History YMMV / PetShopBoys

* WTHCastingAgency: One of the decisions that, for better or worse, really set ''Release'' apart from the rest of their catalogue was the inclusion of [[Music/TheSmiths Johnny Marr]] as a session musician for most of the tracks.

* AmericansHateTingle: While they started off just as popular in the United States as in the United Kingdom and much of the rest of the world, their American success had declined to a much lower level, save for some successes on the dance charts by the early 1990s, thanks in part to how misunderstood their lyrics and their work in general had become by then, getting a reputation as a "gay band" when mainstream American culture was more homophobic. Their American support tends to be limited to urban areas with large LGBTQ+ populations like San Francisco or New York City. One popular website devoted to the Boys even cites [[http://www.geowayne.com/newDesign/lists/suicide.htm 10 ways the Boys all but killed their American career]].

* AmericansHateTingle: While they started off just as popular in the United States as in the United Kingdom and much of the rest of the world, their American success had declined to a much lower level, save for some successes on the dance charts by the early 1990s, thanks in part to how misunderstood their lyrics and their work in general had become by then. Their American support tends to be limited to urban areas with large LGBTQ+ populations like San Francisco or New York City. One popular website devoted to the Boys even cites [[http://www.geowayne.com/newDesign/lists/suicide.htm 10 ways the Boys all but killed their American career]].

* FriendlyFandoms: With Music/NewOrder, due to their similar style as well as both bands working with producer Stephen Hague. Neil Tennant has professed a love of Music/JoyDivision and New Order in interviews, as well as contributing vocals to Music/{{Electronic}}'s "Getting Away with It" . The bands were even set to tour together before being interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

* AmericansHateTingle: While they started off just as popular in the United States as in the United Kingdom and much of the rest of the world, their American success had declined to a much lower level, save for some successes on the dance charts by the early 1990s, thanks in part to how misunderstood their lyrics and their work in general had become by then. Their American support tends to be limited to urban areas with large LGBTQ+ populations. One popular website devoted to the Boys even cites [[http://www.geowayne.com/newDesign/lists/suicide.htm 10 ways the Boys all but killed their American career]].

* AmericansHateTingle: While they started off just as popular in the United States as in the United Kingdom and much of the rest of the world, their American success had declined to a much lower level, save for some successes on the dance charts by the early 1990s, thanks in part to how misunderstood their lyrics and their work in general had become by then. One popular website devoted to the Boys even cites [[http://www.geowayne.com/newDesign/lists/suicide.htm 10 ways the Boys all but killed their American career]].

* FriendlyFandoms: With Music/NewOrder, due to their similar style as well as both bands working with producer Stephen Hague. Neil Tennant has professed a love of Music/JoyDivision and New Order in interviews, as well as contributing vocals to Electronic's "Getting Away with It" . The bands were even set to tour together before being interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

** The version of "In private" they performed with Elton John is also quite hoyay as the song had been originally written to be performed by a woman (namely, Dusty Springfield).

** The music video for "Yesterday I Was Mad" is SurrealHorror at it's finest. There's too much strange and creepy imagery to list at once but special mention has to go to the [[DerangedAnimation creepy, deformed CGI heads of Chris and Neil]] which go rocketing straight into the UncannyValley.

* TearJerker: "Your Funny Uncle", "Being Boring" (and a large chunk of ''Behaviour''), "Home and Dry".

*** It gets even more melancholy and bleak when you read that Neil Tennant agreed to recording it as a contrast with the Village People's 1978 original, showing how the gay utopia described in the original has been ravaged by AIDS and homophobia in the 15 years since, as well as nodding to the fall of communism.

*** Heck the real meaning of the lyrics is arguably even ''more'' of a tearjerker.

** In the liner notes for ''Alternative,'' Neil Tennant says of his guitar solo on "Decadence" "I guess Pet Shop Boys are not allowed to rock." Jon Savage concurs. Seven years later came Pet Shop Boys' NewSoundAlbum ''Release,'' which focused for the most part on pop-rock. While not a commercial failure, it is their least successful album to date, and critics are still split on its quality.

* AmericansHateTingle: Subverted. While they started off just as popular in the United States as in the United Kingdom and much of the rest of the world, their American success had declined to this level save for some successes on the dance charts by the early 1990s, thanks in part to how misunderstood their lyrics and their work in general had become by then. One popular website devoted to the Boys even cites [[http://www.geowayne.com/newDesign/lists/suicide.htm 10 ways the Boys all but killed their American career]].

* {{Anvilicious}}: The main criticisms of the ''Agenda'' EP were about it's relative lack of subtlety and nuance in comparison to most of the more political albums and songs by the boys, such as "King's Cross" and "A Red Letter Day".

** They released a homage song about New York City in 1999, called (quite obviously) "New York City boy". A couple of years later, the city suffered the September, 11th terrorist attacks. Then, they released a song about London in 2002, called (even more obviously) "London". A couple of years later, the city suffered the Al-Qaeda terrorist attacks...

** "King's Cross". Dear ''god'' is this song ever a tearjerker. Its association with the 1987 King's Cross fire doesn't help.

** "The Sound Of The Atom Splitting", and ''It Couldn't Happen Here'' (the movie).

** The video for Kings Cross (the ''It Couldn't Happen Here'' clip [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kRfIpuZIXE]], not the Darek Jarman projection) shows a man on fire, whereas the song itself talks about the (presumably figurative) "dead and wounded on either side" all around Kings Cross station. Two months later, there is a fire that kills 31 at the Kings Cross tube station.

* HilariousInHindsight: The 2003 [=DVD=] release of ''[=PopArt=]'' has commentary for each music video. During the commentary for "Liberation", this exchange occurs: