Colour By Numbers

Sounds like a poster child for the 80s

I grew up with Culture Club being a guilty pleasure. The guilt is gone.

Yeah, this is fine, I guess. Karma Chameleon is part of the cultural furniture, and Church of the Poisoned Mind and That’s The Way are great 60s Soul throwbacks, a feeling a lot of the album has. Beyond that, though, it’s not really standing out.

Nope. Not wasting my time.

Not quite as terrible as I thought it was going to be. Some variety in the songs. Unnecessary saxophone solos on every track. Derivative. Trite lyrics. But Boy George has a lovely voice.

Sometimes you should just. Listen to a good single. And leave it there

Definitely enjoyed this more than I thought although it isnt my thing. Some good singles. A nice piece of very 80s pop.

Karma Chameleon is firmly in my top 10 least favourite songs and giving it anything higher than a 1 wouldn't sit right with me.

The first impression the album gives is of a not so good one, and the only very catchy song is Karma Chameleon; but if you pay attention to it and really give it the time to listen to the songs, it shows some interesting and well made songs. It's good to point out that some songs sound similar, with not too much going on, but overall it's a good album.

Fun and groovy, can get REALLY annoying at certain times

Another day with the 1001 albums list, another problematic artist. Do we set anside all of Boy George’s heinous acts to view the music objectively? Sure. But we haven’t forgotten! Also, other people worked hard on this album, not just him. This album has some bops, but ultimately is pretty schmaltzy.

Wasn’t particularly a fan back in the 80’s and listening to the album now hasn’t changed that. Not terrible but not terribly good either.

This is so kitsch… I love it.

“Karma Chameleon” was an early favorite of mine and was a big part of me realizing that 80s pop songs are awesome. It’s still a very fun song and gets stuck in your head all day, almost as soon as you see the title. The rest of this album is decent 80s pop. A lot of the songs get repetitive, repeating the chorus over and over again. But as soon as I was wanting some new element, those soulful backing vocals kicked in. That was a cool, surprising addition to the sound.

Awesome pop fun flamboyant record. It's vibrant and full of songs that make you smile. "Karma Chameleon" is a bonafide 1980's hit. I love the ridiculous harmonica and how soft the overall feel of everything is. Great little record with a true smash hit for the decade it was released.

This is your friendly little PSA that Boy George once beat a prostitute

Like it 3/5

80er Pop

Nostalgia in record form. And a pretty great pop album to boot. Favorites: It's a Miracle, Miss Me Blind Would I listen to it again: Yes

soulful pop

So nostalgic.

This was ok except the backing vocal on Black money it was awful, tuneless and really annoying

excited for this one bcs i love karma chameleon and tbis might be the first fucking upbeat/pop album on here 😭 its all been country/folk and the dullest rock it’s a miracle sounds so michael jackson love miss me blind the synths(?) sound so modern i don’t have the heart to rate this any higher. i need to learn to stop looking forward to albums based on their best song

Not bad.

I didn’t have high hopes and my gut was right on this occasion. Boy George had enough charisma to give us a reason to kind of give a shit about this trash slop spread over 10 tracks. It’s barely a one hit wonder too because Karma Chameleon is pretty fucking stupid and I hate that I still go along with it. It’s comparable to that dumbass Cars For Kidz commercial with the ear worm jingle. This was dumb, what a dumb addition to this list. 2 stars

Best Song: Karma Chameleon. And least this one has a bit of a swing to it, with a catchy (albeit bubblegum) chorus. Worst Song: Victims. Would it be an 80s pop album if it wasn't interrupted by an overwrought Disney-esque ballad? Overall: The perfect distillation of the type of slick, overly polished 80s music that I really dislike. I can discern that there is talent here - from the performance to the production - but that doesn't change how over-polished it feels to me. And I just don't know what to do with music like this. It isn't groovy enough to make you want to move or dance, it isn't earnest enough to elicit any emotional response. Music for feeling nothing. Music for disassociations.

Good stuff from back in the day.

Nah, annoying 80’s pop, not my jam. Karma was ok but only out of familiarity, the rest was skippable.

A fine, but not too remarkable 80s album.

Really Great!

I actually think that there are some well written tunes on this album. But, they kinda suffer from poor arranging and performance. Karma Chameleon has its moments but it sounds a little thin and cheesy. Changing Every Day has this sly progression, but it's presented as a fast kinda rock/bossa hybrid. Doesn't work for me. It's a Miracle has a really good song buried under a track lacking in tight playing and good production. Black Money is well written, but what the hell is the bassist doing? Either playing the same thing wrong over and over again or playing a bad arrangement perfectly. Most of the album is like that. That's The Way was a straight dud for me. I would have liked to hear these songs performed by someone else, cuz I do think they've got the potential to be really good. Back half starting with Miss Me Blind is a little less mismatched, the performances get a little more solid there.

As colorful and ahead of his time as Boy George looked when this album came out, that colour did translate to the music he made. The music found here is dated and cheesy. 'Karma Chameleon' is a guilty pleasure. Everything else is forgettable. The opening melody of 'It's A Miracle' sounds like something you would find on a Kunt and the Gang song. The saxophones on this album sets the instrument back years as something you would associate with tacky eighties pop music. Adding soul singers does not mean your music has soul. This is vapid pop music. The hooks are repetitive, and Boy George isn't a compelling vocalist or lyricist. This is mercyfuly short and it is inoffensive enough to not get irritating. The band lack both the bite and innovation that you could find in other new wave bands.

Favorite Track: Karma Chameleon

I still like Karma Chameleon despite having listened to it 1000's of times. Reminds me of staying with my much older cousin in the 80's when it came out and he had the 7 inch and kept playing it for me and my sister as we fecking loved it. Rest of the album is a fairly strong pass.

