Pet Shop Boys | |
|---|---|
 Neil Tennant (left) andChris Lowe (right) during an interview in 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | |
| Works | Pet Shop Boys discography |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels | |
| Members | |
| Website | petshopboys |
Pet Shop Boys are an Englishsynth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of keyboardistChris Lowe and vocalistNeil Tennant, they have sold more than 100 million records worldwide[4] and were listed as the most successful duo in UK music history in the 1999 edition ofThe Guinness Book of Records.[5]
Pet Shop Boys have achieved 42top 30 singles, including 22 top-10 hits on theUK singles chart, including four UK number-ones: "West End Girls" (also number one on the USBillboard Hot 100), "It's a Sin", a synth-pop version of "Always on My Mind", and "Heart". Other hit songs include a cover of "Go West", and their own "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)", and "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" in a duet withDusty Springfield. With five US top 10 singles in the 1980s, they are associated with theSecond British Invasion.[6]
Pet Shop Boys have won threeBrit Awards and have been nominated forGrammy Awards. At the2009 Brit Awards in London, they received an award forOutstanding Contribution to Music. In 2016,Billboard named Pet Shop Boys the number one dance duo or group since the chart's inception in 1976.[7] In 2017, the duo receivedNME's Godlike Genius Award,[8] and in 2024, they were awarded the Pop Pioneers award at theMTV Europe Music Awards.[9]
Neil Tennant andChris Lowe met in ahi-fi shop, Chelsea Record Centre, at 203 King's Road, inChelsea, London, on 19 August 1981.[10] Tennant needed a connector for aKorg MS-10 synthesiser he had purchased,[11][12] which sparked a conversation with Lowe. Discovering that they had a mutual interest in disco and electronic music, they became friends.[10][13] In particular, the pair drew inspiration from two synth-pop records: "Souvenir" byOrchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD); and "Bedsitter" bySoft Cell, which reflected their lifestyles at the time.[14][15] According to Tennant, he and Lowe would listen to "pioneers of electronic music", including OMD, Soft Cell,Kraftwerk,the Human League, andDepeche Mode.[16]
The duo began to work together on material,[13] first in Tennant's flat inChelsea, then, from 1982, in a small studio inCamden Town owned by Ray Roberts.[17] "Jealousy", written in 1982, was among the first songs they recorded there.[18] They briefly labelled their demo tapes under the band name West End before settling on Pet Shop Boys.[19] They say that their band name was taken from friends who worked in a pet shop inEaling and were known as the "pet shop boys". They also noted a naming similarity with the recently formed rap rock groupBeastie Boys.[20] In August 1983, Tennant, who was an assistant editor atSmash Hits, went to New York to interviewSting.[13] While there, he arranged to meethi-NRG producerBobby Orlando and gave him ademo tape containing "It's a Sin" and "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)".[10][21]
From 1983 to 1984, Orlando recorded a number of tracks with Tennant and Lowe, including "Two Divided by Zero", "West End Girls", "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)", "A Man Could Get Arrested", "That's My Impression",[22] "Pet Shop Boys",[23] "One More Chance", "Rent", "It's a Sin",[24] "I Get Excited",[25] and "To Speak Is a Sin".[26][27] In April 1984, the Orlando-produced "West End Girls" was released, becoming a club hit in Los Angeles andSan Francisco. On 2 November, it was voted "Screamer of the Week" by listeners ofLong Island, New York, radio stationWLIR.[28] It was a minor dance hit in Belgium and France,[29] but was only available in the United Kingdom as a12" import.[30]
In March 1985, after long negotiations, Pet Shop Boys cut their contractual ties with Orlando, with a settlement giving him significantroyalties for future sales. HiringmanagerTom Watkins, they signed with the London-basedParlophonelabel.[31][32] In April, Tennant leftSmash Hits magazine—where he had progressed to the position of deputy editor—and in July, a new single, "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)", was released, reaching number 116 in the UK.[33] TheB-side to this single, "In the Night", later resurfaced, in a longerremixed version, as the opening track to the duo's firstremix album,Disco, in 1986. This version was also used as the theme for the UK television seriesThe Clothes Show.[34]
They returned to the studio in August to re-record "West End Girls" with producerStephen Hague. Released in October 1985 it rose slowly in the British charts to become number one in January 1986. It subsequently replicated this success in the United States, Canada, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand and Norway and sold an estimated 1.5 million copies worldwide.[33]
After the success of "West End Girls", Pet Shop Boys released a follow-up single, "Love Comes Quickly", on 24 February 1986. The single reached number nineteen on theUK Singles Chart and was followed by their debut album,Please, on 24 March. In June 1986, the band announced a tour of Europe and America; however, their plans for a theatrical extravaganza proved to be too expensive and the tour was cancelled.[35][36]Please started Pet Shop Boys' tradition of choosing one-word album titles, which Neil Tennant has since stated is now a Pet Shop Boys "signature thing", akin toe. e. cummings' use of exclusively lower case letters.[37] New versions of their second single, "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)", and the album track "Suburbia" were also released in 1986, followed byDisco. In September 1986, Pet Shop Boys performed "Love Comes Quickly" and "West End Girls" at the1986 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles.[38]
In 1987, Pet Shop Boys received both aBRIT Award andIvor Novello Award for "West End Girls". On 15 June, they released what became their second number one single, "It's a Sin". The single caused some controversy: Tennant's school,St. Cuthbert's Grammar School inNewcastle upon Tyne, chastised him in theEvening Chronicle,[39] while pop impresarioJonathan King accused them of plagiarising theCat Stevens song "Wild World". King recorded a version of "Wild World" in the style of Pet Shop Boys to prove his point.[40] The group later sued King and won damages, which were donated to Jefferiss Research Trust, supporting the study of sexually transmitted diseases.[41] The music video for "It's a Sin" was their first collaboration with directorDerek Jarman.[42]
The success of "It's a Sin" was followed up with the release of "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" on 10 August. Co-written withAllee Willis and also featuringDusty Springfield on vocals, the single reached number two on the UK Singles Chart and the U.S.Billboard Hot 100 chart. Although the duo had wanted to release this track on their debut album, Springfield had not agreed, and they were reluctant to record it with any other female singer, despite their record company's suggestions.[43][44] Springfield's manager finally contacted them in 1986, following the release ofPlease, and towards the end of that year, she travelled to London to record "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" with them. It was the first track to be recorded for the duo's second album,Actually. Pet Shop Boys had been told that Springfield was difficult to work with and even that she could no longer sing;[45][43] however, her performance on the track put any such concerns to rest and they began a collaboration with her, which lasted until the end of the decade. The song resurrected Springfield's career, leading to her 1990 album,Reputation, on which Pet Shop Boys were major contributing writers andproducers.[46] This duet was also the start of a series of collaborations with high-profile musicians, going on throughout the band's career.
