The Pet Shop Boys' first twenty singles...

Cry To Me
Dreamin'
Hit And Run
It's Getting Stronger
Runaway
Catch Me On The Rebound
That's What You Said
The Greatest Performance Of My Life
Relight My Fire
Love Sensation
Seconds
I've Been Loving You Too Long
We're Getting Stronger
Strong Enough
Crash Goes Love
Heartstealer
So Sweet
Gotta Be #1
Do That To Me (Set Me Free)
The Queen's Anthem
Stand Up!
I Survived
Shout To The Top
Lifting Me Up
No Apology

25 singles and really not a bad one in the bunch (though i'm not counting her pre-disco stuff) and others may feel differently about the mid-80s DJ International stuff

anyhow, fitting that the best contender I could come up with for the PSB title is another queen

also, the St Et one is a good call too.

and i HATE people who say 'i preferred the demo' about songs but there you go! it is better!

btw I saw them a couple of nights ago -- a MUCH better show than the 2002 supporting Release, despite the smaller budget.)

Pete Shelley was/is gay, MrSnrub.

I certainly didn't the Pet Shop Boys were gay, either. I always thought if they were gay, then why didn't they name their hit song "East End Boys"?

I remember when Tennant came out he quite hilariously said the real shocker would've been if he had declared himself straight.

Oddly, I had NO idea until probably the mid-80s that the Village People were gay (though I know that's not an uncommon reaction among people my age).

HI DERE LEX.

I was 16 and just thought it all sounded dramatic and big and not 'gay' per se. It wasn't until 1991 at UCLA when my roommate Steve's boyfriend talked about a paper he was writing on PSB and gay identity -- 'out' without being out, specifically -- that I twigged.

-- s woods (rockcritic...), October 20th, 2006. (sw00ds) (later)

Only one of the Village People were gay, the rest were lol straights.

astonishing to see this after so long. 1989 tour projection/backdrop by Jarman for KING'S CROSS.

the reason for reviving on this thread is that it would have been a single (WIKI confirms) in '87 after RENT, had it not been for what happened at King's Cross that year.

and why is the tracklisting weird? not being a total fan i like the way it revisits some classics, some non-PSB tracks (eg. the Dusty springfield collab and Frances Barber tracks), and a chunk of the new ones - i reckon its a good spread actually.

in actual fact - having listened i think the selection is based upon the originals having orchestral arrangements and so the band took the opportunity to give this side of their catalogue a full on airing as neil in between each song gives a rundown on who provided the original arrangements.

"I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing"
"Liberation"
"Absolutely Fabulous"
"Yesterday, when I was mad"
"Paninaro '95"
"Before"
"Se a vida é (That’s the way life is)"
"Single-Bilingual"
"A red letter day"
"Somewhere"
"I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more"
"New York City boy"
"You only tell me you love me when you're drunk"
"Home and dry"
"I get along"
"Miracles"
"Flamboyant"
"I'm with Stupid"
"Minimal"
"Numb"

That's exactly 20 singles since Tom's list. I'd say at least 12 are as strong as the first 20 ones.

That said, I still think it's a spectacular run, and I can't think of another singles band that matches them for consistency (it's just that now they're more likely to be consistently very good rather than consistently amazing).

The "very goods":
"Before" (borderline between great and very good--should listen to it again)
"Se a vida é (That’s the way life is)"
"You only tell me you love me when you're drunk"
"Home and dry"

The so-so (at best):
"Single-Bilingual"
"A red letter day"
"I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more"
"New York City boy"
"I get along"
"I'm with Stupid"

The others are forgettable or unfamiliar (I keep hearing that "Flamboyant" is great, but I think I've heard it once).

Brilliant
"I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more"

Very Good
"Absolutely Fabulous"
"Yesterday, when I was mad"
"New York City boy"
"Flamboyant"
"Paninaro '95"
"Integral" (fingers crossed)

Good
"Before"
"Miracles"
"I'm with Stupid"
"Se a vida é (That’s the way life is)"
"Single-Bilingual"

So-So
"A red letter day"
"You only tell me you love me when you're drunk"
"Home and dry"
"I get along"
"Minimal"

Boring
"I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing"
"Liberation"
"Somewhere"
"Numb"

As Good as Any in the First 20:
"I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing"
"Flamboyant"

Excellent:
"Liberation"
"Paninaro '95"
"Before"
"I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more"
"Home and dry"
"I'm with Stupid"

Fine:
"Absolutely Fabulous"
"Yesterday, when I was mad"
"Se a vida é (That’s the way life is)"
"You only tell me you love me when you're drunk"
"Minimal"

Meh:
"Single-Bilingual"
"I get along"
"Miracles"
"Numb"

Atrocious:
"A red letter day"
"Somewhere"
"New York City boy"

Here's my rating:

Amazing
"I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing"
"Liberation"
"Absolutely Fabulous"
"Yesterday, when I was mad"
"Before"
"I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more"
"You only tell me you love me when you're drunk"
"Miracles"
"Flamboyant"
"Minimal"

Great
"Se a vida é (That’s the way life is)"
"A red letter day"
"Home and dry"

Good
"Paninaro '95"
"Single-Bilingual"
"Somewhere"
"New York City boy"
"I get along"
"I'm with Stupid"

Poor
"Numb"

(x-post)