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Past PSB Survey Results - 2007 Surveys

This page presents the results of surveys I conducted in the year 2007. The results of surveys conducted in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020 appear on separate pages.

Note: The response in each survey that received the most votes is highlighted in bold red. I usually list the responses in descending order according to the number of votes, but in a few cases I've decided that the results may be clearer or more meaningful if I list them in some other order. Incidentally, I do vote in my own surveys—and, yes, I vote only once. More often than not, what I vote for doesn't come in first place. In the results below, the symbol ¤ appears after the item(s) that I voted for in each survey.

Survey 340 - Week of December 30, 2007
The Music Video Rating Project (237 voters)

Please rate the Pet Shop Boys' music videos on a scale of 1 to 5 as they compare with each other (rather than with other artists' videos).

Note: Final rank is determined by average ratings. For the purposes of calculating averages, votes for videos designated "best" were assigned a value of 6 and those for "worst" were assigned a value of 0. (This doesn't have any effect on the final rankings, but it does "spread out" the average ratings a bit more, making them less bunched toward the middle.) The "% Worst" figure indicates the percentage of voters who designated that video the "worst"; similarly, the "% Best" figure indicates the percentage of voters who designated that video the "best." Abstentions for any particular video (and there were quite a few of them!) did not count in any way toward ratings, although they were taken into account in determining the percentage figures. I was surprised by the relatively large number of voters who did not designate a worst and/or best video; roughly a fifth of all voters refused to choose a "worst," and roughly a tenth refused to pick a "best."

Rank
Video
Avg.
Rating
%
Worst
%
Best
Wayne's
Rating ¤
1
 Being Boring
4.509
0.8%
19.4%
4
2
 Can You Forgive Her?
4.427
0.0%
11.8%
4
3
 Heart
4.169
0.0%
6.8%
4
4
 Flamboyant
4.104
0.4%
3.8%
3
5
 Go West
4.083
0.4%
4.2%
5
6
 Domino Dancing
4.056
0.4%
3.0%
4
7
 It's a Sin
4.037
0.4%
3.0%
5
8
 I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't …
3.904
0.8%
4.2%
4
9
 Single-Bilingual
3.903
0.8%
3.8%
4
10
 What Have I Done to Deserve This?
3.888
0.0%
2.1%
4
11
 I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing
3.851
0.4%
2.1%
"best"
12
 Minimal
3.822
0.4%
1.3%
3
13
 West End Girls
3.705
0.4%
2.1%
3
14
 So Hard
3.695
0.9%
1.3%
3
15
 Jealousy
3.633
0.4%
0.8%
5
16
 Liberation
3.609
0.4%
1.3%
5
17
 Integral
3.608
2.1%
1.7%
3
18
 Yesterday, When I Was Mad
3.595
0.8%
0.8%
3
19
 I'm with Stupid
3.593
2.1%
2.1%
1
20
 Miracles
3.553
0.8%
2.1%
2
21
 DJ Culture
3.514
0.8%
2.1%
5
22
 Rent
3.500
1.3%
1.3%
1
23
 Suburbia
3.481
0.4%
0.4%
3
24
 Se A Vida E
3.462
0.4%
0.8%
2
25
 You Only Tell Me You Love Me When …
3.386
0.4%
1.7%
4
26
 New York City Boy
3.273
1.3%
0.0%
4
27
 How Can You Expect to Be Taken …
3.260
1.3%
0.4%
5
28
 It's Alright
3.203
1.3%
0.8%
2
29
 Paninaro '95
3.199
0.8%
2.1%
4
30
 Always on My Mind
3.182
1.3%
0.4%
1
31
 Numb
3.135
1.3%
0.8%
2
32
 Was It Worth It?
3.089
2.1%
0.4%
4
33
 Where the Streets Have No Name …
3.075
0.8%
0.0%
4
34
 Opportunities (Version 2)
3.040
1.3%
0.4%
2
35
 A Red Letter Day
3.010
3.4%
0.4%
3
36
 London
3.000
2.1%
0.0%
2
37
 Left to My Own Devices
2.825
1.7%
0.0%
2
38
 Somewhere
2.793
1.7%
0.0%
1
39
 Before
2.771
1.7%
0.0%
2
40
 I Get Along
2.759
2.5%
0.0%
1
41
 Absolutely Fabulous
2.742
3.0%
0.0%
3
42
 Love Comes Quickly
2.680
3.0%
0.4%
2
43
 Opportunities (Version 1)
2.676
3.4%
0.0%
2
44
 Paninaro
2.609
3.4%
0.0%
1
45
 Home and Dry
1.739
27.4%
0.8%
"worst"
Survey 339 - Week of December 23, 2007
Listened to "It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas" yet? (291 voters)

Have you listened yet to "It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas" this holiday season?

34.4% - "Yes, once or twice."
21.0% - "Yes, of course—repeatedly!" ¤
15.8% - "No, not yet—but now that you mention it, I'll make sure that I do!"*
13.4% - "I don't have a copy of it, so, no, I haven't."
11.3% - "No, I haven't, and I probably won't."
04.1% - "Not by design, but I did hear it somewhere 'accidentally' without having planned it."

*Two voters wrote that they hadn't listened yet but were going to, though not because I had "mentioned it." Rather, it was their personal preference or even tradition to save it for Christmas morning.

Survey 338 - Week of December 16, 2007
Favorite live tour show (redux) (322 voters)

What has been your favorite PSB live tour show?

31.7% - The Performance Tour (1991) ¤
21.1% - The Fundamental Tour (2006-2007)
15.5% - The Nightlife Tour (1999)
12.4% - "I haven't seen enough of them to make a choice"
09.0% - The DiscoVery Tour (1994)
04.7% - The University/Release Tour(s) (2002)
03.1% - The MCMLXXXIX Tour (1989)
01.2% - The Somewhere Shows (1997)
00.6% - The 2004 Summer/Fall Shows
00.6% - Some other show not listed here*
00.0% - The 2000 Summer Tour

*The only alternate choice that was specifically cited as favorite by a couple of voters was the Boys' performance at Creamfields 1999.

Survey 337 - Week of December 9, 2007
Preferred style for the next album (356 voters)

The Pet Shop Boys have recently stated that they will soon begin writing songs for their next album. What musical style would you most like to dominate or characterize their next album?

30.9% - Electro/electronic
17.4% - "Retro" eighties synthpop
17.1% - No one style—I want a "mixed bag" ¤
08.7% - I'd like to be surprised with something altogether new for them
07.6% - Traditional dance/disco
05.4% - Symphonic
02.8% - House music
02.2% - Acoustic
01.7% - Pop ballads
01.4% - Jazz-pop
01.1% - Trance
01.1% - Something else not listed here*
00.8% - Art-rock/progressive
00.6% - Rock
00.6% - Rap/hip-hop
00.6% - Metal
00.0% - Non-synth pop

*Among the "something else" choices suggested were:

Survey 336 - Week of December 2, 2007
What formats do you own of each album? (329 voters)

Many fans own multiple copies of Pet Shop Boys albums in alternate formats. On which format(s) do you own each PSB album?

 
vinyl
tape
CD
mp3
special
total
Actually
36.5%
26.7%
75.7%
28.6%
58.4%
225.8%
Introspective
33.4%
26.7%
74.8%
28.0%
57.8%
220.7%
Please
32.5%
26.4%
72.0%
28.9%
56.5%
216.4%
Behaviour
24.6%
22.5%
77.8%
28.6%
57.8%
211.2%
Very
12.5%
13.7%
83.9%
28.6%
57.8%
196.4%
Bilingual
8.2%
10.9%
79.6%
28.9%
56.2%
183.9%
Fundamental
10.9%
0.3%
72.0%
33.7%
49.2%
166.3%
Release
10.9%
3.0%
80.9%
28.6%
33.1%
156.5%
Disco
25.8%
18.8%
74.8%
25.2%
9.7%
154.4%
Nightlife
8.8%
5.2%
84.2%
28.0%
28.0%
154.1%
PopArt
12.2%
0.6%
70.2%
24.9%
35.6%
143.5%
Discography
12.5%
15.8%
81.4%
25.5%
7.9%
143.1%
Disco 3
18.8%
0.6%
85.1%
27.4%
5.2%
137.1%
Alternative
7.3%
7.9%
77.8%
25.8%
15.2%
134.0%
Disco 2
9.4%
7.6%
74.8%
21.9%
12.8%
126.4%
Relentless
7.6%
0.9%
65.3%
28.9%
8.5%
111.2%
Concrete
0.6%
0.0%
72.9%
24.3%
1.2%
99.1%
Disco 4
7.2%
0.0%
54.4%
24.2%
5.0%
90.9%
Battleship Potemkin
0.6%
0.0%
69.0%
24.0%
3.3%
97.0%
Closer to Heaven
0.6%
0.3%
57.1%
23.1%
4.6%
85.7%
Essential
0.3%
0.3%
45.6%
13.7%
2.7%
62.6%

Explanatory notes for the table above:

back to top

Survey 335 - Week of November 25, 2007
What first got you hooked on PSB? (378 voters)

What first got you "hooked" on the Pet Shop Shops?