Actually was released in September 1987, followed by the single "Rent" in October, which reached number eight in the UK. The last track on the album, "King's Cross", accidentally anticipated theKing's Cross fire at theLondon Underground section of the station in November of that year (part of the lyrics read: "Dead and wounded on either side/You know it's only a matter of time").The Sun newspaper in the UK subsequently tried to get the track released as acharity single, but Pet Shop Boys did not agree.[47]
At the end of the year, "Always on My Mind" became both the duo's third number one single in the UK and theChristmas number one single for 1987, beating "Fairytale of New York" byThe Pogues andKirsty MacColl. Pet Shop Boys had selected the song for an appearance onLove Me Tender, anITV programme commemorating the tenth anniversary ofElvis Presley's death, and decided to release it.[48] The song was not included onActually, prompting EMI to repackage the album in the U.S. with a 12" version of the single;[49] an extended version, "Always on My Mind/In My House", was later included onIntrospective (1988). In November 2004,The Daily Telegraph newspaper placed Pet Shop Boys' version of "Always on My Mind" at number two in a list of the fifty greatest cover versions of all time.[50]
To capitalise on their string of hits, and in lieu of a tour, Pet Shop Boys made a film that incorporated songs fromPlease andActually. Working with directorJack Bond, the project grew into a full-scale movie,It Couldn't Happen Here, starringBarbara Windsor,Joss Ackland andGareth Hunt. Footage from the film was used in the music video for "Always on My Mind". The film was released in 1988 to mixed reviews.[51]
Heart, released in March 1988 as the last single fromActually, was Pet Shop Boys' fourth UK number one hit and their last to date.[52] The video for the single, directed by Jack Bond, starredIan McKellen as avampire.
Pet Shop Boys wrote and produced the song "I'm Not Scared" forPatsy Kensit's band,Eighth Wonder. The song, released in February 1988, became her biggest hit single. Pet Shop Boys recorded their own version of the track for their albumIntrospective later that year.
Neil Tennant has said that the Pet Shop Boys' "Imperial Phase" ended in September 1988, when their new single, "Domino Dancing", entered the UK Singles Chart at number nine and only reached number seven. Tennant recalls being disappointed upon hearing the news, and he felt that their peak period was over and that it was going to be a challenge to maintain their level of success in the future.[53][54]
Their third album,Introspective, was released on 10 October 1988. Unusually, this was a six-track album of previously unheard remixes and new tracks in extended form. It was followed by theTrevor Horn–produced top-five single "Left to My Own Devices", and a cover version of theSterling Void song "It's Alright". Pet Shop Boys embarked on their first tour in 1989, performing in Hong Kong, Japan, and Britain. The tour followed the ideas of the extravaganza that could not have been afforded earlier in their careers.[55]Derek Jarman returned to direct the performance and he provided several films that were projected during the shows.[56]
The September 1990 single, "So Hard" reached number four in the UK and was followed by their fourth studio album,Behaviour, which was recorded inMunich with producerHarold Faltermeyer. The album was not intended to reflect a dramatic change in mood from their earlier albums; however, it is noticeably subdued.[57] It included the fan favourite "Being Boring", the second single from the album, which only reached number 20 on the UK Singles Chart, their lowest placing at the time. The title is from a quote byZelda Fitzgerald: "... she refused to be bored chiefly because she wasn't boring",[58] and the song was a personal commentary on theAIDS epidemic.[59] The music video was directed by filmmakerBruce Weber. By this time, the duo had parted ways with manager Tom Watkins, replacing him with Jill Carrington, who had previously been marketing director atPolydor.[60]
In March 1991, a cover ofU2's "Where the Streets Have No Name" as amedley with "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", the 1960s pop song byFrankie Valli/the Four Seasons, was released as a double-A-sided single with a remix of the album track "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" byBrothers in Rhythm. This was followed by the duo's first world tour. NamedPerformance, the tour kicked off in Tokyo, on 11 March 1991, and visited the United States, Canada, France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and the United Kingdom.[61] The shows were designed by David Alden and David Fielding, who had designed several sets for theRoyal Opera House.[62]
Before taking a break in 1992, Pet Shop Boys released an 18-trackcompilation calledDiscography (1991), which included all of their single releases up until then and two new singles—"DJ Culture" and "Was It Worth It?"—omitting only "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (although it did appear on the video companionVideography). While "DJ Culture" had some success, "Was It Worth It?" became the duo's first single to miss the UK top 20 since their two Bobby O debut singles.[52]
During this period, Pet Shop Boys continued to collaborate with many high-profile musicians. They worked again withDusty Springfield, on the singles "Nothing Has Been Proved", recorded for the filmScandal about theProfumo political scandal, and "In Private". The duo later went on to produce half of the tracks on her 1990 soloReputation album.[46] Pet Shop Boys were also asked to write and produce an album forLiza Minnelli, in 1989. The album,Results, generated four singles, including the hit "Losing My Mind", a cover version of theStephen Sondheim song from the 1971 Broadway musical "Follies".[63] The duo's own demo of this appeared on their "Jealousy" single as a B-side.
Tennant worked withBernard Sumner andJohnny Marr on their first album asElectronic, whose first single, "Getting Away with It", co-written and co-produced by Tennant, was released on 4 December 1989. In 1991, Lowe also contributed to the Electronic project, contributing the chord sequence to "The Patience of a Saint" on their 1991 album.[64] In 1992, Tennant sang lead vocals on the non-album single "Disappointed",[65] which was featured on the soundtrack to the filmCool World. Pet Shop Boys set up theSpaghetti Recordslabel in 1991.[61] Their most successful release was the soundtrack to the 1992 filmThe Crying Game, which featuredBoy George performing a cover ofDave Berry's 1964 song "The Crying Game". The song was produced by Pet Shop Boys and featured Tennant on backing vocals.[65] Other artists on the label included Scottish singerCicero, the Ignorants, andMasterboy.
In 1992, they were the subjects of aSouth Bank Show documentary on ITV with contributions from Liza Minnelli,[66]Eric Watson (photographer and video director),Simon Frith (music critic), David Alden and David Fielding.
