The Human League Songs Ranked
The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album Dare in 1981. The album contained four hit singles, including the UK/US number one hit “Don’t You Want Me.” The band received the Brit Award for Best British Breakthrough Act in 1982. Further hits followed throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, including “Mirror Man,” “(Keep Feeling) Fascination,” “Lebanon,” “Human” (a US No. 1), and “Tell Me When”. Here are all of The Human League’s songs ranked.
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20. Tell Me When (Octopus, 1995)
“The Human League didn’t exactly have the best batting average. For every great or even pretty good single they put out, there was at least one that was passable if not outright terrible. But once a hit, always a threat, as my friend once said, so it was always worth sampling the latest Human League offering to see if they managed to put together another one. “Tell Me When” probably won’t make anybody forget about “Don’t You Want Me”, but it’ll put a goofy happy smile on your face for about four minutes. And isn’t that kind of the point of pop music?”
19. Love is All that Matters (Crash, 1986)
“People treat this one very harshly. So it’s not the exact same kind of electronic sound the band is known for. Sure it’s got “commercial” written all over it. Does that make it bad? Not at all! Times change, and so does the music of the time. While quite a few of these songs are quite forgettable, a good number are rather excellent. Don’t listen to other people who say that “Human” is the only good song.”
18. I Love You Too Much (Hysteria, 1984)
“Maybe I’m just being biased, but I find I Love You Too Much to be extremely dull. The reason is that I had previously listened to the (much superior) version on the Fascination EP prior to this album. The version on Hysteria is weak and tame, not driven like the earlier one.”
17. Hard Times (Love and Dancing, 1982)
“The early 80’s were indeed “hard times” for the millions of youngsters on the dole as Thatcher’s Monetarist policies destroyed the manufacturing base of the UK. Even as they referenced it in this fine single, Human League were providing their public with a welcome diversion from it and one you could dance to, into the bargain.”
See more: The Human League Albums Ranked
16. Open Your Heart (Dare!, 1981)
“Mildly chirpy melody, but the lyrics sort of stumble along, and the whole computer-click performance undercuts the message. It’s a bit like having a robot tell you in its monotone voice how wonderful it is to see you.”
15. Heart Like a Wheel (Romantic?, 1990)
“For a few short minutes, it was 1981 again. The Human League returned with this cracking single, a track that would have been a stand-out had it been included on ‘Dare.’ Sadly the public had moved on. Released too early for the 80s revival, ‘Heart Like a Wheel’ sank almost without a trace (No.29), as did its patchy parent album ‘Romantic?'”
14. Life On Your Own (Hysteria, 1984)
“Life on Your Own was the second single released from the album. It didn’t make much of an impact on the charts. But it was still much like classic League. A catchy chorus and Phil giving the lyrics what he can. Melancholy, yet striking.”
13. Seconds (Dare!, 1981)
“Seconds” does an okayish impression of epic – you could imagine Doves covering this track and probably improving on it considerably simply by caking it in reverb and having some real drums. It does also achieve that emotional weight that was being sought after.”
12. The Things That Dreams Are Made Of (Dare!, 1981)
“”The Things That Dreams Are Made Of” is a steady, pleasing opener, before the truly lovely “Open Your Heart” shines its light, which shows a deft grace that is one of the highlights. Another dazzler is the grabbing “Do Or Die”, while “Love Action (I Believe In Love)”, despite its fairly ordinary chorus, also makes its mark, before we finish with that song even I now know back to front, “Don’t You Want Me”. It’s straight forward and by-the-numbers, but, gee, it hits all the best synth pop notes.”
11. Being Boiled (Travelogue, 1978)
“One of the most iconic songs of the 70s and in all of electronic music, it is hard for me to think of a proper comparison for “Being Boiled”. To me it sounds most like what would happen if Black Sabbath had decided to forgo all traditional instruments and just make synthpop music.”
10. Darkness (Dare!, 1981)
“Great song. Lyrics are very obvious but why not post anyway. He read a book then got freaked out by the book. He is in the dark somewhere in a house. His mind is playing tricks on him, he looks at the shadowsn & hear voices then screams.”
9. The Sound of the Crowd (Dare, 1981)
“This is a great New Wave song! Very trippy and I think that the song is just about some friends going joyriding drunk or stoned. I think that they are driving around because I can hear tires screaming as they scream.”
8. Louise (Hysteria, 1984)
“Louise is one of the more “popular” songs on the album. It is a ballad, well written, and nicely sung. Apparently, it has a darker meaning than the lyrics let on, but still, that just makes the lyrics even more impressive.”
7. Love Action (I Believe in Love) (Dare!, 1981)
“Absolutely stunning synth melody line and backing, but the lyrics are a step below. At times (“I believe in the truth, ‘though I lie a lot”), they’re at least three steps below. Not enough to completely dampen my enjoyment of it, though.”
See more: The Cars Albums Ranked
6. The Lebanon (Hysteria, 1984)
“It’s not like other Human League songs, and that’s why it’s so good. That guitar could go on forever. Very self important lyrically, but as a part of the whole it works — they nail the vibe they were going for (early 80s “call to arms” rock, what do you call this) so well.”
5. Mirror Man (Fascination!, 1982)
“This is the Human League at their campest, right from those off-key “Woh’s” from the girls over the intro. Their first single after the mega-hit “Don’t You Want Me”, after a gap of almost a year, it pads along merrily and has a strong middle-eight (“You know I’ll change…”), but doesn’t quite hit the same heights, although as a fill-in stand-alone single from the time when artists would overload their albums with single releases (like err… “Dare”), it’s more than acceptable.”
4. Together in Electric Dreams (Now That′s What I Call Music 4, 1984)
“I think this song is about two people who are in love keeping in contact with each other through e-mail cause in the music video they have this really old 70s computer and hence the phrase “electric dreams”. But most of the lyrics otherwise don’t really reference anything to that, so it could also just be about someone who is in love but the person is far away but he says they are still together, because she has influenced his life and taught him to be stronger and he still thinks or dreams about her, so he is in effect still in a relationship with her.”
3. Human (Crash, 1986)
“It doesn’t matter too much that Oakey’s delivery doesn’t really scream ‘heartfelt apology’ (I swear to God his tone at times in the verses sounds more like ‘quit yer whining’ woman’) as spelled out in the lyrics because the production still really suits his unique voice. That echoing, skittering drum beat is simply awesome.”
2. (Keep Feeling) Fascination (Fascination!, 1983)
“For a single that was obviously released to keep the Human League in the public eye as the follow up to Dare took its time in coming*, this ain’t half bad. A snazzy little pop single with a catchy hook. Nothing to be taken too seriously, but a whole lot more enjoyable than a lot of stuff that is.”
1. Don’t You Want Me (Dare!, 1981)
“I’ve heard this plenty of times, but now I just find out it is The Human League who does the song. Shows how much I know my synth pop. Anyway, one of the most annoyingly good choruses easily makes “Don’t You Want Me” one of the best pop songs of its time.”