31.7% - A specific song¹
19.3% - A specific album²
18.0% - No one song, but a number of songs
12.4% - A combination of various factors listed here
04.5% - A specific video
04.2% - Their image—look, style, demeanor, etc.
03.7% - Something else not listed here³
01.6% - No one album, but a number of albums ¤
01.6% - A live concert
01.6% - A live appearance on television
00.8% - No one video, but a number of videos
00.5% - Who said I was hooked?
00.0% - No one TV appearance, but several

¹Although this represents only a fraction of the number of voters who chose "A specific song," the songs that were specifically cited by some of those voters included:

²The albums specifically cited by some voters included:

³The other factors (including specific videos) specifically cited by some voters included:

Survey 334 - Week of November 18, 2007
How the PSB remix of "Integral" compares to the original (340 voters)

How do you feel about the "PSB Perfect Immaculate Mix" of "Integral" on Disco 4 and/or its shorter "single" version as compard to the original Fundamental album version?

37.1% - "I like the remix, but the original vesion is even better." ¤
16.2% - "I don't like the remix! The original version is much better!"
12.4% - "I like the original version, but the remix is even better."
11.2% - "I like both versions equally. I can't choose between them."
08.8% - "I think the remix is better for disco/dancing purposes, but the original is better for listening."
07.9% - "I haven't heard these different versions, so I can't make a choice."
04.1% - "I don't like the original version!. The remix is much better!"
01.8% - "I don't care for the song, so I dislike both versions equally. I can't choose between them."
00.6% - "I have another opinion not adequately covered by the other choices here."*

*Among the alternate views offered were the following:

Survey 333 - Week of November 11, 2007
Preferred method to buy future PSB singles (331 voters)

If you had to choose only one method by which to purchase all future Pet Shop Boys singles, which of the following methods would you most prefer?

55.9% - Buy physical singles (such as on CD) in local stores—assuming they're available there in a timely fashion ¤
20.2% - Order physical singles from online retailers such as Amazon
09.4% - Order physical singles directly from the PSB official website
06.9% - Purchase high-quality digital downloads direction from the PSB website
06.3% - Purchase high-quality digital downloads from online retails such as iTunes
01.2% - Purchase singles by some other method not described here*

*One voter said that, rather than buy singles separately, he would prefer to wait for more "Further Listening" bonus discs accompanying album reissues. Another wrote to say that he seldom bought singles, so this was largely a moot question to him.

Survey 332 - Week of November 4, 2007
Favorite "PSB decade" (350 voters)

What has been your "favorite Pet Shop Boys decade" in each of the following areas?

 
1980s
1990s
2000s (so far)

Music
37.4%
  49.4% ¤
13.1%

Videos
25.3%
  67.4% ¤
 7.4%

Performance¹
  6.9%
52.7%
  40.4% ¤

Graphics²
22.6%
  55.1% ¤
22.3%

Image³
  36.5% ¤
42.4%
21.2%

Overall
22.9%
  54.5% ¤
22.6%

¹Perfomance - Their live "non-video" performances that you've seen on television, DVD, or "in person," live in concert.
²Graphics - Non-video artwork, such as the sleeve designs of albums and singles.
³Image - The "look and feel," so to speak, of the Pet Shop Boys themselves, such as their clothes, costumes, and general appearance.

One voter quite astutely pointed out that I had overlooked the category "Lyrics." Actually, I personally viewed lyrics as being part of the "Music" category, which might more accurately have been called "Songs" or "Recordings." Either way, that voter made an excellent point, and it was an unfortunate oversight on my part.

Survey 331 - Week of October 28, 2007
Satisfied with EMI? (262 voters)

Which of the following statements comes closest to expressing your degree of satisfaction with the Pet Shop Boys' record company, EMI?

27.4% - "It doesn't matter what we think. All that matters is whether Neil and Chris are satisfied."
22.5% - "For the most part, yes, I'm satisfied, although they could be doing some things better." ¤
14.1% - "They do some things very well, but they're terrible at other things."
11.5% - "I'm not sure, or I have mixed feelings."
08.4% - "No, I haven't been very satisfied for quite some time now."
06.1% - "Yes, I'm extremely satisfied! They're doing a terrific job!"
03.8% - "I was satisfied until recently, but I'm not satisfied any more."
03.1% - "No, I'm extremely dissatisfied! They're doing a terrible job!"
02.7% - "I have some other opinion not adequately covered by the other statements here."*
00.4% - "I was dissatisfied until recently, but I'm satisfied now."

*Alternate views (or elaborations) expressed by voters included the following:

Survey 330 - Week of October 21, 2007
"Being Boring": greatest and/or overrated? (401 voters)

Many fans consider "Being Boring" the Pet Shop Boys' all-time greatest song. Other fans, however, feel that it's overrated. Regarding these two points-whether it's their greatest and whether it's overrated-which of the following statements comes the closest to expressing how you feel about "Being Boring"?

46.4% - "I don't consider it their greatest song, but I don't think it's overrated."
34.7% - "I do consider it their greatest song, and I don't think it's overrated."
15.0% - "I don't consider it their greatest song, and I also think it's overrated."
04.0% - "I do consider it their greatest song, but I also think it's overrated." ¤*

To look at it another way, a majority of 61.3% don't consider "Being Boring" the Pet Shop Boys' greatest song, but an even larger (and overwhelming) majority of 81.0% don't think it's overrated.

*Perhaps I should offer a note of explanation for my vote, especially given that it's the choice that placed last (by far) in the final tallies. My belief that "Being Boring" is the Pet Shop Boys' finest songwriting achievement is well documented. But, conversely, I also believe that it's somewhat overrated—that many place it on an even higher pedastal than it actually deserves in comparison to the rest of the Boys' work. For instance, I personally feel that a little too much time was devoted to it in the A Life in Pop documentary, particularly when you consider all the other superb songs (and albums) that were glossed over or completely ignored. To put it more succinctly, while I believe unequivocally that "Being Boring" is their greatest song, I don't think it's that much greater than various others; therefore I also think it's overrated.

Survey 329 - Week of October 14, 2007
Neil's greatest vocal performance (289 voters)

In which song does Neil deliver, in your opinion, his all-time greatest vocal performance?

06.2% - Being Boring
04.5% - It's a Sin
03.8% - Numb
03.8% - Rent
03.5% - Love Comes Quickly
02.8% - Jealousy
02.4% - Always on My Mind
02.4% - Break 4 Love
02.1% - Can You Forgive Her?
02.1% - Closer to Heaven
02.1% - Decadence
02.1% - Home and Dry
02.1% - It Always Comes as a Surprise ¤
02.1% - Love Is a Catastrophe
02.1% - You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk
01.7% - Birthday Boy
01.7% - Bright Young Things
01.7% - The Calm Before the Storm
01.7% - Disappointed
01.7% - If Love Were All
01.7% - Miracles
01.7% - West End Girls
01.4% - Before
01.4% - Domino Dancing
01.4% - It Couldn't Happen Here
01.4% - The Sodom and Gomorrah Show
01.4% - Your Funny Uncle
01.0% - Friendly Fire
01.0% - Hey, Headmaster
01.0% - I Want to Wake Up
01.0% - Left to My Own Devices
01.0% - Nervously
01.0% - No Time for Tears
01.0% - One Thing Leads to Another
01.0% - To Face the Truth

The following songs received two votes each (00.7%):

The following songs received one vote each (00.3%):

Note: "Some other song not listed here" received two votes, but I only received one corresponding "write-in" vote, that being for "Believe/Song for Guy," noted above. Songs not listed above didn't receive any votes in this poll.

Survey 328 - Weeks of September 30 & October 7, 2007
What color do you most associate with PSB? (523 voters)

What color do you most closely associate with the Pet Shop Boys?

28.7% - orange ¤
28.5% - white
08.2% - blue
06.3% - black
05.9% - "This question really is much too silly, Wayne, and I refuse to answer it!"
05.0% - yellow
03.6% - gray
03.6% - red
02.5% - purple
02.5% - violet
01.3% - gold
01.0% - pink
00.8% - beige
00.8% - green
00.8% - lavender
00.6% - Some other color not listed here*
00.0% - brown
00.0% - tan

*Alternate responses offered by voters included:

Survey 327 - Week of September 23, 2007
Are you angry with the Pet Shop Boys? (407 voters)

For whatever reason, are you angry or upset with the Pet Shop Boys right now?*

46.2% - "No, not at all. Nothing has changed."
23.3% - "No. In fact, I 'm about as pleased with them right now as I've ever been, or even more so!"
17.7% - "The words 'angry' and 'upset' are too strong. I'm a bit disappointed, perhaps."
06.9% - "I have mixed feelings." ¤
03.7% - "Yes, I am upset, but I'll probably get over it. I'm still a fan."
01.2% - "Yes, I am! In fact, I'm so angry that I'm not even a fan of theirs anymore!"
01.0% - "I have other feelings on this matter that aren't adequately expressed by any of the statements here."**

*This question was inspired by several emails I received from site visitors who said that they were rather upset with the Boys over releasing Disco 4 and/or their cancellation of the Hollywood Bowl concert without any explanation. I asked this question simply because I was curious as to how widespread such feelings might be.

