THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

378-Pet Shop Boys-Suburbia.

1986-Number 8 single.

Best Bit-At 0.15. For a period in the 1980’s Neil Tennant was the assistant editor at ‘Smash Hits’ magazine, artists would complain about their song revues if they were not favourable, some saying, ‘Let’s see if you can do better,’ so he did.

The Pet Shop Boys (see also best songs 871) met by chance in 1981 on King’s Road, Chelsea, London, where Neil Tennant had just purchased a synthesizer, this sparked a conversation with Chris Lowe. They discovered a mutual interest in Electronic Music, and soon began working together.They eventually settled on the name Pet Shop Boys, as they had friends who owned a pet shop. The Pet Shop Boys are one of the world’s best selling artists with sales in excess of 100 million, and are the UK’s best ever selling duo. To date they have released 14 studio Albums between 1986-2020, and 70 singles, they have also appeared on another five singles as the featured artist. They have achieved 44 UK 40 top 40 singles, four of which have reached Number 1. In America on Billboard six of their songs have made the top 40, with ‘West End Girls’ reaching Number 1 in 1985.

‘Suburbia’ was the fourth and final single released from The Pet Sop Boys debut studio Album ‘Please’ from 1986. All 14 of The Pet Shop Boys studio Albums have one word titles. They chose the title so that when customers went in to a record shop they would have to ask for the ‘Pet Shop Boys album please’. The original version of ‘Suburbia’ that appears on ‘Please’ is different to this remixed track, which includes sound effects such as dogs barking, and glass smashing.’Suburbia’ was co-written by Neil Tennant, and Chris Lowe, and was inspired by the 1984 American film ‘Suburbia,’ which was written and directed by Penelope Spheeris. Another inspiration was the Brixton riots of 1981, and 1985, which got Tennant and Lowe thinking about the boredom of suburbia, and the struggles of working class youths.

‘Lost in the high street, where the dogs run, roaming suburban boys. Mother’s got a hairdo to be done, she say’s they’re too old for toys.’