Syllabus Music: Essential Fops

Pet Shop Boys Actually (1987) Few artists in the past two decades have made a more erudite, foppishly chic impact on pop music than the Pet Shop Boys. Stocked with cynical consumerist tracks (Rent, Shopping), their sophomore album also found the gay duo reviving Dusty Springfields career on the standout What Have I Done to Deserve This? -- a synth-laced evocation of romantic discontent that perfectly sums up love in the 80s. Get it on:



Suede Suede (1993) With the release of their winning debut, Suede single-handedly made floppy bangs, fey dance moves, and ambiguous sexuality (note the album cover) cool again. It didnt hurt that alterna-fops Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler had an arsenal of era-defining tunes at their disposal: Animal Nitrate, Sleeping Pills, and The Drowners (with the line We kiss in his room to a popular tune) remain some of the most theatrical, sweepingly romantic in Brit rock. Get it on:



The Divine Comedy Casanova (1996) Neil Hannon is charming and he knows it, so on Casanova the groups front man ramps up the romance. Hes a total dandy on songs like Middle-Class Heroes and Becoming More Like Alfie, simultaneously swooning and causing the swoon. Meanwhile, Songs of Love does justice to lyricists everywhere who are holed up penning love songs while everyone else is out getting the girl (or boy). Not available on iTunes. Send a letter to the editor about this article.