In June 1993, Pet Shop Boys re-invented their image and made a strong return to the UK Singles Chart with "Can You Forgive Her?". Taking its title from theAnthony Trollopenovel of the same name, the single reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart, while its iconic music video featured the duo in orange body suits and talldunce caps, in a world ofcomputer-generated imagery.[8] The theme was continued with the follow-up single, a cover of theVillage People song "Go West", which reached number two in the UK, with another computer-generated music video, this time inspired by theSoviet Union, with shots of the duo filmed inMoscow. The tune was adopted as afootball chant atArsenal Football Club, which Chris Lowe supports, and it became a widespread and iconicstadium anthem.[67]
The duo's fifth studio album,Very, followed on 27 September and is the only Pet Shop Boys album to reach number one on theUK Albums Chart.[52] It was produced by Pet Shop Boys and mixed with additional production byStephen Hague, who had worked with them on their first album and had subsequently made records withOMD,New Order andErasure. The other singles fromVery, "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing", "Liberation" and "Yesterday, When I Was Mad", continued the theme ofCGI videos, peaking with the "Liberation" video, which contained almost no real-life elements at all. All these videos were directed byHoward Greenhalgh, who continued to work with Pet Shop Boys well into the next decade.[68]Very was also released in a limited edition including an entirely new album,Relentless, which was composed of six all-newprogressive house tracks.[69]
In 1994, Pet Shop Boys offered to remix fellowParlophone actBlur's single "Girls & Boys".[70][71] It was a club hit throughout Europe[citation needed] and started a sporadic trend for Pet Shop Boys to remix other artists' music. Also in 1994, Pet Shop Boys released theComic Relief single, "Absolutely Fabulous". The idea started when Tennant and Lowe were playing around withsamples from the BBC sitcomAbsolutely Fabulous in the studio. They approached lead actorsJennifer Saunders andJoanna Lumley and suggested it as acharity single. It was released under the artist name 'Absolutely Fabulous'; Tennant and Lowe do not consider it as a Pet Shop Boys single release and it was not included on their next best-of album. The video featured clips from the sitcom, along with newly recorded footage of Tennant and Lowe with the characters of Edina (Saunders) and Patsy (Lumley).[70][72]
On 12 September 1994, Pet Shop Boys released the follow-up to their 1986remix albumDisco, in the form ofDisco 2. The album featured club remixes of the singles released fromVery andBehaviour, in a continuousmegamix byDanny Rampling. Then, in October, Pet Shop Boys began theirDiscovery tour, visiting areas that they had never performed in before: Singapore, Australia, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Argentina and Brazil.[70] The following year, a new version of "Paninaro", the 1986 B-side to "Suburbia", was released to promote the B-sides collectionAlternative. The single, called "Paninaro '95", is based on the live version from theDiscovery tour.[73]
The Pet Shop Boys remix of theDavid Bowie song "Hallo Spaceboy" featured Tennant on backing vocals and was released in the UK on 19 February 1996.[74] Pet Shop Boys then joined Bowie during his performance of the song at the 1996Brit Awards ceremony, as well as an appearance on theTop of the Pops television programme.[75][76]Tina Turner released herWildest Dreams album in April, featuring the song "Confidential", written and co-produced by Pet Shop Boys.[77]
The Pet Shop Boys single "Before" reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart in April. In August, they released a follow-up single, "Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)", aLatin American music-inspired track, featuring a drum sample from a track called "Estrada da paixão" byBrazilian actOlodum.[78] This preceded the sixth Pet Shop Boys albumBilingual, which was released in September.
Pet Shop Boys were the first band to have a residency at aWest End theatre, playing for two weeks at theSavoy Theatre in June 1997.[79] Lowe selected the song "Somewhere" fromWest Side Story to be the centrepiece of the performance and a new single.[80] The production featured an interactive film bySam Taylor-Wood showing a party scene, which Tennant and Lowe appeared to leave and enter from the stage. The show lost money,[8] and the duo offset their losses in part by playing music festivals including theRoskilde Festival in 1997 andCreamfields in 1999.[81][82]
The majority of 1998 was spent with a series of live dates and minor releases, including a charity album ofNoël Coward songs, calledTwentieth Century Blues. The album included Pet Shop Boys' version of "Sail Away", along with songs performed byElton John,Texas,Marianne Faithfull,The Divine Comedy,Suede,Damon Albarn,Vic Reeves andRobbie Williams. Tennant also co-produced the Williams track and provided backing vocals for Elton John.[83][84] Tennant provided backing vocals on Robbie Williams' "No Regrets" single, along withNeil Hannon from The Divine Comedy.[85] Meanwhile, the band switched managers again as Carrington resigned and was succeeded by Mitch Clark, who had previously worked forEMI International as Head of Promotion.[86]
During this time, Pet Shop Boys began to work with playwrightJonathan Harvey on a stage musical project. In 1999, some of the tracks they recorded ended up on their seventh studio album,Nightlife, including "Closer to Heaven", which would later become the title song of their musical.[87]Nightlife produced the top 10 hit "You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk" and the top 20 singles "I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Any More" and "New York City Boy". The album also featured a duet withKylie Minogue, "In Denial", about a fathercoming out to his daughter.[88] Minogue later performed the track live, during her 2005Showgirl tour, singing to a pre-recorded Neil Tennant.[89] This was not the first time that Pet Shop Boys worked with Minogue: In 1994, they wrote a song for her eponymousKylie Minogue album, called "Falling", which was based on an unreleased remix of "Go West" with new lyrics by Tennant; however, Minogue and her record company did not like the style of Pet Shop Boys' demo and askedFarley & Heller to produce the track.[90]
Pet Shop Boys incurred financial losses on theNightlife Tour in 1999–2000 after promoterHarvey Goldsmith's company went intoreceivership.[91] During a concert in a partially emptyarena in Sheffield, they briefly considered disbanding; the duo later recalled this period as a low point in their career.[92]
On 24 June 2000, Pet Shop Boys made their debut at theGlastonbury Festival on the Pyramid Stage as the sun was setting, beforeTravis headlined.Cerys Matthews ofCatatonia took the part of Dusty Springfield for the duet on "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" Their performance before an enthusiastic crowd was considered a triumph.[93][94] The following week atRoskilde, Pet Shop Boys andOasis refused to perform when the organisers decided to continue with the festival despite the deaths of nine people in acrowd crush duringPearl Jam's set.[95]
The musicalCloser to Heaven premiered in London in May 2001 to mixed reviews. The run was originally extended to February 2002, but it closed in October 2001 along with a number of other productions after the11 September 2001 attacks.[96][97]
WhileCloser to Heaven was still in development, Pet Shop Boys had started work on their eighth studio album in September 2000. After toying with genres includinghip hop, they went for a stripped back, guitar-driven sound as a departure fromdance music, at Lowe's suggestion.[98][99] In 2002, they released the modestly successful albumRelease. Most of the tracks were produced by the duo themselves and many featuredJohnny Marr on guitar. The first single, "Home and Dry", featured a very peculiar music video, directed byWolfgang Tillmans, mostly consisting of raw camcorder footage of mice filmed in theLondon Underground.[100] The follow-up single "I Get Along" had a video filmed byBruce Weber.
