This is the discography of Soft Cell, a British synth-pop duo consisting of Marc Almond and Dave Ball who rose to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo broke up in 1984 after releasing four albums, but reunited in the early 2000s for a series of live dates and released an album of new material in 2002. The group reunited again in 2018 for a final farewell concert,[1] accompanied by a host of musical and video releases, including a career-spanning box set[2] and a single.[3] This re-union spawned a new album and a slew of singles, with more new material on the way for 2026 and beyond[4]
Soft Cell discography | |
---|---|
Studio albums | 5 |
EPs | 3 |
Live albums | 5 |
Compilation albums | 15 |
Singles | 26 |
Video albums | 3 |
Remix albums | 1 |
Albums
editStudio albums
editTitle | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [5] |
AUS [6] |
CAN [7] |
FIN [8] |
GER [9] |
NED [10] |
NZ [11] |
SWE [12] |
US [13] |
US R&B/HH [13] | |||||
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret |
|
5 | 34 | 2 | 19 | 23 | — | 7 | 25 | 22 | 55 | |||
The Art of Falling Apart |
|
5 | — | 82 | — | — | 43 | — | — | 84 | — |
| ||
This Last Night in Sodom |
|
12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
Cruelty Without Beauty |
|
116 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
Happiness Not Included |
|
7 | — | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
Happiness Now Completed |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
Remix albums
editTitle | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [5] |
US [13] |
US Dance Club [17] | |||
Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing |
|
6 | 57 | 31 |
|
Heat: The Remixes |
|
— | — | — |
Live albums
editTitle | Album details | Peak chart positions | Additional Information | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [5] |
UK Indie [18] |
UK Vinyl [19] |
SCO [20] | |||
Live |
|
— | — | — | — |
|
Soft Cell at the BBC |
|
— | — | — | — |
|
Say Hello, Wave Goodbye: Live |
|
— | — | — | — |
|
Say Hello, Wave Goodbye – 2018 |
|
95 | 11 | 18 | 38 | |
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret & Other Stories |
|
— | — | — | — |
|
Compilation albums
editCharting compilations
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [5] |
BEL [21] |
EUR [22] |
GER [23] |
SCO [24] | ||||||||||
The Singles |
|
58 | — | — | 54 | — | ||||||||
Memorabilia – The Singles |
|
8 | — | 40 | — | — | ||||||||
The Very Best of Soft Cell |
|
37 | — | — | — | 63 |
| |||||||
Hits & Pieces: The Best of Marc Almond and Soft Cell |
|
7 | 134 | — | — | 5 | ||||||||
Keychains & Snowstorms – The Soft Cell Story |
|
56 | — | — | 80 | 36 | ||||||||
Keychains & Snowstorms – The Singles |
|
34 | — | — | — | 30 |
| |||||||
Non-Stop Extended Cabaret[A] |
|
—[B] | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
"—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
Additional compilations
- 1982 – The Twelve Inch Singles (Some Bizzare) (6x12" vinyl boxset with booklet)
- 1994 – Down in the Subway (Spectrum)
- 1996 – Say Hello to Soft Cell (Spectrum)
- 1998 – Master Series (Mercury)
- 2001 – The Twelve Inch Singles (PolyGram) (3CD re-release of the 1982 boxset)
- 2005 – The Bedsit Tapes (Some Bizzare) (Recorded in 1978–1980)
- 2006 – Demo Non Stop (Some Bizzare) (Recorded in 1978–1980)
- 2006 – 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Soft Cell (Universal)
Extended plays
editTitle | Details |
---|---|
Mutant Moments |
|
Club Mixes 2018 |
|
Magick Mutants |
|
Singles
editYear | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK [5] |
AUS [6] |
BEL [21] |
CAN [27] |
FIN [8] |
GER [28] |
IRE [29] |
NED [10] |
SWE [12] |
US [13] |
US Dance Club [30] | ||||
1981 | "A Man Can Get Lost" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
"Memorabilia" | —[C] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 35 | |||
"Tainted Love"/ "Where Did Our Love Go" |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 4 | Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret | ||
"Bedsitter" | 4 | — | 33 | — | 29 | — | 10 | — | — | — | — |
| ||
1982 | "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" | 3 | — | 36 | — | — | 29 | 12 | 30 | — | — | — |
| |
"Torch" | 2 | 68 | 6 | — | 9 | 75 | 7 | 12 | — | — | — |
|
Non-album single | |
