So why is The Human League’s Dare! on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
For most listeners – even those pretty hip to music – it’s easy to dismiss The Human League as “the band with the ‘DON’T YOU WANT ME’ song.” Sure, it’s a pretty great song, an undeniable ’80s classic. And we’ll get to “Don’t You Want Me” in a little bit.
But I’m here to let you know that Dare! offers many additional treasures besides.
Dare! helped kick off the UK synthpop invasion, paving the way for Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, and a wave of icy-cool electronic hits. And for my money, Flight of the Conchords nailed the vibe hilariously with its homage, “Fashion Is Danger.”
For much of my life, “The Things That Dreams Are Made Of” didn’t hold my interest, at least not for very long. If that’s true for you as well, I implore you to give it another listen. Because it’s incredible – spare production, pulsing synths, and that cold, melancholy undertone
This is ‘80s stacked on ‘80s and I am here for it.
“Darkness” falls in the new romantic wheelhouse, perfectly suited to Philip Oakey’s Simon Le Bon–meets–Pet Shop Boys delivery.
And finally, we have “Don’t You Want Me,” with production built on a synth-driven Wall of Sound, with verses that swell into that immortal chorus. Midway through, Oakey hands off to Susanne Sulley for a perfect change-up.
Some stats & info about The Human League – Dare!
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Synth Pop, Pop Music, Rock, Rock Music, New Wave, Dance Rock, Dance Music, New Romantic, British Bands
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 5 out of 5 stars
- When was Dare! released? 1981
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #910 out of 1,000
The Human League’s Dare! on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from The Human League’s Dare! that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
Don’t you want me, baby?
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective take on what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.