Dare!

One hit wonder.

Don't You Want Me is the only great song on here; the rest is fairly run of the mill 80s synth pop

I dare you to listen to the first 9 tracks and remember any of them. I do not love you baby.

i'm struggling to think of a reason why i consider this much worse than something like age of consent which released 2 years later and im realizing there is no single reason. new order was just a band with better ear for melody, better lyrics, better singing (impressive to have worse vocals than fucking bernard sumner), better use of a repetitive synth motif (im looking at you bizarre love triangle), better understanding of song dynamics. human league was a bold band and the mixing of the synths is interesting. whereas the cars used them to fill space, human league songs have no space that isnt synth aside from oakleys vocals. they are loud to a fault and the songs often have no layers to them whatsoever. someone on RYM wrote this feels like an album you have to been there for when it released and i totally agree. whereas that criticism will be thrown at a band like the beatles, the difference really is just that the beatles genuinely hold up melodically as well as from songwriting and production standpoints (at minimum for pop rock). Dare's most admirable quality is probably just how aggressive sounding and mixed the synths are, you can absolutely hear how someone like john maus heard this album and then did what he did. honestly Dare reminds me a lot of 808's & Heartbreaks, another album that has aged horrendously in the face of modern music production but was incredibly, obviously influential. i truly Dare anyone to name one thing this album does better than other classics in its own genre. synth-led albums that came out within 3 years after this are so signficantly more enjoyable (OMD, New Order, Depeche Mode, even Duran Duran had better singles) and synthpop classics are still being made today such as Little Dark Age Seconds was far and away my favorite song here, it has a very dramatic and nostalgic melody from both the synth and Oakley's voice and it contains the only notable lyrics on the album about the assassination of JFK. these are a lot of negative words for an album that's not downright horrible, especially one that is a staple of the genre. it's just that in the face of what immediate succeeded this album, im struggling to rate this positively. it's not human leagues fault necessarily, most bands are not transcendent enough to both innovate entire genres and create the greatest albums ever, and Dare totally deserves to be on a list such as 1001.

A couple good tracks

Very ‘80s. Some work for me and others don’t. This doesn’t

Meh not my thing

Boring.

Clever putting that one song at the end.

Megahitillä on paikkansa, mutta muutoin vähän löysä levy. Mielestäni yhtyeellä on parempiakin levyjä. 2/5

Megahitin ympärillä aika keskinkertaista synapoppia. 2/5

Don’t You Want Me is catchy, but it’s also cheesy and borderline annoying - and it’s the best song on the album.

"It's wild how this album is on the list. Outside of ""Don't You Want Me"", the rest of this album doesn't stand out at all. More proof the British bias of this list only continues to negate this list's claim of needing to hear these albums before you die. "

Boring, trite 80's synth-pop but finished off by a worldie song in "Don't You Want Me" that is as catchy an earworm one can find.

2/5. LCD Soundsystem’s shout out gets this 2 stars. This isn’t that great minus the last song.

Not my fav but it had its moments …

This is a one hit thing. I was interested due to the name check by LCD soundsystem. But meh.

Ok so each song on this album tiptoes the line between pretty good and downright irritating. For me I think that comes from the vocals mostly, but sometimes the synths can get on my nerves too - which for a synth pop album is a bit worrying. It has some fun moments though and I can't say I didn't enjoy a bit of it. Fav songs: - The Things That Dreams Are Made Of - Seconds - Don't You Want Me

Typical 80s synth pop ... none of it has aged well.

It's been a long time but I'm pretty sure my younger sister had this album when we were kids. Don't remember being a fan then and that did not change with my listens. You still here Don't You Want Me on today's radio, but not much of a fan. It's kind of a creepy song to be honest. Just let it go, man. Yea, this album didn't do much for me. A little annoying at times, but nothing outright terrible. 2

If you like synth pop and can ignore the tenuous vocals, then this is the album for you. Thin, tinny, grating, and repetitive. Minus a bonus star for the bad boyfriend vibes on the only track people remember from this album. Human League has done better work.

Barely beating the "one hit wonder" allegations, this is the closest any artist on here has come to the title. I think they were a consistently big deal in Europe, but over in the states it's Human and Don't You Want Me. I generally don't like synthpop, so by extension I don't care for this album. It's not awful per se, and I've definitely heard worse, but I can't say I'll come back to anything that isn't Don't You Want Me.

Another day, another totally meh pop album. This just was not even remotely good or special enough to be on this list but for some moronic reason it is. Everything is plastic and fake sounding. They also try to stick in some songs like "Do or Die" and "Seconds" I'm assuming in an attempt to sound serious but I simply cannot do that after listening to the first couple tracks and the ridiculous cover image. Yes, "Don't You Want Me" is a classic, but that cannot save the album. The only reason this isn't a 1 star is because his voice doesn't make me want to kill myself so they've got that going for them I guess.

early 80's heavy on the synthesizer music, lot of the songs sound the same

Average 80s music. Not sure why this is on here.

This is the epitome of early ‘80s synth new wave music. It was fun at the time but just hasn’t aged well. It feels a bit old and soulless now. Belongs in a time capsule, not on the list

Oof. I got so tired with this album when it came out. I can't eek out another listen. You might like it if you're not familiar with it. Enjoy!

Fun, energetic, and still not something I want to listen to for 40 minutes

Sounds like it was written and recorded in an alley

short but sweet . i guess

Don’t you want me is a banger, and i liked the things the dreams were made of, but not much else.

OK - there ist the hit-single "Don´t You Want Me". But overall it´s not my thing.

