Pet Shop Boys

It takes a certain genius to fuse deadpan irony with lively dance-pop and gorgeous electronic balladeering. But the Pet Shop Boys certainly possess it. The promise of their terrific debut single, "West End Girls", has been fulfilled in buckets: hence the cheeky dance celebration "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)".

After they mastered the gorgeous, swirling pop hit ("Love Comes Quickly") and the pumping chunk of disco electronica ("One More Chance"), the Boys took a rhythmical excursion into Latin territory with the 1996 album Bilingual: "Paninaro '95" is Euro-disco direct from the Continental Riviera.

On Disco 3 the Boys are experimenting with an enormous box of electronic tweaks and tricks: "Try It (I'm In Love With a Married Man)", "Time On My Hands" sounds like they had been made by androids in emotional crisis. Aficionados, be sure not to miss their live version of Blur's "Girls and Boys".

Christened after a couple of mates who actually worked in a pet shop, the Pet Shop Boys (Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe) conquered dance-pop at a time when rave culture was changing nightlife forever. What kept them sharp was their abundant brains, keen sense of the absurd, adoration of Dusty Springfield ("What Have I Done to Deserve This?" is a thing of beauty), and the knowledge that everyone loves a heart-melting melody. Put simply, the Pet Shop Boys make great, big, sexy tunes.