Pet Shop Boys Community

technotrancemix wrote:DM never fail to miss a top5 hit with the new single from the previous couple of albums. PSB struggle to make top20! DM are much much much much bigger than PSB in just about every country. DM still get top10 hits in the USA, PSB haven't since 1987.

Which song of them was a top ten hit list in USA?

I dont know how high it charted but personal jesus was HUGE here as far as being played on the radio.

Regarding the Depeche Mode - PSB argument:

As a fan of both groups I'd say that PSB generally have a stronger mainstream/commercial appeal than DM (and I don't mean it in a negative way). DM have more of an alternative/goth image (especially since "Black Celebration") and by the early 90s they have worked with producers/engineers like Flood (U2) or Butch Vig (Nirvana), whereas PSB have always kept their pop, dance-friendly identity.

This resulted in DM getting recognised as a more 'serious' band. It's characteristic that in most record stores here I find Depeche Mode in the 'New Rock/New Wave' stack somewhere after the Cure and before Devo, whilst PSB are usually in the pop/hits section somewhere after Madonna and before Take That.

And now that actually both bands are past their prime commercially speaking, I find that from my experience DM have a more 'loyal' fanbase than PSB and their new albums make a more serious impact in the press (i.e. you 'll see them on quite a few covers of music magazines after each new album), whereas PSB have unfortunately almost drifted into a 'past' thing.

Imo, I find that PSB's sense of melody is stronger, effortless and more straightforward compared to DM's dependence on atmospheric soundscapes, however DM are usually more eclectic in what they release.

To answer the original question I wouldn't judge the Boys success according to their popularity. On the contrary and as 'Release' showed (regardless if it was not up to their best abilities) it seems that by today they don't have much anxiety regarding their charts performance and would do what they felt like which is always a good thing for a band.

Dreamcatcher2003 wrote:Which song of them was a top ten hit list in USA?

As far as I know Exciter went straight into the #5 position. I don't know about singles but I never mentioned songs did I?

what if they got popular again?

Does not take much really.

They could have got back a bit in 99 but they had to release camp New York city boy and boring I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more if they had released FYOG first then CTH then maybe Drunk things could have been far different.

I love Bilingual but i can easy understand why the general public would think what the hell all this about and for Release well i think we all know where they went wrong there.

And it was crazy not to release anything of Disco 3 If Looks Could Kill should have been 007 theme it's perfect for it in everyway.

Glenny4 wrote:
Does not take much really.

They could have got back a bit in 99 but they had to release camp New York city boy and boring I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more if they had released FYOG first then CTH then maybe Drunk things could have been far different.

I don't think it's that simple. I don't find I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more boring and prefer it to FYOG. The problem with being a fan of the PSBs is that we hear a song and think "That's great, it should be a big hit". Other people hear it and think "yawn, PSBs again". Unfortunately it is "other people" who buy most records.

Kiran wrote:

Glenny4 wrote:
Does not take much really.

They could have got back a bit in 99 but they had to release camp New York city boy and boring I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more if they had released FYOG first then CTH then maybe Drunk things could have been far different.

I don't think it's that simple. I don't find I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more boring and prefer it to FYOG. The problem with being a fan of the PSBs is that we hear a song and think "That's great, it should be a big hit". Other people hear it and think "yawn, PSBs again". Unfortunately it is "other people" who buy most records.

I did say only a bit in 99 but i'm sure things would have been different that way. I love the image they had with I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more with the video it made the track far better i think.

Can you imagine how boring I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more would have been if psb would have been like just them with a boring Before video

Glenny4 wrote:Can you imagine how boring I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more would have been if psb would have been like just them with a boring Before video

I can't even remember the Before video so it must have been pretty boring! I don't really like Before very much so a boring video would be pretty fitting for it.

Kiran wrote:

Glenny4 wrote:Can you imagine how boring I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more would have been if psb would have been like just them with a boring Before video

I can't even remember the Before video so it must have been pretty boring! I don't really like Before very much so a boring video would be pretty fitting for it.

Even worse, try imagine the Home & Dry video being the I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more video

I think this explains why they've gone for Little Britain - they need the video to be played as much as possible for the single to really succeed in the UK!

No more mice!

Glenny4 wrote:Even worse, try imagine the Home & Dry video being the I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more video

Goodness me, I can even imagine an extended H&D video being the entire Disco 2 video!

AlfonsoPSB wrote:

Glenny4 wrote:Even worse, try imagine the Home & Dry video being the I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more video

Goodness me, I can even imagine an extended H&D video being the entire Disco 2 video!

Now that would put me of PSB forever

Alcibiades wrote:Regarding the Depeche Mode - PSB argument:

As a fan of both groups I'd say that PSB generally have a stronger mainstream/commercial appeal than DM (and I don't mean it in a negative way). DM have more of an alternative/goth image (especially since "Black Celebration") and by the early 90s they have worked with producers/engineers like Flood (U2) or Butch Vig (Nirvana), whereas PSB have always kept their pop, dance-friendly identity.

This resulted in DM getting recognised as a more 'serious' band. It's characteristic that in most record stores here I find Depeche Mode in the 'New Rock/New Wave' stack somewhere after the Cure and before Devo, whilst PSB are usually in the pop/hits section somewhere after Madonna and before Take That.

And now that actually both bands are past their prime commercially speaking, I find that from my experience DM have a more 'loyal' fanbase than PSB and their new albums make a more serious impact in the press (i.e. you 'll see them on quite a few covers of music magazines after each new album), whereas PSB have unfortunately almost drifted into a 'past' thing.

Imo, I find that PSB's sense of melody is stronger, effortless and more straightforward compared to DM's dependence on atmospheric soundscapes, however DM are usually more eclectic in what they release.

To answer the original question I wouldn't judge the Boys success according to their popularity. On the contrary and as 'Release' showed (regardless if it was not up to their best abilities) it seems that by today they don't have much anxiety regarding their charts performance and would do what they felt like which is always a good thing for a band.

I couldn't agree more.

I was at a Q&A session with NT a few years back and I asked him how important another hit single was to them - his reply........."it would be great but we're not that bothered anymore and we haven't really got a chance".

Glenny4 wrote:
Even worse, try imagine the Home & Dry video being the I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more video

Are you saying the Home & Dry video was crap?

*high fives Glenny*

I thought I alone held that view.