Octopus by The Human League

Octopus

by The Human League

Released: January 23, 1995

Synth-pop, new wave, new pop, electronic

musicOnOff editorial

Why This Album Matters

This album matters because its strongest editorial story is: Improvisation.

01

The Album

"Octopus" is the seventh studio album by the British synth-pop band The Human League. The album is notable for being The Human League’s first studio album in over five years, following "Romantic?" which came out in 1990. The first of these, "Tell Me When," became one of the band’s biggest hits, cracking the top 10 in the UK.

02

Inside the Recording

Co-produced by synth programming expert Ian Stanley, the album showcased a more modern, updated sound, while still retaining the band's signature electro-pop aesthetics.

Stories and details

Interesting Facts

It was released in January 1995, marking their…

It was released in January 1995, marking their return to the music scene after a long break.

"Octopus" represented a significant artistic and commercial comeback…

"Octopus" represented a significant artistic and commercial comeback for the band.

"One Man in My Heart," was a change…

"One Man in My Heart," was a change of pace for the band, with the song featuring lead vocals from Susan Ann Sulley instead of the band's usual lead vocalist, Philip Oakey.

The album is considered by many to be…

The album is considered by many to be a strong return to form and helped reestablish The Human League as one of the leading electronic pop bands of the 1990s.

Start listening here

Essential Tracks

01

Tell Me When

The album spawned two hit singles, "Tell Me When" and "One Man in My Heart," both of which achieved considerable success in the UK Singles Chart reaching numbers six and thirteen respectively.

02

One Man in My Heart

The album spawned two hit singles, "Tell Me When" and "One Man in My Heart," both of which achieved considerable success in the UK Singles Chart reaching numbers six and thirteen respectively.

Then

Reception

The album spawned two hit singles, "Tell Me When" and "One Man in My Heart," both of which achieved considerable success in the UK Singles Chart reaching numbers six and thirteen respectively. The album reached number six in the UK Albums Chart and was also successful internationally. The band decided to take the hiatus after several commercially unsuccessful albums to reevaluate their creative process.

Full background

The Complete Album Story

"Octopus" is the seventh studio album by the British synth-pop band The Human League. It was released in January 1995, marking their return to the music scene after a long break.

The album is notable for being The Human League’s first studio album in over five years, following "Romantic?" which came out in 1990. The band decided to take the hiatus after several commercially unsuccessful albums to reevaluate their creative process.

"Octopus" represented a significant artistic and commercial comeback for the band. Co-produced by synth programming expert Ian Stanley, the album showcased a more modern, updated sound, while still retaining the band's signature electro-pop aesthetics.

The album spawned two hit singles, "Tell Me When" and "One Man in My Heart," both of which achieved considerable success in the UK Singles Chart reaching numbers six and thirteen respectively. The first of these, "Tell Me When," became one of the band’s biggest hits, cracking the top 10 in the UK. "One Man in My Heart," was a change of pace for the band, with the song featuring lead vocals from Susan Ann Sulley instead of the band's usual lead vocalist, Philip Oakey.

"Octopus" was well-received by critics, who praised its updated sound and catchy hooks. The album reached number six in the UK Albums Chart and was also successful internationally. The album is considered by many to be a strong return to form and helped reestablish The Human League as one of the leading electronic pop bands of the 1990s.

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