The Human League - Dare

When the rest of the UK was inspired by punk to pick up a guitar and learn a few chords, bands in Sheffield were plugging in their synths and looking to the future.

Amidst a thriving scene of electronic pioneers, The Human League emerged as innovators, coming up with ideas that had the critics raving about them, but unable to make a dent upon the pop charts.

And when Gary Numan went to number 1 with 'Are 'Friends' Electric?' in 1979, The Human League thought they'd missed their moment, and were on the verge of splitting.

But by 1981, they'd transformed themselves, reborn as a shiny, sleek, electric monster, and duly conquered the charts on both sides of the Atlantic with their classic 3rd album, Dare.