Beyond the Hits: Exploring Pet Shop Boys’ Underrated 80s Gems
The Pet Shop Boys are synonymous with sophisticated synth-pop, instantly recognizable for their witty lyrics, distinctive electronic soundscapes, and Neil Tennant’s melancholic vocals paired with Chris Lowe’s stoic presence. While their major hits like “West End Girls,” “It’s a Sin,” and “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)” defined the 80s pop landscape, some of their most intriguing and characteristic work often resided just beneath the surface – on album tracks or, famously, as B-sides.
These “hidden gems” of their 1980s output offer a deeper dive into their artistic vision, showcasing their versatility, social commentary, and knack for crafting enduring melodies, even in less-prominent positions. Let’s explore some of these fantastic, yet perhaps less widely known, songs that are essential for any Pet Shop Boys aficionado.
1. “Tonight Is Forever”
Album: Please (1986)
This lush, romantic track blends melancholy with grandeur, pairing a driving synth rhythm with Tennant’s aching vocal. It’s about clinging to a fleeting moment of happiness, a theme the duo would revisit throughout their career. The lyrics hint at a carefree, almost reckless lifestyle.
The song’s opening line, “I may be wrong, I may be right,” is an inversion of a line from the classic 1939 British romantic song “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square.
The Pet Shop Boys had seriously considered releasing “Tonight Is Forever” as the follow-up single to their breakthrough hit “West End Girls,” but circumstances forced them to change their decision.
The song was later covered by Liza Minnelli on her 1989 album Results, which was produced by the Pet Shop Boys themselves.
2. “King’s Cross”
Album: Actually (1987)
One of the most haunting tracks in the Pet Shop Boys’ catalog, “King’s Cross” is a stark meditation on despair and disillusionment. Neil Tennant himself stated it’s “a hymn to the people getting left out” of the economic policies of Margaret Thatcher’s government. It gained poignant resonance after the King’s Cross fire in 1987, two months after the release of Actually. The production is restrained, letting the sorrowful lyrics shine. A fan favorite—and arguably one of their finest works.
The Sun newspaper campaigned for “King’s Cross” to be released as a charity single, but the song remained an album-only track.
3. “I’m Not Scared”
Album: Introspective (1988)
“I’m Not Scared” has a fascinating dual history in the Pet Shop Boys’ discography. It’s unique because it was first a hit for another artist, written and produced by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, before they released their own version. It was released as a single in February 1988 and became Eighth Wonder’s biggest hit, reaching number 7 in the UK charts and charting well across Europe. The Pet Shop Boys included their own version of “I’m Not Scared” on their third studio album, “Introspective,” released in October 1988.
“I’m Not Scared” is a shimmering synth-pop gem with catchy hooks and a confident vocal delivery. The song blends upbeat rhythms with lyrics that suggest emotional resilience and facing fears head-on. Though it wasn’t released as a Pet Shop Boys single, their own version remains a hidden treasure in their catalog.
4. “It Couldn’t Happen Here”
Album: Actually (1987)
With orchestration by Ennio Morricone and a dreamlike, cinematic structure, this song is more of an art piece than a pop track. It’s slow, surreal, and emotionally resonant. The lyrics hint at a kind of quiet societal collapse—eerily timeless. In 1988, Pet Shop Boys released a surreal, experimental film titled It Couldn’t Happen Here, named after the song. The track appears prominently on the soundtrack. The movie is a strange blend of music video, art film, and dark British surrealism—again, much like the song itself.
Though never released as a single, “It Couldn’t Happen Here” has a cult status among fans. It’s a standout for its maturity, emotional subtlety, and ambitious arrangement.
5. “Two Divided by Zero”
Album: Please (1986)
“Two Divided by Zero” is a significant song in the Pet Shop Boys’ early career, as it’s the opening track on their seminal debut album, “Please,” released in 1986. It immediately sets the tone for the album with its blend of electronic pop, cryptic lyrics, and a touch of melancholy.
The lyrics to “Two Divided by Zero” tell a story of two individuals planning a clandestine escape. The title itself is the core of the song’s clever lyrical conceit. As any mathematician knows, you cannot divide by zero. Neil Tennant himself has explained it as the idea that “two people couldn’t be split up by anything; could be split up by nothing.”
6. “Paninaro”
B-side: Suburbia (1986), Album: Alternative (1995)
A fan-favorite B-side that became a cult classic, “Paninaro” is pure Chris Lowe attitude: brash, ironic, and fashion-obsessed. Named after a Milanese youth subculture, the track riffs on consumerism and identity with a pounding beat and a robotic mantra: “passion and love / sex and money / violence, religion, injustice and death.” This original version is characterized by its sparse production and Chris Lowe’s vocal delivery.
The song also includes Chris Lowe listing various things he likes and dislikes, such as: “Girls, boys, art, pleasure. Food, cars, travel. New York, New York, New York.” And famously, “I don’t like country-and-western. I don’t like rock music… Don’t like much really, do I? But what I do like, I love passionately.”
There are also direct references to Italian fashion designers: “Armani, Armani, ah-ah-Armani. Versace, cinque.”
“Paninaro” was originally released as a B-side to the “Suburbia” single in 1986. It was, however, released as a standalone single in Italy, where it became a huge cult hit, especially among the paninari themselves. This original version is characterized by its sparse production and Chris Lowe’s vocal delivery.
Due to its cult status and enduring popularity, the Pet Shop Boys revisited the song in 1995. They released a newly recorded and remixed version called “Paninaro ’95” to promote their B-sides compilation album, Alternative.
7. “That’s My Impression”
B-side: Love Comes Quickly (1986)
“That’s My Impression” is a classic Pet Shop Boys track that, despite its strong qualities, was originally released as a B-side. It was produced by the Pet Shop Boys themselves. This is notable because much of their early work was produced by Stephen Hague (on “Please”) or Bobby “O” Orlando (on earlier demos). Self-production gave them more direct control over the sound. It was released in 1986 as the B-side to their single “Love Comes Quickly,” which itself was the third single from their debut album “Please.”
Musically, “That’s My Impression” features a driving, rhythmic electronic beat that is instantly recognizable as early Pet Shop Boys. It has a slightly dark and moody atmosphere that perfectly complements the lyrical themes of distrust and disappointment.
“Disco Mix” of the song, which is the version most commonly known, was included on compilations like Alternative (their acclaimed B-sides collection from 1995) and Essential.
From the vibrant energy of “Two Divided by Zero” to the playful swagger of “Paninaro” to the bitter realism of “That’s My Impression,” and the social commentary of “King’s Cross” to the dual existence of “I’m Not Scared”—these tracks are more than just album fillers or B-sides. They are vital components of the Pet Shop Boys’ enduring legacy.
While not always dominating the charts, these songs offered deeper dives into the duo’s sophisticated songwriting, their keen observations of British life, and their mastery of electronic pop. They reveal the breadth of Neil Tennant’s lyrical prowess and Chris Lowe’s understated yet essential musical genius. For fans willing to venture beyond the greatest hits, these often-overlooked gems offer a richer, more nuanced appreciation of why the Pet Shop Boys remain one of pop music’s most consistently innovative and intelligent acts of the 1980s and beyond. They are a testament to a band that always prioritized artistic integrity, even if it meant burying some of their finest work on the flip side of a single.