"What" | 3 | — | 32 | — | — | 64 | 6 | — | — | –[D] | — |
|
Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing | |
"Where the Heart Is" | 21 | — | — | — | 23 | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | The Art of Falling Apart | ||
"Loving You, Hating Me" (North America Only Release) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
1983 | "Numbers"/"Barriers" | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | — | — | — | — | ||
"Heat" (North America Only Release) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"Soul Inside" | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | — | — | — | — | This Last Night in Sodom | ||
1984 | "Down in the Subway" | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | — | — | — | — | ||
1985 | "Tainted Love" (re-issue) | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
1991 | "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye '91" (featuring Marc Almond) |
38 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Memorabilia – The Singles | |
"Tainted Love '91" (featuring Marc Almond) |
5 | 93 | — | — | — | 22 | 4 | — | — | — | — | |||
1999 | "Tainted Love" (Soft Cell vs Club 69) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | —[E] | 24 | Non-album single | |
2002 | "Monoculture" | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Cruelty Without Beauty | |
2003 | "The Night" | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2016 | "Sex Dwarf"[F] | —[G] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret | |
2018 | "Northern Lights"/ "Guilty (Cos I Say You Are)" |
—[H] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Keychains & Snowstorms: The Singles | |
2021 | "Bruises on All My Illusions" | —[I] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Happiness Not Included | |
2022 | "Purple Zone" (with Pet Shop Boys) |
—[J] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Nostalgia Machine" | —[K] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"Light Sleepers / Last Chance" | —[L] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Happiness Not Included / Cruelty Without Beauty | ||
—[M] | ||||||||||||||
2024 | "Light Sleepers (Christmas Mix) / First Hand Experience In Second Hand Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2025 | "First Hand Experience In Second Hand Love (Remixes)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
Promotional singles
Video albums
editYear | Title | Format | Additional information |
---|---|---|---|
1982 | Soft Cell's Non-Stop Exotic Video Show
|
VHS | Reissued on DVD in 2004, and included on the Keychains & Snowstorms Boxset DVD disc |
1991 | Memorabilia – The Video Singles
|
VHS | Soft Cell with Marc Almond – video compilation released alongside the 1991 compilation album of the same name |
2002 | Live in Milan
|
DVD |
Music videos
editYear | Title | Director | Additional Information |
---|---|---|---|
1981 | Tainted Love | Tim Pope | Released on Soft Cell's Non-Stop Exotic Video Show and Keychains & Snowstorms Boxset |
Bedsitter | Released on Soft Cell's Non-Stop Exotic Video Show and Memorabilia – The Video Singles and Keychains & Snowstorms Boxset | ||
Say Hello, Wave Goodbye | Released on Soft Cell's Non-Stop Exotic Video Show and Keychains & Snowstorms Boxset | ||
1982 | Torch | Released on Soft Cell's Non-Stop Exotic Video Show and Memorabilia – The Video Singles and Keychains & Snowstorms Boxset | |
What! | |||
Entertain Me | Released on Soft Cell's Non-Stop Exotic Video Show and Keychains & Snowstorms Boxset | ||
Frustration | |||
Seedy Films | |||
Secret Life | |||
Youth | |||
Memorabilia | Released on Soft Cell's Non-Stop Exotic Video Show and Memorabilia – The Video Singles and Keychains & Snowstorms Boxset | ||
Sex Dwarf (Intro) | Released on Soft Cell's Non-Stop Exotic Video Show and Keychains & Snowstorms Boxset | ||
Sex Dwarf | Original, banned version that has yet to be officially released | ||
1983 | Where The Heart Is | Released on Memorabilia – The Video Singles and Keychains & Snowstorms Boxset | |
Numbers | |||
Soul Inside | |||
1984 | Down in the Subway | Released on Keychains & Snowstorms Boxset | |
1991 | Say Hello, Wave Goodbye '91 | Peter Christopherson | Released on Memorabilia – The Video Singles and Keychains & Snowstorms Boxset |
Tainted Love '91 | |||