**The alternate opinions shared by voters included the following:

Survey 326 - Week of September 16, 2007
The most "quintessentially British" PSB song (295 voters)

What do you consider to be the most "quintessentially British" Pet Shop Boys song?

26.4% - Dreaming of the Queen
14.2% - King's Cross
13.9% - West End Girls
05.4% - Hey, Headmaster
05.1% - I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing ¤
04.4% - This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave
04.4% - The Theatre
03.7% - Some other song not listed here*
03.4% - Left to My Own Devices
02.0% - Can You Forgive Her?
02.0% - Sexy Northerner
02.0% - I Made My Excuses and Left
01.7% - Your Funny Uncle
01.7% - Absolutely Fabulous
01.4% - I Want a Dog
01.4% - Nothing Has Been Proved
01.0% - Jack the Lad
01.0% - It Couldn't Happen Here
01.0% - DJ Culture
01.0% - The Truck-Driver and His Mate
01.0% - The View from Your Balcony
01.0% - Home and Dry
00.7% - Delusions of Grandeur

*The other songs specifically cited by voters were:

Survey 325 - Weeks of September 2 & 9, 2007*
Planning to buy Disco 4? (467 voters)

Are you planning to buy Disco 4?

59.7% - Yes, although I don't have it on order.
10.5% - Not right away, but perhaps eventually if I can get it at a reduced cost.
08.8% - Yes, of course! In fact, I already have it on order! ¤
06.9% - I'm leaning toward it, so probably.
05.6% - No, definitely not!
04.7% - I'm undecided.
03.9% - I'm leaning against it, so probably not.

*This survey ran for two weeks, unexpectedly extended beyond the usual single week on account of a family emergency that called me away from the Internet.

Survey 324 - Week of August 26, 2007
The 5 greatest PSB singles (329 voters)

What, in your opinion, are the Pet Shop Boys' five greatest singles when you consider not only singles themselves-that is, the songs meant to be the "hit" and receive the most airplay and attention-but also their b-side(s), bonus track(s), accompanying mixes, and, if you wish, even their cover art and packaging?

33.7% - Being Boring / We All Feel Better in the Dark ¤

24.9% - Can You Forgive Her? / Hey Headmaster / What Keeps Mankind Alive? / I Want to Wake Up

24.9% - Go West / Shameless ¤

23.4% - West End Girls / A Man Could Get Arrested / Pet Shop Boys

22.2% - Always on My Mind / Do I Have To?

21.0% - A Red Letter Day / The Boy Who Couldn't Keep His Clothes On / Delusions of Grandeur

20.1% - It's a Sin / You Know Where You Went Wrong

17.9% - Home and Dry / Sexy Northerner / Always / Nightlife / Break 4 Love

15.8% - Suburbia / Jack the Lad / Paninaro

14.9% - So Hard / It Must Be Obvious / Paninaro

14.9% - Before / The Truck-Driver and His Mate / Hit and Miss ¤

14.9% - Flamboyant / I Didn't Get Where I Am Today / West End Girls

14.3% - Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You) / How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously? / Bet She's Not Your Girlfriend ¤

12.8% - Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) / In the Night / Was That What It Was?

12.5% - Miracles / Transparent / We're the Pet Shop Boys

12.2% - I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing / Too Many People / Violence / West End Girls

11.9% - Heart / I Get Excited (You Get Excited Too)

11.6% - Left to My Own Devices / The Sound of the Atom Splitting

11.2% - Yesterday, When I Was Mad / Euroboy / Some Speculation / If Love Were All / Absolutely Fabulous ¤

09.4% - What Have I Done to Deserve This? / A New Life

09.4% - It's Alright / One of the Crowd / Your Funny Uncle

09.4% - Minimal / Blue on Blue / In Private / No Time for Tears

09.1% - Rent / I Want a Dog

08.8% - I'm with Stupid / The Resurrectionist / Girls Don't Cry

08.5% - Domino Dancing / Don Juan

08.2% - Was It Worth It? / Miserablism / Overture to Performance

07.0% - Paninaro '95 / Girls & Boys / In the Night

07.0% - I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Any More / Screaming / Silver Age / Je T'Aime. Moi Non Plus

06.4% - Love Comes Quickly / That's My Impression

06.1% - Liberation / Decadence / Young Offender

06.1% - Se A Vida E (That's the Way Life Is) / Betrayed / How I Learned to Hate Rock 'n' Roll

06.1% - You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk / Lies / Sail Away

05.8% - Numb / Party Song / Bright Young Things

05.5% - Jealousy / Losing My Mind

05.5% - I Get Along / Between Two Islands / Searching for the Face of Jesus / Friendly Fire

05.2% - Single-Bilingual / Discoteca / Confidential / The Calm Before the Storm

04.6% - New York City Boy / The Ghost of Myself / Casting a Shadow

04.0% - DJ Culture / Music for Boys

04.0% - Somewhere / Disco Potential / The View from Your Balcony / To Step Aside

02.1% - London / Positive Role Model

00.6% - Some other single(s) not listed here

Survey 323 - Week of August 19, 2007
Fundamental singles: Pop or Art? (368 voters)

If PopArt were to be updated to include the three singles from Fundamental, on which disc would you put each of them: on Pop or on Art?

 
Pop
Art
I'm with Stupid 
81.1% ¤
18.9%
Minimal 
43.5% ¤
56.5%
Numb 
32.7%
67.3% ¤
Survey 322 - Week of August 12, 2007
First impression of PSB (304 voters)

Regardless of how you feel about them now, what was your first impression or initial reaction to the Pet Shop Boys the very first time you saw them and/or heard their music (or at least the first time you recall seeing them or hearing their music)?

33.2% - I liked them and wanted to see more of them and hear more of their music.
32.9% - I thought they were fantastic and was extremely eager to see more of them and hear more of their music.
11.8% - I thought they were OK, but didn't have a particularly strong positive reaction.
06.3% - I was at least mildly curious or intrigued, but I can't say my reaction otherwise was either "positive" or "negative."
03.9% - I really don't remember.
03.3% - I was neutral about them—neither particularly liking nor disliking them, nor curious about them, either.
02.6% - I had some other reaction that's not adequately reflected in any of these statements.*
01.6% - I intensely disliked them and hoped they'd just go away.
01.3% - I didn't like them and didn't much care to see more of them or hear more of their music.
01.3% - I wasn't at all impressed, but didn't have a strong negative reaction.
01.0% - I had mixed feelings; I liked their music but didn't much like them (or vice-versa).
00.7% - I confused them with somebody else! ¤

*Among the other reactions described by voters were the following:

Survey 321 - Week of August 5, 2007
Do you remember your "first time"? (334 voters)

Do you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing the first time you ever heard music by the Pet Shop Boys?

37.7% - Yes, absolutely, without a doubt. ¤*
24.6% - I think so, but I'm not absolutely sure.
22.5% - No, I have no idea.
15.3% - I can "figure" where it must have been, but I don't actually remember.

*As I've noted elsewhere on this website, I distinctly remember hearing PSB for the first time in 1986, when "West End Girls" was starting to climb the U.S. charts. It came on my car radio while driving home from work as I approached the I-35W bridge across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis (where I was living at the time). It stands out in my memory because of my strong initial impression that it was a new song in a radically new style by Al Stewart.

Among the other recollections of "first times" submitted by voters were the following:

The songs specifically mentioned by voters as being "first PSB songs" were:

Survey 320 - Week of July 29, 2007
Closer to Heaven song to be sung by Neil (264 voters)

Which song from the musical Closer to Heaven that so far has not been sung by Neil (except in officially unreleased demos) would you most like to hear him sing in concert or have released on CD with him singing lead?

26.1% - "I'm not familiar enough with these songs to choose"
18.2% - My Night
13.3% - Call Me Old-Fashioned
10.2% - For All of Us¹
09.1% - Something Special
07.2% - Run, Girl, Run²
06.8% - It's Just My Little Tribute to Caligula, Darling!
05.3% - Out of My System ¤³
03.8% - Nine Out of Ten

¹"For All of Us" featuring Neil's lead vocal was briefly but is now no longer available as a download from the official PSB website. Decisions whether to vote for this particular track may have been influenced by whether particular voters happened already to own a copy of that download.

²Even though "Run Girl Run!" wasn't performed in the musical (except as a brief interpolation in "K-Hole"), it was available to attendees of the show as a recording by "Billie Trix" (Frances Barber).

³Neil would almost certainly need to rewrite the lyrics of "Out of My System"—rather substantially, I would think—in order to better accommodate himself as the singer. But, regardless, I'd love to hear him sing this song.