Colour by Numbers I really love Church of the Poisoned Mind, and despite Karma Chameleon being school discoed / 80s playlisted to the point of background music, it’s clearly an excellently and skillfully tooled reggae lilted new-wave banger. It’s a Miracle continues in that reggae-pop vein and is also incredibly catchy and also very school disco. But I wasn’t expecting so much of the rest of it to be so soul influenced, which, bearing in mind COTPM is heavily inspired by Uptight, I probably should have. Black Money, Changing Every Day, That’s the Way and Victims all stand out in this regard. It also feels a lot like Wham!/George Michael in places, particularly the 2nd side run from Miss Me Blind of Victimes. George and George both share similar vocal tones, and if you heard Miss Me Blind on the radio it could quite easily be mistaken for either artist. It’s on the cusp of 3 and 4. It’s a far more interesting album than the ubiquity of Karma Chameleon would suggest, and there are some excellent tracks in KC, COTPM, Black Money, and Miss Me Blind. But despite it’s soulfulness I do think it drifts a little at the back end after Miss Me Blind, Mister Man and Stormkeeper feeling like they get a bit lost. I’ll definitely come back, but I’m not sure I’ll come back enough for it to be a 4, so I’ll go with a very high 3. 🎨🔢🦎 Playlist submission: Church of the Poisoned Mind

The biggest achievement of this album is not to be overshadowed by the ubiquitous perfect pop of the undeniably great 'Karma Chameleon'. There is enough blue-eyed soul meets funk meets pop, to more than hold its own. Following Sam Cooke it can come across as a little feeble at times, but certainly revels in its camp poppiness. 'The Church of the Poison Mind' is a bona fide banger, which expertly melds Stock-Aitken-Waterman influencing pop with Motown (and was ripped off by Wham). In fact the influence on George Michael feels significant, also with the ballad 'That's the Way'. This sort of album could come off so badly, ersatz soul; but its love of Motown and pop combine very well in the era of new-wave.

First listen

Catchy pop but too 80s

Dodgy 80s pop.

I actively hated listening to this

Its cool, there are some essential 80s vibe bangers on this. Its also incredibly dated sounding. What did this album do that qualifies it as something you need to hear before you die? No one knows. Other than being in an 80s playlist mix I find it hard to believe anyone is sitting at work right now pining for the time they can finally get home and crank out some Culture Club.

Didn't age well. Didn’t like it much at the time, either.

normie music but good

Not a bad album, but not my thing really at all. One thing I did appreciate was the musicality, the bassline on stormkeeper was a highlight

Lots of soft rock here. Soft rock and that 80s sax. At least it has Karma Chameleon.

This is a solid 3 if there ever was one

Ok overall. No stand out favorites except Karma C.

Love karma chameleon but wasn’t really into the rest of the album

3/27/26 - listened while driving to golf. It was downhill after the first song. Seems like generic 80s music. Only giving it 3 stars but tempted to take away a star due to how poorly I golfed. Top Song - Karma Camellion

First song straight up I’m at the 80s disco wow. PLS LET ME GO TO A DISCO NOW. This is so mix of George Michael and Frankie Goes to Hollywood I adore . Changing Every Day is so fabbbbb wow I LOVE! So far the whole album is just an amazing journey that I don’t want to end it’s so joyful and full of colors, perfect for summer. Mystery Boyyyyy hold me everyone my hips are going crazy Romance Revisited was such a sweet ending, no lyrics but a beautiful melody like an end of the movie I loved this !!

pas mal mais très redondant

Yes throwback!

1/2

I'm not quite sure but I think that I bought this album back then. Surprised that I know so many tracks from this album. On the other hand, several tracks sound quite similar, but not the boring way. +1 for its culture impact in that decade.

New Wave isnt a big thing for me. Obviously the first track is incredibly well known. The next two weren't bad but not really my jam. Didn't realize Boy George was in this band.

Catchy. Helen Terry's backing vocals really bring the juice. Had no idea Jermaine Stewart did vocals with them too.

love 80s music

I laughed when this came up because I think of Boy George as more of a pop cultural figure than a musician that would show up on a list like this. But once I got into it I realized how much I liked it all: the warmth, the harmonies, and yes even the 80s production. I was too young to be there but it was all still floating through the ether when I came of age musically so I still get a sense of nostalgia. Anyway, not something I will probably listen to again any time soon but perhaps less likely to skip it when it shows up on the radio or a playlist.

Startede ok festligt, men ikke rigtigt noget ved i længden.

Entretenido el álbum. Buen pop metieron la verdad. Y no se hace extenso. Va justo a lo que tiene que ir. 6/10

Absolutely harmless 80s-pop. Doing exactly what it sets out to do, providing an upbeat 45 minutes or so, and achieving a charting single. Not really seeing a point to its inclusion, but there have been worse on this list.

for some reason it pisses me off but maybe i’m just in a bad mood. really do not want to keep listening.

He's a good singer. Pleasant enough but washes over you.

Not really for me although loved them back in the day

karma karma karma karma karma chameleon 💅🏻

I hate Karma Kameleon. Couldn’t get through the first three songs

“Karma karma karma chameleon”

I got really tired of the singles from this group when they came out, but I actually enjoyed this album more than I expected to. It's pop, fluff, but still fun and worth listening to.

Albums that are one good single should not be on this list.

A bit more depth to their music than a lot of other bands from that era. I remember the hits, but the “deep cuts” are really good, too.

Jazzy sound and a lot of fun, with little effort going into the lyrics.

Frankly forgot how much fun some of this music is!

It was okay, not the most interesting, a little boring. Probably not interesting enough for me to revisit.

So much better music from this era. Dated and downright cheesy at times. 1 - doesn't belong on this list

The singing of both Boy George and the backing singer were great. Everything else I found pretty drively.

I like Karma Chameleon.

★★★½

Tiesin entuudestaan vain Karma Chameleonin ja se onkin hyvä biisi. Colour by Numbers on ihan kelpo poplevy kasarilta, muttei tarjoa mitään ihmeellistä. En osaa sanoa ansaitseeko tämä paikkansa 1001-listalla, mutta kyllähän tämä kuvastaa omaa aikaansa.

Enne kuulamist arvasin, et "Karma Chameleon" on plaadil ainuke hea lugu ja ülejäänud tuleb selline tüüpiline piinarikas britpop. Aga assa kurat, täitsa huvitavad lood, pädev laulmine ja head vokaalharmooniad taustalauljatega. 3.8/5

Had heard only “Karma chameleon” upon receiving this. I suppose the second half is somewhat better than the first.

A colourful and cheery way to start my day, Karma Chameleon is a pop classic and along with that, there are some decent songs that occupy the first half of this album. Unfortunately, the longer the album goes on the soppier it becomes, there are some positive messages but delivered in a way that is completely naff, I’m looking at you Melting Pot. It’s nearly an hour long, that’s a lot of filler.

Listenable. I will say listenable.

The other reviews are saying it well. karma chameleon is an earworm hit. The rest is all 80s lite. Boy George was a courageous cultural dude but his album is just a British milk toast version of the time.

it was okay--good bg noise and i really liked 'miss me'

1001 albums that would make you pray for the sweet release of death. Absolute garbage.

Gear: INAWAKEN Twilight-DS Artwork: ️ 🟪🟧🟦 Production (Remastered): 🙂‍↕️🧼🪩 Music: 🫧🧠👋 Rating: 🟥🟨(🟩)/5

Почему-то напомнило 60е, возможно у меня галлюцинации

У меня были скорее заниженные ожидания, поэтому начало после той самой песни показалось интересным, но все же не мой звук, так что хватило где-то на треть альбома, и дальше все просто в пустоту. Хотя все же это не было плохо, просто средне.