Dont you want be banger, aprés le reste ça sort du style je suis moins fan

Not too bad. Not great.

Some of the most boring uses of electronic keyboards ever on these songs. Key factor as to why a lot of early '80s songs are a miss for me.

Was thinking "boy, they sound familiar" but chalked it up to sounding basically like every other 80s synth band. Then "Don't You Want Me " came on and bingo. Still, it's a style of music that has not aged well. Tears for Fears and Depeche mode are likely the only exceptions.

don’t you want me baby

While there were legends built on great music in the '80s, there are as many things to poke fun at. For me, this band is an amalgam of everything I didn't like from the era. The keyboard sounds are deliberately Casio Atari, the drum sounds are simply awful, dude's voice ... ugh, and the songs themselves sound to me like a 7th grader's diary. I was baffled that people liked this when it was being released, and it certainly hasn't aged well.

Full of underproduced, whiny songs but anchored by the massive hit Don't You Want Me. I had more fun learning about the groups history on wikipedia then I did actually listening to their music. This album was certainly influential but if I'm rating it based on my actual tastes and enjoyment I had with the album, I give it a 2/5

Not a fan.

I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar, true. But even then I knew I'd find a much better listen that doesn't sound like poo. I kept thinking about Kraftwerk, which it seems this album attempts to be like. But then, it ruins it with emotion and vocals. Dude, the whole point of Kraftwerk is progression. By doing this, you've effectively put a stake in the ground and declared, "We're not moving on. We'll be right here." While your chorus is saying "Don't you want me?" The rest of the world is saying a resounding 'No."

A 25-year-old pop star sees your 17-year-old daughter dancing at a club and immediately asks her and her friend to join him on tour as a dancer and back up singer, even though they have no singing or professional dancing experience. Do you let her go? If you said yes, you might have a lot in common with the parents of Joanne Catherall and Susanne Sulley. And their school, which let them go because the European tour would be a good educational experience. Joanne wound up in a romantic relationship with that 25-year-old pop star, Philip Oakey of Human League. The renewed Human League, now 50% underage girls, put out “Dare!” Unfortunately, no amount of teenage backup singing makes up for Oakey’s voice, which is everything I dislike about early 80s British synth-pop. Along with the surprisingly boring tracks, “Dare!” goes nowhere until the very end. “Don’t You Want Me” actually holds up really well, as long as you enjoy the poppy hook and don’t think about it too hard. Don’t think about how it became a duet after the success of “A Star is Born.” Don’t think about Oakey’s much younger duet partner, or that he got the idea for the lyrics from a teen girl magazine. And definitely don’t think about those lyrics about how he plucked her from obscurity and is now manipulating her to stay.

Positive: The album has a consistent upward trajectory. Negative: the first half is an 80s music parody. Just cheesy sounding. It has not aged well.

His voice annoyed me. Had the one classic song and the rest were mid.

Most 80s album you’ll ever listen to.

An extra star for the excellent final track, otherwise I feel this is an album that has not aged particularly well.

2.5 for me. Don't you want me is a great tune but the rest is exactly the kind of 80s sound I don't like

There's maybe 1 song on the album that warrants the album being on the list. The remaining 9 songs are cheesy 80s synth slop.

Non Plussed

I always liked the look of the New Romantics - the heavy mascara, eye-shadow, blusher and lipstick. However, I rarely liked they music. Time to turn the dial back 40 years and listen again. The Things... - Thought I was listening to Kraftwerk?! 🤔😅 Open Your Heart - repetitive, monotone electronicse The Sound of The Crowd - bit better Darkness - listenable background track Do or Die - decent dance track. Best of album so far I am the Law - experimental crap Seconds - bit like Do or Die Love Action - decent track. Don't You Want Me - liked the video A 2 star for the lipstick💄💋😎

Didn't love it .will.revisit

One good song

Tepid synth pop. Another album that's guilty of having one decent song but the rest doesn't hold up.

Well - here's a bleep from the past. The Human League did things their own way, throwing away the guitars for some cutting edge 80s synths. New toys however can't hide bad songwriting, and this seems like the scrawlings of a schoolkid in detention. The sounds are thin and bare.

Ok 80s pop with 1 great song

I don’t know what to say about this one. Enjoyable. Of its time - or it helped define its time.

I got all excited when the super-80s pop synth sounds started (which I love so much) and then the singing started - oof. This album is outrageously bad. Don’t You Want Me is a banger though, they somehow struck gold at the very end of this… whatever this is…which rescues this from being a 1. Listens: 1.5 Fave Track: Don’t You Want Me Rating: 2

Synthie-Pop. Ganz nett. Bischen kalt vielleicht. Würde ich mir nicht noch einmal anhören.

Decent

Decent songs, but too 80s for me.

The best song is saved for last. The rest is meh. I don't care that much for Philip Oakey's singing.

Too much synth for me.

It was okay. There were a couple of decent songs outside the single, but the single became such a giant hit for a reason. Nothing else on the album even approaches it in terms of quality. I doubt I will ever listen to this album again.

anglophobia

Don't You Want Me is the only one that really stands out

Don’t you want me is a legit good song, but the rest of it sounds very sophomoric (at least I didn’t find it grating). Ultimately, I don’t think this one is worthy of being on the 1001

These snyth pop albums sound quite boring to me, saves itself with the belter that is "Don't you want me" but other than that this album is quite disappointing. 1.5

Very ‘80s sounding. Doesn’t do much for me

Somethings need to stay in the 80's.

Doesnt really hold up over time.