Survey 319 - Week of July 22, 2007
Ever taken vacation from PSB? (255 voters)

Have you ever intentionally taken a "vacation" from the Pet Shop Boys? That is, have you ever consciously decided, for whatever reason, not to listen to any of their music or watch any of their videos or performances for an extended period of time-say, for at least three or four weeks?*

61.6% - No, and I have no intention of doing so, either
17.6% - Yes, on more than one occasion
08.2% - No, but I might at some point
07.1% - Yes, once ¤*
05.5% - Yes, but I didn't "stay away" from them for as long as I had planned

*I figure everybody goes through occasional extended periods when they "accidentally" don't listen to anything by their favorite artist. I certainly do. But this question focused on instances when it's not an "accident," but rather a conscious decision.

Yes, I did take an intentional "break" from PSB once. You see, I have obsessive-compulsive tendencies. (Gee—can't you tell from this website?) While they're not severe enough to cause serious problems for me (unlike for some people), I do sometimes have to make a conscious effort to keep them in check in order to prevent them from becoming a serious problem. So back in the mid-1990s—between Alternative and Bilingual, if I remember correctly—I found myself developing a major obsession with PSB, buying everything related to them that I could get my hands on and listening to their music to the virtual exclusion of everything else. From long experience, I recognized my obsessive-compulsive disorder at work, so I made a conscious decision to avoid anything to do with PSB for a month. I did, and it worked. After that month passed, I was able to go back to enjoying PSB music in a relatively "normal" way, without being quite so obsessed by it. It's a "trick" that I've used on various occasions to manage my obsessive-compulsiveness. In fact, I'm in the midst of a similar moratorium right now to manage another manifestation of my mild disorder—only in this case I've lately been obsessed with something else that has nothing whatsoever to do with the Pet Shop Boys.

Other reasons provided by voters who have also taken "vacations" from the Boys include:

Survey 318 - Week of July 15, 2007
Ever taken a "PSB-themed" vacation? (268 voters)

Have you ever taken a vacation or extended holiday that was somehow "Pet Shop Boys themed" or otherwise planned with them in mind?

38.4% - No, I haven't, and I probably never will ¤
29.1% - Yes, to attend a PSB concert
20.9% - No, I haven't, but I would like to at some point
03.7% - Yes, for some other PSB-related reason*
03.4% - Yes, for more than one of the reasons noted here
03.0% - Yes, to shop for PSB-related merchandise
01.1% - Yes, to visit specific places associated with their lives and/or career
00.4% - Yes, to visit places mentioned in their songs

*Other PSB-related reasons cited by voters included:

Survey 317 - Week of July 8, 2007
Your favorite "rap" by Neil (374 voters)

Which song contains your favorite "rap" by Neil?*

21.1% - Left to My Own Devices
20.3% - West End Girls
13.1% - Metamorphosis ¤*
10.7% - One Thing Leads to Another
10.2% - DJ Culture
07.8% - What Have I Done to Deserve This?
04.5% - Happiness Is an Option
03.7% - In My House
02.9% - Electricity
02.4% - Rent
02.4% - Forever in Love
00.8% - Some other song not listed here**

*I asked my site visitors to pick the song that contains their favorite "rap" by Neil (using the term "rap" very loosely to refer to any case in which Neil "sing-speaks" more than just one or two lines) as opposed to their favorite song in which Neil "raps." My own choice illustrates this distinction: my favorite "rap" by Neil occurs in the song "Metamorphosis," although it's hardly my favorite song from among the possible choices. I vastly prefer "Left to My Own Devices," "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" and various other choices as songs overall—but I think Neil does his best "rapping" in "Metamorphosis." Hence my choice.

**Additional possible choices that I had overlooked but mentioned by site visitors were the following:

Survey 316 - Week of July 1, 2007
What should a Disco 4 be like? (349 voters)

If there's a Disco 4, what do you want it to be like?

57.9% - "Like Disco 3, consisting of a blend of previously unreleased songs and remixes of recent tracks."
24.4% - "Like Introspective, consisting of new (or mostly new) songs in an extended dance format." ¤
06.6% - "Like Disco, consisting of extended mixes of previously released tracks."
03.7% - "I don't care. I just don't want there to be a Disco 4 anytime soon."
03.2% - "Something else entirely."*
02.9% - "Like Disco 2, consisting of a continuous 'megamix' of previously released tracks."
01.4% - "I don't care. In fact, I don't ever want there to be a Disco 4."

*Among the "something else" ideas suggested by voters were the following:

Survey 315 - Week of June 24, 2007
Preferred style of PSB performing songs live (309 voters)

When the Pet Shop Boys perform in concert, how do you most like to hear them perform their songs live?

28.8% - "Similar to the original album or single version, but with a little 'something' different to make it more interesting."
28.8% - "I like a lot of variety—a mix of many of the styles noted here." ¤
13.9% - "In a whole new, previously unheard uptempto/techno/dance arrangement."
12.3% - "I can't generalize about this—it all depends on the song and/or the show overall."
05.2% - "I don't care—I'm just glad to see and hear them perform live, period."
03.6% - "In more of a 'rock band' style, as on their Release tour."
03.2% - "As much like the original album or single version as possible."
01.9% - "Something radically different, like turning a dance song into a ballad, or vice-versa."
01.0% - "Like one of the more familiar remixes."
00.6% - "In medleys with other songs."
00.3% - "In a stripped-down acoustic style."
00.3% - "With the lead vocal sung by someone else, such as their frequent support vocalist Sylvia Mason-James."

Survey 314 - Week of June 17, 2007
"Fundamental era" song "most missed" from tour setlist? (335 voters)

Which recent Pet Shop Boys song—you might say, "songs from the Fundamental era"—that they aren't performing on their current tour would you have most liked for them to have included in its regular set list?

18.8% - Fugitive
14.6% - I Made My Excuses and Left
13.7% - The Resurrectionist ¤
11.6% - Luna Park
08.4% - She's Madonna
07.2% - Bright Young Things
05.7% - Casanova in Hell
05.7% - Indefinite Leave to Remain
04.5% - Twentieth Century
02.4% - No Time for Tears
02.4% - "None of them"
02.1% - In Private
01.5% - Blue on Blue
00.9% - Party Song
00.6% - Girls Don't Cry

Survey 313 - Week of June 10, 2007
The most appropriate PSB album title (363 voters)

In your opinion, which Pet Shop Boys album has the most appropriate title?

29.2% - Very ¤
10.7% - Alternative
10.2% - Nightlife
10.2% - PopArt
08.0% - Fundamental
06.6% - Bilingual
05.0% - Discography
04.4% - Behaviour
03.9% - Relentless
03.0% - Introspective
02.8% - Actually
02.2% - Release
01.9% - Disco
01.7% - Please
00.3% - Disco 3
00.0% - Disco 2
00.0% - Essential
00.0% - Concrete

Survey 312 - Week of June 3, 2007
Does Chris mime his keyboard parts in concert? (348 voters)

We all know that, in the Pet Shop Boys' live shows, much of the music is pre-programmed on computer and generated on the spot and/or pre-recorded and stored on hard disk. But Chris is also there with a keyboard. Do you believe that Chris mimes his keyboard playing in their live concerts?

34.5% - "No, absolutely not! He's always playing a 'live' keyboard part!"
25.9% - "Perhaps he mimes on some songs, but not on most of them."
10.1% - "Yes, on most songs, but he's probably playing for real on some."
09.2% - "For whatever reason, I don't feel I can even offer an opinion about this."
08.9% - "I think he used to mime in their earlier days, but he plays for real now." ¤*
07.5% - "I think he mimes in some shows, but not in all of them. It depends on the circumstances."
03.4% - "Yes, I do believe he's miming—on every song."
00.6% - "I don't think he used to, but I believe he is miming these days."

*Why do I believe this? Notice how in their earlier shows he didn't have a monitor with the "sheet music" (so to speak) in front of him. But he does in their more recent shows. If I remember correctly, Chris has said that he needs the sheet music for all but their most ubiquitous numbers, like "West End Girls." If he weren't playing for real in these more recent shows, he wouldn't need the sheet music. Besides, from watching and comparing these different performances on video/DVD, he now just looks more like he's really playing his keyboard parts than early in their career.

Survey 311 - Week of May 27, 2007
Fundamental song to become "concert staple"? (361 voters)

Of the new songs from Fundamental that the Pet Shop Boys have performed live on their current tour, which one—if any—do you think is most likely to become a recurring "concert staple" on their future tours?

41.6% - The Sodom and Gomorrah Show
22.4% - Integral
18.0% - Minimal
06.6% - I'm with Stupid
06.1% - Numb
03.6% - "None of them" ¤*
01.4% - Psychological
00.3% - God Willing

*As much as I love Fundamental—each and every one of its songs—I don't think any of them will become "concert staples." Here's why—

I figure the best way to predict which Fundamental song the Pet Shop Boys would be most likely to include repeatedly in future setlists is to consider the songs that have already become "concert staples"—in other words, the songs in last week's poll, listed just below. What immediately stands out is that they're all singles. This narrows the Fundamental list down to "I'm with Stupid," "Minimal," and "Numb."