Pet Shop Boys embarked on anotherworld tour, although this time it was a stripped back affair, with no dancers, backing singers, costumes or lavish sets.[101] They used two extra guitarists,Bic Hayes andMark Refoy, percussionist Dawne Adams, and regularprogrammer Pete Gleadall, alongside Lowe on keyboards and Tennant on guitar and vocals.[102] They started with a tour of universities around the UK, performing atBristol University,Keele University,University of East Anglia inNorwich,University of Teesside,Middlesbrough andDe Montfort University,Leicester. Subsequent dates took them to Germany, the U.S., Canada, Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, then another series of dates in the UK, and on to Switzerland, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and then a first-ever date in Thailand as the final show, at the large BangkokImpact Arena.[103]
A third single, "London", was released in Germany[100] at the request ofEMI Germany.[citation needed] It was never planned for release in the UK, although a promotional video was shot by the distinguished photographerMartin Parr[100] and it was serviced to some UK radio stations.[citation needed] Following a live stint on theJohn Peel show onRadio 1,[100] Pet Shop Boys releasedDisco 3, in February 2003. The album followed their previousDisco albums, but this one also included new songs as well as remixes.[104]
In 2003, Pet Shop Boys launched two new labels, Olde English Vinyl and Lucky Kunst, theirSpaghetti Records label becoming defunct. The first release on Olde English Vinyl wasAtomizer's "Hooked on Radiation",[104] followed byPete Burns' "Jack and Jill Party" in 2004.[105] The only Lucky Kunst release to date is theKiki Kokova's version of "Love to Love You Baby". They also remixedYoko Ono's "Walking on Thin Ice" in 2003[104] andRammstein's "Mein Teil" in 2004.[106] Another new manager, David Dorrell, was brought on board to replace Clark.[107] In November 2003, Pet Shop Boys released a second greatest hits album,PopArt: The Hits, a double compilation with two new singles: "Miracles" and "Flamboyant". Not chronologically arranged, the tracks were divided into two discs:Pop including the more traditional pop songs andArt containing those works which were considered more experimental.[108]
In September 2004, Pet Shop Boys appeared at a free concert inTrafalgar Square in London, where they performed, with the Dresdner Sinfoniker orchestra, a whole new soundtrack to accompany the seminal 1925silent filmBattleship Potemkin.[109] There were four further live performances of the work with the Dresdner Sinfoniker in Germany in September 2005.[110] TheBattleship Potemkin soundtrack was then released on 5 September 2005. In November 2004, Pet Shop Boys played at thePrince's Trust concert titled "Produced by Trevor Horn" with other artists who had worked withTrevor Horn, includingGrace Jones,ABC,Seal andFrankie Goes to Hollywood.[111][112] In 2005, Pet Shop Boys were selected as the headline act for theMoscow Live 8 concert, inRed Square, where a crowd of between 60,000 and 80,000 gathered to watch them perform.[113][114] Also in 2005, Pet Shop Boys were asked to put togetherBack to Mine: Pet Shop Boys, the twentieth release in an ongoing series showcasing artists' favourite music selections, with an emphasis on afterhourschill-out music. As a condition,Neil Tennant andChris Lowe were given one disc each, whereas all previous releases in the series consisted of only a single disc per group.[115][116]
Pet Shop Boys began 2006 remixingMadonna's single "Sorry", for release in February. The single reached number one in the UK and the Pet Shop Boys remix included new backing vocals performed by Tennant.[117] Madonna subsequently used the Pet Shop Boys remix, including Tennant's vocals, on her 2006Confessions Tour.[118]
In April, Pet Shop Boys released a new single that reached number eight in the UK, "I'm with Stupid", a commentary on the relationship betweenGeorge W. Bush andTony Blair.[119] The promo video featuredMatt Lucas andDavid Walliams, better known as the team behindLittle Britain. Lucas and Walliams portray Lowe and Tennant, parodying two of the duo's previous videos, "Go West", and "Can You Forgive Her?".[120] The ninth Pet Shop Boys studio album,Fundamental, followed in May, reaching number five in the UK. The album was produced byTrevor Horn, who Pet Shop Boys had previously worked with on "Left to My Own Devices", in 1988. The album was also released with a limited editionremix album calledFundamentalism, which included a version of "In Private" as a duet withElton John and "Fugitive", a new track produced byRichard X.
The week thatFundamental was released, a documentary, titledPet Shop Boys: A Life in Pop, was broadcast onChannel 4, directed by George Scott and produced by Nick de Grunwald. The original broadcast was less than an hour in duration; a 140-minute version was released on DVD in October 2006. Contributors to the programme includedRobbie Williams,Brandon Flowers,Tim Rice-Oxley,Jake Shears andBruce Weber. The DVD also contained promo videos that had been made since the release ofPopArt.[121]
The second single to be taken from the album was the UK top twenty "Minimal". The duo filmed the video to the single in Paris with Don Cameron.[122] The single was the first of theirs to be playlisted by London's biggest radio station,Capital Radio, in a decade.[citation needed] Pet Shop Boys began a worldwidetour in support ofFundamental in June 2006 in Norway. The show was designed and directed byEs Devlin, a British theatre designer, and choreographed by Hakeem Onibudo.[123] Between 15 June and 10 September 2006, Pet Shop Boys played a series of concert dates across Europe, mainly at assorted festivals and outdoor venues. These included two dates at theTower of London on 28 and 29 June[124] and a single show atThetford Forest,[125] as well as performances ofBattleship Potemkin in Germany and Spain. On 1 May 2006,Battleship Potemkin was also performed at theSwan Hunter shipyard, inNewcastle upon Tyne, with Pet Shop Boys accompanied by theNorthern Sinfonia orchestra.[110]
On 3 October 2006, the long-delayed U.S. release of theirPopArt hits package was issued byCapitol Records. During 2006, Pet Shop Boys worked withRobbie Williams on his albumRudebox, producing two tracks: a cover version of "We're the Pet Shop Boys", written by My Robot Friend (which Pet Shop Boys had also recorded themselves and released as a B-side to "Miracles" in 2003), and "She's Madonna", a duet with Tennant.[117] On 10 October 2006, Pet Shop Boys embarked on the North and Central American leg of their world tour, which took them through Canada, the United States and Mexico, concluding on 16 November. A DVD of the show in Mexico City was released on 21 May 2007, titledCubism. It was recorded on 14 November 2006, in theAuditorio Nacional, and was directed by David Barnard.[126]
On 16 October,Catalogue was published byThames & Hudson, a 336-page hardcover book written byPhilip Hoare andChris Heath, detailing their entire visual output, including photography as well as the design of albums, music videos, concert tours, books andfan club magazines from 1984 to 2004.[127] Neil Tennant comments in the book: "In the beginning we made a decision – and it was in our EMI contract – that that we would have control over how everything worked; that obviously the songs mattered hugely, but the way they were presented was going to matter hugely as well; and that we were never going to give up on that." Pet Shop Boys supported the publication of the book with signings in London, New York City, Los Angeles and Berlin. To coincide with the publication ofCatalogue, a small exhibition of portraits of Pet Shop Boys opened in the Bookshop Gallery of London'sNational Portrait Gallery on 30 October 2006 and ran to 4 March 2007.[128]
Also on 16 October, the third single fromFundamental, "Numb", written byDiane Warren, was released, following its appearance at the end of the BBC's coverage of England at theWorld Cup.[129] "Numb" became only the second Pet Shop Boys single to that point to miss the Top 20.[52]
On 23 October 2006,Concrete was released. It is a double CD of the completeMermaid Theatre concert, with theBBC Concert Orchestra, featuring guestsRufus Wainwright,Frances Barber, andRobbie Williams, and Trevor Horn as the musical director.[130] A 90-minute "director's cut" of the concert aired on BBC6 Music, on 28 August 2006.[131] On 7 December 2006, Pet Shop Boys were nominated for two2007 Grammy Awards: Best Dance Recording for "I'm with Stupid", and Best Electronic/Dance Album forFundamental. During the latter part of 2006 and early 2007, Neil Tennant served as executive producer on Rufus Wainwright's album,Release the Stars, recorded in Berlin. He sang backing vocals on a number of tracks, including "Do I Disappoint You", and "Tiergarten".[132]
Pet Shop Boys continued their world tour, albeit with a slightly different production and set list, on 14 March 2007, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, then played concerts in Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and Australia (as co-headliners of theV Festival 2007), Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Denmark, Ireland, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Singapore. Pet Shop Boys "played" at the free festivalSecondfest, in theonlinevirtual worldSecond Life, on 30 June.[133] The Fundamental tour ended inBucharest, Romania, in November 2007.