Not my style

All I can say it's very 80s with heavy electronic and synth. Sometimes it's almost too much. I love 80s music but this just has nothing to it, it's like they released this in the 80s and really went with that theme, but the songs themselevs weren't great. A lot of shouting without really being able to sing. The only good song on this album is, Don't You Want Me.

I have hit or miss enjoyment of most new wave. I don't think I've ever listened to this whole album before now. There's good stuff here beyond just "Don't You Want Me" (my favorite song in 2nd grade, no lie). Open Your Heart is great, Do or Die is fine (though you can pretty much sing the words to Don't You Want Me to this song and it fits - at least with the chorus. They're very similar songs), Get Carter reminds me of John Williams's Close Encounters theme a little. On the other hand, there are some atrocities: I am the Law is horrendous. It's musically all over the place and it seems to advocate for over policing and implies that people can't take care of themselves. Maybe it's meant to be ironic? I dunno - did not care for that one. Seconds is equally terrible. Presumably it's meant to showcase how bad killing others is (not disagreeing), but it's obnoxiously repetitive. Still, overall there are really only two good tracks here, so that's how it's getting rated.

honestly sounded like a cheap imitation of early depeche mode at times.

Had no idea they sung that last song. That's a jam. The rest was like dime store depeche mode.

It’s ok. That last track has always been a banger, though.

80 luku new wave elektro hömpötystä, ihan kivaa kait.. hittasi minuutin pitusella ambientilla ja vittu MAINOSTA SIIHEN....... TÄHTEÄ POIS SIITÄ!!!! olisi kannattanut miettiä tämmösiä asioita, aina ollaan musiikki sitä ja musiikki tätä... ja tässä musiikkkihan on PASKAA!!!!!! ei voi muuta sanoa. mutta sanon silti.. objenktive kaksi i am the law

Pish, but better than Nico, or abba, or Morisey. Not by much though!

It was ok.

Brilliant marketing on the company's part to put the one good song at the very end of the album.

whatever. 2 stars

Two good songs round out an otherwise forgettable album replete with uninspired melodies and lyrics.

This is the type of 80s music that I find hard to like. The odd bit of it is listenable enough, but the majority I find cringy and amateurish. Don't You Want Me is definitely the best of the bunch. They don't compare to the likes of Simple Minds.

I don't know if it's intentional but it sounded pretty cheap and amateurish

I cant imagine who would listen to this more than once

Kyllähän tästä noita hittejä tunnistaa. On vaan aika tasapaksua. Moni muu tehny saman asian samaan aikaan, mutta paremmin. Darkness: kovat synat Vika biisu: kova

Most of the album was pretty bleh. I liked Do or die because the instrumental reminds of old school sonic the hedgehog and I am the law music sounds like stranger things. I think this band would be much better if it took its tone selection and did a more instrumental soundscape album. But I feel their tones sound cheesy when trying to make pop music

New wave, pop con sintetizadores. Un megahit. Rollo. Un 2.

I really hate that this album is the one that inspired synthpop. Not that I hate the genre, that's not the case whatsoever-- I fucking LOVE it. This is just one of the most pointless, uninspiring examples of it. It drains me of energy to listen to 37 minutes of okay-to-LOL material just for a genuine stroke of genius right at the end. I'd really rather something substantial, experimental, inspired AND influential be here-- what about Tin Drum by Japan or The Thousand Knives of Ryuichi Sakamoto? And I can put you back down, 2(.5/5)

Niet veel aan.

Declaración de intenciones de banda de los 80's, se queda sólo en eso. One hit wonder? Tiene una batería electrónica insoportable.

This is kind of hilarious, really. There's some dark stuff here, but it's all poppy - presidential assassinations, atheism, apartheid, but all to fast, synthesized beats! The 80s were funny. And that last song, the only one anyone has probably ever heard from this...liiiiittle Weinstein-ish.

“Don’t You Want Me” is a classic, but I found myself mildly annoyed and agitated through the rest.

Echt een tegenvaller. Ik had er best hoge verwachtingen van, maar er is imo niks van overgebleven in 2023. Alleen Don't You Want Me is tijdloos, de rest is kaal en hol. Wat een domper.

Shows why album sequencing is so important. If you’re going to have Don’t You Want Me as the closer, the rest of the record has to be all bangers. This is not.

Too much synth pop this week effecting this review.

The amount of listens each song has on spotify explains a lot of this album. Pretty bland aside from dont you want me.

"the book of love has music in it, in fact that's where music comes from, some of it is just transcendental, some of it is just really dumb" my god the last two tracks. how sad they could permeate the rest of the album with anything to support these if not match them also john darnielle did you lift 'california song' from 'seconds', i mean probably not

If it was just don't you want me on loop i wouldnt have been able to tell

Ugh, ikke for meg

Orket ikke hele.

I have been enjoying some of the new wave on this list. This one just seems to be lacking some of the catchy riffs and energy the others have

Truth.

Decent '80s new wave pop album. Nothing spectacular, though it does have the one hit "Don't You Want Me." Not exactly a bad listening experience, but I wasn't wowed, nor was it really revealed to me why this one-hit wonder band deserved a spot on the list. Favorite tracks: Don't You Want Me, Seconds. Album art: Squarshed face centered in a too-big white border with some odd text placements. Very forgettable. 2.5/5

There was one good song, and it was the one I already knew, and it was the last song on the album

Very unmemorable - didn't even notice when it went back to the beginning.