Кармакармакармакармакарма хамилиоооооооон. Когда я слышу эту песню, в моей душе что-то восстанавливается. New wave forever.

Поп-музыка 80ых за пределами хитов (и то ко многим тоже есть вопросы) - это место работы ассенизатора. "Colour By Numbers" один из миллиарда однотипных альбомов, где есть главный хит, а дальше пустота, которую остается только перетерпеть. Еще и обложка ужасная.

Лучшая песня: Karma Chameleon Худшая: That's the way Последние три песни были норм. Там, где завывает женщина - просто ужас

karma хорошо, но глобально не зашел альбом, возможно были завышенные ожидания, 3.5

Ни разу не слышала музыку этой группы сознательно, возможно, только на квизах. Поняла из рецензий ребят, что Карма Хамелеон - хит до сих пор. Но полагаю, что сейчас просто никто не может продраться дальше первого трека на альбоме. Ретро Европоп - отдельная форма пытки для меня, а обложки Culture Club - отдельный ор.

Приятный нью вейв. За исключением главного хита интересного мало, но слушается хорошо.

Better than expected. I think it stands up over time as it's more R&B/Soul than new wave or pop.

For as bright and colorful as the cover is, something just felt flat overall with this record. Particularly the voice. Not a bad voice just flat and not vibrant. I mean total pop album and had massive hits. Give me Duran Duran over this any day. Boring.

I bought this recently on vinyl for $5 and that feels like it's a fair price. I like this weird British early to mid-80s white soul, and Karma Chameleon still slaps, but otherwise pleasant if not great.

No es de lo peor de los 80, pero no se merece demasiadas escuchas.

Meh

“Karma Chameleon” and “Church Of The Poisoned Mind” are two of the greatest songs from the 1980s. The rest of the album was just okay. Helen Terry’s background vocals got a little annoying on some songs.

Certified one-hit wonder. 2.5/5

nah

Didn’t like this when it came out. 40 years on it’s even worse than I remember. Some points but it’s the production that really lets it down. Even a great song like church of the poisoned mind has really weak production - it’s needs to punch and it doesn’t.

"Karma Chameleon" opens the album. Bold decision, as it immediately falls back to the standard British new wave glook median.

Bad then, worse now. 1

Pretty fun. 3.5 goin down though.

Fun party music with a somewhat tropical vibe

Cheesy over-polished pop rubbish. Didn’t even make it to the end.

A genuine UK soul classic. Look beyond the brilliant pop, and you have a stunning voice that doesn't hold back with the emotions. Some of the duets with Helen Terry raise the levels of heartbreak further. Black Money pulls at the emotions. As the album title suggests, Colour By Numbers is a melting pot of what brought the band to where they were at the time. They're proud of their UK soul, reggae, pop backgrounds. They're all on show here, often at the same time. A classy, heartfelt, mainstream album.

so deeply 80s - some songs were good but some felt just so generic 80s - gotta love the look of the album cover

When I want to get an earworm stuck in my spouse's head, "Karma Chameleon" is my go-to track. It's such a well-crafted pop song. I'm old enough (b. 1972) to remember when Culture Club burst onto the scene. Boy George's cross-dressing queerness was anathema to an era of hyper-masculinity. In many ways he paved a path for, if not acceptance, then visibility. Mostly passable pop; nothing spectacular.

So many albums on this start off with their best song and this one is no exception. Some decent album tracks on here. Big respect to Boy George et al for living authentically "Don't let them tell you that this love is wrong"

The production and vocals are superb but most of the songs are pretty meh, definitely not essential listening

Not really for me. Pretty simple instrumentals and Boy George doesn't have a very commanding presence on this imo. Some ok bops but not a particularly strong album experience. 2/5

Trying to listen to these albums objectively, but this one is hard to separate from the many parodies, memes and gags this band has been of a part of. Ehh didn’t like it

I guess bro

The balance of this wasn’t quite right for me. Obvs some hits but otherwise it felt like either the vocals or instruments were overpowering the other.

Hot take - Karma chameleon is so Australian coded, tell me a song that better conjures the feeling of being outside on a hot summer day, and then coming in to watch some free to air 90s/00s tv with a Calippo. Real evocative musical imagery from this English band that strikes a chord deep within me and I will not be paying attention to any other actual lyrics or meaning!! I always like the fun bounciness of New Wave bands so enjoyed the album tracks I had not heard before. Mystery boy went off, and Romance Revisited was such an unexpected but fun, camp end.

After all these years I still don’t know what a karma chameleon is.

sounded quite dated and uninspired version of the 80s where the songs never quite took off I really expected this to be more enjoyable than it was it briefly got better around Miss Me Blind but not enough. also Romance Revisited was a nice song to finish on even if it originally wasn’t part of the album and felt like it shared almost no sonic DNA with the rest of it

Karma Chameleon is good because it has a sick harmonica riff. The rest of these songs do not have a sick harmonica riff and therefore are not good.

> flying through Miami Beach in a car with doors that open not like this > **limply mimes a regular passenger car door opening** > but with doors that open like this > **enthusiastically thrashes hands in the a chaotic whirl** > fuck yeah 2 stars

First time hearing Boy George, and I gotta say, I love when the voice doesn't match the body. There's something about that disconnect that just works. For some parts, this felt like boyband-type music... until Church of the Poison Mind. That choir background? The instrumental? Perfect. Same goes for Mister Man and Mystery Boy. The lyrics are decent too, nothing groundbreaking, but they serve their purpose. But here's the thing... it's missing that something to make it wow, you know? It's good. Solid. But it's too reminiscent of other '80s work to really stand out on its own. Romance Revisited is the best one. Truly beautiful, I love instrumental tracks, and that one hit different. Boy George's voice is the standout, genuinely nice. The production is tight, the backing vocals are on point, and there are moments of real brilliance. But the album plays it safe in a decade full of safe playing. Good, not groundbreaking. The thing is... it's good. Well done and perfectly curated, but lacks depth. Decent, but not a capolavoro. A perfectly nice album I'll probably forget in a week, except for Romance Revisited.

It's a bop.

Terrible

Hog master

Better than expected. I like the funky vibes mixed with intentional lyricism.

I couldn't listen to this when I was younger. It's good though.