But then I realized that none of the singles from Nightlife—in fact, no songs from Nightlife, period—made it onto the setlist of the current tour. So, although it's too early to tell for sure, it looks as though none of them may become concert staples. And I suspect that the only reason "Home and Dry" is being performed on the current tour is so that at least one song from Release, the last "studio album" (discounting Disco 3) before Fundamental, is featured. So maybe one or two songs from Fundamental may make it onto their next tour setlist (assuming that such a tour comes after another new studio album), and then they'll probably be relegated to "occasional" status rather than becoming recurring concert staples.

If I had to pick one song, it would be "Minimal." Allow me quickly to add, however, that I don't necessarily believe it would be the best choice; I would personally opt for "The Sodom and Gomorrah Show" or "Integral." But I do believe that, aside from "None of them," "Minimal" is the most likely choice. Of course, only time will tell.

Survey 310 - Week of May 20, 2007
Songs to "banish" from next PSB tour? (377 voters)

The 13 songs listed below are those that the Pet Shop Boys have performed most often in concert. In addition, the Boys have performed all of them on at least some (and in many cases, all) of the dates on their current tour. But if it were up to you to choose up to three of these songs for them not to perform on their next tour-assuming, of course, that they would perform up to three other songs that you would prefer in their place-which songs would you temporarily "banish" in this way?*

34.2% - Se A Vida É (That's the Way Life Is)
33.4% - Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)
25.5% - Go West
19.9% - Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
19.6% - Rent ¤
18.8% - Domino Dancing
18.3% - Suburbia ¤
16.2% - Always on My Mind ¤
15.6% - West End Girls
11.9% - It's a Sin
10.1% - Can You Forgive Her?
09.0% - Left to My Own Devices
08.8% - Being Boring

*Because voters could choose more than one song, the figures total to more than 100%. But since voters could select up to three songs but could choose fewer if they wished, the figures total to less than 300%. Voters also had the option of submitting their vote without selecting any of the songs, and I know for a fact that a number of them did precisely that (because some of them told me so). Unfortunately, I neglected to include an actual "none of the above" option, so I'm unable to discern how many voters didn't choose any. I should know better to avoid that oversight the next time I conduct a poll like this.

Survey 309 - Week of May 13, 2007
Disco-Tex and the Sex-o-lettes? (318 voters)

In their 1996 song "Electricity," the Pet Shop Boys refer repeatedly to the seventies band Disco-Tex and the Sex-o-lettes. Which of the following statements comes closest to describing how familiar you are with Disco-Tex and the Sex-o-lettes?

61.3% - "I'd never heard of them before 'Electricity,' and I still don't know much of anything about them."
15.1% - "I hadn't heard of them before 'Electricity,' but since then I've learned a bit about them."
10.1% - "I'd heard of them before 'Electricity,' but not much more than that."
05.3% - "I was already fairly familiar with them and with some (or at least one) of their songs."
02.8% - "I remember them well. I even recall seeing them perform on TV." ¤
02.2% - "I'm a huge fan of theirs!"
01.9% - "Not only had I heard of them, but I own (or used to own) some of their records!"
01.3% - "I wasn't familiar with them before 'Electricity,' but since then I've become quite familiar with them!"

Survey 308 - Week of May 6, 2007
Best single from an "Alternative 2" (396 voters)

When the Pet Shop Boys released their Alternative collection of single b-sides and bonus tracks in 1995, they also released in support of it the single "Paninaro '95"-a new version of one of its songs. Although it's very unlikely, if they were to release an Alternative 2 album this year consisting of all their single b-sides and bonus tracks since Alternative, which song from it-either in its original form or in a remixed or re-recorded version-do you think would make the best single?

11.6% - I Didn't Get Where I Am Today ¤
10.6% - The Resurrectionist
10.4% - Delusions of Grandeur
10.1% - Sexy Northerner
09.6% - We're the Pet Shop Boys
05.8% - The Truck-Driver and His Mate
05.6% - The Boy Who Couldn't Keep His Clothes On
04.8% - In Private
04.3% - Bright Young Things
03.8% - Hit and Miss
03.5% - Always
02.3% - Between Two Islands
02.0% - How I Learned to Hate Rock 'n' Roll
02.0% - Friendly Fire
01.8% - Lies
01.5% - Screaming
01.3% - Nightlife
01.3% - No Time for Tears
01.3% - Je T'Aime… Moi Non Plus
01.0% - Positive Roll Model (write-in votes)*
00.8% - Betrayed
00.8% - The Ghost of Myself
00.8% - Blue on Blue
00.8% - Party Song
00.5% - The Calm Before the Storm
00.5% - The View from Your Balcony
00.3% - Confidential
00.3% - Silver Age
00.3% - Searching for the Face of Jesus
00.3% - Girls Don't Cry
00.3% - Sail Away
00.3% - Disco Potential
00.0% - Casting a Shadow
00.0% - Transparent

*I had mistakenly neglected to include "Positive Role Model"—a bonus track on the "London" single—among the choices in this survey. The percentage stated here reflects four "write-in votes" that I received late in the week, after this omission had been brought to my attention. I'm fairly confident that, if I had remembered to include it among the poll choices, it would have received a larger number of votes and placed somewhat higher in the final tally.

Survey 307 - Week of April 29, 2007
Song most improved by PSB involvement (342 voters)

Which song previously recorded by another artist do you think was most improved by the Pet Shop Boys' subsequent involvement (as performers, producers, and/or remixers)?

37.1% - Always on My Mind
19.9% - Go West ¤*
09.1% - Where the Streets Have No Name
04.7% - Hallo Spaceboy
04.4% - Losing My Mind
03.2% - It's Alright
03.2% - "I don't feel sufficiently familiar with the original versions of enough of these songs to make a choice."
02.6% - Break 4 Love
02.3% - Try It (I'm in Love with a Married Man)
02.0% - The Crying Game
01.8% - Sorry
01.5% - Read My Mind
01.2% - Girls & Boys
00.9% - Somewhere
00.9% - Twist in My Sobriety
00.9% - Walking on Thin Ice
00.9% - We're the Pet Shop Boys
00.9% - What Keeps Mankind Alive?
00.6% - Je T'Aime… Moi Non Plus
00.6% - Mope
00.6% - Sail Away
00.3% - I Want to Stay Here
00.3% - Love to Love You, Baby
00.3% - Mein Teil

Several other songs covered, produced, or remixed by PSB were listed in the survey but didn't receive any votes.

*In case you're interested in my rationale for choosing "Go West" as my own choice in this poll, it's very simple: I believe PSB took a simple, second-rate, thoroughly forgettable disco song (the Village People did many that were much better) and transformed it into a stone-cold unforgettable classic of dance-pop with new and enhanced layers of meaning, essentially making it "their own" in the process. In every other case, it's my personal opinion either that (1) the Boys didn't improve upon the original (which doesn't mean that I don't like the PSB version or that I consider it any worse than the original; it's just not, in my opinion, better) or (2) they did improve on it, but not as much as they improved "Go West." To take just a few examples, I think "Where the Streets Have No Name," "Losing My Mind," and "Somewhere" fall into the first category, whereas "Hallo Spaceboy," "Sorry," and "Try It (I'm in Love with a Married Man)" fall into the second.

Survey 306 - Week of April 22, 2007
Will you buy the new Rufus Wainwright album? (296 voters)

Rufus Wainwright's new album, Release the Stars-on which Neil Tennant serves as "consulting producer" and appears as a background vocalist and/or keyboardist on at least two tracks-is scheduled for mid-May release. Are you planning to buy it?

34.5% - "Maybe, but I want to hear some or all of it before deciding."
16.2% - "Yes, on account of Neil's involvement."
13.9% - "Yes, but I'm a fan of Rufus's, so I'd buy it even if Neil weren't involved." ¤
13.5% - "No—I don't like Rufus Wainwright."
11.5% - "No, for some other reason."
09.1% - "I plan on using a downloading service like iTunes to buy just the songs on which Neil actually appears, but I probably won't get the whole album."
01.4% - "I have some other opinion aside from those listed here."*

*Among the alternate opinions provided by voters were the following:

Survey 305 - Week of April 15, 2007
"The Rating Project": Recent PSB tracks (267 voters)

Please rate the songs that the Pet Shop Boys have most recently released (since Fundamental and the "I'm with Stupid" single"), as well as Neil's collaboration with Superchumbo, "Tranquilizer," on a scale of 0 to 10 as they compare with other PSB songs (0 = "one of the worst PSB songs ever"; 5 = "an average PSB song"; 10 = "one of the very best PSB songs ever"):

Song (Listed from Highest Average Rating to Lowest)
Average
Rating
% of
voters
rating
10
% of
voters
rating
0
Wayne's
Rating ¤
Bright Young Things
7.149
14.9%
0.5%
6
She's Madonna
6.895
12.8%
0.5%
6
Party Song
5.348
3.5%
2.5%
3
Blue on Blue
5.287
5.3%
1.1%
4
Tranquilizer
4.508
7.4%
7.4%
1

To see where these tracks fall in relation to other songs in the PSB catalog, please visit the overall "Rating Project" page.

