The Human League spearheaded the anti-rock New Pop movement of the early 80s, but their debut single came from a far stranger place. Phil Oakey introduces the 45 by quoting the last words of the American criminal Gary Gilmore in 1977 – “Okay, ready, let’s do it”, – before pushing into the song.

It’s a dark but strikingly elegant song – sovereign and sublime. A song that made you realise, that beyond rock and pop there was still a creative perspective – even in mainstream. Or “the future of pop” as Bowie put it back then in 1978.