The Human League

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Formed 1977.

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The Human League catch up with Lauren Laverne

Lauren talks to The Human League about their upcoming tour.

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Biography

The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. The band had an early hit with "Being Boiled", but achieved stardom after a key change in line-up in 1980, releasing multiple international hits from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s. Dare (1981), the band's most popular album, yielded the single "Don't You Want Me", a No. 1 hit in the pop charts of UK, US and many other countries. Other international hits include: "Love Action", "Open Your Heart", "Mirror Man", "Fascination", "The Lebanon", "Human" (a US No. 1) and "Tell Me When".

The only constant band member since 1977 is vocalist and songwriter Philip Oakey. Originally an avant-garde all-male synthesizer-based group, The Human League evolved into a commercially successful synthpop band under Oakey's leadership. Since 1987, the band has essentially been a trio of Oakey and long-serving female vocalists Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley (who joined the ensemble in 1980), with various sidemen.

Since 1978, The Human League have released nine studio albums, four EPs, 30 singles and several compilation albums. They have had five albums and eight singles in the UK Top Ten and have sold more than 20 million records.

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  1. Dare / Fascination 2012

    Review of Dare / Fascination

    Reviewed by Ian Wade

    Over 30 years on, Dare’s music still sounds fresh enough to mark it a pop classic.
  2. Credo 2011

    Review of Credo

    Reviewed by Tom Hocknell

    Better than it has any right to be, but far from an essential addition to their catalogue.
  3. Very Best Of 2003

    Review of Very Best Of

    Reviewed by Mick Fitzsimmons

    ''Being Boiled'' remains the greatest single inspired by the plight of silk worms ever...

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