So Hard

Quality 0.50 · 1 view · Updated 2 months ago

1990 single by Pet Shop Boys

title: "So Hard" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1990-singles", "1990-songs", "music-videos-shot-in-the-united-kingdom", "number-one-singles-in-finland", "parlophone-singles", "pet-shop-boys-songs", "song-recordings-produced-by-harold-faltermeyer", "songs-written-by-chris-lowe", "songs-written-by-neil-tennant", "black-and-white-music-videos", "music-videos-directed-by-eric-watson-(photographer)", "orchestral-pop-songs"] description: "1990 single by Pet Shop Boys" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/So_Hard" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1990 single by Pet Shop Boys ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

FieldValue
nameSo Hard
coverPet_Shop_Boys_-_So_hard.jpg
typesingle
artistPet Shop Boys
albumBehaviour
B-sideIt Must Be Obvious
released
studioRed Deer (Munich, West Germany)
* Synth-pop<ref name"Edwards & Elliott 2023"
* disco<ref name"Flick 1990"/
* orchestral pop<ref name"Robinson 1990"/
labelParlophone
prev_titleIt's Alright
prev_year1989
next_titleBeing Boring
next_year1990
misc
::

::callout[type=note] the 1990 Pet Shop Boys song ::

| name = So Hard | cover = Pet_Shop_Boys_-_So_hard.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Pet Shop Boys | album = Behaviour | B-side = It Must Be Obvious | released = | recorded = | studio = Red Deer (Munich, West Germany) | genre =

"So Hard" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released in September 1990 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Behaviour (1990). The song is about "two people living together; they are totally unfaithful to each other but they both pretend they are faithful and then catch each other out". It peaked at No. 4 in the United Kingdom and reached the top three in at least seven European countries, including Finland, where it reached No. 1.

Background

Chris Lowe said the original version of "So Hard" was "harping back to Giorgio Moroder with loads of all these retro instruments. Then David Morales took the chord progression from the middle section and made this classic pumping house track. It's quite funny, because we did this gig in Los Angeles and Frankie Knuckles played this track at the party afterwards. Neil came over and said, 'Why don't we make records like this?' I said, 'Neil, it is us.' So that's how much we know about dance music!"

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard felt that "So Hard" "maintains the fun and frothy disco melodrama of past efforts, while striking enough of a modern pop stance to encourage alternative and top 40 radio airplay." James Muretich from Calgary Herald said the song, "about a couple faithfully unfaithful to each other", "reflect a detached sadness set against a dreamy synthesizer background that barely sashays across the dancefloor." Liverpool Echo stated, "It might be called "So Hard" but the Pet Shop Boys make it all sound so easy. That's probably why people think they're too clever for their own good. But they do make excellent pop records. This is typical Pet Shop Boys despite the change of producer: Brash disco backing, dry sophisticated singing and a great tune."

Paul Lester from Melody Maker named it Single of the Week, writing, "Notwithstanding the radar signals, laser beams and acidic bleeps which squiggle at the start, "So Hard" is immediately, unmistakably Pet Shop Boys." Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "All radio formats unite! This commercial pop single - featuring that typically inescapable chorus - is the logical choice for any sensible programmer." Nick Robinson from Music Week said, "A welcome return, this time with Harold 'Axel F' Faltermeyer co-producing, and a typical semi-orchestral pop song with those familiar heavy dance beats and another catchy chorus." Roger Morton from NME wrote that "So Hard" is "familiar Pet Shoppies territory", with its "superior hit factory pulse, boys town keyboard slashes and darkly tainted love-lyric."

Music video

The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Eric Watson and filmed in Newcastle and North Tyneside. Filming locations included the Bigg Market, Newcastle Quayside, Railway Terrace in Wallsend, Byker, Whitley Bay and the Tyne and Wear Metro. The black and white video co-stars Paul Gascoigne's sister Anna Gascoigne and features Dainton Connell. The video also shows people dancing and having fun on the streets with Tennant and Lowe in the background.

Track listing

The single's B-side is "It Must Be Obvious", with the US release also featuring the remix of "Paninaro", which was originally released on Disco. Remixes were done by Julian Mendelsohn, the KLF and David Morales. The KLF remixed "So Hard" and "It Must Be Obvious", available on the "So Hard (The KLF vs Pet Shop Boys)" single.

  • Standard 7-inch and cassette single
  1. "So Hard" – 3:56
  2. "It Must Be Obvious" – 4:21

  • UK 12-inch single :A1. "So Hard" (extended dance mix) – 6:30 :A2. "It Must Be Obvious" – 4:21 :B1. "So Hard" (dub mix) – 7:30

  • UK 12-inch single (The KLF vs Pet Shop Boys) :A. "So Hard" (The KLF vs. Pet Shop Boys) – 5:27 :B. "It Must Be Obvious" (UFO mix) – 9:22

  • UK CD single

  1. "So Hard" – 3:56
  2. "It Must Be Obvious" – 4:21
  3. "So Hard" (extended dance mix) – 6:30
  • German maxi-CD single
  1. "So Hard" (12-inch remix) – 6:13
  2. "So Hard" (radio mix) – 3:22
  3. "So Hard" (Red Zone mix) – 6:45
  4. "So Hard" (Eclipse mix) – 3:40

  • US 12-inch and maxi-cassette single :A1. "So Hard" (extended dance mix) – 6:30 :A2. "So Hard" (single) – 3:56 :B1. "So Hard" (dub) – 7:30 :B2. "It Must Be Obvious" – 4:21

  • US maxi-CD single

  1. "So Hard" (extended dance mix) – 6:30
  2. "So Hard" (single) – 3:56
  3. "So Hard" (dub) – 7:30
  4. "It Must Be Obvious" – 4:21
  5. "Paninaro" (12-inch remix) – 8:40

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of "So Hard" and from Pet Shop Boys Catalogue.