The best way to describe this album is Russel Crowe singing a bad Andrew Lloyd Webber copy. Open Your Heart could have come straight out of Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat because it was just so cheesy, and had that classic Lloyd Webber style of playing the tune over the singer on a random ear piercing instrument (in this case some kind of woodwind). I also found the organ an interesting choice. When it wasn’t sounding like a dodgy musical it was giving fairground vibes.

Never wanting to hear don't you want me, it was a little better than expected

This isn't even bad 80's, it's completely boring 80's. Don't You Want Me is of course the only exception.

DON’T YOU WANT ME BABY? No, no I fucking don’t. Mostly lame, with a couple listenable songs mixed in. I definitely couldn’t beat my meat to it.

I think this is kinda bad haha. Don’t You Want Me Baby is the best one and it’s ok. The lyrics don’t make any fucking sense on the entire album! It was all just weird noises. I think Ross would fit right in with this band.

I feel like this is a band I should like, but I just can’t get into them. It’s not like this is a shit album, but even the most popular song is one I’ll change when it’s on the radio.

Casio keyboard 80’s radio junk. Don’t You Want Me is catchy, but in the most annoying way.

Not for me. Gets an extra point for 'Don't You Want Me'

Kinda shit Reminds me a liiiiitle too much of Talking Heads to be enjoyable. 2

Was gonna be an easy 1 star until Don't You Want Me saved it at the end.

It's alright. Honestly, I've heard much better new wave.

⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⠿⠛⠉⠁⠀⠙⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⡿⠁⠀⢠⠤⠖⠒⠒⠲⢬⣇⣀⠤⠠⢄⣀⡹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⡯⠁⠀⠀⠀⣠⣴⡶⠖⠲⠾⣢⡠⣴⡲⠶⠶⣶⣝⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⡿⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⢞⣛⠋⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⡿⢶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣾⠿⠷⢶⡶⠶⠶⠟⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⡇⠀⢠⠴⠞⠋⠀⠐⠲⠼⣷⠖⠲⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣠⠾⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⢦⡀⢻⣿⣿⡿⢃⢰⡍⠝⣿ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠐⣵⣖⣓⡲⠦⣤⣤⣄⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣨⡥⢆⣏⢨⠻⡘⣆⣷⡸⣸ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠐⢄⡈⠉⠉⠉⠙⠒⢂⡄⡀⠀⡄⠶⠶⠶⣂⡿⢻⢸⣷⣾⣿⢟⣵⣿ ⣤⣀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⢦⡀⢸⣤⣇⢠⡇⢰⠐⣿⡟⢰⣿⣿⠟⣫⣾⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣶⣶⣤⣤⣄⣀⣀⣀⣙⠻⢿⢿⣿⠖⢫⣾⣿⣷⢸⣿⣿⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢸⣿⣿⡆⣿⣦⡙⢿⣿⣏⣿⣿⣷⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣎⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⣿⣿⣿⢁⣿⣿⣿⣦⡙⣿⢻⣿⣿⡇⢿⣿⣿⣿ ⡝⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣜⢿⣿⣿⡿⢰⣿⣿⣿⢘⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢀⣿⣿⣿⡇⣾⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⡌⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⡙⢿⢣⣿⣿⣿⡏⣼⣧⣌⠻⢿⢣⣿⣿⣿⣿⢇⣿⣿⣿⣿

This album is bad. BAD

Ugh. It was OK, but that's the most positive thing I can say bout it.

Considering how iconic the hit is I was expecting a lot from this album and it really doesn't deliver. Disappointing.

Meh

Don't really think I needed to listen to anything more than don't you want me

Don’t u want me baaaabaaaaaayyyyy is only noteworthy song here

80s synth pop that falls short in delivering anything worth relistening to.

i can't take this shit seriously. it's a standard set up of 2 bangers and a load of filler but instead of the filler being insipid dirge it's hilarious wacky keyboard sounds form people who are super serious future goths. it was a nice move to put the bangers at the end of the album though, i think it might have made me listen to more of the album than i would have if they spaffed their load by the second track.

What Bort said

I wonder if one if the tracks influenced Josh Homme. Knew 'Don't You Want Me'

Déjà Don't you want me ça met l'ambiance y a un bon mood

Definitely grew on me. At the end of the day though, this is just not the music for me. It's just too...much...80s! I am what I am! That said, the song Seconds breaks free of the mold and is quite a lovely song about someone killing someone else (the storytelling isn't really the point here). The synths shine spectacularly, it's not overproduced, the vocal melody gives me the repetition that my basic brain craves. I'm into it. The rest, not so much.

Quintessential sound but not for me

Basic 80s album

"Sound of the crowd" first jont that wasn't totally boring. A couple decent songs right there then back to mid again, then "don't you want me", whose lyrics are much more foul than I realized!

Ok 80’s album with 1 hit that everyone knows but the lyrics are creepy

2.5

A pretty fun and simple new wave pop album. Don’t you want me is a classic song heard numerous times. I felt that this was some standard 80s pop which isn’t great pop but it’s easy to listen to. Would listen to a couple songs again but nothing too special. 5.5/10

Some interesting stuff is done with the synth on this album but generic drum machine beats, questionable vocals, and the repetive and often weak lyrics weigh this album down heavily. I'd rather listen to a D.A.R.E seminar

Lokalagið er staðfestur banger. Love action er líka ljómandi gott. Hitt er filler, stundum sæmilegt, stundum ekki. Ég er enginn svakalegur synthakall og þetta dansar á línunni fyrir mig. Held ég hlusti ekki á þessa aftur í heilu lagi.

Very repetitive and pretty bland.

I don’t want it baby

so fake for putting the good song at the end

Don't you want me couldn't save this album for me.