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Survey 304 - Week of April 8, 2007
Is "Fugitive" about terrorists? (300 voters)

Do you think the Pet Shop Boys' song "Fugitive" is about terrorists, or at least written from the imagined perspective of someone closely associated with terrorists?

46.7% - "Yes, I do, but it doesn't bother me in the least." ¤
15.7% - "I'm undecided as to whether it's about terrorists or not."
15.0% - "No, I don't."
12.3% - "I'm not familiar enough with the song to say."
08.3% - "Yes, and it bothers me a little."
02.0% - "Yes, and it bothers me a great deal."

Survey 303 - Week of April 1, 2007
Songs yet to perform live? (324 voters)

The Pet Shop Boys have never performed a surprisingly large number of their own songs live. Of all the songs that they've written, recorded, and released in their own versions but have never performed live in concert, which five would you most like to hear them perform live?

25.0% - Fugitive
20.4% - Two Divided by Zero
20.4% - Miserablism
19.4% - Delusions of Grandeur
18.8% - It Couldn't Happen Here
14.8% - The End of the World ¤
14.8% - The Resurrectionist
14.2% - I Made My Excuses and Left
13.9% - It Always Comes as a Surprise ¤
13.0% - Bet She's Not Your Girlfriend ¤
13.0% - I Didn't Get Where I Am Today ¤
12.7% - I Want a Dog
11.4% - Always
10.8% - Up Against It
10.5% - The Survivors
10.2% - I Get Excited (You Get Excited Too)
10.2% - Single
10.2% - Hit and Miss
09.9% - Bright Young Things
09.6% - The Boy Who Couldn't Keep His Clothes On
09.6% - Radiophonic
09.3% - Metamorphosis
08.0% - Hey, Headmaster
08.0% - In Denial
07.7% - A Different Point of View
07.7% - One Thing Leads to Another ¤
07.4% - Too Many People
07.1% - Don Juan
07.1% - That's My Impression
06.5% - Decadence
06.2% - E-Mail
06.2% - Somebody Else's Business
05.9% - Saturday Night Forever
05.9% - Between Two Islands
05.9% - I Want to Wake Up
05.2% - Hit Music
04.9% - You Know Where You Went Wrong
04.9% - Euroboy
04.6% - Was That What It Was?
04.6% - A New Life
04.6% - One of the Crowd
04.6% - It Must Be Obvious
04.6% - The View from Your Balcony
04.3% - Jack the Lad
04.3% - How I Learned to Hate Rock 'n' Roll
04.0% - The Samurai in Autumn
04.0% - Twentieth Century
03.4% - One and One Make Five
03.4% - Betrayed
03.4% - Electricity
03.4% - Boy Strange
03.4% - Lies
03.1% - The Calm Before the Storm
03.1% - The Ghost of Myself
03.1% - Blue on Blue
02.8% - Nightlife
02.5% - A Man Could Get Arrested
02.5% - The Only One
02.5% - Screaming
02.5% - If Looks Could Kill
02.5% - Party Song
02.2% - Postscript
01.5% - Falling
01.5% - Girls Don't Cry
01.2% - Confidential
01.2% - Time on My Hands
01.2% - Searching for the Face of Jesus
00.9% - We Came from Outer Space
00.6% - KDX 125
00.6% - Silver Age
00.6% - Transparent
00.3% - My Head Is Spinning

Survey 302 - Week of March 25, 2007
The quintessential PSB song? (431 voters)

An acquaintance asked me what I thought was "the quintessential Pet Shop Boys song." This wouldn't necessarily be the "best" PSB song, but rather the one that most clearly represents or characterizes them. I've come up with what I think are some good candidates. Which of these do you think is "the quintessential PSB song"?

21.3% - West End Girls
17.6% - Left to My Own Devices ¤*
15.5% - Being Boring
11.6% - It's a Sin
06.5% - "I don't think you could call any one song 'the quintessential PSB song'"
05.3% - Can You Forgive Her?
03.2% - Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
03.0% - Always on My Mind
03.0% - "Some other song not listed here"**
02.8% - Rent
02.6% - Go West
02.1% - A Red Letter Day
02.1% - Integral
01.9% - I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing
01.4% - The Sodom and Gomorrah Show

*You may be surprised at my choice of "Left to My Own Devices" considering my well-documented regard for "Being Boring" as my favorite PSB song and quite possibly their single greatest artistic achievement. But I don't consider "Being Boring" nearly as "representative" of the Pet Shop Boys as "Left to My Own Devices," which—especially in its extended version on Introspective—somehow captures for me their "essence." Besides, as one of my site visitors pointed out, there's that "Che Guevara and Debussy with a disco beat" line. As more than one critic has pointed out, it's probably the best single-line distillation of the Pet Shop Boys' music that anyone has come up with—and all the better seeing as how they came up with it themselves.

**Other songs suggested by voters include:

Survey 301 - Week of March 18, 2007
Letter grades for PSB albums (314 voters)

When judging them in comparison with each other (as opposed to comparing them with the work of other artists), what letter grades would you assign to each of the Pet Shop Boys' albums?

Note: Averages are calculated mathetically and then translated to the closest corresponding letter grade. Abstentions for any particular album aren't reported; they have no impact on the percentages or averages reported for each album. The figures in red type indicate the percentage of votes for the letter grade that received the largest number of votes for each album. The boxes shaded pale red indicate the album that received the largest percentage of votes for that particular letter grade. For example, the plurality grade for Disco was B at 19.1%, and although fewer voters gave Disco a B-, Disco was the album that received the highest percentage of B- votes, 12.7%. As always, the ¤ symbols indicate how I myself voted, in this case for each album.

 
Please
Disco
Actually
Introspective
Behaviour
A+
15.8%
6.4%
23.0%
21.5%
47.2%
A
26.3%
9.9%
33.8%
24.2%
¤28.1%
A-
19.5%
11.3%
15.7%
¤19.2%
11.4%
B+
¤16.2%
15.9%
13.8%
14.2%
6.7%
B
10.8%
19.1%
¤7.9%
10.6%
3.7%
B-
5.1%
12.7%
2.6%
3.3%
1.3%
C+
2.4%
6.4%
2.0%
3.0%
0.7%
C
2.7%
¤7.4%
0.7%
2.0%
0.7%
C-
0.3%
2.5%
0.0%
0.7%
0.3%
D+
0.7%
3.5%
0.0%
0.7%
0.0%
D
0.0%
2.5%
0.0%
0.7%
0.0%
D-
0.0%
0.7%
0.3%
0.0%
0.0%
F
0.3%
1.8%
0.3%
0.0%
0.0%
Avg
A-
B
A-
A-
A

 
Very
Relentless
Disco 2
Alternative
Bilingual
A+
¤42.1%
12.4%
2.5%
24.0%
13.9%
A
30.6%
15.4%
2.1%
21.2%
19.2%
A-
15.5%
15.4%
3.5%
17.5%
17.2%
B+
4.6%
14.3%
6.7%
17.5%
¤20.2%
B
4.6%
13.5%
7.4%
¤10.6%
12.3%
B-
1.3%
6.9%
8.5%
4.1%
9.3%
C+
0.7%
¤8.1%
7.7%
2.1%
1.3%
C
0.0%
5.4%
13.4%
2.7%
2.6%
C-
0.0%
4.2%
7.4%
0.3%
2.0%
D+
0.0%
1.2%
7.4%
0.0%
0.7%
D
0.3%
1.9%
13.0%
0.0%
1.0%
D-
0.0%
0.4%
¤6.7%
0.0%
0.3%
F
0.3%
0.8%
13.7%
0.0%
0.0%
Avg
A
B+
C
A-
B+

 
Nightlife
Release
Disco 3
Fundamental
A+
12.7%
6.3%
6.7%
25.9%
A
17.4%
14.3%
12.7%
¤26.9%
A-
16.7%
12.3%
8.5%
21.9%
B+
¤16.1%
16.3%
18.7%
13.0%
B
17.1%
15.0%
20.4%
7.3%
B-
8.0%
¤9.0%
12.3%
2.0%
C+
3.3%
9.6%
¤4.2%
0.7%
C
4.3%
7.3%
7.7%
0.7%
C-
2.3%
3.3%
2.5%
0.7%
D+
1.0%
3.0%
2.1%
0.7%
D
0.3%
2.0%
1.4%
0.0%
D-
0.3%
0.7%
0.7%
0.3%
F
0.3%
1.0%
2.1%
0.0%
Avg
B+
B
B
A-

Summary rankings based on numerical averages
(in which A+=4.0, F=0, and each gradation between them differs by 0.33):

Ranking
Album
Average
Grade
Average
"Score"
Plurality
Grade
1
 Behaviour
A
3.655
A+
2
 Very
A
3.629
A+
3
 Fundamental
A-
3.426
A
4
 Actually
A-
3.417
A
5
 Alternative
A-
3.314
A+
6
 Introspective
A-
3.287
A
7
 Please
A-
3.241
A
8
 Bilingual
B+
3.095
B+
9
 Nightlife
B+
3.012
A
10
 Relentless
B+
2.861
A/A-
11
 Release
B
2.687
B+
12
 Disco 3
B
2.686
B
13
 Disco
B
2.611
B
14
 Disco 2
C
1.548
F

Finally, if you're not familiar with the letter grading system used in the U.S. and some other countries, you may find this link helpful.