Pet Shop Boys

Additional personnel

Artwork

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table title="Weekly chart performance for "So Hard""] | Chart (1990–1991) | Peak position | Canada (The Record) | Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles) | Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) | Italy (Musica e dischi) | Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg) | Portugal (UNEVA) | Spain (AFYVE) | US Cash Box Top 100 | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 18 | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | 66 | | | | | | | | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table title="Year-end chart performance for "So Hard""]

Chart (1990)PositionBelgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles)Germany (Media Control)Netherlands (Single Top 100)Sweden (Topplistan)
83
74
75
99
24
::

Release history

::data[format=table title="Release dates and formats for "So Hard""]

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref(s).United KingdomJapanAustralia
24 September 1990Parlophone
8 October 199012-inch remix vinyl
17 October 1990Mini-CDEMI
22 October 1990Parlophone
5 November 199012-inch vinyl
::

Cover versions

A cover version by Scottish musician Momus was included on the 2001 compilation Very Introspective, Actually: A Tribute to the Pet Shop Boys.

References

References

  1. Zuberi, Nabeel. (May 2001). "Sounds English: Transnational Popular Music". University of Illinois Press.
  2. (June 16, 2023). "Best Pet Shop Boys Songs: 30 Synth-Pop Hits Always On Our Mind".
  3. "So Hard".
  4. ''[[Q (magazine). Q]]'', May 2001
  5. Flick, Larry. (29 September 1990). "Single Reviews".
  6. Muretich, James (18 November 1990). "Recent Releases". ''[[Calgary Herald]]''.
  7. ''[[Liverpool Echo]]''. 29 September 1990. p. 12.
  8. Lester, Paul. (22 September 1990). "Singles".
  9. (6 October 1990). "Previews: Singles".
  10. Robinson, Nick. (29 September 1990). "Singles".
  11. Morton, Roger. "The Pet Shop Boys – Behaviour". [[NME]].
  12. (2006). "Pet Shop Boys Catalogue". Thames & Hudson.
  13. [[Pet Shop Boys]]. (1990). "So Hard". [[Parlophone]].
  14. Pet Shop Boys. (1990). "So Hard". Parlophone.
  15. Pet Shop Boys. (1990). "So Hard". Parlophone.
  16. Pet Shop Boys. (1990). "So Hard". Parlophone.
  17. Pet Shop Boys. (1990). "So Hard". Parlophone.
  18. Pet Shop Boys. (1990). "So Hard". Parlophone.
  19. Pet Shop Boys. (1990). "So Hard". [[EMI Records.
  20. Pet Shop Boys. (1990). "So Hard". EMI USA.
  21. Pet Shop Boys. (1990). "So Hard". EMI USA.
  22. (24 November 1990). "Hits of the World: Canada".
  23. (10 November 1990). "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles".
  24. Nyman, Jake. (2005). "Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja". Tammi.
  25. (10 November 1990). "Top 3 Singles in Europe".
  26. [http://www.umdmusic.com/default.asp?Lang=English&Chart=F&ChDate=19900930&ChMode=N Radio Luxembourg Singles. 7 October 1990.]
  27. (12 January 1991). "Top 10 in Europe".
  28. Salaverri, Fernando. (September 2005). "Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002". [[Sociedad General de Autores y Editores.
  29. "Cash Box Top 100 Pop Singles – Week ending November 17, 1990". [[Cashbox (magazine).
  30. "Jaaroverzichten 1990 – Singles". [[Ultratop]].
  31. (22 December 1990). "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles – 1990".
  32. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts – 1990". GfK Entertainment.
  33. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1990". [[Dutch Charts]].
  34. "Årstopplistan 1990, Singlar". Grammotex.
  35. (22 September 1990). "New Singles".
  36. (6 October 1990). "New Singles".
  37. "ソー・ハード {{!}} ペット・ショップ・ボーイズ". [[Oricon]].
  38. (21 October 1990). "New Release Summary: Singles".
  39. (4 November 1990). "New Release Summary: Singles".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1990-singles1990-songsmusic-videos-shot-in-the-united-kingdomnumber-one-singles-in-finlandparlophone-singlespet-shop-boys-songssong-recordings-produced-by-harold-faltermeyersongs-written-by-chris-lowesongs-written-by-neil-tennantblack-and-white-music-videosmusic-videos-directed-by-eric-watson-(photographer)orchestral-pop-songs