On 8 October 2007, Pet Shop Boys releasedDisco 4, the latest in their series ofremix albums; the fourth in the set differed in that it was largely made up of remixes, completed by Pet Shop Boys, of other artists' work over the past decade. These includeThe Killers,David Bowie,Yoko Ono,Madonna,Atomizer andRammstein. Only two tracks by Pet Shop Boys, remixed versions ofFundamental tracks "Integral" and "I'm with Stupid", were included.[132]
In October 2008, Pet Shop Boys released the single "I'm in Love with a German Film Star" featuring British photographerSam Taylor-Wood on vocals.[134] This single was made for her exhibition in London and it was released by Kompakt records in Germany, on both CD and 7" and 12" vinyl. The most notable remixes were by Gui Boratto, Jurgen Paape andMark Reeder.[135][136]
Pet Shop Boys received theBrit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music in 2009. A statement from Brits Committee chairmanGed Doherty said: "Since their first Brit Award over 20 years ago, Neil and Chris have produced a fantastic body of work with songs that truly were the soundtrack to a whole generation's lives. The Pet Shop Boys have since become one of the most influential groups of the modern era and are deserving recipients of the award."[137] The duo performed a medley of their greatest hits at the ceremony, withLady Gaga singing Dusty Springfield's part on "What Have I Done to Deserve This?"[138]
Pet Shop Boys completed their next album in late 2008. Recorded withXenomania and released in UK on 23 March 2009,Yes received generally favorable reviews[139] and hit number four in the UK, their highest album chart position in more than a decade.[140] Pet Shop Boys co-wrote theGirls Aloud Top 10 track "The Loving Kind". Originally written forYes, the song was deemed unsuitable by Lowe and was given to the popular girl group to record instead for their albumOut of Control.[141] At the start of 2009, Pet Shop Boys appointed Angela Becker as their new manager.[142]
On 4 November 2009, Pet Shop Boys celebrated the Brazilian leg of the tour by releasing a compilation titledParty, including songs that were heavily featured in popular soap operas[143] on TV Globo: "Being boring" (Meu Bem Meu Mal OST), "Domino dancing" (O Salvador da Patria OST), "West End Girls" (Selva de Pedra OST) and "King of Rome" (Viver a Vida).[citation needed] On 14 December 2009, Pet Shop Boys released an EP of covers, remixes, and new material, titledChristmas. On 20 December the EP entered the UK chart at number 40.
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On 15 February 2010, Pet Shop Boys released a live album/DVD double-pack calledPandemonium. It contains the soundtrack and footage recorded from their 21 December 2009 show at theO2 Arena in London.[144] Pet Shop Boys released their version of "Love Life" in April 2010 as a limited edition 7-inch vinyl single available only in independent UK record stores. The song was originally recorded during theRelease sessions in 2001 and was subsequently given to Swedish bandAlcazar.[145] The B-side was "A Powerful Friend", a song originally composed in the early 1980s and subsequently recorded in late 2002 during the recording sessions that would contribute to theDisco 3 album.[146]
In June 2010, Pet Shop Boys headlined the Other Stage on the Saturday evening of the 40th anniversary Glastonbury Festival and were heralded as dazzling with "one of the most spectacular Glastonbury moments ever.".[147] This set included a surprise cover ofColdplay's "Viva La Vida", which Tennant thought sounded similar to a Pet Shop Boys song when he first heard it.[148]
In November they released their third compilation albumUltimate preceded by the single "Together"; a limited edition featured their entire Glastonbury festival performance from that year on an additional DVD.[149][150]
Pet Shop Boys composed a ballet,The Most Incredible Thing, based on a fairy tale byHans Christian Andersen, which opened atSadlers Wells in London on 17 March 2011.[151] The story was adapted byMatthew Dunster and the ballet was choreographed byJavier de Frutos. It featured former Royal Ballet starIvan Putrov, animated films created byTal Rosner,[152] and orchestrations by German composerSven Helbig, who worked with the band in 2005 as a co-producer forBattleship Potemkin.
_at_Pori_Jazz_2014.jpg)
On 28 September 2011, Pet Shop Boys announced that they had written 16 songs in preparation for their next studio album.[153] In the meantime,Format, an album of the duo's B-sides from 1996 to 2009, was released on 6 February 2012 as a sequel to their earlier B-side collectionAlternative.[154]Format entered the UK charts at number 26 on 12 February 2012.
On 21 November 2011, theBeyond Theatre Award was presented to Pet Shop Boys and the director ofThe Most Incredible Thing,Javier de Frutos.[155][156][157] The award was introduced and presented by the artist, film director and occasional PSB collaboratorSam Taylor-Wood.
In January 2012, Pet Shop Boys started recording their new album inLos Angeles with producerAndrew Dawson. In June, a teaser video by renowned Los Angeles artist/film-makerBrian Bress for the album track "Invisible" was released online, at which timeElysium was revealed to be name of the new album.[158] The first single was "Winner", preceding the release ofElysium in September. On 28 July, Pet Shop Boys performed "Winner", "Always On My Mind" and "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" before the Olympic tennis games in Henman Hill, Wimbledon.[159][160] At the2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony on 12 August, Tennant and Lowe rode around the stadium in cycle-driven chariots, wearing pointy hats as they performed "West End Girls" to a global audience.[161]
In March 2013, Pet Shop Boys announced that they were leaving their longtime record label Parlophone.[162] Their twelfth album, entitledElectric, was released on 12 July 2013 on their own labelx2 throughKobalt Label Services.[163] The album was the biggest-selling record among the UK's independent record shops during the week of its release, and went straight to the number one position on the Official Record Store Chart.[164]Electric was the first of three consecutive albums produced byStuart Price. The release coincided with theElectric Tour that included Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Colombia, Asia—with dates in the Philippines, Indonesia, and China for the first time—Lebanon, Israel, Turkey, Europe and North America.[103][165][166][167] On 23 July, Pet Shop Boys appeared at theBBC Proms to premiereA Man from the Future, a piece written for orchestra, choir, electronics, and narrator, based on the life ofAlan Turing.[168]
On 21 January 2016, Pet Shop Boys previewed the track "Inner Sanctum" from their thirteenth album,Super.[169] The lead single from the album, "The Pop Kids", was released on 18 March,[170] reaching number one on the USDance Club Songs chart.[171] The album debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart, selling 16,953 copies in its first week, becoming their thirteenth consecutive top 10 studio album.[172] In the United States,Super debuted at number 58 on theBillboard 200 with first-week sales of 10,000 copies. It also debuted at number one onBillboard'sDance/Electronic Albums chart, becoming Pet Shop Boys' first number one album on the chart sinceDisco 3 (2003).[173]
Pet Shop Boys announced theirFurther Listening reissues project, calledCatalogue: 1985–2012 in June 2017. The first batch was released that July with a remaster ofNightlife,Release andFundamental.[174] Reissues ofYes andElysium were released on 20 October 2017,[175] and the previously releasedFurther Listening albumsPlease,Actually, andIntrospective were remastered and re-released on 2 March 2018.[176] The fourth and final batch of reissues—Behaviour,Very andBilingual—was released on 31 August 2018.[177]
The live album/DVD/Blu-rayInner Sanctum was released in April 2019.[178] It followed February's EPAgenda. which contains four new songs with a political and pop culture angle. Neil Tennant said the release "contains three satirical songs and one rather sad song. I think it's because of the times we're living through".[179]
In 2020, their fourteenth album,Hotspot, was released on x2/Kobalt. Three singles were released to promoteHotspot: "Dreamland" featuringYears & Years, "Monkey Business", and "I Don't Wanna".