This was fine. Didn’t really stand out much. Karma Chameleon remains ‘a bop’

En 1983, j’avais 13 ans. C'est l'âge où l'on est une éponge, l'âge où ce qui passe à la télé devient la vérité absolue. Et cette année-là, la vérité portait des tresses, un grand chapeau et une robe de chambre. Il est impossible d’aborder cet album sans avoir immédiatement les images du Mississippi, du bateau à aubes et des tricheurs de poker qui remontent à la surface. "Karma Chameleon", rien que le titre déclenche un réflexe pavlovien. Cette petite mélodie d’harmonica synthétique, joyeuse, sautillante, presque agaçante, c’est la définition même du tube radioactif. C'est le genre de morceau qui te rentre dans le crâne le matin et qui refuse de payer son loyer jusqu'au soir. C’est de la pop calibrée pour plaire à tout le monde, de la ménagère au gamin que j’étais, fasciné par ce chanteur dont on ne savait pas trop s'il était un homme ou une femme, et qui s'en amusait royalement. Mais réduire Colour By Numbers à ce seul tube serait une erreur de débutant. Une fois qu'on a passé l'épreuve de force du "Karma", il faut bien admettre que la production de cet album est un modèle du genre. C'est lisse, c'est brillant, ça glisse tout seul. Steve Levine, aux manettes, a sculpté un son "blue-eyed soul" d'une propreté clinique. C’était les débuts de l’ère numérique grand public, et ça s’entend : tout est net, précis, chaque instrument est à sa place, sans le moindre grain de poussière pour enrayer la machine. L'album démarre fort, non pas avec le caméléon, mais avec une énergie contagieuse qui parcourt des titres comme "Church of the Poison Mind". Et là, il faut rendre à César ce qui est à César : la réussite de ce disque ne repose pas uniquement sur les épaules frêles de Boy George. Il y a une arme secrète, une voix qui vient contrebalancer la douceur androgyne du leader : Helen Terry. Sur ce morceau, elle est impériale car elle apporte une puissance, une rage gospel qui donne un coup de fouet salvateur à l'ensemble. Sans elle, la pop sucrée de Culture Club risquerait de virer au sirop écœurant. L’alchimie entre le chant plaintif de George et les envolées vocales de Terry, c’est le véritable moteur de cet album. Musicalement, c’est plus malin qu’il n’y paraît. Derrière l'image de foire et les tenues extravagantes, il y a des musiciens qui savent jouer. Roy Hay, à la guitare et aux claviers, tisse des mélodies qui accrochent immédiatement, et la section rythmique assure un groove souple, un peu funky, un peu reggae, très "blanc-bec qui rêve de Motown", mais bougrement efficace. Prends "Miss Me Blind" par exemple, la ligne de basse est ronde, la guitare cocotte gentiment, c’est taillé pour les pistes de danse de l'époque, c’est insouciant, hédoniste, léger. Cependant, tout n'est pas rose bonbon au pays de Boy George. L'album traîne aussi son lot de mélodrames. "Victims", c’est la grande ballade, le moment où l’on sort les mouchoirs. Piano dramatique, voix tremblotante, montée orchestrale... On est dans le pathos assumé. À 13 ans, je trouvais ça bouleversant. Aujourd'hui, avec mes oreilles d'adulte usées par des sons plus radicaux, ça me semble un poil théâtral, presque trop joué. On sent que Boy George raconte ses peines de cœur (et on sait qu'elles étaient réelles et compliquées au sein même du groupe), mais la production grandiloquente finit par mettre une distance. On regarde la tristesse derrière une vitrine car on ne la ressent pas en nous. Il y a aussi des moments où l'album s'essouffle un peu, des titres comme "Mister Man" ou "Changing Every Day" qui ressemblent plus à du remplissage agréable qu'à des chefs-d'œuvre impérissables. C’est le ventre mou du disque, le moment où l’attention décroche et où l’on se rend compte que si la recette est bonne, elle est aussi un peu répétitive. On reprend une louche de soul diluée, une pincée de rythmes exotiques pour l’époque, et on sert chaud. Ce qui sauve l'album de la banalité, c'est finalement cette étrange dualité. D'un côté, une musique ultra-accessible, inoffensive, joyeuse, parfaite pour la bande FM. De l'autre, des textes souvent plus sombres qu'ils n'en ont l'air, parlant de trahison, d'identité, de peur, chantés par une figure qui, par sa simple existence médiatique, bousculait les codes de la masculinité dans les salons de la France profonde. C’est un disque de contrastes : un emballage visuel subversif pour un contenu musical qui caresse dans le sens du poil. Alors, quel verdict aujourd'hui ? C’est une madeleine de Proust, c’est certain. L’écouter, c’est revoir le décor de ma chambre d’ado, c’est le souvenir de mes premières boums. C’est un disque compétent, bien écrit, magnifiquement produit pour son époque, mais qui manque peut-être de ce grain de folie. 3 sur 5, c’est la note de la raison. On ne peut pas mettre plus, car ce n'est pas une révolution artistique majeure qui a changé la face de la musique. On ne peut pas mettre moins, car il y a un savoir-faire indéniable et des tubes qui ont traversé quatre décennies sans (trop) prendre de rides. C’est un classique, oui, mais un classique de son temps, figé dans l'ambre de l'année 1983. Allez, je range le vinyle et je garde le souvenir du clip, de l'harmonica et de cette époque où la pop avait l'audace d'être flamboyante, même si elle était parfois un peu trop sucrée pour mes dents actuelles.

favs: karma chameleon miss me blind stormkeeper rating 1.5/5

Analogue audio really peaked in the early 80s, before the influx of 12bit digital audio products. Good songs throughout, beautifully played, sung and mixed, albeit with very little going on in the high end. An 80s soul classic.

Perfectly upbeat 80's album. It falls a little flat on me, but I could see how people might like this. It feels far too cheesey for me to take seriously. To Culture Club's credit, Boy George has a great voice, but Culture Club's pop/R&B stylings are definitely not my thing.

very VERY cool! I'd liked it with the first seconds. i want to marry clips. it's wonderful in the all details, I'm happy

Good to hear Karma Chameleon in context. Otherwise feels a little underwhelming.

Curioso que todas las canciones me gustaron más que Karma Chamaleon. Le tenía idea a esta banda porque esa canción no me gustaba, pero muy buen álbum!

🧀

I see why this went #1/#2 in UK/US, much better than I thought

It’s alright. The extra soulful parts just sound phony. That said, I love Karma Chameleon and Mister Man. It’s a Miracle is also very listenable. Looking forward to George Michael. I have a feeling he does this sound better.

Liteweight R&B with a couple of hooky hits and a bunch of so-so filler. Very 80s in the worst and best ways ( I mean I lived this records year on the charts), but all in all, not a great set.

The hits here still hit, but the rest? Disappointing is an understatement. I think I owned this album on vinyl when it first came out, but if so, I was skipping most of the songs.