J'ai globalement assez peu apprécié cet album. Dès la troisième piste, alors que l'on est en train de se déplacer dans les hautes herbes, notre joueur s'immobilise et une musique se lance. Nous nous retrouvons alors face à un véritable Roucool de niveau 3. Notre Kaiminus enchainera dès lors les attaques « griffe » tandis que le Roucool répondra par des « vives-attaques » très peu efficaces. Le combat sera finalement remporté mais nous laissera sur nos gardes jusqu'à la fin de l'album.

Zep is still refining its sound and covering songs here. However, an album that includes a song like “Baby I’m Gonna Leave You” could not be considered as bad. “Good Times, Bad Times” is one of the most rocking songs in history.

Thinking about what I dislike the most: new wave or synth pop

It was okay...

Unfortunately, the only song I enjoyed was ''Don't you want me''. It's such a classic and I feel the song is better structured then the other songs. I usually enjoy the synth style of the 80's but the other song on that album just doesn't do it for me.

Some songs are not bad

New wave mania. Favorite Track: Don't You Want Me Relisten: Maybe

Vill gilla det här albumet mer än jag gör men faller inte helt på plats. Ibland spricker molnen upp och man skymtar något slags storhet bakom vad som annars är rätt mediokert. Vissa basslingor SLAPS, vilket kommuniceras med snygg mixning. Det känns lite som att lyssna på Kraftwerk, jag känner att det BORDE vara bra men klickar bara på kanske 3 låtar..

Av all bra synthpop som finns så väljer de human league? texterna är pinsamma och låtarna är inte ens catchy? Möjligtvis att don't you want me Har Något, men den är egentligen lite för långsam för att vara dansant.

The song is okay (kind of monotonous in beat/tone, for me) but I like the sentiment and really appreciate this simple truth of the opening track's chorus: Everybody needs love and adventure Everybody needs cash to spend Everybody needs love and affection Everybody needs 2 or 3 friends Fittingly, the song is called The Things That Dreams Are Made Of, and grander things are mentioned, but I think this basic list is poignant. Besides that, Don't You Want Me was really the only song that I liked.

cheesy 80's pop with the famous song at the end. didnt really vibe

Goed 80's vibeje maar zal het niet snel zelf opzetten

A single long transport to the album's best and last song.

about as 80s as it gets

Not a fan of synth pop. Not in love with the singing. But I did enjoy the lyrics and there were a few head bopping songs.

1981: Don't You Want Me Baby, Darkness

Synth-pop is wasn't into in the 80s, and still am not into it.

It was ok

Maybe it's because I'm older but I don't enjoy this as much now as I did in the 80s.

2.5

“Don’t You Want Me” is a bop but everything else was pretty boring and the vocalist delivery and style came across really monotone throughout. At the time I would suspect the synth mixed with pop was really ground breaking and interesting but now it just sounds dated.

Meh... It's about what I would have expected. Not really for me

It wasn’t bad, I just wasn’t a huge fan.

A couple of songs I remember.

Generally, this kind of 80s electric stuff is a bit of fun but not really my thing. I did enjoy parts and wouldn't be adverse to listening again but it's more for banter. Having said that, Don't You Want Me is an absolute tune and Open Your Heart is pretty good. I'm going to be slightly harsh here with a 2/5, just because there are so many albums to review but it could be a 3.

Only gave it one listen. Thought it was alright, but the singing was a bit flat and dull, the choruses weren't very punchy, and I don't think that the synth-heavy sound aged so well. But yeah when it first came out I reckon it sounded proper edgy and unique, so maybe I'd have liked it back in the day. It could grow on me with more listens but it would take a long time.

Every time sounds very similar to the one before. Last song is a classic, but what's that different about it compared to the previous 9?

A little too samey for me, singers voice is good but it all started to blend a little too much

Not for me!

Tried to like it, but it’s just *so* boring. Would’ve been 1 star until the last song. Guess that means I want you, Dare! OhhhhWoahhhhh

1.5 - pretty dull melodies, basic lyrics. may have been good for its day. nothing stands out.

Not the best album but a fun 80s sound. And of course you can’t forget the banger don’t you want me

Do or die

Some fun sounds but new wave is... pretty lame

Idée intéressante et sûrement très innovante pour l'époque mais vraiment dépassée.

The big hit at the end is great but I found the whole thing a bit flat and dull, probably more into rock music these days than the synth sound.

Did not care for this at all. Very boring.

Groundbreaking at the time but, the singles apart, nothing here to get too excited about these days. Definitely of its time.

One good song does not make an album. Very 80s

Kuin olis katsonut pornoa ilman kuvaa?

Because of the ‘don’t you want me’ this album transcends decades. But every other song is bad.

overal i find the album kind of boring

Banebrydende elektronisk pop, synthesizer, 80’er

Not even my app time favorite song can save this from being a dud

Pretty good synth-pop. Don't you want me baby hit

The author of this book shouldn't have been allowed to add so much of this fucking late 70s/early 80s new wave post punk pop garbage... I mean sure it was big at the time but it all just sounds the fucking same and he's only got 1001 albums to fit in here... surely all this new wave is taking up space better albums could've had... 2/5 because that's as low as I want to go unless it's actively fucking awful. This stuff is never downright awful, just annoying.

Bad streak lately

interesting…

I was never a fan of Don’t You Want Me. Turns out it was the “best” song on the album.

I would falsely confess to having committed an unsolved murder and endure a life sentence in prison just to ensure I never have to hear this again.