The correspondingDreamworld tour was planned to start mid-2020, but was postponed twice due to theCOVID-19 pandemic; it finally got underway in May 2022[180] and included their third appearance at the Glastonbury festival, this time closing the Other Stage on the Sunday night.[181] In September and October 2022, the band co-headlined the Unity Tour withNew Order, playing twelve arenas across Canada and the US.[182] On 31 December 2022, Pet Shop Boys performed at Edinburgh'sHogmanay celebrations with a special Dreamworld show.[183] In 2023 they continued their Dreamworld tour, headlining thePrimavera Sound festivals in Barcelona, Madrid, Porto, Santiago, São Paulo and Lima.[184]
In March 2023, the duo started working on their fifteenth studio album with producerJames Ford.[185] In the interim, the EPLost, made up of music recorded duringSuper sessions was released.[186]
In January 2024, the album titleNonetheless and its cover art were revealed with an 26 April release date,[187] along with the news that Pet Shop Boys would be returning to Parlophone. The music video for the lead single, "Loneliness", was released on YouTube on 31 January.[188] On 3 April the second single "Dancing Star" was released, inspired by Russian ballet dancerRudolf Nureyev. The single featured a remix of a previous B-side "Party in the Blitz" featuringPrincess Julia.[189] The third single, "A New Bohemia" was released on 4 June, followed by a fourth single, "Feel" on 20 August.[190] The fifth single, a double A-side of "New London Boy" and a cover version of "All The Young Dudes" byDavid Bowie, was released on 7 November, followed by an expanded re-release ofNonetheless on 22 November, including demo versions of all tracks plus four new bonus tracks.
The ongoing Dreamworld tour included a five-night residency at theRoyal Opera House in July 2024,[191] followed by a gig atFunny Girls inBlackpool and a headline appearance at the final night ofRadio 2 in the Park inPreston in September.[192] In November, Pet Shop Boys played "All the Young Dudes" in a medley with "West End Girls", accompanied by theManchester Camerata, at the2024 MTV Europe Music Awards, where the duo were honoured as Pop Pioneers.[193] They also appeared onStrictly Come Dancing in Lowe's hometown during Blackpool Week, playing a medley of hits for the opening dance number, followed by a performance of "All the Young Dudes" the next night.[194] The Dreamworld tour continued with concerts in the UK and Europe in summer 2025.[195] A festival in Japan was the first tour date announced for 2026.[196]
In 2020, BBC journalist Nick Levine noted that Pet Shop Boys still maintain a somewhat "detached and ambivalent approach" to their success, which also shows in their low profile on social media.[197] Music journalist Steve Harnell described them as having both an "ear for commerciality" and the desire to create "something more highbrow". He also described Tennant's lyrics as showing a "love for language", which Tennant sparkles with sometimes quite-obscure cultural references.[197] Their music in the 1980s was inspired by dance music in gay clubs but transformed into a "very British and brainy brand of pop music, shot through with a streak of social comment so subtly done that people frequently missed the point entirely."[198]
Lowe said in a 1986Entertainment Tonight interview that he doesn't "likecountry and western. I don't like rock music, I don't likerockabilly orrock and roll particularly. I don't like much, really, do I? But what I do like, I love passionately.[199] The quote was subsequentlysampled in the song "Paninaro". The 1997B-side "How I Learned to Hate Rock and Roll", and their early 1990s songs "DJ Culture", "Can You Forgive Her?" and "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" continued this sentiment.[200] They are still known for openly criticising trends in the music business, such asreality television music shows in 2010 ("it's so awful and negative and stifling, and so un-pop").[201]
Their band dynamic has played a role in their public image. Early in their career, the duo were frequently accused of lacking stage presence, said to be a deliberate reaction to the hyper-cheerful music of the time, demonstrated by bands such asWham!.[citation needed] A typical early performance featured Lowe in the background playing the bassline on aFairlight synthesiser keyboard and Tennant singing, but otherwise passive, in the foreground. Tennant and Lowe both became well known for standing still throughout performances. In a 2016 interview, Chris Lowe said the duo's live performances were a response to the music scene in the 1980s: "Everyone was so active. It was a big party where everyone was having a great time and smiling at the camera. Thumbs aloft! We just didn't want to do that. So we ignored the cameras and the jollity of the situations. Let's face it, it's easier to stand stock-still isn't it?".[202]
When they first began touring, in 1989, they were heavily influenced by opera and theatre staging.[203]Derek Jarman staged their firsttour, making a series of films to be projected behind the costumed singers and dancers.[56] In 1991, they brought inDavid Alden and David Fielding, from theEnglish National Opera, to create the staging and costume design, for a show which made little attempt to involve or even acknowledge the audience and pushed the choreography andstaging centre-stage.[62] Subsequent tours have used artistSam Taylor-Wood[8] and architectZaha Hadid for stage design.[82] TheFundamental Tour in 2006–2007 was conceived and designed by theatre designerEs Devlin, with choreography by Hakeem Onibudo.[123] Es Devlin also conceived the 2009–2010Pandemonium Tour as well as theElectric Tour beginning in 2013.[204][205]
Typically, Pet Shop Boys have favouredavant-garde tailored fashions. Tennant has referenced the designers of his suits in certain interviews[citation needed] and Lowe has often sported outfits andglasses made byIssey Miyake,[206][207]Stüssy, andYohji Yamamoto'sY-3 forAdidas.[208] Presentation has always been a major theme for Pet Shop Boys and the duo have dramatically "re-invented" their image twice in their career. In 1993, when promoting theirVery album, they wore brightly coloured costumes and used state-of-the-art computer technology to place themselves in a modern computer graphic world.[209] This concept of re-invention was revisited for the promotion of theirNightlife album, in which they transformed their look, wearingwigs and glasses, with stylised futuristic urban wardrobes.[210] In 2006, both Tennant and Lowe were seen on stage and in photographs wearing clothes designed byHedi Slimane/Dior Homme,[211] and in 2018 they fronted the Dior Homme SS18 campaign.[212]