Told myself I never wanted to hear this again, went to the kitchen to get some water and karma chameleon was playing on the radio. Fml

80s island beat dreck with a very capable singer.

Honestly boring upbeat. 2/5

This was a hard one. I love the 80s but even I bulked at some of the drums and aynths on this, and some of the softer songs. But the second half really picked up with Miss Me Blind onwards (with a great and unexpected guitar solo). I could see myself listening and liking again. So fine. A low 4.

it started so strong with karma chameleon and then it just lost me

Look, I hate karma chameleon, always have, the naff rhythm, the silly synth the weird breathy backing vocals, the annoying colour refrain, almost everything about it. So it's a bad start to this album. I'm hoping I like some of the other bits... I don't. It all carries on in a similar vein, I'm not taken by any of it and I'm not into the 80s pop production. "That's the way" started a bit better, but I don't like the backing vocals and it didn't really do anything else. My brain drifted off at one point and then I realised and hoped it was over. It wasn't. But they did hit a gong. At least it's short, although with everything else all the versions have extra tracks dragging it out. Screw that.

Not bad

Pretty pleasant

Solid pop album

Somehow even worse than I thought it would be, and I set the bar low. One star.

Great album. Love Culture Club and Boy George.

Die Leichtigkeit der 80er ist aus vielen der Songs herauszuhören. 40 Jahre und klingt immer noch frisch. Dieser Sound würde mancher heute veröffentlichter Musik gut tun!

Yes, no, thank you. Very much disliked this. Stand-outs - Miss Me Blind - Victims - Mystery Boy (Suntori Hot Whiskey Song)

Es geht.

I only knew Karma Chameleon from this album as it was everywhere on the radio in the 80s, but beyond that opening track, I was surprised by the excellent music that followed. Boy George has a great singing voice, and the tunes were jazzy and boppy in that 80s synth way. I was pleasantly surprised, but the genre has little appeal for my common tastes today.

Just no. Almost non-existent lyrics. The melodies are so whatever.

Yikes

This album is cute and very easy listening, therefore nothing leaves a big impression. I qwas more into the song that Spotify chose after this album ended.

Karma chameleon - 5 It's a miracle - 2 Black money - 2 Changing every day - 2 That's the way - 3 Church of the poison mind - 3 Miss me blind - 3 Mister man - 2 Stormkeeper - 2 Victims - 1

Bailable jsajasa. Me gusta la onda del cantante. Es un pop bien ochentoso con sus baterias reverberantes. Un sonido kinda minimalista, limpio. Son como bailables pero soft, no son punchy. No me molesta escucharlo pero me aburre, no me llama. Side A ninguna cancion. Side B: Victims -

Not much to say today and I’m otherwise exhausted. This record is not good, only saved by Karma Chameleon and that song is fine.

It ok

Linda portada. Su hit lo escuché un millón de veces en VH1, pero el resto no me convence lo suficiente.

rip i didn’t know boy george was in a band. karma chamelon is a banger

I generally liked the album, I was surprised to see it was rated relatively lowly. There were some of their biggest hits, and the songs were pretty fun. Overall an enjoyable listen.

Colour by Numbers has an instantly recognizable 80s sound — even without any context, it’s easy to tell which era it belongs to. Despite being from a different time, country, and musical taste, I somehow already knew Karma Chameleon, which says a lot about how deeply that song has permeated popular culture.

Decent x

Decent x

The synth is strong with this one

Very 80s, very Boy George. Some reasonable tracks on here but nothing to shout about

I know a lot of this album is pretty filler but I just love the vibe so much I’m giving it a 4

karma chameleon lauft mer huere oft noh und wirds hetz wieder e wuche lang. scho bitz mervige aber halt so unglaublich iprägsame song dasmers chli mue respektiere. d songs nocher hani nöd kennt, aber sind au recht cool? aso so black money isch chli sehr schmalzig aber sie chönd öpis. thats the way wär glaub gern sone elton john ballade. nöd soo guet wells das nöd ganz schafft aber schl guet. church of the poison mind cooler, mit groove gfalleds mer meh. sehr motown aber uf ihri cheesy 80er art i like.

RIESE albumcover uiii AHHHH KARMA CHAMALEON KENNTMER JA eaasy cutes lied hahaha black money hetmer chli en zu aggro hindergrundgsang HQHAHAH isch de gong nötig gsi?? victims ischmer chli zu schnulzig hmm scho au funny aber BÖÖ

Homosexual

Forgetting Boy George's somewhat offensive behaviour, as a little gay boy growing up, he was one of the only representations i had growing up. What a voice. It suffers due to its age and some of the sounds not being as cool or modern as they were at the time.

J'ai vraiment trouvé l'album très bien, une très belle surprise surtout pour un style qui a vite tendance à me saouler. L'album est à mon sens grandement aidé par sa version expanded qui rajoute de très beaux morceaux instrumentaux, mais la sélection d'origine est déjà une belle performance qui a su déjouer le fait de ne pas se renouveler. Franchement très bonne surprise bravo !

I don’t remember questioning the gender fluidity of Boy George as a kid. It was a non issue and we got Karma Chameleon and Miss Me. The rest of the album is slow going.

Not a fan

Decent bit of pop music. Only heard the big two songs previously, but the whole album is a lot more cohesive than I expected. Church of the Poisoned Mind is great.

Stand-out tracks: Karma Chameleon - it is a hit for a reason It's A Miracle - although the vocals are a bit repetitive, the instrumentals are nice, especially the sax Changing Every Day - love the brief jazzy moments added in That's The Way - just the piano and vocals alone are nice Miss Me Blind - that guitar solo at the end pleasantly surprised me Mister Man - the beat has a bit more of a reggae and the saxophone is once again a nice addition Victims - stands out as a more dramatic, ballad-like track The album is just a good vibe with some tracks trying to somewhat branch out of the typical 80s pop/new wave style, but most staying comfortably within their genre, possibly to their detriment. Not all of the tracks are stand-outs, but I probably wouldn't skip any of them upon relisten. Overall a pleasant listen, but I wouldn't call it a masterpiece. Would give it a 4.5 if I could.

Highlights: Karma Chameleon, It's A Miracle, Black Money, Church Of the Poison Mind, Miss Me Blind, Mister Man Worthy mentions from the 2003 reissue: Man-Shake, Mystery Boy, Melting Pot It's British and it's new wave - I'm a sucker for that. Lyrics are very political but also personal, so they do sound a bit preachy but you don't mind it because Boy George doesn't come off as a douche. I was surprised by how calm the record was, I expected a more energetic sound. Still a fun listen. Loving the use of the harmonica since I don't remember hearing it a lot from other new wave acts. It's just very good pop and it has grown on me more on more by each revisit. I liked almost every track on it (track 5 being the odd one out). Ultimately it did change my view of Culture Club as something more than a band with a couple hit singles.

