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Pet Shop Boys' U.K. 1985-1994 Singles Sales Facts & Figures

Fans often speculate about the actual sales figures of Pet Shop Boys releases. One of my site visitors, Matt Flynn, has devoted a good deal of time researching this subject for their singles released during what most would consider their commercial heyday, 1985-1994—that is, from their breakthrough international hit "West End Girls" through the Very era. Matt's source for this data is BPI, the British Phonographic Industry. The reason it doesn't extend beyond 1994 is that BPI changed its sales calculations at that point, making figures both more difficult to obtain and essentially "incomparable" to the 1985-1994 data. I am indebted to Matt for sharing the results of his research with me and for granting me leave to share it with you.

Please note that these figures represent combined 7-inch, 12-inch, cassette, and CD single sales.

Single

Year of
Single
Release

UK Sales
Year of
Release

 UK Sales
Ranking
That Year 		UK Sales
Total
1985-19941		 Rank in Sales Among
PSB Singles
for This Period
West End Girls2 1985
228,701 
#68 
434,6733
#3 
Love Comes Quickly 1986
97,342 
#165 
#16 
Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)4 1986
106,114 
#150 
#13 
Suburbia 1986
166,549 
#80 
#7 
It's a Sin 1987
448,647 
#8 
456,673 
#2 
What Have I Done to Deserve This? 1987
251,022 
#42 
#5 
Rent 1987
97,631 
#165 
#15 
Always on My Mind 1987
393,737 
#14 
508,7935
#1 
Heart 1988
266,033 
#26 
  
#4 
Domino Dancing 1988
147,475 
#88 
  
#8 
Left to My Own Devices 1988
131,410 
#104 
146,710 
#9 
It's Alright 1989
143,344 
#108 
  
#10 
So Hard 1990
134,504 
#92 
  
#11 
Being Boring 1990
54,618 
#284 
  
#19 
How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously? 1991
118,960 
#84 
  
#12 
Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)
Jealousy 1991
54,480 
#232 
  
#20 
DJ Culture 1991
39,968 
#305 
  
#24 
DJ Culturemix (DJ Culture remix) 1991
13,344 
--6
  
#25 
Was It Worth It? 1991
41,5407
#386 
  
#23 
Can You Forgive Her? 1993
89,190 
#92 
  
#17 
Go West 1993
185,745 
#46 
  
#6 
I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing 1993
64,380 
#142 
  
#18 
Liberation 1994
53,227 
#193 
  
#21 
Absolutely Fabulous 1994
100,657 
#111 
  
#14 
Yesterday, When I Was Mad 1994
48,943 
#207 
  
#22 

1A separate total figure is provided only if it is notably higher than the release-year figure.

2This is the big hit version of "West End Girls" produced by Stephen Hague, not the original Bobby 'O'-produced version from the year before.

3Released in late 1985, "West End Girls" sold nearly as many copies in 1986 as in the year before and actually ended up ranking a little higher for U.K. sales in 1986 (#65) than it had in 1985 (#68). If its 1985 and 1986 sales were combined, it would have ranked as the #15 best-selling single of 1986.

4These figures are for the second release of "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" as a single. Figures for the first release in 1985, which was essentially a "flop," appear to be unavailable.

5Released in late 1987, "Always on My Mind" sold far more in 1987 than in 1988, but nevertheless sold enough in the latter year to end up ranked #126 for 1988. If the sales figures for the two years were combined, it would have ranked as the #5 best-selling single of 1988.

6No data available for the year-end ranking of "DJCulturemix," but given its low sales figures, it would undoubtedly be quite far down in the rankings.

7Combined sales for 1991 and 1992; separate year figures appear to be unavailable.

 

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