They have always been interested in theartwork, design and photography of their own releases. PhotographerEric Watson helped shape the original image of Pet Shop Boys, creating many of theirphotographs andvideos early in their career.[213] In design they have primarily worked withMark Farrow, who designed thecover of their firstParlophone album release in 1986.[214] The collaboration between Mark Farrow and Pet Shop Boys is comparable to the designer/band relationship ofPeter Saville andNew Order,Anton Corbijn andDepeche Mode, or the epic-length collaboration ofSimon Halfon andPaul Weller.[citation needed] Theirrecord sleeves are quite often veryminimal and the attention to detail is obvious. In October 2006, British art publisher Thames & Hudson published a 336-page hardcover book titledPet Shop Boys Catalogue, byChris Heath andPhilip Hoare, showcasing the group's accomplishments in artwork, design and music.[127] A German-language edition was also published. An exhibition of photographs of Pet Shop Boys was organised at the National Portrait Gallery in London to coincide with the publication.[128]
Even the band's fan base has been subject to commentary. In 2001, music theorist Fred Everett Maus wrote that, contrary to the ideologies of anti-commercialism andauthenticity embodied by "serious" discussions ofpopular music such as rock, Pet Shop Boys fans exhibit "an undisguised love of commercial success". This was demonstrated throughmailing list discussions from 1998 onwards, in which fans voiced concern over the "most commercially promising selection and marketing of singles" for the then-upcomingNightlife, and debated the quality of the then-recentBilingual, spurred by the album's poorer performance in sales. Most posters, Maus summarised, feared that the band's appeal would become essentially limited to acult following; "dissent, along the lines that the fans would always have the Pet Shop Boys, no matter what happened commercially, was scarce and ineffectual". Noting the fact that Pet Shop Boys "began their career with hits", Maus made the point that this early success was valued by fans: the band's "large audiences" were just as important to "many fans" as the making of "distinctive music that individual fans loved".[215]
Pet Shop Boys have been noted for keeping their fingers on the musical pulse to date, while "maintaining the mystique of performers from a different era".[197] Lynn Barber, writing for the London Observer on 1 July 1997 stated that "The genius of the Pet Shop Boys was to combine these polar opposites: Neil's wistful introspective lyrics and Chris's mindless, cheerful, upbeat rhythms. They would never have been in the Top 10 without Chris; they would never have engaged an intelligent audience without Neil."[216]
As of 2003, Pet Shop Boys were ranked byBillboard'sJoel Whitburn (in his bookBillboard's Hot Dance/Disco 1974–2003) as the fourth most successful act on the U.S.Dance/Club Play charts, behind onlyMadonna,Michael Jackson andDonna Summer.
The history between Madonna and Pet Shop Boys goes back to 1988, with the song "Heart". In the liner notes to their 1991greatest hits album,Discography, the band states that: "When we wrote this song ("Heart") we wanted to submit it to Madonna but didn't dare risk disappointment." Pet Shop Boys kept the song for themselves and it ended up going to number one in the UK. Later, in 1991, Madonna was referenced in a tongue-in-cheek lyric, in the song "DJ Culture", soon after she andSean Penn had divorced. Tennant writes: "LikeLiz beforeBetty / She after Sean / Suddenly you're missing / Then you're reborn". Madonna's albumConfessions on a Dance Floor, released November 2005, includes a track called "Jump", which has close similarities to "West End Girls".[217] An interview atPopjustice withStuart Price, who produced Madonna's album, revealed that the track was a completeChris Lowe inspiration. Pet Shop Boys then remixed "Sorry", the second single from the album. Madonna has used their version in her 2006Confessions tour.Lady Gaga stated that she listened regularly to Pet Shop Boys while working on her debut albumThe Fame, and that they were an influence on her music.[218]
In October 2005, a Swedishtribute band calledWest End Girls had a number threehit single in their home country, with a cover version of "Domino Dancing". In January 2006, they released their own version of "West End Girls" and an album was also released in June. In August 2014, Pet Shop Boys appeared in theBBC Radio 4 seriesThe Archers as last-minute headliners at the fictional festival Loxfest. Both Tennant and Lowe had speaking roles in the show.[219]
Neil Tennant, who neither denied nor confirmed gay rumours throughout the 1980s,came out in a 1994 interview forAttitude, a UK gay lifestyle magazine.[220][221] Tennant has said that he does not want to be defined by his sexuality[222] or be labeled as a 'gay pop star' out of concern that it would dominate coverage of the Pet Shop Boys.[223][224] He also noted, "I do think that we have contributed, through our music and also through our videos and the general way we’ve presented things, rather a lot to what you might call 'gay culture'".[220] In 1988, Pet Shop Boys played "It's a Sin" at a benefit opposing the anti-homosexuality lawSection 28.[225]
Many of Tennant's lyrics are written usinggender-neutral language, as a way to be inclusive.[226] He has also written songs in character from the perspective of women and heterosexual men,[227] and, as he stated in theAttitude interview, he has written songs from his own perspective as a gay man.[220] In 2024, Tennant described the Pet Shop Boys albumNonetheless as "our queer album", with songs like "Love Is the Law", referencingOscar Wilde, and "New London Boy", recalling his own experiences in London in the early 1970s.[228]
Several Pet Shop Boys songs deal with the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and early 1990s, which they lived through.[229] Tennant wrote a trio of songs about his best friend from Newcastle, Christopher Dowell, who died from the disease in 1989:[228] "It Couldn't Happen Here" alludes to their early complacency,[230] "Being Boring" is an elegy to their friendship,[231] and "Your Funny Uncle" describes his funeral.[232][233]
Studio albums
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Themselves | Top New Artist | Nominated | [234] |
| TopBillboard 200 Artist | Nominated | |||
| Top Hot 100 Artist | Nominated | |||
| Top Hot 100 Artist – Duo/Group | Nominated | |||
| Top Dance Club Play Artist | Nominated | |||
| Top Dance Sales Artist | Nominated | |||
| Please | TopBillboard 200 Album | Nominated | ||
| "West End Girls" | Top Hot 100 Song | Nominated | ||
| Top Dance Sales Single | Nominated | |||
| Top Dance Club Play Single | Nominated | |||
| "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" | Nominated | |||
| 1987 | "It's a Sin" | Nominated | [235] | |
| Themselves | Top Hot 100 Artist | Nominated | ||
| Top Dance Club Play Artist | Nominated | |||
| 2007 | "Minimal" | Top Dance Club Play Single | Nominated | [236] |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Themselves | Best British Group | Nominated |
| "West End Girls" | Best British Single | Won | |
| 1988 | Themselves | Best British Group | Won |
| "Always on My Mind" | Best British Single | Nominated | |
| Actually | Best British Album | Nominated | |
| 1989 | Introspective | Nominated | |
| Themselves | Best British Group | Nominated | |
| 1992 | Nominated | ||
| 1994 | "Go West" | Best British Video | Nominated |
| 2009 | Themselves | Outstanding Contribution to Music | Won |