80s production is booty to me in general, but there were some great moments on this album for sure. Some duds. Didn’t save my song thoughts.

Boy george kinda sucks bro, like I’ll take Marc Almond every day

Couple of good tracks. Always struggled not looking at Boy George and thinking he’s an idiot. May have swayed me 😬

Just found this pretty dated and bland and probably should have just stayed where it belonged, back in the 80’s

An 80s overdose! That album cover couldn’t be more 80s if it tried! Hidden amongst a mix of naff synth pop are some really well written songs and great vocals. Church of the Poison Mind and Victims made this a more enjoyable listen than I was expecting.

It really doesn’t help my frame of mind getting this the day after Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad’. This is some bad 80s pop doldrums we find ourselves in. And let’s not pretend I’m ever going to appreciate this. At its core is some 80s’d up soul/funk/reggae sounds which makes up the bulk of the non-hits, which is just plain naff. Karma is so overplayed it makes me want to run away from it. Church of the poison mind for some reason I like and saves it from a 1*. Come on winds blow, get us out of this spot!

a good album. Karma Chameleon is such a classic 7/10 4/5

Fun, suave, vibey

Maybe it’s nostalgia but this album brought me great joy.

This album was all over the place and full of skips... but 'Karma Chameleon' will always have a special place in my heart (shout out Saints Row 2 radio)

This is definitely the sound of the 80’s with no resistance. Heaps of fun!

Boppy and fun, great for background music. Became a little too repetitive both stylistically and lyrically. Not bad.

Quintessential, trademark ‘80s pop.

1 good song, lots of filler.

That Helen Terry belting backups... Whoa. So good with George's smooth vocals. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed CC. Best album ever? No, but several bangers. Favorite tracks? Karma Chameleon. , Black Money, Church of the Poison Mind, Miss Me Blind, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Liked it very very much. Saved tracks

I don't think anything more '80s than this album cover exists. Are these songs cheesy AF? Of course. And I'm here for it. I love the harmonica, the horns, the synth, the vocals. Karma Chameleon is a frickin' bop. I also quite liked Miss Me Blind.

New Wave music sucks. These guys get classified as blue-eyed soul and reggae in Wikipedia, truly anyone can edit those pages. Karma Chameleon is the hit off this album and it is awful. Each song sounds the same and is uniquely New Wavey garbage. That's The Way is the blue-eyed soul...it would be better without Boy George and just the backup singer doing her thing. There is nothing redeeming about this album and Mister Man hits a true low point in music. On the plus side, the album is short.

This record hasn't aged well, but "Church of the Poison Mind" endures.

Colour by numbers feels about right for this - it's all quite formulaic and uninteresting. Not unpleasant, but hard to get excited by.

I enjoyed it. I was glad to listen beyond the singles I've already heard and was impressed by Boy George's vocals

I don't listen to a lot of pop but really liked this, the vocals are great and I like the really varied instrumentation.

More enjoyable than expected, great voice. 3/5

Forgot all about this album. Not a particular fan at the time but must have heard it loads. Sounded great this time round.

This sits firmly within the zeitgeist for 1983, summing up pop music for this period. Of course, anything caught within the zeitgeist runs the risk of burning bright before fading from collective consciousness. Though would a pop star prefer to peak high then fade, or to never have been at the centre of culture? Forty years later there is still something to be said of this plush, radio friendly form of dance-pop. It's certainly not short of melody as it pleasingly fidgets from one bright, bold idea to another. They know how to write a song with a hook - they earnt their airtime.

Decent synth pop, not my genre, fun and a bit silly and also genuinely catchy in parts, low 3

Better than I expected for sure.

not bad, just not my usual cup of tea.

love culture club wel

Not really for me, but definitely see why it was popular. Karma Chameleon still fucking slaps though.

A couple stand outs but overall it felt repetitive

He escuchado la mitad, es popero no destaca demasiado en general. 2,5/5 ⭐️

karma chameleon is fun not so much the whole album

The first song will always make me think of my friend Nate, but there isn’t much that stands out beyond that for me. I’ll be generous and say 2.5 rounded to 3 stars.

I really hate the fucking harmonica on Karma Chameleon, it seems completely out of place. Otherwise, I'm neutral here. It's fine, but the very '80s production really drives me crazy. Not one I'd revisit, not one I enjoyed for the production either. I've heard it and I'll move on without looking back.

I never listened to Culture Club much beyond the radio hits (which I would usually turn off) back in the day. If my only frame of reference for Culture Club was the music on this algm -- this would be a 1 star album all day. The thin, waaay 80's, production is a real turn-off for me. However, I say Culture Club (Ok just Boy George), with like Berlin and The English Beat and some other 80's band at a casino a while back -- and I have to say Culture Club / Boy George (even with his older/weaker voice) really kinda rocked. He assembled a great set of musicians and vocalists and either Boy George or the band in general really changed up the music (it being live really helped in general) but overall it was really kind funky and high-energy..... After saying all that -- this album is still kinda underwhelming but I give it a three for overall context.

Credit to Culture Club for carving their own lane, making a queer radio sound for the shopping mall generation. I hear soul, r&b, blues, and reggae all blended into a pop new wave dessert. That being said, some of the songs are much stronger than others (to my ears). Not my first pick if I want to hear this style of music, but certainly not my last.

Haaaaaaaate the first song. Always hated it. Still do. A lot of this is the kind of music I think of when I think about hating the music of the 80s. This album is a little better when it gets soulful, but it's not enough to save it.

Awesome funky songs,

Uninteresting

I really liked Romance Revisited. Reminded me of The Holiday for some reason!

At first incredulous that I had to listen to a song that isn’t karma chameleon I quickly discovered that this is actually a pretty good album

Some bangers and some boring stuff

Good, but I don’t see myself recital too much

So of course I remember the hits from this album, you couldn’t escape Culture Club in the 80’s. But that was all I knew from them so wasn’t sure what to expect from the rest. The first 7 songs were great. I liked them WAY more than I expected. Boy George has a really great voice, more soulful than I remember. And he had one hell of a backup singer. She was amazing. Then it started to slump a little, then it fell off a cliff, and then that last song was rock bottom. I would give those first 7 songs a 4, but have to knock it down to a 3 after the rest of it.

Talk about a guy who the 80’s just wrapped its freaky little arms around. Boy George was way ahead of his time in famously sharing his alternative lifestyle publically. The album starts out great with Karma Chameleon and It’s a Miracle and then slips into a lull for a few slower tracks. Church of the Poison Mind and Miss Me Blind get things rolling again in the middle of the album and then the slower, drab songs return. We finally wrap up with Victims. A roller coaster of excitement but overall this was a decent listen. None of these songs are gonna make my regular library but it was a good nostalgic change of pace.

