Soft Cell "Tainted Love"

With their heavily electronic sound and lyrical bent shaped by their art school education, the synth-pop duo of Soft Cell, consisting of Marc Almond and David Ball, were one of the more interesting and unlikely acts to score a major pop hit during the early '80s. Although it wouldn't be released in the States until 1982, Soft Cell's debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, had been issued the prior year in their native UK, producing several hit singles and creating a buzz in the US through imported copies.

Much of the album explored adult-themed subjects and its risque lyrics seemed to make the likelihood of Soft Cell duplicating their British success unlikely in the US. However, synthesizers were dominating American airwaves in 1982 and their single "Tainted Love," a remake of a British hit from the '60s by soul singer Gloria Jones, was gathering inertia in US clubs. In late May, following a six-month climb up the charts, "Tainted Love" edged into the US Top 40.

With a plaintive and evocative vocal by Almond, the song sounded like nothing else on radio at the time. Dark and intoxicating, the song's relatively simple melody struck a chord with listeners and continued a slow and steady march up the chart throughout the summer of 1982. Finally, in late June, "Tainted Love" broke into the Top Ten. Although the song would get no higher than #8, few songs from the period have proven as influential or enduring. As Soft Cell's lone Top 40 hit in the States, it stands as a modern classic.

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