Pet Shop Boys Community

while I couldnt name 3 erasure songs without looking them up, I think it would be nice if they got the award. they've been kicking around forever, they seem to have a pretty hardcore fanbase like us.


speaking of barenaked ladies I was surprised to learn that the singer of that band lives 10 minutes from where I live. I only found out as apparently he got busted for drug possesion a little while ago and they listed his adress. he lives in fayetteville NY. nice area.

and awhile ago a good friend of mine had gotten a webmaster job for the band manowar, I had always assumed they were some sort of band that was over in europe, turns out their office is in auburn,ny. only about a half hour from me. I remember when I was young and was into metal I would always read about manowar in kerrang magazine and who knew years later I would be hanging out in their office.small world.

DJ Pat wrote:Why the hell did a one hit wonder and misery guts like Bob Geldof ever get it?

Bob Geldof has written three number one singles, one of which topped the charts three times and raised millions for famine relief in Africa.

Erasure will never get an outstanding achievement award because they've not really achieved much. Unless you count pushing the pre-set button on a Casio keyboard and ruining Abba songs to be an achievement.

Danny C wrote:

DJ Pat wrote:Why the hell did a one hit wonder and misery guts like Bob Geldof ever get it?

Bob Geldof has written three number one singles, one of which topped the charts three times and raised millions for famine relief in Africa.

Erasure will never get an outstanding achievement award because they've not really achieved much. Unless you count pushing the pre-set button on a Casio keyboard and ruining Abba songs to be an achievement.

5 number one albums does not count then?

JSDOUVRES wrote:

Danny C wrote:

DJ Pat wrote:Why the hell did a one hit wonder and misery guts like Bob Geldof ever get it?

Bob Geldof has written three number one singles, one of which topped the charts three times and raised millions for famine relief in Africa.

Erasure will never get an outstanding achievement award because they've not really achieved much. Unless you count pushing the pre-set button on a Casio keyboard and ruining Abba songs to be an achievement.

5 number one albums does not count then?

no it doesnt.

JSDOUVRES wrote:

skyhigh wrote:

JSDOUVRES wrote:Who gives a damn, seriously?

you seem to. sad little boy? gotta resort to petty name calling? tut tut.

Yeah because I am so hard. Just go and listen to barenaked ladies and start a topic about why they should get an award of some kind. Should make you feel better.

exactly

barenaked ladies arent relevant to this discussion. erasure do not deserve a brit award as they have contributed very little to the british music industry as a whole, perhaps only intereted in their own success(or lack of it) as opposed to taking on projects like battleship potemkin or closer to heaven.

As has been said, I don't think that Erasure deserve such an award but Vince Clarke, as a founding member of Depeche Mode, then Yazoo and The Assembly before Erasure and various other projects, has made a broad enough contribution to British pop to deserve consideration.

If Vince Clarke had left the music industry or gone solo after Yazoo, then I think he'd be in with a shout, but Erasure undid all that early promise.

Listen to "Take a Chance on Me" and then tell me with a straight face that anybody involved in its production deserves an award of ANY kind.

JSDOUVRES wrote: 5 number one albums does not count then?

No, I'm afraid it doesn't.

Simple Minds have also had five No.1 albums, and like Erasure, the last time they had a top ten album was well over a decade ago. Both acts have fallen so far off the public's (and journalists') radar that to offer them the award at such a lowly point in their careers would provoke outright hilarity and bewilderment.

In case it's slipped your mind, the last five Erasure albums reached 45, 17, 27, 102 and 29. Can you see things picking up a bit?

Having said that, once most of the 60s and 70s rock dinosaurs have finally agreed to accept said award then Simple Minds may be in with a chance.

I think the PSB seem more relevant only because we are such big fans of them. some of the same points against erasure would apply to the PSB today.


besides, atleast at the award shows here in america, the lifetime achievement award (which would be the equivelent)isnt givin to acts at the top of their game, its always seems to be some sad recognition that gets doled out when the band is faultering and about to slide away so they sort of throw them a sort of lifeline before they totally go away and say, hey, before you go, you were awesome.....once.

