On this day February 27 1984 Nik Kershaw released his debut album Human Racing, marking his arrival in the 80s pop scene. The album blended new wave, synth pop, and rock influences establishing Kershaw as one of the decade’s most promising singer-songwriters.
Human Racing performed well internationally, reaching number 70 on the US Billboard 200, while finding much greater success in the UK and Europe. The album featured some of Kershaw’s most recognizable hits, including Wouldn’t It Be Good, which became a top 10 hit in multiple countries, and the title track Human Racing. Other standout songs like Dancing Girls and I Won’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me helped cement the album’s status as a synth pop classic.
Despite never reaching superstar status in the US Kershaw gained a dedicated following and became known for his intelligent songwriting and intricate melodies. His success continued with his follow up album The Riddle and he later became a respected songwriter working with artists such as Elton John and Chesney Hawkes.
80s insight: Wouldn’t It Be Good was accompanied by a groundbreaking chroma key (green screen) music video which was considered highly innovative for the time.
Human Racing performed well internationally, reaching number 70 on the US Billboard 200, while finding much greater success in the UK and Europe. The album featured some of Kershaw’s most recognizable hits, including Wouldn’t It Be Good, which became a top 10 hit in multiple countries, and the title track Human Racing. Other standout songs like Dancing Girls and I Won’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me helped cement the album’s status as a synth pop classic.
Despite never reaching superstar status in the US Kershaw gained a dedicated following and became known for his intelligent songwriting and intricate melodies. His success continued with his follow up album The Riddle and he later became a respected songwriter working with artists such as Elton John and Chesney Hawkes.
80s insight: Wouldn’t It Be Good was accompanied by a groundbreaking chroma key (green screen) music video which was considered highly innovative for the time.
