West End Girl

The hit version was re-recorded in London at Advision Studios in June 1985 with Stephen Hague producing and David Jacobs engineering; Helena Springs contributed backing vocals. The original 1984 release was produced by Bobby Orlando in New York before the duo signed to Parlophone and cut the definitive version for release. This was Pet Shop Boys’ breakthrough single, released on 28 October 1985 and driven to number one in the UK, where it stayed at the top for two weeks. It also became a transatlantic hit and earned the duo Best Single at the 1987 BRIT Awards. The song remains the duo’s signature track: in 2005 it was named Song of the Decade by the Ivor Novello Awards, and in 2024 BBC Radio 2 listeners voted it their favourite Pet Shop Boys song. Pet Shop Boys later said it was still one of the songs they loved performing live, and Official Charts identified it as their most-streamed song in the UK.