Heaven 17 History and Early Chart Success

Heaven 17 was formed in Sheffield in 1980 by Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, with Glenn Gregory joining on vocals. During this period, Sheffield was undergoing a transformation caused by the decline of the steel industry. As a result, disused industrial buildings turned into cheap spaces for local musicians and artists. The group released their debut album, Penthouse and Pavement, in 1981. Musically, Heaven 17 combined synthesizers and drum machines with elements of funk, soul, and increasingly complex arrangements.

Instead of issuing direct political instructions, Heaven 17 embedded their political messages directly into pop music. Their song (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang contained political commentary. However, BBC Radio 1 refused to play the song. The station made this decision after its legal department expressed concerns that the lyrics of the track could be evaluated as defamatory.

Heaven 17 achieved significant U.K. chart success with their album The Luxury Gap, which reached No. 4 in the U.K. and eventually certified platinum. Multiple singles from the project reached high positions on the charts as well. Temptation reached No. 2, Come Live with Me reached No. 5, and Crushed by the Wheels of Industry became a Top 20 single.