On this day May 10, 1986, West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys became the number 1 song in America, where it held the top spot through May 16. Originally released in 1984 and re-recorded in 1985, the track combined synth pop with hip hop influences and urban storytelling, creating a sound that was both stylish and groundbreaking.
The song also reached number 1 in the UK, Canada, Norway, Finland, and New Zealand, cementing the Pet Shop Boys as global stars and leading voices in the emerging electronic pop scene.
Fun fact: West End Girls won Best Single at the 1987 BRIT Awards and has since been hailed as one of the greatest pop songs of the decade.