Why aren't Pet Shop Boys popular as they were?

[Blogo]

I don't think West End Girls is their Best Song... look at IWNDTKOF or Opportunties.(which is one of the most songs ever used on TV for promos - Beauty and the Geek?)

[Parkol]

West End girls iwas not popular in Russia, but it was their biggest hit in Europe, that's why I think so.
Go West was popular here... It's a sin. Nothing more. maybe Paninaro 95 a little.

[le petit corbusier]

As Chris once said "We are Sexeur than Madonna" and Neil has been quoted as saying "We don't sell Sex" to gain chart positions.And of course its down to Marketing etc.

What does sexeur mean?

[Pet Shop Girl]

It does have to do with how they present themselves like what Paddymacall said. The age and sexual orientation means nothing.

[Very]

who cares - they are always popular for me!

[Riikka]

My guess would be that PSB are treated as a "thing of the past", and that somehow harms them. You know, I never knew they are still so active at the moment. I didn't know about the Fundamental album, I hadn't seen any adverts for that. People might just think that Pet Shop Boys are not here anymore since the mid-90s, and it's a little bit "toy music" and not to be taken seriously. That's quite sad really.

[Danger]

Being that they are gay does not matter either. Elton is gay and he is still very popular. And he is over 50. Sexual orientation and age do not have anything to do with it.

Agree! George Michael is still a star even if he's been arrested several times, uses drugs and is openly gay. For me it's not more time for electro-pop music like in the 80's or the first part of 90's. There are only few bands that have a worldwide success and play this kind of music; maybe only Depeche Mode. Nowdays is all r'n'b, house, rap or bad quality pop like Hilary Duff, Kelly Clakrson or something similar that comes out from PopIdol. For the most of people PSB are only a band of the 80's (above in Italy). For them it's almost impossible come back to the success of 10-12 years ago even if they're still goin' on to make high standard music and their tour is so long and with a lot of sold-out dates. But the tastes of the people are changed during this year...

[glennjridge]

I don't think West End Girls is their Best Song... look at IWNDTKOF or Opportunties.(which is one of the most songs ever used on TV for promos - Beauty and the Geek?)

today I cant even listen to their original version. it sounds so dry and dated.
the nightlife or release tour version were my favorite versions.

[glennjridge]

I'm just convinced that youth today are programmed by the images they see and how stuff is dished out to them that if music isnt made by young people .....it gets classfied the dreaded "old music".

so now groups like george michael and PSB even though not truly old old ..are still considered on the same level as a neil diamond....old music or unhip.

another band I like fountains of wayne who are only in their late 30's was called "creepy old' by a british mag who reviewed their latest CD.its just a sad mentality.

[Janet Street-Porter]

Being that they are gay does not matter either. Elton is gay and he is still very popular. And he is over 50. Sexual orientation and age do not have anything to do with it.

Agree! George Michael is still a star even if he's been arrested several times, uses drugs and is openly gay.

George has retained his Essex hairdresser fanbase over the years and Elton is the Queen Mum of sodomy.

PSB were always 'dodgy' - think the Palladium Rent performance, for instance. As they observe in the Alternative booklet, they are perceived as being slightly sinister. It's why they have been namechecked in The Royle Family or The Office - they are a euphemism for two blokes bumming each other, the Julian and Sandy of synth-pop.

[whateverman42]

1.Pet Shop Boys are not popular becouse many people think that all they sing is about gays.
2. They do not use their 100% Pet Shop Boys potential.
3.The Quality of b-sides and mixes is lower.
4. Boring videos (let's remember Very Period).
5. They don't come to Russia (one of the main reasons)
6. People wait for another Go West or West End Girls from them, but it's impoosible, I think.

Worst post ever?

I still haven't found a band whose b-side material can come close to what the boys have put out.

They don't use their potential. Ah, of course! You've hit the nail on the head.

Videos are irrelevant, but they don't have very bad ones either.

And the main reason is because they don't come to your country. Because if they went to Russia they'd be huge in Canada and the U.S. all of a sudden.

Bah, sorry for being a prick.

[Pet Shop Girl]

Its true, as long as they are popular with us fans. That is all that matters at the end.

[markus]

I think it would be intresting to know how much less "Fundamental" sold compared to for example "Bilingual" If you count in the overall decline in cd sales since 1996. Maybe PSB are actually more popular now than back then...

[singysingysingy]

First: MADONNA's last 2 tours "Re-Invention tour" and "Confessions tour" were the most /2.nd successful tours of the year worldwide. So she has still a well deserved high popularity. Even after the disappointing sales of the "American life " album the Re-invention tour was a huge seller all over the globe.

I guess the popularity /not popularity of PSB has nothing to do with the quality of their releases as "Fundamental" is for me one of their best/ the best album The problem I guess is the audience. CD's are mostly bought by youngsters who look at the PSB and think oh-he could be my Dad-that's not cool to buy music of an artist of this age . Also the download pirates do a lot of damage. Also the crap MTV which is more a game/reality show channel than a MUSIC channel as its name suggests are major problems.

[Deschanel]

1.Pet Shop Boys are not popular becouse many people think that all they sing is about gays.
2. They do not use their 100% Pet Shop Boys potential.
3.The Quality of b-sides and mixes is lower.
4. Boring videos (let's remember Very Period).
5. They don't come to Russia (one of the main reasons)
6. People wait for another Go West or West End Girls from them, but it's impoosible, I think.

Worst post ever?

I still haven't found a band whose b-side material can come close to what the boys have put out.

They don't use their potential. Ah, of course! You've hit the nail on the head.

Videos are irrelevant, but they don't have very bad ones either.

And the main reason is because they don't come to your country. Because if they went to Russia they'd be huge in Canada and the U.S. all of a sudden.

Bah, sorry for being a prick.

No, you're quite right.


"Boring videos-remember Very period"- Hard to believe now, but the CGI at the time was pretty state-of-the art, and even SPIN mag, deeply stoned in the dark Nirvana night of angst c. 1994, woke up to write an article vividly praising the "Go West" video for its color and artistry.

(I had started working in CGI at the time with my 40mhz Mac Quadra(!) and the Very videos were sort of dazzling to me at the time-the limits of what processing power could do then. Particle systems in Liberation! )

I love that brief period, where the emphasis in pop was on being "real", grunge and flannel and angst, PSB went completely artificial and computer-generated in their visuals.