Hailing from Sheffield, England, the Human League was formed in 1977 as an instrumental act heavily influenced by the style of pioneering electronic music artists Kraftwerk. By 1980, they had already cultivated an underground following when lead singer Phil Oakey brought aboard schoolgirl singers Susanne Sulley and Joanne Catherall. The move would edge Human League toward a more pop sound and fame as one of the first superstar synthesizer acts of the '80s.

The group had already topped the UK charts with the single "Don't You Want Me" when the song made its way to America. Although synth-based acts were becoming the sound of the day, none had broken through on the US pop charts as "Don't You Want Me" would. Taken from their album Dare/i>, "Don't You Want Me" was a pulsating dance track chronicling the demise of a relationship through the back and forth vocal between Oakey and Sulley. Enterting the US Top 40 in early April of 1982, the song rocketed up the chart and reached the Top Ten by May. It eventually topped the chart for three weeks in June, becoming a summer anthem and one of the biggest singles of the year.

It would be the first time a synthesizer act topped the singles chart and "Don't You Want Me" helped propel Dare into the Top Ten on the US album charts as well as making the group international stars. Although their career in the US would be one of fits and starts, Human League had secured their place in pop music (and culture) history and they would pave the way for not only the numerous new wave acts to chart over the next two years but a succession of UK acts that found early '80s success in the US as well.

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