MusicBox - The Human League - In a League of their Own
Apr, 7 2026
We all take it for granted that The Human League are a functioning band but they had a series of incarnations before they resolved with the ultimate name.
In their early forming years they were called The Dead Daughters. They soon progressed to The Future which incorporated the synthesizer.
However, a board game gave them ‘The Human League’ based on StarForce – Alpha Centauri. At this point members Ian Craig Marsh and Philip Oakey were on board.
In the game, the Human League arose in 2415 A.D. and were a frontier-oriented society that desired more independence from Earth. Oakey and Marsh agreed on the new name, and in early 1978 The Future became The Human League.
That same year their first single ‘Being Boiled’ was released and they soon discovered their music career was more than just a game, it was a business and they needed the songs to keep up with the era of synth pop bands.
The line- up changed when new recruits Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley provided a smooth female vocal touch which complemented Phil Oakey’s strong male voice.
Here they are explaining how they got on board with Phil -
Their classic number which helped define their career is the 1981 hit ‘Don’t you Want Me’. Even now 45 years since its release people still request it at 80s parties.
But they weren’t alone. Take a look at the top ten synth bands of the 1980s –
- Depeche Mode
- A-ha
- Erasure
- Duran Duran
- New Order
- Eurythmics
- Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
- INXS
- Tears for Fears
- Pet Shop Boys
40 years ago the band released ‘Crash’ – the fifth studio album. The album spoke for itself as it didn’t do very well. But it did feature the song ‘Human’ the second single to top the Billboard Hot 100 after their 1981 single ‘Don’t You Want Me’.
Here is the accompanying video –
In 2012, to celebrate 35 years in existence, the band undertook the 'XXXV Tour' across Europe, playing in Amsterdam and Brussels followed by fifteen dates in the UK, from 20 November until 11 December. The shows were critically acclaimed. The British publication Daily Telegraph said "as good a night's entertainment as you are likely to find anywhere on the planet".
For more information simply visit the following website link –
Next year is the 50th anniversary for a band who have experienced line –up changes and genre defining music which spoke for a generation. Despite their shortcomings, “they’re only human - of flesh and blood they’re made, Human – born to make mistakes.”
^Alex Ashworth CCG Content Creator
