The Human League

The Human League is an English electronic band hailing from Sheffield, England in 1977. The band began with Philip Oakey, born October 2nd, 1955 in Hinckley, England, Martyn Ware, born May 19th, 1956 in Sheffield, England, and Ian Craig Marsh, born November 11th, 1956 in Sheffield, England. Currently, only Philip Oakey is the single original band member left from the group’s formation.  The Human League has also had Philip Adrian Wright, Ian Burden, Jo Callis, and Jim Russell as past members. The band’s current lineup consists of Philip Oakey, Joanne Catherall, and Susan Ann Sulley. The group specializes in the synth-pop, new wave, and art pop genres.

The group released their first single, “Being Boiled,” in 1978. The single was picked up by the New Musical Express magazine and given plenty of publicity because of its unique sound. In 1979 The Human League released their first EP, The Dignity of Labour, under the label Fast Records. The group then switched to Virgin Records and released the single “I Don’t Depend on You.” In the same year they released their debut album called Reproduction. In 1980 the band released a new album called Dare. The album reached number 1 on the UK Album charts. The band would go on to release 6 more albums up to 2011.