The Human League

Starting out in the late '70s, the Human League was one of the first of the British synth-pop bands to take the world by storm in the post-punk era. The original quartet split into two factions, Heaven 17, and the other--led by vocalist Phil Oakey--continuing under the original banner. The new League contrasted radically with the cold, remote image of the original and delivered a series of classic pop hits during 1981. "Boys And Girls", "The Sound Of The Crowd", "Love Action" and "Open Your Heart" paved the way for the band's magnificent album, DARE, which sold over five million copies. An extraordinary year ended with the excellent Christmas chart-topper, "Don't You Want Me", the biggest-selling UK single of 1981. The track went on to become a number 1 in the USA, spearheading a British invasion of "new pop" artists. The follow-up, HYSTERIA, wasn't released until 1984 and, with 3 years being an eternity in pop, the album met with a mixed response.

• pop