Survey 300 - Week of March 11, 2007
How many PSB songs on your desert island? (240 voters)

If you had to pick any ten songs by any artist(s) to have with you on a desert island, how many of those ten songs would be by the Pet Shop Boys?

02.5% - 0 (None of them)
22.1% - 1 ¤*
16.3% - 2
17.1% - 3
08.3% - 4
16.3% - 5
02.9% - 6
03.3% - 7
02.9% - 8
00.4% - 9
07.9% - 10 (All of them)

*You may be surprised that, in light of this website, I would have just one PSB track among my ten "desert island songs." But as much as I love the Pet Shop Boys' music, I love an awful lot of other music, too. I would describe PSB as "the first among many." And judging from the final results, it clear that many voters feel much the same way. I would want with me at least one song by the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Genesis, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, and various others. I might even throw in a bit of Bach or Debussy. The sheer variety would help make my enforced stay on the desert island a bit less odious. As for which PSB song I'd take along with the others, it would probably be "Being Boring"—although I would reserve my final judgment based on the final selection of the other artists' songs. If most of them turned out to be "downers" (they probably wouldn't, but if) then I might opt for a more "up" PSB track to help balance the mood.

Survey 299 - Week of March 4, 2007
Your 10 PSB "desert island songs" (332 voters)

If you could pick ten—and only ten—songs recorded and released by the Pet Shop Boys to take with you to a desert island, which ten would they be?

52.7% - Being Boring ¤
29.2% - Always on My Mind
28.9% - Left to My Own Devices
24.7% - It's a Sin
23.5% - West End Girls
22.0% - Can You Forgive Her?
17.8% - King's Cross
16.3% - Domino Dancing
16.3% - Go West
16.3% - Integral
15.4% - Love Comes Quickly
15.4% - Rent
14.8% - What Have I Done to Deserve This? ¤
13.9% - A Red Letter Day
13.6% - This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave
13.3% - My October Symphony
13.3% - Miracles
13.0% - Dreaming of the Queen
12.7% - Heart
12.7% - I'm Not Scared ¤
12.7% - So Hard
12.3% - Your Funny Uncle
12.3% - I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Any More
11.7% - Suburbia
11.4% - You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk
11.1% - Jealousy
11.1% - I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing ¤
11.1% - Liberation ¤
10.8% - Flamboyant
10.8% - Minimal
10.5% - Paninaro '95
09.3% - Fugitive
09.0% - Home and Dry
09.0% - Always
08.4% - The Sodom and Gomorrah Show
08.1% - It Couldn't Happen Here
08.1% - Miserablism
08.1% - Delusions of Grandeur
07.8% - Shameless
07.8% - Discoteca
07.8% - Closer to Heaven
07.5% - The Truck-Driver and His Mate
07.2% - Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)
07.2% - The Theatre
07.2% - For Your Own Good
07.2% - I Made My Excuses and Left
07.2% - Luna Park
06.9% - Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
06.9% - Paninaro
06.9% - The End of the World
06.9% - DJ Culture
06.9% - Yesterday, When I Was Mad
06.6% - It Always Comes as a Surprise ¤
06.6% - Here
06.3% - Young Offender
06.0% - Se A Vida É (That's the Way Life Is)
05.7% - Tonight Is Forever ¤
05.7% - It's Alright
05.7% - We All Feel Better in the Dark
05.4% - Absolutely Fabulous
05.1% - In the Night
05.1% - Was It Worth It?
05.1% - Before
05.1% - London
05.1% - I Didn't Get Where I Am Today
05.1% - Numb
04.8% - Two Divided by Zero
04.8% - Do I Have To?
04.8% - How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously? ¤
04.8% - Hit and Miss
04.5% - Nervously
04.5% - Bet She's Not Your Girlfriend
04.5% - Positive Role Model
04.2% - To Face the Truth
04.2% - Hey, Headmaster
04.2% - Too Many People
04.2% - To Step Aside ¤
04.2% - Sexy Northerner
04.2% - Between Two Islands
04.2% - Indefinite Leave to Remain
03.9% - One More Chance
03.9% - Only the Wind
03.9% - One Thing Leads to Another
03.9% - The Survivors
03.9% - Somewhere
03.9% - Birthday Boy
03.9% - We're the Pet Shop Boys
03.9% - The Resurrectionist
03.9% - Bright Young Things
03.6% - I Want to Wake Up
03.6% - The Boy Who Couldn't Keep His Clothes On
03.6% - New York City Boy
03.3% - Don Juan
03.3% - Radiophonic
03.3% - After All
03.3% - Psychological
03.3% - I'm with Stupid
03.0% - Later Tonight
03.0% - Happiness Is an Option
03.0% - Casanova in Hell
02.7% - Decadence
02.7% - Some Speculation
02.7% - The View from Your Balcony
02.7% - In Denial
02.7% - E-mail
02.7% - Somebody Else's Business
02.4% - A New Life
02.4% - It Must Be Obvious
02.4% - To Speak Is a Sin
02.4% - Falling
02.4% - I Get Along
02.4% - Love Is a Catastrophe
02.4% - Break 4 Love
02.1% - I Want a Dog
02.1% - A Different Point of View
02.1% - Metamorphosis
02.1% - Vampires
02.1% - Footsteps
01.8% - Violence
01.8% - Shopping
01.8% - I Get Excited (You Get Excited Too)
01.8% - Losing My Mind
01.8% - So Sorry, I Said
01.8% - Euroboy
01.8% - Up Against It
01.8% - Saturday Night Forever
01.8% - The Calm Before the Storm
01.8% - Friendly Fire
01.8% - For All of Us
01.8% - No Time for Tears
01.5% - That's My Impression
01.5% - I Want a Lover
01.5% - One and One Make Five
01.5% - One in a Million ¤
01.5% - The Samurai in Autumn
01.5% - Silver Age
01.5% - Lies
01.2% - Jack the Lad
01.2% - Hit Music
01.2% - Was That What It Was?
01.2% - Music for Boys
01.2% - Girls & Boys
01.2% - Single
01.2% - Betrayed
01.2% - It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas
01.2% - The Ghost of Myself
01.2% - The Night I Fell in Love
01.2% - Try It (I'm in Love with a Married Man)
01.2% - "Comrades!"
01.2% - Blue on Blue
00.9% - A Man Could Get Arrested
00.9% - Postscript
00.9% - My Head Is Spinning
00.9% - The Man Who Has Everything
00.9% - We Came from Outer Space
00.9% - If Love Were All
00.9% - You Choose
00.9% - If Looks Could Kill
00.9% - Searching for the Face of Jesus
00.9% - Odessa
00.9% - In Private
00.9% - Girls Don't Cry
00.9% - Party Song
00.6% - Nothing Has Been Proved
00.6% - KDX 125
00.6% - What Keeps Mankind Alive?
00.6% - Electricity
00.6% - Confidential
00.6% - How I Learned to Hate Rock 'n' Roll
00.6% - Boy Strange
00.6% - The Only One
00.6% - Time on My Hands
00.6% - Transparent
00.6% - Twentieth Century
00.3% - Why Don't We Live Together?
00.3% - You Know Where You Went Wrong
00.3% - The Sound of the Atom Splitting
00.3% - One of the Crowd
00.3% - Sail Away
00.3% - Disco Potential
00.3% - Nightlife
00.3% - Casting a Shadow
00.3% - Night Falls
00.3% - The Squadron
00.3% - For Freedom
00.3% - God Willing
00.0% - Screaming
00.0% - Je T'Aime... Moi Non Plus
00.0% - Generic Jingle
00.0% - Paris City Boy
00.0% - Nyet
00.0% - Full Steam Ahead
00.0% - Men and Maggots
00.0% - Drama in the Harbour
00.0% - To the Shore
00.0% - To the Battleship
00.0% - Our Daily Bread
00.0% - Stormy Meetings

Survey 298 - Week of February 25, 2007
The album that works best "as a whole" (394 voters)

In your opinion, which Pet Shop Boys studio album works best "as a whole" in terms of its thematic and/or stylistic consistency?

29.7% - Behaviour
20.1% - Very
11.9% - Nightlife
10.7% - Fundamental ¤
06.9% - Introspective
06.9% - Bilingual
04.8% - Actually
04.1% - Please
02.5% - Relentless
02.5% - Release

Survey 297 - Week of February 18, 2007
When did you learn about "Postcript"? (377 voters)

When did you first discover or learn about "Postscript," the "hidden" song at the end of the Pet Shop Boys' album Very?

49.1% - "I discovered it for myself the first time I listened to the album."
20.4% - "I discovered it for myself after listening to the album a few times." ¤
08.5% - "I had read or heard about it even before I first bought or listened to the album."
06.4% - "I didn't discover it on my own, even after many listens, but learned about it only after reading or hearing about it elsewhere."
04.0% - "I discovered it only after listening to the album many times."
04.0% - "This is actually the first time I've heard about this!"
03.4% - "I learned about it from the booklet that accompanied the 2001 reisssue of the album."
03.2% - "I'm not sure or I don't remember."
01.1% - "I've never even heard the album!"