Undertaker wrote:

pulse wrote:Erasure will surely receive one in the future,

For what though? As far as the public are concerned, Erasure dissapeared back in the early 90's. Keeping on regurgitating greatest hits packages wont work.

The only way it will happen is if they release an album that catches the publics imagination. All their albums are in the bargain bin after a week and it's not as though they do any work with anyone else.

Vince might get something but i can't see it happening with Erasure.

Well, for one, they have had five #1 albums, which is still, historically-speaking, quite an achievement that few bands can claim. Secondly, they've had over 30 top 40 hits, even as currently as last year. This is a run which started in 1985. Plus, count that the venerable Mr. Vince Clarke is in Erasure - arguably the single most important figure in electronic pop music history. I do realise that to many on this board, an Erasure acknowledgement would be seen as a slight towards PSB (I don't know why, though), but it's an inevitability that will happen. Erasure are still around after all these years, still churning out top 30 hits, still touring successful international tours, and still revered by many as two of the greatest pop songwriters to ever grace the planet.

Admittedly, the latest album isn't going to win them any awards, but the combination of an almost unbeatable chart run that continues to this day, and a promise for further amazing pop, is pretty much a guarantee.

I still think it's too early though, as the youngsters really divert their attention from groups getting lifetime achievement awards (particularly here in North America). Maybe it's different over on that side of the pond.

5 number one albums can be attributed to a sizeable hardcore fan-base.. its how much that keeps selling throughout the years that matters..

which album other than VERY can you pick up after 10 years and still gift it to someone

pulse wrote: Well, for one, they have had five #1 albums, which is still, historically-speaking, quite an achievement that few bands can claim.

23 acts can claim more No.1 albums than Erasure, and that includes The Shadows, Led Zeppelin, REM, ABBA, Elvis, Madonna, Robbie, Dylan, Genesis, Springsteen and the Rolling Stones.

None of them have received said award, but I'd hazard a guess that some of those acts will be in line for the top honour waaaaay before Erasure.

glennjridge wrote:I think the PSB seem more relevant only because we are such big fans of them. some of the same points against erasure would apply to the PSB today.

besides, atleast at the award shows here in america, the lifetime achievement award (which would be the equivelent)isnt givin to acts at the top of their game, its always seems to be some sad recognition that gets doled out when the band is faultering and about to slide away so they sort of throw them a sort of lifeline before they totally go away and say, hey, before you go, you were awesome.....once.

The Brits isn't the same concept as the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame though.

Look at the list of previous winners since the show was televised:

2008 Paul McCartney
2007 Oasis
2006 Paul Weller
2005 Bob Geldof
2004 Duran Duran
2003 Tom Jones
2002 Sting
2001 U2
2000 Spice Girls
1999 Eurythmics
1998 Fleetwood Mac
1997 Bee Gees
1996 David Bowie
1995 Elton John
1994 Van Morrison
1993 Rod Stewart
1992 Freddie Mercury
1991 Status Quo
1990 Queen
1989 Cliff Richard
1988 The Who
1987 Eric Clapton
1986 Elton John & Wham!
1985 The Police
1984 George Martin
1983 The Beatles
1982 John Lennon

Posthumous awards to Mercury and Lennon aside, every musical act bar the Beatles and Geldof (who was basically awarded for his charitable projects the year after Live Eight) was still a going concern at the time, either capable of having top ten albums and/or filling out large arenas and/or stadiums. The same does not apply to Erasure, who have had one solitary top ten album since their last chart-topper almost 15 years ago, Cowboy a brief No.10 in 1997.

When you look over that list, it shows what a fantastic achievement PSB getting this award, really is. There will be artists in the list you don't like but they are huge names in music. Out of thousands of artists, only the elite few have been honoured.