What actually killed Lester Bangs? Was it the opioids? Or listening to this, making him want to take a bunch of opioids?

Nope - plain old 80's synth pop. yawn

snark

Really hate this genre

Not for me

The first time I listened to this I put it in my top 50. Now, I’m wondering how his voice is so annoying. He needs to be kicked out, and that girl should become the lead singer.

⭐ Inte min grej. Bara tråkigt. Skulle klarat mig från att ha hört detta album och kommer inte lyssna på det igen.

most 80s album ever. some of the songs had a weird predator vibe to them.... savior complex... just an unpleasant vibe. a controlling man who thinks too highly of himself. "Success has been so easy for you But don't forget it's me who put you where you are now And I can put you back down too" and "You're lucky I care For fools like you You're lucky I'm there To stop people doing the things That you know they're dying to do You know I am no stranger I know rules are a bore But just to keep you from danger I am the law"

Listened to each song for as long as I could stand the vocals. Never got through a whole track...

This is not my type of music

Fuuuck The Human League.

Vocals were not my favorite

Just listen to Depeche Mode.

Hate this

My 100th 1/5 rating. This really wasn't enjoyable. It's like a really bad mix of Kraftwerk and Joy Division.

I imagine that this album sounded like the future when it was released. But this album is a stack of cold, digital sounds that attempt to be a facsimile of music, while never really getting there. There was one track, perhaps Seconds, late in the album that had a warmth of decent modern electronic music. Otherwise, the rest of this album, including Don't You Want Me, is an easy pass for me.

Try tried it, but couldn't finish it. I didn't like it.

Repetitive synthy drivel, last track is good though

"Don't You Want Me"? - no

i’m not a fan of synth pop

so ein Plastik-Scheiß!

I don't like this genre/style of music. The instrumentation sounds dated and i don't think the natural vocals fit the artificial sound of the synth. That said imo the group really masters the sound they have.

This was bad. I’ll start with a positive being the production is great for the time and that’s the only thing I liked. Other than that this was just a guy talking over great instrumentals and ruining the whole album. Every song just a guy who can’t sing and thinks he can. This is similar to how Leonard Cohen can’t sing but some how worse. Wish I never heard this and shouldn’t be on the list. 3.8

Rubbish

Oh man. Dear god why? Awful. Is this album the reason 80s pop is so bad? Are they to blame? Nearly unlistenable. This list sucks.

It's not a good sign when the first song on an album bores me this much. It'd not weird that people older than me dismiss all synth music on principle if this was what it sounded like when they grew up. Actual garbage. Putting the only half decent song at the end is a weird choice as well.

I hate that song! HATE! Until today, I never knew the name of the band that shat that song into the world. Thanks I guess?

Crappy 80’s pop

Trash

No, I don't want you

not my kind of sound.

Not for me. 1/5

Absolutely terrible sounds, we can all be glad that this era of music is now gone. Never again.

np

There is 1 good song on this album, and you already know what it is. The rest sounds like it was written by 12 year olds who just learned a few chords on a keyboard. As for influence, it’s possible that this album was a breakthrough to the genre of wingey, woe-is-me, nihilist British bands that I truly despise. So, negative credit on the influence score. Don’t need to hear this album again and didn’t need to hear the whole thing the first time. It’s a 1

Honestly the album has been pretty unlistenable, the beats and voice are so cliche 80s for me it’s not my vibe. I like “dont you want me” but outside of that I really don’t want to listen again. I’ll do a 1 out of 5, with the exception of the one song.

1 stern

That's not my taste in music - Boring

I thought this band was a one hit wonder. Only really heard the one song from them, and it seems to at least be the one song that survived the test of time, according to streaming numbers. I don't particularly like their biggest hit so I'm coming at this with low expectations. Hope the rest of the album delivers something interesting. The Things That Dreams Are Made Of Starting off with a clunky title. Extremely 80's. The synths sound kinda cheesy, especially the bass. Robotic and monotone vocal performance. Awkward chorus. The high pitched synths on the chorus don't sound particularly good. Matching the clunkiness of its title. Did not like. 2/5 Open Your Heart The vocal melody is honestly just unpleasant. Hate the whistly synths. Pretty empty sounding even with the synths playing disharmonicaly in the background. Messy mix. Awkward composition. The chorus doesn't go anywhere. Unpleasant. 1.5/5 The Sound Of The Crowd Immediately annoying as soon as it starts. Background instrumental sounds like a rejected YMO b-side made in a drunken stupor. The vocals have a bit of that 80's charm to the them. Another nothing chorus, lacks any punch whatsoever. Holds very little value. 1.5/5 Darkness With how cliché this song sounds I'm not suprised that I'd think this was a parody if I didn't know any better. Empty sounding instrumental. Messy composision and a cheesy chorus. The insturmental break sounds sort of decent. Did not like. 2/5 Do or Die I don't wanna hear a 5 minute track from this thing. This has to be experienced to be believed. The instrumental is strange... The bassline is sort of passable. The verses are kinda unhinged, and the chorus sort of sucks. The extended instrumental passage has some groove to it, when the chorus comes back at the end it almost sounds good. Confusing. 2.5/5 Get Carter That high pitched synth at the is earpiercingly loud. For the first time in 44 albums I had to turn my volume down. Should come with a warning. 1/5 I Am The Law The synths create an atmospheric landscape. Some of the effects are a bit cheesy. Reminds me of a shitty rejected Japan track. Singer sounds somewhat like a budget David Sylvian minus rverything that makes him great. Failed experiment, ends up being quite a slog to get through. Turn it off. 1.5/5 Seconds Decent transition. Stock sounding instrumental. Same boring monotone delivery. Hopelessly boring, repetitive and overly long. Absolutely pointless. 1/5 Love Action (I Believe in Love) Sounds like a parody. Headache inducing. The vocals make me wanna bash my head against the wall, bores me to tears. I think I've been Stockholm syndrome'd into liking the main synth riff. Brainwashing music. Get me out. 1/5. Don't You Want Me One of the most overplayed songs on every 80's pop station. A more annoying song than this is hard to come by. I hate the lyrics, I hate the annoying background synth that keeps going for the entire song. I can't stand the chorus. The female vocal part is somehow worse than the male one. Don't You Want To Turn It Off. If I could give it a 0 I would. Turbo shit. 1/5 I can't stand this. This is honestly baffling. I have to look really hard to find anything enjoyable in here. The inclusion of "Don't You Want Me" almost automatically qualifies it for 1/5 stars. Dated beyond belief. Terrible sounding synth effects. Extremely basic songs, those who aren't completely fail, coming off as either disjointed messes or boring slogs. I usually really like synth pop, but this just does not do it for me. Genuinely one of the worst experiences I've had with an album listening to it front to back. Glad it's over. 1/5 Fave track. N/A Least fave track. Don't You Want Me