2002 | Monoculture | Tim Pope | Included as a multimedia track on the Monoculture single and Keychains & Snowstorms Boxset |
2018 | Northern Lights | Included as a multimedia track on the Northern Lights single and Keychains & Snowstorms Boxset | |
2022 | Purple Zone | Yassa Khan | Soft Cell & Pet Shop Boys Single |
Light Sleepers | Charlie Ann Max |
Rarities and miscellaneous
editYear | Title | Label | Additional information |
---|---|---|---|
1981 | Some Bizzare Album | Some Bizzare | Compilation featuring exclusive track "The Girl with the Patent Leather Face." |
1982 | Metro MRX | Flexi | 1982 green flexi-disc free with Flexi-Pop magazine. |
1983 | Ghostrider – Live '83 | Cellmates | Flexi-disc of a live cover of the song Ghost Rider by Suicide. Available in black, blue, or green and issued by the Soft Cell fan club. |
1991 | Bedsitter '91 / Torch | Withdrawn UK promotional 7" & 12" single, originally intended to be the 3rd single release from the 1991 compilation 'Memorabilia'. Credited to Soft Cell / Marc Almond. | |
2001 | I'd Rather Shout at a Returning Echo than Kid That Someone's Listening | Some Bizzare | Compilation that includes the track "God-Shaped Hole." |
2016 | Sex Dwarf | UMC | 12" Vinyl UK Record Store Day 2016. Contains the 3 existing (At the time) remixes of the song.[49] |
2018 | Say Hello Wave Goodbye / Youth | UMC/Mercury | 12" Vinyl UK Record Store Day 2018 First Release limited to 1,500 copies, containing new mixes by Dave Ball: Say Hello Wave Goodbye (Dave Ball Lateral Mix) & Youth (Dave Ball Wasted on the Young Mix)[50] |
2018 | Night and the City (And You) & One Last Time | Exclusive Tracks contained on limited edition 'Keychains & Snowstorms' USB Stick. | |
2020 | Cruelty Without Beauty 2020 Extended Mixes | Limited to 500 copies in a PVC sleeve with sticker.[51] | |
2025 | Happiness Now Completed | Vinyl Album Release For 2025 Record Store Day (12th Of April) Limited to 1000 copies. Includes the previously unreleased track: 'Kill Shot'. [52] |
Notes
edit- ^ "Non-Stop Extended Cabaret" was released in the United Kingdom as a limited-edition 2x LP compilation for Record Store Day.[25]
- ^ "Non-Stop Extended Cabaret" did not enter the UK Albums chart, but peaked at number 71 on the UK Physical Albums chart and at number 76 on the UK Albums Sales chart[26]
- ^ "Memorabilia" did not enter the UK Singles chart, but peaked at number 15 on the UK Vinyl Singles chart and at number 18 on the UK Physical Singles chart.[31]
- ^ "What" did not enter the US Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 extension chart.[35]
- ^ "Tainted Love (Soft Cell vs. Club 69)" did not enter the US Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Dance Singles Sales chart.[36]
- ^ "Sex Dwarf" was released in the United Kingdom as a limited-edition twelve-inch vinyl single for Record Store Day.[37]
- ^ "Sex Dwarf" did not enter the UK Singles chart, but peaked at number 11 on the UK Vinyl Singles chart and at number 14 on the UK Physical Singles chart.[38]
- ^ "Northern Lights" did not enter the UK Singles chart, but peaked at number 2 on the UK Physical Singles chart and UK Vinyl Singles chart and at number 37 on the UK Singles Sales chart.[39]
- ^ "Bruises on All My Illusions" did not enter the UK Singles chart, but peaked at number 2 on the UK Physical Singles chart and UK Vinyl Singles chart and at number 60 on the UK Singles Sales chart.[40]
- ^ "Purple Zone" did not enter the UK Singles chart, but peaked at number 1 on the UK Physical Singles chart and UK Vinyl Singles chart, at number 9 on the UK Singles Sales chart and at number 11 on the UK Singles Downloads chart.[41]
- ^ "Nostalgia Machine" did not enter the UK Singles chart, but peaked at number 6 on the UK Physical Singles chart, at number 9 on the UK Vinyl Singles chart and at number 30 on the UK Singles Sales chart.[42]
- ^ "Light Sleepers" did not enter the UK Singles chart, but peaked at number 17 on the UK Physical Singles chart and UK Vinyl Singles chart and at number 43 on the UK Singles Sales chart.[43]
- ^ "Last Chance (Christmas Mix)" did not enter the UK Singles chart, but peaked at number 3 on the UK Physical Singles chart and at number 34 on the UK Singles Sales chart.[44]
References
edit- ^ "Soft Cell Announce One-Off 40th Anniversary Concert".
- ^ "Announcing 'Keychains & Snowstorms – the Soft Cell Story' Boxset".