Ah, Boy George singing about wanting to put “a love deep within you” on a track called ‘Mystery Boy’, which shows up directly after a track called ‘Man-Shake’. The 80s were so subtle. This was a slog to get through and not a fun listen. The faux reggae-tinged dance music was monotonous and droning. This is a museum piece of the parts of the 80s most would prefer to forget.

I was 10 when this came out so I remember Boy George mostly for his androgynous image which was pretty outrageouse at the time. I was a dumb kid and didn't realize he was a guy, my older sister (14 so clearly a woman of the world) was kind enough to let me in on that fact. I'm sure she also reminded me I was a dumb ass. Anyway..... I haven't revisited Culture Club since those old MTV days but listening today I'm realizing Boy George has an amazing voice. In fact this is a really good album. Unlike other 80s pop albums we've had (cough..Cindy Lauper...cough cough) Colour by Numbers provides more to enjoy than just the radio hits. I liked this far more than expected.

Yikes

3 points only for Karma Chameleon... and nostalgy

An interesting listen and one that leaves me a bit in two minds. Obviously it has the hits which generally stand up well, The Church of the Poison Mind in particular. Then it has some pretty lightweight poppy numbers that have that early 80s pop sound that hasn’t necessarily aged that well. And then it has the soulful numbers which are genuinely good. In particular That’s the way is an excellent way to end that first side and both works in an 80s sense and as a darned decent piece of music. I listened three times so it can’t be bad at all. But then I was a teenager when this was released so it’s very much my era. It’s somewhere between a 3 and a 4. Three listens probably takes it into 4 territory, despite the utterly dreadful album cover that was presumably knocked up by the work experience child.

9/10 - не слушал, это не транс, а просто гейчонок

Great funky and danceable songs, last song is a great closer with big sentiment

Correcto

A little bit of fun here, but overall, not a thing I need in my life often.

Well I spent the day with some of these stuck in my head.

I can't believe that I listened to this whole album. 'Milquetoast' came to mind when listening. I felt like i was sitting in the dental chair at the orthodontist involuntarily listening to the radio circa 1994. I bet the dental assistants loved Culture Club. Why was the last song on this album an instrumental number? Weird.

I never much liked Karma Chameleon. Still don't. But there are a couple good songs on this record. Not really a fan of ballads either. Shout out to Helen Terry on vocals.

Too much excitement

Not that bad tbh, but I should say I'm lying in bed with a light fever - unsure whether one has to do anything with the other.

Definitely more moody than I expected

I wanted this to be.. better than it was. It turned out to be just a pretty good time. A perfectly serviceable slice of nostalgia. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Karma Chameleon - Its A Miracle - Miss Me Blind

Never a huge fan as a kid but now listening with a ton of extra years and knowledge this is a very good album with banger hits.

Classic, even my kids knew the first song.

This band is kinda like if Prince sucked. “Karma Chameleon” is still okay though. It’s one of the first popular songs I remember knowing as a child.

Not my type of music Bit repetitive

The algia in nostalgia means pain. I think that if it had not been for Karma Chameleon this album would have been a dud. It pains me to say it but I think that Culture Club gets a lot of good grace from that song. The rest of the album pales in comparison to that one bop.

"Karma Chameleon" is great. These folx can write some nice pop songs, but this ain't for me.

Other than Karma Chameleon, this was pretty bad.

Karma chameleon is fucking trash as with the rest of this album.

Fav: Its A Miracle Least Fav: Mister Man I’ll never doubt 80s albums again, cos that was so much better than I was anticipating. Nice vocals throughout with some excellent instrumentation. Pity about Boy George tho

Karma Chameleon was the high point. The rest is the type of music they’d play for elementary school kids that adults think is ‘cool’.

After two listens I still don’t get it

Exceeded expectations. Very enjoyable listen that I will be listening revisiting

Thoughts before listening: Is this the album with "Karma Chameleon"? I would have to assume thats the case. Its a good song for the 80s New Wave scene. That being said, I have never felt the need to listen to these guys past that song. Boy George was an over the top personality, and I'm sure this will be fine. Review: Well "Karma Chameleon" is the first song on here. Its definitely catchy and iconic, even if its not really my style. Just a nice feel good 80s pop song with a very memorable chorus. The rest of the album follows a similar path with most songs in the mid-tempo poppy realm. I liked "Church of the Poison Mind" which I added to my playlist. 2-stars

Half of this album is perfect the slower songs are ok but lack the infectious qualities of the hits. Church of the poison Mind is fabulous.

I guess I just don't like '80s new wave pop

This one's alright. The lead singer's androgynous voice is very nice, but most of the tracks aren't very memorable. Favorite track: "Stormkeeper"

Well I know the first track. Something about the production is immediately annoying. But I do like the catchiness of the first few songs. Overall surprisingly pleasant. 3.5 rounded down Heard before? That 1 song Owned: No: 39/152 (26%) Will I get? No

Boy George had the most beautiful and smooth voice. Costumes aside, Culture Club Music slapped. This album was the pinnacle of their career. The addition of Helen Terry put this group into the stratosphere (Thats The Way is next level!). There is not a miss on this album.

Solid 80s album. Mister Man was fun, Karma Chameleon is catchy as hell of course. Enjoyable all around.

Listened in the car driving from Broadway to Woodbridge on Christmas Eve. I liked it a lot. Very distinct sound but I think it's fun. I would listen again later more closely.

6.5/10

3.5

I hate this album so much, I cannot believe I listened to the whole thing. I hated Culture Club in 1983, and I hate them even more now.

One really good pop song that was nothing new other than the singers personality. Not a horrible album but nothing noteworthy music wise to me.

Gudde Launä Album, bei dem man mitschwingt. Sehr zu empfehlen für Hausarbeit, ich vergebe 4 von 5 Staubsauger

Karma Chameleon ist ein gutes Lied, ansonsten eher öde.

Bisschen leichtes Gedudel neben den bekannten Hits.

This cheesy 80s pop isn't it. Its the musical equivalent to your teeth hurting from biting an ice cream cone. 2/5

Pa dosta sladak album, očekivala sam puno gore. Miss me blind mi je super stvar! 3/5, 6/10

Did not enjoy.

Better than I expected. I can certainly appreciate better why my wife as a 10 year-old would dress up like Boy George for Halloween. I believe I also caught one of the songs making reference to their previous album, kissing to be clever. How it is that I knew that that was the name of their previous album is between me and my priest , but in any event, I dig it when songwriters are self-referential. Also, Black Money doesn't sound right in 2025.