More 80's than anything else on the planet besides VHS. Good thing we've learned a bit since then.

not good

No. Just no. 1

literally couldn't even finish this.

Lifeless songs spiced with cheezy synths and affected vocals makes up a hearty shit stew...dig deep and eat your fill...

Thinking of dropping out of this list because this doesn’t fit the criteria in my opinion. More like 1001 albums to avoid

If ever there were a record that didn't deserve an exclamation point in its title, it would be this one. And even the band must not have been convinced, because it doesn't seem to appear on the album cover.* "Everyone needs love and adventure / Everyone needs cash to spend" might be the most obvious lyric of all time. Perfectly '80s and perfectly awful. 1.5 but rounding down because of having to endure "Don't You Want Me" at least one million times in one's teen years (couldn't have been good for cognitive development) and is certain to hear it least 100 more times in the future, which is approximately 100 times too many. (*The Human League Wiki [shudder to think there is such a thing] explains how record co added it for US release but not all covers have the "!")

This is not good. The singing is very not good. The instrumentals function as a break from the vocals, but they themselves are also not good. I thought I was starting to like a song (Seconds), but then it just kept going. The instruments on that song are actually good! But it was like 2 minutes too long. Even Don't You Want Me is not actually that good. It is the best song on the album, but the verses are hot garbage. But the pre-chorus and the chorus are kinda boppin. It does also go just a smidge too long though. Ultimately, the best part of this album though, is when it's over and you don't have to listen to it anymore. Favorite Song(s): Don't You Want Me

Horrible flashbacks to early-mid 80's, synths of the time were everywhere. Horrible! The tsunami of synth-pop. The horror! I did not remember how simple and one layered this music actually is, I'm sure it got better, but I still shiver just remembering their latter hits, which were all over music channels on a perpetual loop (while I do awcknowledge there where a lot less videos to put in said loop). For old school synth stuff, give me Jarre, Vangelis and Kraftwerk, this I can not stand.

Boring album

This was annoying lol. The first song felt like a parody. The rest was just goofy and not my thing.

One OK hit and a load of packing.

Classic 80s nonsense. Not my bag.

I get it, they had one song that just slaps. But much of the rest of this was just annoying AF.

Not for me. Early 80s music

Trash

With the exception of Don’t You Want Me this is absolutely awful.

80s generally suck

This was synth madness. And not in a good way.

nebavilo, nedoposlouchal

This might be the 80s est of all 80s albums… It’s not for me, I got bored and moved on.

Euro synthpop trash.

More uk trash

I remember classical pop music from the early eighties. If I remember correctly, I already found it boring back then. That hasn't changed to this day. I'm not wasting my time listening to it again. 1/5

Horrible

Oh, THIS is why people hate the 80's. I get it now.

Synths as thin as paper dolls, with the songwriting to match.

Usually a band like this would put the hit first. Ballsy leaving it for the end of the record.

I stopped caring about 3 songs in

Stop letting the British make music

80s bullshit. Don't You Want Me is a banger though, and could have brought the album to a 2 if not for that awful album cover

non mi è piaciuto... non sono riuscita ad ascoltarlo tutto

One good song.

Couldnt finish

Why is this album even on this list?

as a rule I hate 80's synth music, this album did nothing to change my mind

No me gusta. Antiguo. Mucho sintetizador. No. Conozco las canciones de peliculas como mannequen

Couldn’t do it…skipped til I found their one hit from 1981.

my 6 year old sister could write better lyrics

1. the thingz - 0 2. open your heart - 0 3. the zound of the crouud - 1 4. darknezz - 1 5. do or die - 0 6. get carter - 0 7. i am the lauu - 0 8. zecondz - 1 9. love action - 0 10. dont you uuant me - 1.5

Do not enjoy this

Doesn't do it for me.

I Dare! you to listen to this album ... ... because it's boring :( 0/5 if it were possible

Meh. 80s AI pop. One decent song that was a hit, the rest cheap bubblegum used to fill the gaps. No need to revisit this one.

Despite what everyone seems to think the 80s really were a dark time for music. Absolutely unlistenable garbage

There is so much 80s electronic pop on this list. In my opinion, there is some good to come out of this genre, such as Tears For Fears. This record is certainly not that. Maybe this type of music isn't for me. It just sounds so bad and lifeless.