| 2010 | "Go West" | Live Performance of 30 Years | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Very Relentless | Best Recording Package | Nominated |
| 1995 | "Go West" | Best Music Video, Short Form | Nominated |
| 1995 | "Alternative" | Best Recording Package – Boxed | Nominated |
| 1998 | "To Step Aside" | Best Dance Recording | Nominated |
| 2006 | "I'm with Stupid" | Nominated | |
| Fundamental | Best Dance/Electronic Album | Nominated | |
| 2010 | Yes | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | "West End Girls" | International Hit of the Year | Won |
| Best Contemporary Song | Nominated | ||
| 1988 | "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" | Nominated | |
| "It's A Sin" | International Hit of the Year | Nominated | |
| 1990 | "Nothing Has Been Proved" | Best Film Theme or Song | Nominated |
| 2000 | Themselves | Outstanding Contribution to British Music | Won |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Themselves | Best Foreign Pop Artist | Nominated |
| 2006 | Nominated | ||
| 2010 | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Themselves | Best Group | Nominated |
| 1987 | Nominated | ||
| 1988 | Nominated | ||
| Worst Group | Nominated | ||
| "Heart" | Best Pop Video | Nominated | |
| 1990 | Themselves | Best Group[237] | Nominated |
| Year | Awards | Work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Music Week Awards[238] | Themselves | Top Music Week/Studio Week Advertisement Mono | Nominated |
| MTV Video Music Awards | "West End Girls" | Best New Artist | Nominated | |
| 1987 | American Music Awards | Favorite Pop/Rock Song | Nominated | |
| ASCAP Pop Music Awards[239] | Most Performed Song | Won | ||
| Bravo Otto Awards | Themselves | Best Rock Band (Silver) | Won | |
| Silver Clef Award | Best Newcomer | Won | ||
| 1988 | Berolina Awards | Group of the Year | Won | |
| Houston Film Festival | "It Couldn't Happen Here" | Gold July Award | Won | |
| Billboard Music Awards | "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" | Top Dance Club Play Single | Nominated | |
| ASCAP Pop Music Awards[240] | Most Performed Song | Won | ||
| 1991 | MTV Video Music Awards | "Being Boring" | Viewer's Choice (Europe) | Nominated |
| Music Week Awards | Music Video of the Year | Won | ||
| 1992 | Pollstar Concert Industry Awards | Performance Tour | Most Creative Stage Production | Nominated |
| 1994 | D&AD Awards | "Go West" | Pop Promo Video | Wood Pencil |
| MTV Europe Music Awards | Best Cover | Won | ||
| Effects and Nomination Festival | "Liberation" | Best Music Video | Won | |
| Siggraph Wave Awards | Won | |||
| Billboard Music Awards | Themselves | Top Hot Dance Music Club Play Artist | Nominated | |
| 1999 | GAFFA Awards (Denmark)[241] | Best Foreign Band | Nominated | |
| Viva Comet Awards | "I Don't Know What You Want" | Best International Video | Won | |
| 2000 | RSH Gold Awards | Themselves | Best International Band | Won |
| 2003 | GLAAD Media Awards | Release | Outstanding Music Artist | Nominated |
| World Music Awards | Themselves | The World Arts Award | Won | |
| 2004 | Q Awards | Inspiration Award | Won | |
| 2007 | International Dance Music Awards | Best Dance Artist (Group) | Nominated | |
| Webby Awards | Websites – Celebrity/Fan | Nominated | ||
| GLAAD Media Awards | Fundamental | Outstanding Music Artist | Nominated | |
| 2008 | Cannes International Advertising Festival | "Integral" | Gold Cyber Lion Award | Won |
| 2009 | Popjustice £20 Music Prize | "Love Etc." | Best British Pop Single | Nominated |
| 2010 | International Dance Music Awards | Best Pop Dance Track | Nominated | |
| Best Music Video | Nominated | |||
| Themselves | Best Dance Artist (Group) | Nominated | ||
| 2011 | Evening Standard Theatre Awards | Beyond Theatre Award | Won | |
| 2012 | Hungarian Music Awards | Foreign Electronic Music Production of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2013 | Q Awards | Outstanding Contribution to Music | Won | |
| 2015 | Mnet Asian Music Awards | Worldwide Inspiration Award | Won | |
| British LGBT Awards[242] | Best Music Artist | Nominated | ||
| 2016 | Gay Music Chart Awards[243] | "The Pop Kids" | Best Lyric Video | Nominated |
| "The Pop Kids"(Offer Nissim Remix) | Best Music Video from Israel | Nominated | ||
| Abilu Music Awards[244] | Super | International Electronic Album of the Year | Won | |
| AMFT Awards[245] | Best Dance/Electro Album | Won | ||
| 2017 | NME Awards | Themselves | Godlike Genius Award | Won |
| San Diego Film Awards[246] | "Twenty-Something" | Best Music Video | Won | |
| 2019 | Classic Pop Reader Awards[247][248] | Further Listening 1984–1986 | Reissue of the Year | Nominated |
| 2020 | Themselves | Group of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2021 | GAFFA Awards[249] | Best International Band | Nominated | |
| Hotspot | Best International Album | Nominated | ||
| 2024 | MTV Europe Music Awards[9] | Themselves | Pop Pioneers Award | Won |
| Artist and Manager Awards[142] | Themselves and Angela Becker | Artist and Manager Partnership Award | Won |
Yes continues the Pet Shop Boys' tradition of having one-word titles for albums, such as Please, Bilingual, and the more recent Fundamental. The convention just developed and became a style that the duo decided to keep, Tennant said. 'It's like e.e. cummings not having any capital letters -- it's a signature thing,' Tennant said.
Domino dancing was the first new single released from Introspective, and we were very disappointed when it only reached number seven in the British charts. I remember driving back from my house in Rye and listening on the radio when it entered the charts at number nine and I thought, 'that's that, then - it's all over'. I knew then that our imperial phase of number one hits was over.
The loss… was friends dying during the AIDS crisis… For almost ten years, 1985–1994, I always knew someone who was wasting away with the disease. I miss the friends who died. Because of living through it, I wrote song lyrics about the experience.
Pet Shop Boys played a showstopping set to a hugely enthusiastic crowd.
In 2000 Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe visited Glastonbury for the first time, proved an unexpected success on the Pyramid Stage, and left Worthy Farm triumphant.
I can't see any reason to define gay people by their sexuality... And I think when people say the word 'gay', maybe less than they used to, but there's a whole load of cultural assumptions come with that which I find pretty irritating, and sometimes patronising.
And, in the '80s I thought that to be an out gay would simply dominate the agenda of the Pet Shop Boys. I think it's fair to say that after that, maybe it did dominate the agenda of the Pet Shop Boys, to a certain extent, that you'd become 'gay pop star Neil Tennant'.
Does he wish, like Olly Alexander and Troye Sivan today, he had written unabashedly gay songs filled with male pronouns? 'In the 80s and the 90s, for that matter, it was such a big deal, being gay... You knew your audience had a lot of women or girls in it, so you wanted to include everyone. I still sort of think that when I'm writing, to be honest'.
