When flipping through the annals of new-wave history, one can easily enough overlook the entry marked "Human League." But the truth of the matter is, this Phil Oakey-helmed synth-pop outfit was crucial to the movement, and, Dare!, its third release, is an absolute linchpin. Thanks to its breakthrough single, "Don't You Want Me," the record almost single-handedly made it safe to like new wave, and an MTV video gave it a fashionable face that was impossible to ignore. The sound was theatrical, awash in kitschy keyboards, but felt new and refreshing back in 1982.
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