. Атмосферно - поначалу веселый, ироничный, к концу - нежный и сказочный, очень задумчивый. Не знаю как оценить. С одной стороны, звучит он классно, но с другой - эта синтипоповая тема так приелась, уже невозможно слушать её! Мода на 80е реально задолбала.

This has been 80s percussion week on this 1001 albums journey. I'm not sure if it's the exposure therapy or there really is a more human element here. The album can be enjoyable, but difficult for me to listen to seriously all the way through. Definitely sounds classic, though. I could tell three songs in why this would be on the list. I wanna listen to 1999 again because it doesn't seem right in my head that I could connect with this better than Prince. Even though I don't see myself ever hoping to listen to this again. 2.6/5

Det va gøy nok, i og for sæ, men æ huske ikke lenger nokka av det sånn dagen derpå, så varig inntrykk gjorde det neppe.