"Crash" is the fifth studio album by English synth-pop band The Human League, released on September 8, 1986, by Virgin Records. The album features the band's second US number-one single, "Human," which was released the same year. Produced by the American production team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the album includes several tracks written by the duo.
After the moderate success of their fourth album Hysteria, The Human League faced challenges in recording new material. They worked with producer Colin Thurston at Utopia Studios, but his patience wore thin due to slow progress. Thurston left for his honeymoon, and his assistant, Paul Rabiger, took over, credited for keyboards and arrangements on the final album. Jo Callis had left the band by 1985, and Virgin Records, concerned about the band's slow progress, suggested collaborating with Minneapolis-based producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, known for their work with artists like Janet Jackson.
The Human League traveled to Minneapolis in February 1986 to work at Flyte Time Studios with Jam and Lewis. Initially, the collaboration was promising, but tensions arose as Jam and Lewis insisted on prioritizing their own tracks over the band's material. This led to disagreements over creative control and working methods. The band eventually returned to Sheffield, leaving Jam and Lewis to finish the album with session musicians. Philip Oakey later expressed discomfort with the experience, describing it as being like a "puppet."
Despite these issues, Crash achieved unexpected success. The single "Human" became the band's second US number-one hit and a UK top 10 single. The album peaked at number seven in the UK and number 24 on the US Billboard 200. However, the band members were unhappy with the process, and tensions over background vocals contributed to the discord. In 2015, Jimmy Jam revealed that disagreements over the use of background vocals, particularly involving session vocalist Lisa Keith, were a key source of tension.
In 2005, Crash was re-issued with extended versions of its singles.
