Pet Shop Boys – “Always on My Mind”: Synth-Pop Meets Sentimentality
Released on 30 November 1987, “Always on My Mind” was a bold reinterpretation of a country classic originally recorded by Brenda Lee and later popularized by Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson. Pet Shop Boys—Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe—first performed it on the ITV special Love Me Tender, commemorating the 10th anniversary of Elvis’s death. The response was so strong, they rushed into the studio to record a full version, releasing it as a non-album single with “Do I Have To?” on the B-side.
The track was later reworked and included on their third studio album, Introspective (1988), as a nine-minute medley titled “Always on My Mind / In My House”. This extended version fused the original cover with a new acid-house segment, giving it a club-ready makeover that fit the album’s experimental, dance-oriented concept
From Ballad to Banger
While the original versions leaned into tender regret, Pet Shop Boys flipped the script—injecting the song with hi-NRG synths, drum machines, and a pulsing beat. Their version keeps the emotional weight of the lyrics but wraps it in a dancefloor-ready package. It’s a bittersweet anthem that’s both introspective and euphoric.
Chart Success
“Always on My Mind” became a Christmas No. 1 in the UK, holding the top spot for four weeks starting 13 December 1987. It also reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., and charted in the Top 10 across Europe, including Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Spain, and West Germany.
Music Video and Visuals
Directed by Jack Bond, the video features Tennant and Lowe in a taxi cab, picking up an eccentric passenger played by Joss Ackland. It’s surreal, cinematic, and part of their larger visual project It Couldn’t Happen Here. The video helped cement the song’s quirky charm and was later remastered in 4K.
Legacy and Impact
In 2014, the BBC named it the greatest cover version of all time in a public poll. Critics praised its emotional depth and sonic reinvention, and fans still rank it among the duo’s best. It’s a masterclass in how to reimagine a classic without losing its soul.