The Human League – Don’t You Want Me

“Don’t You Want Me” – Single by the Human League from the album Dare
B-side: “Seconds”
Released: November 27, 1981
Label: Virgin
Songwriters: Jo Callis, Philip Oakey and Philip Adrian Wright
Producer: Martin Rushent
Charted No.1 in US and No.1 in UK

In 1981, record company Virgin were becoming aware that the music video was evolving into an important marketing tool, with MTV being launched that year. Virgin commissioned a promotional video for “Don’t You Want Me”.

The video for the song was filmed near Slough, Berkshire, during November 1981. The video’s theme is the filming and editing of a murder-mystery film, featuring the band members as characters and production staff. Because it is a “making-of” video, both crew and camera apparatus appear throughout. The video was conceived and directed by the Irish filmmaker Steve Barron, and has at its core the interaction between a successful actress (also an assistant editor) played by Susan Ann Sulley walking out on “film director” Philip Oakey on a film set.

The Human League often added cryptic references to their productions and the record sleeve of “Don’t You Want Me” featured the suffix of “100”. This was a reference to The 100 Club, a restaurant/bar in Sheffield.

“Don’t You Want Me” was the first US single released by The Human League; it was issued in January 1982, entered the Top 40 in April, and thanks to the MTV exposure, hit #1 on July 3, 1982, where it stayed for three weeks. The song’s rise mirrored that of MTV, gradually gaining attention and making a huge cultural impact by the summer of 1982.

In the UK, this was a monster hit, and the first #1 for Richard Branson’s Virgin label. The song was released in the UK in November 1981 and hit #1 on December 12, where it stayed for five weeks; the group had three previous UK hits that year: “The Sound Of The Crowd” (#12), “Love Action (I Believe In Love)” (#3), and “Open Your Heart” (#6).

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