- ^ "Soft Cell to release brand new single Northern Lights plus new Best of compilation in September".
- ^ "Soft Cell | History".
- ^ a b c d e UK chart peaks:
- "UK chart peaks". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. ISBN 9781904994107.
- "Chart Log UK 1994–2010". zobbel - Dipl.-Bibl.(FH) Tobias Zywietz. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ a b Peaks in Australia:
- All except noted: Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 280. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- "Tainted Love '91": Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 259.
- ^ Canadian albums chart peaks:
- "Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret". RPM. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- "The Art of Falling Apart". RPM. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ a b Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
- ^ "Discographie von Soft Cell". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Dutch chart peaks". Dutch Charts. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ "New Zealand chart peaks". charts.nz. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
- ^ a b "Swedish chart peaks". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ a b c d "US chart peaks". Billboard. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "British certifications – Soft Cell". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 14 July 2024. Type Soft Cell in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ a b "Music Canada > Gold & Platinum > Soft Cell". Music Canada. Music Canada. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
- ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Soft Cell". Radioscope. Retrieved 25 January 2024. Type Soft Cell in the "Search:" field.
- ^ "Soft Cell Chart History: Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ UK live albums chart peaks:
- "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye – 2019". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ UK vinyl albums chart peaks:
- "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye – 2019". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ Scottish live albums chart peaks:
- "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye – 2019". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Belgian (Flanders) chart peaks". ultratop.be. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ European compilation album chart peaks:
- "Memorabilia – The Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ German compilation albums chart peaks:
- "The Singles". offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- "Keychains & Snowstorms – The Soft Cell Story". offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ Scottish studio albums chart peaks:
- "The Very Best of Soft Cell". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- "Hits & Pieces: The Best of Marc Almond and Soft Cell". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- "Keychains & Snowstorms – The Soft Cell Story". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- "Keychains & Snowstorms – The Singles". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ "Soft Cell - Non-Stop Exotic Cabaret". recordstoreday.com. 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ "Soft Cell – Non-Stop Extended Cabaret". Official Charts. 2 May 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ^ Canadian singles chart peaks:
- "Tainted Love". RPM. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ German singles chart peaks:
- "Tainted Love". offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye". offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- "Torch". offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- "What". offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- "Tainted Love '91". offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ Irish singles chart peaks:
- Note: User needs to click on the "Search Charts" tab. Then enter Soft Cell into the "Search Artists" field and press "Search". "Irish singles chart peaks up to 1999". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
- ^ "Soft Cell Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ "Soft Cell - Memorabilia". Official Charts. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ^ "Platinum and Gold Singles 1982". Kent Music Report. 28 February 1983. Retrieved 10 November 2021 – via Imgur.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Soft Cell)" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Soft Cell – Tainted Love". Radioscope. Retrieved 25 January 2024. Type Tainted Love in the "Search:" field.
- ^ "US Hot 100 Bubbling Under". 13 May 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ "Soft Cell vs. Club 69 – Tainted Love". Billboard. 13 February 1999. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ "Record Store Day Preview 2016 / Soft Cell: Sex Dwarf pink vinyl 12-inch". superdeluxeedition.com. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ "Soft Cell – Sex Dwarf". Official Charts. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "Soft Cell – Northern Lights". Official Charts. 11 October 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "Soft Cell - Bruises on All My Illusions". Official Charts. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ "Soft Cell & Pet Shop Boys – Purple Zone". Official Charts. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ "Soft Cell - Nostalgia Machine". Official Charts. 8 December 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ "Soft Cell - Light Sleepers". Official Charts. 2022–2023. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ "Soft Cell - Last Chance". Official Charts. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ "Sex Dwarf/Entertain Me/Seedy Films promotional single". Discogs. 1981. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
- ^ "What/Insecure...Me? promotional single". Discogs. 1982. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
- ^ "Songs from The Last Night in Sodom promotional single". Discogs. 1984. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
- ^ "Soft Cell". MVDbase. ASG. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- ^ "Soft Cell – Sex Dwarf". Discogs. 16 April 2016.
- ^ "Soft Cell – Say Hello Wave Goodbye / Youth". Discogs. 21 April 2018.
- ^ "Soft Cell – Cruelty Without Beauty 2020 Extended Mixes". Discogs. 4 December 2020.
- ^ "Soft Cell | *Happiness now completed (Record Store Day 2025 Special Limited Vinyl Edition with Bonus Track) with Free 30cm x 30cm Art Print".