As much as I avoided Boy George and co. as a kid/teenager, it would have been strange *not* to have gotten this particular Culture Club album since it really put them on the map. Their sound has never really appealed to me, and not just because of the flat and insipid 80s production style, so none of the tracks really stood out. I *hadn't* seen any of the videos to their singles before, and was impressed how over the top they were/are (and intensely technicolorful), but much like the songs themselves, if there's a storyline to any of them I completely missed it, or in the case of "Karma chameleon" and its riverboat theme, I'm not sure how the video relates to the lyrics. It doesn't really detract from this album, but seeing the fairly weak music of Culture Club get included in this collection, but *not* getting the likes of contemporary bands like Midnight Oil or INXS, who had much more to say and play, really highlights the arbitrary nature of this project.

Karma Chameleon is by far the best track on this album. The rest seem to be variations of this sound. The woman's backing vocals kind of bug me, like the band said, quick, let's hire someone who can really sing to make up for all our crap"

11/12/2025 It's okay, it's harmless, it's 3 from me. Spotify listeners: 6.4 million

Culture Club is very much not my thing. This is some pretty soft 80s stuff right here. I don't really love the cheesy sounding reggae and soul influences. The standout was "Karma Chameleon" as the only song I've heard before and even then it's not really my jam. The rest of the album was pretty boring to be honest. Maybe this was super big in the 80s but it does nothing for me in 2025. It's not like godawful, but it's not anything I really want to spend time on. 2/5

This is definitely better than I was expecting. It's pretty good, and these guys have got talent. It's all very 80's, but it's not irritating, which can't be said for a LOT of that decade. The songs are mostly just really nice, with some fun upbeat melodies, and little bits of detail. I tapped along quite a lot!

Very delightful 80s pop, with sweet singing from Boy George. Some of the tracks I skipped because I found the repetition and singing annoying. Karma Chameleon is a forever bop, nonetheless.

As a whole, even worse than Boy George's USA accent. Unforgivable drivel

A bit better than expected...? 2.5/5

thank you gays

feels like the soundtrack in a queer 80's film

If I was born a generation earlier, this would be to me what Sabrina Carpenter albums are to me now.

Pretty good for a style of music that I'm not really into. Of course I knew a couple of songs from the album but I also liked the songs I didn't know.

Pop crap.

dope cover just the right amount of 80s, its still a bit boring though

Gay

Usually, after a few listens, I know exactly how I’m going to approach an album. An angle presents itself, an opening paragraph forms in my head, and once I sit down behind the Mac the words more or less write themselves. Not this time. I genuinely didn’t know where to begin, so I’ll start with the hesitation itself. This is an album I’m very clearly split about. It’s considerably better than I feared when it came up in the randomiser—but dear me, parts of it are thoroughly sabotaged. I was young at the time, but this is my era. Toppop and probably Top of the Pops were weekly fixtures, and Culture Club were impossible to avoid. Much of that had to do with Boy George: flamboyant, androgynous, unapologetically colourful, and utterly unlike anyone else on mainstream television at the time. The band scored two undeniable monster hits: “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” and, of course, “Karma Chameleon,” which opens this album. Judging by their slow disappearance from lists like the Top 2000, Culture Club may be fading from collective memory—but those songs remain textbook examples of early-’80s pop. I’ll be honest: I wasn’t exactly thrilled at the idea of having to listen to Karma Chameleon again for this project. And yet, approached without prejudice, it’s… fine. Catchy, professionally made, and perfectly understandable as a mass hit. The harmonica is irritating, but it’s survivable. Things even improve with “It’s a Miracle,” which might actually be the better song. So far, so good. Almost alarmingly so. And then enters the element that ruins this album for me. Helen Terry, the band’s regular backing vocalist, completely takes over the sound—especially on “Black Money,” “That’s the Way (I’m Only Trying to Help You),” and “Church of the Poison Mind.” Backing vocals are part of pop music, obviously. But her soul-inflected, octave-leaping, attention-grabbing style overwhelms everything in its path. It doesn’t just dominate the songs; it actively derails them. Worse still, it pulls Boy George’s otherwise quite pleasant voice off course with it. That’s a shame, because there are decent songs here. “Stormkeeper” suffers from another pet hate of mine—soapy, rubbery bass—and a truly obnoxious saxophone, yet somehow still manages to be listenable. The closing track, “Victims,” starts as a syrupy ballad (with, yes, backing vocals), but then takes an unexpectedly interesting turn: the tempo shifts, the structure loosens, and for a brief moment the focus moves away from vocals toward the music itself. Structurally, it’s easily the most interesting piece on the album. The real surprise is “Miss Me Blind,” the most refreshing track here, largely thanks to a genuinely good guitar solo. The sound is processed, almost synth-like, but it works—and probably because it fits the aesthetic. Unsurprisingly, in guitar-averse Netherlands it wasn’t a hit, while in the US it was. In the end, this album leaves me firmly torn. I’m simply not a pop person. Once music revolves almost entirely around vocals—and especially when those vocals are pushed to theatrical extremes designed to impress rather than serve the song—I’m out. There’s enough quality here to prevent outright dismissal, but also more than enough to explain why this will never be an album I truly enjoy.

A lot of 80s pop has worse singing but better songs. Favorite song: church of the poison mind

Not a fan

After giving 2 stars to the '80s one-hit wonder A-ha, I wasn't expecting a lot more from the '80s two-hit wonder, Culture Club. Luckily, this is better than A-ha's album. But it's still pretty average. It has no business being on the list. This is not an album you must listen too or even "sort of should". Two stars.

𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘺 𝘕𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 thrives on bright pop melodies and smooth grooves, and 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗼𝗻 remains the album’s undeniable highlight — instantly catchy and easily the kind of track that would sit on any modern LGBTQIA+ playlist. The blend of pop, soul and light reggae touches is appealing, and the band plays with far more finesse than they often get credit for. Still, the record is dominated by Boy George’s presence, not just vocally but visually and stylistically. His personality and image shape the entire album, sometimes overshadowing the solid musicianship behind him. The result is a polished, enjoyable pop record whose charm lies more in its frontman’s charisma than in band chemistry or deeper musical exploration.

A fun time, the first song is a classic but not my thing

a product of its time...Karma Chameleon has always grated on my nerves and the the entire album is that vibe. 80's dancercise music!

Love Karma Chameleon, but otherwise rather disappointing

I didn’t even finish it, just not for me. I was impressed by the numbers this album was doing online tho, didn’t expect that.

I wasn't a fan of Culture Club back in the day, and that hasn't changed. This album is fine, but it's definitely not outstanding.

Didn't like it when it came out. Don't like it now. Nothing's changed.