Ваще не выкупила прикола......

Boring. Not until the last track did they show any life, passion, or variety, which made a great single and exposed the rest of the album in even worse light.

I imagine this is what people have no choice but to listen to in places like Guantanamo Bay.

no

No. No more lamé 80’s synths. I’m done. Again, an album that’s here just because a one hit wonder. Fuck off.

Hell no. Just no. What is this garbage? Gross. No.

Meh. One good song and the rest is either them trying to sound like Devo, or them trying to sound the like The Cure trying to sound like Devo. It's like that period of the 80's new wave all had the same producer who couldn't get out of their own way.

Hated it from the first note - until the last song which, admittedly, is catchy. But it also always made me feel dirty. It's such a creepy-stalker song. "Don't forget it's me who put you where you are now / and I can put you back down too"? "You better change your mind or we will both be sorry"? Gross.

A terriblely good example of how bad the 80s could get when it really tried. Less this and more Sparks please and thank you. Have come to the unfortunate realisation that Don't You Want Me Baby was a fluke, and on reflection (or at least in the context of it's album) not a very good song in the first place.

Crappy synth pop. Lousy singer. And a song that I loathe. Great combo.

That was so hard to listen to and none of it was enjoyable. God, I hate early 1980’s synth-pop type music.

Es war nicht alles schlecht in den Achtzigern. Das hier allerdings ist sehr schlecht. Depeche Mode für ganz Arme. Don’t You Want Me ist der einzig gute Song.

I don’t like the eighties unless it’s ladyhawk

This is the kind of electronic music that people hear, and then they decide they don't like electronic music and write off the genre.

Seguramente tuvo alguna importancia para el desarrollo de la música y sentó el precedente de algo y tal, pero fuera de la canción muy muy conocida, este disco no me dejó nada.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was bothering me about Dare! until it finally hit me on the eighth track, ‘Seconds.’ Vocalist Philip Oakey, who was also involved in the collaborative writing of most of the songs, seems to be more of an observer than a participant of life. Or, at least he’s a very passive participant. The song following ‘Seconds,’ ‘Love Action (I Believe in Love)’ states as much: ‘I love your love action. Lust’s just a distraction. No talking, just looking. Watching your love action.’ On the opening track, detailing his list of things that dreams are made of- ‘like fun and money and food and love’- he manages somehow to, well, take the fun out of fun. No doubt it’s the purposefully monotonous synthesized music and vocals, the utter lack of dynamics, or instrumental solos, or a bridge, or some kind of deviation from what was just played on the song before, not to mention that one to follow. To be fair, there were two that were different, the first two on side two- ‘Get Carter,’ an odd instrumental played slowly, one note at a time, and ‘I Am the Law,’ an equally odd song void of percussion. I think it was meant to be a ‘thank you’ to the police for protecting us from the evil deeds of criminals, but it didn’t exactly exude gratitude. Philip and the League, true to form, just sounded bored. The German pioneers of this kind of danceable electronic music, Kraftwerk, are never going to win any awards themselves for stage presence (although they do offer some very interesting and creative surrounding visual accompaniments in concert), but their music does successfully communicate emotion and heart, even if in a stereotypically ‘cool’ German fashion. I’m a fan. So, maybe its because The Human League are likewise stereotypically stoic British mates simply keeping a stiff upper lip and all that rot; but, its confusing when on the first and second songs of Dare! the listener is encouraged, at least lyrically, to ‘Do all the things you’ve ever dared,’ and ‘Open your heart. Dare to feel,’ but to a sound that hardly conveys adventure, or passion, or any emotion at all other than apathy. Weird that they named themselves The Human League. Inside joke? Satire, perhaps? I don’t get it. Some of the songs did contain some melodic hooks, so important to pop music, so I’ll give ‘em that. But I dare you to try and find any kind of soul on Dare! I sure couldn’t.

Y'a peut être des albums qui méritent plus d'être sur cette liste quand même..... A bon entendeur..

No.

D sög? Lite (lite) bättre mot slutet men början av plattan var helt värdelös? Hade gärna levt klart mitt liv utan att höra denna.

Kolejny raz wyspy brytyjkie pokazuja, ze moze byc jeszcze gorzej jesli chodzi o brzmienie lat 80 i synthowe urojenia popowe, bo dare jest wlasnie uosobieniem wszystkiego co wzbudza we mnie muzyczne obrzydzenie, na blisko 41 minutach udalo sie zawrzec tak wiele, a jednak tak niewiele, muzyka oparta wylacznie na elektronicznym brzmieniu z wokalem, ktory brzmi jak kazdy inny meski wokal, ktory jest wspierany dwoma zenskimi glosami tworzy mieszanke tak nudna, ze przesluchanie tych 40 minut stanowilo jedno z najtrudniejszych listowych wyzwan, ciezko mi znalezc pozytywne aspekty tego picka, moze tylko, ze jednak album sie konczy i piec minut po zakonczonym odsluchu czlowiek nie ma pojecia co go tak ogluszalo przez ostatnie 40 minut

There's 80's and then there's "the most 80's singing ever over the background of a Casio keyboard". Stereotypical, in a bad way.

Just another typical 80’s vibe. Nothing special but it wasn’t grating.

I gave it an honest try but most of this record veered between obnoxious and forgettable. “Don’t You Want Me” is a fine single of its era, but it’s obviously the only track they seemed to focus on, everything else is under-written and poorly produced. Or maybe this era of synth pop isn’t for me. Either way this record turned me off.