Survey 296 - Week of February 11, 2007
B-sides preferred to the singles (373 voters)

Which Pet Shop Boys single b-sides/bonus tracks do you actually like more than the single itself?

Note: The b-side/bonus track is listed first, followed by its respective single. Too late—after more than a hundred people had voted—I realized that I had overlooked one song that I should definitely have included among the choices: "If Love Were All," which was a bonus track on some versions of the "Yesterday, When I Was Mad" single. I apologize for this terrible oversight.

32.4% - The Truck-Driver and His Mate – Before ¤
32.2% - Hit and Miss – Before ¤
31.1% - Miserablism – Was It Worth It?
30.3% - The Resurrectionist – I'm with Stupid ¤
25.5% - Shameless – Go West
24.7% - Your Funny Uncle – It's Alright ¤
24.7% - Delusions of Grandeur – A Red Letter Day ¤
23.6% - Always – Home and Dry
23.6% - Sexy Northerner – Home and Dry
22.3% - Bright Young Things – Numb ¤
21.2% - Positive Role Model – London
19.6% - Bet She's Not Your Girlfriend – Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You) ¤
18.8% - Paninaro – Suburbia
17.7% - In the Night – Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)
17.4% - Between Two Islands – I Get Along
16.4% - I Get Excited (You Get Excited Too) – Heart
14.7% - Friendly Fire – I Get Along
13.1% - How I Learned to Hate Rock 'n' Roll – Se A Vida E
12.6% - One of the Crowd – It's Alright
12.6% - Decadence – Liberation
12.3% - Some Speculation – Yesterday, When I Was Mad
12.3% - The Ghost of Myself – New York City Boy
12.1% - Too Many People – I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing
12.1% - We're the Pet Shop Boys – Miracles
11.8% - The View from Your Balcony – Somewhere ¤
11.3% - Do I Have To? – Always on My Mind
11.3% - I Didn't Get Where I Am Today – Flamboyant ¤
11.0% - The Calm Before the Storm – Single-Bilingual
10.7% - The Boy Who Couldn't Keep His Clothes On – A Red Letter Day
10.2% - Music for Boys – DJ Culture
10.2% - That's My Impression – Love Comes Quickly
09.9% - Party Song – Numb
09.7% - Losing My Mind – Jealousy
09.7% - Girls & Boys (Live in Rio) – Paninaro '95
09.4% - Euroboy – Yesterday, When I Was Mad
09.1% - Don Juan – Domino Dancing
08.6% - Betrayed – Se A Vida E
08.6% - Girls Don't Cry – I'm with Stupid
08.3% - Hey, Headmaster – Can You Forgive Her?
08.0% - It Must Be Obvious – So Hard
07.8% - We All Feel Better in the Dark – Being Boring
07.8% - Was That What It Was? – Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)
07.8% - Confidential – Single-Bilingual
07.2% - Nightlife – Home and Dry ¤
07.0% - Casting a Shadow – New York City Boy
06.7% - A Man Could Get Arrested – West End Girls
06.7% - Disco Potential – Somewhere
06.4% - A New Life – What Have I Done to Deserve This?
06.4% - I Want a Dog – Rent
06.2% - Lies – You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk
05.9% - Jack the Lad – Suburbia
05.6% - Searching for the Face of Jesus – I Get Along
05.4% - You Know Where You Went Wrong – It's a Sin
05.4% - Sail Away – You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk
05.1% - Screaming – I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Any More
04.3% - Silver Age – I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Any More
03.2% - Blue on Blue – Minimal
02.7% - What Keeps Mankind Alive? – Can You Forgive Her?
02.7% - Je T'Aime...Moi Non Plus - I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Any More
02.7% - Transparent – Miracles
02.1% - The Sound of the Atom Splitting – Left to My Own Devices

Survey 295 - Week of February 4, 2007
Best overall set of b-sides (380 voters)

In your opinion, which Pet Shop Boys album's singles had the best overall set of b-sides and bonus tracks?

32.9% - Bilingual* ¤
16.8% - Very
11.1% - Please
09.2% - Behaviour
09.2% - Release
07.9% - Fundamental
04.7% - Introspective
02.6% - "I don't feel that I'm familiar enough with these songs to make a choice"
02.1% - Actually
01.6% - PopArt
01.1% - Nightlife
00.8% - Discography

*For the record, the Bilingual-era b-sides were:

Survey 294 - Week of January 28, 2007
Your first PSB album (441 voters)

I'd asked this question before, but that was more than five years ago and with relatively few voters, so it was time to ask again—

What was the first Pet Shop Boys album that you ever owned?*

26.3% - Please
17.5% - Actually
13.6% - Discography ¤
09.5% - Very
07.9% - Behaviour
07.0% - Disco
06.1% - Introspective
03.2% - PopArt
02.0% - Nightlife
01.8% - Fundamental
00.9% - Alternative
00.9% - Bilingual
00.7% - "I don't own any PSB albums"
00.5% - Relentless*
00.5% - Some other album not listed here
00.5% - "I'm not sure or I don't remember"
00.2% - Disco 2
00.2% - Essential
00.2% - Release
00.2% - Disco 3
00.2% - Concrete
00.0% - Battleship Potemkin

*I asked voters whose first PSB album was the limited-edition Very Relentless package to choose the disc that they listened to first: Very or Relentless. In fact, that was true for any voter whose first PSB album purchase or ownership was more than one album at at time: to which album did they listen first?

Survey 293 - Week of January 21, 2007
How many times have you watched ICHH? (355 voters)

How many times have you watched the Pet Shop Boys' film It Couldn't Happen Here all the way through, from beginning to end?

45.4% - Never*
20.8% - 2 or 3 times ¤
19.2% - Once
05.9% - 4 or 5 times
05.6% - More than 5 times
03.1% - So many times that I've lost count!

*As one of the voters pointed out, perhaps I should have provided two separate "Never" options: one for those who have never seen it at all because they've never had the opportunity, and the other for those who started watching it but couldn't make it all the way through and never tried again. I regret that I didn't think to do that.

Survey 292 - Week of January 14, 2007
"Reordering" of album track lineups? (206 voters)

How do you feel about the running order of the songs on each of the Pet Shop Boys' studio albums? If it were up to you, would you have preferred for any of them to have a different track running order?

 
Abstain
"It's perfect
as is"
"I might move one or two tracks, but no more"
"I would completely reorder it!"
Please
18.0%
¤ 56.8%
20.9%
4.4%
Actually
14.1%
¤ 61.7%
22.8%
1.5%
Introspective
14.6%
¤ 67.5%
14.1%
3.9%
Behaviour
11.2%
¤ 67.0%
18.9%
2.9%
Very
11.2%
¤ 59.7%
22.8%
6.3%
Relentless
38.8%
¤ 50.5%
7.8%
2.9%
Bilingual
11.7%
29.1%
¤ 31.1%
28.2%
Nightlife
11.7%
34.5%
¤ 35.0%
18.9%
Release
13.6%
37.4%
¤ 30.1%
18.9%
Fundamental
8.7%
39.8%
¤ 34.5%
17.0%
(averages)
15.3%
50.4%
23.8%
10.5%

Key to the chart: The majority or plurality response percentage for each album appears in bold red text. The cell corresponding to the album that received the most votes for any particular response appears in dark pink; the cell corresponding to the album that received the fewest votes for any particular response appears in pale pink. The final row of averages as well as the row and column headers appear in pale blue. As always, my own choices are indicated by the ¤ symbol. To summarize:

Survey 291 - Week of January 7, 2007
First PSB album listened to in 2007 (379 voters)

What was the first PSB album that you listened to in 2007?

32.2% - Fundamental
14.2% - Concrete
09.2% - "I haven't listened to any PSB music yet this year"
05.0% - Behaviour
04.2% - Actually ¤¹
03.7% - "I'm not sure or I don't remember"
03.4% - PopArt
03.4% - "Some other album not listed here"²
03.2% - Please
03.2% - Very
03.2% - Bilingual
02.9% - Nightlife
02.4% - Battleship Potemkin
01.8% - Introspective
01.8% - Discography
01.8% - Alternative
01.8% - Disco 3
01.3% - Release
00.5% - Disco
00.5% - Disco 2
00.0% - Relentless
00.0% - Essential

¹I hadn't gotten around to listening to any Pet Shop Boys music in 2007 until January 3, when one of my site visitors wrote to ask a question about the song "I Want to Wake Up." In order to answer the question, I had to listen to that song again, resulting in my playing part of Actually—the first PSB album that I listened to in 2007.

²This could include (among others) the Closer to Heaven cast album, Liza Minnelli's Results, a bootleg, a CD or tape compilation of one's own creation, or anything else that voters might consider a PSB album that wasn't listed. If the only PSB music that they had listened to so far in 2007 didn't even come from an album, such as bonus tracks from singles, then they were to pick this option as well.

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